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COMMENTARY: March Madness not just for the NCAA tournament.The National Invitation Tournament shouldn't be overlooked.
THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2007 WWW.KANSAN.COM
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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
OPINION
PAGE 5A
》 OUR VIEW
Take responsibility in self, government
If you could, just for a moment, detach yourself from the political and electoral implications of the Department of Justice firings scandal — admittedly difficult, given its titillating subplots of subpoenas, transcripts, and charges of "political theater" — try to consider the manner in which Alberto Gonzalez entered this fray. The Attorney General's original press conference, oddly delivered standing sans podium in the manner of a fourth grade book report, included his acceptance of "full responsibility" for the firings and their ensuing consequences.
Impressive. no? Full responsibility! At last, here was a public servant willing to stop passing the buck! Amateur semanticists and advocates of clean government everywhere gave a small cheer, only to be crushed moments later with Gonzalez's laundry list of caveats; that he had no knowledge, that he was not privy to any discussion, that this was all news to him, etc., etc. Essentially, that despite his assumption of "full responsibility," he had nothing to do with this and no action would be taken.
The Gonzales bait and switch is just the latest example in the disturbing erosion of personal responsibility among both average citizens and, more disappointingly, public officials. The concept and meaning of "taking responsibility" have been rendered moot by case after case of meaningless utterances of such.
Donald Rumsfeld became notorious for it. President Bush
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Trotting out the old bromide of "accepting responsibility" endangers not just the future of the term, but also our concept of responsibility itself. As the personal kind fades away, an attitude of entitlement and privilege will take its place, placing a heavy burden on the already constrained welfare state. Let us take responsibility for ourselves and our own actions, and hope that trend spreads to government and public life.
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Mt. Sunflower is the highest point in Kansas, and it sucks ass.
It's become a meaningless phrase because we have allowed it to become so, by not demanding the action of responsibility after the claiming of responsibility. When our teams coach or country's Attorney General accepts responsibility, we should expect and deserve to see significant changes in the resulting policy, be it through a different starting lineup or a less blatantly political way of removing U.S. attorneys.
increasingly uses the phrase when discussing the war, but no substantive policy changes or admissions of error follow. It has become a staple of every post game press conference in the sports world, with coaches or star players taking responsibility for a loss. Sportswriters and fans smile and nod, grateful that their anger and disappointment can now be attached to a face, and that this reluctant acceptance of responsibility will clearly result in... what, exactly?
along with that. Thanks.
I'm a white guy and I have spinning tires. However, my rims are a different story.
McKay Stangler for the editorial board.
I was really sad when Spring Break was over, but I got really happy when Tad's opened, and they have really cute girls that
Slob on my knob like corn on the
Free for All, I'm a delivery driver, and I'm tired of getting stiffed when I get to campus. Could you tell everybody that they should tip their delivery drivers, because we have to pay for gas, and college, and everything that goes
COB
Trim your bush, KU. I can't even walk on the sidewalk!
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United Students, here to help... ourselves.
Free for All, I just wanted to say the fucking Wheel is the greatest pizza in the world.
I just had a dream about tree diseases.
diseases
Free for All, can you send text messages? Because I'm a text-messaging whore, and I love getting text messages. Text me. Free for All! Text me!
I just want everyone to know that I am pissed that the Underground no longer has Waffle Wednesdays. Free for All, since your the reigning power at KU, could you tell them to bring it back?
Budig 120 smells like poop.
Hey Free for All, what's the difference between a Douglas County girl and a Johnson County girl? A Douglas County girl wears fake lounges, but real ones
help the situation, but listening and offering to get professional help can. After hearing these simple steps I feel like I can't only better protect myself from rape and sexual violence but I can offer help to others. There's something reassuring and powerful about hearing these things from guys who look and act like my classmates and my own guy friends. That's the beauty of One in Four, it's just college student to college student.
Free for All, why won't my toilet flush?
help the situation, but listening and offering to get professional help can. After hearing these simple steps I feel like I can't only better protect myself from rape and sexual violence but I can offer help to others. There's something reassuring and powerful about hearing these things from guys who look and act like my classmates and my own guy friends. That's the beauty of One in Four, it's just college student to college student.
Grant Snider/KANSAN
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Students aim to prevent sexual assault
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>> COMMENTARY
》 TALK TO US
Identifying problems is easy. But coming up with solutions is much harder and that's why I am constantly amazed by the work of the group One in Four. The group is named after the frightening statistic that one in four women is raped or sexually assaulted before she graduates from college. The group consists of men who are recent college graduates who travel to college campuses to educate students about prevention and therapy through speeches and videos. There are also local chapters, including the University of Kansas', that do work on a local level. We can make rape and sexual assault less of a problem at the University by learning from the activities of One in Four.
Jennifer Weaver, sales and marketing adviser
864-7666 or iweaver@kansan.com
Statistically sexual assault and rape are huge problems within our society. There are many groups and programs in Lawrence working to fix this problem, but until One in Four, there was a gap in the way it was being handled.
College students respond better when addressed by other college students or recent graduates. This peer education style allows us to understand, discuss and learn about rape
BY LIZ STUEWE
BY LIZ STEWEU
KANSAN COLUMNIST
OPINION@KANSAN.COM
"But Air Force isn't in the Final Four," you say? Oh, but they are. They are semifinalists in the National Invitation Tournament, the basketball connoisseur's tournament of choice.
I was amazed by the power of One in Four's message and the hope it contained. The organization empowers, both male and female, college students to take responsibility and action. By teaching this in such a way that doesn't blame all men for the disgusting actions of a very, very small number of men and women. One in Four is teaching tolerance and understanding.
I was about to win my office basketball pool. All I needed was Air Force to win and the 75-cent payday was as good as mine!
One in Four addresses men not as part of the problem, but as a positive part of the solution. This message is more powerful and better received on campuses. Blaming an entire gender for the terrible actions of very few makes no sense, and only compounds the trauma brought to victims. I've heard a lot of people, from professors to students, address rape and sexual assault as if all men at the University are part of the problem. This just isn't true. Almost all men can be or already are part of the solution.
By using the tools of nonviolence and listening taught by the organization we can all help put an end to sexual assault and violence both here and in our nation as a whole.
The NCAA Tournament is billed as "March Madness," but how much skill does it take to pick whether a 16-seed will lose the opening round? This year's Elite Eight featured four number one seeds, three 2-seeds, and one "upset" 3-seed. Across America, office betting pools have been destroyed by the basketball-ignorant participant who just picked the higher seed to win each game.
Stuewe is a Junior in political science and American studies.
and sexual assault in an environment hat is familiar and comfortable.
One in Four gives students practical advice, such as don't respond to a friend's claim of sexual assault with more violence. Beating up the person who hurt your friend won't
Lower stakes and greater accessibility abound in NIT
COMMENTARY
The NIT, though, is harder. There's no superstar program playing a glorified high school squad here. Each of the 32 teams is just about equal, each having been a close contender for the final few spots in the NCAA tournament.
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Participating in an NIT pool also broadens my awareness of the world. Before filing out this year's bracket, I had no idea there was a school called Marist College. Now I know it's in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. My next order of business is finding out where exactly Poughkeepsie, N.Y. is.
I realize that participating in an NIT pool might seem like a sure sign of a gambling addiction. Rest assured, these are low stakes. Two participants, each supplied fifty cents. We only incorporated money to make it seem more legitimate. I don't think that's as much as a cry for help as, say, betting my paycheck on the outcome of Groundhog Day.
Air Force lost the semifinal game, leaving me tied with my coworker. I was so confident that I already had plans for spending my money. I was going to buy an eighth of a pound of Swedish Fish, and then eat them in front of my coworkers, basking in my glory.
BY BRANDON MINSTER
With broader parity comes more
KANSAN COLUMNIST
ORINIONI@KANSAN.COM
The NIT format, where all games until the semifinals are played at the higher seed's home court, makes for greater fan accessibility. Playing in front of passionate fans in a packed arena will always make for better basketball than playing in a half-empty football stadium. If colleges have sports teams to benefit the students, why is student access to the NCAA games so limited? How many KU students had the time and money to travel to Chicago and San Jose this year?
frequent upsets. The guy in the NIT pool with me chose Oklahoma State to win the entire tournament. They lost in the opening round. How often does that type of drama strike the NCAA tournament?
Minster is a Lawrence junior in economics.
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>> COMMENTARY
GUEST COLUMN GUIDELINES
As a culture, Americans are very xenophobic. People who buy foreign cars are "Un-American" and forget mentioning that you listen to a foreign music artist, or watch foreign movies. We grow up believing we're the best. It's shoved down our throats in grade school and even in high school and all the nastier facts and blunders are hidden behind rose-colored glasses. We've got a high standard of living, a good economy, and individual rights that some people only dream of having in their countries. But Americans need to realize that we are far from perfect.
Our world is becoming increasingly more connected. We, as Americans, need to pull our metaphorical heads out of our behinds and realize that the world cannot and will not conform to our standards.
Adapt to global changing world
According to Eurydice.org, at least half of all students in the majority of Europe start learning a language in grade school. Some start earlier. Many of those countries require students to start a third language, if only for a year. In Luxembourg, nearly 80 percent of all students learn two foreign languages. English is the most common language taught to European children.
I've been studying French for five years now. It wasn't until recently that I've felt that I've learned anything, and I know why.
To them I say this: The University of Kansas offers more than 30 different language programs. I find it difficult to believe that someone has never wanted to learn another language. Pick one. Studying a foreign language has proved to not only deepen your understanding of your native tongue, but also lead to larger salaries in the job market. The benefits of learning a foreign language outweigh the minor inconveniences.
The most difficult part is over coming the notion that English is superior to every other language. Forget that English is your native tongue, and you will learn.
I'm well aware that some majors have a language requirement and not all students want to learn a foreign language. Their goal is not to master it, but to pass the classes so they can graduate.
And here in America, we feel that since our European counterparts are learning our language, we aren't obligated to learn theirs. Typically, foreign language courses aren't introduced until high school, and according to Actifl.org, only 43.8 percent of high school students were enrolled in a foreign language in 2000. The number is increasing, but it is still not good enough. Studies have proved that it is easier to gain command of a language when it is introduced at a younger age. Of the 19 states that reported data to the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, only 5 percent of K-6th graders were enrolled in foreign language courses.
We tend to believe English is simple. Very rarely do we stop to look at the complexities of our own language. We can think of probably three or four ways to say something in English, but why should we both attain the same level of proficiency in another language class?
Melissa Johnson Joliet, Ill. freshman
EDITORIAL BOARD
Gabriella Souza, Nicole Kelley, Patrick Ross, Courtney Hagel Natalie Johnson, Alison Kieler, Tasha Riggins and Mckay Stangler
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