OPINION
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
PUBLISHED DAILY SINCE 1912
CRAIG LANG, Editor
SUSANNA LOOF, Managing editor
KIMBERLY CRABTREE, Editorial editor
TOM EBLEN, General manager, news adviser
Tuesday. April 1. 1997
Julianne Donovan / KANSAN
Editorials
GTAs are often under attack for students' bad grades, habits
Many people have trouble taking responsibility for their actions. The most popular recourse people take in their shortcomings and failures is to blame someone else.
This is obvious when students receive a grade they are not happy with. Many students will blame anyone but themselves, and graduate teaching assistants often bear the brunt of complaints from students who have done an inadequate job in their studies.
And whv? GTAs are easy targets.
When students receive a bad grade, many think they can easily blame GTAs based on a number of stereotypes: the GTAs aren't real professors, they are about the same age as many undergraduate students, and many of them aren't from the United States.
None of these stances are legitimate complaints when a student simply has
The end of the semester isn't the time to complain about grades.
not done adequate work to receive a higher grade.
This spurs from a sad problem that many campuses are faced with today—too many students aren't in school to learn. They are here to get a degree so they can get a job and make a lot of money. Becoming educated isn't really a priority.
It seems as though a lot of students feel that the only requirement for getting a degree is paying tuition. And when these students inevitably fail their classes, they blame their instructors.
It's always surprising to instructors when students complain about a grade
at the end of the semester. Poor grades earned on work done throughout the class should indicate a problem earlier.
Granted, as in any profession, there are some GTAs, and professors for that matter, who don't do as good of a job as they could. And no one is going to go through college without having a few bad instructors.
If a student is truly misgraded or has been treated unfairly, then he or she should appeal to the instructor. But the nonsense of pointing fingers at GTAs just because students get a bad grade needs to stop.
GTAs are paid little, and they are trying to gain teaching experience. Like undergraduate students, GTAs are also taking classes.
It's time for students to start taking responsibility for their actions and stop blaming others for their inadequacies.
IAN RITTER FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Rates would equalize risk, cost
For three of the past four years, the University's student insurance plan has paid out more money in claims than it has taken in with premiums.
To increase enrollment in the plan and thereby ensure the continued availability of affordable health insurance, the Student Health Advisory Board will recommend a number of rate changes at the Student Senate meeting in April.
The proposal would lower rates for students 25 years old and younger by 41 percent and increase rates for those 26 and older by 17 percent.
Although these changes may seem inequitable at first, they are fair in that they are representative of differences in the claims made by these groups.
Jim Boyle, associate director of Student Health Services, said there was a definite increase in the number of claims filed by those in the 26-and-older group.
"Basically, the under-26, single students have been supporting the plan."
Lower enrollment in the health insurance plan is prompting increased rates.
Boyle said. "This will lower their costs. It will make a closer correlation between those who cost the most and those who pay the most."
It would be unfair to continue to increase the rates of younger, single students to support the high costs of insuring other groups. Reducing rates for those under 26 would generate interest in the plan and would help guarantee its viability.
James Strobli, director of Student Health Services, said that drops in the plan's enrollment had hurt the viability of the plan. There are 989 students enrolled in the plan, down from about 2,500 four years ago. Strobli said.
ment in the plan is the only way to maintain affordable insurance for students of all ages.
Randall Rock, chief of staff at Watkins Memorial Health Center, said the goal of the changes was to maximize accessibility and minimize cost for the majority without placing an undue burden on the minority.
Cutting rates to re-establish enroll-
This proposal would accomplish that goal. With rate increases for students older than 26, the plan would cost $566 annually. Strobl said this increased rate still compared favorably with the premiums paid by state employees.
If changes in the plan are not made to equalize premiums and claims, the availability of health care for students at the University would be jeopardized. The Student Health Advisory Board has made the right decision — one that will maintain the availability of student insurance for all students at the University.
KELLI RAYBERN FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD
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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.
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Guest column
Relativism abounds among KU students
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 (sullivan@kansan.com) at 864-4810.
When I came to the University from Kansas State University, I had my expectations. For starters, I
However, I thought it was fair to expect the University to be the state's only stronghold for liberals. But I was wrong. So I ask, where have all the liberals gone?
thought it was wise to give up my monster truck and gun rack for a more civilized foreign car. I jest, of course. In fact, I've never accepted the stereotypes about either school.
Like most conservatives, I've often objected to the muship liberalism at the University of Kansas. But I don't think the University is too liberal, rather, it's not liberal enough.
People argue here, but they often do so with the same shrug of the shoulder slogans, such as "It's all just a matter of opinion," and "I'm not going to impose my values on you, and you're not going to impose your values on me."
was open-minded and would relish an opportunity to debate the controversial issues of our day. Instead, I have encountered mostly indifference, apathy and boredom.
Students don't make these statements in class, lest their professor look at them as if they watch nothing but MTV. These are the statements people make outside of class, where life happens.
These slogans sound harmless and tolerant, but they are void of reason. For example, "It's all just a matter of opinion" makes the point that there is no such thing as objective truth. Every person's opinion is as valid as the next person's opinion, and truth is nothing more than one person's opinion. Philosophers call this relativism.
Relativism reduces truth to a matter of personal taste, which prompts another slogan: "If that works for you, fine. But it doesn't work for me"—a statement you would expect to hear while someone was trying on a shirt, not contemplating a belief system upon which to base his or her life.
I always thought that being a liberal meant that a person
man that it's wrong to hate people because of their race. A racist who also accepts relativism can respond to any criticism with the statement: "Well, it's my opinion that black people are subhuman, and who are you to impose your values on me?" At this point, the only way to refute the racist is to argue that racism is evil according to an objective truth or morality that transcends individual opinion and cultural tradition.
The objective truth about racism is obvious to most people. But objective truth is more elusive regarding other important questions. What's the purpose of life? Does God exist? Is there one truth? If so, can it be attained solely through reason?
The failure of relativism is obvious when, for example, the relativist wants to convince a Klaus-
The problem is not that we are functionally illiterate, but we are practically lobotomized by relativism, an idea that removes a person's impulse to seek truth by claiming that truth doesn't exist. Why seek answers that can't be found?
Professors often express alarm at students' apparent lack of interest in pursuing these big questions. They say that our entertainment culture has rendered us functionally illiterate and incapable of investigating anything deeper than a cable guide.
Even from the faculty, calls to search for truth are overwhelmed by calls to dress for success and build a better resume. This sends the message that we're not here to think but to get jobs. Getting a job is wonderful, but as King Solomon wrote in the book of Proverbs, what good is gold without understanding, silver without knowledge or jewels without wisdom? Without insisting on a search for truth, as well as a search for a job, the University will become nothing more than a glorified trade school with a great basketball team.
Open-mindedness is not a mystical virtue unto itself, but a virtue only to the extent to which it leads to the discernment of truth.
So, for any liberal who wants the University to carry more prestige than DeVry, start being consistent in your liberalism. Have an open mind. Search for truth beyond your current mood. Lay your beliefs on the table and be willing to be proven wrong. A heart and soul willing to submit to an authority higher than personal opinion forms the hinges that open a mind.
John Hart is a Shawnee graduate student in journalism.
Letters
SAC often hinders more than it helps
As a student with vision and hearing disabilities, my frustration started with my first contact with the center. I received a letter urging me to come discuss my disability with them so they could set up my accommodations. The letter threatened that if I did not contact them as soon as possible, they could not ensure my success in college. I planned to ensure my own success, thank you. I was further insulted with comments that said that services were for those students who were academically qualified and that the SAC does not offer a reduced standard for academic performance. Does this imply that students with disabilities are not academically qualified and try to weasel their way to degrees by using their disabilities?
Equal access to a college education is not always possible for students with disabilities. For many, SAC does not stand for Student Assistance Center, but Student Aggravation Center.
It seems that many professors are under the impression that all the responsibilities for accommodating students lie with the center. This is an understandable point of view when letters sent by the center on behalf of each student encourage faculty to go to the center with concerns, rather than to the student. Since every student has different needs and preferences, the center cannot know how to accommodate each student. By centralizing services so much and discouraging direct communication between student and instructor, the center is disempowering students with disabilities.
It is time for the center to comply with the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act by empowering students and professors to arrange appropriate accommodations, providing the financing needed for quality services, and becoming a resource — not a blockade. Only then can students be successful; perhaps with the help of the center, but not in spite of it.
Lisa Ferris
Omaha, Neb.
graduate student
Championship win would deserve day off
I was disappointed to read the March 20 article concerning the cancellation of classes in the event of a basketball national
championship. Not because classes would not be cancelled, but because of the attitudes expressed in the article.
First, the idea that in 1988 it seemed like the right thing to do because the team wasn't expected to win the championship does this year's team a complete disservice. Should we not appreciate their tremendous accomplishments just because it is what they are expected to do? Expectations or not, let us remember that a national championship is an extraordinary achievement that has happened only four times in 99 years of the greatest basketball program ever.
Second, the attitude that we must make decisions based on what other schools do is pathetic. Do we have to do everything Kentucky does, or might we show a little initiative on our own? Simply because other schools haven't taken time out to honor their teams doesn't mean we should do the same.
Possibly my favorite idea from this article was Chancellor Robert Hemenway's statement that nothing should interfere with academics at the University. For those of you who actually believe that, I suppose that it is best that we do have classes. But I believe that I should never let school get in the way of my education, and I realize that there is a great deal more to life at the University than simply academics. I sincerely hope the chancellor also realizes this. If not, maybe we should just cancel basketball all together. I know that all of us, including the players, would just love to have more time to devote to our academics.
Bryan Brockett Del Mar, Calif. senior
Basketball players deserve school honor
I came to the University because of its difference in academic excellence compared to rival universities and because of the opportunities a University of Kansas diploma will offer me.
At this fine university we are taught to be individualists, to think for ourselves, and to set precedents with our knowledge and skills. To say that just because a certain university in the past has not canceled classes when its team won the national championship is saying that the University is no different than any other school.
An added bonus is a basketball tradition and current program that has been proven unequivocally to be second to none.
In the article about the confederate flag, Carson Elrod mentions that the swastika was a symbol of race hate and war. He is, of course, right. He may well be aware of the ancient origins of the swastika, and that its meaning was a positive one before the Nazis prostituted it for their own ideological ends.
One part of this tradition was started in 1988 after the Manningled Jayhawks won the championship. The University set aside a day of recognition to honor the team. If this year's team won the championship, they too would be entitled to that honor.
It is a day of celebration for our distinguished student-athletes and should not be contingent upon whether they are favored to win.
We are further asked to make adult choices regarding our class attendance. Apparently no one has seen news clips of entire cities taking the day off after their professional teams have won a Super Bowl, a World Series or an NBA title. Those are clips of the real world where adults are making adult decisions.
Michael Mainzer Wichita junior
Swastika symbolizes good in some cultures
The swastika is an ancient ideogram that was extant in the Indus valley about 3000 B.C. About 1000 B.C., it was widely used in India, China, Japan and southern parts of Europe. Because it became associated with Buddhism, it lost its popularity in Christian Europe except for the Nordic countries. There is speculation that a variation of the swastika was used in some pre-COLUMBian adventures.
Swastika is derived from Sanskrit and means "it is well." The clockwise swastika symbolizes the sun, highest good, power and life force. It represents the Vernal sun derived from the wheel. In the Verdic fire sacrifice ritual of the ancient Hindus, two fire-sticks were at right angles to represent a solar cross signifying the sun's importance. The reverse swastika stands for the opposite of good.
Hindu ceremonies still use the swastika, and it is an integral part of religious ceremonies. Because it represents good, modern-day Hindus use it widely in manufactured textiles. They mark their temples, homes, businesses, and so on to bring good fortune.
Surendra Bhana associate professor of history