WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2011
PAGE 5
THE UNIVERSITY DARY GANSAN
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All I'm saying is Victor Ortiz wore the sweetest shorts of all time. OF ALL TIME.
Seriously, show some class people. Selby AND Xavier are Jayhawks who rep our school ... Think before you talk.
Who cares if leggings aren't pants? Don't rain on my No Pants Party!
How much blow can Charlie Sheen do? Enough to kill Two And A Half Men.
The girlfriend does not like what Gears of War 3 does to me and it's been out 30 minutes!
Life is a tragedy for those who feel, and a comedy for those who think.
To the person who thinks the swimming and diving team is the hottest, you obviously haven't seen the soccer team.
The FFA about swimmers and divers is false. Ultimate frisbee players are obviously the hottest.
After I proceeded to laugh at someone who fell down the stairs, I tripped up the stairs.
Screw you karma.
Difference between Selby and Henry, Xavier is one sexy man! And Selby, not so much.
I'm a freshman, and I've made it into the FFA twice. Beat that.
I'll beat that. I'll beat that by reminding you that you are a freshman.
My classes are small enough now that I can't read the Kansan without worrying about what the professor thinks. I miss Budig.
What do I do when I know my best guy friend likes me as more than a friend?
To the person who is throwing the skittles in the air. Where are you doing this at?
Rule number one of the urinals: don't touch me while I'm touching myself.
I feel making it into the FFA is resume worthy.
If I see another person wearing anything emblazoned with K-State, I WILL tackle them to the ground.
Ninja armpit check after grabbing the railing on the bus, forgetting if I shaved them.
Silly freshman. UGGs are for winter!
I'm glad my OCD doesn't carry over into my sex life.
Cole Aldrich is in Hy-Vee .. with a faux hawk. Lol!
Plan a bold step to improve graduation rate
EDITORIAL
University of Kansas' new strategic plan is truly a 'bold' attempt
The plan is titled "Bold Aspirations," and it's the guide that Administration will use to construct policies governing the University for the next six years.
at increasing students' academic success.
By making the formation of a new University curriculum and the reduction of general education course requirements key items in the plan, the senior administration headed by Provost Jeffrey Vitter has recognized an issue that has been cutting at students' ability to graduate.
Dismal graduation rates at the University set us under many of our peer institutions. University of Texas sits pretty with an 81 percent six-year graduation rate.
Texas A&M University follows at 80 percent, while University of Iowa and University of Missouri drop to 69 and 68 percent respectively. Meanwhile, Kansas holds at 61 percent.
This doesn't mean the University is a poor institution, but it does have problems retaining and graduating students. Through Bold Aspirations, Vitter and the rest of administration have shown their commitment to making it easier and more feasible for students to get an undergraduate degree and a job in the bleak economy.
Currently, the University's requirements are focused on making students take general education courses for the first two years. For many students, this means taking around 60 credit hours before moving on to the
core classes for their majors.
core classes for their majors.
Other comparable universities have more liberal general requirements for graduation. University of Oklahoma requires 40 general credit hours. Missouri sticks with 39 hours, while University of Nebraska requires 36 hours and Indiana University, 29 hours.
Students at the University shouldn't be forced to take 15 hours a semester, for four semesters just to get rid of general requirements. In an uneasy economy, it's to the students' best interests to gain more experience and take more classes in their majors of choice. To be well rounded, a student doesn't need more than two to three semesters of general courses anymore.
Along with graduating more students, lowering the graduation requirements also makes it easier for students to explore double majors and study abroad opportunities.
Although there has been talk all over the University in favor for reducing credit hour requirements, the strategic plan finally puts the idea to paper; it gives Administration a blueprint to follow for the next six years.
Administration should continue to look for ways to help students enter the job market prepared, and student leaders should continue dialogue with Administration to make sure the strategic plan is implemented with students' best interests at the forefront.
Vikaas Shanker for Kansan Editorial Board
WHAT ISSUES SHOULD WE TAKE A STAND ON THIS SEMESTER?
Send your thoughts to vshanker@ kansan.com to let the Editorial Board know.
POLITICS
Tax cuts only put a patch on problems
Last week, President Obama spoke to Congress about a jobs plan that he claims will correct the financial crisis our country faces today.
President Obama outlined his plan in four points: tax cuts for small businesses, an infrastructure program which would increase government spending on construction projects across the country, incentives for companies hiring unemployed workers, and payroll tax cuts. Finally, the president claimed that this plan would add nothing to the federal debt and yearly deficit. The bill certainly sounds good, but is it enough to correct this crisis in the long run? And is it truly paid for? The answer to both of these questions is
By Alex Boyer aboyer@kansan.com
a resounding "no."
The president's plan has plenty of small tax cuts and temporary tax rebates designed to "spur small business growth." Temporary tax cuts have been attempted in the past by President George W. Bush. These temporary cuts came to be known as the "Bush Tax Cuts" and have since been allowed to expire.
Why? Because they didn't work. Temporary cuts are only a patch over the real problem, the country's tax code is a mess and needs to be completely reformed. The President's proposal does not even approach this problem.
Also, there is a question whether or not this bill is paid for. The president claims that the bill is completely paid for as part of his long-term debt reduction plan. It is hard for me to see how a bill that, according to the president's own numbers, is going to cost $450 billion. The president has asked for the joint deficit "supercommittee" created this summer to find more savings in order to pay for the bill. The truth is that the president has no idea where the money for this program is going to come from; he's asking someone else to figure that out for him. Plus, saving $850 billion in our current debt situation is better than saving $850 billion just to immediately spend it again. Spending it again is not
going to help us climb out of our national debt.
Maybe the president has a different idea what success for this bill would be. Maybe the president just wants to show that he attempted to fix the problem. After spending this summer in D.C. working for an internship, I learned the importance of posturing in politics. The debt ceiling crisis this summer provided several examples when House Republicans and Senate Democrats passed bills knowing they would never become law, just to say they attempted a solution. Even if the bill fails, it could give the president something to work with next year during his campaign.
this all plays out. I think this is the president's last chance to solidify his standing on the economy before the election in 2012. Until now, Obama has been losing on the economy to the Republicans, and a recent poll even shows GOP frontrunner Mitt Romney with a slight lead over Obama. If this bill succeeds, President Obama stands a much higher chance of winning re-election. If it fails, we may have a new President-elect in just over a year.
It will be interesting to see how
Boyer is a senior from Lawrence in political science and journalism. Follow him on Twitter @ AlexBoyer90
HEALTH
Home treatments offer easy relief
Feeling not-so-hot today? Try some home remedies.
I don't know about you, but I am sick or injured just about all of the time. And no, I'm not a hypochondriac. I just have an awful immune system, sadly. Half of the time I just ignore my health problems because I hate dealing with them. More than that, though. I hate taking medicine. But, I'm not going to lie; you can frequently find me popping ibuprofen.
Last week, a friend made some mint iced tea, which was delectable. He said that mint tea is very soothing on the stomach and can help when you have a tummy ache. That got me to thinking about other ways to cure or decrease sickness without medicine.
Along the tea track, drinking green tea helps fight off allergies and colds, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Allergens have been intense recently so I'll probably be drinking copious amounts of green tea until a freeze finally happens (I mean, it is only September).
Something else that commonly afflicts people, including myself of course, is a headache. You know the saying, "an apple a day keeps the doctor away"? Well, it also keeps the headache away too. Another cure, according the MRI Technician Schools' website, is soaking a washcloth in warm water with cinnamon in it. Yes, that sounds weird, but I bet it works and will definitely be trying that next time I am headache-ridden, which will probably be tomorrow given my awesome health.
There are even home remedies for depression and anxiety. I know this will be a relief to at least some
By Rachel Schwartz rschwartz@kansan.com
people because I have friends who refuse to go to the doctor and take pills for these disorders. All of the stress of trying to find jobs, being broke and the intense amounts of homework just adds to that. Also, with winter around the corner, some will be affected with seasonal affective disorder.
While the following relievers don't cure you, they can greatly reduce symptoms. For anxiety, adding 1/3 cup of both baking soda and ginger to your bath water are said to reduce tension and anxiety, according to an article from Associated Content. Yes, this seems strange but hey, if it helps, why not try it? The article also says aroma of oranges or drinking orange juice with honey and nutmeg added reduces anxiety and a racing heart.
Now for depression: eat an apple with a glass of milk and some honey to recharge your nerves with energy and reduces the chemicals that cause depression. Another more unusual sounding treatment is adding rose petals and sugar to a cup of boiling water to drink. I mean roses do smell good so they must taste good too, right?
All of these natural remedies are easy to put together, not too time consuming and fairly inexpensive. Also, they seem so much better than swallowing weird chemicals in pill form. With these remedies, at least you know what you're putting into your body.
Schwartz is a senior in journalism.
CAMPUS CHIRPS BACK
shipwrecker
shipwrecker @UOK_Opinion No. I saw it live on stage in Vegas. It doesn't get more 3D than that.
Ashwenis
@iDK Domenion Of course I am! My favorite Disney movie only showing for 2 weeks? Challenge accepted.
bennmumford
**UBC Opinion** HELL YEAH. Even though everything in 3D is not that good, it's a classic.
Are you planning on seeing the Lion King in 3D?
Follow us on Twitter @UDK_Opinion.
Tweet your opinions, and we just might publish them.
hannzbanans
©UDK Opinion Already saw it be because it is the greatest movie of ALL TIME.
Evan McInnis
EVER MOMENT
@UDK. Opinion Nope. I'm just gonna see "Drive" 20 more times.
COMIC
kcmarks
plrappel
@UDK Opinion Saw it last night... for a brief moment I was that creepy four year old again who swore she'd marry Simba one day. #circlelife
©UDK. Opinion of course I'm going to see it! As a child of the 90's this is a sacred film to me.
vicpitch
@UKK. Opinion Of course! Who doesn't love the Lion King!?
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Write LETTER TO THE EDITOR in the e-mail subject line.
Length: 300 words
The submission should include the author's name, grade and hometown. Find our full letter to the editor policy online at kansas.com/letter.
Kelly Stroda, editor
864-4810 or kxstrode@kansan.com
Joel Peterson, managing editor
864-4810 or jeetsson@kansan.com
Jonathan Shorman, managing editor
864-4810 or johnson@kansan.com
Clayton Ashley, managing editor
846-810 or castley@kaasan.com
Mandy Matty, opinion editor
846-4924 or imathey@kaasan.com
Vikaa Shanker, editorial editor
846-9244 or vikaa@kaasan.com
CONTACT US
Garett Lent, business manager
864-4358 or glenn@kansas.com
Stephanie Green, sales manager
864-4177 or greym@kansas.com
Malcolm Gibson, general manager and news adviser
864-7067 or mgbison@kansas.com
Jon Schilt, sales and marketing adviser
864-7666 or jschilt@kansan.com
THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Members of the Kansan Editorial Board are Kelly Strobe,
Joel Petterson, Jonathan Sherman, Vikas Shewer, Mandy
Manty and Stefanie Penne.