4A the university daily kansan opinion monday, march 15,2004 EDITORIAL BOARD Department technology fees a necessary evil Searching for jobs is difficult but it becomes more difficult without technological knowhow. Because many students have been victims of outdated technology, some University of Kansas schools and departments have added technology fees to department-specific credit hours. In the face of state budget cuts, independent technology fees are the best way to keep high-tech University degrees competitive. Students benefit by getting the technology they need, and departments benefit from the OUR VIEW Increasing KU department fees is the only way to keep up with technology. autonomy. Different majors require different technological needs. A history major is not going to need the same technology and programs as a design major. In order to prevent students from bearing the burden of improving technology they will never use, school technology fees are the best solution. The School of Engineering and the School of Architecture and Urban Design are two examples of how these fees are working. The monies from these fees have been used to directly improve technologies within the schools. During the 2004 fiscal year, the School of Architecture and Urban Design collected $32,803 from student fees that was spent on technology immediately. The department bought computers for the Snow Hall computer lab and updated other computer equipment, such as monitors and graphic cards. Among other items, the money was spent on purchasing a digital camera and laptop computers now available for student check-out. As other schools come across the question of how to improve their technology, they should seriously consider school or departmental technology fees. Students and professors will use technology supported by these fees. The money each semester will be worth it, as students have the ability to use the newest technologies in their fields. PERSPECTIVE Environment victim to President Bush If President Bush is so set on destroying the environment before his tenure in office is up, I just wish he'd go ahead and do it already and stop drawing it out. COMMENTARY Nobody likes to die slowly. Kevin Kampwirth opinion@kansan.com Not only has Bush all but ignored the environmental issues that have plagued our country for the last four years, he's reversed many of the strides made by the Clinton administration to help protect the environment. For example, since taking office Bush broke a Clinton-era commitment to protect the Tongass National Forest in Alaska, the nation's largest forest at 60-million acres. Ending the commitment cleared the way for logging. 1, for one, am going to miss breathing clean air, but apparently the log shortage America is going through right now demands more attention. Steve Sack for KRT demands more attention. Bush also has overturned regulations that Clinton imposed that were aimed at preventing environmental damage from mining operations on public land, operations that could cause substantial, irreversible harm to the environment. Since August, the Bush administration has been trying to get around technical obstacles that would allow drilling for natural gas to begin in states such as Montana, Wyoming, Utah and New Mexico. piece of land, has other ideas. The most recent battle is taking place in Rifle, Colo., a town 200 miles West of Denver. Beneath the Roan Plateau in this town of about 6,700 people lie 5.5-trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Bush, salivating at the thought of what the ground beneath these cliffs holds, wants drilling to start immediately. The town of Rifle, which views the area as a pristine Meetings will be held in the coming weeks to decide whether to go ahead with mass drilling in Rifle. On one hand, drilling would create jobs and more than $100 million for the local economy. On the other, it would just add to the Bush administration trend of a methodical dismantling of any sort of regulation that aims to protect the environment. So, what's the greater good? One way to look at it is maybe now Bush won't have to unjustifiably invade any more Middle Eastern countries. We have a plethora of oil and natural gas deposits just sitting underground the good old U S of A, we don't need Iraq's oil anymore. Start those drills! Put up those derricks anywhere there's open space. Who needs the beauty of environment? Hell, here's one for you, Dubya. To create some extra national income, why don't you propose a plan to start charging other countries and let them use the Grand Canyon as a garbage dump? It's just a big hole in the middle of Arizona taking up space. Imagine the revenue possibilities. They're endless! Or, better yet, turn Yellowstone National Park into a massive parking lot so there's a place to park all those hydrogen-powered cars that you promised are in the not-to-distant future. Or was I misunderestimating when you said that? Just get it over with already. This slow death is just too painful. Kampwirth is a Chicago senior in journalism. PERSPECTIVE Divorced parents force rotation schedule Back-and-forth bad for children, parents The parents' divorce ends and the child's life changes. New schedule, week one: wake up, say good morning to Mom, get ready and leave for school. New schedule, week two: wake up, say good morning to Dad, get ready and leave for school. Birdnesting or nesting is not a new idea, and it is rare, but it's gaining popularity. According to the Rosen Law Firm newsletter, a third of the people polled said they would try it. In a poll by www.divorcemagazine.com, 32 percent said they would try nesting. This is the typical week-by-week schedule for children who are the product of birdnesting. The term is given to divorced parents that choose to raise their children together. The children stay in the house while the parents move in and out each week. The solution is attractive because it seems natural. It allows both parents to raise the child. But divorce is not so simple. COMMENTARY Brandi Mathiesen opinion@kansan.com Nesting is the solution to the problem of weekend parenting. Weekend parenting is the usual option for divorced parents who choose joint custody. Each week the children stay with one parent, usually the mother. Every other weekend the children stay with the father. Nesting is the solution to the problem of fathers' rights. The parents who choose this option said they are doing it for the children. They want to put the children first. They want to create stability. But nesting is not a long term solution because it requires enough money to maintain three places to live. It also requires the parents to cooperate and compromise. Parents should not invest so much in the divorce, but rather invest in the future of the children. Nesting creates a false sense of security. It reinforces the children's fantasies of the parents getting back together. Nesting allows the children to play the parents against each other, as if divorce didn't already give them this option. It puts the control in the hands of the children. It gives the children the upper hand. Parents get lost in their guilt and they forget that they must still be parents Nesting does not put the children first. In one sense it does create stability for the children: they don't have to move back and forth and they don't have to get comfortable in new surroundings. But it does not create a solution. If the parents could not make a marriage work, how are they ever going to make nesting work? after a divorce. Divorce is hard and painful. It is one of the worst situations to put children through. I should know. My mother and father were divorced, remarried and divorced again. My boyfriend's parents were also divorced. I have seen how hateful parents can be towards each other. If two people choose divorce, they should get divorced. Cut the line through the middle. They should explain to their children why they made this decision. They shouldn't hold back. They should make an agreement to leave the messy stuff between each other. Nesting is not the solution. It is a quick fix. It is what happens when parents feel guilty about ripping the family apart. Above all else, they should make sure that they don't put the children in the middle. Mathiesen is a Bonner Springs senior in journalism. r stuff can smell funny, then our fridge is freaking hilarious. The kids in *Mary Poppins* have two parents, so that Disney quote wasn't actually all that correct. r stuff can smell funny, then our fridge is freaking hilarious. If the group in my Econ 142 class doesn't learn to shut up we are going to have to step outside. For more comments, go to www.kansan.com r stuff can smell funny, then our fridge is freaking hilarious. This is for all of you people who wear sandals to class: How about you wash your feet first? Call 864-0500 Free for All callers have 20 seconds to speak about any topic they wish. Kansan editors reserve the right to omit comments. Slenderous and obscene statements will not be printed. Phone numbers of all incoming calls are recorded. We need more atheists on campus. Maicolm Gibson general manager and news adviser 864-7667 or mgibson@kansan.com Free for All Man code 63: In an empty room, car etc. a man cannot ask another man if he is mad because he is not talking. r stuff can smell funny, then our fridge is freaking hilarious. My neighbors are fighting and I am listening with my ear to the floor. I don't think that is wrong. After all, they expect me to listen to their loud music. Why wouldn't they want me listening to their fighting? 图 Andrew Vaupel managing editor 884-4854 or vaulpel@kansan.com Matt Fleher sales and marketing adviser 864-7686 or mfisher@kansan.com I am about to go to Flanigans. I am scared of all the haters. r stuff can smell funny, then our fridge is freaking hilarious. Alicia Keys is looking real pretty. r stuff can smell funny, then our fridge is freaking hilarious. Meghan Brune and Johanna M. Maska opinion editors 864-4924 or opinion@kansan.com People need to call me when I am drunk because I feel lonely. r stuff can smell funny, then our fridge is freaking hilarious. Drunk dialing is fun for the whole family. r stuff can smell funny, then our fridge is freaking hilarious. Oh my God, I love this city. There are so many drunks here in Lawrence. If you call the Free For All, you are a loser. r stuff can smell funny, then our fridge is freaking hilarious. r stuff can smell funny, then our fridge is freaking hilarious. KANSAN Don't ever let people cook while they are drunk. They might burn the place down. r stuff can smell funny, then our fridge is freaking hilarious. Is there anything better than hot melted cheese all over your body? I just saw a commercial for the Natural Bra and that is the coolest thing I have ever seen in my life. What do you do when you are drunk and you have to go to work? Stephanie Graham retail sales manager 864-4358 or adsales.kansan.com Danielle Bose business manager 864-4358 or addirector@kansan.com War is not the answer, except to all of America's problems. 图 SUBMIT GUEST COLUMN GUIDELINES Maximum Length: 650 word limit Include: Author's name Class, hometown (student) Position (faculty member) Also: The Kansan will not print guest columns that attack another columnist. 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