4A
Monday, April 3, 1995
OPINION
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
CITY COMMISSION ENDORSEMENTS
The University Daily Kansan interviewed all six candidates running for the three open seats on the Lawrence City Commission. The endorsements reflect the Kansan's opinion of who would make the most effective city commissioners.
THE CANDIDATE
John Nalbandian was the top vote-getter in the primaries. And for good reason.
It is clear that, after his first commission term, he has been a key ingredient to the recent success that the city of Lawrence has enjoyed.
JOHN NALBANDIAN
One comes away from a discussion with Nalbandian feeling that he has an honest interest in the wellbeing of every citizen of Lawrence, regardless of race, socio-economic standing or sexual orientation.
As a professor of public administration at KU, his connection with students and the University qualifies him as the best candidate
to represent all of the interests of the University.
Furthermore, he has a firm grasp on the issues facing the community.
Nalbandian's finest asset is his willingness and ability to listen to all sides of any issue and proceed earnestly in a manner that will best benefit Lawrence.
Ask him about anything from Horizon 2020 to the city budget to the downtown area and he will, with certainty and incredible specificity, provide detailed proof of the stances he has taken and will take in the future.
John Nalbandian's experience and proven track record deserve a vote for city commission.
THE CANDIDATE:
Of the nonincumbents running for city commission, Bonnie Augustine seems to have the best grasp of the issues facing this community and the ways to address them.
BONNIE AUGUSTINE
She also knows that a connection between KU and Lawrence needs to be fostered. Not too far removed from her years at Fort Hays State University, Augustine understands the problems students face, from substandard housing and high rents to campus and city transportation.
On the other hand, she has been involved in the community enough to know how to handle
planned growth and the maintenance of the downtown area as the central business district. Furthermore, Augustine's financial experience proves her ability to be fiscally responsible, a vital tool in the handling of the city's budget. And considering the plethora of budget and planning issues awaiting the commission, her financial prudence and contemplative demeanor will become essential.
Augustine comes across as someone with years of commission experience; with her, the new commission wouldn't even break its stride.
THE CANDIDATE:
DOUG COMPTON
Despite the recent controversy surrounding Doug Compton's decision to not support Simply Equal, his experience from the past two years on city commission gives him an edge over other candidates.
During his term as commissioner, Compton was instrumental in many policy-making decisions that have affected Lawrence. One of the reasons Compton would be a good commissioner for students is that he is conscious of the need for safe affordable housing. He supports a city-approved inspection
of apartments to ensure that they match city safety codes. A second reason Compton is a good candidate is that he supports the protection of downtown Lawrence as the city's central business district. He also realizes the importance of long-range planning for the city. Compton, who is himself a developer, has favored making developers pay for sewer lines and roads to areas that they are building in.
Compton's experience and track record as a responsible commissioner make him a good choice in tomorrow's election.
TIMOTHY MUIR, HEATHER LAWRENZ, MATT GOWEN AND JOHN BENNETT FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD
KANSAN STAFF
Editors
STEPHEN MARTINO
Editor
DENISE NEIL
Managing editor
TOM EBLEN
General manager, news adviser
CATHERINE ELLSWORTH
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 .. Ashley Miller
Jamrock Lane
Associate Photo .. Paul Kotz
Features .. Nathan Olson
Design .. Brian James
Freelance .. Susan White
JENNIFER PERRIEN
Business manager
MARK MASTRO
Retail sales manager
JAY STEINER
Sales and marketing adviser
Business Staff
Campus mgr ... Beth Pois
Regional mgr ... Chris Brannan
National mgr ... Shelly Felavite
Coop mgr ... Kelly Connelya
Special Sections mgr ... Brigg Bloomquilt
Production mgrs ... JJ Cook
... Kim Hyman
Marketing director ... Mindy Blum
Promotions director ... Justin Frosolone
Creative director ... Dan Gier
Classified mgr ... Liesa Kuseth
Attacking art is an assault on our ability to transcend
Jeff MacNelly / CHICAGO TRIBUNE
Another status report on life under the Newt World Order. What's up with Newt and Big Bird? Why do Newton and his jolly bunch of neofascist conservatives have a problem with PBS, not to mention the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. I guess that America feels that art is superfluous to society at large. However, to quote Voltaire: "The superfluous, a very necessary thing."
OK, art is not essential to life in the same way that food, clothing and shelter are. However, art serves to remind us of a life beyond the mundane. Art transports us, if only briefly, to the realm of beauty. For those of you who find no value in art, take a look at Plato's "Republic." Even in its shadow vestiges, I believe that art provides us with a glimpse of the transcendent.
For example, I can still clearly remember the feeling of awe that I experienced when I first entered the Basilica of St. Peter's in the Vatican. Columns soared to the sky. And the Cathedral itself was simply overwhelming. As a friend of mine once told me, you really feel that you are in the presence of God. This is not to imply that one must believe in God to experience transcendence. In
STAFF COLUMNIST
fact, it is possi-
simply to lift
your head to the
gorgeous blue
ocean of the sky
to know the
beauty and emotion that art often attempts to convey.
it often teaches. From the very beginnings of art, there has been a constant current in art that serves to teach us about ourselves and the world. From Shakespeare who wanted to "hold as 'twere, the mirror up to nature" to Shelley who held that, "Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world." Is this not the philosophy that drove Picasso to create his Guernica? In many cases, it is art alone that gives hope to a conquered people. One has only to think of the Russian gulacs to find a poignant example of the power and redemption possible through art.
Another message that art often carries is more rooted in our "real" world. Art not only pleasures.
I know through my own life of the inspiration that I have found
through art. I remember vivifying my experience of empathy and mourning as I read of the tragic life of "Pere Goriot," the protagonist and title character in the eponymous novel by Honore de Balzac. And what was the lesson that I learned? That art, which includes the whole spectrum of arts, has the ability to inspire and educate us in its own unique fashion. For me this has been primarily through literature and more specifically through my love of poetry. For me poetry is more powerful than any weapon imaginable because unlike the weapon it teaches me how to be human, while at the same time reminding me of my mortal limitations. This is a lesson that Congress has forgotten, but some politicians have realized the value of art. As John F. Kennedy once said: "When power leads man toward arrogance, poetry reminds him of his limitations. When power narrows the areas of man's concern, poetry reminds him of the richness and diversity of his existence. When power corrupts, poetry cleanses, for art establishes the basic human truths which must serve as the touchstone of our judgment."
Nicolas Shump is a Lawrence senior in comparative literature.
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
"SHE'S NOT HOME OFTEN."
—Deborah Hammer, Overland Park junior, on her roommate Kim Cocks, who is running for student body president.
"WELL, THINGS DIDN'T TURN OUT QUITE LIKE WE WANTED IT TO. I'M GOING TO MISS EVERYONE, AND I LOVE THIS PLACE."
— Kansas senior center Greg Ostertag, during a March 25 welcome-home at Allen Fieldhouse after the Jayhawks lost to the Virginia Cavaliers in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen.
"BEING REPUBLICAN JUST MAKES MORE SENSE."
— Samantha Bowman, Wichita freshman, about her political-party preference. Bowman was elected chairwoman of the College Republicans at KU March 14.
"IF I WAS ATHEIST, IWOULD STILL BE PRO-LIFE."
—Paige Grauer, Wichita freshman, after Pope John Paul II announced March 26 that he had written an encyclical, an official papal declaration, against abortion.
—The first thing that Margaret Cho, star of ABC's "All-American Girl," thinks of when asked about the state of Kansas.
"FIREMEN."
—Compiled by Kansan staff the week of March 27
Control of city given up by not casting ballot
OK, so you're wondering why you should go to the polling place after your afternoon class tomorrow and vote in the Lawrence City Commission election.
I can help you only a little bit there. I have a friend named Clay who likes to lecture me — especially when he's drunk — on how he is exercising his rights when he doesn't vote. Clay also scratches himself in public. I've never been able to talk him out of either habit.
STAFF COLUMNIST
The commission's decisions will directly affect you through rising rent rates, food prices and utility bills. It will affect how quickly you can get across town and how often, if ever, your apartment building is inspected. And your vote does count: In a town of about 70,000 people, 26,000 students make one formidable 500-pound gorilla.
But if you're thinking about not voting in the commission election, you're making a bad move. If you think the decisions they make won't affect you, you're wrong again. If you think your vote won't matter, strike three.
I'm not here to tell you how to vote. But I can give you at least half the story in some issues. You'll only be a half-informed voter<sup>†</sup> but that's half more than most.
Sexual orientation
This, apparently, is the big one. The issue is about an amendment that would add the words "sexual orientation" to the city's human relations code, in effect making discrimination based on sexual orientation illegal. Only two of the six candidates, Allen Levine and incumbent commissioner John Nalbandian, have expressed support for the measure. If both of them are voted in, chances are the issue would come up to a vote and be passed. If at least two of the other four candidates — Bonnie Augustine, Jo Barnes, Carl Burkhead or Doug Compton — are elected, the issue probably never would come up at all.
Western development
In the past 20 years, Lawrence has grown westward at a quick rate. Augustine, Barnes and Burkhead have encouraged this, saying the added economic benefits to Lawrence have helped the city's economy thrive.
Compton and Levine think a bit differently. They point out rising utility and service rates to say development costs more than it brings. They say the city running utilities and roads out to the new developments is costly and should be paid for by new development.
Downtown Lawrence
Nalbandian seems to swing between them. He favors growth, but he also likes to plan it and carefully study each new development. Downtown Lawrence
Some city leaders fear business on the edges of town will kill Lawrence's downtown area. Currently, downtown is strong, but downtowns in other cities have been killed by suburban growth in the past.
Augustine, Compton, Levine and Nalbandian have expressed support for measures that would protect downtown. Barnes and Burkhead have favored letting downtown compete freely, thus strengthening it naturally.
That's only a quick and incomplete rundown on the issues. I haven't even touched on apartment inspections, parking or public transportation. All I can tell you now is that if you don't make this decision for yourself, other people in town are going to make it for you.
Carlos Tejada is a Lawrence senior in Journalism.
MIXED MEDIA
By Jack Ohman