OPINION
7A
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2008
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAS
THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Chancellor's raise insensitive to crisis
Cost of living pay increases are simply the latest in a long line of confusing, often muddled signs about the University of Kansas budget. On Sept. 19, The Kansan reported that Chancellor Robert Hemenway would receive a 2.5 percent pay increase for "cost of living and inflationary adjustment," bringing his total potential compensation to $340,352
per year. Cost of living increases are an important part of retaining and rewarding skilled workers, and the Kansas Board of Regents is wise to make them available when they can.
Hemenway's 2.5 percent pay increase is on par with what the state legislature provided in a grant for University employees, which the University decides how to allocate. Though the 2.5% percent increase is average, it's hard to argue that someone already making more than $300,000 is terribly affected by inflation. In addition, the University provides the chancellor with a residence free of cost, with utilities included. The chancellor does pay for basic personal expenses, such as food.
OUR VIEW
It is concerning how these possible budget cuts and raises have been presented to the public. In July, Provost Richard Lariviere announced to the Lawrence Journal-World that the University would be asked to cut its budget by 7 percent during two years. The University could have held off raises for high profile, highly paid executives at their discretion until the specifics on the 2009 bud-
get became clearer.
If the cuts proved to be drastic, University officials could have taken reduced raises or even foregone them as a sum of solidarity.
with employees who might lose their jobs.
The University should tread carefully in addressing the obviously complex process of budget cuts and pay raises. Raising the salaries of highly paid University officials while expecting large budget cuts is insensitive and irresponsible. We hope the University will realize this and act on future budget issues with careful consideration for students, staff and faculty.
Alex Doherty for the editorial board
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Armstrong's column on Russia unwarranted
While hard-pressed to defend the Putin adminis-
Even though the United States is bogged down in two unwinnable wars, its economy is on the verge of collapse, it's saddled with a crumbling infrastructure and it has an administration that seems intent on frittering away the last bits of American credibility, there are still flag-waving patriots like Mr. Armstrong who want to dig the country still farther into a hole (Column: Go' Captain Kirk' on Russia, Sept. 22).
station,
the Russians
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The cornerstone of American nuclear non-proliferation is to not let nuclear weapons, material or knowledge fall into the wrong hands (Column: Go 'Captain Kirk' on Russia, Sept. 22). Destabilizing a country with 6,681 nuclear weapons (2005 count) seems to be an exact opposite of United States policy for more than 50 years.
Russia's international track record is no worse than that of the United States. In the last seven years, the United States has gone to war with at
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out of the United States' game book. During the past eight years, the Bush administration has rewritten the laws of war that can now be boiled down to the simple axiom: Might makes right.
- Ray Fitch is the assistant to the director at the Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies.
Instead of advising the United States to "crush Russia," I would strongly advise Mr. Armstrong to look in the mirror, and if he still feels the need to "promote democracy and self-determination" suggest he either visit the local military recruiter, or better yet, learn to go beyond the stereotypes and learn something genuine about today's Russia.
least two sovereign nations,
states whose governments,
while he-
ing openly hostile toward the U.S., had no direct involvement against it.
We have given Russia a precedent for their seemingly brutal actions. However, the country acted within its national goals. We should reengage Russia in dialogue. Angering a giant, no matter how big you are, is never a good idea. The U.S. and Russia have many similar goals and problems, both internally and externally. Instead of mutual retaliation for actions each nation considers hostile, there need to be summits, meetings and discussions. In the 21st century nuclear-armed nations have no room for disagreement — it is too dangerous for the entire world.
-Igor Avelichev is a senior from Overland Park.
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THE EDITORIAL BOARD Members of the Kansan Editorial Board are Alex Doeherty, Jenny Hartz, Lauren Keith, Patrick of Oliveira. Rev Saebeetb and Ian Stanford.
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TYLER DOEHRING
Women should vote for the issues in November
I delete the e-mails I get from the Dole Institute. I volunteered for Rep. Dennis Moore's office as a freshman to register students to vote, and I gave up after about 10 people. I'm sick of watching election coverage because of the numerous comments about lipstick and pit bulls. I know what it's like to be uninterested in politics, but that does not mean I've forgotten the importance of a vote.
In high school, I took a tour of the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., and got to see the suffragette sculpture that looks like a miniature Mount Rushmore. It has the faces of Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott, but it leaves a fourth place empty. Depending on who is giving the tour, it is supposed to be left for the first female president or to represent the fact that women still have more rights to gain.
In the presidential election, women cannot forget the fight that was won less than 100 years ago. Do not let frustration with the system be the reason you don't vote. Women should vote but vote for the right reasons. Voting for someone just because she is a woman would discredit feminism. Whenever that fourth space is filled in, the face will be of a woman who fought for the rights of others.
Women have an extremely important role in this election, and in order to live up to it, we have to vote, and vote based on the issues. My Western Civilization teacher brought up vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin said that "the Republican party assumed the
women of America would be voting with their vaginas and not their heads." She's right, and just because Palin is a woman does not mean she gets the votes of everyone with two X chromosomes.
Believe in it, change it, discuss it, rock it, use it, research it, register it, spread it. In whatever way you choose to say it, vote for the issues you agree with in November.
Tina Fey, playing Sarah Palin on "Saturday Night Live" said, "No matter your politics, it's time for a woman in the White House." She outlined the worst problem. Shouldn't it first and foremost be about the politics?
nation with the precept of democracy and an extremely realistic machine gun, vote for someone who agrees with you! The constitution says you have the right to express your beliefs through your vote. Whether I agree with you doesn't matter. It doesn't matter who you vote for, as long as you're voting based on the issues.
If you're a staunch conservative who believes gays are going straight to hell along with those crazy evolution believers, who think that we should plow down every foreign
Thornbrugh is a Lenexa junior in creative writing.
A letter to South Florida's Athletics Department
I was appalled upon hearing of the barbaric behavior exhibited by your fans at the South Florida game Sept. 12. Never in my life have I heard and believed that drunken college students would act in a way typically associated with drunken college students.
I have never witnessed remotely similar behavior at the opera or art institute. Though a football game is different, it is not unreasonable to expect young men and women as well as old men and women to conduct themselves in an appropriate manner.
Likewise, reparations for your fanbase's behavior should be in order:
A shipment of twenty cases of foie gras and thirty cases of Beluga caviar. KU fans deserve only the finest food and drink.
Disappointingly, our patrons expected a bloodbath and received only a shower of vulgarity. There is no amount of bone crunching and pummeling that can make up for such atrocious deportment.
Also, I please ask you to take a moment, just a moment, to think of all the little Jean-Pierres and Genevieves who were sitting quietly amidst the mob of fans whilst quietly enjoying a grilled prosciutto, spinach and goat cheese panini until they heard their first curse word. Wait, let us have a moment of silence to pray for them.
Since I was not present, I can only speculate about the number of children whose innocence was shattered with a simple screaming of an f-bomb or a glimpse of a student downing a large beer from a distance. My current estimate ranges from 67 to 3,589.
Though this will be payment enough for the adults, I regret to say that no amount of payment will do for the children.
War crimes aside, what was most shocking was that more than just college students were engaged in the misconduct. Who would have thought that your fans would invoke an equally salacious response from those being insulted or those whose team was being insulted? How insulting were your fans to make our fans reply in such a human fashion? I will have you know that our fans will not be pigeonholed as such. You should know that we are jawhaws first and citizens second.
Sincerely, a concerned citezen.
Mangiaracina is a Lenexa senior in journalism.
Ok, that's enough...back to the sandwiches.
Even days after the game I'm still haunted with dreams of $8.95 paninis falling on the ash-covered and beer-splattered concrete. More disturbing than the f-bombs or visions of paninis that died in vain is the idea that anyone would insult our fans. I am familiar with the Geneva Conventions and can quite honestly say that this qualifies as a crime against humanity.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR: An alternative view of Ramadan.
In reference to the article entitled, Students Fast for Ramadan, published Sept. 8, as the Muslim Law Student Association we wish to share with you an alternative view. Ramadan is the most spiritually cleansing month for Muslims. The article expressed that some Muslims find it burdensome to fast; that is not the intended purpose of Ramadan. The Quran says that, "God intends for you ease, and He does not want to make things difficult for you" (2:185).
Historically, Ramadan has been a month of great accomplishments for the Muslim world. During Ramadan, Tariq ibn Ziyad established the Muslim empire
of Al-Andalus, now known as southern Spain, which brought about the enlightenment of Europe, rescuing Europe from the Dark Ages. The Great Battle of Ain Jalut, (the battle between the Mongols and the Muslims) which finally put an end to the ruthless destruction of entire cities in the Middle East, also occurred during Ramadan.
Ramadan is a time of reflection and worship. During this month, Muslims put aside their daily physical needs, such as eating and drinking, thereby heightening their awareness to their spiritual connection with God and enabling physical and mental cleansing. The Quran
follows the command to fast with the compassionate verse: "When my servants ask you about Me, I am close indeed - I answer the prayer of the supplicant when he calls on Me, so let them call to Me, and let them believe in Me, so that they may go the right way" (2:186). God also says that Ramadan is a, "Guide and Mercy for those who do good" (30:3). Muslims are 1.4 billion people strong, and we are proud of the unity that we establish by fasting and praying together. Truly, Ramadan is a reminder of the remembrance of God and the plight of the poor. This is why we fast.
The Muslim Law Student Association
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Every newspaper prints articles about traffic accidents. If I die in a traffic accident, I want a sweet, full-page spread.
page spread
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I tried to go to the gym, but it was way busy, so I went and got ice cream. What a successful day.
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It's kind of funny that the KU grounds crew works so hard to keep the grass nice, but they park their trucks on it.
Hey FFA! The Kansan writes about Republicans not playing by the rules, what about United Students?
Yesterday I saw a tiny little man wearing a bunch of tiny little accessories and he looked like he was the most interesting man on earth.
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Guys want a girl who will actually eat the food that we pay for when going out on a
FFA, you're really getting out of control, I think you need to go to rehab
I'd say it's safe to say that everyone who was bitching and moaning about the Sex on the Hill pictures haven't gotten a drop of ass in this
(Editor's note: Yes. From small minds.)
Uh, stereotypes have got to come from somewhere, don't they?
I love a mullet
Hey, FFA, I need a fake I.D.
It's called University of Kansas, not Kansas University.
(Editor's note: Tell that to the Lawrence Journal-World.)
Hey, when did Park and Ride hire Santa to drive a bus?
If I pretend to be single, will you be my friend?
Give me my damn tray back!
Do we have the right to win the Iraq War? No one ever asks that
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I made the UDK today!
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Stop trying to pick up people on FFA.
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