Opinion
United States First Amendment
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 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.
Hafner: Learning to confront difficult questions of faith
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--over Twitter in their aftermath
PAGE 5A
Why do I keep feeling like Vince from "Entourage."
To the guy playing tennis without a shirt on and navy blue shorts with a red stripe: You just made me salivate for five minutes. Thank you.
--over Twitter in their aftermath
I'm watching "Remember the Titans," and the fighting between the athletes seems awfully familiar.
--over Twitter in their aftermath
That guy's laugh makes me want to never say anything funny again
--over Twitter in their aftermath
I'm eating an apple for the first time in two months. Thanks for the care package,
--over Twitter in their aftermath
--over Twitter in their aftermath
Okay, so I lied. I like having sex with my boyfriend more than my vibrator.
I just learned "bitch" in sign language. Watch out.
--over Twitter in their aftermath
Is it bad that every time I open the UDK, I immediately check the FFA? (Editor's Notes: Not at all.)
--over Twitter in their aftermath
There are two theories to arguing with women. Neither one works.
--over Twitter in their aftermath
Woo! I'm not preggers!
But I sure learned my lesson
anyway
--over Twitter in their aftermath
--over Twitter in their aftermath
I had to take Facebook quizzes to stay awake in class today.
Campus smells like cat food at night.
--over Twitter in their aftermath
Dear God, I've gotten so bored I'm watching "Family Guy" on Hulu. How far I've fallen
--over Twitter in their aftermath
Don't be irreplaceable.If you can't be replaced,you can't be promoted
--over Twitter in their aftermath
Wearing socks during sex is never OK. Unless they are argyle.
--over Twitter in their aftermath
Why can't I poop!
--over Twitter in their aftermath
So my professor told me to stop wasting my time and drop the class.
--over Twitter in their aftermath
How many FFA written about sex are written by really nasty people who can't get any face-to-face?
--over Twitter in their aftermath
EDITORIAL BOARD
Twitter shows to be more than just a fad
In the 12 or so months since Twitter has become a mainstream medium, it has diversified into a technology of numerous uses. Hacked celebrity accounts, an inevitable Kanye West controversy, Ashton Kutcher's race with CNN for the most followers, and other specific events have taken
With Twitter being a service dominated by the trends of the moment, it could be easy to call Twitter a fad that will
fade as soon as celebrities find a new way to have their incompetence discussed. This label of fad, though, has been applied to Internet communication forms all the way back to e-mail and instant messaging.
As these services grew, the label faded. As Twitter matures and perhaps calms down, it will be easier to recognize the practical values of 140-character expression.
In education, especially in college, Twitter seems such an ideal way to create a somewhat informal, but equally vibrant dialogue between instructor and students. It is already more popular than other places that students and instructors converse, like discussion blogs on the University's Blackboard system.
offer up a quick counterpoint or some agreement in between checking out which new insect President Obama swatted.
At the same time, the 140-character limit is a blessing in disguise, forcing a razor-sharp clarity if an instructor wants to attract students to their discussion. In
Students would be willing to
KANSAN'S
OPINION
the end, Twitter is not appropriate for anything requiring in-depth discussion, but it is silly to deny its talents for instructors to bring
up a relevant article, blog posting. Web site or any other quick tidbit that can add depth for interested students.
Though Twitter has the ability to foster communication among pre-established groups, it also functions equally well in bringing unknowns together. A recent Wall Street Journal article has shown interest from some companies in using Twitter to help publicize their job openings.
Presumably any job opening would be quickly seized in this job market, but a company's use of social media to advertise its opening illustrates how important it is for the right person to hear about
What is truly remarkable about this story is the importance that these companies are apparently placing in networking.
the right job.
Twitter allows this directed flow of information by allowing one user, who saw the original tweet from the job-offering company, to redirect to a friend, colleague, family member or anyone who might be interested.
Perhaps Twitter's most unique and valuable skill is the ability to quickly direct information from those who have it to those who would find it most valuable.
While social media, and Twitter specifically, might appear to be frivolous gossip machines, that mark will fade as more and more value is assigned to these services.
Already Twitter has sparked interest among investors, and reaching the $1 billion value that seems to mark worthy Internet services is not far off.
Past and current members include YouTube (President Obama's official Internet video source), Facebook (how we know who we are today) and several other less-known but up-and-coming services such as LinkedIn.
Students would benefit from beginning to familiarize themselves with services such as Twitter, even if only by learning what happened on Kate Plus 8 last night.
— Alex Doherty for The Kansan Editorial Board
NICHOLAS SAMBALUK
Slowing down to enjoy life
STUDENT LIFE
A good friend of mine had been stressed out by his workload and problems with an ex-girlfriend several months ago. He was a smart, diligent and chivalrous guy. He spent most of his time studying and teaching, and was always helping out his friends. His days were packed, leaving no time to relax.
Whenever we hung out, I saw his tired face and weary body, even though he was still chivalrous and humorous.
As we grow older, our lives become busier with college, love, careers and relationships with friends and family. We have so much to deal with, but our minds and bodies can only take so much. Setting goals can keep you motivated, but pushing yourself too
"You are not Superman. Save yourself before you save the world." I once said.
"I think you should spare yourself a few minutes to think about what you need and what you want to do for yourself," I said.
"My mind is exhausted," he said as sorrow and loneliness flushed down from his dreary eyes.
hard will cause you to miss other important things in life.
"Very Busy," a Cantonese song by Joey Yung, says people who always work too hard inadvertently overlook the emotional parts of life. One line goes, "Rushing through my life, I forget to treasure all the touching moments." That's sad, isn't it?
We don't always feel happy and fulfilled, because sometimes we get lost in our lives. "What's the point of working so hard and earning so much money without realizing the significance of life?" we always ask ourselves. "How come I feel alienated from people even though I'm in a crowded society?"
My friend was not an addicted smoker, but he smoked occasionally when he needed to calm down. I still remember the night
I first saw him smoke. I can't deny one thing: He smoked elegantly. I would say smoking doesn't match his gentleman image though. I can feel the heaviness of that cigarette, those slow puffs. He merely used the time it took to smoke a cigarette as a chance to recharge himself and relieve his grief. Was it successful? I didn't know.
Ho is a Macau, China, junior in journalism.
One night in May, he smoked one last cigarette and wanted me to keep the rest. I hate standing next to a sad person doing nothing, so to cheer him up I wrote some encouraging words on each cigarette when I got home. He asked for them back several months later. After I returned them, he told me it was the sweetest thing that had happened to him in five years.
Sometimes all it takes is a touching song, a simple trick or a simple sentence to give us a boost in life. Try to appreciate the small things going on in your life; they often touch the innermost part of your heart.
MEDIA
Reading news online simply not the same
Since 1996, The Kansas City Star has employed one of the most decorated sportswriters in the country: Joe Posnanski. A two-time Sportswriter of the Year winner, Posnanski's unique and often humorous columns eventually propelled him into the national spotlight.
Posnanski recently accepted a job at Sports Illustrated, thus ending his 13-year run with The Star. When he announced his decision, many criticized him for not hiring on with a "com" behemoth such as ESPN or Yahoo! Sports.
He's written columns ranging from the futility that surrounds Kansas City's professional sports teams to psychological explanations for athletes' actions. If it were important, you could bet The Star would have Posnanski's opinion on the front page of the paper the next day.
"Why Sports Illustrated?" they asked. "Doesn't he realize the state of print media?" (For those of you living in a cave, the kids don't read newspapers and magazines like they used to.)
But Posnanski had an explanation: writing for Sports Illustrated was his childhood dream. He finally has the chance to write for the periodical he has adored his entire life.
A touching story, right? Well, yes and no. Despite Sports Illustrated's national reputation as one of the leading sports magazines, most people today get their information from the Internet.
Nationally respected for its esteemed writing, Sports Illustrated's Web site isn't exactly the premier stop for online media. Though Sports Illustrated maintains a large Web site with plenty of quality material, its viewing statistics do not compete with the other aforementioned online destinations.
Critics said Posnanski was making a mistake because the influence once held by magazines
was a thing of the past.
Call me old-fashioned, but I would much rather read Sports Illustrated, GQ or Time in print than online. That's not to say that all printed forms of media have a tremendous amount of appeal, but there's just something about reading a nationally known magazine in print that isn't the same when reading it online.
I disagree. The Internet is littered with all types of news sources — professional and amateur. Blogs, podcasts and Web sites of all shapes and sizes have contributed to a crowded medium, which can often be overwhelming. Large news Web sites are "sexy" in the eyes of media consumers and are easily accessible from anywhere as long as there is an Internet connection.
Maybe it's the layout, full-page color photographs, the texture of the pages and actually being able to hold it that persuades me to read print material more than online.
Finally — and I'm really showing my youthful innocence here, if I have any left — one of the more exciting parts of my subscription to these magazines is when I find them crammed in my mailbox.
So maybe Posnanski isn't grabbing the world by the tail, but he's part of one of the best magazines in the world. I'll gladly read what he's got to say in between page numbers and glossy pages instead of hyper-links and banner ads.
Boultinghouse is a Girard sophomore in journalism and history.
Fighting athletes must be punished
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
It seems that the University will turn a blind eye on the privileged few for the sake of its athletics programs. The Athletics Department seems content to internalize damages and punishments, forcibly moving on from its players well-known actions.
This comes at a cost - the respect of the school. The University of Kansas is first and foremost a place of education.
Had it been any other students — a fraternity rivalry
Student athletes may have higher profiles than most, but they are still students. Do rules not apply to them? A verbal argument between students is tolerable, but a fight on campus that endangers other students in the area is a crime that cannot be ignored.
turned violent, for example — I do not hesitate to say that real punishments would have been handed out quickly to all guilty.
Unfortunately, the guilty have been allowed to hide behind the political media shield of Perkins, Mangino and Self, safe from any real consequences. They refuse to let any of their cash cows go out to pasture. And why should they?
Fans will forget it all if games are being won. The real loser here is the University and the common student.
University administration, you show a real lack of integrity in letting a few students nationally tarnish the reputation of the whole school. Students, your value to the University is obviously less than that of its cherished athletes. I ask both of you to save face and not let such a blatant violation go unpunished.
— Thomas Bowman is a junior from Seneca.
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THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Members of the Kansan Editorial Board are Brenna Hawley, Jessica Saini Baird, Jennifer Torline, Haley Jones, Caitlin Thornbrugh and Michael Holtz.