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We should get an official tally of people at KU who has never kissed, so I can gauge how weird we should feel.
I will miss you, Rio!
You can only whistle when you're alone because whistling is the most obnoxious behavior ever.
To the girl who stopped for me, I was picking flowers for a science project, not because I enjoy nature and all its wonders
Before you ate your invisible cereal,
did you change your mind about it three
times?
If we all write in McLeenor for student senate and he wins that means he has to stay another year right?
Anyone who thought McLemore would stay is too stupid to be in college.
So much for the nicely landscaped flowers...
And it was election day, and so came the rain to wash the sidewalks of all of its blasphemy. And it was a good day.
"I LOVE THIS STORMY WEATHER!...
said nobody. Editor's note: I did.
A junior girl in my English class just asked where Allen Fieldhouse was...
What kind of KU student are you?!
Rain cancels class; right? Rain day.
I'm also ugly; I mean, virgin.
Virgin, non-virgin; greek, non-greek;
leggings, non-leggings; can't we all just
get along?
How about adding "master debater" to your resume?
Rain, rain makes the frat packs go away.
Started from the bottom (Robinson), now we here (Budig).
While getting dressed this morning,
I realized I ALWAYS step into my under-
wear with my right foot first.
You guys really need to settle this leggings debate. I'm anxiously waiting for the anonymous FFA submissions to tell me how to dress...
To the dude wearing the KSU sweatshirt. Right campus, wrong sweatshirt.
If you tell them you already voted for them they go away.
THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 2013
I will miss McLemore <3
You know if you wear a coalition button on your backpack, neither one will bother you. It's not that hard.
Leggings qualify as pants for those who qualify to wear them that way.
Harris computer lab has a better view than any other lab on campus. It's also closing after the semester. Check it out. Most haven't.
Obviously the Jayhawk can fly. It can also breathe fire. (Prove to me it can't!)
Rain makes life much better, really
I'm afraid to write the next sentence because so many people will think it's typical of me, and they will realize that calling me "Grimpy Cat Dylan" is now completely justified. But I love rain more than anything. I recently wrote that snow was the worst thing to ever exist (which is indisputable fact), and it only makes sense that I fully report my weather preferences and let you know that rain is much better.
Maybe I am grumpy cat. Maybe it's just my personality to love something so gloomy. Maybe it's because I listened to emo music in high school, and loving rain and darkness is just the next step to my progression to full on depression.
No, that's not true. I'm not on my way to full-on depression. I dare you to find someone who laughs as much as me and jokes around as much as me, I mean,
yeah. I love all those gloomy things. But I don't love rain because I'm a gloomy, grumpy, horrible person. I love rain because it's more like real life than any other weather.
We all want life to be like a sunny summer day that has birds chirping, dogs playing in the yard and people grilling burgers as if there aren't any real issues to worry about. I want this, too. But if I had that every single day of my life, it would get pretty annoying and depressing. Everything can't be perfect forever. It loses meaning.
Even comedian and former "MadTV" star Will Sasso agree. In a recent Vine video posted to Sasso's twitter account, he said, "I like it when it rains in LA, because it's a nice change of pace from our usual weather."
Sasso did post this Vine in jest, tagging it with the "#SincereVine" hashtag and meaning it as a
change of pace from his normally hilarious Vine videos that are all jokes and not sincere at all. Much like Sasso's Vine that changes pace, the rain does the same thing for me in Kansas.
But rain isn't just a change of pace. It's also what signifies that we are finally in spring, the most beautiful season of all, especially because summer in Kansas can get pretty brutal. Rain means that we are finally leaving snowy winter days, and we aren't yet close to miserable 100-degree days in the summer.
do show up, rain disappears.
Every summer, Kansas seems to go into Drought Mode and deprives us of those changes of pace. We sit around complaining about how hot it is and how we wish it was fall already.
When those 100-degree days
But that's when rain makes its biggest difference. Sometimes Mother Nature throws us a curveball in late July and pours water from the heavens. Those awful sticky summer days are now very manageable (and sometimes gloriously refreshing) summer days where the temperature drops from higher than 100 to mid-70s. Now that's a change of pace.
be bright green, signifying there is some real life in this seemingly vacant area of the country?
But rain doesn't just make life better by affecting the weather. It also affects many aesthetically pleasing things. Take the Flint Hills for example. Would you rather have fields that are bright yellow because the grass of the most beautiful part of Kansas is dead, or would you rather have it
Rain doesn't have to be gloomy or sad. It doesn't have to signify depression. It doesn't have to be the cause of your lack of energy.
You can even say that rain makes your day better by washing away all those student senate chalkings around campus you all love to complain about (this has been mentioned by several students this week).
Instead of being those awful things, rain can be happiness that gives this earth some real life. So, who's the grumpy cat now: Me, or all you losers that complain about a few drops of water that fell from the sky?
Lysen is a senior majoring in journalism from Andover
TRANSPORTATION
Motorcycles more accessible for campus and town driving
Motorcycles are among the most energy- and time-efficient means of transportation on a college campus. Of course, walking or pedaling your traditional bike won't emit carbon dioxide into the air, but they also won't get you to your 7:30 a.m. final on time when you sleep in until 7:25. Motorcycles are a great option for college students operating on a tight budget, and they might be the most exhilarating ride of your life. Your biggest challenge will be convincing your mother. Allow me to help you with that.
The first thing you'll need before you start to seriously consider a motorcycle is a license to ride it. It'll cost about $30 to take the skills test and get a Ciass M designation on your driver's license.
Similarly to a 16 year-old taking a driving test, however, the DMV won't actually teach you how to ride the bike, so that's up to you to figure out. You have a couple of options here. Either go to the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (www.msf-usa.org) to take a $120 class, or teach yourself. Bennett Golubski, a junior from Lenexa who rides a 2004 Kawasaki Ninja 500, said "riding is a pretty easy skill to learn, but can be difficult to master. I had a buddy help me learn the basics and taught myself the rest with research and experience."
Next, you'll need to pick out your set of wheels. Browsing the online listings is a great way to get started, and there are plenty of great deals out there to be had. If you're looking for a sport bike, it's typically not too difficult to
find a lightly-used late model bike for less than $3,000. If you're in the market for a big cruiser, you might need to increase your budget a few thousand dollars. If the need for speed isn't top priority here, motor scooters and mopeds are a solid option for short airstairs around campus.
Motor scooters require a motorcycle license, but mopeds — which are defined as vehicles that can't exceed 30 miles per hour — don't require any special licensure.
Before you find that perfect bike, you'll want to consider what it costs to own it. As long as your driving record isn't filled with violations, your insurance won't be a huge deal, probably not more than $15 per month.
Parking your moped or motor cycle on campus is far easier than parking a car, with plenty of spots and a permit that reasonably costs about $50 for the academic year.
You'll need some accessories when you get your bike, primarily a helmet and jacket. The cost of these essentials can vary anywhere from about $200 for entry-level equipment to well over $1,000 for a full set of professional protective gear. Most of us aren't racing our bikes on the weekends, so the entry-level gear will probably suit you just fine until you decide it's time to go to
the next level.
Maintenance on a motorcycle is not nearly as difficult as maintenance on a car. Ali Zaidi, a junior from Lawrence who rides a 2008 Kawasaki Ninja 250, said "Mechanically speaking, motorcycles are very easy to fix yourself. They don't have the complex electronics of a car, and many modern bikes are carbureted, which makes adjustments and maintenance fairly simple to do yourself."
Filling your bike's gas tank is where the big savings come over a car. Even riding it hard and accelerating quickly, most bikes with 250-500 cubic centimeter engines won't get any worse than 30 miles per gallon. Driving it lightly, you can get north of 80 miles per gallon, or 150 if you're on a smaller moped or scooter. Even riding the bike daily, most riders don't stop at the gas station more than once per month, and don't spend more than $10-$15 for a full tank.
Now that your head is satisfied with the purchase of a motorcycle, satisfy your heart by imagining a ride through the beautiful University campus on a sunny spring day, or accelerating around a tight bend on some back road outside of town. Sure, you'll probably just be riding it to class every day, but just imagine how much more enjoyable your daily commute is on the saddle of this incredible machine. If you've never ridden a motorcycle, the ride is unlike anything you've experienced before. But it's something of which you can enjoy both the practicality and the exhilaration.
Zeiler is a junior majoring in mechanical engineering from Olathe
FASHION
Dress appropriately for spring weather
As the weather warms and the sun begins to rear its wondrous head from behind the eternal gloom that has been winter, we are blessed with days so beautiful that Van Gough would weep like a schoolgirl.
I'm sure we can all agree that this past winter was by far one of the most annoying and tumultuous winters of our lives, or so it seemed. Alas, we are here, spring! But as we know, Kansas always has another trick up her sleeve — that temptress. So here's some advice on what to do about this Kansas spring weather.
ALWAYS KEEP AN UMBRELLA IN YOUR BACKPACK.
This comes in handy in more than the occasion of rain. Fellas, perhaps you're courting a young woman in the Underground and once you step outside it's too bright to hold her gaze. Simply whip out your umbrella and shield her beauty from the sun! This will not only make you look like a gentleman, but also a wizard. Okay, maybe not a wizard but who else carries around an umbrella?
NEVER, EVER, EVER WALK OUT
THE DOOR WITHOUT A JACKET
IN TOW
I can't tell you how many times I've been caught with my pants down — so to speak — when the weather takes a drastic change for the worse leaving me freezing in the middle of downtown with blocks to walk before I get back to the warmth of my home. I know you'll consider it cumbersome to haul a hoodie around all night. But trust me,
once you're making your way back from the bars at closing time, and that sweet little honey gets cold and looks at you for comfort, you can throw your jacket on and tell her she should have planned ahead!
SUNGLASSES AND SUNBLOCK. ALWAYS.
Even if you leave the house in the dreariest, most disgusting spring weather imaginable, you bet your boots you need a pair of sunglasses and a bottle of sunblock. After you get out of class and the clouds have rolled away, you'll be left looking like a schmuck standing in the heat like a dingus. No one wants that, do we? Remember; it is not creepy to have your roommate lather up your back with sunblock if you return the favor!
Other than that, I feel like you can figure the rest out as you go. Spring is a great transitory period of our lives, and it's important to remember not to take anything too seriously during this season. That includes school.
Crawford is a senior majoring in journalism from Olathe. Follow him on twitter @brett_cra
CAMPUS CHIRPS BACK
Do you love or hate this current rainy weather?
@OneNonlyDjones
@UDK_ Opinion I like it until I remember
I still don't have an umbrella...
Follow us on Twitter @UKD_Opinion. Tweet us your opinions, and we just might publish them.
@pnicky4
@UOK_Opinion I'm loving the rain, but hating the cold that came with it.
@Rachel_ELF
@UDK_Opinion rain is fine. Cold rain is not.
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@UOK_Opinion rain > snow. The lesser of two evils really.
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THE EDITORIAL BOARD
members of the Kansas Edithical Board and Hannah Wise, Sarah McBride, Nika Wentling, Dylan Lyon, Elise Farrington and Jacob Sinder