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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2012
VMTO
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LPL.
THE UNIVERSITY DARY GANSAN
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opinion
10/03
Contrary to popular belief, you're not what you eat. If you eat a vegetarian, you are a cannibal not a vegetarian.
Dear FFA editor, I bet you're expecting this FFA to have something about the FFA becoming a matchmaker... Well it's not, its about breaking the record for most times saying FFA in an FFA (1 count) 5.
That awkward moment when the UOK used a picture of you and your friend but cuts you out!
Congrats to the Pokemon couple.
There's no better team. Arm in arm
you'll win the fight. Gotta catch 'em all!
Some of the trees that have already changed colors take my breath away. We live on a beautiful campus.
Text your FFA submissions to 785-289-8351 or at kansan.com
Can't say I totally agree with the sex changes friendship article. I think it influences it if anything.
Riddle me this: Why do girls insist on bringing a purse if they have a backpack? Can't you combine them?
The 7th floor of Fraser is just a myth...
Student vice president arrested for drinking and driving? Awesome. This is why I don't vote.
If you say "greenbeans" REALLY slow, it almost sounds like gullible.
Why do you press harder on the remote when the batteries are almost dead?
Call me British, but have you ever had the sudden urge to walk on the left side of the side walk?
Scandal in the senate and a love story. Finally! We have news!
DATING TIP FOR BOYS: Don't tell us what to do.
I just want a gay guy to be my best friend. We can check out hot guys together, then save each other from the creepy ones.
Process for asking out hot TAs: treat them like a person first, then a princess, then a Greek goddess, then a person again.
Unattainable hipsterdom: a paradox
Alcoholic, smoking, non-single,
"Scrubs" fan-girl who's ugly and hates
to cuddle. Please find me stat.
Everyone and their grand mother hates hipsters. Hipsters even hate hipsters, which is pretty ironic because "being a hipster" means you don't do anything that anyone else does. You hate hipsters, too; you're not a hipster, either. No real, self-respecting hipster would read the campus newspaper (we're the mainstream media, dude), not to mention a column written by a guy in a bow tie.
There's even a popular Tumblr called "Look At This Fucking Hipster." It's like "People of Wal-Mart," if only Wal-Mart sold vegan shoes and Bright Eyes records.
But here's a mind-boggler: You hate something that doesn't even really exist. Although you may think they do, real hipsters don't exist.
CULTURE
My teacher is arguing with a kid's mom on her right to answer his phone when it rings in class. This is the best moment of my entire college career.
The very ethos of the hipster community is a paradox. The overarching goal of hipster style, dress and attitude is to thumb its pierced nose at the rest of society. At some point, someone thought it would be a good idea to gauge Oreosized cavities in their earlobes because it looked edgy and probably pissed off daddy, who was left to endlessly defend his son's sketch jewelry choices as "just a phase" to rest of the board of directors. Then, that one-time hipster visionary's friends started to do the same, and soon enough, everyone had the capability to hang a coat through their ears.
At some point, a hipster discovered Instagram, too. They were in awe at the fact that their mundane, candid pictures from poetry readings could be dramatically enhanced with sepia coloring. Then Facebook purchased Instagram, and Instagram was made available to Android users. The hipsters
Harry Potter, 90s music, and Pizza Shuttle! I could point you in the direction of dozens of people who like these things.
were livid. Allowing the hordes of bourgeois, suburban smart-phone users to share in the artsy-picture phenomenon was nothing short of treason. Only a select group of "socially-conscious" people using iPhones (which were manufactured in poor working conditions) should be able to use Instagram; and the hipsters believed it was them.
The right to share faux-artistic photography wasn't the only notable source of widespread hipster rage - they were up in flannel-
covered arms when Kanye West sampled Bon Iver tracks and they collectively threw their oversized beanies down in anger when Arcade Fire won the 2011 Grammy for Album of the Year. Any time something that was once cool and underground became appreciated by the masses, hipsters were there to gripe about it.
But it just doesn't make sense; if the hipster mantra of "death to the mainstream" was really achievable, how would we even know what a hipster is? If my grandmother can point out a hipster, doesn't that defeat the entire purpose of their supposed existence? If hipsters are recognizable enough to be identified by a woman in her 70s, aren't they doing it all wrong?
The simple answer is yes. If someone claims to be a hipster, they're not a hipster. If someone tries to be a hipster, they're not a
hipster. If someone really wanted to be a true hipster, they'd give up paying taxes, they'd sell all their material possessions, they'd stop listening to any music distributed through a record label and they'd stop using electronics. Almost every person in society pays taxes, buys things, listens to popular music and has a cell phone. That's just not the hipster way. No matter how many Newport cigarettes you smoke and no matter how much Pabst Blue Ribbon you drink, you're not a hipster.
Even my grandmother knows that.
POLITICS
Barbosa is a junior majoring in journalism from Leawood. For more hilarity, follow him on Twitter @AJARBROSA.
Judging the limits of campus free speech
Accidentally listened to my pump-up playlist on my way to class. I'm way too hype for this Spanish lecture.
We as Americans are granted certain unalienable rights. First and foremost of which is the right to freedom of expression. On our campus it is not outside the norm to see multiple people and organizations all around campus protesting something or simply speaking informatively on some topic. However, the question that constantly arises in our society is whether or not this freedom of expression can be taken too far when dealing with certain hot-button issues of a graphic nature.
A prime example of this can be seen in both the abortion and animal rights protesters that were seen on campus in the past few weeks. These groups both deal in very serious issues that many students have strong opinions toward and went about expressing their ideals in very different ways.
If you happened to be walking by Wescoe Beach in the past week, it was unavoidable that you saw the large images depicting aborted infants and heard the advocates protesting. This group has made an appearance on campus every year that I have been at the University, and upon seeing them year by year I can't help but find myself feeling angry at the explicit, in-your-face nature of their protests.
These shock-and-awe tactics not only elicit anger and disgust, they also tend to cause those that may have been interested in discussing the topic to shy away. These methods are, simply put, rude as well as ineffective because not only are these people eliciting the wrong emotions from the public, they are causing those that may show an interest in stepping forward and gaining information to avoid the topic altogether.
On the other side of campus at the Kansas Union, we saw a much more mild-mannered and informative group protesting an issue that is arguably equally as controversial. The PETA protesters offered students and passers-by a choice on whether or not to view some pretty graphic images depicting what happens to cattle in a slaughter-house before we get to enjoy our ever so delicious McDoubles.
Advocates for the group erected an inflatable tide to hide the images from the view of the more squeamish students that might want to listen to their protests but on the other hand not to be subjected to any gruesome images. As well as being considerate to the public the protesters offered Vegan "cookies" to those brave souls that made it through their blow-up slaughterhouse.
Much unlike the group protesting a little way down the boulevard, the advocates for animal rights got their message across while at the same time respecting the opinions and personal choices of their viewing public.
So, can our unilienable right to free speech be taken too far? Should a certain moral and ethical code be taken into account when voicing our opinions in a public forum? I believe that this is most certainly the case. Shock-and-awe tactics are outdated and shift focus away from the issue being discussed. Want to get your point across effectively? Give the public a choice on whether or not to participate in your forum. And bringing a few snacks couldn't hurt.
Sisk is a junior majoring in journalism from Kansas City. Follow him on Twitter @calebsik.
LIFESTYLE
When people have conversations through FFA >>>
New perspectives provide insight
ANNA LAVIGNE
alavigne@kansan.com
Robert Frost really hit the nail on the head when he said, "I took the road less traveled and that has made all of the difference." I came to Lawrence unaware of the road that lies ahead. I didn't know a single person, and I was a half a day away from home. For both of these, I was satisfied. Everyone's college experience is unique and to each their own. No one has the right to judge your college path, and I urge you to never judge someone else'.
I remember sitting at my commencement ceremony while a girl preached to me about seeing things from another pair of eyes—taking on a different perspective. I never realized how true her statements were until I made the move from Minnesota to Kansas. Everyone would ask me, "why Kansas?" and I never had a solidified answer. Coming from out-of-state is a growing experience, and an entertaining one for those who notice my accent. The accent comment is a common occurrence: "say bag," or, "do you say 'eh' after every sentence?" and so on. Coming from Minnesota, this change is definitely a drastic one. It was snowing in northern Minnesota recently, which would be out of the ordinary for Kansas in early October. I'm not complaining, though.
I find myself learning something new every day—mostly the names of basketball players. Us northerners play playboy, so basketball is foreign to me. And although we have hills up north, nothing is comparable to Oread's mountainous treks.
I took a big leap in hopes KU would have arms wide open to catch me. Basically, there is no better school, but we all know that. KU makes you feel at home, even if you are hours away from your real home. There is no better place than Lawrence to start fresh or experience life-changing, eye-opening experiences, or to get an education. I now know my solidified answer to the wandering and ever-present "Why KU?" question. I picked KU because it felt right and you defy intuition. I'm confident with my choice and thankful every day for the opportunity.
It's obvious that there are all kinds here in Lawrence—just walk down Massachusetts Street at any odd hour. With a different outlook, you might find yourself a new best friend. Don't judge a book by its cover, walk a mile in their shoes and any other cliche you can think of. It's good for you.
I encourage you to try something new. I encourage you to have an alternative perspective. You just might learn something new about yourself. You just might land that dream job. With different outlooks comes different experiences, and with different experiences comes higher potential. Higher potential correlates with more opportunities. There is nothing typical or normal about your journey; so, spice it up. Enjoy the small steps; with different perspectives, those small steps are really the big steps. Most importantly, enjoy yourself and find your forte, for that's what college is all about.
Lavigne is a freshman from St.Paul, Minn.
CAMPUS CHIRPS BACK
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Follow us on Twitter @BJUK. Opinion. Tweet us your opinions, and we just might publish them.
@KaylaJane157
@UDK_Opion Studying. Nothing else exists anymore. #midterms
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@UDK_Opinion rubbing apple
marmalade all over my body and
jumping into a pile of leaves.
AutumnManReturns
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@DUK Opinion According to my Econ test, I'll be appreciating everything economics. HA! More like, I'll be avoided schoolwork. #aibREAK
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@UDK_Ogionn I'm going to the Sunflower Showdown in Manhattan. Let's go Jayhawks!
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THE EDITORIAL BOARD Members of the Renan Editorial Board are Ian Cummings Vikas Shanker, Dylan Lyon, Ross Newton and Elise Farrington.