4A
Monday, April 8, 1996
OPINION
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
VIEWPOINT
Students should have been consulted about linear tuition
The students at the University of Kansas are being duped. They have not been consulted, and probably will not be consulted, about linear tuition.
Linear tuition, in the opinion of those who decide these things, is going to happen. Students' concerns are after the fact.
"The issue here is tuition accountability. The legislature has accepted it and it is a done deal," said Martin Burris, associate director of budget for the Kansas Board of Regents. "I think many parents make the argument that students make about this punishing students that try harder. But the other side of the coin is that for those credit hours above and beyond the minimum, faculty and administration are not being compensated."
Burris said this plan also gave the University more revenue and more control of that revenue.
"Right now, if an increase in enrollment occurs, the flat rate prevents us from assessing more revenue to the University," said Burris.
In short, the administra
THE ISSUE:
Linear tuition
tion could gain more revenue by supporting linear tuition.Unfortunately, no KU students were given a chance to voice their concerns before the Regents made this decision.
However, neither of these students were from the University of Kansas.
"There is a senate commission which will speak to student concerns, which will present on April 25. But as far as I know, we will have linear tuition in Fall 1996," Black said.
"As I understand it, there was a commission with two students on it that decided this with the Regents," said Alan Black, president of the university council.
There is nothing anyone can do now to prevent linear depletion of student's money. The Board of Regents sought student opinion before deciding on the new type of tuition, but it should have sought to get opinions from all six universities involved.
TOM MOORE FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Student Senate's new SLAB bill proves to be inefficient
Student Senate seems to Shave forgotten why it wanted to revamp the Student Legislative Awareness Board in the first place efficiency.
The board used to have six members; three members appointed by the present student body president and three members appointed by the previous student body president. The staggered appointment scheme assured that no president could appoint an entire board.
During the week of March 20, a bill was drafted that would have eliminated the board altogether. In its place there would have been a legislative liaison appointed by the student body president. However, seeing that one individual could not possibly handle all the responsibilities that the board has, this bill was dropped.
In its place is a bill that came off the floor from the rights committee Thursday evening that could double the size of the board.
The new bill revamps the board by having a legislative director that would be appointed by the student body president with majority consent by the Senate. This legislative director would then select five others to fill the other coordinator
THE ISSUE:
SLAB bill
positions. These positions would have to be approved by the Senate. In addition to the six, an advisory board of six members also would be appointed.
With this bill, the student body president would appoint almost everyone involved in the board, and it could become just another place for a president to appoint coalition members who didn't get elected by the student body.
All of this goes against the reasons for changing the board. The reasons for the original bill were to have accountability, less bureaucracy and more efficiency. But with the bill that was passed, all of the board's actions will have to be examined by three different oversight entities, increasing the bureaucracy in Senate.
The best plan is to leave the board the way it is now, but to eliminate both coordinator positions. There are six members who are appointed, and they could choose amongst themselves the chairperson. Also, this way they still would be able to have student help for those who are interested.
SARBPAL HUNDAL FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Jeff MacNelly / CHICAGO TRIBUNE
Whining, rumors, theft: It's Senate elections time again
It happened again.
I thought the student body was going to be spared the immature mudslinging that usually is associated with the University of Kansas Student Senate elections each spring.
The two coalitions, Voice and Vision, announced the names of their candidates about two weeks before spring break.
The candidates hit the tables on Wescoe Beach last week, handing out fliers with candidate qualifications, campaign platforms and student survey questions. All going as usual.
But on Wednesday morning the Voice banner was stolen from the Sigma Kappa sorority house. Voice coalition members immediately — and obviously — started pointing their fingers at Vision coalition candidates. Apparently, one of the thieves almost lost his or her head to a cinder block, leaving a pool of blood outside the Sigma Kappa house in a Sherlock Holmes-esque caper.
Jamie Johnson, Vision candidate for student body vice president, said he was checking under the hats of his coalition members for a massive head wound. None found. All going as usual.
Thursday morning, election rumors have it, the Vision banner was stolen off Wescoe Hall by a person very, very, very high up in the Voice coalition hierarchy.
Sherman Reeves, former student body president, said he caught Samantha Bowman, Voice candidate for student body vice president, driving the getaway car for the very acrobatic thief. (The banner was pretty high up on the north side of Wescoe.) Bowman said it indeed was her car that was used but that she had loaned it to a friend and had no idea that the friend was going hunting for giant-sized campaign literature. All going as usual.
EDITORIAL
EDITOR
Rumors have been flying a-bout candidates sexual practices and religious views.
All this information, so important to students' informed decisions of who to vote for, oddly enough has surfaced just a week before the polls open Wednesday. All, unfortunately, going as usual.
There is, however, one thing that is not going as usual. I haven't heard anything about a president and vice president issues debate. In past years most Senate candidates found time to hold debates, open to the student body, at which students were able to watch the candidates go head to head on important campus issues.
Perhaps there just wasn't enough time for the coalitions to plan one this year. Perhaps some candidates were too busy hiding banners and whispering rumors to people in the library.
Perhaps they didn't feel like providing a forum for students to ask questions and gain insightful responses from members of both
coalitions at once. I just don't know.
I hope we are not in for yet another year of a Student Senate that lives and works on a different planet than that of the student body. In all fairness, student senators in the last few years have made respectful efforts in reaching students through town-hall meetings and e-mail accounts.
Students, on the other hand, have not made the effort to become informed on the inner workings of Student Senate and its processes. However, both of this year's presidential candidates already have said that student apathy about Senate begins at election time. So who can blame students for not paying attention to Senate?
"Apathy stems from what happens in elections," Johnston said.
"Recent press hasn't helped Student Senate at all." Bowman said.
They both said that running clean, issue-based campaigns was the only way to start off in a good way with students. Absolutely right.
Unfortunately, some members of both coalitions do not agree with their leaders.
Their antics and high school-campaign behavior officially have turned this year's election into a joke. Students don't care about who stole what sign. They don't care about rumors. And if that is all students hear from and about Senate candidates, they won't care about Senate either.
Sounds simple enough. Maybe next year all won't go as usual.
Paul Todd is a Littleton, Colo., senior in journalism and environmental studies.
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
"GREY AND I TOOK A GOOD LOOK AT HEADS AND FOREHEADS."
- Jamie Johnson, Vision candidate for student body vice president, after Vision coalition members were accused of stealing a Voice banner from the Sigma Kappa sorority house. Apparently, a large brick struck one of the thieves on the head, leaving a pool of blood.
"I DON'T WHATSOEVER, FOR ONE SECOND,
BELIEVE THAT SHE WAS IN THE CAR OR THAT
SHE DID THAT."
Cesar Millan, Voice candidate for student body president, after his running mate, Samantha Bowman, was accused of driving the getaway car in an attempted theft of a Vision banner. Bowman's car was used in the incident.
I'M NOT GOING TO QUIT ON BASEBALL."
"BASEBALL IS GOING TO HAVE TO QUIT ON ME.
Josh Kliner, Kansas senior second baseman, on life after collegiate baseball.
"IHAVE PEOPLE ON THE ROLLING GRADUATION PLAN. IF THEIR KID DOESN'T GRADUATE, THEY JUST ROLL THE RESERVATION OVER TO THE NEXT YEAR."
Mike Martin, Manager of the Bismark Inn, 1130 N. Third St., about the lack of hotel rooms available in Lawrence during the weekend of commencement.
"THE POTENTIAL FOR LACKEYS BECOMES GREATER BECAUSE THE PRESIDENT CAN MAKE A POLITICAL APPOINTMENT."
Jason Schreiner, on-campus coordinator for the Student Legislative Awareness Board, about the proposal to replace SLAB with a single presidentially appointed legislative liaison.
Life can be better if it is not taken too seriously
Few people live their life with total abandon, existing only for the moment with little thought about the future. I used to be grateful for this; those people who live in this manner never seem to be getting
STAFF COLUMNIST
anything done,
and I never have
understood how
that can make
them happy.
To some extent, they have gotten on my nerves. Recently, however, I have decided that I am merely jealous because they are living a life that looks more fun than mine. Even more frustrating to me is the fact
that no matter how carefree they live, they do it within their means and live well. Perhaps that is part of the secret.
Recently I was considering questions of life and death, and I began to wonder something: If I knew that I was going to die tomorrow, what would I regret? The answer included more than I would have liked, and so I decided that I would start approaching my life in a more carefree manner.
It is an interesting question to ask yourself: If you could live your life again, what would you change? Most of us are given guides at a young age to live a happy, enjoyable, stress-free life. We hear maxims such as "stop and smell the roses" to provide an example of how to live. But that message was contradicted at just as young of an age by the fast-paced, need-to-get-it-done-now lifestyle of the adults that influenced us.
It is the example, rather than the maxim, that many of us have chosen to follow.
I have come to the conclusion that this was the wrong choice. Too many people take life too seriously. Consequently, we have forgotten how to relax. If we do relax, it is only for short periods of time far away from stress (I learned this during spring break).
This tale has been repeated to me by many of my friends. It seems wherever we were, we all had fun, and none of us, no matter how much we may love Lawrence, wanted to come back.
We all did come back, though, and begrudgingly have resumed our heavy schedules. Next spring break is a distant dream.
But my break made me wonder why I live like this. My mother is fond of asking me when I start whining about time, what is the worst thing that will happen if I do not get something done?
This question used to frustrate me, but not anymore. I think I understand now. And so, I have decided that I am not going to wait until next spring for another break; I deserve one sooner. And the worst thing that can happen? Well, I am really not sure, but I think that I will sacrifice it for a piece of my happiness and all of my sanity.
This has not been easy. I am the kind of person who is easily susceptible to stress, and to ignore that is a big change. But I have worried less, and had more fun. I have also taken a few more chances with OK results. And I have been, if nothing else, having fun.
My new maxim has come from a T-shirt I saw in a store window: "Life is short. Play naked."
Imagine if the world took that seriously. It may be quite a change, but I'd be content to sit back and watch.
KANSAN STAFF
ASHLEY MILLER
Editor
VIRGINIA MARGHEIM
Managing editor
ROBERT ALLEN
News editor
TOM EBLEN
General manager, news adviser
Stacy Nagy is a Topeka sophomore in Russian.
Editors
Campus ... Joann Birk
... Philip Brownlee
Editorial ... Paul Todd
Associate editorial ... Craig Lang
Features ... Matt Watt
History ... Kyle Holmes
Associate sports ... Bill Petulia
Photo ... Matt Flukerman
Graphics ... Noah Mussel
Special sections ... Novella Sommars
Trump ... Trevor
Illustration ... Miah Laeker
HEATHER NEIHAUS
Business manager
KONAN HAUSER
Retail sales manager
JAY STEINER
Sales and marketing adviser
JUSTIN KNUPP
Technology coordinator
Business Staff
Campus mgr...Karen Gerach
Regional mgr...Kelly Connolly
Senior mgr...Michael Schoenberg
Special Sections mgr...Norm Blow
Production mgr...Rachi Cahill
Marketing director...Crystal Chelsie
Marketing director...Bryce Carewell
Public Relations dir.. Angle Adamson
Director...Kristopher K. Dowkalik
Cleared staff...Stephen McGinn
Internship/oop mgr...T.J. Clark
OUT FROM THE CRACKS
By Jeremy Patnoi
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