Living groups in the news
A valid question has come up recently from a university administrator, among others, concerning the Kansan news policy and its effect on living groups on campus. The question, posed by several inquirers, asks if it is really necessary to print items such as an apartment-complex disturbance by a pledge class on a walkout, an accident involving members of a specific fraternity, or a story about the destruction of an elevator in one of the residence halls.
The concern is over the possible unfavorable reflection such articles might cast on the living groups. One specific hypothetical situation would be something like, "What if one of the living group members was, say, drunk and was run over by a car. Wouldn't this story in the paper look bad for the whole group?"
The aim of the Kansan is to cover and report any and all activities of and involving KU students. Also, any event which might interest or affect students is eligible for our news pages. A seriously vandalized elevator in McCollum Hall may not speak the best for that hall, but the readers have a right to know about it, just as any off-campus reader expects to be informed
of local happenings by his city daily, so long as the printing of them is not libelous.
We seriously doubt that the dissemination of such items would cause anyone to condemn the university residence hall system, any more than one would conclude that fraternities are bad because one had a wild party. And if, by chance, a fraternity member was injured or killed while associated with a house function, we still doubt that it would be injurious to the house or the system.
The function of the Kansan news pages is to inform its readers, not to form opinions. We attempt to form opinions on the editorial page, and they certainly do not extend into condemnations of living group systems. Our news policy is not, nor has it ever been, "down on fraternities" or "down on dorms" or any other groups.
But any event which relates to the university will be reported impartially in our pages, with the best intentions of keeping members of the KU community abreast of the news. Ours is not to accentuate or suppress news for the benefit of special interests; any injury to an organization under such circumstances would not be the fault of the newspaper.
New ID cards
KU students and faculty will soon receive new identification cards, in line with the university's transition to a fully-automated IBM records system. The new cards will be readable by data collector machines, and will facilitate enrollment, registration and even library book checkout.
But we feel that a simple modification of the cards could iron out many of the problems which must still be dealt with in a manual operation, like cashing checks, and attending football and basketball games.
If the student's picture were printed on the face of the card, as is done at many schools throughout the country, much of the after-thefact red tape arising from various transactions
could be eliminated. There has been complaining in the last few years that non-students, and other unauthorized persons have gained admission to basketball games.
Football games are not so much of a problem because of reserved seats, but the best seats in the student section in Allen Field House are and should be for KU students. With pictures on ID cards, assuming the guard at the door would check as thoroughly as he is supposed to, only that student (or a reasonable facsimile) would be admitted. And the field house guards have enough trouble checking the present ID's; it is doubtful that they are programmed to read IBM punches.
— Editorials By Jack Harrington...
The people say...
To the editors:
Since I have arrived at KU (a scant month), I have heard and read nothing but uneuphenistic denonunciations concerning the sad plight of KU, its students, faculty, administration, and government. Unfortunately, I am inclined to agree with all the damnations, but, I think, for very different reasons.
All through high school one receives from various sources the general impression that today's colleges are brothels, LSD dens, gay deceiver haunts, free love houses, dives, and anything else within the limits of illegitimacy that are possible in human confines all rolled up into one tight alliance.
SO, NAIVELY, I came to KU
"We Hold These Truths To Be Self-Evident— That All White Men Are Created Superior . . ."
thinking that college life here would be no different than all I had imagined. However . . . the closest I have come to anything in the least erotic or exciting is to have seen a drunken male freshman heeding nature's call in some bushes. The people around here are all as innocent as "Peanuts" characters, and as chaste as that night picnic at Oliver was two weeks ago.
Things at KU are so pure that if you have a discussion (and just a discussion) on free love, you are branded not as an open-minded individual, but as a sexfiend. A picture of the latest Playmate adorning your closet door bears with it whispers that your hermit like existence is leading you to perverse thoughts. A swear word spoken in mixed company and people's mouths drop down to their respective navels.
THEREFORE, it is my suggestion that if KU had a little filth, a smattering of obscene thoughts, a hint of after hours hanky-panky among professors and coeds, a bit of pornographic literature in Watkins and the book store, a free love cult among the deans, some LSD sprinkled on dorm sugar and a rather sultry biological experiment performed at Snow, then maybe the apathy that reigns at KU might be purged.
But even if KU's problems weren't solved, it sure would be a heck of a lot more exciting around the campus.
RICK DINKEL
Palatine, Ill., freshman
Daily Kansan
2
Monday, October 17, 1966
LITTLE MAN ON CAMPUS
"WHEN THI' GOING GETS ROLLIG WHY CAN'T YOU JUST PACE UP AND DOWN LIKE OTHER COACHES?"
Traffic laws changing
Kansas law enforcement officers are attempting to reform the 25-year-old uniform traffic law by adding or changing some statutes.
The reforms are coming out of a meeting of the traffic law committee of the Kansas Peace Officers Association.
Many areas are to be considered in these traffic laws. Good laws which can be effectively enforced are needed. Laws which are unequal or cannot be enforced make a mockery of justice,
Here are the proposals and some observations on them:
- Lowering measurement of the alcoholic content in blood stream in determining drunkenness. It would be better if the committee could come up with some idea on how to achieve more uniform convictions from citations officers issue now. Often the difference of conviction or exoneration is the price of a good lawyer.
A SET AMOUNT of alcohol in the blood stream has different effects on different people under different conditions. Classic is the case of testimony in courts that judging from alcohol content, a defendant should have been unconscious or dead at the time of the arrest when apparently he was not.
A better criteria to determine the drunken driver should be sought.
- Transporting cereal malt beverages. One open beer while driving can lead to another or to a serious accident. Some states prohibit the use of any beverage while driving.
- Careless driving. It is hoped that a more uniform criteria of determining careless driving would be sought. In some areas charges of careless driving are almost automatic after an accident.
- Carrying weapons in vehicles. Curtailing the carrying of weapons in vehicles could have many effects. Safety of officers is not the prime question for a person who would shoot an officer would likely disobey the law anyway. Hunters may object but then hunting from vehicles is already illegal. People who need protection guns may be physically safer without them.
- Citations on the spot. This, in conjunction with drunken driving laws, may have some merit of not offering the offender the sobering experience of being hauled down to the station.
- Muffler regulations. Leaky mufflers are hazardous to the health of the car's occupants; however, car manufacturers are developing other means of silencing straight-through exhaust systems.
- Drag racing. This should legally be kept to authorized, supervised drag strips.
- Two license plates, both reflectorized. This measure, of course, would involve added expense to the car owner and added pleasure to tourists, but may be an aid to officers investigating automobile related crimes.
- Registration receipts mounted in cars. This could be another measure which would aid officers in crime investigations. A good system would surely add expenses to car owners and taxpayers.
By GERALD DEMEL
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY
The Daily Kansan, student newspaper at The University of Kansas, is represented by National Advertising Service, 18 East St. 50 St., New York, N.Y. 16022. Postage paid at Lawrence, Kan., every afternoon during the University year except Saturdays and Sundays. University holidays and examination periods. Accommodations, goods, services and employment advertised in the University Daily Kansan are offered to all students without regard to color, creed or
The opinions expressed in the editorial column are those of the students whose names are signed to them. Guest editorial views are not necessarily the editor's. Any opinions expressed in the Daily Kansan are not necessarily those of The University of Kansas Administration or the State Board of Regents.