OPINION
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
PUBLISHED DAILY SINCE 1912
CRAIG LANG, *Editor*
SUSANNA LOOF, *Managing editor*
KIMBERLY CRAYTEFRE, *Editorial editor*
TOM EBILEN, *General manager, news adviser*
MARK OZIMEK, Business manager
DENNIS HAUPT, Retail sales manager
JUSTIN KNUPP, Technology coordinator
JA YSTEINER, Sales and marketing adviser
Jeff MacNelly / CHICAGO TRIBUNE
Editorials
Chancellor's availability worries some student interest groups
Dozens of interest groups are represented on the KU campus, and each one of their wants to be heard. Many groups, from graduate teaching assistants to international students, have concerns directly related to the operation and administration of the campus. They sometimes go to the Chancellor with their protests, questions and problems looking for answers, or at least sympathy. Still, many of these groups have found the same problem when they try to contact the Chancellor with their concerns—he is never there.
Many groups hold protests and send invitations to the Chancellor, and some have waited outside the Chancellor's office trying to reach him. Still, few students are finding him in his office or attending the group's functions, and they can draw only one conclusion — the Chancellor either doesn't know about them or just doesn't care.
Scheduling office hours might make the Chancellor more available to students.
Without a doubt, this is not the case. Certainly the Chancellor cares very much about the interests and problems of the students, faculty and staff at the University. The simple fact is that he is a busy man. He must spend one day a week at the Medical Center in Kansas City and another at the Regents Center. He is required to spend time in Topeka and many other locations carrying on ambassador and administrative duties for the University. So to say that Chancellor Hemenway does not care would be a gross misstatement.
Despite his busy schedule, however, the Chancellor should make more of an attempt to respond to and be available
for various interest groups on campus Numerous groups and individuals have complained that they never find the Chancellor in his office when they go by. Because the Chancellor is a busy man, he should not be expected to be in his office 12 hours each day to address interest groups. However, perhaps it would be a good idea for him to schedule weekly office hours when those groups and individuals could talk with the Chancellor. And maybe it would be a good idea for the Chancellor or someone in his office to respond to invitations to hear student concerns and presentations. If he is unable to attend, his office personnel could simply acknowledge that he is aware of the groups that contacted him.
Studiefts and groups should realize that the Chancellor is a busy man, but the Chancellor should also acknowledge and attempt to address the concerns of these groups.
BEN SHOCKEY FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Dole protesters were irresponsible
The Bill of Rights was a wonderful addition to our government. Who could argue that we shouldn't have freedom of speech? But there is one criterion that should be filled when these rights are considered: responsibility. Americans have a right to voice opinions. These opinions can be complaints. However, a little common sense should be used before this right is exercised.
On April 25, former Senate Majority Leader and presidential candidate Bob Dole returned to his home state of Kansas for the first time since his presidential campaign. He came as a retired official, and he is no longer politically active. But it seems that about 30 students forgot this. Enter lack of responsibility.
It is perfectly acceptable to not agree with Bob Dole's political ideology. In fact, Dole's proposed abolition of educational programs and loans obviously do not find great favor with many students. However, when a representative of this state returns home in a non-political activity, students should have the respect to avoid ad hominem and personality attacks. The actions of about 30 students who held hostile signs saying that Bob Dole was not welcome in Kansas and that he should leave were simply inappropriate.
Bob Dole's visit wasn't political, but protesters made it that way.
First of all, Dole was not campaigning — he was donating. Dole donated his congressional archive to the University. Perhaps the students were upset that the University has proposed to build a center to house the archive, which will require the University to raise nearly $6 million in private funds. If this is their qualm, they are still
choosing the wrong time and place to protest. They did get media attention, which could help them spread their message, but it was not their message that was received by the public. Instead, the public saw irresponsibility stemming from the student body.
These students were simply out of line. Freedom of speech is wonderful; however, there is a marked difference between political hate and personal hate. Regardless of whether these students hated Dole's political stances, he was not promoting any politics. In fact, he said that he hoped the proposed center would stand for the defeat of cynicism. It looks like this battle still has a long way to go.
As a student body, the actions of a few can reflect on the University as a whole. Hopefully the student body can learn from these testing student and avoid such embarrassing events in the future.
CODY SIMMS FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD
KANSAN STAFF
LA TINA SULJIAN . . . Associate Editorial
KRISTA BLASH . . . News
NOVELDA SOMMERS . . . News
LESLIE TAYLOR . . . News
AMANDA TRAUGHBER . . . News
TARA TRENAY . . . News
DAVID TESKA . . . Online
SPENCER DUNCAN . . . Sports
GINA THORNBURG . . . Associate Sports
BRADELEY BROOKS . . . Campus
LINDSEE HENRY . . . Campus
DAVE BRETTENSTEIN . . Features
PAM DISHMAN . . . Photo
TYLER WIRKEN . . Photo
BRYAN VOLK . . . Design
ANDY ROHRBACK . . . Graphics
ANDREA ALBRIGHT . . . Wire
LZ MUSSER . . Special sections
AERICA VAZEY . . News clerk
NEWS EDITORS
ADVERTISING MANAGERS
HEATHER VALLEY . . . Assistant retail
JULIE PEDLAR . . . Campus
DANA CENTENO . . . Regional
ANNETTE HOVER . . . National
BRIAN PAGEL . . . Marketing
SARAH SCHERWINSKI . . Internet
DARCI MCLAIN . . . Production
DENA PISCOTTE . . Production
ALLISON PIERCE . . Special sections
SARA ROSE . . . Creative
DANA LAUVETZ . . Public relations
BRIAN LEFEVRE . . Classified
RACHEL RUBIN . . Assistant classified
BRIDGET COLLYER . . Zone
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MARIA CRIST . Senior account executive
**Letters:** Should be double-spaced typed and fewer than 200 words. Letters must include the author's signature, name, address and telephone number plus class and hometown if a University student. Faculty or staff must identify their positions.
How to submit letters and guest columns
All letter and guest columns should be submitted to the Kansan newsroom, 111 Stauffer-Flint Hall. The Kansan reserves the right to edit, cut to length or reject all submissions. For any questions, call Kimberly Crabtree (opinion@kansan.com) or LaTina Sullivan (isullvan@kansan.com) at 864-4810.
Guest columns: For this semester are no longer being accepted because of time constraints.
Multicultural groups are not truly American
Columns
Why isn't there an Anglo-American studies department?
At times, I wavered between sympathy and antipathy over this issue.
but why isn't there a white studies department?
In a university setting, when we talk of culture and history there really seems to be no need for an Anglo studies department.
Does it mean white people have no culture? No past?
There is the beginning of a Native American studies department. There's a Spanish department and even a center for East Asian studies.
I guess there's nothing to apologize for, so there's no department.
But no white department.
There is, however, an American studies department.
But I find it both funny and ironic that there are Native American and African American departments outside of the American Studies Department.
And Colin Powell wonders why we have a nation of kids who don't feel American.
I'm still trying to figure out what it means to be
There is even a multicultural center.
multicultural. Multicultural — aren't we all? That is, except white people, it seems.)
I think the question becomes, "Why do we have an African American studies department? Or the beginnings of a Native American studies department?"
In my high school U.S. history course, it wasn't until February, that we talked about anyone who looked like me.
Because to this day these groups of people are not yet truly American.
When it was remarked, "he was one of the first and he was 'Black.'"
But I am American. I pay taxes. I vote.
And my ancestors were here before the Mayflower.
Mitch Lucas / KANSAN
I can definitely say the same of someone who is Native American.
I'm not sure.
So why do I feel so un-American?
Why is it that to say "I am American" is something rarely said by me and it feels awkward when I do say it?
Hey, it merits its own month.
I am Black. It becomes its own anthem and country attimes.
And we're our own people, Black people, but we're not American.
If we were American I'd have read a lot more about people like me in my high school U.S. history textbook. It wasn't until I took an African American studies course in college that I learned
Black people were there in all of American history.
Up until I took an African American history course here at the University, I assumed that Black people just spontaneously appeared and something bad had happened to the first batch. At any rate, it was case enough for a Civil War — there were some Buffalo Soldiers involved.
"They were Black."
The nihilistic meaninglessness that is so evident in young black kids would be an American problem.
And so would numerous murders committed because of that meaninglessness.
If I were American, the poverty and welfare problems would be American problems, not Black ones.
But as it stands blacks, and all minorities, are not Americans, and neither are our problems.
But I pay taxes, so does my grandpa. We vote
And I'd like for us, as Americans, to take responsibility for those problems.
But I would like for our problems, Black problems, to be American problems.
But we're not American. We'd like to be, though.
I think I am American amongst a race of people who are and have always been American.
Rufus Coleman is a Dallas junior in Journalism.
Letters
Sullivan, Walden should apologize
This is just a plain disguise. The frat boys are off the hook and they did not even have to apologize. They cheated and then lied about it, and nobody seems to be willing to make them face the consequences. Or is this it? The elections commission said Scott Sullivan and Mike Walden should pay for a full-page advertisement in *The University Daily Kansan*, where the commission was to explain what the candidates had done wrong. The commission reneged on this, and Chad Perlov resigned. To me this shows Perlov has integrity and that the system doesn't.
Let me run that by you again: an apology would have been out of order. Well, excuse me, but what's out of order is the lame and lax attitude that has made sure the new Student Body president and vice president get off scott free.
In addition the candidates should apologize for what they did in front of the joint Senate meeting on April 23. But once again the system, in the form of the meeting's chairperson, stepped in, because apology would have been out of order.
If Sullivan and Walden had any integrity and any respect for students at this University, they should make it their business to apologize. I hope they will. I doubt they will. And it will be interesting to see if they ever will be visible on this campus again, as they promised in their campaign, to get in touch with students. Maybe they will lock themselves away in an office until next year. I hope they won't. I think they will. Please prove me wrong.
Eva Nilzon
Lawrence graduate student
and goodwill toward others is bad. It isn't. If someone wants to help another because they find a value for themselves in it, so be it. But do not tell me that I have committed a moral wrong for not finding that same value.
Charles Koch, CEO of Koch Industries, commented to a Kansan reporter after his April 23 speech that he received his high moral character from his father. That's an interesting statement, as Koch Industries was fined by the federal government for stealing millions of dollars worth of oil from Indian reservations in the early 1990s. Further, the Wichita-based company was fined for polluting our state's land and water during the same period. These actions really show the high moral character of a man in firm control over the second-largest privately held company in the country.
Clark H. Coan Lawrence resident
Koch's statement doesn't match actions
Volunteering should be left to personal choice
President Clinton is pushing the idea that each of us, as Americans, have a duty to serve our community. He says that he is rolling back government and that private citizens are going to have to take over the role that it once played.
This is not to say that charity
I find this entire idea disturbing. The concept that each of us is naturally indebted to others is not a new one. Socialism, communism and nazism are all ideologies that require the individual to contribute their work to others. They are based on the faulty idea that a person has no moral value unless he or she is helping someone besides themselves. This completely goes against what America should stand for. This is the land of the free individual.
For anyone to say that I am a bad person because I do not give of my time for other's sake is, in my mind, morally repugnant.
Do not think that I don't understand that some people need help to survive; I do. They just do not have the right to demand that help, much less require it.
Luka Yovetich Englewood, Colo., senior
Watkins construction story misstated facts
I am writing to complain about the poor choice of the headline of the story Watkins construction still not finished on page 3 of the April 24 Kansan.
This headline implied that the contractor, RMT from Olathe, is behind schedule. This could not be further from the truth. The project is scheduled for completion in August but will be completed in May, three months ahead of schedule.
All the discussion I had with the reporters were items that RMT was not responsible for, such as ourneed to bid the decorations in the lobby. Landscaping was a separate contractor. The painting being done by Facilities Operations is almost completed.
The current building construction began in July 1972 and we occupied this building in March 1974, not 1969.
The most important point left out of the article was that RMT could not have done a better job and did extremely high quality work everywhere on this project. The construction workers were always courteous and accommodating.
James E. Strobl
Director,Watkins Memorial
Health Center