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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
OPINION
T B
F L
S H
O .
NSED
I, D
specialist
4M
WWW.KANSAN.COM
OUR OPINION
WEDNESDAY, MAY 10, 2006
7870
A few words of wisdom for those remaining
Only two more days of class remain, then a week of finals. After that, the seniors will walk down the Campanile Hill into Memorial Stadium to usher in the next part of their lives. They'll be bombarded with the advice of family and friends as they head into the world to start their careers.
But what about the other Jayhawks? You know, the ones who will return in the fall to continue their studies and college experiences? Is there no advice for them about how to enjoy their remaining days at the University? We at the editorial board have taken it upon ourselves to communicate these few words of wisdom to those returning to campus in the fall: Seek to do things you've never done before you graduate.
Go for a swim in the Chi Omega fountain, call the Freefor-All or go sledding on the Hill when class has been cancelled because of snow and ice. Take that HSES class so you can get in the physical shape you've always wanted to be in, or join an intramural team. On the weekends, go to a random house party and do a keeg stand if you feel the urge. Visit North Lawrence and revel in its difference from the rest of town.
Issue: Things to do before graduation
Stance: Take time out to experience what it means to be a Jayhawk before it's too late.
Visit Clinton Lake and the numerous other parks that dot the area.
Take a nap while studying for this semester's and future finals in Watson Library. Go to a concert or independent film at Liberty Hall. Visit a bar you regularly wouldn't and see what it's like. Live in the Oread neighborhood just east of campus and see if it holds up to its reputation.
The key is to do something different and exciting. Don't limit yourself to this list. Be creative and come up with your own challenges to work on before you also walk down the Hill.
This is your last chance to have a little fun before coming a responsible adult with a day job and 401(k). Take advantage of that.
Ty Beaver for the editorial board
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ness."
You should institute a meal called "Chris and Andre's Midnight Meal Mad-
I'd like to report an incident of abuse. My friend just dropped a bunk bed on his girlfriend.
Dear Student Rec Center
umpires:Thanks for screwing
us over. From:You know who.
Can't sleep, clowns will eat me.
The only way to survive the mumps is an intravenous
injection of Jack Bowers' blood.
To the two blondes who rollerblade on campus every day; You're hot but I hope your brakes fall out and you
trip.
I'm disappointed in you Richard Friesen. I wanted to see you go for three days.
To the guy who's bragging about getting his stuff in the Free-for-All. You're an idiot and I hate you.
and I hate
where.
One of the landscapes out in front of Wescoe is showing some serious crack.
Well, evidently when you rollerblade you walk backward down the steps.
where.
So my friend and I are wondering why the Greyhound bus station in Lawrence is in a gas station. We've decided this is just another reason you shouldn't take a Greyhound bus any
out bovine growth hormone or pesticide-free apples.
STUDIO THE AUGUSTACHRONICLE S/16
Healthy foods are pricier but well worth the expenditure
COMMENTARY
BECCA EVANHOE
opinion@kansan.com
When I walk into a grocery with $20 to buy a week's worth of food, I tend to buy whatever's cheapest. Near-expired, marked-down ground beef? Check. No-brand-name milk? Check. Green bananas for 39 cents a pound? Check.
There's no way I can afford to buy fresh, organic lettuces or free-range beef raised without bovine growth hormone or apples.
We've all been to organic grocery stores, and we all know that prices can be double or even triple what you see at Checkers.
So why the higher price? First, most organic farms aren't subsidized by the government. Your average stockyard receives money from the government, which keeps their prices down. Organic farms don't have that luxury. Second, more money goes into the care of the animals, and oftentimes more human labor.
So smaller farms have higher costs of production, which means their prices must be higher to compensate.
Third, the farms tend to be smaller. A basic economics class will teach you that the more of something you produce, the lower the cost of production becomes.
So, what benefit do you get from organic food that you don't from so-called ordinary food? There's no scientific evidence that organic foods have more vitamins or nutritional value than non-organic food.
In recent years, scientists are finding these chemicals everywhere — stored in fat in the
The biggest pro-organic argument isn't about what you get, it's about what don't get. All of the pesticides and growth hormones and preservatives and ripening chemicals put on fruits and vegetables are not present in organic food.
human body or in breastmilk;
in rivers, lakes and oceans and
in their sands and sediments;
Most die-hard, pro-organic supporters say that these chemicals can cause cancer, hormonal imbalances and a weakened immune system, for starters. Skeptics can say that scientists are much better at proving that the chemicals
are in and around our bodies than they are at proving that they're harmful, and they'd be right.
It's easy to figure out how much of a certain pesticide a person could eat before he or she died from poisoning, but it's much harder to tell what effects minute amounts have over long periods of time.
Have cancer rates been going up? Yes. Is it due to all of the chemicals that have found their way into our bodies? Not as clear. Most scientists would answer a hesitant "probably." The trouble is, there are so MANY chemicals supposedly at work in our bodies that scientists can't tell exactly what harmful effects any given one has.
When I graduate and make a million dollars a year -ha ha- I think I will buy organic foods, but for different reasons than those listed above.
Supporting local, organic growers is important to me, for starters. But organic food seems to taste better, fresher and riper. And I think there's value in going to the Farmer's Market or an organic grocery store to buy vegetables without plastic packaging, or beef that I know has grown up around where I have. It's simply more appealing.
Plus, it's a safe bet — in case all of these hesitant scientists are right.
Evanhoe is a Derby senior in Chemistry.
Cultural differences less one-sided than would seem
COMMENTARY
Spain's ruling PSOE (Partido Socialista Obrera Español — Spain's left of center party) headed by José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero is far superior to the Republican Party and President Bush. Besides the obvious incompetence of the current Bush administration, the Zapatero government has accomplished two major equal rights achievements.
After spending a semester in Madrid, Spain I have come to the conclusion that some things are better here while others are better in the United States. This is by no means exhaustive, scientific, nor without bias or possible ethnocentric preconceptions.
First, Spain completely legalized gay marriage nearly a year ago. In contrast, Bush has continually advocated amending the constitution to ban gay marriage. Secondly, Zapatero has deliberately created a cabinet equally represented by both gender, including a female vice-president. Bush's cabinet has only four women in a cabinet of 16.
Spain does not achieve equal rights for all, though. Innumerable places are not wheelchair accessible, nor have I ever seen a handicap parking spot. On this note, the Americans with Disabilities Act is tremendously successful in providing access to public buildings for
virtually every American.
Unrelated to the ruling government, the legal drinking age in Madrid is 18 — like most of Europe. There is no reason the drinking age should be 21 in the United States. Finally while the United States tries to take away marijuana from those in pain and dying of AIDS and cancer, Spain is much more relaxed. According to drupoly.org, the consumption and home growth of marijuana is legal, while the selling and trafficking of it is criminalized.
In general, partying in Spain is an all-night experience, where it is not unusual to stay out until 6 or 7 in the morning, though going
out does not usually start until midnight or 1 a.m. While it can be fun to stay out all night, and we have all experienced the night cut short by the bar closing at 2 a.m., the next day is basically slept away.
The United States trumps Spain in customer service, though. In Spain, it seems the general wisdom is the customer is always wrong. While, this might save Spanish laborers in the service industry from the extremely whiny customer, it means that service sucks in Spain. On Saturday, I went to a fairly posh restaurant with a friend and we waited twice as long for a table as they told us we would. After promptly placing
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our order, we wait at least 25 minutes for our drinks to arrive. Our waiter truly forgot about us.
I am obviously not addressing a host of other issues where either the Spanish way or the American way is better, but have attempted to highlight the issues I think are most pertinent to my life as a student. That said, I have extended my stay in Madrid, through the summer, because despite its flaws, España es muy bueno.
Ryan Kusmin is a Leawood junior in political science. He is studying aborad in Madrid, Spain this semester.
Wal-Mart provides lower prices
Pegged as the "Evil Retail Giant," Wal-Mart is bashed by every group from Christian activists to the UFCW. Wal-Mart's image is blasted daily by a barrage of complaints: Low pay, no benefits for employees and the death of locally owned businesses.
Many locally owned stores and specialty shops have gone under when Wal-Mart has entered their market. Is this bad for the community? Wal-Mart's strategic approach is grounded in the idea that providing consumers with a wide range of goods at rock-bottom prices benefits everyone. Its existence embodies the capitalist model. All companies fight for customers: Best Buy vs. Ricks, Sunflower vs. Backwoods, and Myers Retail Liquor vs. Cork & Barrel. If a company can't beat its competitor on price it certainly needs to be prepared to beat them on service. Change in the business environment is pervasive and must be managed proactively. These locally owned businesses do not go out of business because Wal-Mart comes to town. Rather, they go under because they fail to change their own approach to doing business. Wal-Mart's existence in a community creates more jobs and allows families to expend much less of their limited income on necessary goods. With the creation of more jobs comes more income for citizens of a community like Lawrence. With more money in their pockets from Wal-Mart both directly — wages — and indirectly — low prices — they can help the local economy grow beyond what it would have otherwise.
it is clear that Wal-Mart is in business to make money, much like Francis Sporting Goods, The Home Depot, and Hy-Vee. They are continually surveying the business landscape to find new ways of generating income. The bottom line is that these companies provide value to customers. There is a tangible benefit to having a Wal-Mart in your community. Embrace the fact that you can get almost everything you need in one place at a low price. So when you decide to go to Wal-Mart for a $3 jar of pickles, seven packages of Oreos, and a $5 DVD you can smile while you thumb through all that extra cash and say, "Wow, it was worth it."
Brandon Hodges Hot Springs, Ark., Senior
TALK TO US
Jonathan Kealing, editor
884-4854 or jkealing@kansan.com
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
These arguments are unfounded. Wal-Mart pays a national average wage of nearly $10 per hour. They provide wages to unskilled employees at more than 47 percent of the federal minimum wage. Additionally, CEO Lee Scott has been pushing Congress to raise the minimum wage for the past three quarters of a year. A second fallacy in the continuing debate about Wal-Mart is its failure to provide health care coverage. Today we live in an economy that strains the purchasing power of low- to middle-income households. With health care costs on the rise, it is difficult for many families to afford quality health insurance. Wal-Mart addresses this challenge by providing a wide range of health care options. Wal-Mart employees may choose from more than half a dozen plans with premiums about $30 per week.
Joshua Bickel, managing editor
884-4854 or jbickel@kansan.com
Nato Karlin, managing editor
884-4854 or nkartlin@kansan.com
Jason Shaad, opinion editor
864-4924 or jshaed@kansan.com
Patrick Ross, associate opinion editor
864-4924 or proxs@kansan.com
Arl Ben, business manager
884-4462 or adddirector@kansan.com
Sarah Connelly, sales manager
864-4462 or adsales@kansan.com
Melom Gilbon, general manager news adviser
8746-7887 or mbolon@kanan.com
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Jennifer Weaver, sales and marketing adviser
864-7666 or jweaver@kansan.com
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EDITORIAL BOARD
Also: The Kansan will not print guest columns that attack a reporter or another columnist.
Jonathan Kealing, Joshua Bickel, Nate Karlin,
Jason Shaad, Patrick Ross,Ty Beaver, John
Odson, Malinda Jordan
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