OPINION
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
7A
TUESDAY, MARCH 25, 2008
GUEST COLUMN
University silent about $18M from Defense Dept.
Editor's note: This is an open letter to Chancellor Robert Hemenway submitted by a member of KU Watch.
Chancellor Hemenway,
As passionate and committed KU students, we are inspired that this university commits to preparing us to be more socially aware in a complex world. We, however, are concerned to hear of KU's lack of transparency in crucial issues. For example, there is direct investment in activities actively supporting the military's now five-yearlong presence in Iraq.
From the limited information we've been able to obtain, it seems KU's support comes in two main forms: sponsored research and direct partnerships. KU researchers expended over $18 million of Department of Defense funding between fiscal years 2002-2006. In September, KU announced a joint partnership with Fort Leavenworth.
We are deeply concerned that KU is helping develop military technology and that KU classrooms will be utilized to train United States Army officers in strategies used to kill in the Middle East.
During the Vietnam War, it was students who demanded that their universities, government and military be more transparent about their decisions. Today, amidst what we and most feel is another unjust war, we know real change can only come from asking the most difficult questions. If those being asked the questions are willing to answer transparently, real change can be achieved.
Students can learn more about KU's institutional ties by visiting kuwatch.org or contacting info@kuwatch.org about how to get involved.
Sincerely, Greg Hill On behalf of KU Watch, a student organization promoting institutional transparency
COMMENTARY
Tyler Doehring
Musicians distract voters
I have this hideous image in my head of a shirtless Dick Cheney on stage shedding a Fender Stratcaster as he prepares to take a stage dive. Luckily, no one will have to endure the weight and nightmares an event like this would provoke.
With primary numbers being reported like baseball scores, people are losing sight of what matters and are treating the elections like a red carpet event.
Artists are stepping out from behind the stage to directly endorse presidential candidates. Although music has taken to playing watchdog for our government, I fear the line between provocative art and political promotion is blurring.
Musicians are invaluable to politics, but their endorsements doesn't say a word about why an artist likes a candidate.
The protest song has been a part of American music since the '60s when Bob Dylan forged his career writing songs such as "Subterranean Homesick Blues" and "Hurricane" that criticized the faults and follies of American life and government, but I've never heard of him coming out on stage wearing an LBJ button or shouting campaign slogans.
Musicians play a vital role in the political process because they serve a group of people that may be desensitized to the political jargon that gets regurgitated in every speech, debate and Fox news report that graces our television sets nightly.
The ability to lead the public is not something to be taken lightly, especially when the group they are "preaching" to have the power to sway the election.
When artists like Wayne Cote of The Flaming Lips pose next to Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama wearing a booster button and rocking two thumbs
up, how will diehard Lips fans react? Could some uninformed fan out there go to the polls and vote Obama simply because his idol "told him to"?
Considering the power that celebrities have in this country, this is not far fetched.
At an Arcade Fire show, front man Win Butler spoke directly to his fans and endorsed Obama.
To the growing number of young people who have become disillusioned with politics, these actions may weigh heavy on their choice for president.
This month's Rolling Stone features Obama in a pose that's fit for a deity next to the glowing caption, "A New Hope."
Such a powerful image on a magazine as widely read and circulated as Rolling Stone can have a widespread influence.
That could be dangerous, especially when so many people won't know why Rolling Stone is supporting Obama. Some may not even bother to read the words inside to actually learn something about the man they want running their country the next four years.
Music has always had a certain quality that can cut through the blur of polysyllabic words spilling from the mouths of politicians and transforming them into that ever-eluding truth that we are all searching for.
Whether it be through the angst-ridden revolutionary tunes of Rage Against the Machine or the winding poetic ramblings of Mr. Zimmerman, musicians make us think about the issues and how we are going to solve them.
Just like crafting an opinion from the cover of a magazine, an endorsement only tells us what we should like, not why.
An artist hopping on a campaign bandwagon (no pun intended) will do nothing but distract fans from these issues instead of turning their minds.
It skews the issues and makes us forget that when a candidate is in office, it's his or her policies that matter, not how many tour bushes boast their bumper stickers.
Lerman is a Highland Park, Ill., sophomore in journalism.
COMMENTARY
Scholarships neglect ordinary college applicants
Being amazing isn't enough to earn scholarships.
Scholarships discriminate backwards. They assume because I'm white and middle-class, I've had it easy my whole life and should automatically be able to pull thousands out of my pocket. They assume I must be some ghetto-fabulous sugar mama from the rich bitch side of da hood.
Unless you are a three-time-hyphenated ethnic orphan living in a cardboard box, it seems that you
have the same chance of getting a scholarship as you do finding a parking spot at the University.
Both nationally and locally, any high school senior can find financial aid. You get scholarships like the Underwater Basket Weaver of the Year Scholarship, which you were rewarded because you were highly qualified. And by highly qualified I mean the only underwater basket weaver in your school.
After high school, scholarships, like leprechauns or talented people on "American Idol," are rare. Most scholarships apply only for your first year in college.
Wait, that's a lie. You might actually find a parking spot, even if it's at 3 a.m. and on West Campus.
That's dandy, but what about that sophomore, junior, senior and victory lap year?
cific grades, mostly freshmen and juniors. What if you're a junior by year but have enough credit hours to be a senior? Can you still apply? How can you argue with your ARTS form (besides beating it upside the head with a hammer, that is, if you can generate the bloody thing online in less than five days)?
Once you figure out what grade you're in, you have to figure out your major (as of this week). Most scholarships are limited to certain fields. Or people in certain fields of specific circumstances, like women in engineering, who are considered minorities.
Many scholarships are for spe-
Once you get through these qualifications, it leaves you eligible for two or three scholarships. But you compete against all the other generic students on campus for these scholarships or against the whole country for national scholarships.
The chance you will get any of these scholarships is so small you begin to wonder if it's worth it to print your ARTS form, write a personal statement, write a statement of need, get an official transcript, find 50 references and fill out a form of other information like your full name (I. M. Poor).
What if you are a hard-working, middle-class student who, regardless of what your FAFSA form thinks, cannot chalk up $20,000 a year for college? How do you get across that you are just as worthy of scholarships as minorities?
For example, I'm a hard-working student - I drink Mountain Dew and eat my weight in Asian food daily.
leadership, and you volunteer. Your GPA is higher than your blood-alcohol level (depending on the day of the week).
Also, you're passionate about your major. You want to succeed. You want an education to help you maintain your dream job. Scholarships help make this possible.
Most of you are the same way. You work hard both at your studies and your jobs. You have positions of
We're all in the same boat, whether that boat is the Titanic or a dinghy, and we're all heading in the same direction. We all need fuel to get there. Who is to decide who is more worthy of financial aid?
I just realized I used the word "bloody" in this column. I wonder if I'm qualified for more scholarships because I'm now part British.
Hartz is a Stilwell junior in creative writing.
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