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opinion
FREE-FOR-ALL
WE HEAR
FROM YOU
these are my hoe khakis
sometimes I only swipe right on people in hopes that if we match I can correct their grammar in their bio.
free food is the college student equivalent of the bat signal
I think I cockblocked a security guard last night
PSA: Don't do racist shit on May 5. Or ever. But especially May 5.
Getting stuck behind a tour group: bad. Getting stuck behind a tour group in which one of the Tour Dads is openly touching his wife's butt: worse
My own father just tex ted me to say happy 4/20
Frat guys with a putting green in the middle of Wescoe Beach is the most basic white guy thing ever.
"yeah he's a peasant"
things you hear in the
theatre
my suitemates watching tarzan: "jane's totally a methhead"
it smells like old woman perfume
That sounds like terrible company to be in.
It takes me approximately 3.7 seconds to go from responsible, productive adult to immature, useless child
do you ever think about the pain and suffering bees are going through and feel the need to save them
KANSAN.COM/NEWS | MONDAY, APRIL 24, 2017
Whoever mentioned the little mermaid in the last UDK. Just know that I admire
today i stared into the face of god. she had a bad spray tan and was vaping
Dear Roommate that I hate, I hate you. From Hateful Roommate
DON'T TEXT AND DRIVE
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Liston: Take time to destress while studying
RYAN LISTON
@rliston235
Finishing up a semester can be an anxiety-inducing experience that leads to hair pulling, paper ripping and hope-depriving stress. Studying for final exams and working on final projects can take a toll on a student's sanity.
Becoming overly stressed can make preparation for and completion of finals worse. It can also have adverse health effects on students. In order to avoid getting overwhelmed, students need to allocate time away from studying.
According to the Mayo Clinic, stress can reduce motivation, lead to problems sleeping and cause restlessness. The Mayo Clinic also points out that stress can exacerbate or instigate more severe health issues like depression, drug or alcohol abuse and heart disease.
These negative effects of stress can all reduce the quality of studying and test taking. Spending time on activities that lower stress, such as spending time with friends, reading a book (for fun, not necessarily for a class) and taking a walk outside, can all improve a student's mood and help improve final grades.
Another way to avoid this unhelpful stress is to avoid cramming and procrastinating. Admittedly, I am not good at this. When I cram and procrastinate, I usually feel exhausted and burnt out regardless of how I perform on the test. On the occasions that I do review well in advance of my tests, I feel more confident in my knowledge and my ability to perform
well on the exams.
On the occasions that I do review well in advance of my tests, I feel more confident in my knowledge and my ability to perform well on the exams."
Recalling information from class becomes easier, and last-minute studying is mostly just to refine my understanding of the topic. This lengthened studying tactic also affords me more time to
take breaks from studying.
Studying is obviously important, but relaxing is equally important to ensure that you do well on your final exams and assignments. You cannot expect your work to be high quality when you feel overly stressed. A sense of urgency can help you progress on your studies and assignments, but when that urgency turns to anxiety, it is important to put down the pen, shut the laptop and relax.
Ryan Liston is a sophomore from Lawrence studying journalism and political science.
Munoz: US should reconsider electoral system
▶ VINCE MUNOZ
@vmunoz_18
This Sunday, France held a vote widely viewed as pivotal to the future of the European Union. Unlike American elections, because no candidate secured more than 50 percent of the vote, there will be a second election between the top two candidates, Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen. Foreign elections like Sunday's remind us that, if we as Americans are unsatisfied with our politics, there are alternative electoral systems that the U.S. can and should consider.
Since the early 1990s, Americans increasingly dislike our two major parties. Not coincidentally, Trump and Clinton were the least popular nominees in the history of American polling.
Many believe that there is no way to change this and that they must choose the lesser of two evils each election. But this is not entirely true. Election systems often dictate how many parties form.
In our current system a candidate for president or congress typically only has to win more votes than the other candidates,rather than an absolute majority of 50 percent plus one. These are called plurality elections.
Foreign elections like Sunday's remind us that, if we as Americans are unsatisfied with our politics, there are alternative electoral systems that the U.S. can and should consider."
Pluralities usually result in two party systems, like in the U.S. and U.K., by making it difficult for third parties to win. Pippa Norris, a lecturer at Harvard Kennedy School of Government, explains that, "if the electorate becomes divided between three or four parties competing
nation-wide, the disproportional of the electoral system becomes far harder to justify. Smaller parties, which consistently come second or third, are harshly penalized."
However, systems like France's majoritarian system can promote multiple parties. For example, in their 2012 elections, François Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy advanced to the runoffs. They headed the Socialist and Republican parties, respectively. This year's candidates, Macron and Le Pen, represent the "On the Move" and National Front parties even though both the Socialists and Republicans had well known candidates.
Given that a candidate almost never wins 50 percent plus one on the first vote, the runoff style allows voters to express their most preferred
candidate without having to worry about inadvertently helping the candidates they don't like. They can vote for a "compromise" candidate, should their first choice not make it to the second round.
This is not to say that changing America's system would automatically result third and fourth parties winning elections. However, changing how our elections translate to formal governing power could change the party system.
Americans should keep this in mind should dysfunction in Washington continue in the future.
Vince Munoz is a junior from Topeka studying political science and strategic communications.
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Members of the Kansan Editorial Board are Lara Korte, Christian Hardy, Tucker Paine and Vince Munoz.
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