WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 2013
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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Congratulations to Angel for being drafted by Tulsa.
The number of people who have MacBooks at Java Break right now is astounding. Hipster much? Editor's note: Someone FRA'd from Java Break. Hipster much?
Dear Kansas weather, you make me sick... Literally.
One thing I've learned in college:
Women hate when you call them out for
the same thing they called you out for.
I'll get rid of you #theKUwhistle
You mean #stop.
I think the mini flags are because the water guy and electric guy were involved in a land rush.
The "Powerpuff Girls" show is awesome!!!
My friend's FFA batting average is way over .750. I smell conspiracy.
Thank you UDK for putting pretty butterflies to offset the carnage below the fold. We could all use some beauty today.
I have a major crush on a boy that works at E's. I finally talked to him... Asked for eggs. It'a good day.
North Korea's threats are like K-State people saying, "Oh we'll beat you guys in basketball this year." Yeah, OK.
Michael Bay should direct a documentary about dynamits. It would be a blast.
POLITICS
Whenever I see Justin Wesley only one word goes through my head: Derp.
Oh look, the dead fetus flags are back. Charming.
When I see a freshman run to catch the bus I want to yell "Run, Freshman, Run!"
I saw Jeff Withe walking around campus this weekend. He still lives.
You know you live in a scholarship hall when...
Student housing decides it's spring
"tums off heaters" Kansas decides it's
still winter "drops 30 degrees"
After spontaneously spending $175 at
The Buckle, I read my horoscope which
says, "Manage finances. Be frugal."
Uhh... YOLO?
One of I those girls that does not think yoga pants are warm. Comfy? Yes.
Warm? No.
I just littered.
My friend will not read the UDK because it's just one side's opinions, but he loves Fox News.
That moment when you forget what time your class is even when you've gone every single day.
Enough with this steam whistle nonsense. It's historical and you all would be lost without it.
You know you need sleep when you laugh hysterically at your stupid text messages.
Kansas lawmakers face important choice
Two bills proposed in the Kansas House of Representatives this yr
Representatives this year take different paths to reach the same goal: making sure Kansas is stuck in the mud on climate and energy issues.
HB 2366 would prohibit public funds to be used for anything the bill defines as "sustainable development", which is defined as "development in which resource use aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but also for generations to come."
It's not that much of a surprise that the Kansas legislature wouldn't be giddy about environmental protection. We are, after all, a huge producer of oil and natural gas. But fossil fuel extraction, even that of natural gas, is dirty and holds environmental consequences. By outlining sustainable development, our state would not only subject our farmand and population to the hazards of drilling,
fracking, and processing but also make it harder to mitigate any damage that might be done. This is also tragic because of Kansas' potential to grow renewable energy by harnessing more wind power, and because of what many ordinary Kansans have already accomplished — remember the rebuilding of Greensburg after it was destroyed by a tornado in 2007?
The other bill, HB 2306, affects the teaching of climate change science. Were it to become law, teachers would be required to approach climate change and the science surrounding it as "controversial"; and to give consideration to arguments against the impact of human activity on global temperature changes. Aside from the implicit political motivations of the bill that have no place in the classroom, it's outrageous to force public educators to treat climate change skepticism as a legitimate alternative.
Consider the results of a widely known 2010 study by Proceedings
By Eric Schumacher
eschumacher@kansan.com
of the National Academy of Science, "Expert Credibility in Climate Change." It showed that out of 908 scientists with expertise on human-influenced climate change, 97 percent were convinced that anthropocentric warming was occurring at least some extent. To be fair, that overwhelming majority has its own divisions about the extent of temperature increases and potential effects. But to label the very existence of human-influenced climate change "controversial" shows profound scientific ignorance on the part of those who drafted the bill. No one is helped when information is so blatantly misrepresented, but it is especially harmful to the children who will inherit the legacy of climate change, whatever it may be.
The two bills show the determination of some in Topeka to keep Kansas from adapting to a changing world and equipping us for the future, for reasons that are unclear. The effort to cripple sustainable development is a roadblock to something that is not only good for the state, but necessary. The fossil fuel lobby can sing the praises of natural gas all they like, but there's only so much down there. What will we tell the generation that has the bad luck to watch the world's supply of fossil fuels dry up on its watch? That we could have done something sooner, made the world or at least our small square of it ready to carry on without fossil fuels, but didn't? Sustainability also goes beyond energy: There's a great deal to be said for the value of sustainable agriculture. It's not hard to see how the language of the bill could apply to limiting sustainable agriculture development,
which would be a shameful development in a major agricultural state trying to recover from one of the worst droughts in recorded history.
Then there's the bill on climate change education. Kansas has had its issues with science education before, such as the 1999 decision to teach creationism alongside evolution. To deliberately misrepresent the climate change debate for thousands of young Kansans — the generation most likely to have to contend with effects of climate change — would be a disturbingly shortsighted development. The decision-makers in the capitol building have two choices: Either continue to trod down paths that will lead to nowhere, or make the choices for a better future now.
Either way, reality will find us. It's up to us whether we meet it on our own terms.
Schumacher is a senior majoring in political science and English from Toeka
CAREER
College degree not meant to guarantee employment
It's hard to go a day at the University without hearing "When are we going to use this in the 'real world'?" Whether it's due to frustration or objectivity, students all over campus are crying out that their classes do not give them job-related skills or teach them a trade that has projected usefulness. They detest theory and demand practicality. Furthermore, these students are clamoring that the world they live in right now - a mixed life of part time work, full time studies, and part time partying - is not the "real world"
I can understand the sentiment. The college microcosm and any employment microcosm are dissimilar, though I stop short of naming one more "real" than the other. Classes are hit or miss when providing practical skills for employment. It isn't easy to see why some classes matter at all. If you have a LinkedIn account, perhaps you've seen the thousands of articles and lunch-time reads on why colleges fail to prepare students for the job market.
The University has recognized this and introduced The KU Core, changes to the basic curriculum for incoming undergraduates at the University, designed to reshape the direction of college education. Students will have a broad background of knowledge, be socially responsible, think critically, and be creative. Still, I don't think reorganizing requirements will make students more job-ready.
And that is perfectlv OK.
Being job-ready is not the role of a college education. Consider this irony: Petroleum engineering students loathe geology because identifying rock types is not what an engineer does every day; it's why geologists are hired. You would think, out of all physical sciences, geology be most
crucial to petroleum engineering studies. Rather, no matter how applicable a class may purport to be, it seems that if the material covered is not directly related to "real life" students may find reason to loathe it.
It turns out that a college degree won't teach anyone to swing a hammer or split a wire. A college education is designed to make us more than workers that do, but rather workers that think. Is it better to have a brain surgeon that understands the human body or a brain surgeon who knows how to make the incision? Not every brain is the same – what happens to the incision-trained brain surgeon when the brain is different?
A college degree is meant as a barrier to entry. It is a proof of concept. When given a challenge, you fight. When given a problem, you solve. When faced with difficulty, you overcome. You learn when you need to; you apply when you have to.
It's true that some curriculums should be adjusted so that pertinent information is included. For example, it would behoove a petroleum engineering student to understand how an oil field goes from discovery to depletion at the company and contractor level. But to cull all classes that do not have this "real world" information is an astonishing underestimation of the value of proving that you can learn. A college degree does not mumble, "I have learned A, B, and C, all of which are things that you need so hire me." Rather, a college degree
screams. "I have proven that I can learn A, B, and C; meaning I can learn the rest of the damn alphabet if you need me to."
To even begin to think a class is a waste of time because one will "never use it in real life" is a tremendous failure to understand that the full-time employment phase of one's life is fluid and constantly changing. No one skill set is safe from becoming obsolete. A college degree is one of many life events designed to make you into moldable clay; constantly gripping about the "real world" is a desire to become a solid, pre-cut jigsaw piece. What happens if this jigsaw piece no longer fits the job market?
A remarkable misconception about an education at any university, including KU, is that a degree merits a job. False. An undergraduate degree is not designed to make you workforce ready. Each degree is a set of experiences that shows your exposure to disciplines and your ability to learn within those fields. From there on, it's up to you manipulate your exposure and abilities to benefit yourself. If you want to be workforce ready, search for an internship as if you will drown if you don't find one. Get a part time job. Connect with the University's many career services and network with college recruiters. Attend any company information session that you can. Meet professionals in the field you see yourself in. If no one will hire you, volunteer your time. You cannot expect your college education to make you job ready; it merely is a demonstration of your capacities. You have to do the rest.
Duyang is a junior majoring in petroleum engineering and economics from Overland Park. Follow him on Twitter @ChrisDuyang
CHIRPS BACK
How are you feeling about the last few weeks before finals?
Follow us on Twitter @UDP_Kupion. Tweet us your opinions, and we just might publish them.
ENVIRONMENT
'Green walls' could transform campus
Roofs covered with vegetation are a little more common here in the United States (see Scooter's Coffeehouse on 9th Street). However, recently green walls have been popping up in places all over Asia and Europe.
I think it is about time that the University surpasses the "ivy" league. When someone describes a building covered in plants, most people automatically think of ivy. However, what they may not know is that there is a much better alternative to common ivy. Innovative "green walls" are making a sustainable effects without the potential damage that ivy can sometimes cause. A "green wall" is a wall or side of building that is covered in specially engineered vegetation to serve a specific purpose while remaining aesthetically pleasing.
There are two main types of green walls: green facades and living walls. Green facades utilize climbing plants that are trained to grow around certain structures, while living walls are made up of prevegetated panels. The panels are prevegetated by attaching plants in polyamide felt, which is then attached to a rigid PVC sheet backed with metal tube scaffolding. High-tolerance plants are usually used for these walls but the colors and textures of these plants allow for some creative freedom.
According to the Associated Press, PNC Financial Services Group Inc. installed a living wall on the company's headquarters in Pittsburgh. The upkeep of this wall is relatively simple, requiring only 15 minutes of watering a week in the peak of its growing season. Chief Executive George Irwin said that on average, living walls cost about $100 to $125 per square foot. Although that might seem like a lofty price (especially for a wall covering nearly 2,400 square feet), these walls have huge effects. Also, green walls may end up paying for themselves in the money saved by the reduced energy consumption.
In the same article, landscape architecture professor at Michigan State, Joanne Westphal, said the biggest benefit to green walls is their ability to help
cool buildings through shading and by providing natural insulation. In addition to the cooling effects, Green Living, a company that sells and installs green walls, said that 600 panels can offset the carbon output of one person a day. Also, these walls are effective for removing air pollutants. Building Design and Construction Magazine said, "Cities are cooler and quieter through shading, evaporative transpiration, and the absorption of sound by green walls."
It's not just companies that are adopting this concept. The University of the Cloister of Sor Juana in Mexico City has a beautiful green wall complete with designs within the vegetation. Here in Kansas, according to Johnson County Community College's website, the college's Galileo's Pavilion has a green wall that was designed by studio 804, a deising program at the University of Kansas School of Architecture, Design and Planning.
Because of the ability of these walls to reduce air pollution levels, cities are considering installing more green walls to remain below the air pollution standards. According to National Geographic Daily News, London and other Western European cities could particularly benefit from these walls due to trouble keeping the air pollution below imposed standards.
With that in mind, KU could revolutionize its buildings while giving campus an entirely new look. I'm not saying every wall needs to be turned into a green wall, but this addition would make for a healthier, more sustainable campus.
Stern is a freshman majoring in biology from Lawrence
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