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EDITORIAL: If you stand to be affected by student fees, textbook prices or bus transportation, you need to vote. See Kansan.com for more opinions and Free for All comments
TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2007 WWW.KANSAN.COM
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
OPINION
PAGE 9A
》OUR VIEW
A plea to students: Please, please vote
Ease of online voting, candidates' hard work provide yet more reasons to vote
As tomorrow's Student Senate elections approach, we briefly and lightheartedly envy the mandatory voting laws of Australia. With small fines levied against nonvoters in national elections, they routinely garner understandably impressive turnout numbers. Alas, such an action would in America fly in the face of all our cherished ideals of liberty and freedom, elements of society we do not take lightly.
Let us take the responsibility, then, to reach similar turnout numbers of our own accord and desire to be decent citizens. Though voter
turnout of 100 per cent remains but a fanciful dream, perhaps our goal should merely be to annihilate the embarrassingly low totals of recent elections.
From there, we can progress to higher vote totals through the coming semesters. In other words, let's use the Washington buzzword of the moment: benchmarks.
Iough it can sometimes seem that candidates for Student Senate want nothing more than a boost to their résumés and to see their names in mammoth neon chalk letters, most of them are genuinely interested in helping their campus and fellow students.
Further, they have invested a great many hours in this campaign, hours that could be spent on far more self-interested tasks. Senate can sometimes get a bad rap as the
denizen of political science majors and future campaign hacks, but this is largely a myth. Most members are legitimately concerned about the University's future, and enlist in the ranks of Senate to make a tangible impact.
Can't we reward them with 60 seconds of our time? Voting in these elections is easier than ever you can vote online without ever leaving your home
If legions of students can invest hours in the planning, design, and execution of campaigns, not to mention the thankless hours spent in actual Senate work, can't we reward them with 60 seconds of our time? Voting in these elections is easier than ever — you can vote online without ever leaving
your home. When the powers that be make voting laughably accessible, there are few excuses for not voting in tomorrow's elections.
Of course, the freedom to vote carries with it an implicit option to
not vote, and that is your choice as an adult.
If you wish to consciously opt out of the Senate process by not casting a ballot, so be it. But if during the next year you will be affected by such things as fee increases, bus systems or textbook prices, you likely owe it to the hardworking Senate souls who mostly toil in anonymity to cast your vote. Please consider doing so.
— McKay Stangler for the editorial board.
Grant Snider/KANSAN
Jayplay article offends Native-American traditions
》 LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Native Americans were stereotyped in the article "Themeing the Night Away", in the April 5 issue of Jayplay. White KU students dressed up in costumes that are stereotypes of Native American dress.
Native Americans have endured being reduced to stereotypes for lifetimes, and now that the NCAA has recognized this racism, the University of Kansas — mere miles from Haskell Indian Nations University — endorses a theme party that says "Hey, its OK to play Indians!" Why?
Is it thought Native Americans don't care — or are they all merely assumed dead? Will this form of playing Indian also be defended as an honor? Does a KKK-themed party where some dress like Klansmen, and others wear blackface to be chased around — or
better yet a Nazi-themed party where one group merrily tracks and affixes another with a Star of David — need not be taken seriously? It's all good fun, right?
It is hard to imagine something more disappointing than the sanctioned promotion of Native Americans caricatured three days before the First Nations Student Association holds the annual University powwow. How is this an appropriate welcome to many Native American families, students and children?
Any actual journalistic investigation would uncover that Native Americans take their traditions seriously, those traditions caricatured by the article included.
Native Americans, nor any other shred of sense, cannot find any journalistic — or humanitarian
— value in the lack of scholarship or integrity displayed by the article
Were a group of KU party boys to make some costume jewelry purchases, sag their baggy jeans, and head into an urban African-American community, one would assume they would be given a proper reception by their African-American counterparts. Were they to wear zoot suits into an urban Mexican-American community, they would be given something to remember their mistake, and it would not be something from Taco Bell.
These are both examples of stereotypes; comparing these stereotypes with what occurred at the University, the distinction is clear. It is acceptable to participate and promote stereotypes and forms of racism upon Native Americans at
the University.
Perhaps, then, it would be interesting to see these young men wear their same garish, costume-store get-ups to the annual KU powwow to see what reaction they would receive.
Rhonda LeValdo, University of Kansas graduate student,
Acoma Pueblo, Haskell Alumni
Brandon Bandy, Haskell Indian Nations University student,
Quapaw Tribe of Oklahoma
Josh Woosypitti, Haskell Indian Nations University student, Wichita and Affiliated Tribes of Oklahoma
Brandie Chavez, Haskell Indian Nations University student.
FREE FOR ALL
Call 864-0500
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
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A Nintendo Wii.
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When did the Free for All start publishing statements left by complete idiots?
Oggs
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My buddy Andrew told me butt sex is wild, and you can't have a
child
I don't love Raymond.
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trust me
What the hell is a rotary?
you instead. If you run into him, tell him to call me. Thanks.
(Sung) Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, do do!
Hey, you know Free for All,
(sung) we don't have to take our
clothes off to have a good time.
(Sung) Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine.
(Sung) Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana,昂迪
you instead. If you run into him, tell him to call me. Thanks.
(Sung) Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan!
(Sung) Minnesota, Mississippi
you instead. If you run into him, tell him to call me. Thanks.
Ohio
(Sung) New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota,
Wyoming
Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada! That one sucked.
My buddy just said "put it in," and I answered with "that's what
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she said
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this. I miss
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--you instead. If you run into him, tell him to call me. Thanks.
-
If dinosaurs are so dangerous, then why are they extinct?
I'm driving home on K-10, and going towards Lawrence is an ice cream truck. Don't they know how cold it is outside?
Me and my roommate are driving around and listening to the song "Everybody Have Fun Tonight," and what the hell does
-
"Wang Chung" mean?
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seen
I totally just saw someone hit a bunny. Is that allowed on Easter?
Chris deserves to be fired, and anyone in support of him needs to face consequences.
Free for All, I just saw and old Amish couple driving a truck. Is that right?
-
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Yeah, that is why I'm hot, Free for
All.
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the damn
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Free for All, is it okay to slap a girl if she's acting like a crazy?
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-
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-
-
Does anyone think these comics are funny?
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To the chick who called in about that Skyline: You've just justified my view of women as mindless, gold-digging playtoys.
Where are
》 TALK TO US
Gabriella Souza, editor
864-4854 or gsouza@kansan.com
Nicole Kelley, managing editor 864-4854 or nkelley@kansan.com.
Patrick Ross, managing editor 864-4854 or prox@kansan.com
Natalie Johnson, associate opinion editor 864-4924 or njohnson@kansan.com
Courtney Hagen, opinion editor
864-4924 or chagen@kansan.com
Lindsey Shirac, business manager
864-4014 or lshirac@kansan.com
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Malcolm Gibson, general manager, news adviser
864-7667 or malibson@kansan.com
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EDITORIAL BOARD
Gabriella Souza, Nicole Kelley, Patrick Ross, Courtney Hagen, Natalie Johnson, Alison Kleier, Tasha Riggins and McKay Stangler