Opinion THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 2010
WWW.KANSAN.COM
PAGE 7A
--if I survive the next month and a half without a major panic attack, it will be a miracle.
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IjustsawVoldemort.
--if I survive the next month and a half without a major panic attack, it will be a miracle.
There's a guy sitting across from me in Anschutz who looks exactly like Samuel L. Jackson. Asking for his autograph feels more tempting than checking my facebook
I didn't listen to my professor for all of lecture until he said kitties.
--if I survive the next month and a half without a major panic attack, it will be a miracle.
Dear Margaret Hashinger,
It's very hot inside of you. You
should turn on the AC.
--if I survive the next month and a half without a major panic attack, it will be a miracle.
Yes, I did see your butt. You probably shouldn't wear that when it is windy.
--if I survive the next month and a half without a major panic attack, it will be a miracle.
I could so steal this baby.
The longer you live in this world, the more you learn that you really aren't all that
--if I survive the next month and a half without a major panic attack, it will be a miracle.
Sometimes I wish you were a slug so I could throw salt on
Thankyou,unexpected rain for the free wet T-shirt contest!
I wear a collar around on campus sometimes. No one has asked me any weird questions yet.
--if I survive the next month and a half without a major panic attack, it will be a miracle.
FYI, keyboards are a serious safety hazard!
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Is it Thursday yet? I need to drink
I'm going to date Gordon
Hayward. First problem
though, he has too many
Facebook friends and won't let
me add him!
Gordon Hayward, NBA first round.You heard it here first.
lactually read an article on ESPN this morning projecting him late first round. So no, I didn't hear it here first.
I just want to know you're not sleeping with someone else. Is that so much to ask?
Vanilla Coke tastes like Coke and rum.
--students who dedicate time and energy to provide the student body with a quality publication.
EDITORIAL BOARD
In Wednesday night's meeting,
Student Senate made the right decision to continue to provide The University Daily Kansan with funding.
Student Senate voted for the right choice
The Kansan's content will not suffer from the losses that would have been inevitable if cuts to funding had been approved.
In showing support for The Kansan, Senate is showing its support for the efforts made by
Had the cuts been approved.
The Kansan would have still continued to work to provide readers with a quality newspaper, but by deciding against the cuts, Senate has ensured that The Kansan's coverage will not be limited by a lack of funding.
The Kansan Editorial Board
Creating an ideal coalition
CAMPUS LIFE
Thankfully, Student Senate campaigns are almost over. There has been the typical controversy, most notably with the disqualification of Envision presidential candidates.
Whether Envision candidates ultimately qualify for the election or not, their ideas will have had an influence on the election.
Each coalition has presented good ideas, and hopefully the new senators will consider them regardless of what coalition they're in. But what would that perfect combination of ideas be?
Here, in a few words, is my take on the ideal platform. It combines the best elements of the ideas put forth by KUnited and Envision's.
1. Envision's Work for Credit.
This would create a program similar to one currently in the School of Engineering, where academic credit is given as part of a structured job experience. Expanding the program would allow students to participate in both job experience and classroom time.
It's important that any potential program would allow students to earn money on the job, even if only to help pay down the cost of the tuition of the class.
2. Sustainability. Both KUnited and Envision list sustainability as an issue, although KUnited has more specific proposals. KUnited calls for a formalization of the "Green competitions" that have been held on campus through the
This would help the student body and University as a whole demonstrate how sustainable our campus is capable of being. KUnited would also make sustainability part of the New Student Orientation. Envision's proposal to change paper margins from 1.25 to .75 inches should also be implemented.
BY JONATHAN SHORMAN
shorman@kansan.com
past few years.
3. Textbooks. Both coalitions propose finding a better method of dealing with textbook distribution. Both coalitions say they would require teachers to submit book recommendations for the spring and fall semesters by Oct. 15 and March 15, respectively.
KUnited also wants to start a textbook rental program. Currently, there are private textbook rental programs out there, such as Chegg.com. The University Book Shop, 1116 W. 23rd St., also has a rental program.
As long as private businesses are fulfilling the textbook rental need, there is no need for the University to step in unless it can provide the
rentals at a significantly lower cost to students.
4. Student Senate Constituent Reports. This idea is actually nowhere to be found on either platform, but I think it's a good idea so I'm putting it on here. It is my column, after all.
This platform issue would require all student senators to prepare a constituent report twice a semester. This report would include every vote senators cast since their last report and how they voted.
The report should also include a statement that explains and justifies why senators voted the way they did for each issue. Finally, the report should have an essay component, where each senator would have to explain what he or she did to represent and meet the needs of their respective constituents.
The reports would be posted online and a notice of posting would be sent out on the university listserv.
These ideas should be adopted by new senators, whether they were hardcore KUnited members or avid Envision candidates. It will show senators are interested in the best ideas, from wherever they may come.
Shorman is a sophomore from McPherson in journalism.
EDITORIAL CARTOON
Personal finance IQ pays big dividends
GUEST COLUMN
AROOJ KHALID
Knowing how to spend, earn and save money is as essential to American life as sharing, caring and having social skills — so why doesn't every high school graduate in the United States know what a mortgage is?
If you think soft money is the dollar bill you dropped in the pool and a stock portfolio is a fancy folder, you're not alone.
In the midst of a financial crisis where jobs come far and few between, money — and the skills to maximize its use — is the key to creating a generation that can weather the difficult economic recovery we are currently experiencing.
Many college students don't have the kind of personal finance savvy to guide them to a debt-free life.
College students are at a crucial time in their lives where they develop the spending and bud-
getting skills for their adult lives. They often depend on credit cards and student loans, which they might not understand, to get them through school.
Upon applying for a credit card, the introductory literature spews terms like "APR," "average daily balance method," "credit line" — terms not taught in school. It's up to the individual to read and truly understand the fine print.
It's normal for students to not be completely familiar with terms like "credit score."
Some students can only attribute their knowledge about personal finance to experiences growing up.
Short of personal interest and research, however, some students recognize that financial intelligence should have a place in higher education. The fact remains that personal finance should not be an optional pursuit but something
all college students should be well versed in.
At the end of the day, it is up to us to take responsibility and educate ourselves. There's certainly not a lack of resources.
Sure, the personal finance section of the library may seem dry and dense, but small steps, like reading the Wall Street Journal, actually reading the cheesy brochures that explain financial concepts at local banks and employing resources such as the Internet, can enable students to take a more active role in their own practical lives — beyond dropping loose change into a niggy bank.
After all, one can never really know when the next rainy day – or recession – will occur.
UWire from The Daily Trojan at the University of Southern California.
HUMAN RIGHTS
Caution in concealed carry
Much has been said about the new concealed carry bill, which, if passed, would allow those with a concealed car license to carry a gun on public university campuses. KU administrators have been among those voicing disapproval of the bill, and I can understand why.
House Bill 2685 passed in the Kansas House of Representatives 65 to 57 on March 24. It now awaits approval in the Senate. This bill specifies that unless a campus has "adequate security measures", concealed carry would be allowed.
No matter the benefits of such technology, it is unlikely that the University would be able to afford their expensive installations. And, with the numerous entrances to campus, it would not be realistic. According to a previous story in The Kansan, jill Jess, a University relations spokeswoman, said even if the University was able to implement such security measures, they would not guarantee safety.
These security measures are defined as metal detection equipment with capabilities to detect weapons. These would be subject to certain standards.
Proponents of the bill suggest that allowing guns on campus would actually make schools safer in the case of violent shootings. Although I appreciate the arguments backing the bill, I simply cannot understand how allowing concealed weapons on campus would decrease violence.
Rights and the Law
1. for one, would not feel safer if I knew students were legally carrying guns around campus. Some supporters of the bill have claimed that the people who would potentially carry out a shooting would disregard the current restrictions and carry guns anyway. Therefore, these supporters say that law-abiding citizens should be given the opportunity to protect themselves by getting to carry a licensed gun. Still, this argument does not convince me this legislation is a good idea.
Metal detectors can be a big pain, but I'm sure most would agree that they add some degree of safety. The bigger issue at this time is that the University cannot afford to install drastic security measures as these.
BY KELLY COSBY kcosby@kansan.com
Allowing concealed weapons on campus would also lead to a decrease in the amount of authority campus police and security has in a violent situation. Although there are certain requirements in obtaining a concealed carry license, police officers go through intensive training to be prepared for dangerous circumstances. Personally, I would trust a police officer far more than one of my fellow students when it really matters — sorry, guys.
If lawmakers truly want to avoid violent school attacks, I suggest going at it from a different angle. This issue is just too important to solve by simply allowing students to "arm themselves." Students should voice their disapproval of the bill to the Kansas Senate. With our opposition, hopefully the Senate will realize the potential ramifications of this legislation and vote it down.
Furthermore, who is to say this wouldn't lead to unnecessary deaths in the form of accidents? I feel nervous around a gun, even if the person handling it is completely stable, not angry and knows what he or she is doing. The point is that guns are dangerous in and of themselves. The fewer guns around me, the safer I feel. If someone around me has to have a gun, I would prefer him to be a law enforcement official.
Cosby is a sophomore from Overland Park in political science.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
PEACEFUL RELATIONS BETWEEN SCIENCE AND RELIGION
Scientific inquiry and reason are ways in which Muslims can come to know and praise God. The Arabic word for a verse of revelation is "ayat." It also refers to natural and man-made phenomenon, as well as miracles, as "signs" of God's existence. To exhibit the belief that all things worship
There are many instances found within religions that exemplify true peace between religion and science. In the early days of Islam, Muslims studied the stars, sun and moon to calculate prayer times and calendar days, as well as for navigation. Such science was a form of worship and served as a stepping-stone to more explorations in astronomy.
Sai Folmshee's article "Why can't we all get along?" was a good read. The relationship between science and religion should be discussed. However, it seems that the article was based on the assumption that religion and science must agree to disagree. This is unacceptable in light of certain religious views.
Allah, a scholar once held a pencil in the air. He then dropped it, the point being that the object worships God by its submission to certain natural laws observable in this world, in this case, gravity. This relationship between science and religion is an intimate and undivided one.
There are other religions in which we can find evidence that a war between science and religion is merely a social illusion. The Berber rhetorician Augustine recorded his search for truth as a spiritual journey with reason as his companion. Such a man of free thought would not only become a saint but also be venerated as a church father in the Catholic and Orthodox Churches.
People of faith must use reason in their pursuit of knowledge. Such issues as evolution should be studied in scientific context. If the world is a creation of a God in whom she/he believes, no matter what conclusion the scientist arrives at, she/he will be confident that it will reflect the divine.
Garrett Fugate is a junior from St. Louis.
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THE EDITORIAL BOARD
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THE EDITORIAL BOARD Members of the Kansan Editorial Board are Stephen Montezmay, Brian Plennestiel, Jennifer Torino, Lauren Cunningham, Vicky Luk, Michael Holt, Stephanie Feen, James Castle, Michael Holt, Colin Thumbwright and Andrew Hammond.