4A
Monday, March 13, 1995
OPINION
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
VIEWPOINT
THE ISSUE: PROFESSORS' IN-CLASS BIASES
Let students make decisions
It's a situation many students do not want to face: You go to class expecting to take notes on the facts important to the curriculum. Instead, you have to listen to a professor give a sermon pushing his or her beliefs.
Biases taught in the classroom can be a problem.
During Fall 1993, a sociology textbook used by campus instructors at KU said, "A person would have to have the brain of a newt to still be pushing the ameliorative aspects of trickle-down economics for the working class." Whether the students reading the text would agree with that statement, it is not relevant or necessary for students to know the author's opinions on the subject matter.
Instructors who use their classrooms to teach opinions as fact are hurting their students' educations. That time should be used to present the facts. Then students can make decisions on their own.
We are here to determine our own beliefs. However, students can be confused
Students need books and lectures based on fact, not opinion, so they can make their own decisions.
and easily convinced. Instructors who use their class time to influence students on specific political, social or religious issues make it hard for students to decide what to believe.
Students who want to succeed in these classes have a hard time. Knowing their instructors have specific opinions, some students feel they have to express their teacher's opinions instead of their own to perform well on tests or during class.
Instructors are not wrong to express their opinions in class because different beliefs allow them to personalize classes. But opinions must be presented only as opinions and not as facts. Students also should be encouraged to voice their own opinions and feel welcome to share them, even if they differ from the instructor's beliefs.
CRAIG LANG FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD
THE ISSUE: ELIMINATION OF CLASSES
Small classes deserve funds
The University of Kansas is wrong in its proposal to cut financing to classes that fail to attract 12 students per semester.
If this brazen act of academic Darwinism is enacted, it will have far-reaching effects on the University and its students. Larger, more popular classes will gain at the expense of smaller courses.
As a research university, KU is obligated to allow each student to pursue an education in a diverse individual manner. In its mission statement, the Kansas Board of Regents lists five values that guide it and its institutions. Among the values are diversity of institution and availability of program. Needless to say, any attempt to constrict the number and variety of courses available to students runs contrary to these guiding values.
This proposal would be especially harmful to foreign language classes and upper-level science courses, where small class sizes are the norm. It would also give rise to the
The university would not be fulfilling its mission to the students if it axed classes with fewer than 12 students.
unsavory notion of professors recruiting students to make the 12-student requirement.
This proposal is ironic considering most universities are apt to tout small class size. KU claims a 15.7-to-1 students to faculty ratio.
Any policy that serves to limits students' choices in the guise of cost cutting is wrong. One shouldn't have to consider if a chosen field of study is popular enough to warrant pursuing a degree.
The University of Kansas says in its Statement of Institutional Mission, "The University is committed to offering the highest quality undergraduate, professional and graduate programs comparable to the best obtainable anywhere in the nation." The future of this proposal will show us how willing the University is to honor its commitment.
WILLIAM KENEALY FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD
KANSAN STAFF
Jeff MacNelly / CHICAGO TRIBUNE
'Nontrad' not easily defined carries negative connotation
Hi My name is Nicolas, and I'm a nontraditional student. (This is the part where you all respond with a resounding "Hi, Nicolas!" Very nice. Nothing like a little audience participation, huh?) Well, being a nontraditional student has not made me quite ready for a 12-step program, but sometimes I feel that way. How would it make you feel to be called "nontraditional?" It makes me feel somehow less than human. I thought this was the era of positive reinforcement. A nontraditional student? What the hell is that?
I have put some real thought into this issue. It may seem frivolous to get upset about this, but I think that language often is more powerful than we are willing to admit. What people call themselves or what others call them is an integral part of their identity. If you still are not convinced, imagine all the derogatory racial epithets that you have at your disposal. And then think of the terms that ethnic groups choose to call themselves. What separates a wetback from a Latino or a nigger from an African-American? Attitude, that's what.
So what is the attitude behind a term like "nontraditional" student? By whose standards are we considered nontraditional? What elements make up the definition of a nontraditional student? Is it just age; is it marital status; is it parenthood or is there some other arbitrary distinction?
Editors
So what must we do? I have no definitive solution. All that I can ask is that we reconsider the whole concept of nontraditional students. And this would include not only the circumstances of the nontraditional student but also the name, I believe that my desire to learn makes me as traditional as any other student. To paraphrase o'll Bill Shakespeare, whose own education was definitely nontraditional, "I am nontrad. Hath not a nontrad eyes? ... If you prick us, we do not bleed? ... If you tickle us, we do not laugh?"
Nicolas Shump is a Lawrence senior in comparative literature.
JENNIFER PERRIER
Business manager
MARK MASTRO
Retail sales manager
JAY STEINER
Sales and marketing adviser
Business Staff
Maybe the fact that I live in Stouffer Place is enough to qualify me for nontraditional status. Perhaps this explains why the powers that be at Student Housing have decided to eliminate an onsite office at Stouffer Place. I doubt that similar action would be taken at one of the residence halls, which are just crawling with traditional students. Maybe by calling us nontraditional students, the University can justify its shameful lack of adequate child care on campus. But as a nontraditional student, I refuse to be ignored. The reality is that nontraditional students are here to stay.
STEPHEN MARTINO
However, it is not only the administration who is reluctant to accept the phenomenon of the nontrad. It has been my experience and the experience of fellow nontraditional students that some professors are less than sympathetic to our situations. Many of us are parents who sometimes are forced to miss class when our children are sick. We have no choice since most of our child care providers simply will not or legally cannot accept children with
Some would argue that the nontraditional student should not receive any preferential treatment but then why should any students receive special treatment? Could we not carry this line of reasoning to the plight of students with disabilities? Are they not nontraditional students in a sense, too? Or what about those students who are allowed to miss class or exams for religious reasons? Is this not a nontraditional reason for missing class?
even a slight illness. Thus, our grades suffer because some instructors remain resolutely inflexible. This is not to imply that all professors are unyielding. In fact, I have some professors who have young children themselves.
"SOMETIME A FIVE-DAY WEEK IS JUST OUT OF HAND. BY THURSDAY, THERE'S JUST TOO MUCH STRESS. AND YOU NEED TO GO OUT."
"HE WAS AN ANCHOR. HE KNEW THIS PLACE LIKE THE BACK OF HIS HAND." Wayne Pearse, Kansas Union building engineer, about Gary Salva, 43-year-old custodial supervisor at the Union, who died March 7.
News ... Carlo Tejada
Planning ... Mark Martin
Editorial ... Matt Gowen
Associate Editorial ... Heather Lawrenz
Campus ... David Wilson
Colleen McCain
Sports ... Gerry Fey
Associate Sports ... Ashley Miller
Jennifer Latthee
Associate Photo ... Kurtza
Features ... Nathan Olean
Design ... Brian James
Freelance ... Susan White
Campus mgr ... Beth Poth
Regional mgr ... Chris Branman
National mgr ... Shelly Falvite
Coop mgr ... Kelly Connelya
Special Sections mgr ... Brigg Bloomquist
Production mgrs ... JJ Cook
Kim Hyman
Marketing director ... Mindy Blum
Promotions director ... Justin Frosolone
Creative director ... Dan Gier
Classified mgr ... Lisa Kulesth
STEPHEN MARTINO
Editor
DENISE NEIL
Managing editor
TOM EBLEN
General manager, news adviser
CATHERINE ELLSWORTH
Technology coordinator
—Colin Topper, Overland Park sophomore, on the tendency of many students to avoid Friday classes.
"ALL IT TOOK WAS THREE GUYS, A LOT OF LIQUOR AND A LITTLE INITIATIVE." --Matt Uhart, former KU student, after Lawrence police recovered almost $1,400 worth of stolen street and traffic signs from his apartment.
"I COULDN'T HAVE WRITTEN IT ANY BETTER."
—Greg Gurley, Jayhawks senior forward, after he scored 13 points and the team took the regular season Big Eight conference title March 6.
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
STAFF COLUMNIST
"THEY GOT A SHOT OF ME WAKING UP IN THE MORNING. I DIDN'T LOOK VERY GOOD."
—Cory Taves, Hutchinson freshman, on being filmed for a television pilot episode.
—compiled by Kansan staff the week of March 6
MIXED MEDIA
By Jack Ohman
Bisexual people must deal with prejudice from straights, gays
While there's better understanding of homosexual and bisexual people than there once was, stereotypes and misconceptions still are widespread.
I think bisexuals face even more of this because we hear it not only from straight people but from gays
STAFF COLUMNIST
and lesbians as well.
To a homophobe, a queer is a queer. When I'm doing something publicly for LesBiGayS of Kansas, the people who glare at me, make obscene gestures or call me a dyke aren't particularly concerned with my bisexual
identity. Obnoxious remarks, such as "Can I watch sometime?" from clueless men aren't any less offensive to me than to lesbians. When a bisexual person is queer-bashed, he or she doesn't interrupt the attacker to say, "Hit me on the left side only, please — I'm bisexual!"
As in infuriating as prejudice can be from straight people, I sometimes find biphonia in a gay and lesbian community even more frustrating. Mention of bisexual people often is excluded in queer publications, and many organizations still refuse to acknowledge our existence. I sometimes feel invisible to the very community to which I belong. Even this paper often refers to lesbians and gays when it really means all queer people.
"You're trying to be acceptable to straight people."
From exclusion to outright hostility, it's clear that sometimes homosexuals can be as judgmental as the homophobes they decry. Here are some things I've heard:
"I don't want to date a bisexual woman because one of them once dumped me for a man."
I'm sure Fred Phelps doesn't find me any more palatable than he finds gays or lesbians. When more moron tries to run me off the road because of my queer bumperstickers, I doubt telling him his bisexual would make him apologize.
So, if a lesbian's girlfriend leaves her for another woman, will she stop dating other lesbians? Bisexual people aren't any less or more capable of monogamy than anyone else.
"Now that you're divorced I guess you'll be coming all the way out."
I didn't think I could be much more out than I already am! This implies that I'm going to start identifying as lesbian.
A related comment is, "You're just confused."
Some people do identify as bisexual while in a period of transition or while not yet comfortable with calling themselves gay or lesbian. However, bisexuality is a separate, valid sexual orientation for many people for their entire lives, just like homosexuality and heterosexuality. Frankly, if anything could have turned me off of men permanently, my marriage would have. It didn't. I'm certain of my bisexuality. For someone to call me confused or a fence-sitter, or for someone, in any other way, to deny me my right to identify myself is both insulting and patronizing.
Here's the best way I can think of to explain it; I find myself attracted to people, not genders. What sex someone is doesn't matter. His or her personality and intelligence do matter. In other words, I fall in love on the basis of what's between someone's ears, not what's between his or her legs.
Luckily, biphobic attitudes are fading as more dialogue about bisexuality opens up.
LesBiGayS OK has become accepting of bisexuals since changing its name to include us two years ago. Bl-onic, a political and social group for bisexual people, had its first meeting last month and looks like it will be a fun and active organization. During LesBiGayA awareness Week, April 2-8, bisexual activist and author Lani Ka'ahumanu will be visiting KU.
If you've ever wondered what bisexuals are all about, I encourage you to come to her lecture and workshops.
Everyone is welcome—even those of you who are monosexual.
Chris Hampton is a Lawrence graduate student in higher education.