1 4A the university daily kansan opinion monday, february 16, 2004 EDITORIAL Wal-Mart hurts local economy; say no to number two The Lawrence City Commission will be looking at the issue of opening a Wal-Mart at Sixth and Wakarusa streets on Thursday. The Wal-Mart opening has been an issue for more than a year, and the city has yet to make a decision on its resurrection. The commission needs to look at how the 190,000-square-foot building will affect Lawrence and its community. Lawrence does not need another discount store that will only hurt the local economy. People go to Wal-Mart for low prices and for a one-stop shop. We have that, with many of our local discount stores. One more is unnecessary. People like Lawrence and come to Lawrence for a reason: the shops, local and friendly, are hard to find in growing metropolitans. If a Wal-Mart Super Center OURVIEW The Lawrence community has always valued and supported local businesses. Walmart is not local. We already have one; no need to have another. comes to town, many of Lawrence's local stores will not only suffer, but will likely be closed. A mom-and-pop store will never be able to compete with that demon of a smiley face Wal-Mart has to offer. The Lawrence economy cannot handle another huge chain store coming to town. The ones in existence seem to suffice just fine and do we really need two Wal-Marts? A new Wal-Mart would bring more jobs, but are they jobs that people can really support themselves on? Wal-Mart has not been known to pay its cashiers and sales people much over minimum wage and offers little to no healthcare benefits. We need to bring jobs to Lawrence that pay well. Lawrence citizens should be able to support themselves on one job. They should receive benefits. The new Wal-Mart would also cause more traffic in an already highly trafficked area. The new store would be by Lawrence Free State High School that already has high traffic population. A big store would only bring more congestion. The Lawrence City Commission needs to look to community members for input. This Wal-Mart will do more harm than good. It will hurt the local economy and in the end, destroy more jobs than it would create. Wal-Mart should take its smiley faces elsewhere. Free forAll 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. Slanderous and obscene statements will not be printed. Phone numbers of all incoming calls are recorded. For more comments, go to www.kansan.com Dorm parking spots should be assigned by GPA. days. I went to the majority of my classes when I wasn't too lazy to walk up the hill, but in the weeks before midterms and finals I went religiously as if the holy grail would pour the knowledge of lost classes into my brain. I took notes on sub- days. I went to the majority of my classes when I wasn't too lazy to walk up the hill, but in the weeks before midterms and finals I went religiously as if the holy grail would pour the knowledge of lost classes into my brain. I took notes on sub- What are those things in the Quiznos' subs commercials? I would just like to say that boys with one earring are so not cool. They have to have two to be cool. days. I went to the majority of my classes when I wasn't too lazy to walk up the hill, but in the weeks before midterms and finals I went religiously as if the holy grail would pour the knowledge of lost classes into my brain. I took notes on sub- 酒 Wesco Terrace: Your coffee lids suck. Get new ones. Alone on Valentine's Day. Quit reminding me. days. I went to the majority of my classes when I wasn't too lazy to walk up the hill, but in the weeks before midterms and finals I went religiously as if the holy grail would pour the knowledge of lost classes into my brain. I took notes on sub- I love Canada. I want to get a job in Canada. I want to live in Canada for the rest of my life. I love Canada. I just want to wish everyone a happy SAD Day, Single Awareness Day. days. I went to the majority of my classes when I wasn't too lazy to walk up the hill, but in the weeks before midterms and finals I went religiously as if the holy grail would pour the knowledge of lost classes into my brain. I took notes on sub- Just because I am from Johnson County and my daddy is rich doesn't mean that I am a good person. days. I went to the majority of my classes when I wasn't too lazy to walk up the hill, but in the weeks before midterms and finals I went religiously as if the holy grail would pour the knowledge of lost classes into my brain. I took notes on sub- Who keeps taking pictures of me and putting them up all around McCollum? --days. I went to the majority of my classes when I wasn't too lazy to walk up the hill, but in the weeks before midterms and finals I went religiously as if the holy grail would pour the knowledge of lost classes into my brain. I took notes on sub- DEMOCRATS IN DETAIL Coming tomorrow: Kerry is riding high. Dean is calming down. But do you really know the candidates? The Kansan's Democrats in Detail series profiles the hopefuls in this year's unusually packed Democratic primary. Zach Stinson for The University Daily Kansas MILITARY ACTION Student called to military duty; no more drinking games I was an everyday student. One of the those who drank too much on the weekends and perhaps indulged during the week. COMMENTARY Marla Keown opinion@kansan.com jects varying from social problems in America to bad chi and its relation to the KU football team. And every Monday, Wednesday and Friday you could find me leaning against Wescoe Hall's fourth-floor wall studying the German language while munching on some sushi. Nov. 12, 2003, was the day that turned my everyday student life upside down. It was 12:05 p.m. and I had exactly 25 minutes to cram for my upcoming German test. At 12:07 p.m. my phone rang. Neighboring crammers turned their heads toward me as if their evil glares would somehow silence my ringer. I picked up the phone and stared at the caller ID—it was my Army Reserve Unit on the other end. My gut dropped as I forced my thumb to push the green receiving button. "Rather than taking shots during a round of Presidents and Assholes, I find myself doing sets of pushups when my shots are off with my weapon." "Keown, it's Nash, has anyone from the unit called you yet?" Nash, my unit "Hello?" I nervously answered, praying that the holy grail of knowledge would somehow turn this approaching conversation into anything but what my gut already felt. administrator, asked. "Nnnooo ... called me about what?" I asked, even though I already knew the answer. "You've been attached to the 308th Transportation Company out of Lincoln, Neb. You need to report to the unit at noon on Monday," she said in a matter of fact way, as if the monotone voice would make the news less terrifying. "OK ... what? Monday? OK, but ... OK, I have to go take a test. No, I don't. I have to go. I'll call you back later ... is that OK?" I said as my stomach tied itself in knots that even the best Boy Scout would be proud of. "That's fine, I'll call you later when I get more information," Nash said. "Don't worry Keown, it's going to be OK." Then I hung up the phone and spent what seemed like an eternity staring at the horribly carpeted floor. "Marla, are you OK?" Joey, my friend, asked me. "Do you have a cigarette?" I asked as I held back tears. I spent the remaining 22 minutes on cram time outside of Wescoe Hall, chain smoking Joey's cigarettes, crying, leaving messages on my parents' voice mail and trying to figure out what the hell I was supposed to do now. It's been two months since that life-changing phone call. I'm not an everyday student anymore. Now I'm training to be an everyday soldier. For the first month, home was my hotel room in Lincoln. Neb. Now home consists of barracks built during the Vietnam War in good old' Ft. Riley. Instead of taking classes about German articles or Eastern Asian holidays, I'm enrolled in life-saving classes. I've become a Combat Life Saver; which means more weight for me to carry. If a fellow truck driver gets hurt, a Combat Life Saver is the one to stabilize them until the paramedic gets there. This includes anything from dealing with heat stroke, to open chest wounds, to applying a tourniquet, to administering an IV. Instead of playing drinking games on the weekends with my everyday KU There are more classes in the future as well. Classes that will consist of map reading, how to attach a tow-bar to a semi-truck, how to plot points on a GPS system and how to react to an ambush — something that has been occurring all too often to truck drivers overseas. friends, I play everyday soldier games. These include practicing breathing, aiming a gun and proper squeezing of the trigger. Rather than taking shots during a round of Presidents and Assholes, I find myself doing sets of pushups when my shots are off with my weapon. I hope my fellow truck drivers and I will return safely home when our time of service is done. Until that day comes I hope to spread a new kind of knowledge to the everyday KU student. Through my bi-weekly columns I want to put a face to the everyday soldier, many who were once an everyday student, an everyday mother, an everyday friend. Specialist Kown is a Topeka junior. She is stationed at Ft. Riley. THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS Michelle Rombeck editor 864-4854 or mburhenn@kansan.com Andrew Vaupel managing editor 864-4854 or vaupel@kansan.com Meghan Brune and Johanna M. Maska opinion editors 864-4924 or opinion@kansan.com Stephanie Graham retail sales manager 864-4358 or adsales.kansan.com Danielle Bose business manager 864-4358 or adddirector@kansan.com Malcolm Gibson general manager and news adviser 864-7667 or mgibson@kansan.com Matt Fisher sales and marketing adviser 864-7668 or mflafeh@kansan.com Editorial Board Members Editorial Board Members Kendall Dix **Amanda Flott** *Lynzee Ford* Laura Francoviglia *Anna Gregory* Amy Hammettone *Kelly Hollowley* *Teresa Le Stephanie Lovett • **Mindy** Osborne Holgim Molgusti **Ryan Scarrow** • Sara Behunek Kevin Flihearty **Brandon Gay** *Zack* Hemewayn Alex Hoffman **Kevin Kampwirth** Amy Kelly **Cameron Koelling** *Courtney* Kuhlen **Brandi Mathiesen** *Travis Metcalf* Mike Norris **Jonathan Reeder** *Erin Riffey* tolls Johnathan Hecker Enn Rifley Alasa Smith Karl Zimmerman