4
Friday, February 11, 1977
University Daily Kansan
Comment
Regents just pawns
Donn Everett is probably snickering away right, now.
He's snickering—or should be—at Governor Robert Bennett and the people of Kansas, who fell for Everett's political maneuvering that resulted in the appointment of two Kansas State University alumni to the Board of Regents Wednesday.
Everett is a state senator from Manhattan, which is, not coincidentally, the home of K-State. He is the man who proposed a ridiculous bill that would have prevented more than a single graduate of any one Regents school from serving on the board. The bill was killed in a Senate committee Monday.
WHILE THE bill was still alive, Everett candidly admitted that it was a silly one that had no chance to pass. He said he submitted it only to make a point—that fewer KU graduates should be appointed to the Board of Regents.
Sily or not, the bill bore fruit this week when Bennett bowed to political pressure and appointed K-State alumni to the board. They replaced, strangely enough, two KU graduates who had sought reappointment.
Bennett of course has denied that his appointments had anything to do with Everett's bill or criticism of the Regents composition. Just a coincidence, apparently.
The words Bennett spoke as he made the appointments must have sounded like "forthwards." Afterwards,
"I APPOINTED them because they were good men and they come from Western Kansas." the governor said.
Anyone who believes that should stay away from men selling cheap real estate in Florida. The least the governor could have done was admit that he had succumbed to the pressure—at least he could be respected for his honesty, if not his judgement.
Bennett appointed the two because they are graduates of K-State. In his attempt to show that educational history and political games have no influence on appointments to the Army, Bennett was Regents. Bennett has made it obvious that those two factors are the only determinants.
No one had ever seriously considered the
alma mater of a Board of Regents appointe until Everett bullied his way into the headlines with his proposal, which he announced during a legislative slack time over the Christmas break.
WHEN HE presented the proposal, Everett accompanied it with some rhetoric about how the number of KU graduates on the board had caused funding shortages. He shared facts or examples—but it all sounded good to the folks out in Western Kansas.
What Everett didn't mention that, in its 1977 fiscal year budget requests, the Board of Regents—chock full of KU alumni—requested $88 million for the Lawrence campus of KU and $68 million for Considering whether the campus has students than the Manhattan campus, that hardly seems like exorbitant spending for KU.
Everett and K-Staters are also upset that there is so much construction going on at KU. They are probably also mad that KU has 5,000 more students on the Lakeland campus than it did five years ago—after all, that makes the new buildings necessary.
Using Everett's and Bennett's reasoning, the two new Regents now will probably be expected to be prejudiced toward K-State. After all, wasn't that the point of this whole exercise in political power playing? To make sure K-State gets its share of blamed Regents?
IF THAT wasn't the point, if Bennett and Everett weren't planning to even up the sides in some game of political football, then the whole scenario makes even less sense. Bennett and Everett must have a pretty low opinion of the Regents—otherwise, they wouldn't think the schools from which they graduated would make much difference.
Kansans should expect their leaders to choose the most qualified candidates for any appointive jobs. Everett and Bennett have now guaranteed that, at least for the Board of Regents, educational history will be the most important factor.
It was a sad and dangerous precedent that was set in Topeka Wednesday. Perhaps, however, the Regents themselves can rise above the pushing and shoving of our elected leaders.
If you're as bored as I usually am of childhood reminiscences, please forgive me. But there's something I've got to get off my chest.
I tomorrow we celebrate the birthday of one of America's greatest presidents. Tomorrow we pay official tribute to the president in a speech by Emancipation Proclamation, the solution to the Civil War and the Reconstruction. His subsequent assassination made him a martyr for the cause of civil rights, and inspired America. I loves Abraham Lincoln.
Abraham Lincoln's face stirs fear
I hate Abraham Lincoln.
MAYBE ID better clarify that. I don't hate Lincoln the Great President. Who could hate a president who did what he did? Rather, I hate Lincoln the Ugly Face. That face through the years has taught me how to be both amicable and many painful classroom experiences and has brought much delight to my family and friends.
It all began one frosty, blustery February night. 12 or 13 years ago.
I shared a bed with an older brother. He was at that age when old brothers satisfy primitive animal urges by teasing, taunting and tormenting him. He still younger than I, but I was the one most convenient as the object of Older Brother's devious (and deviant) tricks. Because we slept together, he could be a slave to us, and Mother and Father would never know. He got away with murder.
The aforementioned frosty, blustery February night was a night like any other night. I'd said my prayers, bid my parents goodnight and trotted off to bed. My older brother sat in the bedroom desk with his nose buried in a book (or so I thought). I pulled down the covers, as I always did, and started to jump into bed.
THEN I saw it. On my pillow. A grusomesly ugly picture of Abraham Lincoln.
I froze, gasped, shrieked, screamed,
cried, jumped out of bed, beat, kicked
and bit my older brother, who was by
Stewart Brann
Editorial Editor
then quaking with laughter. Then I ran downstairs to take sanctuary in Mother's lap.
She met me halfway down the stairs, curious as to the nature of my screams and tears. I was incoherent amid the mix of blubberlings and wallings, but eventually the story came out: My older sister came up to me for a picture of Abraham Lincoln on my pillow.
Mother was nonplused. She told my still quaking brother to "settle down," hardly my idea of compensatory punishment,
Unfortunately, the story doesn't end there.
There it was. Propped up on the table.
The servant was, of the birthday box.
There I was, confronting the ugliest man in history.
There they were. My older brother AND my mother, in the kitchen, convulsing.
SUCH ARE the roots of my distance- to put it mildly—for Abraham Lincoln. That episode's effects on my late childhood were profound.
Lincoln was an often-photographe man, considering that photography was something relatively new in the 1860s. His mug appears in every history book, dictionary and encyclopedia around. He is a very well-known World Book in fourth grade, I avoided section "L." That immediately eliminated the desire to learn about leopards, lichens, Liechtenstein, lions, lima beams and lingerie. I never learned the proper definitions and root words of woodland, woodland, lingua franca, linotype or litany.
The fear was reinforced in junior high. At assemblies, my homeroom was always the one that sat directly under the desk. I sat in the auditorium. A portrait of George Washington, who doesn't bother me a bit, was on the opposite side of the auditorium. We never sat there.
Three years ago tomorrow, for some unknown reason, they flashed Lincoln's picture on the screen during "Jeopardy."
six years ago tomorrow, my history teacher, a fan of Carl Sandburg, read us passages from Sandburg's biography of Lincoln. That in itself was too bad. But why did he have to spice up the lecture with a slide show?
All my trials. Lord.
A YEAR ago tomorrow, I received an anonymous Lincoln's birthday card adorned with profuse illustrations. Two months before that, I received a Christmas card with a picture of Lincoln pasted over the head of Baby Jesus.
Does no one share my anxiety? Does no one sympathize with what I've gone through? Does no one else consider Lincoln frightfully ugly?
Take a good long look at one of his pictures (there's a dooory on page 410 of the American Heritage pocket book, which is filled with photos of his eyes are the eyes of wickness. Look at his mouth; his lips are the lips of an ogre. Look at his enormous nose, his over sized ears, his bushy eyebrows, his unkempt hair, his wide-legged beard, his high check-hones, his wart.
"Doesn't it cause you to shift uncomfortable in your chair?" Doesn't it make you want to avoid dark air? Compel you to go check on your children?
Why not the best of Billy?
I rest my case.
Billy Carter's hoppin' mad. Someone, it seems, done went off and wrote a book about him. "I was the best dancer here. Here then, are excerpts from a book Billy might have written himself, a book that might be titled 'Billy's Life.' As I thought As Hell would've seen It."
There's probably other reasons, too.
MOST PEOPLE think of me as nothin' but a beer drinker that sits around watchin' pumps all day. That's just because the media goes around makin' news instead of presentin' it. Not a one of em or them, with what is most like, what I'm really like, because most of 'em are spendin' so much damn time in my beer bottle.
Like I get up every mornin' at 4:30—workin' man's hours. By 5:30, I've read four or five
Meet what I do durin' the day is run in the family bidness. There's a lot of peanut jokes in the country that people don't
newsheets and all the crap that's been in 'em. There's no way in hell that a newsman will show up in Plains 'til an hour before deadline time, and then you know the man over they look like they've been ridin' a washin' machine all night.
Jay Bemis
Editorial Writer
realize growin' peanuts is hard work.
A MAN isn't a man if he doesn't like sitin' and drinkin' with the boys after workin' 12 hours, though. Beer is the best social drink we got down in Plains, and the best day to drink
Bigotry alive and well in Lawrence
To the editor:
Kansan chastised
Thanks to the letter of Linda Saiger (Krause, Feb. 7), we can all rest easy tonight, secure in the knowledge that sororites at KU harbor no "secondrels," rogues and ruffians prostitutes and pushes and other compositions of that, alas, is not Debra Watson's point. Undoubtedly, there are problems to be had with Ms. Watson's letter. I find especially dubious the idea that teachers downgrade blacks in their classes. I think that Ms. Watson should find data to back that statement. But that is also not the point.
Face it, Ms. Saiger, you may have soothed your pained conscience with your circular argument, yet you do not soothe the me. It must be nice knowing that you and your "sisters" can talk in plain words about the "house" song before you cup with clear hearts now that you have mitigated the blot of bigryth on your philosophy.
The point is that it has been alleged that black women are being systematically excluded from at least one sorcery house on this campus and Ms. Saul, who harden了她, cannot skirt that issue. Yet, that is precisely what she has tried to do. Saiger regales us with platitudes about "lifetimes" and meaningless phrases like "the sorceress members into categories." If, indeed, a sorority is "nothing but a building which houses sorony members," why is it so very important that some of them have "category" label on their face should be excluded on that basis?
Your argument won't wash, Linda. I suggest a course in logic and a very thorough session of soul-searching before you decide that you really believe what you wrote.
The fact remains and always will remain that a black woman was excluded from rush purely on the basis of her color, a sad one, not because she is poor and well in Lawrence and harbored in the sorority system.
To the editor:
Bob Nugent Philadelphia Senior
In the Feb. 4 issue of the Kansan a front page article reported on the marijuana enforcement policies of the KU enforcement agency, a story appeared, it has been picked up by one wire service, several radio stations, and two television news shows. As a result, the police in the residence halls has been described as "rampant," "uncontrollable," and "condoned." As members of the police department have distressed to note that only a very small minority of Resident
taught, they are allowed to be used in the newspaper.
Paul Miller
Lawrence senior
Susie Handelman
Shawnee Mission junior
(Also signed by nine other students)
Airport worthwhile
To the editor:
In response to the article on the editorial page of the Karsan on Jan. 28 discouraging improvement of Lawrence Municipal airport, I feel I must reply in opposition.
While I am not very familiar with the Lawrence area or its people, it is obvious by the large
I hope that I have shed a little light on the importance of your airport so that you may favor it. My advice is that you can now say is that the people of Lawrence have an old gold mine under their nues that really could pay off if they spent a lot of money and dug a little liceer.
Gary Potter 1601 N. 78th St.
Kansas City, Kan
a stopping point for corporations.
Beliefs not static To the editor:
Arise, O people of common sense, there is a boar loose in the Kansan! The boar is Alan
Realizing that the School of Journalism at the University of Kansas is a "teaching laboratory," we do hope that your students will learn to do a better job on future articles. Surely such techniques as staging events overgeneralizations and shabby investigative reporting are not taught at a school as proud as this one. And one can only wonder why, if they are not
Readers Respond
Your story implied that since there are problems with pot in one or two residence halls and that a few R.A.'s "candle" this activity is the case in all of the residence halls. In fact, it was an important decision done pot-smoking in the halls they live in because: 1) the word condense implies a moral judgment which it is not our job to make and 2) we enforce residence hall policies and to be lenient in one area and to be lenient in other areas. What a resident does off hall property is of his own private concern.
Although policy enforcement is part of the R.A. role, residents with the policies of the hall they live in will enable the staff to direct their attention to issues and provide experience for all involved.
Assistants were polled on this subject.
Why knock progress and growth? Is this not essential for a successful business environment? Thirty years ago, more than half of the American population situated in cities of more than 100,000 people. By 1856, more one-third of all new factories were going to smaller cities. In fact, to date the trend of industrial decentralization is moving towards smaller communities that have something in common—a decent airport.
Airports do create more jobs. Who will work at the new industrial facilities drawn to a change in technology? Who will make the important decisions that determine their prosperity? I understand that KU has an excellent business culture, leading out competent graduates!
number of those opposed to the improvement that there is a misunderstanding about the value of a good airport. Aviation is a diverse industry. This is why those who control its destiny have difficulty realizing its importance.
it is on Sunday. That's when I give it away to the boys.
Lawrence airport should not expect or want to compete with Kansas City International or Topka airports. This is what makes Lawrence so attractive—an airport that is close to town and business. It should serve as a link as well as
Hicks, who, in his Feb. 8th letter, said that the ordination of women was an integral part of Catholic doctrine. The present attitude regarding ordination of women could—and probably will—change with the pontifex, the leading aspect of Hicks' life is that the pre-Vatican II era. When I was a pupil in a parochial school, we were taught that the church possessed THE truth.
The Catholic Church would never change; we were right and THEY were WRONG. Then came Vatican II, and there hasn't been the same comfortable, unthinking approach that has characterized the Church is made up of humans, and despite the best efforts of the Holy Spirit, it will reflect human frailties. That belief isn't a static principle is manifest in the tradition of change and progress, as seen in figures from Erasmus to Pope John Paul II. Faith is a call for struggle and is an unfolding process.
1. J. (Toby) Westerman Lawrence graduate student
City needs change
I was upset by Brent Anderson's article "Let's Keep Our City Government" in Wednesday's Kansan, concerning the proposal that will be on the April ballot to change the
You see, this damn state has what they call blue laws. They're so full of crap they're like a blue tick on a blue tick dog.
form of government from the present City-Manager form to the Mayor-Council form of government.
First, Brent made it sound like "Joe College" and "Sally College" indiscriminately signed the petition, not knowing or carying about what they were doing. I am sorry to see them uniformed non-caring citizen and student. Also, signing the petition did not mean those people were for the change of government, and trying to "get the uniformed non-caring citizen and student." It merely meant they felt that the issue deserved to be put to a vote. Just having this issue on the ballot is an education to the students and citizens of Lawrence to discover motives of those who organized the petition were not clear. Did he speak with any of them? I felt they were extremely clean and careful who were distributing the petitions if you were willing to listen. The main motives were well-pay by you: 1) It will responsive to the needs of its citizens, and the citizens in local government and in making decisions that affect the city. Number 1 is achieved by the process of electing Commissioners from districts. Contrary to what good of the city being utmost important, Lawrence is a diverse town; each section's needs and wants are different and must be acknowledged. That is why representation is important in city manager system does not meet that need with Commissioners elected at large. I do not feel their main concern is centered on the over-mall town, anyway and on growth-, indiscriminate growth, regardiness of the needs of the city as a whole.
Regarding the second motive listed above, by having ward elections, citizen participation will be increased on a neighborly basis. Citizens who become involved to elect someone from their district.
Two more important facts regarding Mayor-Council form
And the blue laws said as heil don't stop me from barbecuing on Sundays, either. If I butcher a mug and it ready to eat, nobody has any damn bainnes tellin' me I can't put her on the stove so that nobody can many people in Plains anymore that you can't barbecue. There's too many mouths to feed.
The City Manager, Buford Watson, has an incredible amount of power now. He tells the part-time Commissioners "the facts" that they make their own decisions out of 10 agree with him mainly because they do not have the time to research the facts out. Under the Mayor-Council form of government, many people are in agreement to send democratic the. The Mayor could vote with the Commissioners only if there was a tie; he could vote their decisions, but they could override his veto by a 2/3 majority. Would a Sandrini?? Just like the President and Congress. Here we have a balance of power that is so important to the idea of democracy. Maybe an even more efficient—one man telling the rest what to do and how to do it—however, I would rather see a slower, more democratic way of running the city, for we are a more multi-million dollar business" as Brent Anderson calls it.
of government that Brent did not mention were that the City Commissioners would be able to devote more energy to running the city, and 2) be paid a livable salary so that people could earn more money. I earn a big salary could afford to run for the Commission.
To demonstrate the absurdity of the City Manager form of government, let's apply it to the federal government. The President would be appointed by the senate, not elected, with full power and the Senators elected at large so that certain states had more control over theSenators would have other employment. Sounds undemocratic somehow!
I don't feel I am being overly optimistic or naive when I refuse to acknowledge the city as merely a business. If we take the human element out of City government, and decide to run it yourself, we might blooted way we know, we might have an efficient business machine, but we sure won't have a city that is fit to live in.
Patti Plamann Clerk III
ONE THING I've said before and I'll say again is that Plains is goat straight to hell. Tourists come up here and get tads too many already. In fact, they're so damn thick the place looks like a swarm of flies on the ground.
And that's not mentionin'
what they're in'd Flaina. I'm
payin' so much damn deposit
and I don't know what we've
been stolen for souvenirs.
I wanted to change it. That's why I ran for mayor. I just guess I'm one Carter who wasn't born to be a leader for a change. One thing about that election night, though. Me and Andrew were there. For a while there, we were thinkin' we was back in high school goin' to Americus for a hot dog and a coke.
of a runnin'-the-family-bidness job.
ME AND Jimmy get together every once in a while, but it's nobody's darmin biddess what he does. He hadn't elected. If he hadn't, I'd be out
n ope he can find a way of getin' at the gas companies. They're always preachin' about how we have a gas shortage, but I know better. Those dunn companies will sell you more gas if they were nice. I know I have gas biddiness quite a while now. It's kinda funny they used to hold back on me. Ever since Jimmy started runin' for President I've been getin' all the gas I want.
JUST BECAUSE I haven't been to church in quite a while doesn't mean I'm not religious. I believe in God, but I worship God. When I see people who say I'm not religious are nothin' but a crock of hypocrites. A hypocrite is the worst kind of sinner there as she, he, and they want to make a baisdness deal with a man, I want to trust him. If he turns his back on me, and then goes to church on Sunday, he's still a sin, and he sure as bell won't be able to bindiness with me no more.
I doubt if I'd change my life if I was to do it all over again. Oh, I've had my ups and downs. In fact, I've had nine years of ups of downs; we had to do 50 of 'em with her other exercises in the Marines.
"we been called red neck, peanut farmer, Jimmy's little brother and even worse things. But as far as I'm concerned, I'd just as soon they call me to Georgia from Georgia," and the others can go straight to Plains with all those other slap-ass crazy tourists.
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