4A the university daily kansan
opinion
wednesday, february 11, 2004
EDITORIAL BOARD
Trash 'Kansan' inserts before campus looks trashed
Paul Whittemore for The University Daily Kansan
What are you going to do when you finish reading this newspaper? Will you fold it up and stick it under your desk for the nighttime janitor to pick it up, or casually drop it as you are walking up the steps to your next class?
OUR VIEW
Pick up your Kansan inserts.
Throw them in one of the many bins, old and new, around campus.
It seems that no matter where the Kansan ends up, it is not in one of the 50 recycling bins around campus or in strategically placed trash cans. Instead, newspapers line the Budig Hall corridor or turn to pulp on Jayhawk Boulevard. Our daily paper, which is supposed to benefit the University, mars its beauty.
Every day, Facilities Operations employees pick up our classrooms and clean up the papers that were haphazardly
tnrown on the ground. Students are often unappreciative of how little they have to do to maintain their alma mater.
PERSPECTIVE
KU Recycling, the Student Environmental Advisory Board and KU Environs have recently merged efforts with Design and Construction Management and Facilities Operations to create more receptacles for newspapers, and later, for aluminum cans and bottles. However, the process to approve the proposed clean-up measures is difficult because many clearances are needed.
Celeste Fish, a member of KU Recycling, said although administrators questioned whether this will solve the problem, the bins should be up within the next few months.
Until then, let's not litter our campus with saturated newsprint. Put this newspaper in a trash can or, preferably, a recycling bin, and give Facilities Operations a much-deserved break.
Calendar war out of hand
There has been a lot of debate at the University, on this page and otherwise, about calendars. To be precise, the debate involves which ones and how many the University of Kansas community needs.
It started with the somewhat controversial Women of KU Calendar. Now, we have a Women of Distinction Calendar, which highlights the University's role in women's issues—and more clothes.
Brandon Gay opinion@hansan.com
I have heard positive reactions to the Women of Distinction Calendar, and I've heard some students say "Women of Distinction Calendar? What next?"
COMMENTARY
"What next" turned out to be a Men of Distinction calendar that was proposed but failed to get funding from Student Senate.
We haven't gone too far with our calendars yet, but I suspect when we do, we'll know.
These calendars may be easy targets for critics, but there is nothing wrong with calendars highlighting students who stand out, whether it's for academics or physical fitness. We can't say any group is more or less deserving of its own calendar.
A calendar featuring women should have a counterpart featuring men. But
what about students who play the trombone well or are good with computers? How about students who get straight C's but work hard? They all stand out in their own way. If we want to have our swimsuit calendar, we're going to have to accept, with open arms, calendars of all types. We're going to need a lot of calendars.
We'll need calendars featuring artists, musicians, computer geeks and hippies. We'll need to show off KU Parking Department Officials of Distinction and the Administrators of KU.
We'll need a Bureaucrats of KU calendar. Each box on the grid will have a different phone number students can call to get the phone number of someone who has the e-mail address of someone who has the phone number of a place they can call to find out what campus events will be happening that day.
Our campus is about more than people, so we'll need a Buildings of Distinction calendar, too. This one would include Wescoe Hall in its winter glory and Learned Hall in its autumn splendor.
I applaud the University for its recent technology upgrades, but for those who wish to reminisce, we're going to need a KU Computers of Dysfunction calendar.
We may end up with a 3:1 student to calendar ratio,but at least we can brag about being the best in the Big 12 at something other than basketball.
Also, the University's annual KU Calendars of Distinction calendar will be unique, featuring pictures of the year's best calendars.
Before criticizing the calendars we already have or the men's one that has been proposed, let's just be thankful we haven't gone too far yet. We don't have a picture of Wescoe Hall hanging next to the Women of KU. At least, not yet.
Gay is a Norton senior in journalism and political science.
Call 864-0500
Free for All
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
Shhh. I am calling the Free For All.
You know the cafeteria food is bad when you go in with the munchies,and you lose the munchies when you see the food.
Last night I had a dream about the Free For All. That is wrong in so many ways.
PERSPECTIVE
Punctuality lost with this generation
Punctuality: It shouldn't be a hard concept for students at the University of Kansas to grasp.
We've been on other people's schedules since birth, from feedings to nap-times to 30-minute open lunches in high school. Yet in my experience, it's rare for a class to make it 10 minutes without a few stragglers swinging open the door and looking for an empty chair, as the eyes of the class shift from the teacher to the classroom newcomer.
Now, I'm not saying I've never felt those eyes. In fact, I know of one professor who is going to see the headline above this column and my smiling face below it and will likely laugh out loud. In her class this spring, I seem to have a knack for showing up a few (20 to 40) minutes late every single time we have a beginning-of-class quiz.
But lately, I've begun to understand the perspective of teachers such as Italian professor Jan Kozma. Kozma said actions like mine were inconsiderate of teachers and other students.
"Lateness sends the message that you think your time is more important that everyone else's," Kozma said.
COMMENTARY
Kozma said she didn't have many
Zack Hemenway opinion@kansan.com
problems with tardiness from her students. She also said when she had a meeting with a student, she waited five minutes for them and then promptly left her office. Perhaps the two are related.
But simply be late doesn't necessarily send the message Kozma describes. Attitude makes a difference as well. Few can fault the interruption of out-of-breath, unkempt latecomers sliding inconspicuously and quietly into a seat, apology evident in their body language. As I said, we've all been there.
However, another brand of belated learner makes the statement of disrespect loud and clear. These students, whom we'll call the "Starbucks scholars", always stroll brazenly into class,
head held high and a large — no, make that *venti* — steaming cup in hand. "Yeah, I'm late. So what?" they seem to be saying. "I even stopped on the way for this latte."
This must rub salt — or pour steaming hot liquid — on the wounds of the teachers of interrupted classes and meetings campuswide. A fresh, store-bought cup o'joe tells everyone you made a pit stop on the way to the classroom or meeting. It taunts them, letting them know that five minutes ago, when they were listening to a lecture, you were standing behind a soccer mom trying to decide between carmel macchiato and vanilla mocha java.
Starbucks, Java Break, even Union coffee-shoppers, you know who you are. Ditch the coffee if you're cutting it close. You'd be surprised. You might even show up on time.
The rest of us need to start sticking to our schedules, too. The end of college is just around the corner and the real world is waiting to punch us in the stomach and take our lunch money. If we're on time now to whimsical pastimes like college classes, we'll be that much less likely to roll over and hit snooze when
William Beedles, professor of business, said punctuality was an important part of success in the business world. Beedles said students should use their classes to rehearse for future work schedules.
"One of the great things about a university is that it gives you the opportunity to practice appropriate behavior when the stakes are low," Beedles said.
We need the practice. I know I do.
And with an eye on my future, I've been making an effort to get everywhere — class, meetings, body-hair waxing appointments, whatever — on time. But just in case I don't, let me say in advance: Professor Pottorff, please let me make up the quiz. I promise I'll be on time tomorrow.
something really important comes along.
Hemenway is a Lawrence senior in journalism.
Check out this page next. Wednesday for Jeff Allmon's column on Student Senate.
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
Danielle Bose
business manager
864-4358 or adddirector@kansan.com
Stephanie Graham
retail sales manager
864-4358 or adsale@kansan.com
Matt Fisher
sales and marketing adviser
864-7686 or mfisher@kansan.com
Malcolm Gibson
general manager and news adviser
864-7667 or mgbsd@kansan.com
Editorial Board Members
Laura Francoviglia AhnA Gregdry
Ahm Hammarty Kellogg * Kelly Hollow * Teresa Lo
Kendall Dix Amanda Flott Lynzee Ford
Laura Francoviglia Kelly Gregory
Amy Hammontree Kelly Hollowell Teresa Lo
Stephanie Lovett ■ Mindy Osborne
Greg Holmquist ■ Ryan Scaron ■ Sara Behnke
Kevin Flaherty ■ Brandon Gay ■ Zack Hemerway
Alex Hoffman ■ Kevin Kampwirth Amy Kelly
Cameron Koelling ■ Courtney Kuhlen ■ Brandi
Maria Martin
*Mathews*
Jonathan Reeder ■ Erin Rifley ■ Ales Smith ■
Kevin Zimmerman