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EDITORIAL: The University's guaranteed four-year tuition plan is a good idea, but with most students graduating in five years or more, it needs revision See kansan.com for more opinions and Free for All comments
FRIDAY,OCTOBER 27,2006 WWW.KANSAN.COM
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
OPINION
PAGE 5A
》 OUR VIEW
Guaranteed tuition plan unrealistic, needs revision
The proposed guaranteed tuition plan sounds like a good idea at first glance. But so far, KU officials have failed to address the importance of the relationship between the proposal and advising and course availability.
Todd Cohen, associate director of University Relations, said if students want a rough estimate of the cost of additional years, they should estimate a 5 percent increase per credit hour per year.
Guaranteed tuition might better prepare students and their families by setting a predictable tuition rate before enrollment. It would certainly encourage students to get out in four years: For those contemplating a longer stay, tuition would rise sharply.
For instance, if the University sets the four-year rate at $208 per credit hour in 2008, the rate
A small fraction — 29 percent of KU students graduate in four years, a problem many universities share. The University of Kansas ranks fifth out of the 11 public Big 12 universities in four-year graduation rates; the University of Missouri ranks first at 37 percent.
would jump to about $265 per credit hour in students' fifth year at the University, assuming no exceptional inflation occurs.
Specific details of the plan, along with tuition rates, will be presented to the Board of Regents in May 2007.
With such a substantial increase in tuition possible for a large percentage of KU students, the University must make sure that students get better advising and increased course availability.
KU undergraduates said they "occasionally" had trouble developing a course schedule, according to a 2006 survey commissioned by the Office of Institutional Research and Planning. Students mostly rated their advising as "helpful" the survey says. These perceptions could change for the worse if students find they must graduate in four years to avoid a tuition hike.
Let's hope the University starts thinking more broadly in terms of how it will execute its plan.
Steve Lynn for the editorial board
GUEST COMMENTARY
Response to bible thumper a disgrace to the University
To the mob surrounding the bible thumper:
What the hell were you thinking? Your actions were disgusting and only lowered to you the same pathetic level as him. You have disgraced the University with your thoughtless, low-class response and should be ashamed.
As you stood around watching the fool spew his messages of homophobia and anti-Semitism, I saw people act like savages. I heard physical threats, I heard personal attacks and at some point eggs were thrown at him.
What did you accomplish? Did it make you feel better? Did it change his bigoted attitude? Because all I saw were people making asses of themselves. I didn't feel bad for any of the gay men or Jews who mocked and attacked the preacher. None of them had any grasp of decency or effectiveness. Instead, they lowered themselves to his level, spitting out their own messages of hatred.
Can you honestly tell me that this was the correct response? I'm an out and proud gay man and I have Jewish family members. I empathize completely. But under no circumstance would I ever react in that manner.
You wonder why some people hate queers? Why they don't associate with Jews? Because of idiots like you who act like vicious children. It's bad enough that you're willing to make yourself look terrible, and it's worse that you're thoughtless enough to drag the rest of us down with you.
Surely you could have been more respectful and grown-up about it. You could have left, or even stayed and listened to his point. But you turned it into a carnival, something to watch for entertainment. And
that was the saddest thing of all.
As you fools make a victim out of that bible thumper, a group of us saw another man, a student, speak back. He talked about ways to make the world a better place, about practical ways to fix so many of the world's problems. There were no more than 10 of us listening.
The rest of you, the other hundred people, got your fix of mindless entertainment for the day. There was no intelligent thought being articulated by anyone in that group. It was merely the sophomoric and unrefined insults of some college students who were impressed with themselves. Every single one of you was there solely to watch that man get humiliated and attacked. The only message you made clear today was that most people are too busy being entertained to learn about making a change.
If you really cared about making the world a better and more equal place, you would have moved about 10 feet and listened to someone who wanted to fix our society, not divide it. And if you think you did anything to heal the division in this country, you are gravely mistaken.
Hasty actions like yours will do nothing to reverse the demarcation of America. If anything, you'll drive moderate Christians to the other side and only cause harm to the causes you likely support. You wonder why gay marriage is illegal? Look in the mirror.
The next time someone is stupid enough to try and lecture against gays or Jews on this campus, plan a better response. You'll be doing us all a favor.
TRICK OR TREAT
Ryan Campbell
Olathe sophomore
GUEST COMMENTARY
Don't respond to extremism with violence
I do not know what it is about Wescoe beach that draws out the extremists.
As I walked by on Wednesday, the explosion of noise coming from the mob grabbed my attention. Apparently, a religious extremist had been spouting a message of intolerance and hate, and the crowd was responding with anger and aggression.
My first thought was that this just looks bad for everyone. The man speaking bad off as a vicious hatemonger, and the crowd looked hostile, mean and out of control. They turned a solitary extremist into a ridiculous spectacle, and no one came off looking good.
After watching the crowd for a little while, I realized that we can do better. First off, responding to hate with violence is the wrong move. Those who decided to throw eggs at the speaker only worsened the situation by sinking to his level.
Also, the more people stand out there and listen to a speaker like that, the more successful he feels. Walking away is the best response to a man like that. Show him how alone he is in his beliefs, and he will
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start to feel like he is wasting his time. Overreacting is counterproductive. I actually heard a girl make the following speech: "Y'all know that Jesus went to hell, don't ya? He said Jews were going to hell and he was a Jew and nobody should be following a religion if the leader went to hell!"
My only response is to say that if you do not know a lot about the issue then do not scream at the top of your lungs just to fuel the fire. The crowd handled the situation poorly, and we can do better.
Another thing to remember, for the extremists on the other side, is men like that do not accurately represent an entire religion. Most Christians believe that the message of their religion is contorted and twisted by angry rants like that. He sat there and judged everyone and pretended he was on a high horse of
perfection.
But Jesus said, "Let he who has no sin throw the first stone," and the Bible adds to that by saying, "All men have sinned." This man spent his entire time saying homosexuals and drunkards were going to hell. But the Bible says, "God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world". Mainstream Christians believe that all people are equal and none of us are perfect. They believe in a God of love and forgiveness. People like Fred Phelps and the man who spoke on Wescoe totally miss the point of Christianity, and they butcher the message of Jesus in the process.
If we know that his rant does not accurately reflect the mainstream view of a group, then it should be easy to just ignore him. The reason that Wesco beach draws out extremists like this is because they know how we like to react and it gives them a rush. They just keep coming, and it is our fault. We can do better.
John Connor Overland Park senior
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I just saw a guy walking with his hands down his pants. That is pretty awkward.
I think the UDK is wasting paper printing the sports section.
There is no better way to yell,
"I'm a freshman," than to yell, "I got drunk," in front of a lecture hall.
Congratulations. A lot of people
I'm pretty sure that the guy who just got out of his car to dance to Kelly Clarkson at a stop light is my
I just killed a squirrel with a Mello Yello bottle.
favorite person
get drunk
Do the two homeless people in front of Watson Library playing video games pay tuition?
favorite p
in humanity.
I just walked out of my Journalism 101 class where a girl just said that the situation in Darfur does not affect people in the United States and I have a little less faith
To the UPS guy who almost ran over me in the crosswalk: Don't take it out on me that you have to drive a truck for a living.
No.Women do not like manboobs.
I just saw a guy running after the bus screaming, "Hey, hey, give me a ride." is that funny?
today a massive wind popped my collar. So for three minutes I knew what it felt like to be a massive
There is a cat walking around campus.
It is called a quiet zone for a reason.
We are sitting in GSP and we can't decide which is better, Free for All or Gumby's, when you are high. It is a close race.
--sucks.
I'm the girl that fell off the wall in front of Eaton Hall and I have to say that having a broken arm
As I was walking back from class
I think this Saturday the band and football team should switch places.I don't think anyone would notice a difference.
图
Earlier today when I was eating my Skittles I tasted the rainbow. It didn't taste too good.
COMMENTARY
Make it crazy on Halloween while you can
BY SARAH BROWN
KANSAN COLUMNIST
OPINION@KANSAN.COM
It's the time of year again for most college students to dress up as complete nutcases and be justified in their actions.
Halloween is a long-awaited holiday for many because it allows the ladies to dress as inappropriately and revealing as possible and not feel ashamed about their outfits, or lack thereof. For guys, on the other hand, it usually is viewed as an opportunity to sit back and watch.
As my years at the University of Kansas quickly pass by, I realize that the need for students' all-out Halloween participation needs to be fulfilled now because there won't be many chances in the future to excuse such bizarre behavior and attire. I have scrambled together some last-minute Halloween ideas and advice for those of you who are looking to wholeheartedly take advantage of this year's Halloween festivities.
Are you even aware of how much most ladies spend on a costume solely to impress you with? Take the initiative and head to a costume store or shop online. Guys, you'd be amazed at all the different selections they have to offer you.
First, I will tackle the ladies. All right, we all know it's quite humorous to dress up in the most exposing outfits, but on the other hand, you might want to do a double-take in the mirror before leaving home.
For the rest of you who choose to not participate in Halloween, that's just foolish. In 10 years when you attend your job's annual Halloween party, don't expect all-out drunkenness and superhero dance-offs.
Now guys, it's your turn. This year, I want to see some actual participation. With most guys it's the typical last-minute jeans and favorite sports team jersey.
Want to save your funds for the drinks? Then make an impression on the ladies by hand-making your own costume.
Rather than viewing this holiday as another way to waste money or embarrass yourself, embrace it with the remaining youth that's left inside of you. The point of college is to enjoy those last remaining responsibility-free years of freedom. You will definitely be missing out if you choose to disregard this Halloween.
I'm not discouraging you from taking advantage of what no other holiday allows you to wear, just suggesting tastefulness. Those of you who plan on wearing midriff-bearing loincloth attire should reconsider your outfit, and reputation for that matter. And as always, what you don't remember from the night before will always come back to haunt you, of course, on Facebook.
Honestly, some of the outfits I've seen on girls in past Halloweens have left me thoroughly appalled and embarrassed for them. A "Desperate Housewife" costume doesn't necessarily entail appearing desperate or flat-out yelling, "I'm easy!"
Brown is an Omaha, Neb., junior in business.
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