OPINION
Coming Friday, October 19...
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free
Editorial: Vulgar chant at football games demeans the University.
Petterson: Alternative energy in Kansas deserves attention.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN WWW.KANSAN.COM THURSDAY OCTOBER 20
BURRITO-MADE EPIPHANIES
Using a urinal doesn't need to be awkward
Men should get over their inhibitions and end the embarrassment of a trip to the bathroom
E everyone, I have an announcement to make. I, Ross Stewart, have
Why am I upset about this?
It's not because I feel some sort of insecurity, I don't pee like boys of a young age often do—pants to the ankles, shirt to the chin. I'm not concerned about the awkward conversation.
"Hey, nice penis. How's that working for you?"
I've been noticing something as of late though. No, nothing striking a resemblance to testicular cancer, but that men at this college are unnerved by urinating next to one another. Why can't guys use urinals right next to each other? There is an unspoken rule of sorts, a man law if you will, about skipping over one urinal to make things more comfortable for everyone, but honestly, we're all adults here. We should be able to handle this by now.
The reason it bothers me is that every time a man feels uncomfortable urinating next to another man, he inadvertently skips over using a urinal and uses a stall instead. Men pee standing up, so he usually urinates all
1. Ross Stewart, have a penis. I've had it for 20 years. It's a lot like carrying around a calculator, except it doesn't do math, other than the number one.
EDITORIAL BOARD
over the seat. My bringing up how long I've had a penis in the beginning of this column has a point; I can aim. All of us by this age should be able to do the same.
So you can understand why I'm so bent out of shape about men being timid to use a urinal. When I enter a bathroom to use a stall for what
it was designed for and have to wait for a guy who's just peeing standing up, I get a little irritated. But when I go to use that stall after him and he has urinated all over the seat, I usually exit the stall and say, "Hey man, thanks!"
To men who pee all over the seat, imagine this happening. I follow you back to your car in an air of mirth.
Me:"Oh, nice car."
You: "Thanks."
Me: (Peeing on your car seat) "Go ahead sit down, sit please; I'm just, you know, 'being me.'"
It's going to happen one of these days.
The best solution I can come up with to avoid fines and jail time for both urinating in public and assault with urine is that the University take some of what we each pay in student fees and install some dividers between the urinals. Or you know, we could all just grow up a little bit.
Oh I forgot, if I haven't said penis enough in this column yet: penis, penis, penis and penis.
Stewart is a Wichita junior in journalism.
FREE FOR ALL: 864-0500 OR KANSAN.COM/FACEBOOK
Free for All callers have 20 seconds to speak about any topic they wish. Kansan editors reserve the right to omit comments. Slanderous and obscene statements will not be printed. Phone numbers of all incoming calls are recorded.
If you know what a eukaryote is, you should also know how to spell it.
Someone needs to direct a porno down in the stacks of Watson.
Rusty trombone!
I certainly see no difference between the dorms and the darkest pits of hell.
The answer to the Muck Fizzzou T-shirt dilemma is obvious; put the slogan on the back of the shirt! We keep our slogan, the TV cameras can show the fans and the athletic department saves some face. Win-win-win
I lost a black Canon digital camera, probably outside the Hawk. Anyone seen it?
Why is it that when you come out of the rain into Wescoe, you don't feel any better?
Free For All, I want to get a tattoo that only shows up when I'm angry.
Today I was in the library elevator and having a horrible day and a guy actually was polite enough to wait for me to leave first and held the door for me. Thank you for being a genuinely nice guy.
Do you remember when Bobby Boucher showed up at halftime and the Muddogs won the Bourbon Bowl?
And the student did say, "But how doth one clean pants with no quarters?" And the Lord God said, "Thou shalt Febreeze each leg, then thou shalt Febreeze the crotch of said dirty pants". And it was good.
School sucks! Free for All, do you want to drop out with me and form a country band duo?
Did Stephen Colbert just announce that he was running for president? He has my vote.
Methinks the Jayhawks shall be 10-2 during the regular season.
Freedom of speech demands responsibility
Colorado State University editorial displays poor judgment, lack of maturity
A four-word editorial on Friday, Sept. 21 in the Colorado State Uni-
Colorado State University newspaper, The Rocky Mountain Collegian, has put the student-run newspaper under the nation's spotlight. The editorial read, "Taser this: Fuck Bush." Under the editorial it read, "This column represents the views of the Collegian's editorial board." The issue at hand is not that of the First Amendment, because as a student-run paper, it is the student editors who have a final say over content. The issue is how the board decided to address the rights that are allotted to students under the First Amendment.
The board, which consists of seven editors, is said to have
wrestled back and forth over the idea of whether to run the editorial statement, which put the editor-in-chief, J. David McSwane, at risk of losing his job.The Collegegian has received flak for the statement across the nation, as well as locally.The paper is said to have lost about $30,000 in advertising, which will result in a pay cut for all staff members.
The statement is in reference to the Tasering of a University of Florida student as he attempted to ask multiple questions during a tirade at a Sen. John Kerry speech. The editors claim that it was not a political statement, but about the rights of students on campuses. Regardless of their intentions, which were not stated in the 'editorial,' the
headline did not come on as a statement about free speech. It was an irresponsible decision by the editors, which cost many students a loss in pay, and put the professionalism and ethics of the paper in question.
The University Daily Kansan has the right to run any newworthy story or opinion by staffers, at the editors' discretion. The Free For All, for example, contains expletives almost every day. However, if any story is run that does contain vulgar content, we at the Kansan, feel we have a purpose in our use of such words. While freedom of speech and the First Amendment are both highly valued, it is a matter of ethics and professional courtesy on how journalists attempt to test the limits.
If the Collegian is going for the 'shock jock' of college papers, it receives the Don Imus Award hands down. The board claims that it was not their intention to promote irresponsible journalism, although the coverage and media regarding the editorial may suggest otherwise. If the Collegian, or any other student-run newspaper, does choose to comment on the rights of students on campus, we hope they follow in line behind those student journalists who do exercise our rights in a respectable, non-vulgar or president-bashing way.
DRAWING BOARD
BURGERTIMES
MAX RINKEL
Charity deserves kudos, regardless of origin
Money raised by alcohol-serving bars and clubs still goes to a worthy cause
JACOB MUSELMANN
Some of us have it all,
but no one feels like
they themselves do.
compassion for others. Something that seems to coincide in this nature this season is the increase in awareness of poverty and implementing programs, drives and benefits to prepare for the colder months. Many groups, from food kitchens to bars, are lending a hand in helping to provide a wider range of local
they themselves do.
October is marked with several good things that make this time of year my favorite. The beginning of basketball (or at least the heightened sense of school spirit it creates), the change in the weather and my typical dive into all things pumpkin usually raise my spirits and general
support for these causes—a fact I couldn't believe had drawn dispute.
Bars' involvement in fund-raising efforts for charity is not okay with some, a fact that is puzzling for me. Saturday the Replay Lounge hosted "Fashion Monsters," a fashion show displaying local stores' merchandise, with a three-dollar cover going to the Social
Service League. It looked to be a success; the place was crowded, and the show was good (almost wholesome) fun. As a result, the Social Service League now has more funds to use and everyone had a good time on Saturday. I don't see the moral argument opponents try to claim. Many legal-aged attendees were probably going to go to a bar anyway.
Similar derision is also directed at the upcoming "Crawl for Cancer" in Kansas City, Mo., where groups sign up for a night of drinking at different local pubs to benefit the American Cancer Society and Helping Hands. Opposition claims it is not the best way to raise money, although the Crawl fills up quickly each year.
It is not as if the giving were by the glass. More drinks do not equal more giving in any of these events. No one is asking anyone to drape over the toilet for charity, pass out for charity or have a hangover for charity.
Those in need are not grappling with the fact that someone donated cans or a huge check was presented or if someone bought a cookie or if someone paid a bar cover one night to support them. Compassion is not just for the up-tights. It all translates to the same spirit of giving. That, I think, is where more is always better.
Muselmann is a Tula, Okla,
junior in journalism.
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The Editorial Board
Erick R. Schmidt, Eric Jorgensen,
Darla Slipke, Kelsey Hayes, Bryan
Dykman, Brandon T. Minster, Angelique
McNaughton and Benjamin R. Smith