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opinion
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KANSAN.COM | THURSDAY, SEPT. 1, 2016
People who go to Brella's and get something other than the Crunchy Chicken Cheddar Wrap are trying too hard to go against the grain.
I will start a political campaign to put more bench presses and squat racks in the rec center.
Is it a power move to use a semicolon in a message to my bank?
It's been a long time coming but Sellards finally won the Schol Hall Olympics!
Obama's name has been spelled wrong four different times in this journalism and politics class. Irony...
Where'd the MerHawk Jayhawk go? Did it swim or fly away..?
"He had trouble with a zipper"- professor on Bill Clinton
If ku wants a chance to win, Willis better be in
My kingdom for a bus.
My professor thinks that "critical mass" is a slang term.
When you look at a syllabus for the attendance policy and see you only get two absences per semester
googles "why do I have a blinding headache centered behind my left eyeball"
I miss the old Harambe. Chillin in the zoo Harambe.
People who laugh so hard at teachers' jokes that they cry need to calm f down.
Have you heard about the whale in Potter Lake?
Whenever a teacher asks if the class has any questions, I have to restrain myself from asking if I can leave
My phone screen protector that I just got cracked today. Indicative of the semester tbh
Snatcher, no snatching
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Illustration by Jacob Benson
Munoz: The University needs to take measures to make textbooks affordable
▶ VINCE MUNOZ
@vmunoz_18
The National Association of College Stores estimates
There are many things that I'll miss about syllabus week, but paying for textbooks isn't one of them.
that students spend approximately $323 per semester on such material. Like many students, I cringe at the realization that a single book can be worth multiple shifts at my summer job. The University's apathy towards the issue isn't encouraging.
Several of my courses do not require books but instead rely on the libraries' periodical database. Assigned articles are noted in the course's syllabus. Students then can download and read them when necessary. Moreover, others put together course
That's not to say that some professors and departments aren't trying.
packets under the fair use guidelines for copyright materials. These packets can be substantially cheaper than buying a whole book and can include writings from multiple authors.
Still, the University can do more. After all, some courses cannot get around textbook usage. Other Kansas Board of Regents schools have developed solutions that can be implemented here in Lawrence. For example, Kansas State developed an open textbook program that allows professors to write their own textbooks to distribute to their students.
It works like this: Professors write proposals that outline what they envision for their students. This could be a traditional textbook that could be posted as a PDF file on Blackboard or readings combined with multimedia content. The proposal would go to a committee of faculty members that debate its merit and prioritize which projects to fund. Faculty members at Kansas State drove this initiative but Student Senate could also propose a version tailored to our own institution's unique needs.
Attending college is expensive enough. By creating an open textbook program,
the University could financially help students and give instructors more control over their courses.
This, in conjunction with the other innovative methods of reducing textbook costs would send a clear message to students that the University is interested in making education feasible for all Jayhawks, not just those who can afford it.
Lightly Salted: Admussen unqualified for this
Vince Munoz is a junior from Topeka studying political science and strategic communications
Edited by Missy Minear
This is the first article of "Lightly Salted," a new series of Will Admussen's satirical musings on life, current events, and nothing in particular
▶ WILL ADMUSSEN
@wadmussen
Princeton Review consistently ranks the University Daily Kansan as one of the top collegiate newspapers in the country. Because of this, you might think that its opinion columnists are the best in the country. You might think that each columnist goes through a rigorous selection process, is deeply intellectual, and, most importantly, equipped to start the discourse necessary to bring the student body together to solve important problems. Well, you're wrong.
First, Will Admussen has no journalism background. The only time he
has ever set foot in the Kansas newsroom was for an interview on KUJH, during which he referred to the host, Eric Pahls, as "Rick" for the entirety of a 15-minute interview. He was not invited back.
Admussen's track record with reporters isn't stellar either. He has been known to respond with pictures of lizards (specifically Anolis carolinensis) when prompted for a quote, and his preferred method of communication is Snapchat or MySpace picture sharing service.
Surely Admussen has some redeeming quality that makes his opinion valuable to the readers of the nationally esteemed University Daily Kansan. Maybe he knows what's happening on the sidewalks of Jayhawk Boulevard more than others? Quite the contrary: he'll be in England this semester studying
abroad, or, as he calls it, on a "journey of self discovery."
Maybe Admussen is well-liked on campus? Maybe his opinion on issues is well-regarded? Not exactly.
Surely Admussen has some redeeming quality that makes his opinion valuable."
Sure, Admussen has campaign experience from his time in Student Senate, but his rise to power isn't exactly what you would call popular. Ask anyone in the Jayhawkers coalition just how popular Admussen is. In a four-hour interview, Admussen's roommate
said that Admussen spends most days in his room listening to Chingy.
Despite all this, you might be thinking it's possible that Admussen has a particular expertise, a niche. Maybe Admussen is able to write about music? Clearly not (see above paragraph regarding Admussen's interest in Chingy). Maybe Admussen is a foodie? In the same four-hour interview, Admessen's roommate described Admussen's irrational fear of the oven, stating Admussen maintained a diet of pudding, beef jerky and black coffee.
How Admussen slipped through the cracks of the Kansan's vetting process still puzzles this author. Does Admussen even understand what an opinion columnist does? Is Admussen so self-absorbed that he is unable to write upon any subject but himself?
It seems that narcissist is more aprapos than columnist.
But, when you think about it, are any college students really qualified to express an opinion? Are any of us really experts in anything? Who even defines "qualified," anyway? Maybe Admussen's wholly unqualified nature speaks to the need for discourse with troubled people like him.
Hopefully with this discourse, people like Admussen can stop thinking about themselves and start thinking about the problems, which can only be solved through uniting together, both narcissist and experts alike.
Will Admussen is a senior from Urbandale, Iowa, studying economics and political science.
- Edited by Matt
Clough
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