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opinion
KANSAN.COM | THURSDAY, JAN. 26, 2017
"Is it even still called school, ar do we just say class now?" Deeps morning thoughts brought to you by the girl next to me on the
Professor boasts about teaching a class for 20 years, yet has handwriting worse than a surgeon, and doesn't make PowerPoints.
can i just say packs of people who take up the entire sidewalk are not appreciated @ the fraternity boys in front of me
The rec is playing some great throwback jams rn. I'm very pleased.
"It's not 'stress eating', it' s 'stress consuming whatever's-in-my path"
"Poorly written erotica is my brand."
I'm that annoying liberal friend on facebook and I'm okay with it honestly
I want to be wined and dined by chicago pizza, but new york pizza is a one night stand.
going out less and practicing more: a concept for KU basketball players
3 p.m.: I could sleep for 17 hours straight rm. 12:02 a.m.: Let's get a jump on next month's homework
"KU parking has completely given up on me, but that doesn't mean I've given up on KU parking."
I wish the guillotine were still around.
Submitted my discussion questions with 30 seconds left to spare. Darn right I'm celebrating with an Oreo.
Overheard in Wescoe:
"reading that article was like level 1 of Dante's inferno"
"I do not need this shit today," - me everyday
A dude on a skateboard tried to hold onto the end of a bus and ride along with it I felt like I was in tony hawk pro skater 4
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illustration by Erica Gonzales
Adamson: The benefits of making a bucket list
LAUREN ADAMSON
@LeAdamson
I started my new year by drinking far too much peach Schnapps, riding public transport without a ticket (to be fair, the ticket machine was broken and the gate was open) and eating a McDonald's
Quarter Pounder for breakfast.
With that, my vague non-committed New Year's resolution to be "all around better" was pretty much thrown out the window. However, with my inbox full of "new year, new me, new sale" emails, I felt the need to mark the beginning of a new year with some sort of productive proclamation.
So, I made a bucket list. Actually, I made quite a few. As it's my last semester in Lawrence, the KU and Lawrence list of must-see sights and experiences has
been hanging on my fridge. My planner is organized, so that I can stay on top of my academics and finally check off that "last semester 4.0" box. The scratch-off map I got for Christmas serves as a persistent reminder of all 178 countries I have yet to visit. Add that to my adventure list, my adrenaline-junkie list, my foods-to-try list and my famous-people-to-meet list (if anyone has Barack Obama's phone number, please reach out).
I have thousands of things to look forward to.
Of course, being able
to accomplish all of these things will require me to be more in shape, more knowledgeable, more kind and more patient. All around better. But, framing my goals as a set list of things that I want, and can feasibly accomplish within a set time frame, puts a positive spin on how to approach the rest of my personal goals.
Instead of waking up every day dreading how much work I have to do, I get to start my day looking forward to something, even if my only plan is to soak up the sun by Potter Lake after
class. As the cliché goes, mind over matter. Writing down my bucket lists and posting them where I am constantly reminded of how much is ahead of me, has given me the freedom to explore, experiment and do something new every day to challenge myself.
Lauren Adamson is a senior from Leawood studying economics and political science.
-Edited by Mara Kubicki
Befort: Trump shouldn't disregard climate change
▶ BRIDGETTE BEFORT
@bridgettebefort
Friday's inauguration signaled a shift in leadership and policies for the country. While Donald Trump was becoming the 45th President of the United States, a physical change was taking place within the White House as the Oval Office prepped for its new resident.
But the Oval Office was not the only thing getting a makeover: the official White House website also transitioned to its new Trump administration format, including Trump's positions and policies.
Under Obama's administration the White House website publicized the issues the former President stood for, including a commitment to mitigating climate change. However, on Friday, many of these policies no longer appeared on the website, including, disturbingly, the page for climate change.
According to the official White House website, President Trump believes that eliminating climate change policy will benefit Americans, as deregulation will save businesses money, allowing them to invest in American workers.
This stance is not a surprise given Trump's history with climate change. In 2012, Trump suggested climate change was a hoax created by China to harm the U.S. manufacturing industry. He has claimed climate data was manipulated by scientists, which later was proven to be false.
Apparently, reducing climate change for the benefit of both humankind and the natural world is no longer considered an issue worthy of the president's support. In fact, the White House is now taking the stance that policies aimed at reducing climate change are actually harming Americans economically.
Trump has also never agreed that humans are the major contributors to climate change, although authoritative groups from the United Nations to NASA have agreed current climate change is overwhelmingly the result of human activities.
Trump's personal viewpoint is discredited by science worldwide."
It is understandable that different administrations with different political backgrounds and philosophies should differ in approach to issues. However, it is not acceptable for presidential administrations to ignore widely recognized facts, especially about an issue that has the potential to significantly impact Americans (and the rest of the world).
So here are some basic facts which should be recognized: climate change
is happening, as shown by data from many reputable scientists worldwide. In a 2007 report, the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change stated there was a, "95 percent probability that human-produced greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide have caused much of the observed increase in Earth's temperature over the past 50 years."
Climate change is a problem with harmful effects on humanity, including changes in precipitation patterns, stronger and more severe storms, drought and rising sea levels, which can affect global agriculture and lead to significant sections of countries being covered in water. All of these effects of climate change have the potential to lead to problems with human health infrastructure and resources, and will also have significant impacts on the nonhuman natural world.
This all leads to the conclusion that we must take steps to mitigate climate change and its effects. Trump may claim to
be helping Americans by setting a tone of climate change skepticism on the official White House website.
In the end, though, if Americans lose their livelihood due to complications from climate change which could have been prevented had the U.S. taken steps to reduce climate change, they will not be thanking Trump for his short-sighted policies with the purported intent to help the common man.
Trump's personal viewpoint is discredited by science worldwide. The president of the United States must be willing to accept a competing, substantiated viewpoint if it is better and will help Americans more in the long run, even if that viewpoint makes him unpopular with his base.
Bridgette Befort is a junior from Topeka majoring in chemical engineering.
- Edited by Ashley
Hocking
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