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Wednesday, March 6, 1991 / University Daily Kansan
Opinion
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Give union help
Striking store employees need local customers to help cause by refusing to shop at Food Barn
Union members at 47 Food Barn stores in Kansas and Missouri, including the Lawrence store, have been on strike since Sunday. The strike stems from failed contract negotiations and from management's subsequent implementation of large cuts in pay and benefit for workers.
With the previous contract, the local Food Barn employed 15 KU students.
Lawrence should support the union's demand for fair contracts for the 2,500 affected Food Barn clerks and meat cutters in Kansas and Missouri. The best way to support this demand is by choosing not to shop at Food Barn.
Union members are hoping to win support by picking 24 hours a day in front of the 47 stores. Handbills stating reasons for the strike and asking customers to shop elsewhere are being distributed.
Union officials report that in the past six years, management has cut $48 million in wages and benefits to keep Food Barn in operation. Under the proposed contract, employees will lose an additional $27 million in concessions during the next three years. Management also has proposed eliminating health insurance policies for part-time workers, who make up more than half of Food
Barn's employees.
Food Barn says these concessions are necessary to remain competitive with other stores. But union members say Food Barn has lost money because of mismanagement, not labor costs.
Union members maintain that the contract is unacceptable and unfair. While the workers have sacrificed millions of dollars; management has not taken its fair share of cuts.
Members are not asking for wage increases, just that they keep the wages and benefits they had before the proposed contract.
All employees would suffer from the proposed cuts, but part-time workers, including KU students, who would have health benefits eliminated in addition to lower wages, would be affected the most.
The workers have done their part. Now it is time for management to make some concessions of its own and work with employees to develop a fair contract. Both sides have said the outcome of this strike ultimately will be decided by the customers
Lawrence should support union members by refusing to shop at Food Barn until an acceptable contract is signed.
Melanie Botts for the editorial board
Opening the field
Bill would help teacher shortage, add training
In an attempt to resurrect a dying job field, State Sen. Dave Kerr, R-Hutchinson, has proposed a bill in the Kansas Legislature that would provide an alternative and somewhat easier way for prospective teachers to earn their teaching certificates.
The proposal would loosen the requirements needed to receive a teaching certificate by not requiring additional college education. It would allow a college graduate with a degree in something besides education the right to earn a teaching certificate without having to return to school and earn the required education degree.
Instead, the prospective teacher would be able to earn a certificate through on-the-job training, primarily in the form of two-year internships and some classroom study. These internships would be supervised by a teacher, a principal and an instructor from a teachers' college.
A benefit of this bill is that it would help
alleviate the continuing shortage of teachers especially those trained in the areas of mathematics and science.
The proposal, if passed, would loosen the requirements needed to receive a teaching certificate by not requiring additional college education. It would allow a person who has graduated from college with a degree in something other than education to earn a teaching certificate without having to return to school and earn the required education degree.
By requiring a two-year internship program, the trainees would not be thrust immediately into a teaching position but would gradually learn the fine points that might not be taught in a classroom. A supervised, on-hand training experience would be an effective alternative and an excellent opportunity for prospective educators to learn their trade.
Brent Maycock for the editorial board
Troubled tabbies stalk abusers so keep your guns in a drawer
Melanie Botts
Staff columnist
I thought I'd seen everything.
After all, Toonces the Driving
Cat is pretty amazing.
But then, the other day, I was reading the newspaper while still half asleep. All of a sudden, a headache came. All of a sudden, You Color Your Gun? May Be Feline Felon
I was sure it was just another inaccurate headline. But after reading the lead several times, I realized this was an attempt at the truth: Don't you hate it when you get shot by your cat?
Apparently, a Kansas City man was shot in the ankle last week while working on a car in his shop. The culprit? His cat! The cat, playing on a nearby workbench, pushed a loaded 22-caliber revolver onto the floor. The gun discharged, and the bullet hit the man in the right ankle.
Local police, who couldn't help but chuckle, remarked that they did not know what grudge the cat might have had against the man.
Nevertheless, the cat proved a pretty good shot.
My high school English teacher was one. He'd often snarl at the mention of cats and always said he'd drive over a cat that around one
After I stopped laughing, I began to ponder the underlying meaning of such a violent act. Was this intemational behavior on the part of the cat? Slowly I began to recall all the people I knew who professed strong dislike
Then there was that girl who answered my ad for a roommate. During a visit, she told me how much she just loved cats as she proceeded to slam her own cat in the refrigerator for jumping onto the counter.
for cats
And my neighbor from long ago — he used to swing his cat around by the tail screening. "Are you dizzy yet?"
As my memories became increasingly grotesque, I realized something. My favorite animal of all time had finally had enough of this unjust treatment. Anyone will admit that cat abuse has been allowed to run wild. How come it's always the dogs who get all the attention?
ular cat to resort to a gun. The grudge must have been a big one, and the owner surely will never tell. But I bet he's learned a good lesson.
So I began to admire this brave cat. Someone needed to take a stand against cat abuse and who better to do so than a cat itself?
So take this as a warning, all cat-haters: The cats are making a comeback. Clawing and shrieking no longer will do. Guns are the answer! Be kind to cats or suffer the embarrassment by taking it to a police officer that your cat hates you enough to shoot you doesn't say much for your character.)
I don't know about you, but I'm going to be especially nice to my cat the next time I'm home.
Who knows what drove this partic-
Melanie Botts is an Atchison senior majoring in journalism.
LETTERS to the EDITOR
Education is answer
I would like to respond to the editorial concerning fraternities and the IFC bylaw.
It seems to me this is the problem. We say that we prevent rape from happening, but prevention is only an exercise, and obstacles can be overcome.
Rape has been a popular subject as of late in the Kansan and various magazines. I guess we can verify this fact by comparing the variety of identity desiles all efforts of prevention.
The editorial reminded fraternities to stop abusing IFC regulations, which include the banning of open house parties in which "anyone off the street can come." It suggested using a roster to keep tabs on the guests invited "so that situations in which rape and accidents are likely to occur will not present themselves."
Statistics sav that women are three
times more likely to be raped by an acquaintance than a stranger, so this theory of excluding "anyone off the street" is invalid. Not only will the raping continue to occur, but the victims will now be considered
Rape will occur whether there are open house parties or not, rosters or not, booze or not. Because I've critiqued the board and its solutions to the problem, I think it's appropriate for me to make a suggestion.
Instead of taking away, by restricting fraternities freedoms, it is necessary to give. I'm talking about education. We're never going to be able to prevent rape, but we can help stop it by educating children at the earliest possible age and educating all adults to those who are committing the crime.
How does anyone learn if they're not taught first? It is necessary to educate now instead of waiting for the next accident to occur.
Diane Bosilevac Kansas City, Kan., senior
Inaccurate coverage
members of the Direct Action Movement.
I would like to take the time to clear up a few problems with the story concerning the arrest of five
It was reported that a man who attempted to gain entrance to the Army Recruitment Center was "shoved back" by members of the group. If you would like to view the video tape of the six o'clock WIBW news, I would be happy to provide it for you. It clearly shows that the pulling and shoving was done by the young man himself. You could see that all of those blocking the doorway were linked at the elbow and were in no position to do any type of shoving. We are a non-violent organization and some readers have questioned us about this incident.
It was stated that I was the person who organized this event. This is not so. We have made ever attempt to maintain DAM as a non-hierarchical
There were not 20 people blocking the doorway to the office. There were six people who participated in the symbolic blockade, with one member opting to leave when asked to do so by police. Five of us were then arrested. There were however, more people who stayed on-site site of the protest giving support to those who were arrested and we would like to thank them.
group. This event was not planned by me alone, nor by the five who were arrested. All members of DAM were integral to the planning and execution of this protest and credit should be given to one of them for their contribution.
Tom Howell Lawrence graduate student
We do thank the Kansan for being present at the event and for considering it newsworthy. We simply felt that we would be to be mentioned. Thanks once again.
Too good to be true
As I read the Mar. 4 articles about Campus Connection, it brought me back to early fall, to when I had my own experience with this spurious
My experience, fortunately, was not as severe as that of Cynthia Wimmer. I too was faced with the decision to be welcomed by a group of immediate close friends or face their rejection as I became closer to them. They said I would go to hell when I died if I did not join them, that they loved me and wanted what was best for me. They told me to end communication with my family so I could bring my new religious family
closer Everything they said was reinforced with Bible verses and warm smiles and hugs.
During the two weeks I spent with them, I rarely ate or slept. I was slowly pulled away from basic tenets of a Catholic upbringing. I did not know where to go or who to turn to.
After deciding that I could not handle the strain anymore, I finally told my 'disciplex' I would not speak with her or her group anyone.
I had to learn the hard way what was painfully common sense. Time and only time can show whether someone really loves you. Words are nothing unless they are substantiated by actions that only someone who really loves you can do. Know the difference!
Friendship is not immediate either, no matter how much we need it. Time is the true test. We are all young people who do not know how to temper our curiosity or our desire for success. Beware of those who offer something "too good to be true." Prick up your ears when a member of an organization asks you if you think your parents would disagree with your joining their group. They may mean to separate you from your
parents, the ones who have known you for more than 18 years, who can be the only ones who can help you get out of a jam, especially a financial
Finally, anything can be proved by using Bible verses if you use them in the right context. Think about it.
And Cynthia Wimmer, wherever you are, prayers with you.
Jennifer Ludlow
Wichita freshman
Professor is misquoted
In the Feb. 22 University Daily Kansan, your newspaper reports me as having said at my lecture the previous evening at the Spencer Art Museum. "Race should be looked at a science, as a truth and as a fact."
The central point I made in my lecture, and repeated several times, was the exact opposite. Race should not be looked upon as a science, as a truth and as a fact, but as an ideological development that came about as the result of certain economic and historical factors.
Arnold Ramnersad
Arnold RAMPersed Woodrow Wilson Professor of English, director of American studies, Prince- university
ton University
CHRIS SIRON
Editor
TOM EBLEN
General manager, news adviser
Editors
By Tom Michaud
RICH CORNELL Managing editor
TOM EBLEN
RICH CORNELL
News Melanie Matnes
Editorial Tiffany Harness
Planning Holly M. Neuman
Campus Jennifer Reynolds,
Sports. Ann Sommermelter
Photography Keith Thorpe
Graphics Melissa Unterberg
Features Jill Harrington
Business staff
AUDRA LANGFORD
Business manager
MINDI LUND
Retail sales manager
JEANNE HINES
Sales and marketing adviser
Campus sales mgr. *Sophie Wheeh*
Regional sales mgr. *Carmen Drench*
National sales mgr. *Jennifer Claxton*
Production marshs. *Rich Harbarman*
Kade Studer
Marketing director... Gall Enbinder
Creative director... Cristy Hahs
Classified manager... Kim Crowder
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