Opinion
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY
Kansan
Published daily since 1912
Spencer Duncan, Editor Sarah Scherwinski, Business manager Lindsey Henry, Managing editor Brian Pagel, Retail sales manager Andrea Albright, Managing editor Dan Simon, Sales and marketing adviser Tom Eblen, General manager, news adviser Justin Knupp, Technology coordinator
4A
Tuesday, December 2, 1997
W. David Keith/ KANSAN
Examining
Athletes in Action should leave their preaching in the lockeroom
This is why the halftime speech given Nov. 18 by the Athletes in Action team never should have been delivered.
Basketball games are a source on great entertainment at the University of Kansas. Students look for solace from the everyday drudgery of classes by traveling to Allen Field House and watching the men's or women's basketball team play. What they don't go to the Field House for is to be preached to.
A basketball game shouldn't be a venue for a moral lesson. Between the basketball game and the band, there should be entertainment from the tip-off to the final horn. Bombarding students with extended messages about anything — let alone religion — doesn't belong at a sporting event. While commercial messages may be necessary to finance sports at th University, moral lecturing isn't a part of KU athletics.
Preaching Christian values at the halftime of a game not appropriate at the University.
Additionally, the religious message delivered by Athletes in Action was inappropriate for the venue. The University of Kansas is composed of students from many different backgrounds — Christian and otherwise. As a public university, these individual values are protected. No teacher preaches from behind his or her lectern; the Chancellor doesn't extol the virtues of "Our Loving Savior Jesus Christ Who Died For Our Sins" at Traditions Night. Students' rights are respected in these areas of the University, and it was wrong for them to be ignored at the women's basketball game.
Certainly, preaching has a place. Its place, however, is not halftime of a KU basketball game. Trying to convert basketball fans at a university to Christianity was wholly improper. Morality is an important part of life, but trying to change someone else's religious views in a non-religious setting shows no respect for the diversity represented by the University. KU basketball faithful and students should never be subjected to the kind of Christian crusade undertaken Tuesday night by Athletes in Action.
Gerry Doyle for the editorial board
Feedback
Firing 'Kansan' editor wrong action to take
I feel that it is a step backward for Spencer Duncan, editor of the "Kansan," to be fired. We are on the verge of a new era and are still faced with censorship.
I don't think that the loud minority who may have complained about a few things should dictate how the student paper is run.
Is it the job of the media not to offend any of its readers? Good luck. Someone will always be offended.
The members of the "Kansan" board who fired Duncan sent the message out: "We only want to publish things that are not controversial. We don't want anyone who reads this paper to find anything to be upset or offended
Wake up. The times have changed. Don't censor the paper by sticking in a new person who will be a good little editor and publish only the "right things." Give us a "free" paper. The students demand it.
about. We will make sure that only clean, politically correct information is allowed in our paper."
Kent Troughton Shawnee senior
I read in the "Kansas City Star" today (Nov. 26) that Spencer Duncan was fired because of some things that were printed in the "Kansan." The "double entendre" that he, in essence, approved as editor, met with approval from the paper's governing board.
am only a less than semi-interested observer), brought home a "Kansan" several weeks ago. The front page had an article about the international officers from the Command and General Staff Officers' Course at Fort Leavenworth visiting the University. One of their stops was at the "Kansan."
If I'm not mistaken, one of the aspects of the "Kansan" that the international officers respected was the freedom of speech expressed in the paper.
I'm sure that a number of those officers, who are still at Fort Leavenworth, read the "Kansas City Star." What are they thinking now?
My wife, who is a KU student (I
Chris Morey
Ft. Leavenworth resident
Kansan staff
Bradley Brooks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Editorial
Jason Strait . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Editorial
Jodie Chester . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . News
Jen Smith. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . News
Adam Darby . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . News
Charity Jeffries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Online
Kristie Blasi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sports
Tommy Gallagher . . . . . . . . . . . . . Associate Sports
Dave Morantz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Campus
Eric Weslander . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Campus
Ashleigh Roberts . . . . . . . . . . Features
Steve Puppe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Photo
Bryan Volk . . . . . . . . . . . . . Design, graphics
Mitch Lucas . . . . . . . . . . . . Illustrations
Mark McMaster . . . . . . . . . . Wire
Ann Marchand . . . . . . . Special sections
Lachelle Rhoades . . . . . . . . . . News clerk
News editors
Matt Fisher . *Assistant retail*
Michael Soifer . *Campus*
Colleen Eager . *Regional*
Anthony Migliazzo . *National*
Jeff Auslander . *Marketing*
Chris Haghirian . *Internet*
Brian LeFevre . *Production*
Jen Wallace. . *Production*
Dustin Skidgel . *Promotions*
Tyler Cook . *Creative*
Annette Hoover . *Public relations*
Rachel O'Neill . *Classified*
Jaime Mann . *Assistant classified*
Marc Harrell . *Senior account executive*
Scott Swedlund . *Senior account executive*
Advertising managers
Broaden your mind:
"All paths lead to the same goal: to convey to others what we are."
How to submit letters and guest columns
-Pablo Neruda
Letter(s): Should be double-spaced typed and fewer than 200 words. Letters must include the author's signature, name, address and telephone number plus class and home-town if a University student. Faculty or staff must identify their positions.
Guest columns: Should be double-
spaced typed with fewer than 700 words. The writer must be willing to be photographed for the column to run.
All letters and guest columns should be submitted to the Kansan newsroom, 111 Staufer-Flint Hall. The Kansan reserves the right to edit, cut to length or reject all submissions. For any questions, call Bradley Brooks (brooks@kansan.com) or Jason Strait (istrait@kansan.com) at 864-4810. If you have general questions or comments, e-mail the page staff (opinion@kansan.com) or call 864-4810.
Raving
Forget animal rights, let's talk about the humans
D don't talk to me about animal rights. The topic has become a hot one at the University of Kansas this semester, but don't count on me to support our little
furry, web-ooted or scaled friends. I love animals and believe they should be treated well, but I think that the reverence they have been given on this campus is entirely unwarranted.
Clay McCuistion opinion@kansan.com
Those of you who object to turkey bowling on moral grounds or believe that dissection and animal experimentation are evil are certainly entitled to your opinions — just don't count on my support.
I happen to be alive today because of animal testing.
Animals died to save my life, and I am glad of it. I happen to be one of the 700,000 insulin-dependent diabetics in the United States today. Insulin — the life-saving hormone needed by type I diabetics — was discovered through animal testing. In 1921 and 1922 Frederick Banting used 10 dogs to isolate and use insulin in a clinical setting. The dogs had their pancreases removed — the pancreas being the gland responsible for producing insulin — and most likely died quickly afterwards. However, this experimentation led to insulin being available to humans.
Such drastic operations and testing could not have been carried out on men or women. It was and is not ethical or feasible. However, such tests could be carried out on dogs — and have resulted in a treatment that has saved millions of human lives.
Were the lives of these ten dogs worth more than the lives of millions of humans who have been given new life and hope through insulin? That's your question to answer.
Being an insulin-dependant diabetic has shaped my entire outlook on animal rights. If animals could help us cure human diseases such as AIDS and various cancers, who will volunteer to tell a dying human patient that the lives of lab rats are more important than effective medicine? If animal rights activists had been active in 1922, would the 700,000 diabetics alive today be dead? How much value does an animal's life have compared to a human's?
The entire turkey-bowling debate is foolish when viewed in this context. Once every homeless and hungry person in the world has been housed and fed, then we can think about the brutal use of turkey carcasses. The entire "animal rights" debate is one of ludicrously misplaced priorities. What about human rights? Do we pause to consider the sweatshop laborers toiling to make the Nike apparel worn by the KU basketball team? What should we do about the homeless and hungry people who wander the streets of this country in agony? Do we place turkies above their well being? Again, I leave it to you to answer these questions.
I don't hate animals. They certainly deserve respect and humane treatment. But humans deserve respect and humane treatment as well. We so often ignore the poverty that exists under our own noses and look to another, more glamorous cause. Poverty is not cute or fun. It's ugly and life threatening. After all, which is more photogenic? Helping a starving and crippled man, or rescuing a cuddly white bunny from a perfume-testing lab? Perhaps activists should think less about their press clippings and more about their duties to their own species.
Animals died to save me. They might have died to save you as well. I don't always feel comfortable with the idea. But when I think of the millions of others besides me whom animal testing has saved — and will save — I do not feel guilty.
McCuistion is an El Dorado freshman in journalism.
Thanks easily found during holiday break
The holidays are a time to look back and reflect upon the things for which we are thankful. During Thanksgiving break — when I wasn't thinking up excuses to avoid
— when I wasn't thinking u my relatives — I thought up a list of things that I am thankful for this year.
John Colbert opinion@kansan.com
I am thankful that my brother's girlfriend spent Thanksgiving with my family. This allowed the focus of attention to be shifted away from me for once. If she hadn't been there it would have been my mom, aunts and cousins speculating on why I am such a loser and still don't have a steady girlfriend. Instead all they could do was sit
I am thankful for Ted Turner and his media empire. I can always count on my man Ted to provide me with a 24-hour Clint Eastwood movie marathon every Thanksgiving and Christmas. For me the Holidays just wouldn't be the same without Clint. I am thankful that there is someone who understands that not everyone can stomach an all-day marathon of "My So Called Life." I mean, MTV has been rerunning the same episodes since I was a freshman.
around and say how sweet Ashley was.
I am thankful that I have several cousins with messed-up lives. Whenever I am home for the holidays and feeling worthless, it is always nice to see them. It is so nice to see them because no matter how poorly I am doing in school or whatever, compared to them I am a genius.
I am thankful that Marky Mark has been able to carve out a new career for himself in acting. I didn't see a real bright future for him and the Funky Bunch if they did another album.
I am thankful that so many wonderful performing acts from my youth are touring again. The thought of another Motley Crue or Cyndi Lauper tour sends chills up my spine. At least Michael Hutchence knew when the time was right to hang it up.
I am thankful that I have such loyal and caring friends. Friends who care enough to let me ride home in the trunk of the car after a long night of merriment. Friends who will surprise me with a stun gun for a laugh. Friends who will tell my professor that my dad had a heart attack when I miss class because of a hangover. Friends who will break into my house when I'm not there and eat and drink everything in my refrigerator.
I am thankful for Terry Allen and his strict discipline policy. For a while it was going to look like the football team was going to need a full-time probation officer on their staff to make sure everybody was in line. Jayhawker-Towers almost could have qualified as a half-way house.
I am thankful that Saddam Hussein is trying to start another war with the United States. I hope he is successful. Television just hasn't been the same since the end of our last conflict with him. At least now I should have something to watch during winter break.
I am thankful for the KU Police Department. I feel a lot safer whenever I am walking across campus late at night. I feel safer because I know that unless the fine men and women of the KUPD aren't sitting in their cars at the Memorial Stadium parking lot or on West Campus having a chat session, they are constantly on the lookout for perverts, thieves and people without lights on their bikes — all of whom pose a significant threat to students.
Lastly, I am thankful for all of the fine readers who have approached me to offer praise and damnation. You have all made it worth it, especially the ones offering damnation.
Colbert is a Lenexa senior in mechanical engineering.
Feedback
Movie tickets pricey; life just isn't fair
Gerry Doyle, in his editorial about the price of movie tickets in Lawrence, wrote "for a town populated mostly by students, movie theaters seem to be paying little respect to their biggest customers." According to statistics published by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, the population of Lawrence in 1995 was 70,700. Fall 1997 enrollment at the University's main campus was 27,567.
For the sake of argument.
let's say that every KU student is included in the official population count. That would still leave at least 43,133 nonstudent residents in Lawrence. This hardly makes Lawrence a town populated by students. Doyle is likely correct, however, in his assumption that KU students are among the largest group of consumers in town, despite his insistence that as a rule, students have less money than other adult residents.
The fact that a great number of Lawrence businesses choose to cater to student needs has led Doyle to unrealistically assume that all businesses in Lawrence should do the same. Unfortunately, unless students boycott the first-run movies and cause a loss of revenue for the Hollywood Theaters, ticket prices are likely to remain the same.
The real-world lessons here are that life isn't fair, prices rise when there is no competition and all Lawrence residents between the ages of 12 and 54 have to pay a hefty $6 for a movie ticket. It'll be that way as long as Hollywood Theaters remain the only game in town for mainstream movies.
Jill Girardo
Lawrence graduate student
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