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opinion
When you think schol hall, think hot nerd
Brunettes just do it better. And by "it," I mean sex.
Dear KU, Please repair the roads on campus. Sincerely, Every KU student.
Laziness is having the Jimmy Johns delivery guy pass your sandwiches through the window so you don't have to walk the 10 feet to open the door.
After reading about meditation, I skipped math lab and went to Potter Lake.
Correctly guessing what to wear in Kansas in spring is like winning the lottery.
Well, Batman is in the Justice League soooo yeah I guess you can buy your way in. Also be a badass.
To the dude that thinks everything awesome starts with a B. You forgot Bill Self
Batman turned the Justice League down. Look it up. He was tired of pulling their sorry asses out of the fire all the time
Ha, I see what you did there.
If "Minnesota doesn't have winter in May," then why did they get 18 inches of snow over the weekend?
Dear Brain, please stop hurting and work. Love, Rest of body.
To the people that think it's funny to post the overshared memes in the FFA, it’s not.
I wonder how many calories I just inhaled from stress eating.
To the girl jammin' at the Bailey bus stop, I'm glad someone is enjoying their Monday.
I'm so glad I don't have to worry about makeup dripping down my face. You should try it girls. Editor's note: Maybe you should try not telling what to do.
If you know you have to stand in front of your entire class and present... Don't let a girl leave you three huge hickies on your neck.
Its not that I'm bored in class or anything, but there are 142 ceiling tiles in Budig 120.
If she doesn't consider super wealth a super power, she's too young for you, bro.
I wanna get a pit bull and name him
Esteban Julio Ricardo Montoya de la
Rama Ramírez.
I think I'm going to change majors and become an engineer so I can get overpaid for stupid ideas.
Why don't girls who wear mom shorts look as good as the mom's who wear them.
Very strong Monday FFA people. Let's use this synergy moving forward into next quarter.
TUESDAY, MAY 7, 2013
Bmarijuana makes me laugh.
POLITICS
Empathy matters more than sympathy
Politicians are often accused of being out of touch with the American people. For instance, Congress failed to pass a measure expanding background checks on firearms despite the fact, according to several news sources, that 91 percent of responding registered voters supported it. In other words, they failed to empathize with the recent victims of such neglect.
But people are drawn to politicians that think like them — the lower class loved President Clinton because he grew up without a dad and played a mean sax. His experiences with poverty were reflected in his policy. And one of President Bush's few redeeming qualities was that he seemed like a man you could share a beer with (Romney was a teetotaler, and look how that turned out for him). Sure, we have a constitution, but there really is no set of rules on how
to be a good leader. Politics is all about empathy.
To be honest, I never thought about getting into politics until Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach tried to bring SB-1070 to Kansas, and I suddenly had to worry about getting pulled over and subsequently asked to show my papers just because I have black hair, brown skin and the ability to roll my Rs. And then I became certain of my decision after I lost my health insurance and got denied by every damn company for having too many pre-existing conditions. My life has been turned upside down by bad policy, and so I got into this business in hopes that I could someday have a say in my own health. I don't want your sympathy, I want your empathy.
There's a difference. Let me tell you a story about my sister and I. She got the psychological illness and I got the physical illness. We
both got the stubbornness. So I'd get sick and she's been sick before, but it's like, maybe a mild cold at worst — and shed sympathize with me because she knew that being sick sucks.
But she had no idea what it's like to constantly struggle for air, or to have fluid in her lungs more often than not or to be in so much physical pain for so long that she forgets what comfort feels like. She was diagnosed with depression, anxiety and some other things a few years back. She was unhappy. I've been unhappy before, but it's like, my mom
grounded me from N64 for a day — and I'd sympathize because a day without Donkey Kong was a bad day, but I had no idea what it was like to really hate myself sometimes or to lose joy in the things I love, or to have so many negative thoughts in my head that I forget how to smile. So I dismissed it. It wasn't a real disease like mine; it was an excuse.
I've had a taste of it this year. It's worse than anything that's ever put me in the hospital. I never once tried to understand what she was going through for the years that she struggled, and I became part of the problem. I'm so sorry for that. It's sad, but there are a lot of people in this world who have trouble believing in something if they haven't personally experienced it. So we're not on the same page. We aren't helping one another. Rural and urban Americans look at a gun and see either a source of recreation and venison or a source of fear and death. Rich Americans sympathize with the poor, but don't understand that working harder isn't always the answer when your school, family, friends and environment all set you up for failure.
Most politicians are strongly motivated by their own interests. Try to name a Republican senator in favor of marriage equality that didn't suddenly have an epiphany after his son came out of the closet. I'm as guilty of that as anyone. But I've been writing columns for a full school year now, and I like to think that I've learned a little empathy in the process. I'm done writing about myself — at least for awhile — because I think it's time help someone else tell their story.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Webber is a freshman majoring in journalism and political science from Prairie Village
Controversial girls-only app allows anonymous reviews
Ever heard of Lulu? Ladies,
I expect you have at least downloaded the newest craze app, searched your crush's profile and left a review or two.
Guys, I have to break it to you,
you most likely are out of the loop on this one, with the exception of those of you who have borrowed your lady-friend's phones in order to scope out your own profile.
Lulu, the dating database built by girls for girls, no boys allowed Luluvise created the platform for private networking between women after raising $1 million in November 2011. Originally, the website fared OK as it represented 69 countries, but not many women were jumping at the chance to look up men they knew. However, Lulu believes they have figured out the best way to spread the word about their exclusive database: U.S. colleges.
This "girls-only app for dating intelligence" launched via invitation-only at Florida State University and the University of Florida in January. By the end of the month, 60,000 women had downloaded the Lulu app and reviewed 140,000 men. On Feb. 7, Lulu launched nationwide as, "A private, fun - and - safe - space for girls to talk," according to a
When I first heard of this app, I laughed at the prospect of rating the guys I know. Then, like many women, I became curious to know what was out there on this secret database of men. I downloaded it, scrolled through some hilarious reviews and talked about it at work. You know, like what you do on Facebook. Only this time it was different. We ladies had the power to look at all the profiles and have immediate access on our phones. The guys had to peek over our shoulders or borrow our phones to see what was out there in cyberwars
Lulu blog post. To counter Lulu for girls, the company launched a web-based LuluDude, where guys can edit their profiles and request reviews from girls. Unfortunately, men, you still cannot rate women.
Is it fair? Goodness no. But, is life fair? Men may be upset they cannot simply download the app and read everything posted
on their profile. They may even feel anger at the fact they do not have an equal site to rate women. However, if you think about it, many rating sites began as males rating females. This app is simply the opposite.
Some, who have downloaded the app to learn what the craze is all about, feel it is stereotypical to rate people on their attributes. Actually, rating females is stereotypically considered a male trait. Wait, hold the phone! Women do the same thing? Of course we do. This app happens to allow us to do it anonymously and with the exclusivity of girl-world. You may think its weird, dumb, crazy, sexist, etc.
To me, it is a bit of fun that breaks up the monotony of other social media sites. The truth is, ladies, when you hit it off with a guy on your next night out, you are going to Facebook stalk him when you get home. Instead of drowning in all the photos and status updates, you can turn to Lulu and find exactly what you wanted. Who are you going to review?
Warren is a junior majoring in journalism from Overland Park
CAMPUS CHIRPS BACK
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EDUCATION
Evaluations offer great opportunity
@jhonjhonman
@UDK_Opinion garfield
It's that time of year again when professors start sweet-talking their students, and GTAs beg for a little compassion. It's the time when extra credit is handed out as freely as T-shirts on Wescoe Beach, and when TAs give their most enthusiastic performance of the semester. That's right, it's time for instructor evaluations.
For those new to the process, every instructor is given a few weeks to choose a class period where they give their students a few minutes to fill out an anonymous survey to evaluate how the instructor did as a teacher. All evaluations have the basic questions such as how organized the class was, how helpful and available the instructor was, etc. From there the evaluations are kept in an envelope until the end of the semester, and after grades are turned in, the professors can see how they did. Basically, it's the student's opportunity to grade their professor.
Which is all fine and dandy, except that before most professors give out the evaluation forms they give the "instructions." Now I don't know about all of you, but I've been filling out bubble sheets since the first grade. I think by now, as a college student, if you fail to completely fill in the bubble you probably have a problem. Even so, instructors are required to give instructions on how the evaluations work. Notice, however, that while instructions are required, the guilt comes free of charge. Every semester about this time of year all around campus instructors pause, holding their envelope hostage, while they give one final plea for leniency. It is here that, following the official instructions, the instructor stresses the importance of the evaluations towards their career. They talk about what a pleasure it has been to have us in class (and suspiciously, that's the only day I hear that for most classes) and that they have loved getting to know "each and every one" of us. Then they go for the real point: the guilt.
Suddenly you're hearing about how seriously they take the evaluations, and about how they hope that you had as much fun taking the class as they had teaching it. They suddenly
@ChazSchneider
@UOK. Opinion Will Ferrell
Chaz #MomMeatao!!
remind you of that extra credit they gave out last class period, or for good measure, change a due date at that moment so that the students realize how truly awesome they are.
By the time they finish, I usually have a good helping of guilt on my soul, though I like to think that I fill out the evaluation the same way regardless. But it's not just for my own conscious that I feel this needs to be addressed—it's because seeing a grown professional grovel is just uncomfortable and sad. Still, if they're going to go for the guilt technique, they really ought to go all out. Less "you're all great" speeches and more creativity is in order, in my not-so-humble opinion. Thus, to help out these nervous instructors, I shall get them started on their more creative techniques.
WIFE AND KIDS
The "I have a wife and kids to feed" excuse is getting a little old. I mean, most people do have a family the support, which is a very valid thing, but they should really spice it up a little. I mean, two kids? Easy. But what if they had a spouse, 16 kids, a few dogs and a guinea pig? I admit, knowing might give them a boost in their numbers, even if it was just for the first sign of creativity from them.
THIS ISN'T BRIBERY. RIGHT?
If they're going to go for bribery, I think a little more extreme measures are in order. I mean, a few points of extra credit might cause a tinge of guilt as I'm writing a bad review, but it won't make or break my ratings. However, throwing a party, bringing lots of free food, and cancelling the final could definitely improve the ratings I give. (Especially canceling the final... Any of my professors, feel free to take note!)
Wenner is a sophomore majoring in English and history from Topeka
@HeyJacklynn
@UUK_Opinion Buffy Michelle Gellar. I like to think of myself as a modern Buffy. Without the vexy sapiens...
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