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COMMENTARY: Brian Ervin examines the last decade in culture, music and politics from a VH1 standpoint. See Kansan.com for more opinions and Free for All comments
MONDAY, APRIL 16,2007 WWW.KANSAN.COM
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
PAGE 9A
OUR VIEW
Soldiers' stories worth telling whether profitable or not
When news broke that 15 British sailors were being held hostage in Iran all the drama was expected to end when they arrived back in the United Kingdom. Upon the captives safe return, surprisingly everyone else in the British Navy became victims. While the detainees are allowed to give paid interviews on the media magnet issue, all
other sailors are not allowed to comment in return for payment
The British Armed Forces may see this as a strategic move, but nearly everyone else sees it as unfair. If the media wants to pay for the perspective of non-captured sailors, those sailors should be able to issue their stories. This ban is not helping to protect the detainees from
receiving due compensation for interviews, because they are the preferred target for the media. This ban just appears to be biased toward some sailors.
CNN's Mathew Chance reported that "The British navy defended its decision, saying permission was granted to make sure the service had sight of what they were going to say."
However, that defense is a bit contradictory when sailors can speak their minds to reporters for free, they just can't be paid. They have sight of what they were going to say when no money exchanges hands, but otherwise they don't? Something doesn't add up.
The sailors that weren't detained have given just as much
to their armed service as those that were captured. If a reporter deems the other sailors' stories or opinions noteworthy, then they should be able to give them. If reporters want to pay for those opinions, then the sailors should be able to accept that cash.
Understandably the Navy may not want sailors talking without covering what can and can't be
said. Imposing an interview ban for all sailors may even be reasonable. What is not reasonable is to make money the independent variable in this interview ban. Uniformity unites, and as of now, when it is especially needed, the British Navy appears to be disjointed.
— Tasha Riggins for the editorial board.
EXHAUSTIVELY RESEARCHED BY RANT
3NIDER
- ERECTED IN 1950
- NICKNAMED "THE EROTIC GHERKIN"
SOON AFTER ERECTION
- FIRST (AND ONLY) MEETING OF KU BASE JUMPING CLUB, 1978
- "GRADUATION CURSE"
THEORY ORIGINATES $ ^{3} $
- MISTAKEN FOR A
  HOT DOG BY MARK 4
  MANGINO IN 2004
- SPARED FROM
  DESTRUCTION WHEN HE
  REALIZED HE FORGOT RELIGH
1. FOR ALTERNATE HISTORY, SEE WWW.CARILLON.KU.EDU. IT IS ACTUALLY A WWII MEMORIAL.
2. THE REAL "EROTIC GHERKIN'
IS A TOWER IN LONDON
BY SIR NORMAN FOSTER
3. THE ORIGINAL GRADUATION CURSE STATED THAT IF YOU JUMPED OFF THE CAMPANILE YOU WOULD NOT GRADUATE. OVER THE YEARS, THIS TRUE MEANING WAS LOST.
4. MANGINO, WHO WAS ON THE ATKINS DIET AT THE TIME, CLAIMED IT WAS A " LOW CARB ALTERNATIVE $
Grant Snider/KANSAN
>> IN DEFENSE OF DARK ARTS
One decade brings a lot of change
The other day I was walking around campus with my iPod on shuffle, head banging and jamming out on my air guitar when the long, lost, Third Eye Blind hit "Semi-charmed Life" same pounding through my Apple earbuds. I realized that 1997 was a really long time ago.
A whole decade to be exact. The band and its countless fans celebrated the 10-year anniversary of their debut album just over a week ago.
With taxes due tomorrow, the nation is already in the mode of drudgingly rifling through the events of the last year so I've decided to rummage through the last 10 years. Based on the fact that, to my knowledge, there's no mutually agreed upon name for our current awkwardly titled decade in the next installment of VH1's "I Love the..", series, I think I can get away with doing a decade-in-review three years early.
Without commercial interruption, here is the Kansan's premiere installment of "I Love the '97's-07's."
BYBRIAN ERVIN
BY BRIAN ERVIN
KANSAN COLUMNIST
OPINION@KANSAN.COM
1997-2007 witnessed a lot of changes in our world, our country and in ourselves. The majority of current students 'on cmapus were going through puberty. Surely few miss the awkward period of trading in baseball cards and Barbie dolls for acne prescriptions and Midol, but those fleeting middle school romances and first, stabbing, sword-fight like kisses were truly some of our "Best Weeks Ever"
If you're like me, it feels like yesterday that we were building titanium reinforced Y2K shelters stocked with economy-sized rolls of toilet paper and Dasani. But that wasn't the only fear-based instance of mass hysteria in recent memory. Not counting the Supreme Court appointment of George W. Bush to the presidency and his subsequent reelection, there were also a lot of people that freaked out about the Lawrence Microburst of '06 and Beanie Babies.
In politics, a president was impeached. September 11, 2001 changed the world forever. A war began — and supposedly ended with some theatrics on an aircraft carrier, but I think the troops are actually still fighting. Elian Gonzalez finally got to go home thanks to those nice men with masks and automatic weapons.
In pop culture, Harry Potter apparated onto the scene and into our
hearts after continually thwarting the evil Voldemort. The media thought up awful names like "Bennifer" who then repaid the favor by making "Gigli," and Tom Cruise jumped up and down on Oprah's coach.
The Jayhawks went to two Final Fours, not including 1997 when they fielded one of the greatest college basketball teams of all time with future NBA players Jacques Vaughn, Paul Pierce, Raef LaFrentz and Scott Pollard. At some point in the last 10 years, a lying man named Roy left town, but no one around Lawrence likes to credit his existence with talking about it. I think he was a car salesman. And his cars never made it all the way to their destination.
It's really got me wondering what life will be like in 2017. I predict the University of Kansas will probably win a handful of national championships and that Roy person will be jailed for his atrocities to fellow men. Maybe a computer chip in somebody's brain will start beaming down Beyonce's "Irreplaceable" from a satellite in space and a Kansan columnist will write a column like this one. The only thing we can be sure of is that taxes will be due.
Ervin is a Kansas City, Mo. junior in theatre and film and psychology.
>>> LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Eradicate rising cases of violence against homeless
On August 11th, 2006 in Nashville, Tenn., a woman named Tara Cole was pushed off a dock where she was sleeping and into a nearby river. Her body washed ashore 10 days later. Her murders were caught eventually, but nothing will ever bring Tara back to her family. What was Tara's crime? The answer is simple. She was guilty of being defenseless. She was guilty of being homeless. Timothy Webber and Jos John Dotdah had
set out that night specifically to target the homeless with violence and that is what they accomplished.
In its annual report entitled, "Hate, Violence, and Death on Main Street, U.S.A." the National Coalition for the Homeless notes that violence against the homeless rose a staggering 170 percent in the past five years, with 142 violent attacks resulting in 20 deaths just last year alone. Between 1999 and
2005, homicides against the homeless constituted more than twice the number of homicides classified as hate crimes by the FBI.
They say you can judge a society by how it treats its most vulnerable members. To read the NCH's report, visit www.nationalhomeless.org.
Steve Nichols Overland Park senior
FREE FOR ALL
Call 864-0500
I called because I didn't know what you sounded like, and frankly, I'm a little disappointed.
Julian Wright? More like Julian Wrong. Am I right?
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.
I'm streaking down Jayhawk Boulevard right now.
walk down the isle at their wedding? Because they know they'll never have to give another blow
If Hulk Hogan and his wife can't stay together in this world, then
job again
This is for the guy who got offended by the Jesus comment. If it offends you, don't read it.
I didn't vote.
recorded.
Why do women smile when they
who can
My girlfriend thinks my croch smells like a newborn baby.
about it, or have sex with your mom and have everyone know about it? This is a question only
图
Hey Free for All, we were wondering how mermaids mate? Do they shoot the sperm out of their A-holes or are the asexual?
Would you rather have sex with your dad and have no one know
my arm
I always wondered what the delay was between Free for All call-ins and being printed in the opinion page. Today is Friday, April 13th, 2007 at about 11:45 p.m. Alright,
thinking about calling in, do a little research first, then make your call, thanks.
My friend just called me and told me I need to play D on this girl. I don't play girls in basketball.
Little did I know, "D" meant dick,
and by the time I got to her house,
I already had a basketball under
Our arrows will block out the sun.
thinking about calling in, do a little research first, then make your call, thanks.
Then we shall fight in the shade.
It is 2:30 in the morning, and three of my friends are starting a power hour now. Should I be worried?
I made him pay by cooking his hamster.
I know it snowed today, and I know more idiots are going to call in about global warming. If you're
I walked in on my roommate crying at the end of "Titanic" so
-
Why the hell was there a French fry in my pocket?
Nicole Kelley, managing editor
864-4854 or nkelley@kansan.co.nz
Gabriella Souza, editor
864-4854 or gsouza@kansan.com
》 TALK TO US
Patrick Ross, managing editor 864-4854 or press@kansan.com
Courtney Hagen, opinion editor 864-4924 or chagen@kansan.com
Natalie Johnson, associate opinion editor
864-4924 or njohnson@kansan.com
Lindsey Shirak, business manager
864-4014 or lshirak@kansan.com
Jackie Schaffer, sales manager 864-4462 or jschaffer@kansan.com
Maicoim Gibson, general manager, news adviser 864-7667 or molibsonsikansan.com
Jennifer Weaver, sales and marketing adviser 864-7666 or jweaver@kansan.com
SUBMISSIONS
The Kansan welcomes letters to the editor and guest columns submitted by students, faculty and alumni.
The Kansan reserves the right to edit, cut to length, or reallect all submissions.
For any questions, call Courtney Hagen or Natalie Johnson at 864-4810 or e-mail opionjon@kanans.com.
General questions should be directed to the editor at editor@kanans.com.
Maximum Length: 200 words
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**include:** Author's name, class, hometown (student) or position (faculty member/staff) and phone number (will not be published)
SUBMIT LETTERS TO
111 Staunton-First Hall
1435 Jayhawk Blvd.
Lawrence, KS 60404
(785) 640-8101 oklanman.com
Maximum Length: 500 words
GUEST COLUMN GUIDELINES
**Include:** Author's name; class, hometown (student); position (faculty member/staff); phone number (will not be published)
Also: The Kanas will not print column names that attack a reporter or another columnist.
EDITORIAL BOARD
Gabriella Souza, Nicole Kenley, Patrick Ross, Courtney sagn, Natalie Johnson, Alison Klee, Iasha Riggins and McKay Stangler