THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011
opinion
FREE FOR ALL
Send your FFA submissions to freeforall@kansan.com
Did FFA change its number?!
Editor's note: About three
weeks ago.
That awkward moment when you realize you are in line for food behind the professor whose class you just skipped.
See what kind of tragedies cold weather causes? There is not a single sundress on campus today.
Dear normal looking guy with the extremely hot girl, you give me hone.
Last night my roommate farted and talked in her sleep. It was an eventful night.
It's officially yoga pants season. Words cannot describe how happy I am.
The prego students on campus probably don't appreciate seeing the unborn fetuses all over campus.
Let me reiterate what we learned last fall for freshmen and others who obviously never got the memo: Leggings are NOT pants.
My grandparents have stored boxes and boxes of freeze-dried astronaut food and numerous fire arms and knives in their house for when Jesus comes.
Dear idiot, sarcasm amongst your friends is funny. To your professor, douche move. Sincerely, annoyed.
That awkward moment when you realized all of your Free For Alls you sent in weren't actually to Free For All ... whoops.
Editor's note: You were right today.
Wow, Angel, you are a lifesaver! Glad HQCC recognizes that too.
Is it sad that I flirt with the fat chick at Arby's to get free curly fries?
Does anyone else think Strong Hall looks like it has fists?
Rain, rain, go away. That's what all my haters say.
I wonder if anybody ever texts "Anyone wanna hook up tonight? 12:13, how bout you? Meet @ Watson" to the FFA for old time's sake.
Ready to make it 4/4 Thursday nights of debauchery.
TEXT IN FREE FOR ALLS
To the sorority girl with a protruding nose-hair; cut it out.
EDITORIAL
It was 10 years ago, after the 2000 Census data was released, when a Republican-influenced Kansas Legislature decided that Douglas County, easily one of the most Democratic counties in Kansas, would be divided into two congressional districts. Democrats claim that the division was done to decrease the number of democratic voters in the once-whole third district.
Disregarding the politics involved in this decision, it's obvious Lawrence should fall under one district, and I hope that decision will be reached.
It's that time of the decade where the state legislature must outline new district boundaries for itself, the state board of education and Congress. This time around, there is an even stronger GOP presence in the redistricting process that may decide to keep Lawrence divided.
Another big problem is that the state injudiciously neglects Kansas students by not counting them in the redistricting of the state.
Gaughan also said he believes the current district standing to be unfair to Lawrence and Douglas County, as well as Manhattan, Hays, Emporia and
"Kansas is the only state in the country that recalculates like this," Douglas County Commissioner Mike Gaughan said, "and the legislature is the only body in the state that uses the data to redistrict. So it has every appearance of a rule used to diminish the voice of certain communities."
Pittsburg, and that it's time for the Kansas Legislature to use the census for redistricting, like every other elected body in Kansas and every other state.
It begs the questions: Will the districts rightfully be consolidated ed as one or get sliced another way? And will the legislature rightfully consider the student population in the redistricting process?
At the legislature's special committee on redistricting's public hearing on Sept. 2 at the University, both democrats and republicans alike agreed that it made more sense to combine the split districts in Douglas County.
Currently, the western portion of the county is in the second house district and the
eastern portion is in the third district. These lines are consistently revised to account for changes in the population so that all elected officials represent a comparable number of people.
Students are an integral part of the Lawrence community and no matter what, as residents, we still benefit from city services regardless of our hometowns. Also, legislators tend to forget that many students register to vote for the first time in Lawrence.
So, we matter.
Paul Davis, the house minority leader, couldn't agree more.
"As citizens of the community, [students] have access to all of our public services," he said. "Local state legislators are also
here to serve them. It just makes sense to count them here."
The committee will have several more public hearings before the legislature reaches its decision in the 2012 session that begins in January. Students should contact legislators from across the state and ask for their support on giving communities populated with students a fair representation in the legislature.
Students in the Board of Regents' universities and colleges are members of Kansas education. Denying them representation by ignoring them or diminishing their vote by splitting it is a denial of their basic rights.
Stefanie Penn for the Kansan Editorial Board
GUEST COLUMN
Get involved the right way
By Bert Brogden editor@kansan.com
For a lot of college students, especially incoming freshmen, getting involved is the name of the game.
At a very early stage of the collegiate career, often before a student has ever set foot on campus, their parents, friends, and counselors are persistent about the importance of extra-curricular clubs and activities. Surely, they are justified to an extent — four years spent meeting people and having real-world experiences are more constructive to a graduating senior, both personally and professionally, than four years spent immersed in pensive introspection or online role-playing games.
However, for a generation as overachieving and self-stressing as ours, getting involved can quickly escape from the realm of fun and networking and become a tiresome chore. As soon as students begin the orientation process, they are exposed to a myriad of clubs, organizations, sports and interest groups in which they can participate during their time at the University of Kansas. The error occurs when students, overly eager to meet new people because of their excessive fear of loneliness, decide to get involved in any and every way that they can. It is absolutely not unheard of for new students to juggle a combination of classes, three or four student organizations, a fraternity or sorority and an intramural sporting team all in their first semester.
While there may be the occasional super-human student who can handle such a workload, the majority of new students are going to find it hard to balance their time equally, while leaving ample space for both leisure and study. You might think that you're doing it right because your schedule is full from the early morning class to the late-night party, but really you're just tired — and probably sweaty, irritable, and stressed.
It is impossible to fully commit to any worthy cause or organization when you are attempting to divide your time evenly over a multitude of other commitments. During an address to a handful of freshmen students at a Hawk Week seminar, Neely Bendapudi, dean of the School of Business, stressed the importance of time prioritization.
The logic behind Bendapudi's
"Select one or two extra-curricular activities in which you really want to be involved," Bendapudi said. "Try new things, but don't spread yourself too thin."
assertion is wholly legitimate. Instead of doing anything and everything you see on flyers around the Union, find one or two organizations that really mean something to you — organizations in which you feel as though your time is spent constructively. When students spend more time in fewer organizations as opposed to less time in several organizations, they are more likely to build meaningful relationships and seek advancement and leadership opportunities within those organizations.
Ultimately, the journey will be different depending on the student. There will be those who obsess on maximizing participation, and these students will have to limit themselves and decide what really matters. There will be those who will have to force themselves out of their rooms to so much as see another student in the commons.
Whatever path you take, learn a lot, meet new people and, most importantly, have fun. Just make sure, as is advisable with all things, you proceed with moderation.
Brogden is a freshman in Business Administration from Oatle.
CAMPUS CHIRPS BACK
How do you feel about Josh Selby participating in the Legends of the Phog?
Follow us on Twitter @UDK_Opinion.
Tweet us your opinions, and we just might publish them.
@UDK Opinion Calling him a "legend" is questionable, but I really hope we have enough class not to boo him.
©UKD Dinton Playing 26 games might make someone a legend at KSU, but its definitely no where enough games to be a Legend of the Phog.
joshdutcher
princesssarah
beccaatku
**deccaatkd**
@UDK Opinion if Josh Sibelys a Legend of the Phoz. I'm a size 2.
STYLE
Game day produces fashion touchdowns
Whitaker
Gramling
Tweet photos of your most fashionable outfits to @UDK fashion to be featured in our weekly column
The football team may have won its game Saturday, but these two girls were the clear winners when it comes to fashionable outfits at the tailgates.
Kelsey Whitaker, a senior from Kansas City, Kan., was spotted sporting the latest fashion trend while enjoying a tailgate with friends and family Sept. 9. It was a beautiful day, perfect for celebrating a football victory, and Whitaker was comfortable yet chic in her preppy game day attire. Whitaker is shown here wearing a casual white tank top with a retro navy blue polka dot skirt. Polka dots are a fashion must this season because they always attract attention, which helps Whitaker stand out in a crowd of Jayhawk fans. She complements her spot-on outfit with the perfect touch of crimson by using a red side satchel bag. This fashionable yet functional purse is the essential tailgate bag since Whitaker can cheer on her Jayhawks without having to carry a purse in her hand.
Fashion is all about expressing yourself, and if you are feeling brave, try a polka dot bowie-style dress from Need Supply Co. ($78). Pair it with a red patent leather belt from Express ($24.90) and you are ready to cheer on the Jayhawks in style. Since fall is approaching, pair this outfit with your favorite cowboy boots, which make it easy to hop from tailgate to tailgate.
Another fashion victory on Saturday was with Morgan Gramling's wild combination of animal print and colored jeans, two of fall's top trends. Gramling, a junior from Fayetteville, Ark, wore a sleeveless leopard print blouse with skinny red jeans. An unexpected combination of two of fall's most-wanted pieces makes this outfit something to go wild about. Morgan's American flag bangle added the perfect amount of patriotism in remembrance of 9/11 to her game day outfit. Her stick-on jayhawk tattoo was the finishing touch to a winning outfit.
Unleash your inner animal with a leopard print top from ASOS ($21.95) which pairs nicely with bright red skinny jeans from Forever 21($24.90). Don't forget your stick-on Jayhawk tattoo, which is available at the Kansas Sampler, 921 Massachusetts St.
By Lizzie Marx
lmarx@kansan.com
Game-day fashion is all about incorporating the vibrant KU colors, so have fun mixing and matching blue and red, and possibly even animal print, but most importantly, enjoy yourself as you cheer on the lajwhaws.
Lizzie Marx is a sophomore in journalism from St. Louis.
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Members of the Ransom Essential Board and Kelly Stroda, Joel Peterson, Jonathan Shoman, Vikas Sharker, Mandy Martine and Stephanie Penn.
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