THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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OPINION
MONDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2005
Malesiaantscks,
not amb-
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dives,
WWW.KANSAN.COM
EDITORIAL
A job well done, Mr. Shulenburger
In his 12 years of administrative service to the University of Kansas, David Shulenburger has been an exceptional vice chancellor, provost, and executive vice chancellor.
He has led many positive changes that took place at the University since 1993.
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He has shown he cares about learning, students,and faculty through his tuition enhancement plan, which allowed the University to raise student and faculty salaries, and make many improvements to libraries and technology.
During his tenure, the University received the Paul Simons award for being one of only five universities that stress an international education. This increased numbers of study abroad students, and an international curriculum.
The Freshman-Sophomore Advising Center and the KU Writing Center opened on his
watch, giving academic help and advice to many students who were just getting aquainted with the university life.
The University also found itself among the top 20 universities for "effective educational success," as published in the 2005 "Student Success in College" book, while Shulenburger was here.
During his term, the University has doubled its funding for research, and received many major grants. In the past three years, the University has accumulated $40 million for two National Science Foundation centers.
Besides his emphasis on the people and education at the University, he has made sure the University has the means to run smoothly after he leaves.
Shulenburger has also showed his enthusiasm for furthering education through research.
University property by acquiring Smith Hall. He also overseen additions to the University such as the $40 million Multidisciplinary Research Building on west campus and the Life Sciences Research Laboratory at 15th Street and Wakarusa Drive.
He has helped enhance
He has also hired and mentored many deans. Kim Wilcox and Sally Frost, both former deans of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences came and left during his tenure.
He has shown his passion for people at the University, learning, and the University's legacy through his years as an administrator.
The editorial board commends him on a job very well, and wish him the best of luck in the years to come.
Also, Toni-Marie Montgomery, former dean of the School of Fine Arts, was hired.
Anne Weltmer for the editorial board.
Oversensitivity blocks game
STAND UP!
Just less than 1,000 KU students are from Illinois. I am one of those students and the game that I have been waiting for since I arrived on this campus in 2003 will never happen thanks to athletics director, Lew Perkins, Student Senate and what I feel are a few rabble-rousing special interests groups.
What makes me even more irate is that a few people can ruin things for the majority. Kansas should never give in to the voice of a few and accept it as the voice of the majority.
For all those who do not know, the university is not going to schedule any games with schools that have mascots the NCAA has deemed "hostile and offensive" toward Native Americans.
I thought sports were for the fans, but obviously not. The majority of the fans don't even have an opinion on this issue. The administration is being too concerned with its public image rather than good competition.
We live in a democratic nation, but what is happening right now is not democracy. It seems as though the loudest person/group gets heard. Well hear me out, this has got to change!
A while back, a group of Native Americans saw some mascots as demeaning to their culture, and they brought the issue in front of the NCAA.
The NCAA and KU sports are businesses, with television contacts, endorsement deals, merchandise, ticket sales-the whole nine yards.
They are afraid of having a bad image in the eye of the public, which is why as soon
as controversy comes up, it is quickly avoided. It's all to prevent the loss of sponsors.
What about fans being lost? I do not think that is a primary concern to them, even though they say it is all for the fans. Money makes things happen.
Programs like the Williams Fund, which rewards better seats to bigger donors, will show you that.
We buy the merchandise, we go to the games and we are a bigger part of collegiate sports than the people who run them are.
Why do you think in the Capital One Bowl Mascot Challenge, not one of the mascots has Native American ties?
No Florida State Seminole, no Chief Illiniwik; but, of course, we get Baylor's Bruiser among the top mascots. I do not know many people who watch Baylor athletics.
There's nothing I would rather do than sit down and have a discussion with coach Self on this topic. Even though he is no longer an employee at the University of Illinois, he still has ties to that university and I would almost guarantee that he would like to see a game scheduled between Kansas and Illinois.
I wonder what our basketball coach, Bill Self, former coach at the University of Illinois, would have to say on this issue. I have yet to hear him publicly speak about this topic.
It would be good for the game, and more importantly, good for the fans.
ment needs to be changed. The argument made by some out-spoken Native Americans does not hold water.
A mascot's purpose is to engage the fans, especially the younger ones who are more interested in the mascot than the actual game itself.
I am asking people to voice their opinion on this issue. This scheduling require-
If someone could give me any proof that the University of Illinois was not accepting Native American students, then yes, that would be an injustice.
There is sensitive and then there is over-sensitive, but the line between the two is hard to distinguish. People in daily society have become over-sensitive.
But mascots symbolize school pride, not prejudice.
We have become a society of class action lawsuits.
I realize that I am not the most intellectual person, but I have long realized something that the NCAA and Mr. Perkins have not: No matter what you do or what you say, someone will take offense to it.
And then when she found out that the girl was half-Korean, she shut up really quick.
Two weeks ago, a girl wrote a huge article on how the two people on the "Sex on the Hill" were both white. Hello? We are in Kansas here.
People are just looking for controversy, and I still have not come to understand why. Is it that they need something to argue about?
Peace starts with everyone just relaxing!
+Simone is Chicago Heights,
l. junior in journalism.
Austin Caster, editor
864-4854 or acaster@kansan.com
Matthew Sevclik, opinion editor
864-4924 or msevclik@kansan.com
Jonathan Kealing, managing editor 864-4854 or jkealing@kansan.com
TALK TO US
Joshua Bickel, managing editor
864-4854 or jbicket@kansan.com
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864-4014 or adddirector@kansan.com
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The Kansan welcomes letters to the editors and guest columns submitted by students, faculty and alumni.
The Kansan reserves the right to edit, cut to length, or reject all submissions.
For any questions, call Austin Caster at 864-4810 or e-mail opinion@kansan.com.
General questions should be directed to the editor at editor@kanan.com
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EDITORIAL BOARD
Ellis Ford, Yanting Wang, Joel Simone, Dan Hoyt, Anna Weltmer, Julie Parisi, Nathan McGinnis, Josh Goonting, Sara Garlick, Travis Brown, Julian Portillo, David Archer
SUBMIT TO
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1435 Jayhawk Blvd.
Lawrence, KS 60445
(785) 864-4810 opinion@kansas.com
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Call 864-0500
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Go to www.kansan.com for the maximum Free for All!
+
Did anybody else ever want to be Luigi instead of Mario, and they got frustrated because they were playing one-player?
We just turned the 4th floor McColluim lobby into a beer pong stadium.
Excuse me, I'm looking for the solutions to yesterday's crossword but I just discovered that the crossword people are morons.
+
Eric Jorgensen needs to learn how to format dialogue in an article, and I bet he wears shorts. That'd be typical.
I'm sure that Tim Robbin's article was great, but I didn't understand it, so next time, don't use such big words.
Damn you Miss Molly! You're keeping a fat girl from her cookie!
Eric Jorgensen's article was about the funniest thing I've ever seen
I liked the article about wine, but you lost a lot of credibility when you put red wine in a white wine glass in the picture.
+
Do these schnozberries smell a little off to you?
Tom DeLay indicted? In the immortal words of Wham!, "Yeah, yeah, yeah!"
First of all, Carlos Mencia isn't funny.
This is for Betsy McLeod, who had her bunny thrown off a balcony. You have a free bunny waiting for you at Pet World which is at 23rd and Louisiana. Just go in and ask for Evan, and we'll hook you up.
I gotta say, I don't really know what people expect from the Kansan. They expect world-class journalism from a college newspaper. Seriously.
+
Today I gave blood, only I didn't give blood. I just got the shirt.
I would love to have the job of the guy who gets to sit and listen to these things.
run, women won't vote for her, and we will therefore never have a female president.
Tim Robbins: We all know the definition of prejudice, and we're tired of hearing white straight males complain about it.
Skiddily bop-bop-beep-bop-be-diddly-bop-bo-be-bop-beep-beep-bop-do-dowl
I was the guy who just called in scatting.I just wanted to speak my mind.
+
+
True of False: Free for All is awesome.
+
True or False: The next person to call in a True or False question to the Free for All is a total moron.
So I saw a guy walking down the street with a popped-collar and plaid shorts and I thought, "Where'd you get those clothes? The tool store?"
+
I'm from the Rhombus House, and I don't appreciate people who talk bad about Rhombus House when they obviously don't know anything about this lifestyle.
+
Spread the word. Wednesday is the new Thursday.
If that doesn't get me in, Republican, Scott Shorten,
liberal, and Eric Jorgensen.
Why do people criticize the greek community?
Because nothing positive is ever published about them. The Black Student Union raised $1,000 dollars for the Red Cross the other day, and they made the front page. But when Pi Kappa Phi raised $4,000 the other day, no one even thanked them.
My roommate is a Kappa Kappa Klepto.
+
To the person who first called in about Rhombus House, you suck at life.
Matt Sevcik is right, the Corpse Bride soundtrack, I would say, is similar to the sound of doves making love at sunrise.
Under no circumstances, anywhere, does pot ever cost more $1200 an ounce.
+
What's the difference between Rhombus House and the voices in my head? The voices in my head exist.
in my head
If the guy who killed the rabbit gets one year in jail, should my dog get the death penalty?
You can't leave now. If you leave now, he wins. And dating is all about who wins, and who loses.
That's the second time John Roberts said discharge.
Could someone tell me why crosswords are in the sports section?
Since when was crosswording a sport?
We just turned the 4th floor McCollum lobby into a beer pong stadium.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Relief not Red
In the Sept. 28 Kansan, Andrew Soukup writes of government efforts to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina, "If relying on the government for help instead of on love and faith bears any semblance to that sentiment, then America has become the new Soviet Bloc." Mr. Soukup is a student at a publicly-funded university, as am I.
I wonder why it's okay for students pursuing linguistics or pathology degrees to rely on government handouts, but it's Soviet-style communism for the government to help American citizens whose homes were destroyed in one of the worst natural disasters in American history.
Perhaps in a future letter Mr. Soukup, using his taxpayer-subsidized education, could explain this to me.
♦ Rachel Robson
Baldwin City graduate student
John Stowell Kansas City, KS
The success story amid this disaster is the response of private organizations, and the charity of private citizens. The proper role of the government is limited to keep order to protect people from crime, not to provide relief. Charity requires giving of one's free will, not forced taxation. After all, were you to donate money, would you send it to FEMA or to the Red Cross?
Charity, not taxes
I commend Andrew Soukup on his column on Wednesday. It was a mistake for New Orleans to depend on the federal government to prepare for this disaster. Did the candidates take a position on the levies before the disaster? Of course not, because the voters didn't care on a national level. The people of New Orleans should have elected their local government to prevent this disaster, and the people of New Orleans should have born the cost of improving the levies.
Garlick's viewpoint defeatist, unpatriotic
I read the opinion page in the Kansan every day. I'll admit my favorite part is the Free For All, but I read the articles, too.
When I saw a headline that mentioned my favorite jolly fat man, a cheapskate with a tooth fetish, and a female president, I was reasonably interested. The article was far from what I expected.
Miss Garlick states that there has never been a female president, and never will be. This struck me as pretty screwy.
The first thing I thought was that this was a self-fulfilling prophecy. If women want a female president, but refuse to believe it is possible, women won't
From the way Sara writes the article, it's unclear whether she wants a female president or not, but very clear that she won't lift a finger to make it happen.
Next, I thought "Our forefathers would be disgusted!" That's right. Our country was not built upon doubt and sullen acceptance. Our nation was not created with "it hasn't happened before, and it never will" in mind. No backwater colonies had ever beaten England before, but we did it anyway. What Sara suggests, that women give up and quit, is the opposite of the principles of
the United States.
I'm not saying there will or should be a woman president. Personally, I don't think gender really matters in that regard. What I'm saying is that a quitter's attitude won't make it happen. If you want equality, Sara, do something about it. If you want things to change, you can't advocate women giving perpetual figurative blow jobs.
Of course, being a man, either one works out fine for me, but, pardon the pun, sometimes it's better to die on your feet than live on your knees.
♦ Sam Lamb
Hutchinson Freshman
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