4A
Thursday, September 28, 1995
OPINION UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
VIEWPOINT
THE ISSUE: RATING KU
Drop in KU enrollment is not indicative of problems
The recent announcement that enrollment has dropped at University of Kansas should not be cause for concern.
The figures show that enrollment decreased from 25,336 last year to 25,036 this year,a difference of 300 students. This decrease marks the fourth consecutive year that enrollment on the Lawrence campus has declined. Some might see these statistics as an indication of problems at the University. However, from examining the figures and recent developments at KU, it is apparent that the drop in enrollment isn't an alarming problem.
First, the enrollment drop was not in the freshman class. In fact, more freshmen enrolled this year than any other class. This indicates that interest in the undergraduate program is increasing. Hence, future enrollment looks good for KU.
Secondly, overall enrollment of minorities increased by 5.7 percent. KU is becoming more diverse, which is good for any university.
Finally, most of the enrollment drop occurred in non-residents. There were 386 fewer out-of-state students this year than last year. Higher out-of-state tuition is most likely the cause for this decrease, not a decline of interest in KU.
KU recently gained credentials which reaffirm things are going well. US
The recent decline in KU enrollment figures does not indicate any problems that need to be addressed
News & World Report ranked KU 28th out of 147 public universities in terms of academic reputation. Considering all 229 national universities, public and private, the magazine ranked KU 58th. KU received the highest ranking of all Big Eight schools. Rankings like these show that KU is developing a significant national reputation that will attract a higher quantity and quality of students.
Outside of the quantitative figures, there are several qualitative factors that work in the University's favor. The beauty of KU's campus is a constant selling point when it comes to prospective students. The KU administration is going to use that fact to continue to attract students. The administration just unveiled their Master Plan for KU. The plan will improve and preserve the appearance of campus. In addition, the construction of Budig Hall and the modernizing of Daisy Hill residence halls add to the attractiveness of KU. Enrollment statistics don't take into account that KU is a premier Midwestern University with a national reputation. This decline in enrollment is not a symptom of problems at KU.
MARK POTTER FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD.
"If all your friends jumped off a cliff, what would you do?..."
Matt Hood / KANSAN
Lusty frog ads leave beer drinkers croaking for more
It's not news that sex is a major theme of modern advertising. It's used in everything from peddling jeans, as in the kiddie porn of Calvin Klein, to gorgeous women flashing long limbs as they get out of sleek cars.
But recently, the Budweiser beer people came up with one of the most peculiar sexually suggestive ads I've ever seen.
As most TV viewers know, the current Budweiser ads feature frogs.
It would be far more realistic if there were three old lushes sitting outside a honkytonk yearningly croaking the beer's name. Or if one of them went staggering and stumbling behind the beer truck.
In one commercial, three fogs make croaking sounds. And eventually the three sounds come together to form "Budweiser."
Ah, but there is one other activity that frogs engage in. As a song says, birds do it, bees do it, etc.
But from what I know about frogs, they aren't interested in doing much besides eating bugs.
Because I've never worked in advertising, I'm puzzled by this strange connection between frogs and beer.
In another, a frog crouches next to a highway and attaches its tongue to the license plate of a passing Bud beer truck, then lets out a joyous whoop as it soars behind the truck.
And now to sell beer, the Bud ads strongly suggest that frogs do it, which of course, they do.
In the most recent ad, a large,
obviously masculine frog is buring
"Bud." In the distance, a higher
pitched voice burps back, "why".
the large male frog gets a glint in
COLUMNIST
his eyes and burps some more. Again, the softer, gentler response is heard.
Then we see what is obviously a seductive female frog.
The burly male frog leaps forward, and a sly expression appears on his face. One might
even say it is a look of lustful anticipation.
The rest of this encounter is left to our imaginations. And I'm grateful for that after getting a frog expert's description of the mating habits of frogs.
According to Chris Phillips, a biologist at the Illinois Natural History Survey, the Budweiser frog-sex scenario isn't accurate.
For one thing, any involvement is initiated by the female frog.
"The males and females live apart. The females come down to the pond to select from different males. They make a decision based on several factors. They judge the quality of the male by his call, its duration. The female is trying to pick the best father, the strongest and most virile male.
"In the commercial, where the male responds to the female, that's backwards. They want you to believe that the male goes to the female. Not much of that goes on."
"Instead, the males make their calls to the female, and she finds the one she wants. In 90 percent of the
species in Illinois, the female is running the show. She decides pretty much who she mates with. That's just the opposite of the way it happens in that commercial."
See? Still another reason why you can't trust advertising.
Phillips also described the actual mating techniques of frogs, which might explain why Budweiser ended the commercial before the hanky-panky began.
"The male grabs the female from behind, under her arms, and you can't get him off. Once the male does that, you would have to break his arms to get him away from her. And it can last for a couple of days."
Imagine that. A couple of days.
Looking at typical male frog, you just wouldn't think he was that sturdy and determined a fellow.
And when it is all over, that's it.
She goes one way, and he goes another. Which is understandable,
since they can both use a good night's sleep.
"You might see them at the pond," Phillips said. "But they are spaced out. They don't have much to do with each other. They don't socialize or date."
Love 'em for two days and leave 'em, that's the credo of your male frogs.
So now when you see those two Budweiser frogs on your TV, you know what the real story is.
As Phillips said of the frog ritual:
"It's really pretty brutal the way it all happens."
Obviously he hasn't researched some bars in Chicago.
Mike Royko is a syndicated columnist with the Chicago Tribune.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
I am writing concerning two items published recently in the Kansan: "Professors help stop dash after financial-aid cash" by Novelda Sommers and "Monitoring system a bad idea" by Nathan J. Tohtsoni. Both of these pieces discuss the issue of monitoring students who are not attending classes by the Office of Student Financial Aid.
Monitoring system is misrepresented
First, let me describe the form that the faculty members received. It is sent to all professors with their initial class roster. The form states:
received federal financial aid but has never attended classes or who has stopped attending classes sometime after the first day of the semester, without official withdrawing from the University. If the last date of attendance is not reported for each student, the law stipulates that the first day of classes for that semester/term be used as the withdrawal date, which could result in a substantial financial aid repayment penalty for the student."
When I receive notification from a professor that a student either has never attended a class or has stopped attending a class. I do the following:
Faculty are not required to complete the forms, nor are they required to monitor attendance.
1) Check the student's current schedule. In many instances, the
student has already withdrawn from the course or has changed sections. Often professors are responding to their original class roster. If this is the case, I do nothing else.
2) Check to see if the student is receiving federal financial aid. If they are not, I also do nothing.
(1) If the student is sent in charge in the class and has received federal financial aid, I attempt to contact him or her by phone. In some instances, the student assumed that he/she was dropped from the course. Sometimes the student assumed that they were withdrawn from the University. In these instances, I explain the withdrawal procedures to the student. Many don't realize that unless they either cancel aid or officially withdraw, their schedules remain intact.
As you can see, we do not "force" students to withdraw. The decision is the student's to make. I only send the students more forms in the mail when I cannot contact them by phone. When a student tells me they are attending classes, I also do nothing, but suggest that he or she contact his or her professor.
4) I also send a note to the registrar's office along with the informar from the professor about the student's last date of attendance. If the enrollment was saved because of financial aid, I explain this in the note.
While we are required to monitor students' last date of attendance, we have tried to design a process to keep students informed about the withdrawal process. With assistance from the faculty, we can identify students before the
end of the semester is reached and before they receive all failing grades on their transcript. In fact, during the last two semesters, many students have expressed appreciation about our efforts.
It is not our intent to penalize the student or play "mother and father." Our concern is to identify students whose enrollment is saved by financial aid but who never came to attend. It is also to identify a student's last date of attendance when that student started the semester, but subsequently withdrew.
If I can provide additional information, please feel free to contact me.
Rachel Rademacher Associate Director, Office of Student Financial Aid
KU should provide GTAs with a health plan
In a recent lecture at the University of Kansas, University of Illinois professor Michael Berube remarked that he only visited the dentist once in his seven years of graduate school — right before he got married.
I can appreciate Berube's story because I also have visited the dentist only once in my graduate school career — when I got married. Berube's remark, and my own experience, point to a general problem. Many graduate teaching assistants belong to the steadily growing number of employed but un
o employed but uninsured workers.
This does not have to be the case. GTAs at the Universities of Massachusetts, Michigan, Oregon and Wisconsin (among other places) all have successfully obtained a variety of health benefits, ranging from sick leave and family leave provisions to dental, optical and partially to fully-subsidized health insurance.
As more of the responsibility of undergraduate education is falling on the shoulders of GTAs, all universities should provide their front-line teachers with adequate options for health care.
On Friday, GTAs will hold a "Rally for Health Care" from noon to 1 p.m. in front of Wescoe Hall to draw attention to the problem and to look for solutions.
GTAs teach 25 percent of all classes at KU, and they do so for a combined salary cost of about $8 million. Filling those classes with tenure-track professors would cost the state more than $30 million. On salaries alone, GTAs save KU and the people of Kansas at least $22 million.
Is it unfair to suggest that the University reinvest some of the savings in insuring the health of teachers?
KU has claimed that providing benefits for GTAs would cost $2.6 million, a figure that assumes full and free coverage for each GTA at a cost of $216 a month. Providing health care to the employees who teach so many undergraduate classes is only fair — but that does not mean that KU must provide the most expensive plan available or nothing at all.
The employer could provide a $100 a month subsidy for basic individual coverage (as they do at Wisconsin) for a little more than $1 million. KU also could subsidize the health insurance selected by the Student Senate and made available to KU students (including GTAs). The cost is less than $800,000.
We invite all graduate students, undergraduate students, staff and faculty to join with GTAs at the Rally for Health Care. Speaking at the rally will be GTAs from several different universities. Let's begin a dialogue about health care by finding out what these other schools offer their graduate employees.
Mike Johnson is a Lawrence graduate student in English.
How to submit letters
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.
KANSAN STAFF
All letters should be submitted to the Kansan newsroom, 111 Staufer-Flint Hall.
COLLEEN MCCAIN
Editor
DAVID WILSON
Managing editor, news
ASHLEY MILLER
Managing editor, planning & design
TOM EBLEN
General manager, news adviser
News & Special Sections...Deedra Allison
Editorial...Heather Lewenzon
Associate Editorial...Sarah Morrison
Campus...Virginia Morgelmith
Associate Campus...Torsa Vasquez
Associate Campus...Paul Todd
Associate Campus...Paul Todd
Associate Sports...Tom Erickson
Photo...Koltz
Wire...Robert Allen
On-line coordinator...Tina Fassett
Editors
By Greg Hardin
STEPHANE UTLEY
Business manager
MATT SHAW
Retail sales manager
JAY STEINER
Sales and marketing adviser
CATHERINE ELLSWORTH
Technology coordinator
Business Staff
Campus mgr ... Meredith Hennung
Regional mgr ... Tom Dulac
National mgr ... Heather Barnes
Special Section mgrs ... Heather Miahousa
Production mgrs ... Nancy Euston
Marketing director ... Kendra Nye
Public Relations director ... Beth Cahli
Creative director ... Brigg Bloomquist
Classified mgr ... Heather Valier
Internship/co-op mgr ... Kelly Connelys
HUBIE