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Kansan
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Wednesday, January 20, 1999
Clay McCuistion/KANSAN
Editorials
In-the-works child care center provides boost to Senate's image
Somewhere along the line, the image of Student Senate went wrong.
Maybe tedious meetings, or its intense campaigning during elections gave students the impression that senators have too much time on their hands.
The image was that somehow, with all this extra time, Senate doesn't accomplish anything.
Perhaps Student Senate should hire a good public relations person, because once in a while, this student group gets some worthwhile goals accomplished — goals for which they should be commended.
An example is the new Hilltop Child Development Center that is in the design stages. This on-campus child care center made for students and
The new Hilltop Center is proof that students and student government make a difference.
employees of the University of Kansas is a leap in the right direction. The availability of a child care center that is affordable and close to campus is a trait that makes the University a better place.
Pat Pisani, Hilltop director, knows firsthand that Senate can have a positive impact.
"The University decided not to do the new facility," she said. "Through the efforts of Student Senate and the student body, the new building came about. Student Senate has always been
very supportive of Hilltop. They helped get us going in 1972, and their efforts helped us get the new building."
Hilltop will move to its new location at Stouffer Place by summer or fall of 2000. The number of children it will be able to serve will increase from roughly 150 to about 230 children.
Sometimes Senate tries to achieve peace on earth. Noble as that may be, it is an unrealistic goal. But when a group of focused students concentrates on reasonably bettering their University, the outcome often is positive.
When the new Hilltop Center is complete, the University will be even better. And that is something for which all students should thank their student senators.
Seth Jones for the editorial board
Early closing not only option for bars
In two weeks, the Lawrence City Commission will decide whether The Wagon Wheel and The Jayhawk Cafe will be required to close at midnight instead of 2 a.m. The City Commission should reject this proposal.
Proponents of the earlier closing time, including members of the Oread Neighborhood Association, blame the bars' patrons for trash, noise, public urination and illegal parking in the area. They claim that closing the Wheel and The Hawk earlier is the solution.
It is unjust for the commission to single out these two bars. By closing them two hours earlier the city would hurt these businesses significantly.
"If you have to close earlier, you have to watch your customers go elsewhere," said Rob Farah, owner of The Wheel. "The crowds I have developed
Forcing only two bars to close at midnight will sorely effect their business.
don't come around until after 11."
It is unfair for the city to impose restrictions that hurt some bars and not all. Not only does this resolution not apply to downtown bars that compete with The Wheel and The Hawk, but it also exempts Alvamar Country Club, which also is in a residential area and has the same type of liquor license as the Wheel.
Farha suggests that 90 percent of the trash comes from sources other than his bar. It is unfair to blame all the littering problems of the neighborhood on one or two bars. In the same neighborhood, house parties and substantial traffic from other sources contribute to the litter, noise and parking problems.
The people who live near The Hawk and The Wheel knew about the bars in the neighborhood when they chose to live there. It is unfair to target bar owners who have put considerable time and money into their businesses. If these people didn't want to live next to a bar, they should have chosen to live somewhere else.
There are other options that the city could take. Lawrence already has a public nuisance law that could be implemented if these bars were proven to be problems. Public urination, illegal parking and disorderly behavior already are illegal; the police could enforce those laws and punish the people who are causing the problem.
Timothy Burger for the editorial board
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Broadon your mind: Today's quote
"I don't say we all ought to misbehave, but we ought to look as if we could."
—Orson Welles
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Bookstore saga holds intense drama, reptiles
Perspective
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ast week I took a deep breath and walked to the Union. It was time. No matter how
If you have general questions or comments,
e-mail the page staff (opinion@kansan.com)
or call 864-4924.
No matter how I tried to slow the inevitable by playing games of Pac Man on
the moment would arrive. As I made my way to the Union, I hoped that an asteroid would vaporize me, leaving only a black spot on the sidewalk. No such luck.
Inside the bookstore, it was obvious everyone was having a great time. The checkers were sitting behind their cash
It was time to buy my textbooks.
Clay McCuistion opinion@kansan.com
registers, deep bags under their eyes, mumbling pitifully. The crowds of students swarming around the bookcases were cursing to themselves and sometimes each other as they sought the elusive book every other store in town lacked. Store employees tried to be helpful but kept twitching nervously, fearful that a student might spontaneously combust in frustration.
Putting a big smile on my face, I dove into the melee.
"Excuse me," I said to a man with a bookstore name tag. "How much is this book?"
I needed a biology book, so I headed to the "Bio" section of the bookcases. The books were there but didn't have price tags.
"It's about $200, the last time I checked," he said.
"$2001!" I sputtered. "Why does it cost so much?"
He smiled reassuringly. "That isn't a run of the-mill biology book you have there. It's a complete learning system! Not only do you have the text, there's a CD-ROM disk included."
"Oh." I said.
"Plus, some exciting holograms showing the animals you'll be studying." He opened the book and showed me the holograms. I had to admit, they were pretty impressive.
"Not only that, but you get a mail-in certificate for three video tapes by noted biologist Dr. J. Winchester Wrinklestein IV," he continued, warming to the subject. "In the tapes, Dr. Wrinklestein lectures on the mating habits of the Fifi Island blue-bellied giant tortoise."
"It is! You even get your very own Fifi Island blue-bellied giant tortoise. We have them in the stockroom back there. Just be careful — they eat several tons of grass a week. Finally, we include some coupons to your favorite tavern!"
"Sounds exciting."
"Are you feeling all right?" I asked.
"No," moaned the guy, and he ran out of the bookstore sobbing. Another employee walked up to me.
"Can you tell me the real reason this book costs $200?" I asked.
"Don't mind Howard," he said. "He's a little stressed-out. Don't believe the thing about the giant tortoise. When he gets tired, he starts seeing them crawling up the walls."
"Sure," he said. "The company likes to rip students off!" He laughed and darted into a back room.
This trip was turning out even worse than I had expected. Keeping the biology text, I shoved into the teeming mass of frenzied students. I managed to find two other books I needed. Both volumes were used, reasonably priced and had lots of answers penciled in by previous owners.
I knew this was too good to be true. Inevitably, cheap books would be for a class in which the professor only lectured — and gave tests on his lectures exclusively.
"Those textbooks sure are silly, aren't they?" the professor would chuckle as I gritted my teeth and entertained murderous thoughts. Either that or the class would be canceled.
I took my volumes and went to a cashier.
"Only three books?" she said. "You must have a light class load!"
"Look, lady," I growled, "these are books for two of my six classes. This is the best I can do with a limited amount of patience. I've jostled my classmates to search for the rare 'good deal.' I've been through painful mental anguish. And I talked to two insane employees who were obsessed with the Fifi Island blue-bellied giant tortoise. Don't bug me!"
"Yes sir," the cashier said. "But about that giant tortoise. We have yours waiting in the back room. Do you want to pick it up now, or should we deliver it?"
McCulition is an El Dorado sophomore in pre- journalism.
T Tey, are you in class right now?
Columnist offers humor during humdrum lectures
Hey, are you in class right now?
Tsk, tsk, you naughty student. Shh!
Quiet when you're folding the pages back like that. We wouldn't want the
Ahh, but he's not going to notice. You're in a lecture class, right? Just a cozy little arrangement with you and 450 of your closest friends.
back like that. We wo teacher to notice now, would we?
Hey, I know how it is. It's the first week of school, and you've only shown up to find out when the final is. Just hang in there, and I'll talk you through it.
H.G.
Miller
opinion @ kansan.com
You are not alone. Look
around, Kansans are strewn across the floor like so many dead leaves in the wake of a storm.
Yes, it's good to know that my livelihood means so little to so many, but I take solace in the fact that at least somebody has looked through the paper before tossing it away.
So, let me ask you something. What's that guy's name? The one up there in front waving his arms around and acting so important. The teacher. Yeah, him. What's his name?
I'll bet he doesn't know yours. Look, we all know that to him you're just one more bored face staring blankly at the bricks behind the chalkboard, while he rattles off the same list of facts he's been extolling to students for 20 years and wishes he had some bourbon nearby.
Is he looking right at you? Better nod, quick. Smile, I think he just made a joke. Okay, back to me now. Don't let education get in the way of proper journalistic distraction.
And stop looking at your watch. You should know that time moves exponentially slower the more often you check your wrist. No, the wall clock isn't going any faster, but I know you checked it.
It's OK, we all have dreams.
Jokes, now. You want something funny, or you'll miss you on the floor and start reading the desk graffiti, right? Come on, what do some Greek letters and misspelled band
OK, looks like he gave up. It's the start of the semester and already nobody cares about his infinite wisdom. The heck with the bourbon, I think he's looking for a shotgun now. You know, somebody should remind the professor that it is an active tiemic he's wearing. (I don't know why you wore the brown shoes, sir.)
names have to offer that I can't give you? Maybe you're lucky and somebody etched out a spot of poetry to be preserved for eternity. Most likely something lewd, rhyming with the word luck.
He's saying something now. Something about an assignment, what's going to be discussed next week. Some sort of information you need to have from the book. I guess he wants you to read it. Why? You bought the thing; isn't that enough?
Just another gentle reminder that this is college and a large part of America's bright future.
Man, will this ever end? Yes, I guess so. A mere four months of skipping this class and then a nice long summer to explain to your parents just how academic probation works.
It appears he is finally wrapping things up. A short summary to demonstrate that all of this wonderful information could have been taken care of in about a minute and a half.
But wait, the professor's trying something different now. He's climbed a few steps and looks around for somebody without a hand print on their forehead. Yup, it's the old "class interaction" bit. One of my favorites. This is the time when 450 students get to vicariously experience discussion with the teacher through some poor unfortunate soul who's paying even less attention than you.
Oh well, I hope that the last hour has epitomized the college experience and validated the money you or somebody who loves you spent for this access to quality higher education.
Just remember, I'm here if you need me. When his little anecdotes become tiresome, or the overhead projector begins acting up again, you can always turn to my columns for a healthy dose of literature with absolutely no academic importance.
Miller is a Hutchinson senior in English.