THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
OPINION
MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 2005
WWW.KANSAN.COM
To New Yorkers: nothing's the matter with Kansas
PAGE 6A
The Wizard of Oz. Tornadoes.
Kansas City.
Those foreign to Kansas, or even the Midwest, hold a stereotypical view of our great Sunflower state that can be both narrow and ignorant. That doesn't mean they aren't willing to learn about the great abyss between Los Angeles and New York City.
This past summer, I lived in New York City as part of a public relations internship. I rode the subway from the Lower East Side to Times Square three days a week to work for a company promoting Broadway shows. Because my internship was unpaid, I also waitressed at a small restaurant in the Lower East Side, Grilled Cheese NYC. Both of these experiences allowed me to live like a genuine New Yorker. Whether it was putting on a professional voice to deal with publications like The New York Times, or making a grilled cheese sandwich dripping with fixings for Lower East Siders, I
ERICA PRATHER
opinion@kansan.com
came to learn more about myself, New York and the way those on the East coast perceive Kansas and the Midwest in general.
Some may think living in New York is moving on to bigger things, but in reality, it's not better, it's just different. I have lived in that surreal concrete jungle for the last two summers, and while I love it with all my heart, there is a strong part of me that cannot wait to return to my life in Lawrence and Kansas in general. The more time I spend away from the Midwest, the more grateful I am that I was raised here. It is here that I have
been greeted in the morning by a gentle breeze of fresh cut grass and honeysuckle, devoid of any hints of trash. I can stroll carefree by myself down Massachusetts Street without making sure I bring mace. I have seen a sunset fading red to purple to orange, bursting at the edge of the earth with a brilliant pink-yellow hue.
My New York co-workers sometimes would ask me about Kansas, this strange Land of Oz. What happens there? Is it really just all farmland? is cow tipping the main form of entertainment? I was always more than happy to speak proudly of my home state
and clarify any misconceptions. After all, why would I dare to trash the state that had made me the wholesome, midwestern girl that I am?
The Midwest is greatly underated. We have some of the best beef and freshest produce there is. We have county fairs and the Future Farmers of America. Things that coastal cities may see as trite or behind the times are actual wonderful characteristics that set us apart from the overzealous life in the fast lane. Being from the Midwest may give you a sheltered view of the world, but only if you allow yourself to be close-minded. Midwesterners are a strong breed, capable of thriving in any situation. We have a good idea of who we are and what we stand for, a great combination for fearlessly taking the world on. People are just people, no matter where you go, and they all have a fascinating story or two to share. Experience other cultures, inside and outside of the U.S., but never forget how hard Dorothy fought to get back to Kansas, because "there's no place like home."
- Prather is a Wichita junior in English and communication studies.
Free All for
Call 864-0500
Free for all callers have 20 seconds to speak about any topic they wish. Kansas editors reserve the right to omit comments. Slanderous and obscene statements will not be printed. Phone numbers of all incoming calls are recorded.
Just like to say that if the football stadium opens at 5:30, and the team stops practicing at 6, then what is the point?
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I am sick of freshman saving seats in 120 Budig.
My friend is using facebook.com to find someone that looks like her for a fake ID.
I long for the good old days when you could spend three hotdogs and a can of coke for under $4 on Wescoe Beach. Now you can spend $4 and get half a chicken sandwich in the Underground. It's a shame.
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Hey, this is to the speaker at the anti-recruitment protest on Thursday that was wearing Army boots: when we get rid of the military, what's going to happen to your wardrobe?
Hey, the elevator in Snow Hall has been broken since the first day of class. What are people in wheelchairs supposed to do?
I don't even know what a quail looks like.
I saw a girl hit a car on Memorial Drive today, she's driving a black Alero, and I got her license plate number. I also called the KU Police. Your ass is grass.
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My friend has a friend who has a friend that knows the guy who does the Free For All, and that's really cool.
I don't know how Joshua Goetting can claim that the military is one of the most color-blind segments of our society. Anyone who has served time in the military knows knows racism is rampant. One only needs to look at KU's own ROTC programs to see this.
I just sat through my entire Anthropology 361 next to a guy that smelled like a butt. A cigarette butt. I bet his heiny actually smelled better though.
I don't know what's cooler: a DU party, a DU after-party or a DU after-after-party, which is pretty much a pre-party for the next DU party. *friarty giggling*
Thanks for not stabbing me!
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The article that said that technology caught the BTK killer is wrong, cops going around with cotton swabs for DNA, violating citizen's rights caught BTK. Join my protest against cotton swabbing.
The songs chosen for the top-5 "getting ready" songs in the Jayplay sucked.
Do they have hurricane days in Florida like we have snow days? 'Cause then hurricane days would rock.
All my life there's been something missing, I've never gotten an editor's note on my Free For All comments. Please make my dreams come true (Editor's note: You have to say something stupid to get an editor's note. Self-fulfilling prophecy, huh?)
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We just shamboozled our roommate.
From now on, all biker's on the street are worth 10 points, and runners in the street are worth 15 points. Let the games begin.
I just put $5 worth of gas in my car, and it didn't take me off empty.
It's kind of pathetic that I sit around trying to think of clever things to say to Free For All.
It's my birthday and I swam naked in the Chi Omega fountain and I already lost my shirt.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Dear Editor:
Garlick's column belligerent, wrong
As an expression of contempt for opponents of "Native American mascots," Sara Garlick's Aug. 19 column succeeds. As an argument, the column fails.
Garlick doesn't prove what her title claims, "Ban criteria largely flawed," because she gives no information about those criteria other than quoting the words "hostile" and "abusive." Those words describe Garlick's tone: the policy is "a waste of time for pretty much everyone involved...more important stories are out there." We don't learn what Garlick's
criteria for importance are, or how she earned the credibility to speak for so many people.
Garlick uses a "slippery slope" approach, which keeps her from having to refute the ban criteria she didn't provide in the first place. If Garlick wants people to agree that eliminating Native American mascots leads inevitably to results she describes, she must provide evidence. Instead, she spins absurd scenarios to trivialize the NCAA policy.
Garlick's conclusion is not just unsupported, it is laughable. She claims that schools
with Native American mascots do "tribes" a favor by keeping their traditions alive for students who wouldn't have known of the tribes' existence without a "liaison" service.
Because this issue is such a time waster, perhaps Garlick should investigate the "important story" of why some people only care about "Indians" in terms of their presence, or nonpresence, as sports mascots.
Ray Pence Graduate student in American studies Casper, Wyoming
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GOOD TO GO
Minority rights fan pans ban
I want to tell you about a friend of mine. His name is Timothy. Tim attends Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. He's an engineering student and loves to tell people that the "Timmy!" gag on South Park is based on him.
Tim's a huge fan of football and the past few years have been pretty kind to him and his Tigers, but the only thing Tim ever wants to talk about is Florida State. You see, Tim is a member of the Seminole tribe from which FSU's mascot takes its name.
By now, I am sure that everyone is somewhat familiar with the NCAA's recent ban on the use of Indian mascots by universities. Advocates of minority and multicultural rights have long sought action that would prevent the use of mascots the NCAA deems "hostile" or "abusive," and the NCAA has received much praise for its actions along with the expected criticism.
Tragedy struck last week. On Wednesday, the NCAA overturned its ban on Florida State's mascot, reasoning that members of the Seminole tribe had a working relationship with the university.
Of course, FSU president T.K. Wetherell also threatened a lawsuit if the ban was not overturned. Let me repeat the important part of that sentence: the ban was dropped because the university threatened to sue.
Is this what our nation has come to? We'll appease all those we can, as long as we don't get sued? The NCAA's overturning of its own ban is ridiculous.
RYAN GOOD
opinion@kansan.com
The NCAA has been quick to emphasize that the ban was lifted because of FSU's working relationship with the Seminole tribe. This is ludicrous. The United States of America has a "working" relationship with North Korea, so should we simply stop paying any attention to Kim
Proponents of Florida State's right to use the Seminole as a mascot have also jumped on this bandwagon. I seriously doubt, however, that any of these proponents have spoken with anyone associated with the Seminoles, or that they could even tell you one legitimate thing about the tribe.
After conversing with Tim, I can say that this is not a universally popular move within the tribe,
Il Jong's increasingly frightening actions? Of course not.
How would you feel if someone told you that you were no different from a tiger or a bulldog or a wolverine? "
Take a step back and think
about this issue. It makes sense that Seminoles would be appalled by this action.
Another argument that supporters of Indian mascots use is the idea of historic context. The Seminole tribe is located in Florida, and thus it is logical to pay homage to them as mascots. I would have no problem with this argument if it was universally followed. As soon as the University of
Most college mascots are animals, both real and mythical. The largest exception to this rule is the use of Indian mascots. These people are essentially being equated with animals. How would you feel if someone told you that you were no different from a tiger or a bulldog or a wolverine?
BIOL
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Alabama-Birmingham adopts "the Klan" as its mascot, I'll acquiesce to this argument's validity.
The NCAA's reversal of their ban is quite possibly this country's most tragic disaster since 9/11. Not only is this an issue that has a large emotional and psychological impact on members of the Seminole nation, but it also affects our nation as a whole.
I realize that my relationship with individuals such as Tim makes me more sensitive to this issue. Nonetheless, this is an issue of which everyone should make themselves aware.
Most of us are at least vaguely aware of the atrocities the American government has historically committed against Native Americans; to this day it remains the poorest ethnic group in the country, by a significant margin. Allowing universities such as Florida State to continue their offensive use of Indian mascots is outrageous.
In my mind, there is no difference between the FSU Seminoles and the UAB Klan. Many African-Americans have been killed in Alabama, one of the most horrifying examples being the church bombing in Birmingham a few decades ago. What better way to preserve the memory of these unfortunate victims than by the renaming of a state university's mascot?
By repealing its ban, the NCAA has spit in the face of the Seminole nation, the larger community of Native Americans, and the country as a whole.
Once again, this is ludicrous. I'd like to state in writing that I would never support such a plan as I have just lain out, and for the same reasons cannot support any school's use of an Indian mascot.
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Good is an Olathe senior in English.