The University Daily Kansan emphasizes the First Amendment:
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.
ERVIN: Coffee, if you're out there, get ready. It's been far too long since we had a nice night in. And this Friday, it's my treat.
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TUESDAY, APRIL 3, 2007 WWW.KANSAN.COM
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
OPINION
PAGE 5A
OUR VIEW
Heavy workload necessitates light, comedic entertainment
April and May bring to campuses everywhere the ritualistic crescendo of homework and tests, when the only thing more volatile than the weather is the workload of students. The sometimes Sisyphean burden can breed an attitude of gloom and despair, as the seemingly endless papers and quizzes render the ludic rites of spring an elusive dream.
It is during these times that students need an escapist route more than ever, an idyllic oasis of mental clarity far from the
bustle of Jayhawk Boulevard, and Hollywood's glamorous productions can often fill that void.
It is often said that art reflects society, and if we hold that to currently be true, things seem to be in bad shape. The last three Oscar winners for Best Picture featured prominently the themes of crime
and betrayal, racial conflict and violence, and Sophoclean euthanasia. Even more unsettling is the recent abundance of horror and suspense movies; the macabre narratives of these films provide anything but a placid afternoon in the theater.
So is this a case of art imitating life? Are we really so depressed and hopeless that we must resort to these films? Though we usually have no ax-wielding assailants or possessed dolls in our daily lives, we do have some problems. Tensions
in the Middle East continue to escalate. The wealth gap in our country grows wider every year. We had to sit through two national championships with the same insufferably boastful schools.
In times like these, the real world brings enough solemnity to our lives. When you seek out entertainment, why not look for something with a touch more levy? Life is serious enough as it is. Compounding it with slayings and supernatural attacks doesn't make
Older adults sometimes grumble that youth is wasted on the young, so make your time count. Your relatively carefree stay at a beautiful campus in a wonderful city will fly by faster than you expect.
your attitude toward finishing that paper any brighter. Consider a lighter selection the next time you spend your precious dollars on entertainment.
Take care this season to not get completely smothered by school. The occasional delay of a paper in
favor of a midday walk is not always sinful, nor is the sporadic mental vacation from your upcoming finals preparation.
Don't let your life imitate the currently desolate state of cinema. Our mental health needs more Ferrellesque comedy, not Craveneases horror.
McKay Stangler for the editorial board.
Grant Snider/KANSAN
FREE FOR ALL
Call 864-0500
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I hope Florida wins the National Championship because Joakim Noah is my favorite player. April
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If you found my camera at the Wheel on Thursday night, please give it back. It's good karma.
Does it make me a loser if I have Free for All on speed dial?
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those up, that'd be great.
I'm writing an essay and my computer, on Microsoft Word, just tried to convince me that the term "more cleverer" would be the proper choice. How is that
I just went shooting at the skeet-shooting place, and almost got hit in the head. No one said "duck" or "fore" or anything. You bastards, I hate you. That wasn't very nice. I almost got hit by a
possible
Don't taste the rainbow.
This message is for whoever stole my shampoo and conditioner and body wash out of the ninth floor east bathroom in McCollum. You suck and you should return it.
clay pigeor
Thanks, love ya.
--those up, that'd be great.
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Dear Gay Pride Week, I'm totally cool with everything you stand for, but please, this year, don't do that make-out session on Wescoe
Hey Free for All, this is the crossword puzzle. Me and Sudoku were wondering if you want to have a threesome with us, tonight.
Free for All, did you know that if a circumcised foreskin hits the ground it's called a schmuck?
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Free for All, somebody dropped their black thong panties on Daisy Hill. If they could come pick those up that be great
those up, that'd be great.
Gabriella Souza, editor
864-4854 or gsouza@kansan.com
I'm adding Free for All to the long list of things I consider to be smarter and funnier than Dane
Nicole Kelley, managing editor 864-4854 or nkelley@ikansan.com
those up, that'd be great.
Patrick Ross, managing editor
914 454 6350 sussexkan.com
Courtney Hagen, opinion editor
864-4924 or chagen@kansan.com
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》 COMMENTARY
Vacation stirs up building envy
Jealousy filled my eyes while visiting the University of Tulsa during spring break. I went with some friends to their fitness center during several weekday afternoons and I was amazed to find that I could get any weight bench or machine without having to wait.
Those of you who frequent the Student Recreation and Fitness Center here know that getting a free machine at this time can be about as easy as finding a parking space in downtown New York. One of my Tulsa friends elevated my envy even more by assuring me that fitness center there was hardly ever more crowded than when I visited.
Ours is a great university and academic expansion is a good thing to have, but when I look around campus right now, the most prominent construction project I find is a $3.5 million effort to build new offices on the Wescoe terraces.
The University of Tulsa enrolls only 4,125 students, about 16 percent of our enrollment, yet their recreation center is easily as good as ours.
tration. Even now, each one of us is paying back, with student fees, the Kansas Legislature loan that paid for the recreation center's construction.
BY SAM SCHNEIDER
KANSAN COLUMNIST
OPINION@KANSAN.COM
True, Tulsa is a private university with a yearly cost of attendance of almost $30,000. At Kansas we charge in-state students an average of less than $10,000 per year. In light of this, I am not frustrated at finding our recreation center inferior; I just wish we had more space on campus dedicated solely to student use.
Coming back to my jealousy, one of the few buildings here at Kansas dedicated purely for students' enjoyment, the recreation center, was pushed forward by the students themselves, not University adminis-
For being the largest university in Kansas, there are few places strictly reserved for us students to hang out. I can list the main ones on my fingers: the recreation center, two main libraries, a few computer labs, and about three floors of the Union. The pool at Robinson Center, for instance, is open to regular students only 2 hours and 45 minutes each weekday.
As a University, we must find a balance between expansion for the sake of academic excellence and expansion for the sake of student enjoyment. The one major studentdirected construction on campus during the past few years, the recreation center, had to be pushed through and paid for by students themselves. Being competitive academically is important, but we can't forget that the main focus of college should be the students themselves — not the aura of a prestigious university.
Sam is a Topeka junior in English.
>>IN DEFENSE OF DARK ARTS
An open letter to a coffee bean:
Lover,
Ode to coffee: A steamy love affair
I miss you. I know it has been a long time since I've seen you and I'm sorry that this is my first attempt to call or write. But let me explain myself. If you only knew the anguish and regret I felt on that awful day when I came home from spring break to find that my roommate had killed our dear friend, Mr. Coffee.
He was murdered. It was an awful sight. He looked so peaceful sitting on the counter, as if he were sleeping. And though we think his little electric heart tries to beat, he's lost all higher-functioning percolation activity.
BY BRIAN ERVIN
KANSAN COLUMNIST
OPINION@KANSAN.COM
I'd make the drive to Target so I could see you again but University paychecks don't come out until Friday and you know we're in a pinch these days.
I miss your warmth when I embrace you with two cupped hands. And the way I can smell your perfume from across the room while you get ready.
I remember when we first met. I was shy and a little wary of some of the things I'd been told about you. That you were dangerous.
Addictive. That you were the most abused drug on the planet; that's a lot of baggage. But maybe it was the danger that intrigued me in the first place. And, Coffee, with me it's not abuse. It's love.
We've been through a lot together, my little brown bean. You've helped me with too many papers, finals and boring professors to count. You're there for me in the rain, sleet and snow and are the perfect complement to a good book or good conversation.
You make me a better person. A more interesting person. A more lively person. You're the hottest performance-enhancing drug that nobody's testing for. I get a little twinkle in my eye when you're around - maybe not in my teeth, but that's what Crest Whitestrips are for.
LETTER GUIDELINES
But, baby, on Friday I'm getting paid. Keep your schedule open because I'm taking you out. I'll spring for the name-brand paper filters, dim the lights and I'll buy you a fancy new mug to dress up in. We can get a fine bottle of Evian for the coffee machine and see where the night takes us. See you then.
Maximum Length: 200 words
Include: Author's name, class, hometown (student) or position (faculty member/staff) and phone number (will not be published)
SUBMIT LETTERS TO
Love forever,
Brian
111 Stauffer First Hall
1435 Layton Blvd.
Lawrence, KS 60404
(785) 864-4818;印象kanman.com
From here on out I'll be the perfect gentleman. I'll use a java jacket every time and you won't even have to remind me with your scalding temper. I'll take you out more in your travel mug. I know I shouldn't take you for granted just because we've been together for so long.
And about that fight recently. I'd like to reiterate that the relationship between alcohol and me is strictly platonic. She's a nice girl and is a lot of fun at parties, yes, but I don't know what I was thinking that time I suggested the three of us should get together and make you "Irish." Because Coffee, you're the only psychoactive substance for me.
GUEST COLUMN GUIDELINES
Ervin is a junior in theatre and film and psychology.
**Maximum Length:** 500 words
**Include:** Author's name; class, hometown (student); position (faculty member/staff); phone number (will not be published)
**Also:** The Kansan will not print guest columns that attack a reporter or another columnist.
EDITORIAL BOARD
Gabriella Souza, Nicole Kelley, Patrick Ross, Courtney Hagen,
Natalie Johnson, Alison Kieler, Tasha Ruggins and McKay
Stangler
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