4A the university daily kansan opinion monday, february 2, 2004 EDITORIAL BOARD Washington's final lesson: take care of yourself The scene at Hadl Auditorium on Thursday might have been more shocking if it hadn't become so familiar. A revered coach, stretched to the limit, asking for time off. Sportscenter had shown Louisville men's basketball coach Rick Pitino and Utah men's basketball coach Rick Majerus do the same twice in the last two weeks. But make no mistake: Marian Washington's request for a medical leave and Athletics Director Lew Perkins' subsequent decision to grant her one was good for Kansas — and good for college sports. Too little emphasis is put on health in athletics today. Sure, some injuries are freak occurrences. There's no way, for instance, to know when a bad landing will leave a basketball player with blown anterior cruciate ligament or a OURVIEW Kansas women's basketball coach, Marian Washington's decision to step down was good for Kansas and for athletics. Too often competition supercedes health concerns. powerful hit will leave a football player prone on the ground. When an injury is preventable, though — when there are signs of an imminent breakdown — coaches, administrators and players should act. Which is why it was refreshing to see Washington walking hand-in-hand with Perkins Thursday, explaining that she has had enough for now. Whether Washington returns — and speculation on sports talk radio stations and beyond is that she might not is almost irrelevant. It seems unlikely that a new athletics director would move this swiftly to remove a talisman like Washington. But, if this is a subtle hint, at least Washington's departure came with an appropriate message. In her 31 years as a coach, Washington has built a reputation as one of the game's great teachers. (Her brightest pupil, Lynette Woodard, has been named her temporary replacement.) If the last lesson Washington teaches as a basketball coach is to take care of yourself, to not put victories and losses over your well being, perhaps it is her most important. Henry C. Jackson, Kansan sports editor, for the editorial board PERSPECTIVE More restaurants feed growing Atkins frenzy Lazy dieting ultimately equals lazy results; weight gain inevitable Weight-loss gimmicks are everywhere and the newest fad is this miracle diet known as the Atkins diet. In case you don't know what this gimmick is, the Atkins diet promotes low carbohydrates and high amounts of protein in your diet. COMMENTARY The Atkins diet is getting so popular that restaurants and businesses are now offering Atkins-friendly foods. Subway is advertising low-carbohydrate wraps. TGIFridays offers meat dishes such as the New York strip steak. Russell Stovers is marketing a low-carb chocolate. While restaurants such as Subway and TGIFridays offer Atkins friendly alternatives, the calories need to be watched because they contain a large amount. Travis Metcalf opinion@hansan.com The Atkins diet contends that people will lose weight on nothing but meat and eggs in their diet. For the right person the Atkins diet might work, but the person would need to be disciplined, never eating foods that are high in carbohydrates. Ann Chapman is a registered dietitian at Watkins Memorial Health Center. She said that while you may initially lose weight, unless you stay on that diet for your entire life you will gain the weight back. The diet can also raise one's cholesterol level. Chapman said that people with high cholesterol levels should not go on this diet because it could raise cholesterol levels further. "I'm not in favor of the diet," Chapman said. "While you can achieve short-term weight loss it doesn't help you keep the weight off over time." Another danger with the Atkins diet is the possibility of kidney stones. The human body can't store protein, said Kim Archer, doctoral student in nutrition. The body either uses the protein or it has to get rid of it, she said; so if one eats too much protein the body has to get rid of it some way and thus a kidney stone forms. Archer said that too much of a restriction on any nutrient is harmful to the body. The Atkins diet does just that, it restricts carbohydrates. Chapman also said that the diet doesn't promote healthy eating. The Atkins diet doesn't allow for enough vegetables or grains such as bread and pasta. Whatever happened to the old-fashioned diets where you ate the right amount of fruits and vegetables? When I was growing up carrots were a healthy thing to eat. When did that change? A variation of the Atkins diet is the South Beach diet. This diet, which still promotes low carbohydrates and high protein, allows more vegetables and Zach Newton for The University Daily Kansan grains. "The South Beach is a better way to go." Chapman said. The Atkins diet is too restrictive on grains, fruits and vegetables. The South Beach diet remedies that a little bit. It allows more vegetables but it limits the fruits too much. Like Chapman and Archer, I am not in favor of this diet. My advice is that if you want to lose weight, just cut down the McDonald's visits a little bit, eat smaller portions and instead of driving a block to the grocery store walk there. Exercise is a good thing. I guess I'm just too old fashioned. Metcalf is a Wichita senior in journalism. Call 864-0500 Free forAll 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 To the girl with the chicken dance ring: You are the coolest. I don't know if anybody has noticed but there haven't been horoscopes twice this week. What am I supposed to do? Please, somebody help. Atkins diet. Atkins diet. Atkins diet. I just thought it was funny that all of the girls at the Rc Center have on more make up than sweat. on the subject in this way, Christianity takes on a whole new light. To the Jayhawk Bookstore: I really want to thank you for towing my car. I am now missing my grandmother's funeral. Thank you very much. on the subject in this way, Christianity takes on a whole new light. on the subject in this way, Christianity takes on a whole new light. I have a stalker. Where are all of the cock blocks when you need them? What is up with that? Hitting on someone in Mrs. E's is neither smooth nor sexy. A kid on my floor watched so many movies that his DVD player burned out. What a loser. Yeah, I want my Norton back. Sophos tells me that I have a virus but it does nothing about it. What is the deal? Beer and wire hangers do not mix. Please do not try this at home. 图 I have 2,852 music files on my computer. Beat that. Turn your lights on. I will pick up a copy of the Women of Distinction calendar if there are some hot chicks. B The editorial, New printing fee no blessing to University students, should have stated that there are 65 computers on the third floor of Anschutz Library, which is open 24 hours from 10 a.m. Sunday to 8 p.m. Friday. Twenty of these computers are available for students" Microsoft Office documents. Also, 20 wireless laptop computers are available for check out daily Sunday to Friday until midnight. There are also two impact printers available for free. WORD TO THE MOTHERSHIP This Sunday I went to church for the first time in about two years. I don't know why I went; I just decided to go. Always remember to question your faith: Christianity has roots of white supremacy When I was growing up, I knew that on Sundays there was no question of whether I was going to church. I could be sick, throwing up, half dead, but I was going to church. In fact when I tried to play sick to get out of going, my mother would explain that I need to go to church to pray about getting better. Pretty soon it became so routine that it didn't bother me半分 of the time. I automatically called myself a Christian and never thought of questioning the religion that my parents, grandparents and the majority of my family so zealously believed in. This Sunday was different. I stopped going to church because it became clear that there were too many contradictions in Christianity to ignore. I never stopped believing in God, but the more I began to understand Christianity the more I realized that it wasn't what it appeared to be. CORRECTION Brian Pearson pinion@hansan.com In a book by Frances Cress Welsling, Ph.D., The Isis Papers, she states that, "the cross, as an important and provocative symbol in the white supremacy system/culture, is none other than a brain-computer distillate of the white-collective's fear-induced obsession with the genitals of all none-white men." She goes on to claim that the cross represents the black male's genitals removed from the black male's body — meaning castrated genitals. COMMENTARY Now, granted this theory is out there. Way out; there. However, upon looking The most likely essence of the story of Jesus is that he was a poor black man whose ideas expressed in the Beatitudes threatened the control and authority of the conquering Romans (whites). Jesus was then given over to the Romans by one of his own was killed and then hung on a cross. In Christian religion it is stated that Jesus shed his blood so that we can have everlasting life. Using the Cress theory this statement could be translated: Jesus (non-white) shed his blood (genetic material) so that we (whites) can have everlasting life (remain dominant). I thought about Welsing's book this Sunday as I sat in church and listened to the preacher. I started to think of how many black people I had known in my short life who were born and raised Christians. I started to wonder if any of them ever stopped and asked themselves why they were Christians — not question the religion itself, just the devotion to it. This was obviously the point. If the devoted Christian can only see Jesus as a white male with blond hair and blue eyes then his or her brain, whether consciously or unconsciously, computes that Jesus's father, God, is white as well. Now I have posed this statement to people before and they claim that they don't see God as any color. As far back as I can remember I have seen Jesus as a white male. Although I know that he was from a region where the people had color, I am unable to form an image of Jesus as a black man. Somehow history had changed. He had somehow evolved from a lynched black Jesus to a weak and frail white Jesus. Yeah, right. I left church before it was finished. I have come to the realization that there is no certainty when it comes to picking a religion. My belief is as long as you know that there is a Being that is supreme to you, then you'll be OK. Now, I didn't write this article in order to offend or be sacrilegious towards anyone. I don't think that there is anything wrong with being a Christian. There is however something wrong with believing in something and not knowing why. Pearson is a Wichita senior in film studies Pearson is a Wichita senior in film studies Read Pearson's column, Word to the Mothership, every Monday. KANSAN Michelle Rombeck editor 884-4954 or mburhenn@kansan.com Andrew Vaupel managing editor 864-4954 or vaupel@kansan.com Meghan Brune and Johanna M. Maska opinion editors 864-4924 or opinion@kansean.com Danielle Bose business manager 864-4358 or addrector@kansan.com Stephanie Graham retail sales manager 864-4358 or adsales.kansan.com Matt Fisher sales and marketing adviser 864-7666 or mflauser@kanan.com Makolm Gibson general manager and news adviser 804-7647 or mgbson@kannan.com Kendall Dix **Amanda Flott** *Lynzee Ford* Laura Francovligi **Anna Gregory** Amy Hammontree **Kelly Hollowell** *Teresa Lo* Stephanie Lovett Mindy Osborne Patrick Rose Ross Sarrow Sara Behunek Kevin Flaherty Brandon Gay Zack Hemenway Alex Hoffman Kevin Kampwith Amy Kelly Cameron Koelling **Countrey Kuhian** Brandi Mathelesen **Travis Metcalf** Mike Norris Jonathan Reader **Erin Riffey** *Alea Smith* A -