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Wednesday, May 1, 1991 / University Daily Kansan
Opinion
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Money misused
Proposed spending limits would prohibit schools from claiming payment of many 'indirect costs'
Last week the Office of Management and Budget proposed limits to the kinds of expenses universities could charge to the government while conducting federally financed research. The new rules would prohibit reimbursements for many of the "indirect costs" of research such as alcoholic beverages, housing, social club memberships and advertising.
Richard Darmar, OMB director, said the proposed rules were intended to stop "abuses in reimbursements claimed by universities for indirect costs." The rules would attempt to clarify the policy on what expenses could be claimed.
These rules are necessary and should be endorsed soon. Seventeen colleges face investigation for possible misuse of government research money. As the system stands now, just about anything can be claimed as an expense for research. The misuse must stop before it gets out of hand.
Stanford University recently sought government reimbursement for items such as a yacht, a grand piano and a university-owned shopping
center. Since then, Stanford has withdrawn $70,000 it had billed the government for overhead expenses.
Likewise, Harvard Medical School withdrew $500,000 in expenses for operating the dean's office and paying for a retirement party, among other things.
Rules must be made to stop schools from using public money for social expenses. However, without some type of auditing, these rules will not be enforceable.
Schools must be made responsible for listing all expenses and then seeking reimbursement only for ones absolutely necessary as a part of research. Also, investigations should continue for schools suspected of misusing grants.
Melanie Botts for the editorial board.
Fortunately, universities seem to be in favor of the rules. Many see this as a way to understand the rules more clearly and to show they are using public money properly.
Grants are important to conducting university research. Schools should see to it that the money is not used for frivolous expenses.
- Editorials reflect the opinion of the University Daily Kansan editorial board. Editorials appear in a box on the left side of the page. Editorials reflect the majority opinion of the board but not necessarily the opinion of the signed author.
Opinions expressed in guest and staff columns and cartoons are solely those of the author or artist. Views expressed in columns and cartoons are not necessarily shared by the Kansan.
Studying can be the ultimate challenge when finals arrive
I am awakened by the bellowing yell of the loud speaker informing me of the reference desk's eminent closing. Damn! I fell asleep at the library once again! I am convinced that the hissing noise we hear at the library has nothing to do with temperature control; it is actually a sleep-inducing drug that the librarians use to get their laughs for the day. Think about it. Do you know how stupid you look dreaming of Swedish stewardesses on steroids while drooling on your desk? This is but one problem we students face in preparation for the dreaded week of finals.
There is no way you can escape sleeping at the library. I have thought long and hard about smuggling a Mr. Coffee into one of the study carols and selling cups to fellow dozers. This would be a true service to the school because if you do indeed sleep, the Stacks Fairies will run through the library and hide every book you need. Another possibility (and this is much worse) is that these fairies will creep into some other snooders' subconscious and tell him that he, too, must write a paper on Middle Eastern Sea Turtles and Their Effect on Socialism. Of course this guy will be the kind who can't grasp the concept of "overdue," and will keep the books until somebody sends their brother Vinnie to his house to "suggest" that he return the books promptly.
Matt
Walsh
Staff columnist
Some people escape the library and parking scene by studying at home. This is, however, a slightly dangerous undertaking. When you study at home, your roommate will not have a test the next day, as you do. In which case, he or she will watch "Letterman" and play his stereo at octaves that could deafen dogs in surrounding counties. You say this doesn't bother you? This is where one of God's laws comes in: If thou hath finals, thou shalt be called by one with copious words. Yes my friends, your constantly suicidal friend whom you told to call any time
Once outside the library, you will probably be met with a ticket on your car. This is due to the "parking milia" that hide in the trees and pounce on your car as soon as you leave their sight. I could have paid another tuition with all the fines I've accumulated over this last year, but I'm sure the money is going to good use (probably a parking department keg party every Friday). If you don't get a ticket, you usually have to walk so far to your parked car that you could just as easily have walked home.
he was feeling down will be there on the line long enough for the rates to change.
There are, of course, self-imposed study hinderances. The biggest and most widely abused is the legendary Study Break. I have friends who have gone to Cancun and chalked it up as "a little study break." A break is not a break, however, without food entering the picture. Take the idiot on campus, (excluding any chalking in mind) give him a research paper subject like "Pizza Delivery: Who's Fast? What's Cheap?" and you'll probably get a very thoroughly researched finished product.
One must stay up for these study breaks, though, and how better than to guzzle enough coffee to keep Juan Valdez awake until the next picking season. This new caffeine consciousness will aid in your new understanding of what "date" is. In high school, if I stayed up until three o'clock I be boasting about my triumph for months. Now, if I get five consecutive hours of sleep it is considered a "Slumberfest."
There is a happy ending to this tale of studying woe. I now get to park in all the good spots because my coffee shakes are misinterpreted as a hand-
Matt Walsh is an Emporia freshman plan ning to major in journalism
LETTERS to the EDITOR
particular term
Gays made word choice
Gays and lesbians are a legitimate segment of our population. The rewording of the term "sexual preference" to "sexual orientation" has been made, just like the term African-American or disabled. All of American society should respect any group's wish to be called by any
Dan Amego's April 10 letter to the University Daily Kansan is both uninformed and deeply disturbing. Amego claims that he chose to be heterosexual. That may be so, but gay people do not choose to be gay. Why in the world would they? From the beginning of time, gay people and lesbians have been raised to be a self-aware individual to it be an evil, sinful life. To quote Jimmy Swaggart, "It may possibly be the worst sin you can commit."
Also, Amego has tried to turn this issue into one that advocates the rights of child molesters and rapists. Obviously, these have nothing to do with the rewarding of KU's anti-discrimination policy. It is ridiculous that Amego brought up such an unrelated issue.
It's time that Americans stopped thinking of gays and lesbians as criminals. We are a healthy and important part of the nation. We do not advocate the rights of anyone to take advantage of children or anyone to force others to have sex. We are now emerging as a powerful and positive force in America.
Jim Hoggatt Kansas City, Kan., senior
Investigators competent
Being the future law enforcement officer that I am, I was greatly offended by your Christopher Bread story, written by Lara Gold.
I am one of the many people who were interviewed as part of the investigation, and I also know the
majority of those who were questioned. Myself, as well as others, took up a number of interviews, as well as the number of open interviews, were quite thorough.
The accusations of incompetency on the law of the Pennsylvania Police and the Douglas County Sheriff's office are unsubstantiated. In any case this unusual, there are going to be things that could have been done differently or questions that might have been asked. Nevertheless, I am not convinced that police records in the lack of cooperation by those involved with the investigators. The law enforcement officials cannot possibly know of everyone who has any knowledge of a case.
These witnesses who supposedly were not questioned should have immediately contacted the police with whatever information they had rather than waiting to be contacted. The murder of Christopher Bread is a terrible tragedy, but the community should be supporting the investigators rather than blaming them for this unsolved murder.
Katherine L. McNutt Wichita freshman
Constructive debate needed on sensitive issues
W When I was younger, my sister and I used to get into terrible fights. Most of the time, these arguments were quite harmless and followed the typical child fight dialogue: "You're stupid!" "Oh, yeah!' Well I think you are more stupid!" "No, no, you are!" and so on. W How long did it take times of real stress, finally during my parents' divorce, our fights became bitter and cruel. The anger and hatred escalated until finally one person said something really painful and the other broke into tears.
Deep down, we all know the words that strike another's heart — the vulnerability they cannot escape. In those times, in the heat of the battle, we attack the fat child's weight problem than a few times we've seen fit to target a person's sexuality, religion, ethnicity or color of skin.
For these words there is no real defense. All that one can do is attack back and hope he or she causes as
Brian Doyle
Guest columnist
much pain as was received. But this doesn't remove the pain, and many times it only increases it. I remember, vividly, my sister and I crying and yelling, screaming over and over how we hated each other, until finally my mother came and stopped us. I remember how guilty I felt later for the things I had said and how hurt I felt from the things I had heard. We had hurt each other so badly, and we couldn't remember why.
Ardra Tippett, an African-American woman, has written a number of columns in the past few weeks that have sparked angered responses. She was also interviewed by Rodney King and by the Blacks in South Africa. She has written about her own fear and her concern for her community. But what has received the most attention, and its denial, is her derogation of whites.
A number of things should be acknowledged here if we are to be commended for having the courage and integrity to speak out. She is simply defending herself and her loved ones from a perceived threat. Also, to clarify some misconceptions, it is important that you understand this. This is America, and in many ways the situation here is worse than in Johannesburg.
America has one of the highest incarceration rates in the world. The number one killer of young African-American men is homicide, and one out of four African-American men are in prison. The average family income for African-Americans is still half that of white families. I could go on and on. The bottom line is that oppression still exists in America.
goes too far in blaming all whites. I will be the first to admit that the white legacy in America is positively shameful. I think many whites feel a true sense of guilt when reviewing their past and the crimes that were committed and continue to be committed in their name. By trying to "make (whites) feel uncomfortable," Tippett is, in effect, feeding off of this shame and guilt. She has attacked one of our brothers and for which there is little or no defense. All that can be done is to return the attack. This reciprocation is much like that of my painful fights with my sister. Only now, there is no parent to step in and say, "All right, you two. Cut it out!"
So, what is the solution? Maybe we should fight. Maybe we should all simply love each other and accept each other as human beings. There simply is no difference between us, that Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder song and wipe away the crimes of the past. Whoosh! Utopia is
On the other hand, Ardra Tippett
here. For those of you living here on Earth, there is another answer. We know where the sun comes from.
It is a good thing to have a cause and defend it. Sometimes, a heated debate can bring understanding where there was only confusion and ignorance. This does not mean that we seek out our enemies and utterly destroy them. Instead, we challenge their ideas and search for the truth. In addition, one should be careful to avoid the case of justice. For instance, I am not so sure that our military and economic interests were just causes for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis. But no one questioned.
The problem is that American universities do not teach us to debate the issues or to think creatively. I have been on this campus for three years now. I have watched the administration repeatedly and have observed students letting it happen. Last year, after the Sigma Alpha Epsilon incident, students sat in at Strong Hall and demanded attention. The summer came and went, and now the demands are forgotten. I suspect that the administration was happy for summer to come. And they probably are happy again, now that summer is around the corner.
This University needs people like Ardra Tippet to take the place of people like Mark McCormick, who spearheaded the Strong Hall sit-in. The University needs these people who will not let us forget the issues. However, we as students would do well to learn how to debate fairly and constructively. Aiming for the jugular does not create solutions.
I hope that Ardra Tippett and others like her will continue to write, continue to fight for a just cause and restore their allies as well as their enemies.
Brian Doyle is a Chicago junior majoring in psychology and African-American studies.
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