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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
OPINION
the nssas on is out.
FRIDAY, MARCH 31, 2006
WWW.KANSAN.COM
OUR OPINION
Crumbling buildings need attention now
If you see broken windows, missing ceiling tiles or chipped facades on buildings around campus, don't worry, the maintenance department knows. Well, then again, maybe you should worry because they can't do much about it. These problems are called "deferred maintenance projects," and they fill a list that goes on for about 30 pages and chronicles 10 years worth of window, masonry and roof problems.
Then the microburst hit and the University sustained an additional $4 million in damages. In comparison, this fiscal year the University received $4.36 million in repair and rehabilitation funds from the state legislature. To repair a single damaged roof — the University has 42, according to Mark Reiske, associate director of design and construction management — it would cost about $500,000. Normally, that is the amount in the budget that goes specifically toward roof repair each year. Reiske said his department was trying desperately to do temporary repairs on the roofs now. They have had limited success.
Last year, an evaluation conduced by the Board of Regents revealed the six state universities needed $584 million to take care of all the maintenance and repairs. The KU campus in Lawrence alone would require $168.5 million.
"They shouldn't leak if it rains, but that's about it." Reiske said.
Gov. Kathleen Sebelius' request for federal aid for repairs is a step in the right direction. The amount she requested, however, would barely cover a fraction of what is needed, and who knows if we will actually receive any money.
What's worse is the current
Issue: Deferred maintenance projects
In all likelihood, this proposal -- while realistic and necessary -- probably will not be approved because it includes one dreaded word: Taxes. Senators claim right now there is an anti-tax climate, but that is just political jargon for "election year." Essentially, Kansas schools are being told, once again, just wait another year and hope the buildings don't crumble too badly.
situation that the regents and the University are in again with funding from the state legislature. Just last week, the Regents proposed a financial package of a tax increase and bonds to subsidize the accumulated repairs at the six state schools to the State Senate budget committee. The package included a statewide $1 million property tax,$150 million in bonds and an increase in sales taxes ending in 2016.
Stance: Continued postponement is unacceptable.
The deferred maintenance situation is a problem that needs improvement soon — not next year or even a few months, but now. Who knows how long the temporary roof repairs will hold up? As students, we should let the University, regents and state legislature know we do not pay so much money to learn in classrooms with leaky roofs and broken windows. We deserve better.
Malinda Osborne for the editorial board
War on terror should extend to Africa
GUEST COMMENTARY
During the event, we watched a documentary entitled "Invisible Children," which detailed how children in war-torn Uganda must walk for miles every day to distant cities in order to find sanctuary and a safe place to sleep. They do this out of fear of being captured and forced to fight. Most of the children are orphans, their parents killed by the war, the AIDS epidemic, or one of the many other causes of early death in Uganda.
I attended a presentation put on by KU FIGHT and KU Students for Uganda. These groups strive to raise awareness about the grave situations in Sudan, Uganda and other parts of Africa. For the past twenty years, a rebel military group known as the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) has been abducting, torturing and brainwashing children as young as five years old to become trained soldiers, forcing them to fight and kill for a cause they are too young to even understand.
The children gather together by the hundreds, piled on top of each other like so many sacks of grain, with no parents or adults to watch out for them or keep them under control. Without adult supervision, the children are forced to fend for
As I watched the film, I had to continually bite my lips and knuckles to keep from breaking down in tears. These children have done nothing to hurt anyone else. They are innocent.
themselves.
Yet every day of their existence is filled with terror. Constantly looking over their backs, they must deal with the realities of having dead or missing loved ones, all the while wondering if tonight is when they will be conscripted
These children need our help, and the only way we can do that is by pledging our time and our resources to convince our government to intervene. President Bush has declared a war on terrorism, and that is just what these rebels who abduct children are, terrorists.
If you are a traditional KU student, the average age of these children is just about half your age.
Write to your representatives and tell them that you want the situation in Uganda to end. Tell them that you want the children to finally have peace.
Steve Nichols
Overland Park, senior.
Psychology and American
Studies
Best strategy for avoiding pampleteers still unknown
PAGE 5A
Spring is finally here and that means one thing — not being able to walk ten feet on Jayhawk Boulevard without being accosted by someone holding a flyer. These aren't like your normal Wescoe Beach flyer-givers who can easily be dissuaded with a glancing bad look or a quick "no thanks." No, these are a superbreed of flyer-givers who don't know the meaning of no, and who act as if their sole purpose for living has been to talk to you — important you — about the busing situation at the University.
Jonathan Kealing, editor
864-4854 or jkealing@kansan.com
Joshua Bickel, managing editor
864-4854 or jbicke@kansan.com
Nate Karlin, managing editor
864-4854 or nkarlin@kansan.com
Jason Shad, opinion editor
864-4824 or shad@kansan.com
Patrick Ross, associate opinion editor
864-4924 or pros@kansan.com
Sarah Connelly, sales manager
864-4462 or adsales@kansan.com
Art Ben, business manager
884-4462 or adddirector@kansan.com
TALK TO US
Malcolm Gibson, general manager, news advisor
8746-7867 or m8514@kansen.com
COMMENTARY
I am of course referring to the upcoming elections for Student Senate, and the people approaching you — the minions of either Delta Force or Ignite. Pretty much these are hyped up high school student council elections. StuCo on steroids. It's the same people from your high school running again, it's just that there's a lot more of them this time.
Jennifer Weaver, sales and marketing adviser
864-7666 or jweaver@kansan.com
site, they slowly spread from Wesco Beach to Strong Hall and from Strong Hall to Watson Library and so forth. Now they are everywhere. You might have a chance if you walk to class in the middle of the street, though I bet there's some poor sap stationed there now, too. Another method that used to work, but is not always effective now, is wearing the button of one of the groups. This was my method last year, and I was actually approached by people of the opposite party trying to convince me to change my vote. They spent more time talking to me than they would have had I been wearing no button.
Much as abstinence is the only 100-percent effective way to avoid pregnancy, not going to class is the only 100 percent effective way to avoid Delta Force and Ignite. So take a couple of weeks off and wait for this whole thing to blow over. Either that or somehow get The Kansan to run an editorial by you, where you come off as completely shallow and not caring, and have them put your smiling mug next to it.
I'll let you know next year how this one works.
Morris is an Overland Park junior in journalism.
When I was in high school, I was in fact one of them. I ran for president of my class as a sophomore on the misguided dream that I was going to change my school for good and help my fellow man. That dream lasted all of about ten seconds, when at the first meeting the entire time was spent
So that is why this year I, as I have for the past two years, will be picking which party I vote for based on one simple question: Who was the most attractive person that approached me, and which party was she from? Sure, each party supposedly has different views, and trust me, they are more than willing to tell you what these views are. It's just I don't care about these views and ever since Senate failed to get booze into the Jaybowl, I really doubt whether Senate could do something that either the provost or chancellor do not want.
Free All for Call 864-0500
arguing on what the T-shirts should say. The most important thing StuCo accomplished in my two years on it was picking the color of the lights for the school dance. Needless to say, I don't have a very optimistic view of student government.
Free for All callers have 20 seconds to speak about any topic they wish. Kansan editors reserve the right to omit comments. Slanderous and obscene statements will not be printed. Phone numbers of all incoming calls are recorded.
So how do you avoid being confronted by your future senators? It used to be that avoiding Wesco Beach was the answer, but, like a para-
OWEN MORRIS
opinion@kansan.com
The breakfast pizzas that they serve at the Oliver dining center have to be the most orgasmic thing I have ever tasted in
Your prayers have been answered, my friend. Fedex and Kinkos is coming
to the Union. Praise be unto the Jayhawks.
ny m.
图
So I just saw a guy that's wearing a striped button-up shirt under a hot pink polo shirt, rocking the frat tuck, and flip flops. Dude, I think it might be time to just get "Frat" tattooed on
To all the fair-weather fans that bashed on the 'Hawks, how about you transfer to Mizzou, because a true fan would give it up to the Big 12
champs
your forehead
great advertising guys.
We didn't give up our spring breaks. We utilized them, and I think most of us got more back than we could ever give out to.
I find it ironic that as I read the Wednesday, March 29 sports section on page 6, not only do you have an ad for "Become an All Star stripper at All Star Strip Club in Lawrence," the top story reads "Striper claims rape by three Duke athletes." Wow, that's great advertising guys
Chuck Norris is 186 and 1 in one-on-one games. The only person he has ever lost to was Sherron Collins, and he had a hurt
great advertising guys.
great advertising guys.
ankle
KU baseball team, you gotta love these guys.
Hey Sasha Kaun, good job. And I'm not talking about the basketball game
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EDITORIAL BOARD
Jonathan Kealing, Joshua Bickel, Nate Karlin,
Jason Shaad, Patrick Ross, Ty Beaver, John
Jordan, Malinda Oborne
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Lawrence, KS 66045
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For any questions, call Jason Shaad or Patric Ross at 864-4810 or e-mail opinion@kansan.com.
COMMENTARY
MARK VIERTHALER opinion@kansan.com
Give them more than noise; give them music
Recently, The University Daily Kansan has been a forum for indignation concerning noise complaints holding sway over academics. Free-for-All comments have expressed outrage that "the Donkey Incident" may affect their GPA. Columnists have brought down the righteous hand of opinion to shame the powers that be. How can they deny college students the basic right of vomit-soaked carpets and blurry mornings after? Even Delta Force has fired up its lobbying machine to fight University power over off-campus noise, declaring it a key platform issue.
"But, Mark," you may be asking, "If you hold such disdain for these discussions, why are you weighing in? And more importantly, why are you just now talking about it?" And I would say to you: "Because I have writers block, and I don't get paid to be timely. As a matter of fact I don't get paid."
However, I am in full support of the University punishing us for off-campus noise complaints. If people want to be so damn noisy, I say we give them a show. But, let us not blast rap or heavy metal, for these things are old hat. People have come to expect Jay-Z shaking the windows while Greeks make awkward attempts at dancing. The Goth folks, painted in white and blasting The Cure from their Volvos of Death, elicit only a yawn even from the most prudent of noise-o-phobes.
Even the screaming highs and lows of punk evoke images of Hot Topic and angry suburban kids wearing plaid. In essence, people know what to expect from their noise complaints. If the hammer is brought down on us for making noise, it is our duty as the best and the brightest to forge a brand new hedonism.
Who can complain if we're participating in what has been dubbed "high art?"
We need to be noisy, we need to be rowdy, and we need to get into fist fights while Vivaldi blasts from every available speaker. Besides, as my buddy says: "It's what Jesus would have wanted."
"The little heathens are exposing us to the profanity of Handel!"
It's time we shattered the windows with Charles Gounod's Faust. We need to feel the thumping bass of Leos Janácek's Jenufa. It's time we send the message, not only to our landlords, but to the University itself. If you're going to spy on us, that's fine. But, we are going to confuse the hell out of you in the process.
And this leads me to my other idea: Merlot body shots...
junior in journalism.
General questions should be directed to the editor at editor@kansan.com
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