opinion
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I need 12 margarita pitchers delivered to me as soon as humanly possible.
America's got me f---- up.
It's either flaming hot shit, or flaming hot cheetos.
I have a lot of friends that are pregnant and I'm just like did I even remember to pack pants.
KANSAN.COM/OPINION | MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2017
Every time I forget to do my reading for class, there's a quiz.
She gave me a side-hug, so we're basically dating.
I'm guessing it's a problem that I literally can't write a paper without drinking a whole can of monster first.
"Heely's culture" is a phrase I never thought I'd hear in my life.
I am a big waffle gal
The amount of parking tickets I've got in my time at KU, I could've just paid for a permit.
That's just too much BDSM for one week.
Nana I love you, but you were about to get cussed out.
... When you lock yourself out of your apartment so you have to wait for your roommate to get home.
Is student senate government? Or secretly actors for a reality show of the 2016 election?
The Hawk has character.
Freshman orientation should include a mandatory bus etiquette lesson.
Sweet tarts really cleanse the palate.
Why be athletic when you can be aesthetic?
I found Jesus in a red velvet donut.
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Liston: Trump's political rhetoric fuels hatred
RYAN LISTON
@rliston235
A bar shooting in Olathe, Jewish cemetery dese-
cations in multiple cities and bomb threats directed at Jewish community centers across the country are a few of the most recent hate crimes in the United States. The political climate that President Donald Trump has fostered and has contributed to these hate crimes and the emboldening of white nationalist movements.
Some hateful incidents have explicit ties to Trump. In late August of 2015, two men assaulted a homeless Hispanic man, urinated on him and cited then-candidate Trump's anti-immigration stance as justification. Last November, after the election, footage was released of a white nationalist convention in which Richard Spencer raised his arm in a Nazi salute and said, "Hail Trump."
President Donald Trump has
Trump has fostered and has contributed to these hate crimes and the emboldening of white nationalist movements."
While the recent incidents do not specifically reference Trump or the political climate, they seem to be shaped by the ideas cultivated by Trump. Trump's short-lived travel ban on Muslim majority countries, his constant insistence on using the phrase "radical Islamic terror" and his abhorrent rhetoric calling Mexicans rapists, drug traffickers and criminals have all fueled xenophobic sentiments.
The Olathe shooter identified with these sentiments, and these sentiments led him to shoot at two Indian men, killing one, Srinivas Kuchibhotla, and injuring the other, Alok Madasani, as well as a man, Ian Grillot, who tried to intervene. According to the BBC, witnesses reported hearing the shooter yell, "get out of my country," before driving to an Applebee's and
These xenophobic sentiments also revered Trump to the white nationalists of the country who believe that white people should dominate the power structures of the country outright. These racist people, who often have a terrifying love of Nazi Germany, feel empowered and have begun targeting Jewish people through vandalism and threats.
falsely identifying the victims as "Iranian people" to a bartender.
Trump's rhetoric cannot be overlooked as an influential factor in these hate crimes. As the president, Trump speaks from a powerful position. To some, his status gives him more credibility.
Aside from stirring up some of the most vile beliefs in the country and inspiring hate crimes, Trump's words
can influence even the most tame minds. People may only associate Islam with terrorism and believe that people crossing the southern border are inherently bad simply because President Trump's overarching message pushes those beliefs.
We cannot allow Trump's rhetoric to encourage crime, xenophobia or hatred in general. We must all come together to deny xenophobic or white supremacist notions. These fringe ideas must never gain any traction in the mainstream. We need to humanize and empathize with those that differ from us religiously, racially, culturally and ideologically if we hope to preserve peace and acceptance in the nation.
Ryan Liston is a sophomore from Lawrence studying journalism and political science.
Kassebaum: Students should vote this spring
▶ NELLIE KASSEBAUM
@nelliekudk
The University of Kansas has an exceptional, influential, but little known powerhouse: Student Senate.
See, the fact that we have a senate itself isn't what is so special. Most colleges and universities across
the nation have one. The student body of any higherlevel institution demands an organization that can represent the interests of the students themselves. What makes this senate so special is its ability to make change.
The Student Senate at this University can be a catalyst for change. If we agree that money is power, and we recognize that Senate oversees allocating $20 million worth of student fees, it is undeniable that the Student Senate at the University is more than capable of making lasting positive changes.
These desired changes, of course, differ from student
to student, which is where the function of democracy is introduced. As individuals see different changes they'd like implemented, they can take comfort in knowing they have a representative, an advocate and a voice.
It is undeniable that the Student Senate at the University is more than capable of making lasting,positive changes."
As students, our right to elect these representatives
should not be ignored. If you dislike something about our campus and would like a change, Student Senate has enough power and confidence of the student body to initiate the change from a higher position.
This year's elections are especially important because, with such a crowded field, the future of the University could look very different based on your preferred coalition. Also on the ballot this election is the "Redo Your U" student union renovation referendum. If you have a vision for the University an opinion you would like voiced or just have an interest in
democratic processes, you should vote on April 12 and 13.
Finally, just as I believe it is a waste to forgo voting in state and federal elections, actively sitting out this vote come April seems a choice that directly says you, as an eligible voter, do not care about the future of your University. With such a simplistic voting process and so much at stake, I urge you: vote.
Nellie Kassebaum is a sophomore from Burdick studying English and public policy.
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