PAGE 4
TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013
opinion
FREE FOR ALL
Text your FFA submissions to 785-289-8351
My guy friend is calling me out for hating the "Powerpuff Girls." ... Uhhh.
Don't you wish you could Google anything? "Wheres my phone?" Google would be like; "Under the couch, dumbass."
Just broke my record for consecutive days lived. Going for the record again tomorrow.
I wish my grades would smoke weed so they could get higher.
KU WON A FOOTBALL GAME!!!
I have friends
Trust me: when your obnoxious coughing is drowning out the vacuum, it's an indication to GO HOME.
Yes, Jeff Withey does walk around on campus. I've seen it with my own eyes.
That's kind of the beauty of the e-cig, you selfish dune. Relax.
Don't let previous FFA fool you. The "master debater" joke is always hilarious.
Is President Obama coming to KU to meet and greet or to play basketball at the Withey Block Party?
I can always see through your leg- gings.
Correction: Jeff Withey graduated, so he does not walk around campus anymore. So yes, sadly, that is now going to be a myth.
Aren't e-cigs just water vapor?
You're not supposed to snuggle with a sick person!
The trees smell like my great auntie Lulu's fish pie. Or for those of you who haven't had that - rotten fish
I want to warn you. All this exercise is making me irresistible.
Netflix, sometimes I think you're my only friend!
Why is their such a high concentration of mini flags by the side of Wescoe?
That free pregnancy test van might as well tattoo, "I'm too stupid for safe sex" on everyone's forehead that actually went inside it.
When I run into someone I haven't seen in a long time, I run into them multiple times in one day.
When you see Kevin Young talking and solving a rubix cube #ShockFactor #RespectLevelWentThroughTheRoof #NotaMeatHead Editor's note: Stop.
My boyfriend has gotten many
@kusecretadmirer tweets in a week.
HE'S TAKEN.
Work brain doesn't moreany my
I didn't see you in the library today.
That made me sad.
Weight issues not solved by phrasing
You've probably heard the phrase "real woman have curves." Maybe you saw it on Pinterest. Maybe it was a post on Facebook. Maybe it was part of an ad campaign in an attempt towards progressiveness to combat the systematic culture that trains women to hate their bodies. Maybe you thought this was a super rad pairing of vowels and consonants in the English language. Maybe you thought this particular bit of syntax was empowering, a message that should be broadcasted to all women.
Body politics are a messy, complex business. And the problem is, "real women have curves" is not a healthy message to encourage as a replacement to the messaging of, "thin in." is
Now please don't misunderstand me—when I use "healthy," my choice in vocabulary is not foreshadowing me attempting to argue that thin is physically healthier, or that thin equates to
fitness or that having curves is somehow unhealthy. That'd be whack. You can be incredibly thin and physically unhealthy, and overweight and in the best of health. Weight as a means to measure health is a myth that has been used to promote a violent culture of body-shaming in western society. When I use "healthy," I mean healthy in the sense of mental health, in rhetorical health—healthy, as in something that supports all women. And "real women have curves" does not support all women.
I understand why this has come out as a counter-message in our society to the way women's bodies are portrayed in the media. Women's bodies are literally cut down through Photoshop, are altered and abused in ways that make only a single type of body seem like a desirable body. Despite the average size of a woman in the U.S. being a size 14, the body we most commonly see in magazines or
on the screen is a size 0. A hell of a lot of women are not — and will never be — a size 0 and will not and cannot make their bodies look like the one we are most told often is the most sought after. That's not from laziness, or unhealthy habits. That's largely because trying to become a size 0 (or a size 2, 4, 6, etc.) is really not natural for many people, and usually not even truly desired. If you're healthy, and you think you look hot, boom. You're good to go, and nobody else's opinion matters. Having "curves" is completely natural for a woman.
The thing is, so is not having curves.
res, our society pressures women to go to unhealthy measures in order to achieve a "thin" body, and we need to get that pressure to back the hell off women's bodies, stat. But there also happen to be many women who have naturally thin bodies. Women who aren't starving themselves, women who are not forcing their bodies to go to unnatural states that harm them, women who are thin and healthy. Women with straight-as-a-board waists, women with knobby knees, women with flat chests. Real women who don't have curves. And not having curves doesn't somehow make them "fake" women, as the rhetorical meaning behind "real women have curves" implies.
Yall, all bodies are valid. You can have curves, no curves, white skin, dark skin, physical disabilitiies, piercings, acne, a penis, a vagina—whatever physical traits or identities your body is comprised of, it's a "real" body
that deserves mad real respect. Trying to broadcast "real women have curves" only continues the same methodology of attempting to control or shame women's bodies. It's just with different language substituted in. Nobody deserves to feel that their body isn't real, and instead of saying "real women have curves," we should be saying "real women have whatever freaking body they want." To do otherwise is dehumanizing, whether intentional or not.
So think twice before you repost that e-card, or that picture of Marilyn Monroe, emblazoned with words like, "real women have curves." Because all you have to do be a "real" woman is identify as a woman.
Gwynn is a sophomore majoring in English and Women, Gender, and Sexuality from Olathe. Follow her on Twitter @AlidiosGwynn
PUBLIC SAFETY
Gun debate grows to affect college students across US
Texas Rep. Steve Stockmar announced his newest campaign slogan last Friday. Doubtlessly hoping to capitalize on his base's sure support for two perennial issues, the representative tweeted. "If babies had guns, they wouldn't be aborted."
Stockton's Twitter account describes him as "the most conservative Congressman in Texas," an impressive feat. Practical considerations aside, his view represents one end of a very wide and very divided spectrum of opinions regarding who should be able to possess and carry which types of gun. The debate is gaining prominence; this year, Reuters reports roughly 1,500 new gun laws have been proposed at the state level, and about 50 of those proposals have become law. Rather than signaling consensus, the push for legislation showcases the divisiveness of the issue - the split between laws aiming to protect the ability of individuals to own and carry guns and restrictions gun ownership is roughly 50-50.
By Amanda Gress agress@kansan.com
One might expect college students to be at the forefront of
Debates about the fundamental safety of citizens will invariably become emotionally charged, especially when people around the country can watch violent incidents unfold in real time on televised news and the Internet. That level of intensity can override more methodological approaches to the issue - after all, an image of President Obama delivering an address surrounded by the mothers of victims of gun violence likely will garner more attention than a dry report comparing the miniatue of various policy proposals. Individuals following the debate likely also feel strongly about the issue, either because they or someone they know has been personally affected by gun violence or because they fervently believe they should be allowed to own a gun.
this discussion, given the prominence of school shootings in the narrative of gun violence in the United States. As in the broader national argument, students can approach the question, "What circumstances would maximize my safety at my university?" and arrive at drastically different answers. Last week, the national pro-gun group Students for Concealed Carry sponsored the "Empty Holster Protest" to urge universities to allow students to carry guns on campus. Meanwhile, the American Association of Universities and 350 presidents of colleges and universities came to the opposite conclusion, announcing opposition to expanded gun rights on college campuses and favoring regulations on gun control.
How do students feel about guns on campus? One survey of 4,000 high school and college students conducted last fall by professors at American University and the Loyola Marymount University found 40 percent of respondents planned to own a gun once they owned their own home, while another 20 percent were considering gun ownership. A different study at two public universities in Texas and Washington reported that students felt relatively uncomfortable with increasing concealed carry on their campuses, even when they believed it might be a good policy for their wider community. Data from Chadron State College in Nebraska and California State University-Chico in 2008 and 2009 suggested 70 percent of students and faculty rejected the idea of concealed
carry and did not believe that it would enhance their feelings of security on campus.
The University of Kansas is obviously situated within a wider political context. This February and March set new records in the state of Kansas for number of applications for concealed carry permits (the state has 53,272 active licensees total). Last week, the Kansas legislature passed two bills allowing individuals to carry firearms in buildings lacking strict security and making it illegal for federal agents to confiscate restricted guns, ammunition, and accessories made and used solely within Kansas.
Students trying to sort out a highly technical, emotional debate must first recognize that, despite today's inflammatory rhetoric, the questions of gun ownership in the United States are not questions of absolutes.
Yes, our society will likely contain individuals who passionately believe their guns are an important part of their lives for a very long time.
Yes, there will always be other individuals who will find ways to circumvent whatever safety measures are put into place.
Yes, trying to sort out the differences between types of firearms and types of gun control and potential effectiveness of gun control and potential effectiveness of gun ownership in self-defense is incredibly complicated.
No, that does not mean that the best option is deregulating all gun ownership or confiscating all weapons in the United States. The gun debate will affect college students across the country regardless of whether they feel strongly about gun ownership; those students would do well to first become familiar with the facts behind the impassioned arguments.
Gress is a sophomore majoring in political science and economics from Overland Park
Follow us on Twitter @UDP_Know. Tweet us your opinions,
and we just must inhabit them
CAMPUS CHIRPS BACK
How do you feel about President Obama visiting KU?
LIFESTYLE
Take a 'personal morning' to recoup
I've never understood why people don't enjoy poring over my planer as much as I do. Why does no one sympathize with the fact that my daily schedule reads class-work-class-interview-work-meeting-work? Usually, I have a hard time finding 30 minutes to do things like shower or find sustenance.
But then I realized that lots of people have days like these. For some people, it's every day.
Luckily for me, I have my own method of coping with a hectic schedule, and it's worked for me since high school. It's called: "the personal morning."
To the untrained eye, a personal morning will look like taking several hours to do whatever the hell you want. I can assure you, however, that there is a systematic approach to this form of leisure, and- lucky you! - I am going to share it with you right now.
First, sleep in. Not terribly late,
but give yourself however much it takes to get to that 8-10 hours.
If you're like me, it's more than you can count on one hand.
Make sure this is good sleep.
I'm talking the "make your bed the night before/turn on a white noise machine/block out all sun-light" kind.
The personal morning isn't all about sleep, though. No, simply sleeping your morning away leaves you groggy and slightly frantic once you wake up. Not the end goal we're looking for.
The second component of the personal morning is up for interpretation. The only instruction is to do whatever it is that puts you most at ease. Spend a couple hours acting as if you have nowhere else in the world to be — because, in fact, you don't! For me, this means splurging on decent coffee, painting my nails and watching however many episodes of "Mad Men" I'm behind on.
If you're anything like me, this might also be a good time to clean up your space – whatever that is. It's hard to fully relax in an environment that's not at least somewhat tidy. Being surrounded by mess makes it feel as if there's another chore to be
This leads me to my next point. A successful personal morning requires some prior planning. If you simply wake up and decide to skip all your classes, you're doing it wrong.
Even if you're one of those people who doesn't care about mess, just do it. I promise it's easier to relax without day-old food in the sink or dirty clothes doubling as carpet.
If you have a crazy hard test on Tuesday, then Wednesday morning will be your personal morning. If your schedule Thursday is jam-packed, Friday is for you. And, for the record, the day after finals should be a universally-accepted personal morning.
Find a sub for work, email your professor that you'll be "out of town," call off your morning workout with your buddy, do what you gotta do. A successful personal morning has to be guilt-free, and you can't do that if you're blowing off something to which you committed.
Herein lies the best part of the personal morning: You're relaxed, rejuvenated, rested. And it's only mid-afterno! People, I swear by this. There's nothing a massage or vacation can do that a well-placed personal day cannot.
I've never adopted the "work hard, play hard" motto. Instead I created my own: "work hard, treat yourself hard." Because I think everyone deserves a break sometimes.
And Mom, let me take this opportunity to formally thank you for all the times you called me in with a "migraine" in high school. This one's for you.
Mayfield is a junior studying journalism, political science and leadership from Overland Park
@UDK Opinion I can't wait to blame him for our extended winter season.
Thanks a lot snowbama!
HOW TO SUBMIT A LETTER TO THE EDITOR
LETTER GUIDELINES
Send letters to kanmanappd@gmail.com.
Write LETTER TO THE EDITOR in the e-mail subject line.
@JamesTwerkett
LETTER GUIDELINES
Length: 300 words
The submission should include the author's name, grade and hometown.Find our full letter to the editor policy online at kansas.com/letters.
Hannah Wies, editor-in-chief
editor@manila.com
Sarah McCabe, managing editor
snccare@manila.com
Nikki Wentling, managing editor
wentling@manila.com
@Wat_Brockson
@UOK_Opinion this confirms the KU is
the best university in Kansas #winning
Dylan Lysen, opinion editor
dlysen@kansan.com
Elise Farrington, business manager
efarrington@kansasan.com
Jacob Snider, sales manager
jacobsnider@kansasan.com
CONTACT US
Matcstm Gibson, general manager and news adviser
mgibson@kansan.com
Jon Schliett, sales and marketing adviser
jschliett@kansan.com
.
.
A
members of The Kansan Editorial Board and Hannah Wise, Sarah McJabe, Nikki Wellington, Dylan Lysen, Elise Farrington and Jacob Schaefer.
.
4