Opinion
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY
Kansan
Published daily since 1912
4A
Spencer Duncan, Editor
Lindsey Henry, Managing editor
Andrea Albright, Managing editor
Tom Eblen, General manager, news adviser
Sarah Scherwinski, Business manager Brian Pagel, Retail sales manager Dan Simon, Sales and marketing adviser Justin Knupp, Technology coordinator
Thursday, September 18, 1997
Branch / SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS/NEWS
Examining
United States' lack of commitment defusing of land mine mess a shame
Representatives of more than 100 countries are meeting in Paris to hammer out the details of an international treaty banning the further placement of land mines, and, unfortunately, the United States is letting everybody down.
Organizers of the conference had hoped that the U.S. would provide leadership and help to enact this unprecedented treaty. To everyone's dismay, our government has, instead, provided a list of exceptions that it demands before signing anything. The demands include the continued right to pepper the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea with anti-armor and anti-personnel mines.
The Pentagon contends that, without continued use of land mines in this area, South Korea would be left open to North Korean attack. This
Leaders of countries meeting in Paris discuss ways to ban landmines; U.S. disappoints.
simply isn't true. North Korea is in economic trouble, and could scarcely afford to wage a war of any kind, let alone a war putting them against a country with the United States' full backing. The treaty would allow 10 years to phase-out the mines, more than enough time for the army to create and implement alternate security measures.
Land mines kill thousands of people every year, and injure many more. Even our own military has suffered immense losses due to land mines. According to the Vietnam Veterans of
America Foundation, land mines were to blame for more than 64,000 American casualties in Vietnam and were the leading cause of casualties in that war.
The U.S. is one of the most powerful nations in the world, and should use its influence to help people. Unfortunately, our government instead has decided to use that power to try and weasel around rules everyone else has to follow. If the U.S. fails to comply with the rules of the treaty, it will have aligned itself with Iraq, North Korea and many other nations it has condemned.
It would be sad to see our country do something this hypocritical. Washington needs to quit playing power games and show the world that it actually values people rather than explosives.
Jon Lane for the editorial board
Hustle, bustle at end of class is rude
Every day, a couple of minutes before class ends, groups of normally polite KU students turn embarrassingly nude.
It starts as a small rustle in the back of the room. Someone shuts his notebook and slips it into a backpack. Across the aisle, another student unzips her satchel and drops her pen inside.
Four minutes of class remain, but this sudden urgency to leave spreads through the group like juicy gossip in a sewing circle. Soon, almost everyone is packing up. With one hand on their backpacks and only half sitting in their desks, students are ready to flee the room when the whistle blows.
Meanwhile, the professor's voice
Students should know better than to pack it up before a teacher is ready to hang it up.
slowly rises, struggling to be heard over the commotion. Few listen to a word the teacher says, much less take notes, because everyone is too preoccupied with leaving.
Etiquette tip: That's rude.
large group. The least we can do is listen. What could be so important that students must bolt from their desks like greyhounds from a starting gate? There is simply no excuse for such behavior.
Professors deserve our respect. Dedicated to sharing knowledge with us, they want to help us develop into educated, successful adults. It's not easy to prepare a lesson and present it to a
Professors, however, are also at fault. When students begin moving around and the noise level rises, professors should immediately demand attention. After all, as educators, you are in charge. If your class so tell students to keep quiet until you have finished. If nothing else, those still attempting to take notes deserve to hear you out.
Come on KU students, we all know how to be polite. Let's start acting like it.
Megan Jordan for the editorial board
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 Westland . . 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
Advertising managers
Matt Fisher ... Assistant retail
Michael Soifer ... Campus
Colleen Eager ... Regional
Anthony Migliazzo ... National
Jeff Auslander ... Marketing
Chris Haghrian ... 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
Broadon your mind: Today's quote
"So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past."
—F. Scott Fitzgerald, "The Great Gatsby."
LetterS: 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.
How to submit letters and guest columns
**Guest columnms** Should be double-spaced typed with fewer than 700 words. The writer must be willing to be photographed for the column to run.
All letter 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 (jstrait@kansan.com) at 864-4810. If you have generic questions or comments, e-mail the page staff (opinion@kansan.com) or call 864-4810.
Ranting
Telling the truth not always easy, profitable
Last week Spencer Duncan, our fearless leader here at the "Kansan",
reviewed the Brown Bear Brewery.
And, as you may or may not remember, he
And, as you may or me,
didn't have too many nice
things to say about the
newest drinking establishment in town.
No one knew before the review ran that Doug Compton, the owner of the Crossing, the Yacht Club and First Management, also ownsthe Brown Bear Brewery, all of which are big-time advertisers in the "Kansan." Ooops.
Ashlee Roll
aroll@kansan.com
Duncan's article was a little harsh on the new brewery, but he simply wrote how he felt.
wrote how he felt about his dining experience.
Compton was not happy. He threatened to pull all of his advertising from the "Kansan" because of the review.
Because advertising determines the number of pages in each paper, his actions had the potential to reduce the "Kansan" to the size of a pamphlet. Compton offered Duncan a compromise by requesting he make another trip to the brewery. Unfortunately, when Duncan did return, the service and food were no better.
It is here that I must make this disclaimer: I have never been to the Brown Bear Brewery and I really don't care if the food and service is up to par. That's not the point.
Several advertising students who work at the "Kansan" chose to respond in their own way—placing ads and writing letters to the editor singing the praises of their client's establishment.
The point is that even in the hallowed halls of learning, at the most elementary level, there is no such thing as a free press. As a reporter, one is torn between the desire to tell the truth and the necessity to not upset any advertisers. A newspaper is still a business.
This situation exemplifies the great debate, the one that all journalists and for
In our quest to become professionals, we should not become proctologists. Kissing butt is a necessary skill in the business world, but when it is mixed with desperation, it can be an ugly, ugly thing.
that matter all people must face at some point in their lives. When do you tell the truth and when do you put food on the table?
In telling the truth, Duncan endangered the well being of the "Kansan" and angered many of the students who work for the advertising department of the paper.
Granted this is not a life-and-death situation. When was the last time you judged something based on a review? I still saw the movie "Picture Perfect" despite what Siskel and Ebert said.
What I want to know is how unbiased can a reporter be with the knowledge that one angry client can result in backlash from the advertising staff? These situations inspired the term 'conflict of interest.'
If we can't be truthful as students of journalism, when can we be? When will we ever have another chance to take a stand again if we falter on small, seemingly insignificant issues?
if aware or if at the time. He told the truth.
That is the difference between a newspaper being earnest and forthright or just being an advertising supplement that is full of crap.
Ethics in the media have been the subject of books, classes and even a movie or two. It is a question without a definite answer.
Duncan did the right thing, even if he wasn't aware of it at the time. He told the truth.
Let your conscience be your guide.
Roll is a Raleigh, N.C., senior in journalism.
Feedback
Portrayal of halls offensive
As an officer of the Association of University Residence Halls, I took offense to your editorial cartoon in the Sept. 16, 1997 edition of your paper. Violence and crime is not a residence hall problem, it is a campus problem, just look at the "Awareness" publication that is put out by the University.
By stating what you did, you were not making a statement about the "dorms," you were making a statement about the people who live there, and we don't appreciate it. The number of violent crimes that take place in the residence halls is significantly lower than in many other living units. We do not appreciate the negative publicity you are attempting to show us.
Money wasted for online access
We have also been trying to stress that we are not "dorms." We are residence halls, and there is a world of difference between the two. Dorms are simply a place to live while residence halls are a place where students not only live, but where there is programming, activities, education and relationships formed. In the future we would appreciate it if you would think about these things before slandering our reputation.
Jon Burns Shawnee junior
For the last two weeks, give or take, the University of Kansas has suffered from periodic and almost constant problems with the KanRen network access.
My understanding is that KanRen goes through a Internet artery in St. Louis where it connects to the network, and for some reason, there are difficulties between the artery and the University.
Five years ago, Kansas' terminal server was free. Anyone who was a student could call in and get into the net. With the rise of the IRC and the Web, everyone wants access now, so I can understand why the computer center has instituted the charges they have. But as a user who regularly is online 100 hours a month or
I think there are a couple of things Kansas can do here. First, KanRen is large enough that the University could easily split the service through two internet arteries, and lower the load. Secondly, I think that the artery in St. Louis simply cannot handle the load Kansas is putting out, and it may be time to look at changing to a server designed to better handle the huge load that Kansas sends to the internet.
I know I'm part of the problem. I use the term server so much I may as well have a dedicated line. But there are thousands of users at the University who almost every day for the last two weeks have been cut off from the internet. I think someone needs to ask just what the computer center is doing with the obscene access fees it charges.
more, I pay a premium for that access that I don't feel is comparative with other local Internet service providers, especially when it is painfully apparent that the money I am paying is not being used in such a way that I can rely on the University's terminal server to provide quick and more importantly reliable access to the internet.
H. Marq Connor Lawrence senior
Police not doing the job for KU student
I am livid.
During this past weekend, I became a victim of crime ... again. In fact, since I have been a resident of Lawrence, I have been victimized six times. That is six times in four years. This time makes five robberies and one act of vandalism. On Saturday night, someone jimmied their way into my vehicle and stole my meager additions to the stock stereo. The total value was not high, and it is definitely something I can live without. In fact, the loss of my property is not what is making me furious.
What could possibly upset a mild-mannered graduate student more than someone violating his vehicle, you ask? The police. I experienced a total and absolute inadequacy of any real assistance from out men and women in uniform ...
again. Not only did they fail to protect my property in the first place, when I called them to report the theft, they informed me that they wouldn't come out to look at the damage, examine for evidence, etc. This led me to the not too brilliant question "of what use are the damn police?"
During the same exact period that I have lived here, I have received no less than four speeding tickets, a couple of parking tickets and several warnings for being too loud after 11:00 p.m. In fact, I am currently on restricted license. I am sure that you feel much more secure that the police are spending their time protecting you against dangerous criminals like me. Should "Serve and Protect," be changed to, "Nag and Collect Revenue?" What real good are they doing us for the money we spend on them?
When I was young, my parents taught me to respect the law, to have integrity and be a good person. I have tried to live to these ideals throughout my life. During the last four years, however, I have traversed through a plethora of emotions ranging from respect to disgust. Now, every time I see an officer pulling over a car or writing a parking ticket, it throws me into a fit ofrage. Why isn't that worthless drain of money on society protecting my property? Why can't my girlfriend feel safe walking after dark? Why do people have to lock their doors when they walk into a store for five minutes? How many things do you do each day to try to avoid becoming a victim yourself? I fully understand the intrusions on freedom make the costs of totally eliminating some crimes much greater than the benefits. I also understand that is is not possible to stop it all. But for goodness sake, the police should at least get their priorities straight, stop bugging people in their everyday lives and work on something with a hint of value. Think about it. I might not make much impact now, but just wait until you get pulled over for not signaling a lane change while you are driving your car with a broken window and a distinction and annoying lack of tunes.
Thelon Goering Moundridge graduate student