THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1. 2012
opinion
PAGE 5A
Disney bought the rights to Star Wars My childhood is ruined.
Text your FFA submissions to 785-289-8351 or at kansan.com
Oh the joys of having a lab the same night as KU basketball.
All I think about as I tear up the million little pieces of newspaper is that I would hate being the person who has to clean them up.
Is there an instruction guide to making a confetti holder?
My boyfriend beat me in fantasy football this week. Welp, someone's not getting sex for a month.
Go back to the old KU basketball intro video.
You get newpaper bits! You get newspaper bits! EVERYBODY GETS NEWSPAPER BITS!
Everything Perry Ellis touches turns to cold!
Someone tell the Jayhawk video staff they need to bring back the old opening video for basketball. Rock Chalk.
New basketball tradition, the "Kansas Tornado" during free throws! Hands up and spin!
Can we not do the ballerina/tornado thing anymore? K, thanks!
McCollum is the best dorm ever. One might say we're on fire!
Honesty teachers should stop disrespecting paying students by requiring participation. I'm not five. I can learn by myself.
The slutty costume article not only restored my faith in humanity but also in women being lady-like. Kudos to the author and stay classy!
Message to myself. If I'm reading this in the FFA tomorrow, I'll know I survived Halloween at the Hawk.
To the guy who stripped off his clothes in Chem class to a Hooters uniform, I wish I had as much confidence as you do.
Is BAMF still a thing? If it is, Perry Ellis is one.
Hey you! The one who told me to smile while reading the FFA... Thanks for that
No Shave November = No Date November.
The crazy Christian with the billboard was by far the best Halloween costume on campus.
Tried the Chi Omega Fountain. Definitely not PeiSi Blue. It's Kool Aid.
Voters need to weigh issues on humanity
Many people will determine their vote next Tuesday by picking the candidate they believe is the lesser of two evils.
ELECTION
Screw the bars, I'm going trick or treatin'!
I agree with this logic. The only problem: The cesspool known as Washington, D.C., soon contaminares what little virtue one might possess, or more accurately proclaim, while running for office.
I am afraid, however, that we must lower this already very low standard even further.
This election we must ask, "Which candidate is more human?"
I am a registered Democrat. I voted for President Obama in the last election, and I traveled to the Potomac swamp to see him inaugurated. I have never been more proud to be an American than when I witnessed Chief Justice John Roberts swear in the nation's
first African-American president with the same bible used by Abraham Lincoln in 1861.
One of my fondest memories of the inaugural celebrations took place during the "We are One" concert at the Lincoln Memorial. Right before John Mellencamp sang "Pink Houses?" Joe Biden gave a speech. I will never forget his words. He said, "I believe in the very core of my being that work is more than a paycheck. It's about dignity. It's about respect. It's about whether you can look your child in the eye and say 'Honey, it's going to be alright.'"
At that moment, I knew America would bounce back, and I bought into the idea of "Change."
After four years, I am still waiting on some of that change, and I have become a bit disenchanted. I began to feel uneasy when I heard Biden deliver the same line I heard four years ago at this year's Democratic
National Convention, and I became sick when I heard President Obama spew nothing but talking points on the "Daily Show With John Stewart" a couple of weeks ago.
I watched the interview and was saddened to witness my president reduced to a talking head. I had to admit something I felt during his nomination acceptance speech in North Carolina that I was not ready to articulate at the time: The president's words had become hollow.
I understand politicians repeat their most prized one-liners and
dogmatically remain "on message."
I understand politics are about options and not commitments, and I know there's a need to appeal to a broad base.
But I must be a bit naive. I want my politicians to be genuine. I think this is important, especially when you vote Democratic.
I place social issues over economic issues when I vote. For me, "it's not the economy, stupid." I look towards equality and fairness. I vote for politicians who look to provide security for the old, aid for the poor, and opportunity for the needy. I vote for demand-side politicians, not supply-side.
Above all, I don't want the politicians I vote for to lose track of their humanity. Obama's vapid rhetoric has made me wonder.
President Obama achieved historic legislation when Obamacare passed. He spent nearly all his po-
literal capital doing the right thing; making healthcare a right, not a privilege. That's the Obama I voted for. The Obama who enacted a toothless Dodd-Frank Act, dragged his feet in prosecuting Wall Street financiers, and lacked the backbone to stand up to obstructionists Republicans tying up Congress is not. And this, announcing, Obama?
And this campaign's Obama? Certainly not.
Yet, when having to decide which candidate is the lesser of two evils—or which candidate is more human than the other. That's fairly easy. I'll pick the guy who knows how to relate to more than 47 percent of the population.
ENTERTAINMENT
Scott is a graduate student majoring in American studies from Overland Park. Follow him on Twitter @dscott12
Local music scene overlooked
According to EM Marketing research, on average, students charge $249 to their credit cards each month, and of that amount, a small percentage goes to local venues such as The Granada, Liberty Hall and The Bottleneck.
A concert on a school night is just as much a rite of passage as visiting Allen Fieldhouse. It's a rite of passage that I've been enjoying since I was a senior in high school and attended a Vanilla Ice concert at Abe and Jake's Landing. Yes, my first concert was Vanilla Ice, but I look at it as the bar was set very low for future concerts so there was only going up from there. Since my days as a young naive 18-year-old, I've enjoyed many concerts ranging from Rachael Yamagata, The Fray, Jason Reeves, Stars, Lifehouse and a
handful of indie bands.
I see pictures and posts from friends about concerts in the Kansas City area but not many supporting the local scene. It could be lack of awareness or just the idea of getting out of town for the evening that keeps people flocking to Kansas City. Lawrence may not have an 18,000 seating arena or an eight-and-a-half acre venue either but the city still knows how to put on a good show. A few years ago I interviewed bands for a music blog website and I would ask every band the same question, "Which type of venue do you prefer to perform? Stadium-size or smaller venues?" The response nine times out of 10 was smaller venues. Bands would say they feel the energy more from their fans and get a close connection while on stage. Anyone who has been to a concert at the Sprint Center versus any venue in Lawrence has to admit the energy is different.
I may not know artists and bands such as Asher Roth, Sleigh Bells (not holiday-type music) or Chuck Mead but when I have the time, I'm always down for a local, down-the-street concert. Some of my best memories in Lawrence
consist of me studying at Watson and avoiding the stacks late at night, getting a text from a friend about a show and being pleasantly surprised by a band I've never heard of while catching up with friends and making new ones.
So if you find yourself looking for something to do on the weekend or just need a study break, don't forget to explore the concert life that Lawrence has to offer. There's more to college life than just the books.
If the shear enjoyment of catching up with friends while listening to music doesn't motivate you enough to use some of your grocery money for a concert ticket, maybe the fact that music is good for your brain. According to a study conducted by Stanford University, music sends signals to your brain that help increase your attention span and improve memory. A heavy metal concert on the other hand may not be the most conducive music to aid in brain development.
Montano is a senior majoring in journalism from Topeka. Follow him on Twitter @MikeMontanoME.
CAMPUS CHIRPS BACK
Twitter photo of the week
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@Danielnz
@UDK_Opinion here's a pic for
v'all!
As a free-thinking woman living in the 21st century, I am deeply offended by the slut-shaming portrayed by Mayfield's article reinforcing sexist stereotypes published on Monday. Finally, A Feminism 101 Blog defines slut-shaming as shaming and/or attacking a woman or a girl for being sexual, having one or more sexual partners, acknowledging/acting on sexual feelings. This message implies that sexuality is bad, and as a society we have the right to objectify women based on their clothing (or lack thereof). The hate portrayed in the article is something I would usually expect from the conservative medium, not from a fellow woman.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Now this article does not depict the more common form of slut-shaming that we see when women are seen as "asking for it." Instead it highlights the underlying psychological problem that a woman is only worth what we see at face value. It suggests that the more of our body we cover the better – can you think of any other society that holds these beliefs? I can and I know the implications it can have on a society. See: "My Forbidden Face," by Latifa.
Halloween gives people the opportunity to dress however they want to either assume another's role for a night, or just to have fun. Men can dress like
PS. If you're looking for me, I'll be the girl wearing whatever I want.
Amanda Schuize is a Junior from Wichita majoring in Spanish.
women without ridicule; people can dress as nuns and missionaries without being shunned; and women can be a sexy nurse, a sexy apple, a sexy fork for all I care; and the only one that has a problem with this are those that hold this prejudice. To correct a quote you paraphrased: You have got to stop referring to women as sluts and whores because of how they look. It just makes it OK for the whole world to call us sluts and whores.
POLITICALFIBER.COM
Obama's energy plan is incomplete
ERIC SCHUMACHER
Staff writer,
eric@politicalFiber.com
In my last column, I examined the energy policies of Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney. Now, with less than two weeks to go before the election, we take a look at the policies both proposed and initiated by President Obama. Energy and the environment are the issues with the greatest long-term ramifications. But as ThinkProgress.org sadly notes, they have gone almost entirely unmentioned in this campaign.
The "all of the above" strategy as advertised by the president boils down to three broad tenets: increasing American fossil fuel production, raising fuel efficiency to cut down on consumption and investing in alternative energy.
However, President Obama's actions and past proposals leave plenty to be discussed. The president's endorsement of an "all of the above" strategy for energy security has received praise from environmentalists and alternative energy advocates as well as many political moderates for its ambitious goals and vision for America's energy future while maintaining a realistic outlook on the source of most of our energy. Opponents of the approach cite its lack of economic practicality and lack of details on exactly how energy independence will be achieved.
True to the president's claims, foreign dependence on oil has declined while domestic production has increased during the past three years, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA). Also according to the EIA, oil imports have declined since peaking in 2005, and much steeper drops have occurred in the past three years. Opponents say the domestic natural gas boom is incidental and actually being hampered by President Obama's policies, citing examples like the rejection of the Keystone XL Pipeline earlier this
The president's plans certainly have the right end goal in mind — Americans of all stripes agree that our economic security will be better served the sooner we can become completely energy independent. However, the fossil fuels argument that has been a staple of this presidential campaign and the alarming scarcity of climate change discussion show that we have yet to accept that our future cannot depend on fossil fuels, and our efforts need to be placed in decreasing consumption and promoting renewables. It's time for all Americans to call on all of our leaders to face reality.
For more political news and conversation, visit PoliticalFiber.com
SCHMIDT HAPPENS
year (even though opposition to it was essentially bipartisan).
When the topic moves to alternatives and renewables, the question does not become one of regulation versus growth but instead, the economic merits of investment. The president has hit Romney on his opposition to the wind tax credit while still heavily promoting government investment in alternative energy. This move was considered to be mostly successful despite Romney's now-famous claim during the first debate. The president has been somewhat mum about where he'll want to take energy and environmental issues during a second term although he has hinted that he'd like to pursue legislation on climate change, perhaps gearing up for another push for capping carbon emissions.
Since the primary campaign in 2008, Obama has called for raising fuel efficiencies in vehicles. The administration has made significant progress toward that, although some failures in the marketplace for more efficient vehicles have dampened the record and the overall push toward greater fuel efficiency, reinforcing the renewables-is-not-economical argument.
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