OPINION
5A
MONDAY NOVEMBER 24 2008
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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LETTER TO THE EDITOR
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Groups should be able to publicize via the listserv
Last week, an e-mail sent over the SILC listserv caused something of a stir. The e-mail, a notice of Queers & Allies' participation in an anti-Prop 8 rally on the Plaza, was sent to the head of every student organization on campus. Many on the list quickly called foul, either asking to be removed from the listserv or requesting that some sort of disciplinary action be taken.
After receiving the e-mail, Aaron Quisenberry, associate director of SILC, sent out a reminder that politicking on the listserv is expressly forbidden. This was met with disapproval from members and supporters of Queers & Allies, who were concerned that Quisenberry's e-mail was based off an unwillingness to see the protest as fundamental to the identity and purpose of Queers & Allies.
We can assure you that Quisenberry's reaction had nothing to do with bigotry or homophobia. Rather, he was reacting to the fact that Queers & Allies was advertising an event that focused on a ballot initiative, something unmistakably political in nature. We both count him among our strongest
advocates in the university community, an excellent guide and resource for both of our offices. We have no doubts that he was working solely to maintain the policies of the listserv.
However, we find that these policies are due for revision. We, along with Quisenberry, view protests and other political action as a healthy way to enrich and diversify a student's education. College is the time in a student's life most rich with possibilities for activism and political change, and we all agree that we must encourage these opportunities to the fullest extent.
Therefore, during a meeting on November 17, we, along with Quisnberry, agreed to pursue a new policy that allows student groups to publicize all of their events, even rallies and protests, on the SILC listserv (with the sole exception of candidate-based political partisanship). This policy must, of course, be reviewed by administrators and officials of the university, but we're confident that such a policy works in the best interests of all students.
— Ryan Campbell is the executive director of Queens & Allies and Devin Moss is the LGBT Resource Coordinator for the Student Involvement & Leadership Center
Involvement & Leadership Center.
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Why don't students use what they pay for?
A large part of many college students' social lives revolves around drinking. After a long week of studying, they can relax on the weekend with their friends and have a few beers. However, as we all know and have likely experienced, alcohol alters our coordination and the ability to make decisions. Therefore with drinking comes responsibility, including knowing when not to drive.
SafeRide and SafeBus are provided to students in an attempt to combat drunk driving. Funding for SafeRide comes from student fees of $10 a semester. According to the KU on Wheels Web site, SafeRide began in 1989. The total number of rides given in the last school year were 27,044. The number of rides has stayed above 24,000 since 2003. Ridership changes can be attributed to changes in funding or contracts over the years, said Derek Meier, Transportation Coordinator for KU on Wheels. SafeRide has proved to be effective, so why are we still not using it?
But apparently KU students have forgotten about the second part of that equation. A shocking 18 percent of KU students have admitted to driving after consuming at least five alcoholic beverages, according to the 2006 National College Health Assessment. This 18 percent includes only those who admit to drinking and driving and obviously does not account for dishonesty. When considering the amount of traffic seen on any weekend night, 18 percent may not seem like a large number. However, with services such as SafeRide and SafeBus, 0 percent of students should drive drunk.
In one second, you could end or extremely alter the course of your life. So when you are ready to leave dollar night at The Hawk, reach for your cell phone instead of your keys and use the service you already paid for.
SafeRide operates from 10:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. seven days a week, making the service extreme-
dents pay in fees for SafeRide services. Twenty minutes is also a much shorter amount of time spent waiting for a ride than the 100 hours of community service you would likely receive if convicted of a DUI.
ly easy to use. Students can call SafeRide from any bar or party, and a car will be sent to the location. On busy nights, students may be forced to wait a little longer. However, an extra 20 minutes of waiting is a far better choice than taking your chances in a vehicle.
In addition to the monetary benefits, students are also safer using these services. Getting behind the wheel while intoxicated not only endangers your life, but it also endangers the lives of everyone on the road.
A minimum fine for a DUI is $500, which is a much larger chunk of money than the $20 a year stu-
If 2.30 a.m. is too early for you to head home, try SafeBus. SafeBus began last fall and operates from 9 p.m. and 3 a.m. SafeBus gives an average of around 500 to 600 rides per night, and Meier said the Transit Commission has created three routes to accommodate for students' needs. In addition to stops on campus, the routes go directly to apartment complexes such as Highpointe, Meadowbrook and Campus Court.
Brown is a Wichita sophomore in journalism.
What book Western Civ should have to include
KENNYMATIC @ FLICKR.COM
This semester I enrolled in the infamous class that virtually everyone has to take and has to hate: Western Civ. My grandpa was required to take this class when he was here. It's not going anywhere
However, I soon found myself in the minority because I actually enjoyed it.
This class is made up of the great thinkers who spurred the great ideas of western civilization, and the majority of them happen to be male.
She was a medieval writer who was educated by her father and has contributed to some of the founding ideas of feminism. Unfortunately, to add a book, you have to subtract one, and I know from experience that the reading list is extensive and expensive.
However, another writer should be added to the reading list, and her name is Christine de Pizan.
The book to drop is "The Canterbury Tales." No offense to Chaucer, but it's time to move on.
Yes, in other classes we can look at women's writing, or black or queer writing for that matter, but these classes are not required for a large chunk of students.
The primary function of reading "The Canterbury Tales" in this particular class is to open the discussion of gender. This is done by focusing on the character of the Wife of Bath.
Pardoner's, are the required reading for all Western Civ classes.
This tale, along with the
Although the Pardoner sparks interesting discussion of religion, reading about Martin Luther also covers this.
The Wife of Bath is a fictitious caricature of a woman written by a man, so we are seeing gender issues through the lens of a male.
Students in Western Civ could learn more and have a better understanding of gender issues from that time period if they were reading an actual woman's point of view. This can be accomplished by substituting the "City of Ladies" written by Pizan, for "The Canterbury Tales" in the curriculum.
"The Canterbury Tales" is obviously important, or so my teachers keep telling me, and I'm not advocating that it be taken out of curriculum completely.
The majority of high school students are introduced to it at least once, which was made clear when more than half of my current class raised their hands when asked if they had already read it.
By the time I graduate, I will have not only read it in high school.
but it will have been required reading in three of my classes. Yes, I am an English major, but I would hope that even most English professors would agree that this is overkill.
When talking about this with my professor, she said that when talking about gender issues in class, her response from male students tends to be dismissive, and they adopt the attitude of "not this again."
But I don't understand how they could be saying that when practically every other writer in the class is a dead white guy who has at least some misogynist ideas about women
Pizan's book that 1 advocate clearly defends women against misogyny and promotes the idea of female education, something unheard of at the time.
It would allow students to examine this time period from a real woman who was actually experiencing what was going on as opposed to a comical, yet artificial character written from a man's perspective.
Thornbrugh is a Lenexa junior in creative writing.
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I will destroy you?
--didn't notice
Twilight the movie = Epic fail
I went to a GDI party last night. Epic.
To the person who made the Pokemon reference in the Free for All I want to date you so bad. But I have to warn you that I only dig the original
I lost my car/house keys this weekend. If you found some, go to Craiglist. Please!
You are still a worthless human being. At least I have moved on. You apparently have not. Get over yourself. Oh, you're fat. In case you didn't notice.
annoyed.
I can hear the people next to me having sex. I can't decide whether to be turned on or not.
I think I broke my dick today I'm concerned.
I am in a fantastic mood, and I didn't screw things up. Great night.
Dry your eyes, mate. I know it's hard to take, but her mind has been made up. There's plenty more fish in the sea.
I only dig the original 150 too. It became so complex after
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She's just not that into you.
The original 150 is the only way to go.
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Long-distance relationships do work, yes. Just temporarily. I'm living proof too. Apparently you haven't been apart long enough. You'll see.
I was really careful not to swallow any of the tooth whitening crap, and it still made me really nauseous
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Do you wanna know my favorite drinking game? Driving.
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Trust me. Any guy dumb enough to wear a shirt that superficial isn't worth it.
To the girl in the studio who noticed I had an accent. I'm sorry. I don't think you're weird. I really respect you for saying hello. I've just had a really bad night, that's all.
Emo for all.
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