4A the university daily kansan
opinion
tuesday, September 23, 2003
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My roommate is really hairy and every time he showers he leaves hair all over the bathroom. How am I suppose to clean it up? He looks like Chewbacca.
图
You guys need to find some new cartoon artists because this is just pathetic.
to the girl who was in my anthropology and geology class last year. Will you have my baby?
Somebody get this freaking duck away from me.
It is Sunday and all I did was wash my clothes and watch Waterworld on channel 5. I hate Sundays so much.
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At 10:57 on Sunday night there was officially no one outside of Hashinger Hall.
Me and my roommates are addicted to
Tetris and we are starting a help group.
Give us a call if you want to join.
I am drunk, and it is 1:30, and I have to be at class in six hours. Is that bad?
Life is a bitch. Get to know this and stop griping.
stayskal's view
Remember what Reno represents
perspective
COMMENTARY
When your academic career at the University of Kansas comes to an end, there will undoubtedly be campus events that you will regret having missed. With former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno visiting campus tomorrow, one of those instances may be upon us.
Tickets to see Reno at the Lied Center are disappearing faster than weapons of mass destruction in the deserts of Iraq. While Reno will no doubt receive a great deal of praise and adoration during her visit, it would be disappointing if students did not take this opportunity to pose any poignant questions about her tenure in the Clinton administration.
Ben McCarthy opinion@hansan.com
Successful efforts were made by Reno and other high-ranking government officials to construct a story in the media that the Branch Davidians were not killed, but rather had engaged in a mass suicide, led by David Koresh. When speaking of the fatal Waco raid, Reno said law enforcement officers had acted with great professionalism during the month-long standoff. While
Nobody ever really held Reno, or her boss, accountable for the federal law enforcement disaster that resulted in the deaths of four federal agents and 82 U.S. civilians. The Branch Davidians, in Waco, Texas, were of a sect of Christianity that was framed by the media and Reno's office as a cult following. The groups' irrational religious beliefs included descriptions of a figure named "jesus," a place called "Heaven," and other similar "crazy" views on religion. This was just one of the tactics Reno utilized in order to minimize the scrutiny of her office role in the deaths of U.S. civilians.
While the FBI would later acknowledge that flammable devices were fired into the Branch Davidians compound prior to it burning, then attorney general Reno denied any flammable devices were fired on the day of the fire. The evidence of federal law enforcement's role in the destruction of the compound, and the subsequent deaths of the civilians inside were later exposed by a series of books, films and independent public hearings. The documentary,Rules of Engagement, even illustrates the reality that law enforcement agents, possibly U.S. Army "Delta" soldiers, used live ammunition and explosives in the time of the fatal raid.
Clinton and Reno made soft whispers admitting responsibility for the incident, the public never seemed to hold them accountable for the death of fellow Americans. As one hand washed the other, Waco silently became the largest account of civilian deaths brought about by a federal law enforcement agency.
The tragedy in Waco exposed federal justice and law enforcement's tendency to play above the law, fuelled resentment toward
Wayne Stayskal/KnightRidder
the federal government, FBI and Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and provided what Timothy McVeigh would later call his motivation for the Oklahoma City bombing. While you can certainly point to other red flags on Reno's record, who can forget the "rescue" of a loveable Cuban boy that involved automatic weapons, giving the "green light" to burn 82 American civilians to a crisp might be a good starting point for questioning Reno when she arrives in town.
The current climate of silent opposition in American discourse allows politicians to travel the country without the worry of having the skeletons of their past brought into the public spectrum. Reno and her handlers are obviously resting assure that engagements, such as her appearance at the University, will serve as little more than a public relations ploy for her future political endeavors. The era of politically active student bodies died out long ago and has been replaced by a generation of students void of a community and political awareness.
McCarthy is a Lenexa nontraditional student.
Despite the new reality of American discourse and university life, tomorrow evening would be a perfect opportunity to demonstrate that Americans, college students in particular, still have the ability to hold public officials responsible for their actions. For starters, Janet Reno has never been asked to be accountable for her role in the armed conflict in Waco, Texas.
Learn to love your body image,not the media's
perspective
What makes a person attractive? To some extent, beauty is still in the eye of the beholder. But today's media and its portrayal of attractiveness influence how people view others, not only physically, but in other aspects as well. Characteristics having nothing to do with outside appearances are linked to a person's looks. Images of successful and happy people, who also happen to have a particular body type (i.e. tall and thin), dominate the media, not only in America, but in Europe and Asia as well.
COMMENTARY
Studies from the National Eating Disorders Association show the notion of the ideal body image is causing both men and women to have a distorted view of themselves, especially in comparison with what they believe is the norm, as portrayed by Hollywood and advertising. More alarming is that superficial characteristics play an even greater role now than they did even 20 years ago in determining how members of our culture view one another. People tend to automatically assign positive traits, such as high intelligence and success, to people
Sara Zafar opinion@hansan.com
In a culture so obsessed with praising the ideal, it is no wonder that one can find images everywhere of happy, confident, thin people, enjoying the good life, surrounded by other thin, happy people.
who are slender and tall and less positive traits to people who are heavier. Even people who are in no way overweight feel the pressure to be thinner in order to be happier.
Inevitably people want to enjoy the same pleasures, and people believe they must match the ideal they see in every glossy fashion magazine or commercial for a dream vacation. The message is simple: thin equals happiness
and success, anything less (or more) than thin equals unhappiness and overall failure.
The "ideal" body type for both men and women is one that has instilled itself in peoples' minds with the help of the media, but it is not, by any means, the standard or healthy body type for the majority of people. According to the National Eating Disorders Association, 98 percent of women are heavier than the average model, but these women are not necessarily overweight or obese. They are simply larger than a size two.
The process of distorting self images and images of others begins in the early years of development for most people. Forty-two percent of girls ages six through eight want to be thinner. "Fat" is frightening. This fear of becoming overweight is more than a health and fitness concern. It is a fear of failure, and a rising number of people are dealing with this problem.
People do have concerns about their overall health and physical well-being.
but believe the only way to achieve this well-being is through attaining the ideal body. Even athletes, although they are usually healthier and more physically fit than most by default, feel the pressure to fit the ideal as well. Many equate better performance with less body fat.
This is an unacceptable situation. Perhaps if movies and the media portrayed more confident, high status people of all body types, rather than supporting the unbalanced picture of a successful society, people might be more satisfied with their bodies and their lives.
Today, nearly 10 million people in America are suffering from some type of eating disorder, according to the National Eating Disorders Association. Many more have some kind of borderline problem that may not result in an eating disorder, but distorts their self images so much that they feel constantly inadequate and unable to live up to their ideal.
Zatar is a Wichita junior in History
editorial board
Study abroad opens minds, alters views
Even in these troubled and turbulent times, the benefits of studying abroad far outweigh the dangers. It's time to put down the freedom fries. Now more than ever, it is essential for Americans to understand cultures beyond its own.
it doesn't matter where you go. Paris, Beijing, Buenos Aires, any place will offer you insight into a different culture and a new perspective on the world. Chatting with a local from a country you've only read about could bring a whole other world to life.
Outside of America, most people have to speak more than one language. We rarely have use for another language; this can be a problem when abroad. We cannot expect everyone to know and speak English. It is important for American students to try to learn the language of the culture they are visiting. Don't worry if you're not fluent, any attempt is appreciated.
You'll never go abroad for less money than while you are in college. You might never again have such cheap economic standards — staying in hostels and sleeping on trains — than you do while you are young. Most hostels are $20 or less per night (sometimes that even includes breakfast). Eating other meals can be as cheap as you want to make it. And to save a little money on the road, you don't have to ride the high — speed train; you can take the cheaper "putt" — putt" train and see the world one station at a time.
Americans usually stick out like a sore thumb in other countries. We wear baseball hats, we have big North Face backpacks, and we're always loudly yapping away. We don't need to change who we are, but sometimes American students abroad are at fault for taking our differences to an entirely different level.
It is these bonds of common understanding that will aid us in solving our current international difficulties. Studying abroad allows everyone else around the world an opportunity to get to know Americans. If you make a good impression, it can break down stereotypes from both sides.
A keg party might be acceptable here but to foreigners getting drunk and being loud out in public is nothing but rude and obnoxious. It sends a message that American youth are only crazy partiers. To blend in, try having one after-dinner drink at the pub and leave the rowdiness for the club.
Studying abroad can change your life. But to get something out of it, do not be afraid to dive into another culture. Enjoy the new food. Enjoy the music. Enjoy the long train rides. Take off the baseball hat. And remember, you are not only representing yourself, but in the eyes of the world, you also represent America.
Applications for Study Abroad are due Oct. 1 for the spring semester.
Anne D. Gregory for the editorial board
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