4a
Opinion
Thursday, December 7, 2000
For comments, contact Ben Voosen Embry or Emily Hughey at 864-4924 or e-mail opinion@kansan.com
Perspective Dirty butts from smokers litter campus
The turning color of autumn leaves the crisp air of a winter morning, the fresh blooms of spring tulips, the partially crumbling and recently smoked cigarette butts — they all add to the atmosphere here at our great university.
On a nice day, I like to take a break at Wescoe Beach and enjoy the weather. It's entertaining to watch the faces that smokers make as they exhale. With squinted eyes and twisted mouths, they cock their heads back and fashionably blow into the wind, as if to say, "It tastes good going in, but bad going out."
tastes good going in, but bad going out. I'm usually downwind to enjoy the leftovers.
Where does one learn the art of smoking? Maybe from the movies. Maybe from friends. One could become a professional smoker, obtaining the perfect exhale and cigarette-flicking abilities by learning and watching at Wescoe Beach. I sit and ponder how all these en vogue smokers came to be.
Jeremy Cates guest columnist geoniks@kansan.com
Here's one example
of how it happens: 15-year-old Sally goes to a high school party. Sally sees older friends casually puffing. Sally chokes at the opportunity to puff, too. Sally smokes on weekends (hiding from parents). Sally goes to the University of Kansas and is free now. Sally smokes as much as her little lungs desire. Her parents can't see her at Wescoe Beach. Sally is addicted. Sally graduates from the University. Sally gets a job at a corporation. It's not so cool to go out to the smoke shack every 10 minutes with the other addicts. Sally tries to quit but can't - until cancer quits for her.
can't—until cancer quits for her. It's a fine line between hopeless addiction and hopeful fashion. Along with admiring the smoking skills of the pros and amateurs at Wescoe, I like to try to distinguish between the two. Here are some observations and things to look for;
The huddled lighting session when a group of five to six fresh-faced students circle together simultaneously needing to smoke at the same time. One person in the circle lights all cigarettes poised between the puckered lips of the other participants.
The unconscious movement — usually a lone smoker. A clean, fluid movement of lighting, inhaling and exhaling can be observed. This pro is undaunted by wind and rain and can successfully cup, cover and light with one flick of the lighter.
This is all fine and dandy. Sally can make her own choices now, even to quit smoking. But when Sally chooses to flick her cigarette butt on the ground, allowing it to roll over and mingle with the hundreds of other butts instead of dropping it in the ash tray two feet away, that's when I have to step in and write this column that Sally probably isn't reading.
I invite everyone to take a stroll at Wescoe Beach or at the entrance of any building on campus and look down. You'll enjoy a great view of cigarette butts. I also invite you to walk up the Hill and climb four flights of stairs only to be greeted by a hotbox of cigarette smoke when you get to the top. I'm already winded enough as it is.
I could go on and on. I know, I'm gripping. I'll just leave you and, I hope, Sally with a little cliché-ish catch phrase: One small step for smokers (toward the ash tray), one giant leap for KU grounds.
Cates is a Kansas City, Mo., senator in Latin American studies.
Chan Lowe / TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES
Kansan report card
Pass:
■ KU Alumni. The 'University is ranked third in the Big 12 for alumni donations. Our graduates give an average of $1,273 to their alma mater. Perhaps some of the money could be directed at online enrollment, something from which all students could benefit.
Jaybowl renovations. As part of the Kansas Union renovation project, the Jaybowl will replace all 12 lanes, and students will be able to lounge in a new sports cafe. With its new look, Jaybowl may actually make some money this year after reporting $25,000 in losses last year.
Fail:
Amazon.com. Amazon has stepped up its anti-unionization drive, moving distribution centers to areas such as Coffeyville with minimal union activity and low labor costs. The company also has started a propaganda blitz, telling employees that unions are greedy and instructing managers on how to detect union activity.
Election 2000. After 26 days of legal manuevering and political intrigue, the Florida question still remains unresolved. How about a statewide recount with a uniform standard of how to count disputed ballots so that every vote can be weighed equally?
Perspective
Election debacle fuels democratic learning
ballots held up to the light to determine a vote. People in the streets supporting their choice for president. States too close to call a month after the election. What a great time for the American democracy.
The 2009 presidential election is an excellent lesson in civics and American government. At no other time in recent history have we seen the democratic process work like this. The correct officials are presiding over the election controversy, whether they are Florida Secretary of
State Katherine Harris, the county canvassing boards or my new favorite judge, N. Sanders Sauls. And candidates who are pursuing legal challenges have the absolute legal right to do so.
To those who who criticize this process and are calling for an end to this, be patient. This is America at its finest. Each of the branches of government is performing its function. Please forgive the references to Political Science 101 or your high school government class, but it's true.
erment classiesthe legislative branch (Congress, the state legislatures) made the election laws. The executive branch (secretaries of state, county canvassing boards) is enforcing the election laws, and when the laws come into question, they are interpreted by the courts. All in all, America has responded well to the election deadlock. There are no tanks in the streets, and no blood has been lost. While this may seem a ridiculous point to consider in United States, other nations are not so fortunate. We, the greatest nation in the world, are patiently waiting for the election results of our next president.
On Election Day, I volunteered with Kids
Vote USA, a program set up for school children
to vote in a mock election. This program is in
Brian Cooper
guest columnist
opion@kansan.com
place to educate young Americans about the electoral process and get them excited about voting. The greatest moment during my volunteering was an exchange between a young girl and her dad. The girl finished her voting, submitted her ballot (no hanging chads here), and was ready to get on her way into school. Her dad, having just voted in the real election, asked her who she voted for. Her reply: "I'm not telling you, Daddy. It's my right to a secret ballot." Classic
This type of response indicates how important it is to educate younger brothers and sisters about this process. (In case you were wondering, the returns from my polling site were 48 percent for Gore/Lieberman, 48 percent for Bush/Cheney and four percent for Nader/LaDuke).
The nation stands to benefit from this election deadlock. I look forward to the concession speech more than the new president's inaugural address. Why? Whoever gives the concession speech will set the tone for how the nation will be under the new governance. The concession speech needs to be graceful and call for unity among this divided nation. With this speech, action will shortly follow. A near-even split in Congress will work together to achieve legislation that will benefit all Americans. The new president will be more humbled to be governing and will not tend to abuse his power.
Sure, we could be getting sick of the lawyers, the gavel-to-gavel coverage and constant bickering between the parties, but this is democracy in action.
No matter who you voted for or how you feel about the election deadlock, our democracy commands respect for our elected officials and the election process. After all channels have been exhausted (most likely later this week), we will have a legitimate president and vice president, and America will continue to grow after this historic month.
Cooper is an Overland Park senior in business communications.
Editorial
Nation should comply with global treaty
The United States must take environmental action soon before it's too late.
Things are heating up on the international scene. The Kyoto Treaty on global climate change is stalled, and it looks as if it will be put off for an additional three years. As a nation, we should act decisively now and take the lead in greenhouse gas reduction — for our benefit and for the benefit of the entire world.
The Kyoto Treaty establishes emission reduction credits that can be traded and seeks to reduce carbon-dioxide emissions to 1900 levels.
Negotiations collapsed about whether to count forests as sinks for carbon dioxide, and, as a result, we've lost another opportunity to start solving one of our worst problems.
In the United States, our leaders are afraid that if we commit to emissions reduction it will harm our global competitiveness. After all, China and India do not have the same restrictions in the treaty, and they are exactly the nations we will have to compete with in the next 10 years.
years:
But in the long run, the Kyoto Treaty will boost the economy. Emissions reductions force companies to create more efficient technologies. Current fossil fuel use is wasteful. For example, 80 percent of the energy potential of a car engine is simply lost because of the internal combustion design.
More efficient technology will save money on fuel use, but the same technology also will be a commodity that we can trade with other nations. Germany leads the world in green technology, and it's a vital part of their national economy.
The best reason to commit to Kyoto is that we must take some environmental action before it is too late. Once carbon dioxide is in the upper atmosphere, it lingers for 100 years.
If we don't act fast, and internationally, we will lose the ability to substantially cut emissions before the impacts of global warming occur. We can either work to prevent global warming from happening now or find some way to live with it later.
Brett Watson for the editorial board
Free for All callers have 20 seconds to speak about any topic they wish. The Kansan reserves the right to edit submissions, and not all of them will be published. Slanderous statements will not be printed. To read more, go to www.kansan.com.
I think it's disgusting that they turn down the temperature in all the buildings when they leave all the lights on at Memorial Stadium when nobody's there.
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At this rate, we'll have a new pope before a president.
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锅
What's with KU going one week later than the other Regents schools?
I know where Greece is. It's where John Travolta and Olivia Newton John went to school, right?
My disgust for the Greek system is now complete. How sexist is the ad in the Kansan classified that reads, "Wanted: Several male students to work as housemen for a local sorority"? Can't women do the same job?
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If KU were minority-friendly, they wouldn't have a problem with recruiting or retention of minority students.
Why does Cleo the psychic leave messages on my machine? Shouldn't she know I'm not home?
positions:
Guest columns: Should be double-
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The writer must be willing to be pho-
tographed for the column to run.
民盟
To all the people who complain about KU's basketball schedule: Have you seen who we play this month?
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My ex-boyfriend just called my apartment and asked for Kim. Who's Kim? Now I know why we broke up.
I live in a sorority, and I want to know: Why do girls always want boyfriends, but then they treat us like crap?
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Roy Williams' coaching style is outdated.
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The only way to get past racism is to learn more about people, not poke out your eyes.
Let's go back to Bailey; it was warm there. It's freezing at JRP.
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If a seagull flew over a bay, would it be called a bagel?
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