Opinion The University Daily Kansan
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MONDAY, AUGUST 30. 2010
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FREE FOR ALL
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--the recent U.S. News & World Report college rankings of public universities, the University is right in taking steps towards improving the low graduation and retention rates, which played a role in the slight decrease in rank.
--the recent U.S. News & World Report college rankings of public universities, the University is right in taking steps towards improving the low graduation and retention rates, which played a role in the slight decrease in rank.
One of my coworkers said,
"Don't go toward the light."
I heard, "Dumbledore's still alive," and told her she was in
I am so hungover.
--the recent U.S. News & World Report college rankings of public universities, the University is right in taking steps towards improving the low graduation and retention rates, which played a role in the slight decrease in rank.
Best news of the day: The hot chick at the funeral was NOT related to me ... Thank God.
--the recent U.S. News & World Report college rankings of public universities, the University is right in taking steps towards improving the low graduation and retention rates, which played a role in the slight decrease in rank.
We may have a problem that even Dr. Phil can't solve.
--the recent U.S. News & World Report college rankings of public universities, the University is right in taking steps towards improving the low graduation and retention rates, which played a role in the slight decrease in rank.
Until I got my new job, I'd never listen to Ke$ha, or Justin Bieber, or heard "Party In The USA" Now I hear them constantly. Vomitorium.
Ke$ha is the trashiest girl I want to hook up with.
I notice all you girls noticing my beer belly. This doesn't happen over night, it takes years of dedicated sculpting.
--the recent U.S. News & World Report college rankings of public universities, the University is right in taking steps towards improving the low graduation and retention rates, which played a role in the slight decrease in rank.
Somehow Facebook knows I smoke weed by posting an ad that says "Let's be blunt; you own your body."
--the recent U.S. News & World Report college rankings of public universities, the University is right in taking steps towards improving the low graduation and retention rates, which played a role in the slight decrease in rank.
Do people really wait til 5 o'clock to start drinking in real life?
--the recent U.S. News & World Report college rankings of public universities, the University is right in taking steps towards improving the low graduation and retention rates, which played a role in the slight decrease in rank.
Expensive tequila only makes the mistakes more expensive.
--the recent U.S. News & World Report college rankings of public universities, the University is right in taking steps towards improving the low graduation and retention rates, which played a role in the slight decrease in rank.
What's the protocol on eating an arrested person's sandwich?
--the recent U.S. News & World Report college rankings of public universities, the University is right in taking steps towards improving the low graduation and retention rates, which played a role in the slight decrease in rank.
To the boy in that one class:
I'm afraid to talk to you. Please
talk to me first.
--the recent U.S. News & World Report college rankings of public universities, the University is right in taking steps towards improving the low graduation and retention rates, which played a role in the slight decrease in rank.
It would have been irresponsible not to make cleaning the apartment into a drinking game.
--the recent U.S. News & World Report college rankings of public universities, the University is right in taking steps towards improving the low graduation and retention rates, which played a role in the slight decrease in rank.
Just witnessed a walk of shame by a guy in a half-gorilla suit. It's going to be a good day.
12 13
Why can't crushes be easier?
I'm having a hard time accepting that you don't like me even a little bit.
--the recent U.S. News & World Report college rankings of public universities, the University is right in taking steps towards improving the low graduation and retention rates, which played a role in the slight decrease in rank.
Pants on the Ground is the theme song of my life.
--the recent U.S. News & World Report college rankings of public universities, the University is right in taking steps towards improving the low graduation and retention rates, which played a role in the slight decrease in rank.
So I was just driving high and I stopped to let a pinecone cross the road because I thought it was a hedgehog.
You belong to meeeeee!
--the recent U.S. News & World Report college rankings of public universities, the University is right in taking steps towards improving the low graduation and retention rates, which played a role in the slight decrease in rank.
--the recent U.S. News & World Report college rankings of public universities, the University is right in taking steps towards improving the low graduation and retention rates, which played a role in the slight decrease in rank.
EDITORIAL BOARD
Focus on graduation and retention welcome
With the minor dip that the University of Kansas took in
In the best national university, both private and public category, KU was once 96, but fell to 104 this year. As a result of the graduation and retention rates being 61 percent and 80 percent, a task force was formed by Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little to help in reducing these low percentages.
While Lynn Bretz, director of University Communications, has previously said that the University can be pleased with its standing in the top colleges for study abroad programs and its overall representation of Kansas in the top 50 public universities, the task force that was put together is evidence that the University believes, and rightfully so, that there is still much to improve on
In an effort to help carry out changes, the Chancellor appointed Christopher Haufler, a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, to act as a special assistant to the provost. High up on the to-do list was improving the falling
retention rates because in 2008 the percentage of students returning after freshman year fell to 78 percent, which is the lowest rate KU has had since 1997. One of the most shocking statistics was KU I ranked below the Big 12
focus include updating general education requirements, such as requiring fewer graduation credits, establishing higher admission standards, which means taking steps to lowering the 91 percent acceptance rate of applicants and
average, with only 32 percent of students graduating in four years and 61 percent graduating in six years. With these numbers being so concerning, the question is now what will be done about it. Fortunately, the task force will be implementing a very useful tool.
What are your ideas for improving graduation and retention rates?
Contact:
Provost Jeffrey Vitter
(785) 864-4904
jsv@ku.edu
Or
warning system that will allow freshman students to get an assessment from instructors or advisors even earlier in the semester. According to Kathryn Nemeth Tuttle, associate vice provost for student success and task force member, Blackboard could potentially help enforce this new system.
EDITORIAL CARTOON
Write a letter to the editor at kansanopdesk@gmail. com
The task force's other areas of
and retention rates are the most important and the task force recognizes that. The goals that they have set thus far are commendable and if the focus remains on keeping students in school and on track to graduation, KU will continue to be recognized for its efforts.
increasing student engagement by forming programs for undergraduates who wish to participate in research projects. The areas that the task force and the chancellor are focusing on are a significant step in the right direction. Improving graduation
Stefanie Penn for The Kansan Editorial Board
KIA Waltzing Candle
KIA Waltzing Candle
NICK SAMBALUK
SEXUALITY
HIV discussion should be based in facts, not rumors
Most people who know a thing or two about the Human
M know a thing or two about the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) are aware that it affects everyone. But it is also one that disproportionately affects gay men (the rectal wall has fewer cells than the vaginal wall and tears easier, causing more frequent bleeding, if you must know). And the people who carry the virus should not be persecuted for being victims, which is particularly an issue among college-aged gay men
People love to gossip, whether it is about who's dating whom or who's just broken
The problem here isn't the disclosure of someone's personal business; it's the way the disclosure took place. Aside from the obvious trouble that a bar or club is not an appropriate venue to discuss medical conditions, doing so
in a way which makes that person feel like a monster is rude, making him uncomfortable, lonely and resistant to tell anyone.
Walking through the beat-blasting pathways of, oh say, a local Lawrence bar on a lovely Wednesday evening, it's not uncommon to catch a whiff of the hottest new hearsay on the patio, such as, "You know he has HIV, right?" or "I wouldn't sleep with that person if I were you," as if to warn a bar-hopping acquaintance against socializing with some gay succubus.
BY JAMES CASTLE
jcastle@kansan.com
Separating HIV fact from fiction
up or whose white blood cells are slowly being destroyed by an infective agent—seriously?
It only takes one time to become infected. Most people are sexually active, and the transmission of the virus from one person to the next happens by chance. The people who oppress others who are living with HIV, directly or indirectly, are not only parading their ignorance, but they are also taking a step back from reaching the constructive social dialogue that would allow positive people to disclose their status without the fear of being marginalized, which will help prevent the spread of the virus.
inherit or acquire against their will, HIV is mostly spread through sex. And not just any sex but, mostly, sex without a condom. An infected person must be having constant, random sex with strangers, right? Wrong.
Here are some facts about HIV according to the Centers for Disease Control:
You cannot get HIV through:
- Kissing. Although there is HIV present in saliva, urine and feces, the viral load is so low as to make the chance of infection very remote.
You cannot get HIV through:
- Blood splashes. Infected blood, semen or vagina fluid splashing on the skin is not infectious. Skin is the body's strongest protector against HIV, and oxygen kills the virus within hours.
- Ways to protect partners against HIV during or after risky sex;
- Wear a condom. A rubber barrier is the most likely way to prevent blood and vaginal fluid from getting inside the urethra (for penetrating partners) or semen from entering the blood stream through the vaginal or rectal wall (for receptive partners).
- Treatment. There is no cure for HIV. However, a preventative treatment is available if it is taken within no more than seventy-two hours after an exposure to the virus. People who know or think they may have been exposed should seek emergency care immediately and ask about postexposure HIV prophylactic medication. This treatment is not 100 percent effective.
James Castle is a junior from Stilwell majoring in political science.
FASHION
New semester,new looks take chances to make changes
The start of a new school year means students have many opportunities for
change. If students aren't happy with their major, it's the perfect time to switch. Don't like your friends? It's a great time to make some new ones. Don't like your job? Well, those are still hard to find in Lawrence, but it's still a good time for a fresh start.
The beginning of the semester also gives students an opportunity to reinvent themselves, but with spending hard earned summer savings on apartment accessories, textbooks and other back to school essentials, spare cash can be scarce.
Updating your image doesn't necessarily mean buying an entirely new wardrobe. A change in personal style can be achieved by buying one or two new pieces that can affect your overall look, and these pieces can usually be found for under $20.
Change Your Hairstyle
Believe it or not, doing something as simple as getting a haircut can transform the way a person looks. When using your hair to update your look, go with radical differences, so the change is noticeable. For example, if your hair has always been long, cut off as much as you need to donate to Locks for Love, which should leave you with a fun short style. The middle part is making a comeback, so if you're sick of your bangs, now is the time to grow them out. If cutting your hair is too much of a change for you, dying it is another way to update your appearance. If you have fair skin, try dying it a lighter color, and if you have darker skin go with a darker shade. Remember to choose a color within the fall color palette such as a dark, honey blonde deep red-orange or chestnut brown.
Change Your Face
The Hemline
Changing the way people
BY ALEX ESPOSITO
see you doesn't require going to great lengths like getting plastic surgery; it can easily be done by altering the way people see your eyes, by switching to glasses or contacts. If you've worn glasses your entire life, stop covering up your face and switch to contacts. Still attached to glasses? Try a new pair of frames in a different color or shape. This year, large framed tortoiseshell glasses are in. Even if you don't have poor eyesight, you can still sport fun glasses. Attitude glasses, glasses with clear, nonprescription lenses, are sold at stores like Claire's and Urban Outfitters for around $10.
Time to get rid of that ratty, old backpack and upgrade to a mature briefcase or laptop bag. A smart, sophisticated leather satchel is the perfect bag for fall, and will give your style a professional, urbane edge. A caramel colored leather shoulder bag, complimented by hunter green or deep orange wool detailing makes the perfect autumn carryall. Leather purses and backpacks are also a stylish way to tote your stuff around campus. The right purse or laptop case can be the finishing touch to pull your outfit together. When you carry your books in something chic, you're sure to look and feel ready for that A+. To get a great deal on any leather apparel, try a secondhand or vintage shop for some gently used, affordably priced pieces.
Change Your Bag
Esposito is a junior from Leawood in journalism and film.
film
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Mr. Katz's article on the need for tighter gun restrictions is rife with logical fallacies.
Second, Britain's population is much smaller than the U.S., and therefore it's no surprise that America has more gun-related deaths. However, even though the per-capita rate of gun deaths is higher in the U.S. than in Britain, Britain had a far lower rate of gun-violence before the 1997 gun ban (this is quite true, especially since, before the gun ban, London had less than three gun-related deaths per month).
Combat violent crime by making guns more available
If lack of gun-control laws is the cause of more gun-related deaths, then why do Switzerland and Israel — which have no gun-control laws (individuals being capable of purchasing fully-automatic weapons, which are illegal in the U.S.) — have the lowest rates of rape, violent
First, if someone's irrational enough to commit a violent act with a gun, he's going to do it regardless of federal gun laws. After all, criminals who illegally own firearms do so all the time.
crime and gun-related crime in the first world? Going by Mr. Katz's logic, we could lower crime by eliminating all gun-control laws, like Switzerland and Israel.
However, the main issue I have with the article is that Mr. Katz infers that politicians have the moral authority to trounce individual rights (and the Bill of Rights, too). No one has the right to arbitrarily dictate individual rights, especially rights enumerated in the Constitution.
Furthermore, when one looks at U.S. crime demographics, he'll notice that most areas rife with violent crime have very restrictive gun-control laws (e.g., Washington D.C., Memphis, Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles — all of these cities have Democratic mayors, by the way).
Thomas Raborg is a senior from Hazlet, N.J., in cellular biology
The last thing free citizens want is a police-state where only government officials, the police and criminals have firearms.
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CONTACT US
Alex Garrison, editor 864-4810 or agarrison@kansan.com
Nick Gerik, managing editor
864 4230
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864-4924 or jshorman@jaskans.com
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THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Members of the Kansan Editorial Board are Alex Gannon, Nick Gerik, Erin Brown, David Cawthon, Jonathan Shorman and Shauna Blackman.