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Wednesday, March 20, 1991 / University Daily Kansan
Opinion
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
The facts of crime
Though Missouri case will not change KU rule more information from police can help students
A federal court decision last week forced the Southwest Missouri State University police to release its crime reports to the public, but it is unlikely to cause KU police to include more information on its reports.
KU police and the University of Kansas misinterpret two 1974 federal statutes, claiming that police reports are the equivalent of student academic records and, therefore, must be kept confidential. The University and KU police now require that a report given to the public include neither crime location nor victim identification.
Reports from campus police are no different than those of city police departments, which are required by law to include identification and location.
No one here has challenged in court the department's authority to cover up crime information. Current and past staff members of the University Daily Kansan have failed to do so, as have concerned students and parents.
So U.S. Department of Education guidelines that direct this University and most
others to treat crime reports with the same privacy as academic records probably will stand. The Southwest Missouri ruling ensures only that crime reports be made public. The inclusion of identities and locations remains open to interpretation of the 1974 laws.
In addition to last week's suit brought by the editor of the student newspaper at Southwest Missouri State University, two cases are pending against Southern Arkansas University and Murray State University in Kentucky.
The three cases could set precedents that move in the right direction. Concerned parents, other students and the media should not be prevented from learning the locations and victims of crimes. Complete information would allow the public to know more about crime on campus, perhaps preventing further incidents similar to those reported.
Students could make informed choices when determining whether a campus was a safe place to live rather than relying on image-conscious University officials for information.
Rich Cornell for the editorial board
'Motorvate' voters
Registration proposals may remedy poor turnout
With every passing election come the cries of another poor voter turnout. To address this situation, two bills have been proposed in the Kansas Legislature concerning additional registration periods.
One proposed alternative would allow citizens to fill out voter registration forms on Election Day before they vote. The combination of registering and voting on the same day would make the entire process easier and less time-consuming for the voter.
Another proposed option is the "motor-
voter" process. Voter registration forms would be attached to the driver's license renewal and application forms. Again, the process would become a lot easier for the voter.
By offering additional registration periods, the likelihood of higher voter registration and participation would increase. Arizona, Colorado and Michigan already have laws similar to the "motor-voter" proposal.
Many people claim they cannot take time off from their busy schedules to register to vote. Others give the excuse that they did not know when or where to register to vote. By providing registration alternatives, the proposed bills would simplify the voting process and would eliminate the basis of these excuses
Opponents of the bills argue that the alternative methods would lengthen the already tiresome lines at driver's license offices and would delay election results. These arguments, however, are petty and do not take into consideration the purpose of the bills: to increase voter participation. An increase in voter participation would result in more accurate and representative elections.
Brent Maycock for the editorial board
Broader understanding of people stems from basic security of self
people always told me that college would broaden my horizons. Last semester, I found out exactly what that meant.
Just so you'll have some idea of my perspective, I'll tell you a little about my background: I'm a straight, Catholic, 19-year-old freshman from a small town. Needless to say, an良性gam community doesn't exist there.
Thus, I can honestly say that I was slightly surprised when my roommate told me she was a lesbian. I thought about it for a couple of days and was maybe a little uncomfortable during that time.
Then I realized I was being rather stupid. I had lived with her for almost four months and had never been the slightest bit uncomfortable, so why should I start now? She obviously knew that I was straight and, condescendingly, homemosexuals do not come out to me and see. So there really was no problem.
Before long, her new love interest moved in with us. The only problem that has caused is deciding who gets in contact a shower first. Not a major issue.
The relationship that my roommates have is one to be envied by people of all sexual orientations. They are passionate toward each other, yet they're also best friends
Melissa Butler
Staff columnist
I think maybe the reason I can understand their feelings, even though I don't share them, is I'm secure about myself and my sexual attitude toward others always reflect your attitude toward yourself.
If children were brought up to believe they were worth something, maybe they would treat others the same way, and the biases such as racism, sexism and homophobia wouldn't exist.
I think insecurity lies at the root of all prejudices. The sad thing is that this self-doubt begins at birth and later causes prejudice and hatred.
Yes, maybe I'm being a bit idealistic, but I still believe that the root of
'The relationship that my roommates have is one to be envied by people of all sexual orientations.'
all prejudices starts at a young age, and, if dealt with then, problems would decrease.
Self-doubt closes the mind and makes people unwilling to try to understand anything that is different. Instead, they just strike out blindly. The thing these people don't comprehend is that different is not always bad. If you take the time to get acquainted with others, judgment on them, no one can say you are being unfair if you disagree with them.
If you simply judge by appearance, whether it be race, sex, sexual orientation or any other number of things. You cannot know the effort it takes to present them.
Maybe if people would open their minds before they open their mouths, the world would be a better place for everyone.
- Melissa Butler is a Humboldt freshman majoring in theatre.
Bible passages show qualities for secret of effective writing
w when I decided to become a published writer, I asked myself the question, "What constitutes effective writing?" Although books on English composition and on journalism gave me the technical answers, I discovered elsewhere that writing had an intangible dimension, untouched by formal study. On this dimension I will reflect.
Ndomby
Fhunsu
Staff columnist
I must warn you, however, that I am talking only about effective writing, nothing else. I warn you because the matter I will discuss here involves the Bible, a portable library that has suffered much rejection because of its religious nature. Nevertheless, it will help to understand that this book is, to me as a writer, what any excellent textbook would be to a chemist, an engineer, or a professor. It is a guideline and source of inspiration for professional excellence. So, in the spirit of the "openness" that we so eagerly endorse at KU, allow me to use the Bible.
In my search for the secret of effective writing, I discovered that the Bible was a treasure chest of precious literature. The Song of Solomon, for example, matches in resources and impact the works of the masters of romantic verse. One of the best short stories of all time was told by Jesus. Only 500 words long, the story of the Prodigial Son is a magnetizing account using imagination, feeling and caring. And, as the New York Times put it a few years ago, "the greatest news story
ever written is the Sermon on the Mount." What a pity that the Nobel Prize in literature did not exist while Jesus was still on earth!
But what was Jesus' secret? The answer, as I observed it, shook and liberated me. Jesus was a thinking, feeling and caring person. He was at odds with the accepted bigotry of the society of his time. He felt deeply enough about the poor, the uneducated, the outcast, the foreign, the physically sick, the mentally ill, the bereaved and even the women caught committing adultery to reach out and identify with them without judging them. And we read of instances where the nice bureaucrats and demagogues of those days disapproved of this creativity.
Obviously, Jesus was a people person. And let's remember, people are not statistics in a university, government department, church or social club; they are flesh and blood entities with dreams and hopes and feelings. But these dreams are often mercieslily murdered by thoughtless attitudes, words and actions. Yet, we sometimes refuse to face the reality of our society because such reality demands action and produces guilt in
our selfishly comfortable lives. "Who cares?" is a popular problem-solving strategy.
Our writing, needless to say, will never be stronger or deeper than we are as persons. The effective writer knows how to live with intensity and feeling. He or she is a risk-taker who is able to take time to think, feel, believe, speak and act outside the boundaries of egoism, conformity. The published writer cares deeply about persons and conditions and cares deeply enough to respect the integrity of the readers, without whom he or she would be out of business.
Effective writers care enough to have it right. They weigh the consequences of their ideas and words. They know that words (which are crystallized thoughts and the tools of the trade of a writer), when nailed to paper, become alive and immortal. It is this meticulous, sincere and time-consuming attention to what and how we write that produces lives copies that breathes life into the readers and into the affairs of the planet.
We see, then, that effective writing is a serious business and a heavy responsibility. My appeal, therefore, is for excellence. Excellent writing and excellent living go hand in hand, and this is what our already confused and hurting world needs most today.
Ndomby Bhunus is a freshman in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
LETTERS to the EDITOR
Inaccessible Robinson
ics.
Robinson Center should do more to facilitate its use by all students. This semester each student paid a $169 campus fee, $9 which is deemed the "recreation service fee." Admittedly, this is a bargain for an athletic facility's membership, but my experiences and interest in such facilities and scheduling at Robinson could be more accommodating.
One day about 4 p.m., I went to Robinson after class to play basketball. The goals on the second court from the north were raised, making it impossible to play basketball there. I told the court this was not to be used for basketball when the wooden center partition was down during aerob-
Soon, people doing aerobics occupied the two south courts, and cheerleaders or a drill team occupied the far north court, and we were left without a full court to play on. At the time we left the courts, about 25 people were waiting to play basketball.
A smaller gym down the hall was open, and the goals were lowered so that only half-court games could be played. I was told that this was done because the size of the gym was too small for safe full-court games. After looking at the smaller gym, I could see that this was true.
Not content with playing 3-on-3 half-court basketball, I decided to get a quick workout on the stationary bikes in the weight room near Robinson's west entrance. Then, at 4:45 p.m., there were two other students, including using a stationary bike and the other using a weight-lifting machine.
Seconds after I got on a bike and began pedaling, I was told by a woman who said she was a physical education instructor that the weight rooms were closed until 5 p.m. because classes were still in session. The fact that only two other people were in the room made no difference.
During the week, the weight rooms are open for all students from 6:15 a.m. to 8:15 a.m., and from 5 p.m. to midnight. More than 26,000 students attend this university. But for most of the time that Robinson is open during the week, the weight room can be used only by those enrolled in certain physical education classes.
Robinson must balance the needs of all students who have the privilege to use it. The facility is there for every student to use, and when it is possible, scheduling should be arranged so that every student can make use in activities he or she likes. Some steps should be taken to do this.
Andrew Jones Ulysses law student
KANSAN STAFF
CHRIS SIRON Editor
RICH CORNELL
Managing editor
TOM EBLEN
General manager, news adviser
AUDRA LANGFORD Business manager
JEANNE HINES Sales and marketing adviser
MINDI LUND Retail sales manager
Editors Business staff
News. Melissa Matthes Campus sales mgr. Sophie Wheehue
Editorial. Tiffany Harness Regional sales mgr. Candace Drensch
Planning. Holly M. Neuman National sales mgr. Jennifer Claxton
Campus. Jennifer Reynolds. Co-op sales mgr. Christine Musser
Pam Sollier Production mgrs. Rich Harbarger
Sports. Katie Stader Photography. Keith Thorpe Marketing director. Erik Ginkelhner
Graphics. Melissa Unterberg Creative director. Chris Haysite
Features. Jill Harmington Classified manager. Kim Crowder
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Loco Locals
by Tom Michaud