4A
Tuesday, March 14, 1995
OPINION
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THE ISSUE: DAY ON THE HILL FINANCING
Event is worth student dollars
Student Senate decided that the show must go on.
Last week, senators overruled a finance-committee recommendation that Day on the Hill not be financed and then added $3,500 to the budget of Student Union Activities.
SUA representatives were relieved. Students should be as well. Day on the Hill has been consistently one of the most popular events during the school year, and it would be difficult to justify denying such an event funding.
Some senators were opposed to any financing for Day on the Hill, citing an increase in out-of-town audience members and decreasing band talent. By helping SUA finance one of the most popular events of the year, Senate will help solve these problems while accurately representing the desires of the majority of their constituents.
Without Senate financing Day on the Hill is paid for by the proceeds from SUA events, which cannot be totalled until near the end
Student Senate made a good move to help finance Day on the Hill despite some senators being against it.
of the school year. This leaves SUA with a short time frame in which to plan, no doubt causing disorganization.
In fact, Paul Wolters, engineering senator and president of SUA, was noticeably thankful for the allocation. He said SUA would have had to revamp its entire budget if financing would have been denied.
By providing funds well in advance of the event, Senate is helping to stabilize the budget for the event.
Co-sponsorship by Senate will help to improve the quality of the bands by increasing the amount of talent funds available.
Senate deserves congratulations for steering an equitable course for Day on the Hill and ignoring its members who would rather leave Day on the Hill to fend for itself.
STANTON SHELBY FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Dole proves ethics aren't dead
THE ISSUE: NOBILITY AMIDST DEFEAT
At a time when many people view politicians as distrustful, deceitful and sometimes downright dirty, Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole refused to reinforce that stereotype last week.
His handling of a Republican senator who voted against the balanced budget amendment was exemplary.
Sen. Mark Hatfield, R-Oregon, the only Republican to vote against the proposed constitutional amendment when it fell one vote short of passing the Senate two weeks ago, spoke to Dole before the vote and offered to resign.
Hatfield's resignation from the Senate would have let the amendment pass because it would have had the required two-thirds majority of those voting. Dole's response was, "That is not an option."
Then, when other members of the Republican party attempted to punish Hatfield by removing him as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Commit
Senate majority leader Dole stood up for a fellow senator instead of giving into party politics and cheap revenge.
tee, Dole intervened and refused to let the matter even go to a vote.
There is no question that Dole wanted the amendment to pass. He believed strongly in the benefit of such legislation and had lobbied long and hard for its passage. Also, for his presidential campaign, getting it passed would show voters that he can get things done in the Senate.
However, much to his credit, Dole allowed Hatfield to vote his conscience and not be punished for it.
Dole's actions help to restore faith in a political system that is sometimes maligned as strictly a two-party battle with either side doing anything to win.
He should be recognized and commended as a great leader of his party and a highly respectable asset to the people he represents.
TIM MUIR FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Jeff MacNelly / CHICAGO TRIBUNE
Hey Generation X: There's time to do something stupid
For all you Generation Xers out there who think nobody respects you and nobody pays attention, I have two words for you: Nicholas Leeson.
Ol' Nick bucked the trend many GenExers claim is sweeping them under society's rug. Leeson, a trader for the centuries-old British bank Barings PLC, lost $1.5 billion of the bank's money last month making gambles on the Japanese and Singapore stock exchanges without backing any of them up. His actions brought down the institution and rocked financial markets across eastern Asia.
And the guy's only 28. How's that for GenEx significance?
In truth, the folks who are clamoring for respect for GenEx don't know their history. Lots of folks in the annals of time have managed to do many things — some of them quite stupid — while in their 20s. Don't think anybody's paying attention? Your vote is swamped by everybody else's? Fear not. GenExers both modern and ancient have proven 20-somethings can get attention if they do something ignorant enough.
Newt Gingrich
Talk about hot for teacher. I don't know whether he was in his late teens or early 20s, but Newton married his high school teacher shortly after his graduation. Years later, he dumped her as she was being treated for cancer. For all you political science majors, this is not what is considered a "political move."
STAFF COLUMNIST
Conquered Asia. Destroyed every nation in his path. Was one of the most powerful rulers ever. Died at 33 of some kind of flu. You know what they say about drinking the water when you're in ancient Mesopotamia ...
Alexander the Great
Richard Nixon
Nixon used his 20s to begin a long, distinguished career in political corruption. During this time he accused his first political opponent of being a communist in order to take a public office from the incumbent Democrat. The charge was untrue, but little details tended not to bother Dick.
Mike Tyson
Mike looked like he had a long career in boxing ahead of him. Had he continued, he might even have
sustained brain damage, the true badge of success for a boxer. Instead, a jury convicted him of rape and sent him up the river. Now he is about to be released as a fully reformed member of society. I'll lock my doors, thanks.
Bill Clinton
Did he or didn't he inhale? This apparently crucial episode in American history took place when Bill was in college. Modern politics haven't been the same since. All I have to say is, if he did, it's about time he exhaled.
Chris Webber
The first of Michigan's Fab Five to depart for the NBA (National Babies Association), Chris called a time-out he didn't have in the final moments of the 1983 NCAA men's basketball championship game, thus assuring North Carolina's victory. It's a shame such a fantastic athlete should be remembered for that.
But, unfortunately for Chris, GenExers are not ignored. Like everybody else, truly idiotic actions and events will bring notice to just about anybody. So just remember that, GenExers. And if have a spare $800 million in your hands, think twice about the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
Carlos Tejada is a Lawrence senior in journalism.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Jo-Ann Tangi
Cupertino, Calif.
graduate student
I hope that in the future you will be more selective toward the advertisements you accept.
port the dignity of everyone.
I realize that the environment of the University is also one which supports the freedom of speech. However, if an ad was submitted to the Kansan supporting the objectification and oppression of an ethnic minority group, you can be sure that the ad would never be accepted. In the same way, I believe it was a mistake and an offense to the women of this campus for the University newspaper to display the Playboy ad. We should work toward the dignity of all humankind and not toward accepting money for whatever high-paying ad comes our way.
Playboy ad ruins newspaper's image
On Feb. 27, shortly before 7 p.m., I was nearly hit by a car as I tried to cross Sunnyside Avenue at Sunflower Road. I was cautious. I used the crosswalk. And yet I almost became a campus-injury statistic. I have had several near-miss encounters with cars at KU crosswalks this winter. The disregard for pedestrian safety at the University is endemic and unacceptable. Can we enforce traffic laws more stringently on campus, improve overhead lighting at crosswalks, and/or install pedestrian-operated traffic lights at strategic locations? I would like to stop feeling that I take my life in my hands every time I attempt to cross a street on Mount Oread.
I was browsing through the paper this morning, actually pleased about the quality of the articles and the coverage of world events, when a half-page Playboy advertisement caught my eye. Needless to say, this ruined all positive images I have previously held about the Kansan.
The fact that the ad was in the paper upset me for a number of reasons: moral, ethical and personal. The point I address, however, is one concerning the environment. This campus has a reputation of being a liberal, open environment. Therefore, I found it incredibly ironic that a magazine such as Playboy, which objectifies women, should be advertised in an environment that purports to sup-
STAFF COLUMNIST
Making proposals to amend the Constitution seems to be the fad in Washington these days, like wearing red ties and telling constituents you are a fiscal conservative. Amendments to balance the budget, allow school prayer and place term limits on Congress have been making the usual rounds, but now conserva-
Majorie Swann Assistant Professor of English
The American Legion has been joined by 170 members of the House of Representatives, 29 members of the Senate and an array of 87 military and civic organizations to kick off a campaign to make a
ives are resurecting yet another phantom from the past.
ban on flag burning the next addition to the Constitution. The last attempt, backed by George Bush, fell short in 1990.
Democrats should not sit back on their laurels and hope this proposed amendment gets lost in the shuffle.
Safety of pedestrians should be a priority
But don't yawn too fast. Nothing is better for an election than a little flag wallowing, especially if your patriotism has been an issue in the past. Even liberals can't deny the country is moving to the right, especially when the presidency often follows the trend like a bloodbound Clinton has not entered the fray this time around, but the election year is young. As November 1996 draws near, the flag might seem like a small bone to throw to the masses in hopes of huring back centrist party defectors. The fact is, supporting this is tantamount to supporting the erosion of our Constitution.
Instead, Democrats should gain the upper ground now by stressing the importance of the First Amendment to Americans. If they wait, they will be on the defensive yet again, and voters will interpret their efforts as un-American.
Now is the time for First Amendment supporters to wrap themselves in the Constitution, not the flag. They should point out that the flag is a sacred symbol of our freedom of speech. It is that freedom, among others, for which our veterans have sacrificed so much.
To claim to be a patriot while banning the right to symbolically speak and burn our flag can only be described as political gum-flapping at its finest. To purposefully erode what the flag stands for, our freedom, is the ultimate desecration of Old Glory.
Flag burning ban boosts political images, hurts the Constitution
Heather Kirkwood is a Wichita Junior in magazine Journalism.
KANSAN STAFF
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