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Thursday, January 21, 1988 / University Daily Kansan
Opinion
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Athletes should not expect easier academic standards
College is a place where students can expect remedial coursework to make up for what they should have done in high school or junior college.
Well, it would be if basketball coach Larry Brown had his way. That way he wouldn't have to worry if his junior college transfers could not handle college work.
But whose fault is it?
It is no surprise that Brown is unhappy with the faculty after Marvin Branch was ruled ineligible. It is more of a surprise that a player who has spent three years at a junior college could not pass the eight hours of classes necessary to keep him eligible.
Brown blames the faculty and academic system at KU. He says that KU does not have a curriculum that gives students "who don't have a normal background" a chance to be successful.
KU is not a remedial learning institution. It is an institution of higher learning. If recruiters are not telling that to potential student-athletes, then the recruitment programs should be reworked.
Most student-athletes at KU are academically successful. They balance classes and practices, and many even make honor roll. But that is ignored when one ill-prepared student- athlete does not make the grade.
The Athletic Department provides academic support to the student-athletes who need it. If that support isn't adequate, then the fault lies with the Athletic Department and not with the faculty and academic program.
If the support is adequate, then perhaps that athlete should not be at KU. Large four-year universities often are not for everyone, especially universities with the academic challenge of KU.
Coach Brown should stick with what he knows best — coaching the basketball team. He also should consider recruiting players who are interested in a challenging education as well as playing for a challenging basketball program.
Jody Dickson for the editorial board
KU helps tarnish TV news
The recently released movie "Broadcast News" shows some unsavvy elements of television news, and a decision made by KU's School of Journalism has further tarnished the business' reputation.
Beginning in the fall, broadcast news majors will no longer be required to take Reporting I, the most fundamental class for any journalist. This decision was a mistake, and many journalism professors were opposed to it.
The first contact with reporting that broadcast news majors will have will be in a class called Broadcast News I. Although the description of this course mentions "reporting," it goes on to say that the emphasis is on audio tape recording, video camera shooting in the field and video editing. Reporting is clearly a secondary concern.
Broadcast majors then will move on to courses that offer "advanced study of reporting, writing and editing." How can so-called journalists practice advanced reporting without first learning the basics of interviewing, news writing and news judgment? They can't.
Broadcast majors argue that the skills in Reporting I do not apply to their professions. But good writing is good writing, and fundamental reporting skills are necessary whether a story appears in print or is read on the air.
By dropping the Reporting I requirement, the radio-TV sequence of the School of Journalism has reinforced the notion that broadcast news is mostly hairspray and makeup. Without basic reporting skills, broadcast news will become all style and no substance.
Alan Player for the editorial board
Editorials in this column are the opinions of the editorial board.
Other Voices
In a letter to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Betty Simon of Canton, Ga. wrote:
A news item in your paper stated that the University of Kansas Student Senate president was going to prevent the spread of AIDS.
If the university students don't know what they're causing AIDS and can't buy their own condoms, don't you think they are too young to be away from it?
News staff
Allison 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 Messermissman ... Production manager
Greg Knipp ... National manager
Kris Schohorn ... Traffic manager
Jannie Brown ... Classified manager
Jeanne Hines ... Sales and marketing adviser
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Parallels exist between U.S., Israel
Treatment of Palestinians is similar to actions against American Indians
"Will the meeting come to order?" said the chairman of the United Nations Security Council subcommittee on miscellaneous issues.
"Let the record show that we have convened to review a petition submitted by the Friends of the Native Americans to condemn the United States of America in N.A.A. is being represented by Mr. Snabb."
"I know this is a little late," Mr. Smith said. "But after hearing that the U.S. joined in the condemnation of Israel's handling of the Palestinian question, we'd like to see the UN pass a retroactive resolution condemning the U.S. for its handling of Native Americans."
The committee chairman suppressed a yawn. "This is highly irregular; it has been over one hundred years."
"We are aware of that, Mr. Chairman, but we believe that the U.S. occupation of our land was illegal and that excessive force was used to suppress our demonstrations of displeasure."
"I see that there are some parallels between the Palestinians and the Indians... live ammunition was used in both cases."
Smith said, "Not only that, but we tried to come to peaceful agreement with the white man on
"Do you have oil?" the chairman asked
"OK?" Smith said.
"Yes, oil — high grade, Texas crude, Arabian gold — oil?"
"Not really. Mr. Chairman."
"How about friends with oil?" the chairman went on.
"A good point, Mr. Smith, but also a naive one,"
'No sir, I don't think so.'
"Well, Mr. Arrow Smith, between you and me, that's where I think your problem began: You and your people lacked leverage."
"But all of the land belonged to us. Why would we need oil or friends with oil if we were morally
Van
Jenerette
Staff Columnist
the chairman said. "Right is used as an argument to support a position taken on behalf of a person who has political or economic leverage. The way I read your petition, the American Indians didn't have either."
"But the occupation of our lands was clearly illegal under international law, wasn't it?" implored Smith.
The chairman picked up the petition and used it as a fan while he spoke. "Mr. Smith, it think's only fair to point out that it is the opinion of this committee that the tactics used by the American Indians in opposition to the occupation of their territory was flawed."
"Flawed tactics?" Smith asked.
"The records showed that your person signed numerous treaties with the white man, correct?"
"And if I read this properly, you promised to live alongside the white man in peace, as brothers, for as long as the rivers ran with water," the chairman said.
"That's correct, Mr. Chairman, but nearly
what was broken was the ink did war. "Smith said.
"Tactics, Mr. Smith, tactics," the chairman repeated impatiently. "The PLO never signed one treaty with and swears to deny the Jews the right to exist — for as long as the rivers run with
"But we wanted to live in peace. Is that so wrong?"
"Look where that position got you and your people. Mr. Smith," the chairman said. "Your
tactics were flawed."
"Mr. Chairman, we fought long and hard against occupation."
The chairman stopped him in mid-sentence. "Excuse me, but that brings up another tactical error on the Native Americans' part. You Indians always tried to keep your women and children out of the way during battles with the soldiers, correct?"
"Well, if you had been watching the news from the Gaza Strip or the West Bank you would have noticed that the Palestinians have put their women and children in the front ranks, face to face with the Israeli army — good tactics."
"We are not sure where all of them are, but we know that many Palestinian men have decided that it would be better if they used machine guns and grenades on unarmed tourists at the airports and on old men in wheelchairs on cruise ships," the chairman said. "They leave rocks and bottles for their women and children to use in fighting Israeli soldiers."
Smith looked confused. "That seems a little backward to me. Mr. Chairman."
"But very effective for prime time news, Mr. Smith. Very effective."
"So it's a lost cause then?"
The chairman stood up. "I'm very sorry, but I don't see how a United Nations mandate can undo Manifest Destiny. Besides, if no one wanted the four Palestinians that Israel deported, who do you think would want to make a homeland for 240 million non-Native Americans?"
"I suppose that we're stuck with them, then?" Smith said closing his briefcase.
"Bingo," the chair replied over his shoulder as he left the room. "Bingo, Mr. Smith."
Van Jeneteris is a Lawrence graduate student majoring in journalism.
Drop classes early
Alan Player's editorial in the Jan. 15 University Daily Kansan concerning the University Senate Executive Committee add-drop proposal reaffirms my conviction that there is a Burger King philosophy operating for a good number of students at KU; they want it their way.
Player seems to use "class choices" as a euphemism for "teacher choices," but nowhere in his article does he suggest an equal opportunity for instructors to have two weeks to make "students choices" for those they feel don't belong in their classes.
Player presents, as we might expect, only the students' view; he does not flip the coin to examine the situation from the teachers' perspective, nor does he get down to the hamburger issue of students who see add-drop as a period to "shop" for teachers who they will feel
be easy graders, or entertaining, or ignore attendance, or not assign homework, etc. If college is supposed to prepare young adults for the real world, one of the lessons must be that you don't always get what you want, when you want it, the way you want it.
Missing two weeks of class for post-enrollment sales is not a good way to start a semester, and it sends a message that pre-enrollment is not working, or it is taken seriously, apparently, by at least a portion of the student population. If students have been properly advised as to the courses they need in a given semester, and have been able to pre-enroll in those classes, then drop-add should only be necessary as a means of adjusting schedules to reflect unforeseen changes such as employee furloughing, adding classes that are not available during pre-enrollment, re-enrolling in prerequisite classes they failed, or temporary physical impairment (i.e., a broken leg) and a one week drop-add period should take care of that.
Do students achieve some kind of high by standing in line at Strong Hall once, twice, three times or more to rearrange their schedules, meanwhile missing classes they do plan to attend — eventually? Or does this deranged
behavior merely reflect the "Sledge Hammer!" mentality of politicians, bureaucrats, game show hosts and TV commercials they are exposed to? Isn't a class schedule thoughtfully established during pre-enrollment preferable?
Teachers have every right to expect classes to begin with a stable population on the first day of school.
Until the state provides adequate funding to hire (and pay well) enough teachers, build additional classrooms and offer a suitable number of courses, we're all eating hamburgers without the extras. Departments and professional schools, by the way, might consider "P" coding certain classes required for their majors and issuing Special Permission/ Approval Cards to insure these enrollments.
One last observation: we have been appalled at the rudeness and outrageous demands of many students our department has encountered this semester. We do not respond positively to "gimmees," "I wants" or "I got haves." Maybe a little "special sauce" of courtesy, patience and understanding is an extra we could stir up right here on campus.
Barbara M. Paris Administrative Officer I Department of English
BLOOM COUNTY
by Berke Breathed