4A
Monday, April 10, 1995
OPINION
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
VIEWPOINT
THE ISSUE: BICYCLING IN LAWRENCE
Area bicyclists' demonstration points to need for bike lanes
Most KU students think of Lawrence as a fairly progressive town, especially for Kansas. However, this progressiveness does not include easily accessible bike lanes. The few bike lanes in Lawrence do not lead anywhere, thus forcing riders into the streets and making it difficult to get to the grocery store or to run errands. Last Tuesday, bicyclists rightfully protested their lack of inclusion in city planning.
However, Lawrence police were not thrilled with the demonstration.
Lawrence bike lanes are few and useless which shows a troubling lack of consideration on the part of the city
City ordinance requires bikers to ride single file in the right-hand lane by the curb. The demonstrators last week proudly took up the entire right-hand lane, letting everyone know bike riders deserve respect.
The opponents of the demonstration and of increased bicyclers on the road claim that most bicyclists want to be treated like cars but do not act like them. The respect between motorists and bicyclists must work both ways if the two are to continue sharing the road.
Lawrence is very fortunate to have outspoken citizens demonstrating for bicyclist rights until bike lanes are available everywhere in Lawrence.
AMY TRAINER FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD
STATEMENTS
From the office of the University of Kansas Student Senate:
In light of the Kansan's recent story on the resignation of LesBiGay Services Director Eric Moore, we felt it important to express our regret that such an unfortunate incident occurred. At the same time, we hope that support for the LesBiGayS OK among the University of Kansas community does not falter. Widely respected among student leaders as a force for positive, constructive change, LesBiGayS OK is renowned as a cornerstone of student activism at KU. As student leaders, we ask that the past actions of one individual not be used to judge this organization as a whole and that KU continue to be a place where students are accepted as part of the campus community — no matter their sexual orientation.
Sherman Reeves
Student body president
Eric Medilli
Student body vice president
David Stevens
REAL coalition
Kim Cocks
United Students coalition
From the School of Social Welfare:
The School of Social Welfare is deeply troubled that the University Daily Kansan chose to reveal Eric Moore's past criminal history. Moore is a student in good standing in our school. He shared his past criminal record with us which has enabled us to make responsible decisions about his academic career. We believe that Moore has made exceptional contributions to the University community in his leadership of LesBiGay Services of Kansas as well as in other significant ways. We regret that the Kansan decided to publicize Moore's past record when such publicity can only result in bringing further pain and stigma to a man who, having paid his debt to society through imprisonment, has committed his life to helping others.
Llane V Davis Associate Dean School of Social Welfare
KANSAN STAFF
STEPHEN MARTINO
Editor
DENISE NEIL
Managing editor
TOM EBLEN
General manager, news adviser
CATHERINE ELLESWORTH
Technology coordinator
News ... Carlos Tejada
Planning ... Mark Martin
Editorial ... Matt Gowen
Associate Editorial .. Heather Lawrence
Campus .. David Wilson
Colleen McCain
Sports ... Gerry Fey
Associate Sports ..安娜·威尔森
Photo ... Jamet Lane
Associate Photo ..Paul Kotz
Features ..Nathan Gloon
Design ..Brian James
Freelance ..Susan White
JENNIFER PERRIER
Business manager
MARK MASTRO
Retail sales manager
JAY STEINER
Sales and marketing adviser
Business Staff
Campus mgr...Beth Pole
Regional mgr...Chris Branman
National mgr...Shelly Felvalez
Coop mgr...Kelly Commey
Special Sections mgr ...Brigg Bloomquist
Production mgr...JJ Cook
Kim Hyman
Marketing director...Mindy Blum
Promotions director...Justin Frosolone
Creative director...Dan Gler
Classified mgr...Lisa Kueish
Be sure to vote for our coalition, because we care about you so very much.
In reality, we could care less about what the student body wants. But hey this sure will look great on our resumes!
Robert Tapley / KANSAN
So Michael Jordan is back.
That's cool. I like watching Air Jordan stick his tongue out. However, I do have just one question.
A good spring cleaning starts with that jumble of thoughts
Just so long as we don't have to walk behind each other.
Thought fragments floating around everywhere...
Why are sports so damn important to so much of the world? This is hardly an original question, it's been asked over and over and over. Still, I just do not understand, and I wish
After a little while, the herd mentality really gets to me. Walking down Jayhawk Boulevard is often an exercise in combating crowds.
When a large number of people gather in one place, it seems the slow-motion key is pressed. The instinct is to move at a minimal pace, until everyone is strolling along. Don't get me wrong, I believe in taking time to smell the roses as much as the next person but come on. Last time I looked there weren't any rose bushes down the ol' boulevard. Some of us need to get to class, or home or down to the Kansas Union to see who has set up informative and fun tables covered in pamphlets today.
That's why I think we should all ignore the sidewalks at least once in our lives. That's right, just walk on the grass. Grass likes to be walked on. It is given a sense of purpose, of being needed. Heck, it's warming up out there — take off your shoes and commune with nature before English composition or physical anthropology.
My God, what a simple sentence to write, but look at it. The implications are astounding. Certainly, this is only one instance against the millions of other people infected with no hope of survival. Yet, it gave me more hope than almost anything in the past year.
STAFF
COLUMNIST
considering stepping in. And here I thought the Republican rhetoric was getting government out of our lives, not solving the problems of an industry based on chewing tobacco and groping oneself on a pitching mound.
someone would explain it to me. So what if the baseball players and the owners had a mutual temper tantrum? The greediest consumed more newsprint and television time than the struggle against AIDS or the atrocities in Somalia. I mean, Congress was
Somewhere, someone beat the greatest epidemic in history.
Maybe it's just me, maybe I'm missing some essential brain chemicals that convey the need to follow sports religiously.
Yes.
Ah, well, I've long since given up on being a true man.
I am mildly curious about how many people are disappointed while on the Internet. For most of my life, I have been a fan of science and science-fiction. This put me in a group of people who always spoke of Star Trek in hushed tones and tacked the word "cyber" to almost anything.
Finally, did anyone happen to see the miracle the other day? I don't use the word miracle often or lightly. But this truly deserves to be called such.
The world is now hooked up and plugged in as never before. Just look at those cool IBM commercials — do you need more proof? Dial a number, give a password and your
skateboard for the Information Highway is ready to roll.
But it lacks something, doesn't it? Come on, you can be honest. The whole thing is based around a programming language older than I am, the interfaces give the distinct impression of slogging through Jello and the whole 'Net feels like a forum for people with too much time on their hands. Which it is, I suppose.
Does anyone out there feel as I do,
or have I been spoiled by the starry-
eyed visions of real time cyberspace
technohopping?
Isaac Bell is a Lawrence Junior in English.
Ah, probably. But at least it gives me something else to complain about.
A 5-year-old child born with the HIV virus recovered.
The miracle appeared in the Kansan last week. A small article, cautiously worded.
"It clears the ethereal realms of people so that we can relate in harmony with each other."
— Samantha Graham, Lawrence junior, explaining the significance of burning sage during a Peace Walk prayer for peace last week.
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
"This award puts all my hard work over the last four years into perspective. I can't think of a more incredible way to end my career at Kansas." —Kansas senior forward Angela Aucock, on being named a Kodak All-Star.
—Kansas senior forward Angela Aycock, on being named a Kodak All-American.
"We really are loaded."
-Jeff Shibley, publisher of The Note, about the quality of area bands participating in this year's Loaded in Lawrence at The Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire St.
"We'd sit around the dinner table and talk about what Dad did in the lab today," Student body president Sherman Reeves, on his interest in science. It was announced last week that Reeves will accept a Harry S. Truman memorial scholarship June 4.
-compiled by Kansan staff the week of April 3
Internet user warns against becoming an e-mail addict
It almost happened last semester. I almost became an Internet junky, one of those people who spends hours sitting in front of an impersonal computer screen carrying on conversations with faceless human beings from all over the world. It almost happened, but it didn't.
It is easy to understand why some people become dependent on their modems. Imagine a world where everyone is equal. No one knows if you are male or female, black or white, fat or skinny, unless you tell them. Usually no one cares. Instead they are
only interested in whom you are or what you think.
On the Internet anyone can be an expert on anything, by virtue of being fearless or stupid enough to post their opinions for public consumption. It is a total expression of free speech, an equal opportunity fool-maker.
The Internet is like another dimension where you can be whoomever or whatever you want to be. It is a perfect world of sorts, full of interesting places to visit, lots of things to do, millions of people to meet, and billions of topics to investigate, but its greatest feature is that when you are bored, or when you have had enough of the people you meet or the things they say, you can hang up.
Imagine sitting in the front row of a big lecture hall, staring at some academic who believes the English language does not contain words with fewer than 10 letters. Are you bored? No problem. Just click on him, and he disappears.
But the Internet has its drawbacks.
But the internet has its drawbacks. For starters, there is a new class of people evolving in our society, individuals who know nothing about conversing with real people. They seem suspended in the imaginary world of cyberspace and are unable to cope with problems they cannot simply click away. They have forgotten the fine art of live conversation or the joy of chatting over a leisurely lunch. Instead they say things like, "I'll e-mail you that information," or "See you on line!"
While the Internet is a fascinating place, it is dangerous too.
It sucks you in like a vacuum, and before you know it, time simply disappears.
When I first figured out how to send and receive e-mail messages, I decided I was not technologically hopeless. When I learned how to read news groups, I was hooked. When I found the World Wide Web, I was in trouble. A bottomless pit of information is an overwhelming place for a future reporter to be. I found myself working as fast as possible so I could make the time to surf the net and find new "cool stuff."
Then I realized I was seeing less and less of old friends, spending less time outdoors, and spending way too much time in front of my computer.
Now I only check my e-mail every week or so, just in case someone is looking for me, and I only surf the net if I have a good reason. That seems to be working well.
Even so, every time I log on, it is hard to resist sneaking a quick peek at the news groups, or checking out a few topics on the World Wide Web. If I am not careful I just might hear myself telling someone, "See you online," and my worst fears will be realized.
Heather Kirkwood is a Wichita Junior in magazine Journalism.
MIXED MEDIA
By Jack Ohman