OPINION
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9 2004
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
www.kansan.com
EDITORIAL BOARD
Students need longer time in residence halls
Most of us have been there at some point: It's about time for another break, maybe Thanksgiving for five days or a month between semesters. We are evicted from our homes because of the break. While there are many advantages to living in University housing, this is definitely not one of them. For students who live hours away and must drive or fly, this is especially difficult.
For Thanksgiving break, students in University Housing must pack and make travel arrangements around their class schedule that Tuesday, but be out of the residence halls or scholarship halls with everything they need for break by 11 p.m.
Not only does this make for a long, tiring day, but it punishes students who would like to attend the KU basketball games — one of which has been held the Tuesday night of Thanksgiving break the past two years. Students receive notices posted in their halls saying to load their cars before the game, because they will not be able to enter the halls afterwards.
Some teachers have harsh penalties for missing class the day before break, so students end up having to take late flights, keeping them up all night because they cannot spend another night in University Housing and leave Wednesday at a decent hour.
For students who drive home, it takes time to load up a car with everything they need for five days. If they have a night class on Tuesdays, it's almost impossible and can be dangerous to drive for five or six hours starting at 9 or 10 p.m. after a long day of classes, but they have nowhere else to stay for that night.
For winter break, students must be out of housing within 24 hours of their last final or by 11 p.m., according to the KU Student Housing Web site, and the last final this semester ends at 4 p.m. on Dec. 17. This is hardly enough time to do enough packing for a month of eviction, so most students make the decision to pack all week long instead
of studying for finals as much as they could be. Students have the option to stay in housing over break, but it costs extra.
These housing-related problems also prevent students from spending time with their friends from the University before they are sent home for one month without seeing them.
One solution is for the Department of Student Housing to have a weekend grace period after finals to give students the option to relax and spend time with their friends after finals for a day or two and take their time to gather their belongings and move out.
If this is not possible, the department should hold a referendum in which students living on campus can vote on whether they would make good use of this grace period. At least this way, students would have some say and less worry about being evicted from their homes so soon after school is out of session.
When asked, KU Student Housing representative Eric Grospitch offered a few promising details and an explanation. He said that the residence halls closed promptly after finals are done to "prevent a party night," but that the department was willing to work with students on an individual basis as long as their reasons are legitimate.
While this does alleviate some problems, it is hard for every student to not only be aware, but also contact and negotiate with the department. In addition, it is understandable that a "party night" might get a little out of hand, but students have worked hard all semester and deserve time to spend with their friends.
Besides, students have probably been partying all semester long and on Stop Day as well, so it would hardly be any different the weekend after finals. Policies that the department has for preventing parties, such as prohibition of alcohol and quiet hours, would still be in place to keep residents safe and happy while they celebrate.
Tis the season for love
In college, the holidays come too fast. Your last final ends. Bang. Time to go home, or wherever, to celebrate, decompress and deal with unavoidable family-related issues. Depending on the state of the lives of those closest to you, the holidays can be happy or complicated.
STINSON'S VIEW
I would like to focus specifically on one part of the holiday season and a somewhat awkward topic this time of year: love.
The Greeks split love into three natures: eros, philia and agape. Eros is passionate love, desire for something intensely. During the holidays eros can be, as many know, quite good.
I often wondered why so many birthdays (including mine) lie in September, but then I realized couples wanted to do more than watch snow outside while avoiding the cold.
Philia is friendly love, the loyalty you show to your friends, parents and country. The holidays provide a good opportunity for parties and gatherings, especially on New Year's, where philia can grow and mature.
Agape is parental love, or grandparent love, often expressed in the form of sweaters. Or if you are lucky, grandma's gingerbread cookies.
It should go without saying the holidays should be a time of coming together, where this spectrum of affection can function. However, I think adding perspective to the clichés about the holiday season helps make the good parts better and the bad parts easier to handle.
I have witnessed too many people in a state of eros who cannot function as normal human beings because they allow eros to control their lives. Unless you are willing to lose something or someone, it controls you. It is untrue to say you love something if it controls you. Being in a relationship because you want to and not because you have to will make that part of the holidays better for you.
COMMENTARY
SEAN PAUZAUSKIE opinion@kansan.com
Being in a relationship because you want to, not because you have to will make that part of the holidays better for you.
Philia tends to change the most during college life. Seeing your parents as people, not perfect human beings, allays the silent pain of wishing they would change.
It took me a long time to realize, especially in politics, friends on the opposite side of the fence are an asset and not a liability. They keep you in check. Some of the most rewarding experiences come from changing your mind through the point-and-counterpoint of discussions with those you disagree with.
If you find yourself unhappy this holiday season because of a disturbance in the forces of eros or philia, sitting alone at home or your apartment, wearing sweats, eating bon-bons or watching movies with sad endings, remember love goes into circles.
The holidays provide the best time to step out of yourself for a moment and ask yourself these kinds of questions about the people you love.
Love is an unpredictable and powerful emotion.
Pauzauskis is a Topeka senior in English and cellular biology.
HOLIDAY "FOOD" FOR THOUGHT
1. Sportscasters forget the Jayhawk and call KU the "Eighting Manginos." This want happen with Fighting Irish.
(Cor,4 reasons to rebuff Notre Dame)
2- Hoity toity Notre Dame boosters will try and limit sideline "gyrating." KU fans could care less!
3. How can Gino fight the "vast BCS conspiracy" if he becomes part of the system?
4. Gino won't have the pleasure of humiliating Old Man Snyder and Head Case Gary Pinkel each fall!
Zach Stinson / KANSAN
Logic, SUVs doesn't match
I had a battle that I could not win last weekend. It may sound familiar to you: the normal car versus the SUV. I was driving my brother's little green car, (we call it Shrek, if that gives you a good mental picture). It's a ten-year-old Toyota Celica. As I hurtled down a stretch of southeastern Kansas highway in the rain — a challenge in itself
COMMENTARY
I approached a monstrous Chevy Suburban. When you're in a car about the size of a soda car, you might as well be driving behind a semi truck. My windows were coated with the vehicle's road-spittle, I couldn't see enough to pass it, and if the giant and I were to collide, I knew the Celica would be crushed like a bug beneath its heaving carcass. It's a rough road out there for the average car.
SUV ownership has risen 30 percent in Kansas between 1997 and 2002, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. And our state is lagging behind the rest of the country, whose ownership has increased a gas-guzzling 56 percent.
One would think that this craze of vanity vehicles would have faded like any other ego-boosting fad. But this trend of unnecessary, dangerous vehicles is much more harmful than, say, power-lifting or fake-tanning.
LOUISE STAUFFER
opinion@kansan.com
Some have suggested that SUVs may not be useful to the largely rural population of Kansas. This is an understatement. It has been scientifically proven that Kansas is flatter than a pancake. Besides that, most of the drivers around Lawrence are not using SUVs for their intended purposes. I'm willing to bet that a 20-year-old coed with Johnson County plates isn't hauling
Nope. SUVs are alive and well.
nay. In fact, only five percent of SUVs are ever taken off-road, according to sun.org. The average student uses a car to drive to work, to South Padre on spring break, and on the occasional visit to the parents. Most of us never drive up the side of a mountain or down into a ravine, as shown in the Chevrolet commercials.
People like SUVs because they're cool To some, they express masculinity. Others see them as a suit of armor, protection from danger.
In reality, SUVs are less safe than most cars. According to Environmental Media Services, minivans, luxury imports, mid-sized cars and large cars had fewer driver deaths per million vehicles sold than SUVs. Compacts, pickups, subcompacts and sports cars had more. Compared with other vehicle classes, SUVs were involved more frequently in accidents fatal to drivers of other vehicles, measured in fatalities per million vehicles sold. So, while someone may think they are keeping themselves or their loved ones safe by putting them in a big, strong-looking car, they are actually increasing the likelihood of fatalities on the road.
The economics of the SUV business make it cheaper for some to own one
than a normal car. Congress passed a tax law in 1996 that enables SUV owners to write off as much as $30,000 from the vehicle cost as a business expense. Congress claims this is to encourage business investment, but if that's true, why do owners of fuel saving hybrid vehicles only get $4,000 deducted on average, according to Auto Insider. Thirty-eight light truck models, including Cadillac Escalades and Chevy Durangos, are eligible for a $24,000 deduction.
SUVs also make more money for the automobile industry than cars. Environmental Media Services reported U.S. auto makers made narrow profit margins on car sales, but a Ford Expedition or Chevrolet Suburban can bring in more than $10,000 in profits.
Federal law also permits gas guzzlers to harm the environment more than a normal car. According to suv.org. Federal law permits SUVs to waste $33\%$ more gasoline than passenger cars.
These vehicles also spew 30 percent more carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons and 75 percent more nitrogen oxides than passenger cars.
At least Kansas is behind the rest of the country in its ownership of SUVs. American car manufacturers such as Ford are introducing hybrid vehicles that run on a combination of electricity and fuel. The Toyota Prius has become the "must-have" hybrid car among celebrities. People are catching on. But until I stop seeing one person behind the wheel of a SUV that could seat eight, I will still drive my car warily.
Stauffer is a Holland, Mich. senior in journalism
Storywrongly portrayed son; private information exposed
On Nov.16, a story ran in the Kansan on what was supposed to be about my son Lawrence Hubbard and his big brother Chris Jones through the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program. This story was stricty supposed to tell about Lawrence and Chris' relationship, which is a great relationship as little/little brothers. The story barely touched on their relationship. Instead it painted an ugly picture of my son's life with inaccurate facts.
The story started out introducing my son as a great kid with a bright future. Then it began to talk about his personal life without the facts. It said that Lawrence had his share of suspensions, usually for back-talking a teacher or pushing a kid in the hall.
That information was incorrect. Any encounters that may have led to my son being suspended were solely because he was trying to defend himself from another student, not because he talks back to his teachers
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
or lashes out on other children.
of failures but on other children. The story also stated that he was the one always in the office getting looked at by the teachers and students. That is not correct.
It then touched on a sensitive subject, his deceased uncle. The facts were all wrong. His uncle was not involved in any kind of a gang — he was an innocent victim who was murdered.
I know the story's intent wasn't for this to turn out this way but because the facts were incorrect, there has been some distrust and hurt feelings.
I made it very clear that I did not want Lawrence's personal life brought up in the story and I was assured that it wouldn't be.
The agreement was to strictly talk about Lawrence and Chris' relationship and Big Brothers. I would strongly advise to only write about true facts, and never bring up deceased family members unless it's OK with the parents.
T. Hubbard-Finch Lawrence resident
Football team appreciates supportfrom studentbody Dear Students.
On behalf of our players and coach ing staff, I want to thank you for your enthusiastic support during the 2004 football season. Our student section has cheered for our team through thick and thin. Please know that this does not go unnoticed by our team and opponents.
We sincerely appreciate your school spirit and look forward to seeing you in Memorial Stadium next fall.
Good luck on your finals.
Mark Mangino Kansas football coach
Note: This is the Kansar's last issue of the semester. The next issue will be Jan. 20, 2005.
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