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Opinion
University Daily Kansan, October 19, 1982
Research park wise buy
Lawrence has the opportunity now to broaden its economic base. And although any effects are not likely to be seen for 20 years or more, this opportunity could insulate Lawrence — and the University of Kansas — in times of future economic downturns.
The opportunity lies in a proposed high-technology research park that would combine University talent with corporate capital. The University Senate Executive Committee endorsed the concept last week, despite little likelihood that the state can now afford to offer financial support for it.
The type of research park endorsed by the SenEx is among the types of industrial parks being encouraged by the Chamber of Commerce. Possible sites for the park would include land owned by the Alumni Association on West Campus, where one research industry. Interex is already located.
The financial requirements of the proposal are not pleasant; to think about. Some public support would be
needed, but the dividends eventually reaped from a high-tech research park could make the burden worthwhile.
A research park could draw faculty in high-tech fields to the University. By employing faculty, it could provide additional job security for professors. A research complex could bring similar corporations to the area, easing the job crunch for KU graduates, particularly those who want to remain in Lawrence.
Perhaps most important to Lawrence's future, a research park could provide these benefits without polluting the city's air or water, and without requiring new rail tracks or other massive transportation developments.
The research park supported by SenEx may seem financially out of reach for now. But shelving the proposal for another year, or throwing it out completely, may prove the more costly alternatives.
It's that time of the semester when brains start to vegetate
In exactly one hour and 45 minutes, the fifth game of the 1982 World Series will be played, and the winner will be announced.
Sure, it's no big deal to you, but I've got a writer's block the size of a grapefruit lodged in my frontal lobe. Removal of said block would require lobotomy, and at this point a lobotomy
We are supposed to write about current, topical issues in the news, according to halftold
I so grabbed a few papers and perused them, hoping something would strike me — something
TRACEE HAMILTON
interesting to students and faculty alike something timely, something bold, yet subtle fresh, yet lasting, funny, yet meaningful you should write commercials instead of column.
Ah, Prince Andrew returns from his island hideaway, sans his young X-rated lass. The queen will be pleased, no doubt. Poor Randy Andy; he was perhaps the only one among the English not entirely happy with brother Chuck's wedding. Seems now that that the Prince of Wales has settled down, the paraparazzi is focusing its attention on the next oldest prince.
And the Pulitzer divorce is only slightly less sedate than the latest in trashy movies. It's a little messier, but it makes up for it.
(The block now resembles a ripe canelo, and the game starts in one hour and 15 minutes.)
There is an election coming up, I'm told. The governor's race was my only rational idea when I came into the office today. Another columnist had thought of it too. Maybe it's for the best. I didn't. I prefer a vice president Cardage. My interest in politics is only slightly less keen than my interest in the cosine of 45.
Ah, but the campus is always a hobbed of news. The governor may write a sequel to his blockbuster hit “Budget Cuts,” depending on how he does in the election. He could call it “Return Carlin.” The Moor has his Scissors, or “Skid Row: A Kansas Story.”
The University is preparing for and expecting the worst. New calendars are being proposed, for example. Students would come back to school later in the fall, to save on air conditioning. But we'd end up taking finals until Dec. 23, making it a real challenge out-of-staters to get home for the holidays and a real possibility that a Bing Crowdy kind of Christmas could leave us all at River City. I assume wed all be invited to the chancellor's house for eggn and turkey.
The various proposed calendars would also take a day away from either Thanksgiving break
or Easter. I haven't yet seen one that eliminates spring break. Officials apparently are terrified at the thought of thousands of snow bunnies and sun waderships storming Strong Hall and beating administrators senseless with surfboards and skis.
(T the cantalope is ripe now, ready to burst)
Mayday was to mush 50 minutes. Mayday,
maysday
As a final out, I could turn to sports. I promised myself that when I was a columnist I would not write about sports — leave my past behind me, that sort of thing.
But I wail hysterically at the performance of our football team, and, even worse, at the performance of our fans. I never thought I'd hear myself say this (or see myself write it, for that matter), but KU fans can't hold a candle to their K-State counterparts. The patience of those people is incredible. They sat through 11 losing seasons in a row before this year, and although it's not a winning season yet, it shows every sign of becoming one.
The Wildcats could have sat around in their fields, whitting and waiting for basketball to roll around, and I don't have to tell you what I mean by that. But no, they bought tickets and yelled for their 'Cats, and I do mean yelled. They are vocal, boisterous, yet generally nice fans. Sure, they rub it in, but it is only because they hate us so much. That's understandable.
Kansas fans are so . . . snooty. And self-rightfulness. And bored (boring, too, I admit). And stupid. Yes, stupid. I admit I thought the Jayhawks would be off to a better start this season, but they're not, and there's not much to be done about that.
But listen to the wise old fans in the stands. "Fire Fambrough," they rage. And some of them think they are important enough to do just that. That would be a big help. After all, Fambrough has been missing a lot of tackles on his way to victory. He yardage out of the backfield like everyone expected him to do. Don never claimed to be the next Hersel Walker, folks. Not him.
"Kerwin Bell's return was a big help," they tell the security people sarcastically as they sip the alcohol they illegally brought into the stadium. Of course, the face that Bell had a career for is still the football in more than a year escapes them entirely. They don't have to be right — they're rich.
Those are just the alums. The students are no better. But our marching band has won every game this season. On a long and dismal Saturday afternoon, it alone shines.
I'm against nuclear testing, world poverty,
world hunger, my own poverty and my own
hunger. I'm for the Equal Rights Amendment,
the Nuclear Ban, and the elimination of
fascists in our lifetime.
(No! You've lapped into sports. Somebody stop me. Canlaeio becomes watermelon Lineups
I hope that's enough opinion for one column Gotta run.
KANSAN
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Drop in false fire alarms bodes well
Congratulations to resident of Daisy Hill and
tones of GSP-Corbin and Joseph P. Pearson halls
These residents have finally realized that pulling fire alarms when no fire exists can be a dangerous move.
Reported fire alarm fires for the first two months of the school year have decreased from two years ago. This news came from Chief Jim McSwain of the Lawrence Fire Department, who mounted a campaign to make residents more aware of the dangers of false alarms.
McSwan reported that there were six false alarms at the residence halls during August and September. During those months last year, there were 14 false alarms. There were 18 false alarms in 1980.
McSainw said the drastic drop in numbers from two years ago indicated that "something happened."
body likes to bound of bed at 3 a.m. by the barbite bong of a fire alarm. Not only are false fire alarms detrimental to one's sleep patterns, but they also have an odd conditioning effect on residents. After the first three alarms of the semester drag students involuntarily from slumber, they 'tend to disregard subsequent alarms with a why-hurry-it-can-be-real attitude.
No one knows when an alarm could be signaling real danger. Consequently, residents are always required to vacate the building whenever an alarm sounds.
Some residents, however unwilling, vacate the premises. Others do not. Those law们 who pay the rent are usually free to move out.
have lived through semester after semester when fire alarms were only finals week pranks. They have been conditioned — and dangerously so.
Not only do fire alarms create a cry-wolf conditioning, they can also endanger the lives of firemen responding to the call. They don't know whether the alarm is false until they reach the residence hall. In their haste, accidents occur. McSwain said 15 percent to 25 percent of firefighters killed on the job died on the way to the fire.
All this from two seconds of "a good joke."
Lawrence firefighters are apparently reach
LISA GUTIERREZ
ing home with awareness programs presented at residence halls on the dangers of false alarms
For August and September, the residence halls stacked up in the following manner for false alarm: McColm — three in 1980, one in 1981 and four in 1982; Hassinger and Lewis — three in 1981 and 1982; Hashinger and Lewis — none during this two month period during the last three years; Templin — seven in 1980, four in 1981 and none in 1982; Joseph R Pearson — one in 1981 and none in 1982; Hassinger — four in 1980, three in 1981 and four in 1982.
The decreases in the numbers reflect favorably on residents. Such a statement assumes
that the residents themselves are pulling the false alarms. This has not been proved in every case. Yet, when it is suspected that a resident is involved in an incident, the action is invariably taken from the hall.
I, for one, will never forget sitting all night in a cold, stonily silent stairwell until 4 a.m. two years ago — hoping to catch the person or persons responsible for pulling several consec- ees a alarm in the hall. Security monitoring was stepped up, late night watches, like mine, were posted.
The alarms soon stopped.
Needless to say, this type of monitoring isn't necessary while the false fire alarms are not being pulled. Lucky for those living in the residence halls.
But the news is a little late for residents of a home in North Lawrence whose house sustained 50 percent more damage than it might have two weeks earlier, according to a false alarm at KU residence hall.
Even more tragic possibilities come to mind concerning deliberately set fires in residence halls. Often, trash chute fires result from improperly lit fireplaces. Even can this be traced to unthinkable people.
Too fresh in my mind is the putrid smell of burning trash at the end of my hall corridor last year. Also sharp in my memory is the sight of two disoriented neighbors who did not know where the fire was, this — and who headed straight for the fire. Yes, this was real. No time to get dressed for this one.
We've been lucky so far. But luck doesn't hold out forever.
Letters to the Editor
Reagan, Tylenol an insensitive combination
To the Editor:
The editorial cartoon in the Oct. 13 Kansan, depicting President Reagan have received bottles of Tylonel in the mail, is a type of humor about his opinion about it) that would best not appear in print.
Finding humor in the situation depicted is sadistic toward the president and insensitive toward relatives of victims of the Tylenoil tragedy.
I hope editorial cartoons will be selected more professionally in the future.
Glenn Schwerdtfeger Bushton sophomore
Arms race must end
To the Editor:
I disagree with Jerald Keating's Oct. 13, column "Freeze proposal irresponsible," for
First, he confuses the ideas of deterrence and superiority. I agree that the surest way to prevent a Soviet nuclear attack is deterrence, but this does not require a numerical superiority of nuclear weapons. It requires having enough weapons to inflict unacceptable damage on any enemy after surviving a nuclear attack. If they know we can retaliate even after they do their worst, it is very unlikely they will attack in the first place. As it stands now, I believe we have enough weapons to inflict this "unacceptable damage" on the Soviets.
Second, verification does not depend on Soviet "inherent goodness." I agree with Keating that the Soviet government is ruthless and cannot be trusted. However, we have satellites, so I've been told, that can read Soviet license plates. We don't have to rely on what they tell us.
Third, Keating writes, "How can we have confidence in a government that has broken every treaty we have made with them . . .?" If I not mistaken, the Soviets did not break the SALT I treaty and are still observing the SALT II treaty, even though we haven't ratified it.
Fourth, although Soviet defense expenditures
have been rising, one is to remember that Chinese-Soviet relations have been deteriorating for a number of years. How would we respond if the situation were to escalate to 800,500 people (1975 unofficial estimate)?
Keating says that if we want to reduce the threat of nuclear war "...we must pursue an intelligent plan that addresses responsible, factual and practical realities." Who can argue with the idea that a powerful nation never-ending arms race, a continual expenditure of millions in order to remain one-up on the Ruskies? This I would argue, is the more dangerous course. Think of a tennis court with a large group of people standing on each side of the net. Which is safer; to agree that only a certain number of people should wear grenades, or to keep passing them out on both sides so that neither side falls behind?
Ed Stamm
Minorities neglected
To the Editor
Because your front-page article on the KU-Y Oct. 8 can so easily suggest that there is animosity between that organization and myself, you should be grateful if you would publish this letter.
It is true that at one stage and as a result of my own efforts, I did at last meet the president. It was then that I was invited to a meeting the next night, which was inconvenient for me. Three more weeks having then passed without further development, I decided to resign.
I resigned as adviser because, in my judgment, I had waited long enough for the courtesy of an initial informational meeting between the student board and myself. Indeed, having regard to the role of adviser, such a meeting is always an immediate necessity.
Subsequent to my letter of resignation and before the president had received her copy, she happened to meet me. Her news that a meeting with the board had at last been arranged was
obviously too late. However, the occasion served to reaffirm our amicable relationship and the sense of mutual concern.
As a result of the Kansan article, I have now met the board, whose members I found to be very upset over what they consider serious problems in the board's general dischernishment with the Kansan.
There seemed to be so much substance in their complaints that I am moved to urge your newspaper to assume a larger and effective role in enabling student organizations and this university to articulate and pursue minority interests. For the total welfare of KU can only benefit from this.
If it is, therefore, that none of your "majority" personnel has a genuine interest in minority problems, surely it is not beyond the imagination and your sense of mission as a campus newspaper to make good such an alarming deficiency.
Arthur D. Drayton Chairman. African studies
Arafat hardly funny
To the Editor:
In response to Friday's letter titled "Cartons insult Arafat," I must agree on one point: There are no cartons.
However, it is an abomination to sympathize with or respect someone who repeatedly calls for the destruction of Israel. Who is really being tricked? A clean-shaven Arafat kissing babies for the television cameras reminds me of Hitler before invading Poland. Unfortunately, people not afraid of him either when he inexplicably revealed his plan to destroy the Jewish people in "Mein Kamp."
I think that when Arafat said, "Peace for us means the destruction of Israel and nothing else" (Eisaku, Buenos Aires, March 21, 1971), we are Americans to prevent a possible genocide to Americans to prevent a possible genocide.
Edwin L. Goldberg
Prairie Village innlo