MONDAY, AUGUST 22, 2011
PAGE 5A
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY GANSAN
opinion
Send your FFA submissions to freeforall@kansan.com
FREE FOR ALL
I'm tired of girls saying they don't understand Fantasy Football You do it every year in your damn sororities!
Speaking of sororites...when do the girls get out of prison-I mean rush? Because I'm tired of the sausage fest.
I just realized how hot some of the KU soccer players are. I think I found my Women's World cup fix.
Is it bad that I want to go to Hawk Week events as senior? I'm scouting possible new free agents to add to my roster.
Summer is over already? I'm going to the beyond section in Bed Bath and Beyond to get that Click remote.
Oooh how I love Syllabus day.
NOT.
Yeah that was a Adam Sandler "Click" reference deal with it.
Freshmen are avoidable...until they throw up in front of your room.
WANT TO CONTRIBUTE TO FREE FOR ALL?
EDITORIAL
Email us your comments at freeforall@kansan.com or call us at (785) 864-0852. And don't worry, your comments will always stay anonymous.
Check out University social media services
It's no surprise that social media and mobile apps have become crucial parts of the university life. For many of us, we couldn't imagine life without Facebook, we would be lost without our daily Twitter feed, and our chances to land the dream job plummet if LinkedIn never existed.
Even if you're not an addict, social media connects you to those around you. And mobile apps make use of today's technology to help you thrive in today's fast-paced world. This is why you can benefit by using the University's social media service.
es and the KU mobile app. Each school within the University has a Facebook and Twitter page. As a student, it's important to keep up with changes to graduation requirements, network with fellow students, and learn about job opportunities.
By following your school's social media pages, you are in the loop. To do this, go to your school's official website and click on the social media buttons. Currently, the University's mobile app is a great resource for campus-dwellers. It has references for students like the bus and safe bus schedules, transcript requests and the student handbook. People attending football or basketball games can view information about parking. Fans of any University sport can check out the team's progress through the Athletics tab. The app gives new students a "Campus Tour" that leads you from the Kansas Union to the Art & Design Building, back to Smith Hall. And if you're bored, the Calendar tab lets you view the current day's campus events.
Also, unlike most other universities' official apps, the KU app has engaging features like polls, the KU chant, and links
to interesting facts and fun stuff. The KU mobile app is available on Apple and Android operating systems. Go to the App Store or Android Market to download it for free. Apps and social media are today's essential channels for information to come directly to you. Along with the University's app and social media pages, get hooked into our UDK app, "like" our Facebook page, and follow our Twitter accounts.
Vikaas Shanker for the 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.
LIFESTLYE
Top ten: Dos and Don'ts to start the semester
Here are some pointers to help students start the semester off on a positive note:
1. Treat school like a full-time job. Wake up early, go to class, spend daytime hours on your studies, and reap the benefits. Enjoy your free evening instead of pulling an all-nighter.
Dos.
2. Know your location on campus. While you're treating school like a full-time job, you'll get hungry. Fortunately in Lawrence, you can get nearly anything delivered.
4. Branch out. Interacting with unfamiliar social groups will help ease the transition from high
3. Gain responsibility. Whether it be a Greek organization or juggling club, being involved will help learn to be accountable as a member and prepare for real world job experiences.
school to college.
6. Always call "seatback." In some ways, we never grow up. If there is one thing that pisses a person off more than anything, it is getting up for two minutes and returning to find the best heist since Daniel Ocean was on the big screen. Trust me, call "seatback."
5. Enjoy the festivities. The university offers many opportunities to attend sporting events, academic presentations, and free social events on campus. Check out calendarku.edu/events.
7. Establish a place where you always put your keys, phone, wallet, etc. What causes more anxiety than waking up and realizing you have no clue where your most valuable items are? Nothing.
8. Keep up with your hygiene.
Just because mom isn't around to wipe your nose is not a valid excuse for a ghastly appearance.
College is no place to dress like a bum.
9. Invest in headphones. The Parking Department makes it very difficult to park anywhere near class. Put your ear buds in and enjoy the walk.
10. Seize every opportunity that you are offered (within reason). Because your time here will be short. Don't take the college experience for granted. As Tom Petty once said, "Relax...The work never ends, but college does."
Don'ts.
1. Don't tell your high school hero/prom queen stories during lecture. Just don't. Welcome to college.
2. Don't wear your wristband to class. Nobody cares that you went to the bar last night or how hard you blacked out.
3. Don't be afraid to learn new customs. A major advantage of KU is the diverse community it serves. Acknowledge diversity. Ignorance is never cool.
4. Don't always ride the bus.
Buses are overcrowded and foul smelling, so I hear. Besides, the exercise will make you feel better.
5. Don't park illegally. Don't do it! The Parking Department will not stop until every rogue parker has been dealt with. They are watching.
6. Don't send your bank statements to your home address.
Part of college is growing up. If
you can't, make sure you get the email bank statement. If anything you'll save a tree.
7. Don't buy your books until you know you'll need them. Don't rent them either. If you buy them, you can at least sell them in a pinch.
8. Don't be a bad roommate.
Your roomie bought some dishwasher soap, then you can buy a few rolls of toilet paper. Enough said.
9. Don't stay in your room all day. Video games and Netflix will isolate you from the college experience.
10. Don't shack in your first week. Who are we kidding? At least get it out of your system before classes commence.
Jordan Gormley is a senior in political science and psychology from Hiawatha. Follow him on Twitter: @jlgormley.
REDESIGN
Rethinking the way we do things for you
It's been nine months.
Nine months of brainstorming, lunch meetings, consultations, approving ideas, scrapping those ideas and then brainstorming some more. Nine months of long nights in the newsroom, arguments over boundaries, coming to conclusions and then tweaking them. And tweaking them again.
It's been nine months of "rethinking" what it is we do here at The University Daily Kansan. And we are about as excited as someone who has been waiting nine months for their child to be born to show you what we've done. But while we undertook this project as a rewamp of who we are, we concluded that our paper is more about you than it is about us. You the reader, the student, the Jayhawk. We made these changes for you. Here's a little tour of the aesthetic changes we have made to your UDK.
Some over-arching changes you may have already noticed include;
- A complete overhaul of our font palette. We are now using the more modern sans-serif Trade Gothic family. This is a major factor in our cleaner look.
- Logos instead of mastheads. We now use movable, colorful logos to denote sections. News is now completely blue, sports is red, entertainment is green, and the opinion section now boasts a new orange. On the front pages of the sections, these new logos will help you know where to go for your favorite content. Looking for the latest about basketball? Look for the red. Looking for the crossword? Look for the green. Free for all will always be a Kansan classic, and it is now proudly highlighted in our opinion orange. And, of course, the color that often defines KU — blue — will be there to guide you to the latest news about campus and the area.
On the front page, we have replaced our classic (but stagnant) mashead. This was a big move for us. When brainstorming ideas for how to make The UDK a
more readable, eye-catching product, the most important characteristic we wanted to be was modern. Now, a more breathable, open front page is possible with our movable logo, complete with the acronym you have been referring to us for so long: UDK. We have added the elements of a "don't forget" blurb at the bottom, along with big, eye-catching referrals to inside pages and our website, Kansan.com.
On our first inside page, we have a round-up of the world's most important news of the day. We know you're busy, and we try to break down what it is you need to know in just a few hundred words. Our map will help you put into context just where that news is happening.
A higher emphasis has been placed on the aesthetics of your paper this semester — lead by a great team of visual journalists who are just as excited about this redesign as I am. I would especially like to thank those who worked on the summer editions of The UDK who were able to work out many of the kinks that stood between unveiling our product for you today.
Throughout the paper, youll notice small aesthetic changes that I hope will keep bringing you into great stories, and highlight our great reporters, photographers, columnists and illustrators.
We hope that a modern, more colorful, bolder Kansan will serve you better. After all, it is yours.
Pirotte is the art director for the Kansan.
TWEET US YOUR OPINIONS.
Follow us on Twitter @UDK_Opinion.
Tweet us your opinions, and we just might publish them.
CAMPUS CHIRPS BACK
Nick Sambaluk
HOW TO SUBMIT A LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Send letters to kansanopdesk@gmail.com.
Write LETTER TO THE EDITOR in the e-mail subject line.
— Rock Chalk Block Party
(formerly Union Fest)
— Cosmic Bowling
— Night on the Hill. DJ
Earworm
— SUA Carnival
— Health and Recreation
Fest
— Traditions Night
LETTER GUIDELINES
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/letters.
What's your favorite Hawk Week event?
Kally Strode, editor
864-819 or krotdean@anan.com
Joel Peterson, managing editor
864-819 or jpeterson@anan.com
Jonathan Shorman, managing editor
864-819 or jorasmun@anan.com
KANSAN.COM WEEKLY POLL
- Go to Kansan.com to cast your vote
Clayton Ashley, managing editor
8451-4108 or email@askan.com
Mandy Matey, opinion editor
8422-4944 or email@askan.com
Vikas Shanker, editorial editor
8422-4944 or email@askan.com
CONTACT US
Garrett Lortt, business manager
843-4588 or ggann@gsan.com
Stephane Green, sales manager
844-4777 or ggann@gsan.com
THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Members of the Kenan Essential Board are Kelia Stroca,
Jeff Peterson, Jeannah Seahman, Clayton Akiby, Wikasha
Handray, Mandy Hartley and Stéfanie Cline.
.