Opinion United States First Amendment MONDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2009 United States First Amendment Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. Politically Correct: Is the public option a good idea? WWW.KANSAN.COM COMING TUESDAY FREE FOR ALL To contribute to Free for All, visit Kansan.com or call (785) 864-0500. --said. "It is sought after because of quality professors with a large amount of experience in their fields that have chosen to give back." I love hearing how I spent my weekend from my roommates and from Facebook pictures. I just had the best first kiss like ever — movie kind of stuff. --said. "It is sought after because of quality professors with a large amount of experience in their fields that have chosen to give back." My friends' boyfriends always end up hitting on me. It's awkward. I've had the hiccups for two days now. This sucks. --said. "It is sought after because of quality professors with a large amount of experience in their fields that have chosen to give back." --said. "It is sought after because of quality professors with a large amount of experience in their fields that have chosen to give back." So if the Anglicans join the Catholic Church, can we start calling them English Orthodox? --said. "It is sought after because of quality professors with a large amount of experience in their fields that have chosen to give back." I want to order food but I have a feeling I might be passed out before it gets here. --said. "It is sought after because of quality professors with a large amount of experience in their fields that have chosen to give back." So every time I see the preview for that "V" show on ABC, I can't help but think about virginity. --said. "It is sought after because of quality professors with a large amount of experience in their fields that have chosen to give back." I'm craving me some Phog right now. I'm totally watching "Degrassi" all day. --said. "It is sought after because of quality professors with a large amount of experience in their fields that have chosen to give back." Yay. I've been drunk for almost 24 hours. I win. PAGE 7A --said. "It is sought after because of quality professors with a large amount of experience in their fields that have chosen to give back." --said. "It is sought after because of quality professors with a large amount of experience in their fields that have chosen to give back." I smoked weed for the first time tonight. Why the fuck haven't I done this shit sooner? This is awesome! Bitches dig the smileys. Oh my God! it rained a little bit and everyone forgets how to drive. Freaking idiots. --said. "It is sought after because of quality professors with a large amount of experience in their fields that have chosen to give back." The world record for most sex partners by a woman in one day is 630. --said. "It is sought after because of quality professors with a large amount of experience in their fields that have chosen to give back." I have made a huge scientific discovery. It only takes four blondes to figure out a parking monor --said. "It is sought after because of quality professors with a large amount of experience in their fields that have chosen to give back." In my "Greased Lightning" costume I totally look like Rick Astley. --said. "It is sought after because of quality professors with a large amount of experience in their fields that have chosen to give back." I think I just saw Paul Rudd on campus. --said. "It is sought after because of quality professors with a large amount of experience in their fields that have chosen to give back." Italians love to have sex. Ugh. I just want someone to come watch "The Office" with me. I feel like crap. --said. "It is sought after because of quality professors with a large amount of experience in their fields that have chosen to give back." To the person who mooned the cop on Saturday: Really? --said. "It is sought after because of quality professors with a large amount of experience in their fields that have chosen to give back." EDITORIAL BOARD Business school receives deserved recognition The U.S. News and World Report recently recognized the University's School of Business for its outstanding programs. Ranked 28th in public universities across the country in 2009, the school deserves University support and recognition. The school was also included in The Princeton Review's 2010 "The Best 301 Business Schools" for its Masters' of Business Administration program Todd Dorsey, Overland Park junior in marketing, entrepreneurship and psychology, said the quality of education the school provided was its biggest advantage on the competition. "Our MBA program is competitive to get into," Dorsey Dorsey also said the excellence in teaching did not just extend to graduate students. Undergraduate students in the school benefit from professors' many and varied experiences. With experience in the industry, professors know what students will soon be up against. Dorsey said it was clear how vested professors' interests are in the success of their students. He said the excellence observed in the school was founded on relationships formed between students and professors and the desire to prepare students for what lies ahead. core material to what they've done in their life and in their career" "Enthusiasm trickles down from MBAs and professors," he said. "Professors teach undergrads and MBAs, tying examples of the "Relationships fostered with professors are evident," Dorsey said. "We have motivated individuals, high quality individuals in the MBA program here." Also adding to students' preparedness is the school's KANSAN'S OPINION Career Service Center. Dorssey said the CSC aided students with interviewing, resumes and also sets up informational meetings with potential employers. The CSC also puts on the School of Business Career Fair each September that draws in many local and nationwide employers for students to speak with and learn about career opportunities. "Our Career Service Center in the Business School is top notch," Dorsey said. "The Career Center is very good at placing people in jobs and setting them up for success" With all the advantages given to students, there is one area where the school is lacking: its facilities. Summerfield Hall, home of the school, detracts from the school's appeal. When visitors come to the University, their first impression of the school can be deceiving and often deterring. Dorsey said the school was in the process of raising money for a new building. With the given economy, however, he doesn't see the transformation happening quickly. A new facility would be an ideal, but the there are many other needs University-wide that require financial support. With its continually proven success, the school deserves University support in the updating of their facilities. Professors and students are investing their time and energy into making the school prominent and they deserve a facility that is worth their investment. For now, the University as a whole should applaud the school for its efforts, and realize when one school is recognized the whole community benefits from better students and better faculty. Kara Walker for The Kansan Editorial Board MUSIC BEN COLDHAM Too much R&B in hip-hop H hip-hop is too sweet these days. Originally emerging as a gritty, authentic reflection of the streets that gave it life, hip-hop has gradually evolved into a genre dominated by R&B hooks and occasional verses, most noticeably in the mainstream. Don't get me wrong, of course I am aware of how impressive and enjoyable the R&R genre can be, and there are irrefutably plenty of great hip-hop tracks perfected with just the right vocal chorus. The issue I have with R&B and its relationship with hip-hop is when a chorus or vocal verse disrupts the flow of the emcee, and consequently disrupts the flow and the feel of the song. Often I find myself dreading the upcoming choruses of many recent hip-hop releases, yearning for them to come to an end as soon as they begin. What concerns me most, however, is that singing seems to be making its way into the underground ranks of the hip-hop world as well. More and more newly released "underground" songs may have decent, even stellar verses, only to be irritatingly interrupted by a lengthy R&B chorus. All too often these hooks distract from the tempo of the song and, in my opinion, generally lend a softer tone to the piece. This is not the way hip-hop should be. Hip-hop should keep me nodding my head to the beat throughout the entire song. At the risk of sounding overly insensitive, hip-hop should not involve artists singing about their feelings or any issues of this nature at all. Hip-hop is the product of an unforgiving and very real environment, and is at its best when this street-smart, genuine nature comes through in its music. The genuine nature of hip-hop, for the record, is not singing. It is obviously in rapping. Rappers should act accordingly when producing new so-called hip-hop material. Artists proving how real and fly they are is what real hip-hop is all about, and what it has always been about. Vocal choruses, on the other hand, can often leave the listener with a slight sense of vulnerability, and vulnerability is certainly not what hip-hop has historically been about when at its best. I have always preferred the method used by most old school and old school-inspired artists when needing a bridge between verses: An abstract twist on the chorus known as a "scratch hook." This is when, instead of a sung chorus, a compilation of scratching and cut portions of other song's verses are mixed together to create a break derived from and much more representative of the hip-hop culture and lifestyle. Scratch hooks are routinely used by the most prolific and influential producers and DJs in the game, the most notable example of these being legendary producer DJ Premier, who was among the first to introduce and perfect the scratch hook in his Gang Starr years. Hip-hop became what it is today by reflecting the harsh reality and lifestyle of the streets because that is the essence of the genre in its most raw and unadultered form. Hip-hop is too sweet these days, but much of this can be remedied simply by removing some of the sugar from its production line. Coldham is a Chicago senior in journalism. CHECK'EM OUT: Hot Track: "Wasted" by Lil Wayne New Artist: Dom Kennedy Local Artist: Dutch CULTURE Modern art makes a stand Two weeks ago, I found myself at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City. Twenty minutes before closing, I suggested to my mom that we should visit the modern art section. Immediately, I saw a piece of art that for the first time attracted me to modern art, not because of its absurd appearance, but because I had never seen anything like it before. I found myself refreshed in a world where everything seems to conform into repetition. — music made from samples of old tracks, movies remade and remade while just getting worse and worse and paintings being simply still life paintings or scenic photography. I had toured through many exhibits (Roman art to Renaissance masterpieces) in the Nelson-Atkins Museum. I was interested, but not totally entertained probably because most of what I was looking at was century-old oil paintings of Christian figures. But I digress. This piece of art I mentioned earlier was a completely original grouping of green bouncy balls, some with deep indented grooves making them personified with individual personalities, yet alien in their emotionless "faces." Although original, it was completely out of my realm of comprehension I was confused. I wondered how and who makes all of these works of modern art. Much of it I even questioned as being art, especially the paintings where just one black line giggled across a canvas. Because I am not an art critic, I tried not to judge these unfamiliar sculptures and paintings. All I wanted to know was how some of these people put them together, and what the meaning of their choices actually meant. Luckily for me, I was able to find answers at the University. The Spencer Museum of Art hosted an event on Thursday that offered compelling views into the minds of 21st-century artists. Almost like a screening of a movie, the group Art21 gave insight into three different artists working in three different modes of expression, or lifetimes. The three focal ideas were compassion, fantasy and systems (the way society works today with everything being information-based, supercharged and fast paced). These artists are on the cutting edge of artistic creativity in today's society. There are plenty of places in Lawrence to view these works of art. Galleries on Massachusetts Street have an ever-changing flow of art coming and going, as well as the loaded Spencer Museum of Art. Art21 also has a show on PBS and showings from past years available online at www.art21.org. Because contemporary art can be hard to wrap one's head around, I suggest watching these creative videos to open your eyes to the new art being made in these sometimes repetitive times. Roesler is a Denver junior in journalism. BLOG: GREEN MY GUY Emission of Defeat It is no surprise that transportation causes 29 percent of all U.S. greenhouse gases and is the largest source of CO2 emissions. When Henry Ford created the assembly line, he also created an insatiable American lust for the automobile and all it represents: independence, freedom, convenience and status. And I suppose it is that lust that got the better of my boyfriend, Austin, and I this week. Despite our efforts to walk and ride the bus more, we drove our cars every single day. How did we become so utterly dependent on our cars? Though we had a local bus system and we both lived within walking distance of campus, why did we still choose to drive? Independence and freedom. Similar to most American teens, Austin and I considered receiving our license a rite of passage. Your first car is a symbol of adulthood and independence, a literal move away from your parents. Driving a car allows us to go where we want, when we want without asking for someone else's help. We have the freedom to come and go as we please, without having to abide by a bus schedule. Convenience. In a car-oriented society such as ours, it is no surprise that our cities are designed to be car-friendly and focused. Wide lanes leave no room for bike lanes and urban sprawl makes walking an unreasonable choice when you're in a hurry. Status. I once made the mistake of suggesting that Austin get a Prius. "Janie" he said, "I've always driven an SUV and I'll always drive an SUV. I know that they may be bad for the environment, but I don't care. It's one of those things I just won't give up." Driving a car, specifically an SUV, is part of Austin's personal identity. To him, that identity is simply more important than any CO2 or greenhouse gas emission So how do we get ourselves to use more sustainable forms of transportation? How do we overcome the advantages of driving, remember its environmental impacts, and find alternatives that have advantages for both the Earth and us? And are there simply things we won't replace, even though they are unsustainable? —Janie Chen is a junior from Olathe. Her sustainability blog can be read at www.greenmgyuy.wordpress.com. 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