Opinion
Kansan
Published daily since 1912
Julie Wood, Editor Brandi Byram, Business manager Laura Roddy, Managing editor Shauntae Blue, Retail sales manager Cory Graham, Managing editor Dan Simon, Sales and marketing adviser Tom Eblen, General manager, news adviser Scott Valler, Technology coordinator
Monday, September 20, 1999
Seth Jones / KANSAN
Editorials
Homecoming needs more support from entire University community
Homecoming at the University of Kansas needs a spark to blaze school spirit and rekindle alumni support for an event intended to warm the hearts of Jayhawks past and present. Homecoming organizers literally have attempted to light that fire — proposing the return of a traditional bonfire — but still need additional support from student, alumni and administration to keep the fire burning.
For a University and community where traditions date back before the Civil War, Homecoming Day regrettely has become a nonchalant affair with a small parade and a football game with a few halftime activities. Moreover, limited student awareness that the Oct. 2 game is even homecoming attests to apathetic school spirit.
Old homecoming traditions are valuable and need support from students and staff
The three groups that organize homecoming - Student Union Activities, Student Alumni Association and Board of Class Officers - have increased efforts this year. But shortened planning time has allowed them only to lay a foundation for the future.
For the second consecutive year, homecoming has been moved up from the last weekend in October. Andrea Troutman, vice president for university relations for SAA, said having homecoming earlier definitely made planning more difficult.
Troutman said administrative backing
of the parade was another area where the University could help by letting students out of class for festivities. Attendance would increase if afternoon classes were canceled for the 2:30 parade on Friday.
Changing student attitudes toward homecoming and attracting more alumni is not an easy job. But it is an important one, and organizers have made a notable start.
If more students enjoy homecoming now, more will return as alumni to celebrate homecoming traditions. If more alumni hold KU traditions dear, the Jayhawk network will be stronger and more alumni likely will be willing to support the University financially. That generosity would benefit the entire University and assure that the wheat will wave forever at KU ballgames.
Katrina Hull for the editorial board
SAT "strivers"only a first step
For years a problem that has been expressed about the SATs is that they are non personalized. The scores do not reflect experiences from the student's life and background, leading some to say that this crucial test's results are unfair. Added to this mix is a solution developed by the test's designers, the Educational Testing Service, which is quickly becoming known as the "Strivers" score.
The "Strivers" score is designed to help give students from less-than-ideal backgrounds the same chance at being noticed and accepted to good colleges and universities as students from average to privileged backgrounds. ETS looks at different variables of a student's background such as his or her parents' educational level, race and the biggest determining factor, family income.
New designation on college entrance exam good but not a solution to education problems
From this information, a score will be predicted for each individual student. If a student can score 200 points higher than predicted, he or she will be designated as a "striver." This would be for young people who have done better than expected based on where they were coming from, said to Anthony Carnvale, vice president for public leadership at ETS.
This method is optimistically viewed by many individuals. This is a way for hard-working students from improbable success-breeding circumstances to catch up to the students who will have no problem finding a way into a good college. The "striver" designation will be seen as a red flag for the dedication and effort the student has put out to beat the odds.
While this effort is commendable and shows recognition that problems exist in secondary education in the United States, it does not find its way to the roots of those problems. The "striver" designation recognizes the hard-working students from inferior schools and low income families, but this is only a recognition, and not an effort to move forward in creating better learning situations that these students deserve. We need better schools for better test scores. The "strivers" score is one step in the right direction, but higher goals for better education should follow soon in its footsteps.
Kansan staff
Tabatha Beerbower for the editorial board
Chad Bettes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Editorial
Seth Hoffman . . . . . . . . . . . . Associate editorial
Carl Kaminski . . . . . . . . . . . . News
Juan H. Heath . . . . . . . . . . Online
Chris Fickett . . . . . . . . . . Sports
Brad Hallier . . . . . . . . . . Associate sports
Nadia Mustafa . . . . . . . . . Campus
Heather Woodward . . . . . . . . Campus
Steph Brewer . . . . . . . . . Features
Dan Curry . . . . . . . . . . Associate features
Matt Daugherty . . . . . . . Photo
Kristi Elliott . . . . . . Design, graphics
T.J. Johnson . . . . . . . Wire
Melody Ard . . . . . . Special sections
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Becky LaBranch . . . Special sections
Thad Crane . . . Campus
Will Baxter . . . Regional
Jon Schlitt . . . National
Danny Pumpelly . . Online sales
Micha Kaftiz . . . Marketing
Emily Knowles . . Production
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Matt Thomas . . . Creative
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Jullana Moreira . Zone
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Advertising managers
Broaden your mind: Today's quote
"I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts and bear."
How to submit letters and guest columns
Letters: Should be double-spaced typed and fewer than 200 words. Letters must include the author's signature, name, address and telephone number plus class and hometown if a university student. Faculty or staff must identify their positions.
beer." —Abraham Lincoln
Guest columns: Should be double-spaced typed with fewer than 700 words. The writer must be willing to be photographed for the column to run.
All letters and guest columns should be submitted to the Kansan newsroom, 111 Stauffer-Flint Hall. The Kansan reserves the right to edit, cut to length or reject all submissions. For any questions, call Chad Bettle, or Seth Hoffman at 864-4924.
If you have general questions or comments, e-mail the page staff (opinion@kansan.com) or call 864-4924.
Two unpleasant things happened to me this week. I managed to wack myself in the head by skillfully standing up into a steel strut, and I turned on my radio to listen to the Lazer.
Perspective
Turn the radio off don't listen to 105.9
Bashing my head against the strut was less painful.
The Lazer was, not too long ago, named by Rolling Stone as one of 10 stations in America that don't suck. Well, no more. I'm here to tell you that the Lazer now sucks more than a vacuum-cleaner salesmen's convention.
Loader columnist opinion@kansan.com
The old Lazer was edgy. It was fresh. It reminded me of KROQ back in Los Angeles (before it became another hit music station) or of KEDG back in Las Vegas (before it became
another hit music station). The Lazer was fun to listen to, and it belonged in a college town. It played the Top 40 before anyone even knew it was going to be Top 40.
Did I say don't listen? My bad. Find out who advertises on the Lazer. Call them, and inform them that their ads have been counterproductive and that you won't be listening to that station any more.
Call the station. Express your dissatisfaction.
Express it in simple terms they can understand. Be polite about it, but make it clear that the new Lazer holds slightly less appeal than doggie doo.
Start petitions. Pass the word. Shout the message from every street corner — the new Lazer sucks. There already has been one demonstration — give 'em another one. Show the new management that KU students know how to throw a good protest rally.
Don't listen to the thing. This shouldn't be too hard for you to manage; there are a whole pile of other Top-40 stations to choose from. And listening to a station that once didn't suck is painful anyway.
Will all this work? Don't get your hopes up, folks. But it might be painful enough to convince the suits that ruining a great radio station is not the best way to turn a profit.
Now it plays crap.
Some of it has been crap from the first minute it was recorded. Others have become crap because they were played again and again and again for the last three years.
They want your money at the expense of your good taste, your culture and your music. Don't let 'em have it. Let the Lazer go down fighting.
It doesn't even play a wide assortment of crap, but the same tired old stuff again and again, ad nausea. If I hear that damn Sepia-Toned Life song one more time, I'm going to take a hostage. It wasn't bad to start with, but the Top-40 stations have been playing it every two hours for the last two years. And now the Lazer is, too. Happy day.
On the bright side, if you haven't gotten your fill of the Backstreet Boys, you probably will
now. Aren't you overjoyed? Doesn't the new format sound like such a wonderful idea?
If you miss the old Lazer — if you want it back — well, you're probably not going to get it back. But you can do your part to try and make the dear corporate folks who have twisted the Lazer see the error of their ways.
Is there anyone on campus who actually prefers the new Lazer? I ask this in the same tone I'd ask, "Is there anyone on campus who would like to be trampled by angry bulls?"
Loader is a Henderson, Nev., junior in journalism.
The road less traveled perhaps looks better
choose the most inopportune times to have life crises.
For my latest, I chose 4:30 p.m., Labor Day
1999. Well into my junior year of college, I had my first moment of academic doubt. After a successful day of shopping (laundry detergent and new socks), I returned home and decided I didn't want to be a journalist
It's not that I have anything against the journalistic profession. Quite the contrary, actually. I know the work and dedication that comes with producing a newspaper. I have the utmost respect for the people who can stand it.
No, I just decided that I don't want to make magazines. I don't want to make newspapers. I don't want to be a journalist. And, most of all, I don't want a career.
Lydia
Faylor
columnist
 opinion @ kansan.com
This realization had me a
In times of mental and emotional conflict, I often resort to driving on deserted dirt roads. I find it greatly soothing. The moments in which my life most closely approaches contentment are moments of road-dust, speed, loud music and landscapes that make me ache.
bit unsettled, understandably so I think. Everything I had worked for the during two years of college, and however many years of high school, suddenly didn't appeal to me in the least. So, with the intent of debating this within myself, I went driving on deserted dirt roads northeast of Lawrence.
It all came down to one simple question. Would I be able to work as a magazine editor in New York City and still retain the qualities that I value? Could I possibly be a slave to a cubicle and a business suit and still keep freedom and autonomy and spontaneity and creativity?
Thus, it was rural roads that I turned to when my desires and philosophies collided head-on with my professional ambitions.
There is a line from a John Lennon song that says, "Life is what happens to you when you are busy making other plans." One day, about a year ago, I got into a debate with an uncle of mine as to
the meaning of this quote.
My uncle maintained that Lennon meant to say that you have to make plans in the course of your existence, or you will never experience life. I disagreed. Lennon's words have always meant the opposite to me. I've always thought that he was trying to say that if you plan your life completely — if you content yourself with a routine — then life will come and go when you're not looking. The next thing you notice, it will all be finished, and all you will have to show for it is an endless string of interchangeable days and lonely nights.
I smile. It's an unsure smile, a shaky smile, yet still hopeful. I turn around and take an unexplored dirt road. I will face the unknown. And I will conquer the unknown. I choose uncertainty.
In one direction runs the career highway — paved, speedy, but fraught with gridlock traffic, construction detours and many other complications. In the other direction lies a dirt road — riddled with danger, too, of course, as any route will be. But instead of blacktop combat, I will battle the dust of hard work, the occasional creative flat tire and the fears of the unknown.
Perhaps it's foolish, perhaps it's selfish, perhaps
it's egotistical. I don't think that life should just
happen to you. You should happen to life.
Do I get on the highway and head back to Lawrence and familiar streets? Or do I turn around and head down dirt roads, back through trees, hills, crickets chipping, the smell of dusk and country, sights I have yet to see and yet to know, sights that may be good or may be bad?
I realized that there was no way that I would be able to balance a journalistic career with my creative drive. I would end up a hollow shell, with my work ethic destroyed by devoting my life to something I didn't feel passionate about.
Taylor is a Witchha junior in journalism and anthropology.
As I drove on dirt roads, I thought about all of these issues. I pondered my future, my past, my supposed plans, my soul. I got myself hopelessly lost and then unexpectedly found several times again.
I came to a place where the unknown dirt road I was on met with a highway I recognized. I stopped, unsure of which course to follow.
Feedback
Timor operation is peace enforcement, not peace keeping
The news media is making a very important error as they report this event [UN involvement in East Timor]. It's a small difference in words with large implications in military application. UN response is being cited as a peacekeeping operation. It is really a peace enforcement operation. Peace keeping is when a neutral party steps between two belligerents wanting to stop fighting with each other.
Peace enforcement is when a neutral party steps between two belligerents, at least one of which wants the fight to continue. The difference in safety
Dean Mielke
Lawrence graduate student,
Army Reserve lieutenant colonel
Fake identification article was pointless
of the neutral party should be apparent. Please share this with your fellow journalists. Professionals need to use the right vocabulary to communicate accurately.
Maybe someone could possibly explain the real point of this article ("Faking It," 9-17-99), as the only thing I was able to derive from it was a point by point way to create an effective fake ID. Well, OK, maybe I was also able to figure out that as long as I could steal the bouncer's girlfriend's ID and
somehow be able to cleverly memorize all of the important information that I could still get in to the bar I was at, even though I would hypothetically be underage and my FAKE ID had just been taken. Did anyone else notice these problems that are so apparent? Articles like this one are pointless. Get a grip. If you are going to invest that much color and bother with all the graphics, please at least make sure that the story adds up. This one did not.
Carrie Gray West Linn, Ore., junior