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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2012
Text your FFA submissions to 785-289-8351 or at kansan.com
I didn't realize basketball fandom was an admissions requirement.
My dorm room decor is nearly complete with my spiffy UDK posters! But Kevin Young, where are you?!
Editor's note: I hope you have the right Eljah Johnson poster.
I befriended a deer on west campus. He shall be my Bambi.
Having class during a game should be illegal.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Kentucky.
Just break up with him and come find a fellow Robot. Problem Solved.
Forget camping for basketball! I'm camping for "Breaking Dawn Part III!"
We lost? That's not how this basketball thing works.
Here is a good and bad idea... Add a missed connections section to the paper like on Craigslist.
Hahahahaha Jayhawks... Too soon?
To the person who said JK Rowling isn't good at math. Yeah right. Have you ever tried building a magical world without knowing any form of logistics?
to the guy wanting a song lineup: go to Grooveshark on the interwebs and enjoy.
Simple precautions can stave off flu
HEALTH
It happens every year and without any type of warning. Well, other than the warning signs from the guy coughing all over everyone in class, the girl too busy on her phone to cover her sneeze or the added stress of the semester that breaks down your immune system. All signs point to the flu.
The movie "Contagion" really did a number on me. It me thinking about all the different places where germs lurk and to also buy a full-body hazardous material suit or at the very least, a face mask.
According to the Simmons College Center for Hygiene and Health, dorm room refrigerators contain twice as much bacteria than a dorm room toilet handle.
Desktops can contain almost 400 times the amount of bacteria than the average toilet. You might be thinking, "Should I just stay in the bathroom because that's my best option if I want to avoid germs?" No; just wash your hands.
The Centers for Disease Control says the most simple, most effective way to ward off diseases and germs leading to the flu is to wash your hands. I always wash my hands but not long enough. Your hand washing should last as long as it takes you to say the alphabet in your head, or say it out loud – whatever works. After you dry your hands, use the same paper towel to open the door and leave feeling clean. We've all seen the guy that turns on the faucet or opens the door with a paper towel. He's on to something. What about the guy that leaves the bathroom without washing his hands? Well, he's just doomed.
And don't forget about getting your flu shot. I ask my friends and they typically say the same thing. "I'm not getting my flu shot because I don't want to get sick." Like an episode of "Myth-Busters," I'm here to say that is a myth. Yes, the flu shot contains
actual strains of the viruses but it's killed bacteria. The risk of getting the flu from an actual flu shot is minimal. I'm not a doctor, though I might look like one if you see me on campus with my facemask trying to stay healthy, but ask your doctor for side effects.
Lastly, this goes to all student body: If you are sick and have a fever, do us all a favor and stay home. I got the flu pretty early this year and I'm confident I know the class I was sitting in when I, along with other classmates, were hit with cough after cough of spewing mucus from a sick person. Even if your fever is gone, it's advised to stay home 24 hours after your fever subsides.
People do not just miraculously get the flu. It's through
human contact and it could be the person you're standing or sitting next to right now. Overall, your best defense is to wash your hands and avoid touching your face throughout the day. While the movie "Contagion" left us with the horrific statistic that the average person touches their face between 2,000 to 3,000 times a day, it hasn't been proven. Still, I'd be conscious of anything that could get you sick. If you see me on campus with a facemask, you know why.
Montana is a senior majoring in journalism from Topeka. Follow him on Twitter @MikeMontaneOME.
ENTERTAINMENT
Reality 'stars' overcompensated
Every politician in our history likes to talk about the American dream. It's supposed to be attained through a lifetime of hard work and perseverance. Well then why do hard working Americans struggle every day and yet undeserving reality stars are rewarded by big money studios. Imagine being a staff member on a reality set where the reality "star" (I use that term loosely) makes much more than you for doing so much less. That's how we as Americans should feel. If you don't believe this issue needs focus then please, let me explain why it is.
To these studios I must ask, don't you have a lot of respect and admiration towards those who defend our nation? Does it come to the soldiers in the form of homelessness? Whether the number of homeless veterans changes, the one constant thing is there are still homeless veterans and yet it's OK because at least there's progress? Have you ever thought about your own shows from a different perspective? The fact that young adults from across the country are chosen to live in lavish million dollar houses and the only criterion that must be met to be a cast member includes physical attractiveness, ability to cause drama, and a fascination for alcohol, makes it seem as though these young adults are more deserving than our homeless veterans. Why isn't that money being used for the benefit of our soldiers rather than these wannabe actors?
As a student, you would consider yourself well educated. This country has always taken
great pride in educating young adults for the future. Countless years of sacrificing, studying and hard work bring average citizens to the point in life where they can become professionals and earn a decent salary. Those who cannot afford an education on their own must attain scholarships or take out student loans. According to the Associated Press, "53.6 percent, of bachelor's degree-holders under the age of 25 last year were jobless or underemployed." This means not only do college graduates have massive amounts of debt to repay but that they are graduating with one of two problems. These problems are that we as students either end up with no job or a job where we are not paid enough. How are we content with the fact that shows like "jersey Shore," with casts that do nothing more than fight, drink and cause drama are paid hundreds of thousands of dollars? Helping reality stars such as these by continuously supporting them is apparently much more important than our future financial success.
Think of the average person who makes up most of this country. There is the single mother who has to do it all on her own and/or the young adult who never got into college and
If Puerto Rico joins the United States or Texas secedes, I'll have learned the song "50 Nifty United States" FOR NOTHING!
has to work minimum wage just to survive. Why aren't they given the same opportunity to succeed financially? How about these people, the average American that are constantly promised by our presidents will be helped? Instead who is really being helped? According to the Huffington Post, Honey Boo Boo and family have received a raise, now earning $15,000 to $20,000 an episode. A family that exemplifies everything that a family shouldn't be is paid more in one episode than some make in a year. According to Celebuzz.com, on the show "Teen Mom," young pregnant and new mothers are paid $60,000 per episode for doing nothing more than allowing their lives to be filmed. Young single mothers across the country face the reality everyday of a life of struggles. What about the real hard-working responsible families struggling to survive or the single teen moms across the country?
As normal people deal with the life our government affords us, there are television companies who hand over hundreds of thousands of dollars to people simply because of ratings. This country needs an attitude adjustment and their priorities set right. The wrong people are being rewarded. If anyone in this country cared about those I spoke of at all, they would somehow work on eliminating these billion-dollar reality show industries to help out those in the real "real world."
Noble is a junior majoring in journalism from Boston.
Dear girl at the underground: I'm sorry for staring at you, the sun was in my eye. Also, you're pretty.
Wescoe smells like hipster.
I find it sad we've reached the point where power outages are considered apocalyptic.
Give those math students a break.Not everybody's good at everything.
Sat next to a good lookin' guy on the K10 connector for an hour and couldn't get the courage to talk to him. Why am I such an idiot!
It takes a lot of skill to sneeze and not fart at the same time.
Will all the Lakers fans do us a favor and just transfer to Mizzou?
Mr. Editor, last year we agreed on no more hashtags in the FFA. #stopthetags
CAMPUS CHIRPS BACK
Twitter photo of the week.
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Opinion and see them here
SCHMIDT HAPPENS
Wanna hear a joke? Mrs. E's.
CLASSROOM
Group projects boast an array of identities
Joke's on you, professors! I am onto your sick game and it for what it is: less work for you to grade and a chance to see who self-destructs under the pressure of interacting with other humans. It's all a big test, and I intend to pass with flying colors by recognizing this.
Let's talk for a minute about something we all know and love, which seems to be happening more and as the end of the semester approaches: The Dreaded Group Project
You're not quantifying data you've compiled through an online survey – you're figuring out how to get the stoner in your group to respond to your emails. And you're not creating a presentation about the Civil War – you're actually learning how reign in that overzealous history buff that wants to do some sort of battle reenactment.
Here are some of the common offenders - I mean, participants - in the group project scenario:
THE MOOCHER
This person quickly identifies you as someone who wants to pass this class, and has therefore determined you will do their work for them to avoid a huge hole in the project. The Moacher generally wears loose clothing like beanies and sweatpants, and - despite having no obvious commitments - can't seem to make it to group meetings more than twenty minutes late (if at all). Ways to cope with this person include doing their work for them or becoming a huge harpy until they do their part. Mostly just pray to god is one of those projects where everyone shares what they did at the end of the project and gets individual grades.
THE PERFECTIONIST
THE PERFECTIONIST This person takes charge of the group almost immediately. He
You know that one person in use class that no one really "gets?" This person is known for sitting in the back of the classroom and make odd comments at inopportune moments. For instance, when asked to tell an interesting fact about him or herself, this is the person who says, "I have a condition that causes uncontrollable burping, so don't be alarmed if I belch loudly during class" (true story). Okay, so maybe that was too specific, but you get the idea. It's not that this person won't do a good job on the project; it's just that working with them will require you to navigate through the weirdness just as much as the actual assignment. The thing to do in this situation is just to acknowledge the creepiness of such strange person and pretend it's not there. After awhile, you won't even notice when The Oddball starts chewing on her hair or drinking out of a tin can.
or she quickly splits up the entire project, starts making lists and informs you that they "really need an A on this project." Common statements by the perfectionist include,
"Here's what I think we should do..." "But Professor So-And-So said...," and "Did you guys get my email?" Having this person in your group can be great; they always do a great job on their parts of the project, and may even re-do your part if it's not exactly up-to-snuff.
On the downside, you'll have to endure constant emails, Facebook messages and even calls to your cell (gasp!). The best way to proceed is simply to let them do their thing and try not to get lost in the shuffle.
The list goes on and on. If you don't fit any of these categories, congratulations! It means you're (possibly) normal, but also that group projects are going to be horrifying for you until you graduate. The best news of all is that life after college is essentially just one big group project. So, in theory, working with some crazies during college can only help you with the real-world crazies that are to come.
THE ODDBALL
Mayfield is a junior studying journalism, public policy and leadership from Overland Park.
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