OPINION
Coming Tuesday, September 11..
Guest Column: Students reflect on the sixth anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
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 MONDAY SEPTEMBER 10,2007 PAGE EA
Cohen: The Republican Party lacks a strong presidential candidate for 2008.
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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10.2007
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NICE AND ACCURATE PROPHECIES
Hold on to the carefree attitudes of childhood as long as you can Imagination may be the way to stave off the worries and difficulties of life as an adult
O h the wandering mind, with its daydreams, nightmares.
reminiscences and ponderings, taking us through imagined kingdoms, into dens of inequity, antiquity and occasionally depravity; how often it seems to grab and tear the innocent brainowner away from firm reality to wonder about the effectiveness of the pogo-stick as a getaway vehicle or the attractiveness of Miss Piggy as a paramour.
We think about our past excursions into uncharted waters; the first kiss, the first time behind the wheel, the first auto accident, the first time dad took the keys away and told us to get glasses or we'd never drive again. All of these thoughts flooding through in salience to drown out prosperous activity. They keep us from moving the
economy forward, slow down our out-production of the competitor, and make it so the opposition can get the upper hand and out-quaff us at every imprudent juncture.
But isn't daydreaming fun?
It's almost as if it were built into us to calm us and help us get through the day besought with toil, argument, war, zealotry, high taxes and the constant discomfort brought on by the terror alert system.
It all starts in youth, of course. As little boys and girls we play princess and soldier, or cops and robbers. I recall a time when my life's ambition was to replace Superman when he retired (with the back-up plan of becoming a payload specialist on the space shuttle Pathfinder).
No memories stick out more about childhood then the endless games of make believe. Sunny days were always spent running between neighborhood houses, ducking behind junior bushes, using sticks as pistols and bath towels from mom's linen closet in substitute of cape and cowl. Little brothers were always the villains or the ones who had to play dead. Little sisters were either the damsels in distress or the evil dragon queens.
Growing up, it gets harder
to play at anything. After age 12 people begin to expect you to "know better" and "act your age." Imaginary friends are discouraged, then ignored, then erased with monthly checks to the children's psychiatrist. Growing up means growing out of certain delicacies. Cap'n Crunch and fruit cups are replaced by colon-friendly Oat Bran and heart friendly Oat n' Honey granola bars. Why is it after a certain birthday we feel a need to subsist on horse food?
But children seem to have more on us. They seem happier much more of the time. The back seats of cars across America only seem to know tears when knees are scabbed or ice cream is deliberately withheld as punishment for churlishness. Five-year-olds don't complain about missed deadlines. They splash in the spilled milk instead of gripe about cleaning it up. They are not concerned with eco-friendly cars or biodegradable underwear.
What's a carbon foot print? Children don't know or care.
All they want is to smile and laugh as often as possible. There is nothing larger to them than family and friends, nothing more important than the moments in which they live. Kids don't plan and it never proves an obstacle to them.
The wondering minds are carefree things. We, the adults, seem to discourage them so much amongst ourselves that we darken others. We are zombies, working hard to solve the world's problems through action, invention and discovery. We worry so much about tomorrow while outside our children play in the sunshine that is slowly giving them skin cancer, splashing in puddles of bacteria-infested water that might lure mosquitoes carrying the deadly West Nile virus. Do they seem petrified with fear?
I guess growing up is a curse all around. Ignorance truly does seem blissful when watching children at play. With the wisdom of age comes nothing but headaches, backaches, heartaches and the increased risk of unwanted pregnancy, venereal disease, and ending up in a meaningless job that drives you up the wall until one day you snap and nearly give Jeanie in accounting a heart attack.
Stay loose, kids, Tag! You're it.
GARDENING TIPS
Smith is a Rose Hill graduate student in English.
Economic troubles affect everyone Price increases are not only difficult for minority groups
BRANDON T. MINSTER
I ride the bus. Not as regularly as I once did, when I rode it to work and back every day, but still at least four times a week I'm among the great unwashed (some literally so). So I took notice when Lawrence Transit decided to raise its fares. The price of a bus ride has gone up one quarter, and at the end of the year it will go up another quarter.
What's the big deal, right?
The quarter is the new nickel.
The days of buying something for a quarter and getting change are long gone. When I first heard about the fare increase, my sense of outrage was less than stoked.
I had been angrier about a game of "Wheel of Fortune" than I
was about this. ("She already guessed T! Weren't you listening?"
It turned out, I was just looking at it wrong. When I began to realize the eventual fare would be double the original fare, well, that seemed like it could very well be the largest fee increase in
government history. What if the cost of everything doubled? I'd have much less spending power. Some estimates indicate I'd have perhaps half as much. Half as much spending power would mean half as many Swedish Fish and Vernor's ginger ale. And, suddenly, there was the missing outrage.
Fortunately, I wasn't alone. It seems every fee increase in America can now be painted as an effort of stick it to the little guy. Evidently every government budget is being "balanced on the backs of the poor."
It's not just the poor who are getting shafted. Women, minorities and children are all feeling the brunt of mathematics, too.
A quick search with that staple of serious research, Google, indicates people across the country are currently painting everything from drug enforcement to building contracts as an attempt to harm women, minorities and children. I could feel the indignation welling up inside my bowels. I went to the restroom and checked my drawers. Yep, it was only indignation.
I hadn't been this angry since last spring when Jimmy John's raised the price of all their sandwiches by 26 cents. That's an eight percent increase on the price of the slim. My kids always ate the slim. It turns out Jimmy John's was balancing their budget on the backs of my kids.
"What do you guys think about the higher prices at Jimmy John's?" I asked my kids.
"What Jimmy John's is?" my son asked.
my daughter asked.
"Is it that place where they give you cards while you wait?"
"A sandwich shop."
"No, that's Yello Sub."
"Let's eat there," she said.
So there you have it. My kids are so angry about the higher prices at Jimmy John's that they won't even eat there anymore. And I'm so angry about the bus fare increase that I'm shopping for bicycles now.
Yet there are important questions that remain unanswered, such as, "How long has Jimmy John's had it out for women, minorities and children? And why are there so many onions in the tuna salad sandwich? Seriously, it's like I'm eating an onion that had been raised on a slight diet of tuna." Jimmy John's has supplied no answers (mainly because I haven't actually asked anyone associated with Jimmy John's), and the silence speaks volumes. (I had a concerned look on my face when I typed that last bit.)
Minster is a Lawrence senior in economics.
DRAWING BOARD
MAX RINKI
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Study group at the Dole Institute encourages civic engagement
Dear Editors.
Now, more than ever before college students and recent graduates are volunteering their time and service in record numbers. Last year, Teach for America announced that applications for the program had increased 20% since 2000 and in 2005, the Peace Corps had their highest number of volunteers in 30 years. Unfortunately, this trend has not spilled over to civic engagement. During the 2006 midterm elections, only 23% of Kansans ages 18 to 29 voted. I think more college students would be willing to donate their time and energy to the political process - if they only knew how to get involved.
Jennifer Schmidt, the fall
Republican fellow for the Dole Institute of Politics, may have the answer. Her study group, exploring the role of women in politics and their career stories, offers solutions for all people looking for a way to get involved. Each Wednesday, her group will feature female guests willing to share their stories and answer questions about how they became involved in the political process. The sessions offer students a one of a kind chance to make contacts and learn how to become involved in the process. For anyone wanting to get more involved in politics, these groups are an opportunity that should not be missed.
Stephanie Temaat
Spearville sophomore
FREE FOR ALL: 864-0500 OR KANSAN.COM/FACEBOOK
To the morons throwing magnetic schedules and other shit on the field at the game: you are an embarrassment to KU and should be ashamed of your selves.
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.
be ashamed of yourselves.
62-0,are you kidding me?
For those of you who think you are in college: learn to use "your" correctly. Usually when you write "your" you mean to say "you are." It's a contraction. Don't forget the 're' thank you
Free for all, sometimes I make almost $30 an hour waitressing. That's $62,000 a year. Is it normal to wonder why I go to school after those nights?
I sat behind a beautiful girl tonight at the game but I didn't have the balls to talk to her.
My roommate technically isn't sexiling me, because she told me
yesterday to find a place to sleep tonight. But still, where the hell am I gonna sleep?
Dear Free For All: I'm sober.
Okay, I lied.
I think I'm allergic to nature.
So if Free for All isn't a boy, that must mean it's a girl.
I just watched a bunch of dum bass high schoolers get busted at the Crossing for MIPs. It was awesome.
Free for All, what exactly is Sex on the Hill?
(Editor's Note: You'll find out Sept. 20.)
To whoever keeps pulling the fire alarm at Lewis: Please crawl back into whatever pit in McColum you came from. Thank you.
TALK TO US
Erick R. Schmidt, editor
864-4810 or ecditmidt@kanasan.com
Eric Jorgensen, managing editor
864-4810 or ejorgensen@kanasan.com
Darla Slipke, managing editor
864-4810 or dalpike@kanasan.com
Kelsey Hayes, opinion editor
864-4924 or khayes@kanasan.com
NOW THAT YOU'VE READ THE OPINION PAGE, HAVE AN OPINION
Bryan Dykman, associate opinion editor 864-4924 or bdykman@kansan.com
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Malcolm McLoughen, general manager, news adviser
844-7697 or mqbitson at kansan.com
Jon Schlitt, sales and marketing adviser
864-7666 or jschlitt@kansan.com
SUBMISSIONS
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The Kansan reserves the right to edit, cut to length, or reject all submissions.
For any questions, call Keisey Hayes or Bryan Dykman at 864-4810 or e-mail opinion@kansan.com.
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The Editorial Board
Erick R. Schmidt, Eric Jorgensen,
Darla Slipe, Kelsey Hayes, Bryan
Dykman, Brandon T. Minister, Angelique
McNaughton and Benjamin R. Smith