4A the university daily kansan opinion tuesday, march 2, 2004 EDITORIAL BOARD 'Need tickets?' shout should continue "Anybody need tickets?" Hearing this has become part of the experience of going to a University of Kansas athletics event, OURVIEW For some Kansas fans,buying tickets from scalpers is the only way to see the game. especially a basketball game. For some, buying from scalpers is the only way to get tickets. Currently, there is no law against scalping; when one was proposed in the Kansas Legislature in 2000, it did not pass. But Jim Marchiony, associate athletics director for external relations, told the Lawrence Journal-World scalpers bothered the Athletics Department. "We have people who are on a waiting list or who we know could use those tickets," Marchiony said. The department's intentions seem noble, but a closer examination shows it has the same motivation as the scalpers: money. Recent publicity has outlined the department's system for allocating tickets based of donations and club memberships. Potential donors are the people Marchiony wants to "use those tickets." More accurately, the With student and general admission tickets hard to come across, especially for major rivalry games, the availability of tickets from scalpers has long been a way to get tickets. Marchiony said that the University might not have any legal options to combat scalping, but the issue would be discussed in the future. But even if the University were to ban scalpers from the sidewalks outside their stadiums, scaling would still be alive and well in Lawrence. Not much can be done to stop ticket brokers such as Ace Sports, 647 Massachusetts St., from selling tickets, often at higher prices than scalpers, and online auction sites often sell tickets to big games. The simple principle of supply and demand will always keep scalpers outside of athletic events. Scalpers should be allowed to stay outside of Allen Fieldhouse and Memorial Stadium. They give fans who can't get tickets their only way to get in to see the game. PERSPECTIVE Historical 'half-truths' shortchange women COMMENTARY A guest speaker in one of my classes last week described women in history textbooks. She said recognition of their involvement had been "shifted to a footnote." This metaphor for the under-representation of females in the history texts we grew up reading — and still study today — is an often-overlooked problem in American history literature. March is the nationally recognized Women's History Month. For 30 days we pay homage to the thousands of under-appreciated women who sacrificed the limelight for less-publicized roles, without which every movement in the United States to date would have been a failure. Sara Behunek opinion@kansan.com For example, women in the Civil Rights movement of the 20th century have been diminished to a few token references. The Montgomery Bus Boycott and Freedom Rides of the 1950s and '60s have been attributed almost solely to male activists. Literature on the Civil Rights movement resonates with the myth that Martin Luther King Jr. and his fellow pastors were the heart of the campaign. In actuality, women contributed just as much as the men. They did the grunt work, the secretarial work, and the grass-roots organizing that the eloquent orators depended on, and often times took credit for. Civil Rights activist Stokely Carmichael once said, "The ones who came out first for the movement were the women. If you follow the mass meetings, not the stuff on TV, you'd find women" out there giving all the direction." The textbook's dishonor is partially because of what scholars often term the "backlash." Described in Susan Faludi's book Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women, it is the idea that "the women's movement...Has proved women's own worst enemy." Faladi describes how women have, in the majority's opinion, gained equality, yet they continue to be dissatisfied. The media blame women's newfound focus — on employment instead of on landing a man — as the reason for their unhappiness. Faludi contends it is the unrealized, true ideological equality that women never gained that keeps them disillusioned. Until society, and especially the academic community, acknowledges women's plight, history teachers and professors will continue to contend that women have already been acknowledged enough. "What more do you want?" they ask. I don't want the index of my history books, column after column, replete with men's names. I want to learn history in a way that I can relate to, that I can be a part of. I want to read about the context in which the events occurred, not simply a timeline of important dates — dates that were deemed important by male scholars. This month, look for the black-andred Rosie the Riveter posters from the Emily Taylor Women's Resource Center. The posted commemoration offers almost daily events to celebrate women in history and in the present. Attend a lecture. Take an active role in your education. As historian and author Darlene Clark Hine said in an interview in this month's Ebony magazine, "We cannot consider ourselves to be truly educated and well-informed if we only know half-truths." Behunek is a Fort Collins, Colo., senior in journalism. PERSPECTIVE Suggestions could create parking paradise; overflowing lots might be problem of the past Two weeks ago, I had a little problem. I drove to campus for a meeting in the evening and there were too many places to park. I was trapped between clichés. On one hand, I was like a kid in a candy store. On the other, I was like a bull in a china shop. The number of choices overwhelmed me. The sight of wide-open parking lots made me giddy. I bounced my car off the curb three times while eyeballing the possibilities. COMMENTARY But most of the time it seems parking is only getting worse. Sales of parking permits have increased from 12,154 in 2001 to approximately 14,150 in the 2004 fiscal year, according to the Parking Department. The department oversold yellow permits, mainly used by off-campus commuters, by 22 percent in Fall 2003. The Parking Department is seeking solutions to the problems. Donna Hul- Jonathan Reeder opinion@kansan.com However, consultants don't have a monopoly on good ideas; student suggestions have led to positive changes. tine, director of parking services, said the department has hired a consultant to examine the situation and offer advice. Hultine said that a resident of one of the Alumni Place scholarship halls approached her to complain about bar patrons using the halls' lots in the evening. The student suggested that he be allowed to write tickets if parking personnel weren't available. The idea was accepted and now several scholarship hall students work for the department as after-hours ticket writers. The Association of University Residence Halls approached the department saying that students on Daisy Hill were angry because they were paying for residence hall permits but rarely getting a spot. This complaint led to the department endorsing the sale of cheaper Lied Center-only permits for next August. Hultine said that building a new parking garage isn't a serious consideration because of the debt incurred from construction of the other garages. It might be time to start thinking of ways to fix the problem that don't involve increasing parking spots. around the stadium could be rezoned as Park and Ride lots. This would help students get to and from class faster. A new route wouldn't create more parking, but it would ease some of the stress involved in finding a spot. A bus could travel north down Mississippi Street and into the Memorial Stadium parking lot. The farthest spaces Here's a fun suggestion. Ban or restrict freshman parking privileges. Either choice would free up some much needed space. In addition, not having a car is good character builder; it forces people to be organized, outgoing and flexible. Have a better idea? If it doesn't involve criminal property damage, the Parking Department is willing to listen. Call it or contact Tim Akright, the Student Senate representative on the Parking Commission. Your idea might be the new revolution of the parking lot crisis; then every day could be as marvelous as that night two weeks ago. Reeder is an iola senior in journalism. Free for All callers have 20 seconds to speak about any topic they wish. Kansan editors reserve the right to omit comments. Slanderous and obscene statements will not be printed. Phone numbers of all incoming calls are recorded. For more comments, go to www.kansan.com - I am a girl. I am from Topeka and I am proud. - Call 864-0500 Greek Recognition Night is not the Academy Awards so let's please not make the comparison. My roommate just ate two Chipote burritos. Two of them. I saw it with my own eyes. Unbelievable. --- Free for All To the people at Oliver who pull up and honk eight times for their friends to come out: I hate you. I am watching the Academy Awards and I just noticed that none of the hobbits from The Lord of the Rings have dates. That's funny. - Is it me or are they giving out a whole lot of boring awards on The Oscars? - NEED MORE? Someone just told me that you could get drunk by just drinking water. Check the Kansan online at www.kansan.com for more Free for all comments. TALK TO US Captain Planet, he's our hero. He is going to cut pollution down to zero. I just saw the girl that drives the Defender and the guy that drives the Defender making out in a parking lot. That's really weird. The Kansan reserves the right to edit, cut to length, or reject all submissions. For any questions, call Meghan Brune or Johanna M. Maska at 864-4924 or e-mail at opinion@kansan.com. The Kansan welcomes letters to the editors and guest columns submitted by studentts, faculty and alumni. 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. LETTER GUIDELINES Maximum Length: 200 word limit Include: Author's name and telephone number Class, hometown (student) Position (faculty member) THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAN Michelle Rombeck editor 864-4854 or mburhenn@kansan.com E-mail: opinion@kansan.com SUBMIT TO Andrew Vaupel managing editor 864-4854 or vaupel@kansan.com Meghan Brune and Johanne M. Maska opinion editors 864-4924 or opinion@kansan.com Danielle Bose business manager 864-4358 or adddirector@kansan.com Stephanie Graham retail sales manager 864-4358 or adsales@kansan.com Hard copy: Kansan newroom 111 Stauffer-Flint Malcolm Gibson general manager and news adviser 884-7687 or mgbison@kansan.com Matt Fisher sales and marketing adviser 864-7668 or mfisher@kansan.com Editorial Board Members Kendall Dix ♥ Lyvette Ford Editorial Board Members Kendall D纵 Lynze Ford Laura Francoviglia Anna Gregory Amy Hammontree Kelly Hollowell Teresa Lo Stephanie Loveitt Mindy Oboseburn Greg Holmquist Ryan Scarrow Sara Behunek Kevin Flaherty Brandon Gay Zack Hemenway Alex Hoffman Kevin Kampwirth Amy Kelly Cameron Koelling Courtney Kuhlen Brandi Mathiesen Travis Metcalf Mike Norris Jonathan Reeder Erin Riffley Alea Smith Kari Zimmerman