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opinion
I should have stopped while I was behind.
KANSAN.COM/NEWS | THURSDAY, APRIL 6, 2017
Some days you have your shit together, and some days you wake up 8 mins before your bus comes. That day is usually Monday.
Raincoats without hoods are the most pointless fashion accessory ever invented.
Sylas and Maddys? More like Sylas and Daddy's.
It's a great day to be a Jayhawk.
Please don't light shit on fire the next time we win the championship thank you.
To biochem GTA, I see you checking me out. I'm ready whenever you are.
I took a bus an hour early to my class, I'm not even close to being late but the bus is running 3 minutes behind and that's stressing me
*gets seven minutes into class* "F---, I should have skipped"
out.
Saw a guy on the bus reading Harry Potter. The world is still good.
My goal in life is to be rich enough to be a sugar daddy.
what ever happened to rebecca black???
I saw some ants in my trash can the other day so I just sprayed some Pledge on it and went to class.
I just found $40 I forgot I had in an old wallet and I actually cried.
*at work* "Catch me in aisle 10 taking a nap"
I talk to my laptop more than people.
I've been trying to write this paper for three hours and my boyfriend is snoring away in bed. Can I kill him?
"Everyone's here, it's a Christmas miracle" my English professor
"I always make a statement, and if I cannot yell, my shoes will" -my professor
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Shondell: Omitting LGBT questions is harmful
► JOSEPH SHONDELL @jshondy
Recently, the Trump administration quietly removed LGBT identity questions from a number of federal surveys. One of the agencies involved, the Census Bureau, removed LGBT questions from the first draft of the 2020 Census. This is a direct, "you don't count, you don't matter" move by our government.
Members of the LGBT community do not deserve
to take discrimination and prejudice that is sneakily directed towards them, especially in the forward thinking society we strive for. For every group of people that are marginalized, shut down or left out of the American conversation, these new "minor" deletions raise more red flags that the Trump administration does not care about their daily lives.
Gay rights groups view the decision to omit the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) questions as a slap in the face from the Trump administration.
Surveys that have seen the new deletions include the Older Americans Act participant survey and the Health and Human Service's form for people who help care for disabled
Americans. Both have seen no other additions or deletions except the LGBT oriented questions.
Members of the LGBT community do not deserve to take discrimination and prejudice that is sneakily directed towards them, especially in the forward thinking society we strive for."
The LGBT orientations were added in 2014 after groups pushed for the change. The questions on the surveys were simple, directing the survey taker to disclose their sexual orientation. Another survey
on LGBT homelessness was completely removed by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Kelly Mack, the spokeswoman for Health and Human Services (HHS) said that the deletion of the questions has to do with ending the "pilot test" for the new general sexuality questions. To rebut that claim, Kathy Greenlee, the assistant secretary for aging for HHS under President Obama, said, "I view this as a policy change, not the end of a pilot."
She elaborates on how each survey question is approved on a three-year basis, which displays that the LGBT identity questions were thoroughly thought over and never intended to be pilot or test questions. The deletions come after Trump promised on his campaign trail to, "do
everything in my power to protect LGBTQ citizens." This "promise" is now another claim the new president has seen fall through.
The deletions might seem like a small blow, but it ends up being much more than that. They single handedly undermine the principles of equal rights and reverse progress. The normalization of the things Trump says are starting to become a reality. The administration is already waging a war against the rights of Americans.
The deletions have given the American constituency a preview of the administration's policies to come.
Joseph Shondell is freshman from Roeland Park studying journalism and environmental studies.
Sanchez: Follow your calling, not others'
SANDRA SANCHEZ @sssanchez26
Recently, I had a conversation with a professor about graduate school, and while I expected a healthy dose of cynicism, I was surprised by their negativity. Ever since I decided to study history, I've heard it all: the job market is terrible, prospects for humanities studies are poor and salaries are practically on destitute levels.
These statements are certainly not wrong - since 2007, job postings for graduate history students have dramatically decreased, while Ph.D.'s have increased, creating a bloated market with little growth. If you can complete the degree and find an assistant professorship, the average salary is barely $50,000.
This year, people I personally know that applied to programs were outright rejected from all their schools. Given that the University only accepted a handful of history graduate students, presumably, programs are becoming more and more restrictive — further stagnating my hope.
I get it. I really do. And while I understand this bleak outlook, it appears that when I tell people of my dream, everyone — from my professors to parents — is happy to remind me that there is no future for me, and I should turn back.
On one hand, I think this is rather irresponsible. Encouragement is paramount for students' success, and especially from mentors. For my parents, their concern lies in how little money they believe I'll make. But when I've imagined myself as a teacher, an expensive lifestyle has never been the backdrop. Instead, I was heartened to think of the knowledge I would learn, and inspired to know that I could share it with others. I am not so naive to think that I won't have to worry about money, but I am reassured that this future teaching role will bring me happiness.
I recognize that in many ways, being able to pursue a degree in higher education is a privilege, and my outlook in life is tainted by
After all, isn't being happy all that matters?
my optimism. But I strongly believe that students in today's economic system have more opportunities than ever before, and they should accordingly choose what they want.
instead, I was heartened to think of the knowledge I would learn, and inspired to know that I could share it with others."
I know that if my plans to go to graduate school fall through, or if I suffer from a poor job market, then the other skills I developed along the way will certainly render me employable. It may not bring me fame nor
fortune, but it will be a job.
Everyday new opportunities arise and challenge us to be creative by adapting. I don't care that it seems as if my dream is unsustainable — if I try hard enough, I can adapt it to what I encounter. Whatever shape it takes does not matter to me; it is only that the end result is something I can be proud of.
I think more students should push against the pessimism of our age. Fight for what you want, if you really want it. Develop a backup plan, but don't lose sight of your original goal, even if others tell you otherwise.
Sandra Sanchez is a junior studying global and international studies, history and Chinese.
- Edited by Allison Crist
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