Opinion
Kansan
Published daily since 1912
Jodie Chester, Editor
Gerry Doyle, Managing editor
Ryan Koerner, Managing editor
Tom Eblen, General manager, news adviser
4A
Jamie Harrell, Business manager
Jamie Holman, Retail sales manager
Dan Simon, Sales and marketing adviser
Justin Knupp, Technology coordinator
Wednesday, November 18, 1998
Editorials
Residents praised for disaster relief
As one of the worst natural disasters in history, Hurricane Mitch has paralyzed Central America. Many who have borne the burden of this terrible tragedy have been individuals who already were struggling to survive before the inclement weather arrived.
Fortunately, several local residents and businesses, as well as University of Kansas organizations, have contributed to the relief effort in those countries hardest hit by Mitch — Honduras, Guatemala and Nicaragua, the three poorest nations in the hemisphere after Haiti. For this, these individuals and organizations who are lending a helping hand deserve an overwhelming pat on the back for ameliorating the pain the disaster has caused.
The most immediately striking statistic is the number of deaths Mitch has inflicted. At least 20,000 people are dead or missing among the three countries. About 1 million more people are homeless. Bridges and roads destroyed in the storms are preventing some supplies from getting to certain communities.
KU, community organizations have helped victims of Hurricane Mitch.
The United States already has announced it will give $80 million in aid to the region. Much of the repair work, however, must be done on a local level. This is where University, city and state organizations contribute significantly.
Rev. Thad Holcombe of Ecumenical Christian Ministries, in conjunction with Latin American Solidarity, has raised $4,100 as well as multiple loads of clothes, food, medicine and other supplies. Holcombe said that the Athletics Department had arranged to haul the supplies to Central America and that he had talked with students and other Lawrence residents who planned to travel to the disaster area to help.
That this local relief effort has been a unified project is remarkable.
Churches of varying denominations, including Presbyterian, Catholic and Christian Scientist, have collaborated with the community to effect positive change in a crippled area thousands of miles away.
Although what already has been done is worthy of congratulations, we must continue to encourage people to donate what they can to the effort. As this is the most destructive event in recent Central American history, it will take years before the region has completely recovered.
completely residents and members of Lawrence residents and members of the University community should remain involved or become involved if they haven't already. The smallest donation of food, clothes or money may seem rather insignificant, but it certainly can do a lot of good for someone.
For those interested in helping out, take your donation to ECM, 1204 Oread Dr. Write your name and address on the parcel, as ECM wishes to thank all those who contribute.
Chris Borniger for the editorial board
Community should improve park
Centennial Park is a large chunk of land that rests between three busy streets and has a residential neighborhood to the west. It is used officially for Disc golf. However, the park is not aesthetically pleasing because of its dilapidated tennis courts and overgrown shrubbery. These elements drive away athletes or parents who wish to use the park.
This is a sad fate for a park that was bought 44 years ago by Lawrence residents for the city's centennial. However, it is still in the hands of the people of Lawrence to better the beauty and character of Centennial Park.
There are already plans to build a skate park over the tennis courts, and construction is nearly complete. The
Citizens have opportunity this evening to voice opinions, ideas about Centennial Park.
city budget also allots money to renovate the park's restrooms and shelter.
The rest of the improvements will be decided at two public meetings scheduled this month. At the first meeting on Nov.14, Lawrence residents living near Centennial Park expressed desires to improve that park for the neighborhood children. Citizens can voice their ideas for improvements at the second meeting on Wednesday.
priate for Centennial Park
Now is the time for residents to stop saying "The city should..." to one another and instead bring forth these ideas to local government at the public meeting.
This citizen-oriented action is appro-
Centennial Park was not intended to be a 35-acre wasteland. Now, with the possibility of open dialogue between the city and its inhabitants, the park can become representative of the community-oriented town in which it exists.
Anyone may attend the meeting Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the Sunset Hill School library and also can mail ideas to Parks and Recreation, ATTN: Centennial Park, P.O. Box 708, Lawrence, Ks. 66044-0708, or call 832-3450.
Kansan staff
kathryn Jensen for the editorial board
Ann Premer ... Editorial
Tim Harrington ... Associate Editorial
Aaron Marvin ... News
Gwen Olson ... News
Aaron Knopf ... Online
Matt Friedrichs ... Sports
Kevin Wilson ... Associate sports
Marc Sheforgen ... Campus
Laura Roddy ... Campus
Lindsey Henry ... Features
Bryan Volk ... Associate features
Roger Nomer ... Photo
Corie Waters ... Photo
Angle Kuhn ... Design, graphics
Melissa Ngo ... Wire
Sara Anderson ... Special sections
Laura Veazey ... news clerk
News editors
Advertising managers
Stacia Williams ... Assistant retail
Brandi Byram ... Campus
Micah Kaffitz ... Regional
Ryan Farmer ... National
Matt York ... Marketing
Stephanie Krause ... Production
Matt Thomas ... Production
Tracie Meisenheimer ... Creative
Tenley Lane ... Classified
Sara Cropper ... Zone
Nicole Farrell ... Zone
Jon Schlitt ... Zone
Shannon Curran ... Zone
Matt Lopez ... Zone
Brian Allers ... PR/Intern manager
Broaden your mind: Today's quote
"Obedience alone give the right to command." — Emerson
**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.
now to submit letters and guest columns
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.
Jonathan Huskey
opinion © kansan.com
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 Ann Premer (premer@kansan.com) or Tim Harrington (tharrington@kansan.com) at 84-4810. If you have general questions or comments, email the page stuff (opinion@kansan.com) or call 84-4810.
Perspective
The trouble with commercialization of our beautiful campus is not that the University is a pristine entity being defiled by soul-less corporations. That
Campus commercialization raises questions, revenues
defined by soul-less cor probably happened a long time ago. The problem now is how much is too much and why?
Although some relationships between businesses and the University are desirable and necessary, what has to be asked is whether and how the University should facilitate consumerism. In what way does it benefit the students? What role do we as students have in deciding where, when and to whom we are sold?
to whom we are living.
Consumerism tends to dominate American life. Are we really moths instinctively drawn to be zapped by glitzy advertisements? Do we accept that individuals are defined by distorted, shallow characteristics like what they drive, wear and eat?
Although capitalism has benefits, (even I enjoy a good product-placement shot now and then) its invisible hand helps to give us some very noticeable consequences, such as environmental degradation, social estrangement and class conflict brought about by economic inequality.
But let's not start forming a proletarian vanguard just yet. A university setting isn't going to be free from capitalism, nor should it be. This paper might not survive without advertisements.
Having vending machines on campus isn't a nasty imposition nor is evil to be found in a contract that gives one company sole rights to sell a product.
It all depends upon the situation. It seems that people want to have concessions on campus. Ok, so you can't get a Mountain Dew, I sympathize, but we don't have RC or a Starbucks either. There cannot be a true market for the soft-drink industry on campus. No one would be able to walk among all the machines.
Besides, competition between Coke and Pepsi is hardly what Adam Smith had in mind. Having a vending-machine contract is understandable and probably necessary, but then the University replaced our simple ID system with the poorly planned and reasoned smart card.
Neither Commerce Bank nor any other company has a natural right to our ID cards, or to come into our lives. But you
wouldn't know it by the way the University's administration quietly incorporated them into our wallets. If the sagacious University doesn't care how far we fall into the money trap, why should we as mere suppliers of the burning bush?
Wasn't it enough that our unions are quasi-private and therefore inundated with embarrassing giveaways by credit card representatives? Didn't they see students at Wescoe Beach involved in the same stupid transaction? Well, maybe it was a logical step for the University to sell off a required ID card to the company with the most knickknacks and allow them to set up an ATM.
The University became partners with Commerce Bank, and for whose benefit? Where was the student outey about how we had to use cash to buy things? Were there sit-ins in the chancellor's office because the old IDs weren't pretty enough? What possible advantage does a smart card offer besides new, technologically advanced ways to spend?
Indeed, the whole affair has been a disaster. Witness the bus fiasco and the fact that hardly anybody uses them even when they work.
I'm perplexed. Maybe my question is that even if these services were needed, why couldn't Coke pay for the vending-machine conversion, phase in new University-run cards with some or all of the same capabilities, and/or let those who were bedazzled by these chicaneries ante up with some bank?
Alas, Milton Friedman, you're as upset as Che Guevara would be with the University. Everyone was forced into a business relationship with Commerce Bank. There was no discussion or debate about this; Student Senate didn't take a vote on the issue
We vote on student fee increases either by representation or direct ballot but not on a card that created both total havoc for the student-run bus system and a questionable relationship between our school and a private financial institution that doesn't have our interests at heart? Does that make any sense?
The University has a lot of influence over the community and its students. It sets an example of how much consumerism can enroach while being palatable. We can handle Coke, but what will happen the next time a tasty company proposal touches the administration's desk? Haven't we had enough to drink already?
Huskey is a Salina senior in political science.
Thanksgiving appeals to student, dogs alike
Thanksgiving makes me think of decorating the house with dried corn, giant, balloon cartoon characters in the buildings and taking on
crashing into buil lightposts in New York City and the smell of turkey greeting me as I slowly wake up.
I really look forward to going back home for the holidays, but as a college student, being home is more of a novelty than a normality.
Everything I used to take for granted is seen with new appreciation, which I liken to the way my dogs must view our strange human activities
Carrie Johnson
opinion@kansan.com
First they watch a human take a huge wrapped lump out of the refrigerator, remove the plastic and stuff the fleshy lump with wet bread.
every day. Thanksgiving must be especially peculiar to them.
They watch him or her wrestle it into a pan and heave it into the oven. Then that strange, fleshy thing starts to give off the odor of cooking meat and cornbread dressing with sage.
Soon, the dining-room table is being covered with what looks like a blanket, and there are strange, shiny dishes and glasses being placed on it.
If one of the male dogs tries to hike on one of the table legs, this elicits an even more earspilling scream from the humans than usual. The dogs quickly learn to stay clear of the dining room for a while if they don't want to be stepped on by the busy humans.
Then perhaps a guest or two arrives, carrying a side dish such as those green beans with the crispy onions on top. The humans seem happy to see the guests, but the dogs are a little cautious of the strangers. These people might try to steal the turkey.
The guests and most of the humans then sit in the living room and watch television as the dogs line up in front of the kitchen, watching for a morsel of food to drop from the counter onto the floor.
When all the humans have food on their plates, they all may stop and close their eyes while one of them talks in a solemn voice. One of the dogs may take this opportunity to jump up and try to sneak a bite of food from the table, only succeeding in knocking the spoon from the bowl of cranberry sauce and sending it flying into the next room, where it is licked clean by the other dogs.
The meal is otherwise uneventful. All the humans jabber and occasionally drop down a piece of turkey for the dogs to enjoy. After everyone has eaten way too much, the plates are cleared, and most of the humans return to the living room to watch television again.
Suddenly, with an announcement, it's ready. All the humans rush to grab a seat at the dining-room table. Numerous dishes of steaming food are brought in, and people talk excitedly as wine and sparkling grape juice are poured.
sion again! Around this time, the wet spot on the carpet is discovered, and all the dogs are sent outside, somewhat unjustly. Some of the humans wash the dishes while others fall asleep on the sofa and chairs.
One of the humans starts up the electric carving knife, which scares all the dogs half to death. The shy dog tinkles in panic, but this goes unnoticed by the humans for now.
The humans in the kitchen are getting frantic, trying to get everything ready at once. If one of the dogs gets underfoot, she will probably get yelled at. But it's worth the risk if the humans drop a giblet or a glob of mashed potatoes.
Later that evening, the guests go home and the dogs are let back inside. The turkey is cleaned of the last bits of meat, which are tossed to the dogs for being so good. The dogs then curl up to sleep in front of the fireplace or on the sofa, where they dream of turkey, family, friends and fall. All in all, it's a pleasant day and season — for dogs and college students.
Johnson is a Oklahoma City sophomore in English.