4A the university daily kansai opinion wednesday, may 12, 2004 EDITORIAL BOARD Campanile walk good tradition May 23. 2004, marks the 80th anniversary of University of Kansas alumni walking down Campanile OURVIEW This year is the 80th anniversary of graduates taking the walk down the Campanile hill. Graduates: Keep tradition alive. hill into Memorial Stadium to celebrate the end of their college careers. Some will have finished in four years, others five, six or even seven years. Other students will have already Even though graduates have been walking down the hill since 1924, the tradition didn't include walking through the Campanile until 1950. Legend has it if a student walks through the Campanile before the graduation ceremony he or she will not graduate.The uniqueness of the event,coupled with the fact it doesn't last more than an hour, should be enough to make every graduate want to walk. finished last December, and some will walk and then start class over again this summer to fulfill those last few credits. But one thing all of those students will have in common is they will end their college careers in the same way. No matter what degree they earn or how long it will take them to achieve it, they will finish school in a manner unique to the University. But there are going to be students who choose not to walk. Whether it's because they will be too hung over, don't have any family coming or just don't care, some students will choose to bypass the tradition. The decision to not walk down the hill doesn't make any sense. First off, it's not that hard. You simply walk down a hill. You don't even necessarily have to enter Memorial Stadium for the Commencement. Some students will opt to walk down the hill and then proceed in the direction of their favorite local bar. But at least those students can say they walked. Even if they don't remember anything from class, they will remember walking down the hill in their caps and gowns, realizing they have accomplished something. If a student chooses not to walk down the hill, it might not seem like a big deal at the time. But down the road when he or she is remembering time spent at the University, instead of the last memory being a unique tradition, it will be a memory of their last final exam. TALK TO US The Kansan welcomes letters to the editors and guest columns submitted by students, faculty and alumni. The Kansan reserves the right to edit, cut to length, or reject all submissions. Letters to the editor should be no longer than 200 words and guest columns should not exceed 650 words. To submit a letter to the editor or a column, e-mail the document to opinion@kansan.com with your name, hometown, year in school or position and phone number. For any questions, call Meghan Brune or Johanna M. Maska at 864-4924 or e-mail at opinion@kansan.com. General questions should be directed to the editor at editor@kansan.com. Zach Newton for The University Daily Kansan PERSPECTIVE PERSPECTIVE Online dating dangerous legislative action necessary Somehotguy. Hey, I live in Lawrence, want to chat? KlGirl: Sure. What do you do? KUGIM. Sure, where are you? Somehotguy: I go to school at KU. (Really, I'm 45 and married.) The conversation continues. KUGirl: You seem really nice. We should meet up for coffee. Somehotguy: Sure. I'll be down at The Java Break in, like, 10 minutes. See you there. This could be the beginning of an unhappy end. Online hookups are becoming more common but less safe. Not only are there now limitless online dating services, but the number of messenger services and ways of meeting people on the Internet continue to increase. The online dating business has grown to a $313 million industry, according to Jupiter Research. The industry is expected to continue this growth, reaching an estimated $642 million in 2008. With such a booming market, there is an obvious need for safety and security measures in this market. Recently, a friend of mine met a girl on the Internet. He does this frequently, so it wasn't a big deal. She said she was 18 and living with her parents while she worked. When he met her, he thought she looked young. But he believed her until her dad called and said she was 14. The girl had been lying the entire five COMMENTARY months she had talked to my friend. The lies were shocking and scary. Alea Smith opinion@kansan.com This is not the only bad thing that could happen. Using an online dating service instead of a messenger service will probably not diminish the risk. There are countless online dating services, with new ones popping up each day. Very few do thorough background checks of applicants to ensure they are telling the truth. Some companies insist on users agreeing that they will be honest, but this honesty is never checked. There is no national database for these companies to easily check the records of their applicants. If the company does do checks, it is through Google searches and public records that take more employees than many of the companies have. These are the same things that each individual could do about every prospective partner, but honestly most of us just do not have the time. There are new online dating companies and partnerships that are attempting to make a difference in the security of online dating. A six-month old site called TrueBeginnings touts a partnership with Rapsheets.com, a criminal-record database. Herb Vest, founder of the company, told USA Today he did not want to introduce anyone to a felon, so the criteria for members is strict. After filling out a code of ethics and a detailed personality file, a potential member's name is checked for any felonies in the past decade. So far 3,000 people have been turned away from the service. The efforts of TrueBeginnings are a start to regulate the sometimes dangerous industry but many other companies will not even begin to delve into at depth of background checks based on privacy issues and the lack of a national criminal database. Obviously no one wants his or her 14-year-old daughter to be meeting a serial killer on the Internet, nor does a 23-year-old guy want to meet a 70-year-old woman who is the original black widow. A national criminal database will be the only thing that can help defend against these scams and lies. The belief that people are honest and good-at-heart has obviously not worked. Just ask my friend: He trusts no one now. Smith is a Kansas City, Mo., senior in journalism. Free for All Call 864-0500 Free for All callers have 20 seconds to speak about any topic they wish. Kansan editors reserve the right to omit comments. Slanderous and obscene statements will not be printed. Phone numbers of all incoming calls are recorded. For more comments, go to www.kansan.com Free For All will continue next semester as usual. During the summer, check out the Kansan online. where the hell is Monday's Free For All? My roommate takes 45 minute showers. where the hell is Monday's Free For All? I have got four days left in this town and I must have a sleep over with my earthquake T.A. I just cut my friend's back hair off and I am a girl. Is that scary? where the hell is Monday's Free For All? The international sound film class is like the play Our Town. It is long, boring and nothing happens. If anyone found a digital camera at the DG formal could you please take it back to the house. I would really appreciate it. --where the hell is Monday's Free For All? If this caricature really is Emily Taylor then Emily Taylor is a man. I saw a bear attack in front of the Wheel this weekend. where the hell is Monday's Free For All? and lessons I've learned over the past four years. Pick and choose, but there's something in here for everyone. Here we go. and lessons I've learned over the past four years. Pick and choose, but there's something in here for everyone. Here we go. Watch out for flying Jayhawks because this virgin is graduating If the black box is the only thing that survived the plane crash then why don't they build the plane out of the black box? and lessons I've learned over the past four years. Pick and choose, but there's something in here for everyone. Here we go. and lessons I've learned over the past four years. Pick and choose, but there's something in here for everyone. Here we go. No I didn't. It was my friend. Chuck, put down the drugs. I was just at the University Book Store on 23rd and I saw a student drive over one of the parking medians thinking it was a speed bump. Thank you. PERSPECTIVE End of college lends sweet memories I wish that I knew what I know now when I was younger. A great man once said that. Actually, I think it was Rod Stewart. All right, maybe he's not so great, but I'll give props any day to a guy who could wear leather pants that tight and pull it off. Rod Stewart aside, truer words have never been spoken, and they seem to have taken on even greater meaning in the past few weeks as I reach the culmination of my stay here at the good old University of Kansas. COMMENTARY It's true; I am graduating in less than two weeks, even though the idea hasn't fully registered in my head yet. I'm just waiting for the night to come when I wake up crying in a cold sweat upon realizing the fact that I'm done with school for good and have to face the harsh reality of the real world. This being said, I think it's only fair that I share, in this, my last column ever for the University Daily Kansan, some wisdom and I use this term loosely Listen to this old-timer rambling on. Here's my point: College was the best four years of my life, even though it really felt like two weeks. At the risk of sounding nostalgic and sappy, I've learned so much about people and life in general while I was here. Kevin Kampwirth opinton@hansan.com Go out and get stiff-drunk even though you have a midterm at 8 a.m. the next day if for no other reason than to realize that you'll never want to do it again. Live in a house with at least four other people if for no other reason than to realize that you'll never want to do it again. Make acquaintances of your professors and TAs, especially in those classes you're not as strong in. It's the easiest way to ensure a B or above without the hassle of extra work. out the hassle. People come and go in college like so many one-night stands. Make at least three friends, though, that you know Always brush your teeth before you go out. Even if you haven't showered, if your teeth look nice and your breath smells good, half the battle's already won. you'll still want to talk to 20 years from now. Listen to your parents when they give you advice. You'll never realize until it's too late that they've already been through it all. Question authority. Once a week, laugh so hard that you rush to cw. Once a month, cry so hard that you start to laugh. Realize that this is the best you'll ever look in your life. Take full advantage. - Skip two straight days of classes at least once, preferably a "Thursday and Friday. Work can always be made up, and everybody needs a four-day weekend once in a while. Fall asleep in class at least once. Pull at least one air-mngter. Fall in love. Even if it's not true love, even if it's unrequited love, find that one person who you'd kiss even if they've just taken a bite of a hamburger, but still, in your mind, it's the best hamburger you've ever tasted. Use fabric softener sheets as toilet paper and Febreze as a way to "wash" those jeans you've worn every day for a week. G guys, at least once, go two weeks or more without shaving. Girls, don't. Above all, realize that your college years are precious and fleeting. You're going to wake up tomorrow as a 40-year-old pining for a time when you could sit in a baby pool in your backyard all day drinking. Bounce a check. Overdraw your bank account. You're in college, and fiscal responsibility should not be a priority. That time is now, kids, so don't waste it. The world, and where you'll go in it, is still outside — for a while anyway. KANSAN Kampwirth is a Chicago senior in journalism. Michelle Rornbeck editor 884-4854 or mburhenn@kensan.com Andrew Vaupel managing editor 864-4844 or vaupel@kansan.com Meghan Brune and Johanna M. Maska opinion editors 864-4824 or opinion@kansan.com Accept the fact that 95 percent of the time the guy or girl you want to come up and talk to you in the bar won't, and the one you don't want to, will. Therefore, never be afraid to initiate conversation on your own. That person just may be the one. - Get your heart broken. - Break someone's heart. Danielle Bose business manager 884-4358 or addirector@tansan.com Stephanie Graham retail sales manager 864-4358 or adsales@kanan.com Malcolm Gibson general manager and news adviser 864.7697 or mgjlbon@kansan.com Matt Fischer sales and marketing adviser 884-7686 or mflauser@kansan.com Editorial Board Members --- Editorial Board Members Kendall Dix Lynzee Ford Laura Francoviglia Amy Hammontree Kelly Hollowell Teresa Lo Mindy Caberne Ryan Scarrow Elizabeth Willy Paul Whitmoretme Zach Stinson Zach Newton Paul Benson Sara Behunek Kevin Fleherty Brandon Gay Zack Hemerway Alex Hoffman Kevin Kampwirp Amy Kelly Cameron Koelling Courtney Kuhlen Brandi Mathiesan Travis Metcalf Mika Norris Jonathan Reeder Erin Riffey Alex Smith Karl Zimmerman