opinion
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"I don't know really anything about mail." - millennial, child of the modern age
KANSAN.COM | MONDAY, OCT.24, 2016
DO YOU BELIEVE IN LIFE AFTER LOVE
So athleisure is trendy and acceptable but it's sloppy and unprofessional for me to wear a blanket in public? Ok.
Pro-tip: don't hook up with the boy who sits by you in your philosophy class, especially the day before your class lecture is over "pleasure" and "self-dignity"
Mom: I don't understand how you can be so stressed right now Me: *laughs hysterically* *begins crying* *falls asleep* This is what college is like
Editor's Note: The Lightly Salted article is satirical
Can't tell if the 'lightly salted' article is joking or not. But I legit find no worth in voting.
You ever just wonder what meme copyright law would be like
Hurricane Alley sounds like a dope name for a water park or water slide attraction...not a car wash #HighHoped
The bags under my eyes have their own bags
Honestly, if you're going to just talk through an entire class period or be on your phone/laptop the whole time, why even show up???
Bleu cheese is like a poor man's ranch
Wescoe is ugly yet memorable.
Imagine Donald Trump buying fake tanner at Target.
EVERYONE NEEDS TO VOTE
I hate myself a little bit more each time I turn on my turning signal going into a roundabout
Imagine opening a new bag of pizza rolls and finding Donald Trump in there.
READ MORE AT KANSAN.COM
Stauffer-Flint is named after Leon "Daddy" Flint #didyouknow
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Illustration by Roxy Towsend
Bertels: How to heal our less-than-perfect union
▶ ELLEN BERTELS @ellenbertels
This weekend, I visited my brother in Washington, D.C. It was a wonderful trip. We spent 48 hours eating, wandering and visiting historical monuments I have wanted to see since I was young.
Despite the election being less than a month away, D.C., the seat of our government, did not feel as embroiled in mayhem as I expected. The busy weekend was a reprieve from the 24-hour news cycle, but the monuments and memorials, the Capitol building and White House, made me think.
On Saturday, I sat at the Lincoln Memorial, thinking about the
election but, thankfully, not being bombarded by it. Sitting on those steps, I realized for the first time the detachment some people might feel from our government. All of these grand and imposing monuments. All of these beautiful but untouchable buildings filled to the brim with people, all with their own ideals, ultimatums and intentions — do they think about us, their constituents, those tiny dark spots on the stairs of that great structure? And, in turn, do we feel that our values are being accurately considered and responded to at an institutional level?
In short: Do our leaders represent us? Does this election represent us?
I do not mean to be cynical or anti-establishment. To be honest, I am hesitant to write this. I am not a political analyst. I know just enough about social contract theory to get myself in trouble. But as an individual who values respectful, thoughtful discourse, who believes in what now seems like the naive ideal of bipartisan politics, I can't help but feel disillusioned by this entire election cycle. For the first time in my
For most people I know, the answer is no. For myself, the answer is no.
Something is broken. We talk now about the need for change, the need for solutions, but the need to see ourselves through this election overshadows all efforts to fix, or even identify, the underlying issue. We cannot have sense, it feels, while the madness continues.
For the past few months, I have longed for the deadline of Nov. 9. That morning, it seems, the clock will strike. That morning, the carriage will become once more the pumpkin we know it to be. Not ideal, but at least familiar.
life, I wonder who in politics has the voters' best interests - our nation's best interests - at heart when making decisions.
At the same time, I do not believe our political system will right itself without a change. If we want better representation, we have to act. We cannot just sit idly by.
First, of course, we have to vote. My friend Will makes a decent case for why voting is necessary for creating change in politics.
I am not so sure anymore.
After Election Day, we need to educate ourselves on issues that we find important - tax policy, immigration, civil rights. Find a
candidate whose history voting or governing aligns with your ideals Hold candidates responsible for their actions, both personal and political.
More than anything, we should not allow ourselves to become so disillusioned we stop participating in the process altogether. Even if we hate this election cycle. Even if we do not feel represented. Relinquishing our sense of responsibility over the situation does nothing to change our luck; detaching from a system because of frustration is a selfish act.
Our country will never be perfect. I am an idealist, but a pragmatic one. We are not ever likely to see a utopian society, or even a candidate who perfectly represents our viewpoints. But if we integrate civic engagement into our everyday lives, if we take personal responsibility in demanding better representation, perhaps politics will cease to be an immense, untouchable monument. If we so choose, the country can be as it was meant to be - for the people, by the people.
Ellen Bertels is a senior from Overland Park studying English and Italian.
Adamson: Homecoming not inclusive enough
▶ LAUREN ADAMSON
@LeAdamson
I am a fourth-generation Jayhawk. My great-grandfather received a law degree here, my grandparents got engaged at Potter Lake and my mom and her brothers all chose to attend the University as out-of-state students. I learned the Rock Chalk chant with my ABCs, and I refused to
wear anything but my KU cheerleader outfit from the ages of three to six.
However, none of my relatives are attending the University's homecoming celebration this weekend. Of course, many alumni do return for the tradition that began in 1912. I will never forget meeting Rob Riggle in the Oread's pizza shop during my freshman year after the homecoming football game. However, the people I know would all prefer to tour the campus on a quieter weekday and attend a basketball game in the Phog rather than partake in the frivolous "traditions" that we now know as homecoming.
The lights decorating the Greek houses seem
overwrought. The skit competition, trivia night, and, in fact, most of the celebrations seem only to appease the University's apparent need to continue making the homecoming tradition bigger and better. It seems most activities only appeal to the Greek life subsection of the population and are barely advertised elsewhere. While a few other student groups participate in the parade, I would argue the most that the average student will see of homecoming is chalk drawings of "Super Hawks" in capes on Wescoe Beach.
So, what does homecoming mean, really? With a football game that is far from sold out and a mostly
uninterested student body, it seems that the traditional joy of coming back and celebrating our beloved University is no longer a way to unite generations of passionate Jayhawks.
The Ex.C.E.L awards, dedication of new buildings and Lawrence for Literacy Children's Book Drive are admirable homecoming activities, but ones that seem to be under-advertised and under-attended.
So, what does homecoming mean, really?"
We should consider revising our homecoming traditions to better appeal to all of those who know and love the magic that is the University and -Lawrence. The planning committee should make an effort to move the celebration away from just the Greek community and include all of the amazing, diverse groups and students on campus, and they should try harder to create spaces where alumni and current students can meet and share stories of their time here.
Lauren Adamson is a senior from Leawood studying economics and political science.
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