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COMMENTARY: Gardasil, a vaccine for HPV, can prevent cervical cancer and genital warts. It should be a Kansas school requirement.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2007 WWW.KANSAN.COM
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
OPINION
PAGE 7A
》 OUR VIEW
Executive branch takes power too far
With the most recent clash between Congress and the Bush administration, this time over the military escalation in Iraq, the suddenly warring branches may be headed for a titanic clash. The six-year consolidation of powers by the administration could be reaching a watershed moment, and the result could set constitutional parameters for generations to come.
The administration has never been known for its warm embrace of restrictions on power, and has at times taken an almost Manichean view of its rival branch. Under President Bush's authority, the executive has resorted to legally questionable signing statements, bypassing relevant wiretap courts, and increased sway at federal agencies to reduce or even negate Congressional influence. But the showdown about the authority to control wartime decisions is an especially significant subject of dispute.
The Constitution makes it quite clear that the president is the "commander in chief" of the armed forces, a fact not lost on Vice President Dick Cheney, who recently asserted that the escalation would proceed regardless of Congressional opinion. His comments came in the face of increasingly bipartisan opposition to the move and in the wake of exploration by Congress of its own options for stopping the action.
But what Cheney et al are forgetting, or perhaps ignoring, is that Congress is not irrelevant in military
matters. The Constitution expressly gives them the power to declare war and to "raise and support armies," powers that would seem to imply a level of involvement beyond the scope defined by the White House. Some in Congress have voiced support for spending and personnel caps in Iraq. But Cheney's comments seem to indicate a contemptuous disregard for any action from the Capitol, especially in light of the continual expansion of the "commander in chief" moniker. The designation has evolved culturally to connote the near-infallibility of the nation's leader, creating a panel presidency.
After throwing off the reins of a repressive monarchy, America's founders created a heretofore unseen system of checks and balances; three branches, nearly equal in power, each with the ability to curb the others' actions. For too many years, the executive branch has amassed greater powers and relegated the legislative and judicial branches to symbolic obscurity, a development that threatens the basic structure of what many worldwide consider to be the ne plus ultra of governmental systems. The Bush administration must drop its wholly indignant view of all things legislative, and must allow greater Congressional input.
McKay Stangler for the editorial board
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Ugg boots. There.
Remember when Chuck Norris was in the Free-for-All like, every single week? Well, Chuck Norris wears
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There's a penguin in my Bio 152 class
I just saw a penguin walk out of Wescoe, and it kinda freaked me
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To the guy in the penguin costume today on campus: Thanks for touching me inappropriately.
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The only way a girl can make Ugg boots look good is if she's naked.
I'm pretty sure I just saw a guy hanging out the back of a Jeep, puking on the corner of campus Yeah, it's a Wednesday afternoon
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Dear KU Recycling: You do not do your recycling at the Allen Fieldhouse. We throw away a lot of recyclable materials that are put in
the recycle bins.
To the girl who left the message to the guy on crutches: I saw your picture in the dictionary, under the word "corny." (Editor's note: It was, in fact, a male who left the message about the "trooper" on crutches.)
Watching Roy Williams coach another team is like watching your girlfriend have sex with another
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COMMENTARY
Kansas should require HPV vaccine
Female students in Kansas may have another shot to take; a vaccine for human papillomavirus (HPV) called Gardasil. The Kansas House of Representatives recently presented a bill that would require all females to be vaccinated against HPV before age 9 if they attended a Kansas public school. Licensed in June 2006 by the FDA, Gardasil protects females from four strands of HPV; strands six, 11, 16 and 18. Strands 16 and 18 cause 70 percent of all cervical cancer; six and 11 cause 90 percent of genital warts.
BY KAITLYN SYRING
Gardasil could be a miracle tool to decrease the risk of cervical cancer. But not everyone feels this way.
HPV is sexually transmitted, spread by genital or skin-to-skin contact. Many parents are opposed to a vaccine requirement in schools because they believe it will encourage promiscuity. However, as with many vaccination requirements, parents are allowed to prevent their children from receiving the vaccine. Other complaints about the vaccine have to do with cost. The round of
BY KATLEIN SYRING
KANSAN COLUMNIST
OPINASON@KANSAN.COM
three shots throughout six months is $360, a price some parents can't afford.
The cost for a woman to be vaccinated is high, but the risk a woman has of getting cervical cancer is high too. According to the FDA, cervical cancer kills 3,700 women in the United States each year. Scientists have found a way to lower that number, and that is extraordinary.
Sure, parents don't want to worry about their children having sex before marriage. They don't want to worry about vaccinating them for STDs. But children might have sex, so it's important to protect them.
The FDA recommends that all females age 11 to 26 be vaccinated
against HPV. The vaccine is more effective if administered before a female become sexually active, so 9 is a fine age.
It's still an age when any mention of the word "sex" results in hand-covered giggles. The mandatory vaccination is a way to protect females throughout the entire state. Also, the requirement could decrease the cost
It has yet to be approved by the FDA, but men could be vaccinated at some point too. They contribute to spreading the virus, as the FDA Web site says that "both men and women may get [HPV] and pass it on." Not enough tests have been done on males to approve a vaccine for them, but I hope it comes around soon. Such a measure could eliminate HPV entirely. In the meantime, Kansas has one vaccine it can use to fight cervical cancer. Kansas has the chance to erase women's fear of dying from this disease. Kansas, let's take it.
Syring is a Salina junior in journalism.
COMMENTARY
Sites need few rules
BY CASSIE GENTRY
KANSAN COLUMNIST OPINION@KANSAN.COM
I've used MySpace for a few years, and I've never been raped, sexually harassed or stalked. Apparently, I'm an anomaly.
News exposes make it seem like MySpace and Facebook are riddled with 40-year-old pedophiles pretending to be 13-year-old boys to snare unsuspecting young girls. I can't count the times I've seen a news segment with a police officer messaging a teen girl, pretending to be a pedophile. These shows make the Internet seem like a playground for predators. They try to shock parents into forbidding children to instant message or use online communities.
Sure, online predators exist. A Department of justice survey found that one in five children had been sexually harassed online. But approximately half were by other teens. And only 3 percent had been "aggressively harassed," meaning the predator made an attempt to meet.
MySpace and Facebook offer safety precautions. You can allow only your friends to view your profile. Facebook allows you to make aspects of your profile, like photos, visible only to the friends you choose. Each Myspace blog can have its own privacy setting. Parents can help teens be cyber-responsible by showing them the privacy features or talking about predator warning signs instead of forbidding the Internet altogether
After I got malicious messages from someone I had never met, I made my MySpace profile private and took off some personal information. I haven't had a problem since. The privacy features work, as long as you use caution when accepting friend requests.
Parents shouldn't feel intimidated by online communities or instant messaging. By spending time on a Web site like MySpace themselves, they will be more educated and feel more comfortable about letting their children use those sites. As long as they have taught their children to be cautious, parents should feel safe letting children use the Internet.
Gentry is a Kansas City, Kan., sophomore in English.
>> COMMENTARY
Health resolutions necessitate review of 'rec-tiquette'
One of the most popular New Year's resolutions is to stop procrastinating...but we'll work on that later. Another top resolution is to lose weight or work out more.
I've noticed this is a resolution for many students because of the increase of people at the Student Recreation and Fitness Center. I don't want to condemn anyone for being healthy, but there are some things you need to know before you just jump on a machine and "exercise."
Last semester at the Rec, I was able to find an open machine by
To make sure you're using the machine right, you can either read the machine's instructions complete with handy pictures or you can (gasp!) ask. I hate to ask people questions, because I'm afraid I'll look dumb. I like to sit there thinking that maybe the answer will just
wandering around for a few minutes, but now I feel like I'm returning a gift the day after Christmas and need to take a number.
Normally I would just put on my patience pants and happily wait. But it's annoying when the person you're waiting for isn't exercising properly.
come to me but this doesn't work with the machines or my math homework. The staff at the Rec is friendly, and they would be glad to answer your question or spot you when littering
you when hiring free weights. Once you're using the machine right, use it and then leave. Don't take a five-year break between each set, and don't sit there chatting away with your friends either. That's what
you when lifting free weights.
BY JENNY HARTZ
KANSAN COLUMNIST
OPINION@KANSAN.COM
Facebook, instant messenger, smoke signals, etc. are for.
If you like to chat while working out, go walk the suspended track. Unfortunately, this is the part where people seem to
》 TALK TO US
On the wall is a sign that politely asks people to walk on the inside lane of the track and do all passing on the outside lane. Yet people walk in the passing lane all the time. It's
lose the ability to read.
like driving on the highway and getting stuck behind someone going the speed limit in the left lane; there's an agreement that if you're in the passing lane, you're going pretty fast.
To find out other people's pet peeves, I asked Alex Miller, one of the Rec's personal trainers. He said that what bothers him and other trainers, is when people do the exact same work out every time.
"The human body will only get as strong as it needs to and will then stop growing and getting stronger." Miller said, "It's smart. It adapts to
The Rec is a great, convenient place to get in shape; however, to keep it a convenient place for everyone, remember to do your workout out properly and quickly. As for procrastination, well, that's another article for another time...like next year.
Hartz is a Stilwell sophomore in creative writing.
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Courtney Hagen, opinion editor 864-4924 or chagen@kansan.com
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the stresses we put on it. Change the workout up"
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Stangler