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Monday, April 13, 1987 / University Daily Kansan
Opinions
The Jayhawk Course Source began as an attempt to give students an idea of what to expect from their classes before they were enrolled in them. It would list class requirements, tests and paper formats.
Put Source on course
For the few classes outlined in the Course Source, the information ranges from detailed syllabuses to blurs that offer little more than the listing in the undergraduate catalog.
But, after the recent release of the second issue, the Course Source has turned out to be an ineffective waste of time and money. It was released too late to be of much assistance to anyone and includes information on only 37 classes.
The idea and goals of the Course Source are not flawed, the trouble lies in their execution. The forward to the spring issue explains that it "represents the completion of a year and a half long, ongoing development process." But if this is the best that can be done, either the development process needs to kick into high gear or the project should be scrapped.
If this is to be accomplished, though, the Course Source needs to get information on considerably more than 37 classes. It also needs to be distributed before the enrollment process is well underway.
The Course Source has the potential to be a big help to the students of this University. Students who are aware of what they are walking into before enrolling are less likely to drop out or be surprised by a class.
Don't cheat yourself
If not, it is only a drain on Senate funds that could be put to better use elsewhere.
The education offered at the University of Kansas does not stop when class ends, when all of the homework is completed or even at graduation. The opportunity to learn continues in the lectures, recitals, films and other similar events.
Daniiloff, diplomatic editor for U.S. News & World Report,
In the next two weeks, faculty, staff and students will have three great opportunities to learn about international politics and the inner workings of an author's mind. These opportunities come in the form of lectures by journalist Nicholas Daniloff, author Tom Wolfe and Elliot Abrams, U.S. assistant secretary of state for inter-American affairs.
will speak at 8 tonight in Hoch Auditorium. He gained the world's attention in August 1986 when Soviet officials arrested him on charges of spying and detained him for 30 days.
Wednesday at 8 p.m. in Hoch Auditorium, Wolfe, author of "The Right Stuff" and "The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test." will talk about his writing.
And last but not least, Abrams will speak at 1 p.m. April 21 in the Kansas Union on "Central America: What Are the Alternatives?"
The opportunities are there, available to everyone. Don't cheat yourself by missing them.
Stressing human rights
Pope John Paul II paid a visit to Chile last week, his holy image contrasting greatly with the image of the country's military dictator Augusto Pinochet.
Pinocheth has ruled Chile since he led a successful coup in 1973, toppling elected Marxist President Salvadore Allende. During his reign, he has ruled with an iron hand. His government is facing unquestionable accusations of unjustly imprisoning, torturing and killing thousands of ordinary citizens. Human rights groups around the world have denounced the present regime, describing it as the model of the national-security-state.
The pope's visit was intended to press human rights, which continuously have been violated in Chile by Pinochet's repressive regime. The visit once again turned the eyes of the world to the discontent of the Chilean citizens living under his rule. Hopes that the government would consider opening elections and foresaking violence were renewed.
But the United States government, among others, largely has closed its eyes to these atrocities. In many cases, the government thinks, the iron hand may be more tolerable than the iron curtain of communism. So, Pinochet remains.
Throughout Chile, the pope encountered the turmoil that has resulted from mounting antagonism toward Pinochet's rule. "We want a dignified life without dictatorship" was a familiar plea and indicated that the citizens' understandable frustration with the government soon may make other forms of rule increasingly appealing. The movement toward those forms of government soon may become more violent.
Pope John Paul II urged the Chileans not to indemnify in to injustice, but to avoid being seduced by violence. He also reminded that love was stronger than hate. Perhaps Pinochet, who claims to be an avid Catholic, was listening.
News staff
News staff
Frank Hansel ... Editor
Jennifer Benjamin ... Managing editor
Juli Warren ... News editor
Brian Kaberline ... Editorial editor
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Marike Siebert ... Sports editor
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Bill Skeet ... Graphics editor
Tom Eblen ... General manager, news adviser
Business staff
Lisa Weems ... Business manager
Bonnie Hardy ... Ad director
Denise Stephens ... Retail sales manager
Kelly Scherer ... Camara sales manager
Duncan Calhoun ... Marketing manager
Lori Coplee ... Classified manager
Jennifer Lumianski ... Production manager
David Nixon ... National sales manager
Jeanne Hines ... Sales and marketing adviser
Letters should be typed, double-spaced and fewer than 200 words and should include the writer's name, address and telephone number. If the writer is affiliated with the University, include class and hometown, or faculty or staff position. Letters should be longer than 700.
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State commended for standing ground
Wyoming deserves congratulations. At last, a state legislature has stood up to the bullying of Congress. Wyoming legislators recently refused to raise their state drinking age from 19 to 21. Including Wyoming, there are eight states that have not complied with the federally mandated drinking age of 21.
John Creighton
Guest Shot
Each state has a few restrictions. These states have not complied, despite the fact that they may lose significant amounts of federal highway funds. The highway funds that might be withheld were generated by taxpayers, including the taxpayers from these eight states.
The Wyoming legislature was not willing to sacrifice the human rights of a group of its citizens. This stand, taken by Wyoming, should be a message to the nation's leaders that Wyoming has the courage to defend not only human rights but also state rights. They are doing this even in the face of federal blackmail. Some of the holdout states are feeling the pressure. The Colorado legislature,
for instance, now is considering a bill that would raise the age to 21. Others may follow.
The federal government has a history of mandating legislation upon the states. In recent years, it has forced states to impose a 55 mph speed limit, asked them to implement mandatory seat belt laws and raise the drinking age to 21. Congress recently passed legislation permitting states to raise the speed limit to 65, after overriding a presidential veto.
In all of these examples, federal highway funds are used to blackmail states. Legislatures throughout the country have bowed down to Congress and have done their bidding. Wyoming probably does not have the power to make Congress change its ways, but it is a start. Maybe now, more states will have the courage to stand up and demand that states retain the power to legislate for themselves. If other states do not follow Wyoming's lead, then states' rights may weaken to the point where they do not exist.
Raising the drinking age to 21 is a violation of human rights. In this case, Congress and the states that have passed the legislation have singled out a specific class of citizens and are discriminating against them.
The rationale behind the higher drinking age is highway safety. Young drivers are responsible for the majority of drunk driving accidents in this country.
Drunk driving is a serious problem, and lawmakers should seek a way to protect the public from this hazard. They should address the problem of drunk driving. States should make drunk driving such a serious offense that people of all ages will stop doing it. Young people, just adults, are averse to risk. The risks now are not great enough to keep people from attempting to drive after drinking.
Prohibition imposed on 18 to 20 year-olds is certainly not the answer. Prohibition did not work in the 1920s, and it is not working now. All the higher drinking age has done is to create a greater burden on this country's justice system.
Law enforcement has a larger task. When it does its job and arrests "minors" in possession of alcohol, that only adds to the load of our already overcrowded court system. The offenders are then given only a slight slap on the hand.
The offense of "minor in possession" is also hypocritical. Lawmakers must decide at what age citizens should become adults. Granting partial citizenship at age 18 with all the responsibilities but not all of the benefits is not the proper way to go about it.
the blame for the new drinking age does not lay solely on the shoulders of the lawmakers. People under 21 years of age must accept part of the blame. Politicians faced a large public outcry to do something about drunk driving. Raising the drinking age was an easy, politically popular move. At the same time, legislators knew they would not have to face the wrath of the 18- to 20-year-olds because for the most part, this age group does not vote. Lawmakers need fear removal from office by non-voters. This is a prime example of why the right to vote matters.
There are problems in government. The federally mandated drinking age is one of the worst because it blatantly violates both state and human rights. We, as the country's future leaders, must remember not to make similar mistakes.
Right now, we should all thank Wyoming and the other states that have not yet wilted from federal pressure for giving us hope.
John Creighton. Atwood senior, is majoring in business administration and economics.
H. F. Fullenwider
Mailbox
Advising needed?
After reading Barbara Shear's thoughtless and contrived column,
"Fear of advisers a common phobia" (Kansan, April 9). I am wondering if an advanced math course such as MATH 101 would have saved Nicole Sauzek from awarding Milton a $100,000 scholarship on the sports page of the same issue.
and Sciences adviser
College of Liberal Arts
and Sciences admits
Tasteless editorial
adage. "Let sleeping dogs lie." The April 6 editorial "Playing Russian roulette" poured salt into the wounds of the friends and family of the four KU students who died in the tragic auto accident on March 27.
The Kansan Editorial Board would do well if it would recall the old
Daily speculation in the papers regarding the cause of the accident has brought about enough pain to those who knew the victims without the Kansan making unfounded accusations that the students were driving recklessly and irresponsibly. Although the editorial did not state directly that the students were killed because of their horseplay, it made every attempt to get the reader to draw such a conclusion.
It is amazing that while law officials are unable at this time to
determine the cause of the accident, the Kansan staff is quick to draw conclusions that blame the deceased. If the editors thought they were making an important point concerning the lessons to be learned from this tragedy, the manner in which they chose to do it was both tasteless and thoughtless.
As a close friend of one of the students who died, I sincerely hope that in the future the Kansan will avoid unnecessary cheap shots that serve only to hurt people.
Stacie Marshall Salina freshman
nesta toma stis yyit t
Letter in poor taste
lished a letter to the editor concerning something called National Orgasm Week. Our names, among others, were fraudulently listed as co-authors of that letter. We had no knowledge of this letter until after it was published. The Kansan did not contact us for verification.
Those responsible have apologized to us for what was supposed to be an April Fools' joke. We apologize to our friends and associates at the University of Kansas who thought, as we did, that it was in poor taste.
Monday, April 6, the Kansan pub-
katz
Mike Chapman Lawrence resident
James Strobl Lawrence resident
k. l. thorman
BLOOM COUNTY
by Berke Breathed
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