WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 2011
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
PAGE 5A
Seriously? Grow up and just tell me you don't want to go out. You don't have to delete your Facebook and say that you need some alone time.
opinion
Oh, Adderall. You make my college experience 1000 times better. If only you didn't make me turn every chat into a 20-minute long conversation.
And on the eighth day, God created whiskey to keep the Irish from taking over the world.
apps.facebook.com/dailykansan
College: A unique place where one's social status is based on the number of Facebook pictures he/she has with a drink in hand.
CHEAP EASTER CANDY, FOR THE WIN!
I miss "Legends of the Hidden Temple."
No matter how bad things may get,
I'm just glad I'm not with my nasty,
hairy-cooked ex-girlfriend.
Blue barracudas!!
Why can the kids never put together that silver monkey? It's only three pieces!
I understand waiting for the weather to be nice to turn the A/C on, but that doesn't mean we need to roast in class with the heat on.
I consistently overestimate the amount of food that can comfortably fit in a tortilla.
My stepmother is a loud, obnoxious idiot. Way to go, dad.
Begging for a celebrity to retweet you is the only thing more humiliating than having a Twitter at all.
Really? You can't shut up despite being surrounded by "Quiet Study" signs? You failed pre-school, didn't you?
I'm paying $30,000 a year as an out-of-state student to go to KU and the wireless Internet in Watson won't work. Get your shit together, KU! Wireless Internet should not be too much to ask for.
I just took the biggest and most glorious public poop of my life in Anschutz. It involved two courtesy flushes and three newspaper articles. This guy knows what I'm talkin' about.
Your bag does NOT need its own chair during class. The floor will not attack your bag, I promise!
Dear frat guys... When did pastel colors become masculine?
GUEST COLUMN: NATHAN DAYANI
If a No. 2 pencil is so popular, why is it still No. 2??
There's no place for booing at graduation ceremonies
Graduation is an annual rite of passage enjoyed by many. But for KU law students, it can be an unfriendly reminder that their hard work and dedication is nothing more than a punch line.
Every year, Memorial Stadium fills with boos when the graduating class of law students is announced. No other school or program receives this sort of treatment. I imagine this year's ceremony will be no different. But, in the limited space this column affords, I hope to convince you not to jump on the bandwagon.
Other than the practice of medicine, the practice of law is arguably held to a higher standard of conduct than any other profession in the U.S. An applicant for the Kansas Bar Association, for instance, must demonstrate his or her ethical conduct by clear and convincing evidence—a
very high standard of conduct.
Lawyers are held to such high standards because they must be trusted to represent their clients diligently, effectively and confidentially. After all, lawyers handle incredibly sensitive information. On a personal note, 15 years ago a lawyer helped broker a divorce settlement between my parents, allowing them to return to an amicable relationship. Recently, a lawyer probated my deceased grandfather's estate to ensure his two children shared his modest wealth in a manner consistent with his wishes.
There are certainly examples of bad lawyers out there—Enron and the Duke lacrosse scandal come to mind but these examples are very few and far between.
Perhaps there is a better criticism that lawyers act amorally to the best interests of their clients. But that's a
criticism hardly unique to the legal profession. You don't need a vivid imagination to realize any viable business tends to prioritize financial gain above all other concerns. It's fair to criticize this prioritization, but to limit this criticism to lawyers is both reactive and counterproductive.
Some also jeer lawyers for being too wealthy. Although there are a few graduates from this year's KU law class who will earn six-figure salaries before long, those salaries often come with a cost: 65-hour work weeks in an environment that tends to burn out young talent. Meanwhile, the vast majority of this year's class would gladly accept a job—any job—regardless of salary. There are still many students in the top 10 to 20 percent of this year's class who have tried incredibly hard to find a job and still don't know who they're going to
Dayani is a law student graduating this year. He is from Overland Park.
So when you're at graduation, and the KU law class of 2011 gets its moment of recognition, remember this class includes future criminal prosecutors and public defenders; corporate and public-interest attorneys; and small-firm attorneys who will help you write a will, file your taxes and manage your small business all in one visit. If you choose to boo, I'd rather you boo me, Nathan Dayani. After all, you know more than enough about me in this 500-word column to make such an informed decision. Right?
be when they grow up.
What's your biggest pet peeve with professors?
Unclear grading methods Not posting grades/assignments to Blackboard when they say they will
Bad jokes
Speaking in monotone
Stretching lectures out to take up the full time when it's completely unnecessary
Incoherent/gibberish notes
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"We BELIEVE THE POLITICAL PROCESS WILL OUTPRODUCE S&P EXPECTATIONS."
Jay Carney
Press Secretary
April 18, 2011
INVESTING IN PENNY STOCK
Nicholas Sambaluk
CAMPUS
But, students should be paying attention to local government too. I honestly did not remember April 5 was the local election date until a professor reminded me the day before. Some students, of course, are paying closer attention, but given the
Students should get involved in both campus and local politics
City commission and school board elections were three weeks ago—a week before Student Senate elections, in fact. My guess is that, per usual, a large portion of the student body didn't even knew local elections were occurring, much less voted. Voter turnout for the city was only 13 percent. That was a drop from usual turnout and did not meet the county clerk's goal of 20 percent.
Ironically, turnout for Student Senate elections was more than double compared with last year. Students should be commended for taking the time to vote for their student representatives; such a large climb in votes shows promise of greater student involvement in the University's government.
Even though city governance seems far removed from campus, as Lawrence residents, there are many aspects of local politics that can affect students. For example, housing and tenant laws affect students living off-campus in houses and apartments.
low voter turnout, the majority of the student body isn't. I realized I was doing myself a great disservice by not keeping up with what was going on in my city.
BY KELLY COSBY kcosbykansan.com
Also, the lighted pathway project has been a visible endeavor requiring collaboration between the University and the city. This project especially
demonstrates the power students can have if they acknowledge the role of local government in student life. Concerned students and Student Senate propelled this project. With the community affairs director (an executive staff member of Student Senate) acting as a liaison to the City Commission, student interest and safety became a part of the discussion about the project.
However, students should not just rely on a Student Senate representative to represent all interests at the local level. Though the student senator has an important job, that representation is not meant to deter students from taking note of what's going on in Lawrence government. Students need to be aware of the actions by the city that directly affect them.
This must be accompanied by keeping an eye on state politics as well. Decisions at the state level, obviously, greatly affect local decision-making. In fact, on the
subject of exercising one's vote, a new provision (taking effect in 2013) will require all new registered voters to provide "satisfactory" proof of citizenship. Voter rights' advocates are concerned that such evidence, most likely in the form of a birth certificate, will disenfranchise elderly and disabled voters. This additional barrier will only discourage people from voting, especially young people and students, a demographic already showing low turnout.
These are the issues students should be considering. Students should take individual action and take interest in local and state governance—after all, residents of Lawrence all have a personal stake in how our city is governed.
Kelly Cosby is a junior in political science and English from Overland Park. Follow her on Twitter @ KellyCosby.
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