OPINION
TUESDAY, APRIL 19.2005
WWW.KANSAN.COM
PAGE 7A
BEELER'S PERSPECTIVE
BUSH THROWS OUT the FIRST PITCH
Nate Beeler/THE EXAMINER
Grandparents' life shows value, meaning of young life
KAT'S CALL
"You can't jump the track. We're like cars on a cable, and life's like an hour glass glued to the table. No one can find the rewind button, boys." — Anna Nalick, "Two a.m."
KATHRYN ANDERSON
kanderson@kansan.com
I spent last weekend in St. Louis telling my grandma and grandpa goodbye.
Stealing two precious hours, I joined my dying grandparents for cafeteria gelatin while my 11-year-old cousin played "Fur Elise" on the baby-grand piano nearby.
Surprisingly, few tears were stay. Despite both of their physical frailty and need for constant assistance, my grandparents were the most jubilant I had seen them.
shed during my
They know that their time is almost up, but seem comfortable with the way their story will end.
My grandpa, a German immigrant and contemporary sculptor, raised a cracked index finger and said to me, "Always remember, Kathryn, the pen is much mightier than the sword," quoting Edward George Bulwer Lytton, an English novelist.
Getting in touch with your own fear of death can elevate happiness and creativity, says Gene D. Cohen, George Washington University professor and author of "The Creative Age."
My grandparents don't act as if they're dying. In fact, they appear to be waking up. After a fulfilling 60-year marriage filled with travel, family and St. Louis Cardinals baseball games, who wouldn't be relishing the conclusion of life?
Health magazine, but fear of diving is in the top five.
Grandpa gave a lot of advice in two days.
How are a couple grandparents content with death? We all thought dying was the "Big One." Dying is the number one fear next to, like, public speaking, right? Wrong. The second greatest fear happens to be of getting fat, according to
Thirty years ago, Grandpa left his finance career in Omaha, Neb., to pursue sculpture for more than just vacation days: Creating art makes him happy.
Perhaps instead of foot-dragging in anticipation of graduation and dread of the real world, realize that this is the real world. The end of college is not judgement day.Start living.
Drawing personal hypotheses on the mystery of dying and coming to grips with its inevitability will lend itself to a realization of consciousness.
For example, the late philosopher Alan Watts reasoned that dying must be a lot like being born. He described birth as waking up after never going to sleep.
Dying, Watts explained, is the mirrored image: Going to sleep and never waking up. Toying with these slippery concepts does not make you morbid. I am not morbid and I'm writing it.
This philosophy on life and death can help everybody. Perhaps instead of foot-dragging in the anticipation of graduation and dread of the real world, realize that this is the real world.
the unimaginable possibilities and the brevity of life.
But it does force you to wrap your head around both
+ Anderson is an Omaha, Neb., junior in journalism and English.
The end of college life is not judgment day. Start living.
EDITORIAL BOARD
Parking department hits students where it hurts
If the parking department was hoping to improve its image, provost David Shulenburger didn't do himself any favors last week by raising the cost to park on campus. The prices of all parking permits were increased, but it was students who got the worst of the increase.
The price of yellow permits went up 64 percent, compared to a mere 16 percent increase for reserved lots. Students are not allowed to purchase reserved lot passes
The most alarming part of the increase is that it flies in the face of what the parking commission said following a meeting in March.
Tom Mulinazzi, head of the parking department was quoted in a University Daily Kansan story on March 14, saying that "It should be more money if you park close, and less if you park away." Though a reserved lot permit will cost $700 next semester, compared to $140 for a Yellow permit the percentage
increase directly contradicts Mulinazzi's statement.
Students will accept the unprecedented spike in prices if the parking department does something to improve the current parking situation.
The goal of the increases is, after all, to improve parking on campus. The parking department said that the funds secured by the increase would be used to improve the condition of current lots and to begin work
on a new Park and Ride lot.
David Shulenburger isn't making himself any friends these days with another boost in parking permit rates that aims directly for students' pocketbooks. The sad part is that the parking department doesn't seem to be looking at other ways of avoiding this cost increase.
Students who have been late to class because they were hunting for an open spot will agree that the parking department needs to make changes. But with such a drastic increase in prices, any agreement is being drowned out with moans of complaint.
The only way students' complaints are going to die down is if substantial changes
are seen on campus. A few spots here and there aren't going to subside the unrest. Donna Hultine, director of parking, said the first project in line would add 40 spots on campus. This is a nice start, but there seems to be a long road ahead.
One easy change could be made without so much as breaking ground on a new lot. The parking garage on Mississippi Street sits mostly unused on most weekdays because students aren't willing to pay such high rates.
Also, consolidating lots on campus to provide more Yellow spots wouldn't require drastic measures, just a few changed signs.
There are lots all over campus that are inefficiently filled. If the parking department takes a serious look at the problem and makes some real changes that both students and faculty can appreciate, life will be easier for everyone, including the parking department itself.
$\diamond$ Erick Schmidt writing for the editorial board.
PARKING DEPARTMENT STATISTICS
21.854
10,141
6,370
3.771
Number of commuting students Number of permits sold to com muting students
Number of yellow zone spaces
Number of permits oversold (69%)
+ 4,662 Number of commuting faculty and staff
Source: Parking department
4,662 Number of commuting faculty and staff
3,804 Number of permits sold to commuting faculty and staff
3,003 Number of spaces for faculty and staff
801 Number of permits oversold (27%)
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Students regale in fun, excitement of annual Suitcase Dance at Ellsworth
Students packed their bags and headed for Ellsworth Hall for the annual Suitcase Dance, sponsored by the Ellsworth Community Standards Board. Students were in for a night of fun and dancing along with free food and prizes to win along the way.
DJ Scottie Mac provided inspiration for the dancing which started around 8:30 and steadily picked up throughout the night.
Approximately 100 students attended the dance, an increase from last year. Students brought packed suitcases in order to be eligible for the grand prize, an all-expense paid trip for four to Kansas City.
Students were entered into the raffle for prizes in three ways. Those who wished to be eligible for all prizes were required to bring a packed suitcase and check it upon arrival of the dance.
The second way a student was eligible was for students to bring cans of food for the food bank. For every five cans of food that a student brought, they received an additional raffle ticket, with a limit of two extra tickets for 10 cans.
This allowed Ellsworth Hall to generate over
150 cans of food for the food bank, which will be delivered later this week. The third and final way was for students to attend without cans of food or a packed suitcase.
These students were eligible for all prizes except the grand prize. All three methods were utilized about the same amount.
Ellsworth did not cut the cost on prizes either. Keynote prizes were a DVD player, Xbox, 27-inch television, iPod and the grand prize — an all expense paid trip for four to Kansas City for two days. Other items included movies and gift certificates to various restaurants and stores around Lawrence. Students had to be in attendance in order to claim prizes which were given away at random times thought the night.
Jenny Flohrs, Ellsworth resident, won the grand prize of a trip for herself and three friends to Kansas City, a limousine ride there and back, and a $100 gift certificate to the Cheesecake Factory.
On behalf of the entire Ellsworth Community Standards Board, we thank all who attended and congratulate to the winners of prizes.
Brandon Parker Andover freshman
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So the thing that makes living in the dorms the most special is that when you go out of town, you come back to find that your lazy roommate has not only eaten the cake your mom made for you, but she also has clogged up the toilet, and you have to go downstairs and get the plunger. Mortifying.
The Kansas Relays are coming, baby.
Nothing quite like lounging around naked in your dorm room on a beautiful spring day.
Just to let everyone know, since the Kansasan never reports on any real Kansas sports, the Kansas rugby team beat K-State 52-25 on Saturday.
Well, I just joined The Facebook, and in other news, I just gave up on everything I've ever believed in.
I think my dad's having a mid-life crisis. He just bought a PT Cruiser and a wakeboard.
Wisconsin: It's almost Canada.
How can something be extra virgin?
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John Byerley, Chase Edgerton,
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Dou Lang, Kevin McKernan, Mike Mostaffe, Eric Prather,
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EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS
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