TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011
PAGE 5
THE UNIVERSITY DAIRY KANSAN
opinion
FREE FOR ALL
Send your FFA submissions to freeforall@kansan.com
You're just a door man, door man, your life sucks, I'll kill you.
I want to be Beyonce's baby.
Creepy? Yes. Truthful? Definite
yes.
Don't you hate when you sit next to someone and they laugh awkwardly and at all the wrong parts of a movie?
First day going to class hungover this semester. That didn't take long.
Did the stacks get converted to private phone call/employee chat rooms over the summer? Not a single quiet floor.
I'm free-for-alling.
I'm a boy who is in a class with 30 girls and no boys...
That awkward moment when your english teacher pantomimes flashing the class in the middle of lecture for no reason at all.
Ever since Kanrocksas this summer I have been obsessed with Matthew Bellamy. He is MUSE-ic to my ears.
Dear Date Kenny: Your application made my Monday. However, I have a few changes you should consider.
So I saw this chick's drink get roofied, so I chugged it to save her. Editor's Note: True chivalry right there.
Friends' nicknames: Batman, door man, grape jelly, and jarhead.
Who's complaining about the townies driving slow?
Dear "Townie",
Stop posting in the school newspaper, drunk people can't read and drive.
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Text or call us your comments at (785) 289- UDK1 (8351) or email us at freeforall@kansan.com And don't worry, your comments will always stay anonymous.
EDITORIAL
Jayhawks should contribute to community
It's a prideful thing to be a jayhawk, but it means just as much to be from Lawrence.
One of the greatest benefits of attending such a quality university like Kansas is the fact that we are located in a friendly, cultured town.
What truly helps distinguish multifaceted Lawrence from many others is that while we have the amenities of a large metropolis, there remains a strong sense of community. The vibrancy of Lawrence has been nationally recognized, and it's a driving force for students to choose Kansas.
However, at times we forget that while our campus is the center of the city, and resides on the hill, we are an integral part of the
Lawrence community and we should take the time to invest in it.
Recently, we published an article on a national study that found one in five Kansan children live in poverty. Out of all states, Kansas was ranked 19 for children's well-being. Although this is more of a statewide issue, students should help out right here in Lawrence.
Cathy Brashler, executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Douglas County, encourages those interested in volunteering to choose between two of the programs they offer. The first is the school program, which is mentoring at a school for short periods of time, and the second is the community-based program
that allows for more quality time outside of the school.
Another opportunity to give back to the community is to either donate your money, time or old, personal items to the Lawrence Community Shelter. Visit their website http://www.lawreschelster.org to find out what you can do to help.
It is a privilege that we attend school in Lawrence and it is important that we do our part to give back. We must show our appreciation for the community that makes our college experience so enriching.
Stefanie Penn for Kansan Editorial Board
LAWRENCE COMMUNITY SHELTER DONATABLE GOODS
FOOD NEEDS
• Peanut Butter
• Jelly
• Coffee
• Creamer, Sugar, and
Sugar Substitutes
• Oatmeal Packets
• Dry Cereal
• Milk
GENERAL NEEDS
GENERAL NEEDS
• Cleaning supplies (all-purpose cleaners)
• Towels of all sizes
• Blankets
• Camping/Yoga mats
• Laundry detergent and other laundry supplies
- New socks
GUEST NEEDS
LIFESTYLE
- New underwear
- Disposable razors
- Hand lotion
- Sunscreen
- Toothbrushes & tooth-paste
3-D cinema: a dimension too far
By Rob Cooke
rcooke@kansan.com
A recent trip to my local cinema left a sour taste in my mouth, a large hole in my pocket and most uncomfortably, sore eyes. Now this was not the movie's fault; "Captain America: The First Avenger" was perfectly enjoyable, and Marvel's latest big-screen adaptation, while not an Oscar winner, left me craving a sequel. My ill feeling was due to something I have quickly become a harsh critic of 3-D.
This particular screening was one in my native England, prior to my arrival at Kansas; however it seems the issues I have are equally fitting in the U.S. as they were in Great Britain. Naturally, most major movie theatres offer 3-D screenings. In fact, statistics from two of the largest cinema companies, Regal Theatre Company and Hollywood Theatre Company, stated that 1/3 of all their movies shown were in 3-D.
Is 3-D a requirement for successful films in the 21st century? I would argue not; as only four years ago we saw the release of "Spider-Man 3" and "Shrek the Third", both parts of hugely successful and highly grossing series respectively, yet neither in 3-D. But as similar Hollywood superhero or animated motion pictures are released today, 3-D appears to almost be a requirement.
My feeling of discontent lies in the sheer number of 3-D films being produced, and in particular, having watched many of them, how
amazingly unnecessary the use of 3-D is within them. Since the release of "Avatar", James Cameron's 2009 epic, which took the technology of 3-D past the inevitable sight of a random object thrown toward the camera, my movie going experience has looked like this:
Avatar: Enjoyable,
immersive 3-D landscape
Saw 3-D: Typical splats and objects — didn't enhance the film
Captain America: Did I just pay $11.50 to see a regular movie?!
A constant thought in the minds of reluctant moviegoers is the high price- another consequence of the 3-D revolution. Good news for students, however! There is a slight discount at most theatres, even if it is one for a pricey 3D screening. On average, a student ticket for an evening showing of a 3-D film costs around $11.50. That is, including the uncomfortable glasses, which continually feel like wearing ski goggles in a nightclub- both unattractive and hugely darkening.
While they have faults, they are worth keeping for your next visit given they added $3 to your ticket price. However next time, your ticket will still have that extra cost, whether you have the glasses or not. So where is that added $3 going? It is this price hike that has left
CAMPUS
many disillusioned with 3-D cinema, as it appears money is leaving your pocket fast, and landing just as quickly in a Hollywood movie director's.
So while I am sure that many film lovers enjoy the in-your-face elements 3-D can offer, it still seems to be a gimmick which has minimal benefits for the viewer, and maximum for film companies.
Perhaps the best way to form your own opinion is to think of movies you have seen, and ask yourself the question:
Have I seen any movies that were really improved by 3-D?
Cooke is a junior in American Studies from London
Students shouldn't take college rankings seriously
College is a vast and often overwhelming experience. Surely college is too complex to be summed up in a mere newspaper column. In fact, you'd think it would be impossible to sum up the college experience in an entire issue of the University Daily Kansan. Why, then, do students looking to apply for undergraduate or graduate admission put so much stock in the rankings of colleges?
Perpetual "top ten" schools (such as Yale, Harvard, and University of Chicago) seem to have some things that other colleges and universities do not. They draw in well-known professors and researchers. They maintain reputations that boost the employment prospects of their graduates. They turn away far more applicants than they accept. According to a study on CSNBC.com, the annual attendance costs of Ivy League schools hover at around $55,000. Wait! What was that last part? Oh, yes. $55,000 per year.
All of attributes listed above attributes are factored into college rankings. All but one, that is. Tuition generally is not. In his article "The Order of Things", in The New Yorker last February, Malcolm Gladwell states that U.S. News and World Report leaves tuition out of the equation in its annual "Best
Colleges" guide. Robert Morse and his staff of six people define the criteria that determine which colleges are the "best colleges" each year. They have not attended each college they praise. They are simply forced to select variables, such as student retention rate and average class size, that are supposed to reveal where a school should be placed in the rankings.
I do not intend to make the claim that the "Best Colleges" guide is bad or wrong. I only intend to state that, like almost every ranking system, it is incomplete. For some students, money is no object. Top ranked universities have their professional and educational advantages, and nothing else needs to be considered. For others, though, value is the most important consideration: "Where can I get the 'best' education?" Perhaps at Harvard or Yale. "Where can I get an excellent education at a much more affordable price?" Now that question is a game changer.
Students at the University of Kansas generally realize that our campus draws in outstanding professors. The University is located in an excellent college town with all the essentials that university students need. And, as home to over 600 clubs, it is almost too easy to get involved in professional and recreational organizations. Did we choose Kansas because it is at the top of the "Best Colleges" list? No, because you won't find it there.
Students and graduates of Kansas realize that our university provides an education and a "college experience" that many of us believe to be second to none. We watch our basketball team win game after game in the historic Allen Fieldhouse. We meet students of different races, cultures and creeds. We experience great value and great opportunity. But is our school the best of the best? I do not know, and neither do college rankings. I only know that I would put the University of Kansas experience up against the "Best Colleges" any day of the week.
Loveil is a sophomore in creative writing from Overland Park.
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THE EDITORIAL BOARD
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