6
Thursday, March 24, 1988 / University Daily Kansan
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Opinion
Senate missed opportunity to help stop spread of AIDS
What happened to the KU Student Senate, which only two months ago carried the campus banner for AIDS education?
Last night senators had the opportunity to do more than just disseminate information about AIDS. Senators had the opportunity to contribute to that information — and they turned it down, sort of.
The Senate debated for more than three hours a proposal to have KU participate in a nationwide study that would try to gain figures on the number of college students who test positive for AIDS. Twenty participating colleges each will send 1,000 blood samples by January 1989 to the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta.
In keeping with its nature, Senate vacillated between being against and being in favor of participating in the study. After finally voting 22-20 in favor of participating, Senate nullified that action by voting to have a student referendum on the issue during student elections.
The referendum is nothing more than a parliamentary stall tactic that could effectively eliminate the University of Kansas from being considered for the study. The CDC is in the process of choosing 20 colleges. By the time Senate has its referendum April 13 and 14, the colleges already may be chosen.
Charles Yockey, chief of staff at Watkins Hospital, has said that little information is available about students who test positive for AIDS.
By participating in the study, KU can help contribute to the fight against AIDS. Also, KU students and health officials would have better information about the incidence of AIDS in this region, allowing students and others to make more informed decisions about their sexual practices.
Although a referendum is appropriate in some circumstances, this is not one of them. The student body elected senators to make decisions and to represent student views, and that's what Senate should have done last night.
Even though Senate's approval is not needed for KU to participate in the study, Yockey brought the issue to the group. And Yockey has said that Senate should decide the issue.
It's too bad Senate, after making the right decision, made the wrong decision.
Senators help Regents plan
It was Christmas Day for the Regents universities, and the Kansas Senate Ways and Means Committee was Santa Claus.
The Committee voted to give the Regents universities complete funding for the first year of the Margin of Excellence plan — a total of $15,274,679. The budget including this money will now go on to the full Senate.
Everyone is excited. The complete financing plan includes mission-related enhancement as well as increases in faculty salaries.
Judith Ramaley, executive vice chancellor, said KU now would be able to spend money on the libraries, new faculty positions, research and research equipment.
However, it is too early to start counting the dollars. The Senate needs to pass the budget as recommended by the Ways and Means committee. It then would go on to a conference committee of Senate and House members before returning to the full House.
These various bodies need to pass the Margin for the future of Kansas higher education. A step in the right direction has been taken.
Thank you, Senate Ways and Means Committee for that first big step.
lody Dickson for the editorial board
Editorials in this column are the opinions of the editorial board.
The editorial board consists of Alison Young, Todd Cohen, Alan Player, Jody Dickson, Katy Monk, Russell Gray and Van Jenerette.
News staff
Alison Young...Editor
Todd Cohen...Managing editor
Rob Knapp...News editor
Alan Player...Editorial editor
Joseph Rebello...Campus editor
Jennifer Rowland...Planning editor
Anne Luscombe...Sports editor
Stephen Wade...Photo editor
Richard Stewart...Graphics editor
Tom Eblen...General manager, news adviser
Business staff
Kelly Scherer...Business manager
Clark Massad...Retail sales manager
Brad Lenhart...Campus sales manager
Robert Hughes...Marketing manager
Kurt Messersmith...Production manager
Greg Knipp...National manager
Kris Schroero...Traffic manager
Kimberly Coleman...Classified manager
Jennne Hines...Sales and marketing adviser
**Letters** should be typed, double-spaced and less than 200 words and must include the writer's signature, name, address and telephone number. If the writer is affiliated with the University of Kansas, please include class and hometown, or faculty or staff position.
Guest columns should be typed, double-spaced and less than 700 words. The writer will be photographed.
The Kansas reserves the right to reject or edit letters and guest columns. They can be mailed or brought to the Kansas newsroom. 111 Stauffer/Fint Hall.
Can be mailed to a through the Letters, guest columns and columns are the opinion of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of the University Daily Kansan. Editorials are the opinion of the Kansan editorial board.
The University Daily Kansan (USPS 60-40) is published at the University of Kansas, 118 Stairwater Flint Hall, Lawrence, Kan. 60405, daily during the regular school year, excluding Saturday, Sunday, holidays and finals periods, and Wednesday during the summer session. Second-class postage is paid in Lawrence, Kan. 60444. Annual subscriptions by mail are $50. Student subscriptions are $3 and are paid through the student activity fee.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the University Daily Kansan, 118 Staurier-Flint Hill, Lawrence, Kan. 66045.
"HEY, WHATTAYOU CRAZY?! YOU CAN SPREAD AIDS WITH THESE THINGS!"
Ah, for a merry chase
I could hear the hounds in the background as I pulled on my custom-made calfskin boots for the last fox hunt of the season. As usual, I was running late, so I was dressing in the ladies' room of 'the' stable. The chilly morning air kept me moving at a fast clip, and I fumbled the first try of trying my stock tie.
"Right over left and under; left over right and under." I muttered.
"Pardon?" said the trim, elegant lady standing next to me. In moments like this, when speed counts, fox hunters aren't fussy about sharing a makeshift dressing room.
"Uh, nothing." I replied, while trying to fasten my stock pin without performing an impromptu tracheotomy. "Nothing, ma'am," I couldn't help adding. Sensitivity is everything in a hunt, and she had the edge on me in that respect.
After the stock tie, Lottom the canary vest and then the black wool coat with the green collar, which shows that I am a member of the Fort Leavenworth Hunt Club. I buttoned the brass buttons that were engraved with the initials of the club.
Not everybody who hunts with a club has the collar and buttons and, in the men's case, the scarlet coat. You have to earn those by being a dedicated member for a year or so.
But such things were far from my mind at the moment. I had just discovered to my dismay that I had forgotten to bring a hairnet. Horrors! A sloppy appearance, especially at closing hunt, is, in theory, enough to disgrace a hunting lady for years.
In practice, I'd bet that it would take a lot more than straggly hair to cause a scandal in our hunt club. Our scandals are more likely to go like this: Mr. A divorces Mrs. A to marry Mrs. B, and Mrs. B's husband departes for Ms. C. Such scandals only last a year or so, though; and in due time, everybody hunts more or less happily alongside, for example, dear ex-hubby's new pregnant wife. In light of this, I decided. I wouldn't worry about the hairst.
In a few minutes, I was astride my well-groomed horse and riding up to the 100 or so hunters who, at this moment, were observing the blessing of the hounds by a minister.
The minister finished blessing the hounds. I imagine he was bestowing an additional private blessing on them, because this year they had decided not to amount his robes. Last year, in deference to his status as a man of the cloth, we had restrained ourselves admirably when Arthur, one of the hounds, used the good minister's leg in lieu of a tree during the blessing. The minister, a good-natured and endlessly patient soul, had merely shaken his leg discreetly and gone on blessing the thankless creatures.
I couldn't hear the minister, who was undoubtedly calling upon St. Hubert, patron saint of fox hunts, for a merry chase, so I took the opportunity to check out the other fox hunters. Most of them I recognized; a few were new.
The huntsman blew his horn, the hounds gathered around him and we moved off as the last hunt of the season got under way.
There is a strict order followed in fox hunts concerning who gets to ride at front, back and in between. Traditionally, gentlemen with scarlet coats ride at front and are required to
Katy Monk Staff Columnist
stay behind only the field master, who is one of the masters of the fox hunt.
Behind those gentlemen ride ladies with the hunt colors on their collars, then men in black coats, followed by ladies with plain collars and finally, children.
So off we went, riding dazzling clean horses, our boots blacked and polished, our coats fresh from the dry cleaners. In pictures, it's always an impressive sight: the horses, the hounds and the scarlet and black coats on the well-turned out riders look marvelous against the background of newly budding woods and fields.
I always imagine the scene the way I think a non-fox hunter would picture it:
"Cornelia!" he cries, and kisses her on her blushing cheek. (Another real trick: synchronizing two galloping horses so the kiss intended for Cornelia's blushing cheek doesn't end up planted in her ear.)
The dashing gentleman on the fiery bay steed gallops up to the huntsman's daughter, a willow beauty who sits on a horse with the grace of an equistrian goddess. The gentleman, whose name is properly gallant, something like Bentley von Carnegie-Marsh, whips off his hunt cap and executes a deep bob, which is quite a trick from the back of a horse.
It's a good time all around. The horses really seem to enjoy getting out and galloping around in the crisismorning air.
The hounds have a ball in their own happy-go-lucky way, tongues lolling out of their endlessly smiling mouths.
And the foxes?
"Darling, you look lovely," he says. "Don't tell my wife, but I simply can't imagine anyone sitting a horse as charmingly as you. And what a lovely day for a merry chase, what? The hounds have their blood up for friend Reynard, the wily rascal. But tally ho! The fox!" And off he rides.
We really don't take ourselves too seriously. We're just a group of horse folks having a good time by enjoying a day in the country with our friends and our horses. And maybe, if we're lucky, we'll see a fox.
And the foxes.
I saw a fox once while we were hunting. He was loping along easily about a quarter mile ahead of the horse, who were baying up a storm and running full speed ahead. The fox seemed to know he was outdistancing them; and once or twice, he looked around and slowed to a trot, almost as if he knew he was giving us the excitement of the season and wanted to let us enjoy it. That fox didn't look too worried.
In reality, the only thing that rings true in this little scene is the compliment preceded by "Don't tell my wife."
I think he knew he was sarc.
Katy Monk is an Atchison junior majoring in journalism and a member of the Kansan editorial board.
PLAIN BANANAS by Tim Solinger
A lone voice in Florida
PI AIN BANANAS 5y Tim Solinger
Superconductivity scientists having power lunch
Letters to the editor should be less than 200 words and must include the writer's signature, name, address and telephone number. If the writer is affiliated with the University of Kansas, the writer's class and hometown or faculty or staff position will be included.
Guest columns should be less than 700 words. The writer will be photographed.
K·A·N·S·A·N
MAILBOX
The Kansan reserves the right to edit submissions for accuracy, libel and space. The Kansan reserves the right to reject or edit letters and guest columns. Not every letter or guest column must be printed.
Letters, guest columns and columns are the opinion of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of the University Daily Kansan. Editorialists are the opinion of the Kansan editorial board.
BLOOM COUNTY
by Berke Breathed
1
---