4 Wednesday, February 20, 1991 / University Daily Kansan Opinion THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN Permanent temp? Budig needs to find executive vice chancellor; Shankel should be allowed to return to teaching The time has come for Chancellor Gene Budig to choose a new executive vice chancellor at the University of Kansas. Ten months ago, Del Sharkel left his position as a professor of microbiology and microchemistry to take over the executive vice chancellor's office temporarily. Shankel continues to fill the interim role and expects that he will continue in Fall 1991. Although Shankel said he did not mind filling in and assisting the University as the interim executive vice chancellor, he anticipated returning to teaching and research. Almost one year after the resignation of Judith Ramaley as executive vice chancellor, Budig has not formed a search committee for the position or publicly set any kind of time frame for the process to take place. More importantly, Budig has not given any substantial reasons for putting off the appointment. Jim Scally, assistant to Budig, said there was no reason to rush the formation of a search committee that would choose the best job candidates. Shankel said the chancellor first wanted to review the duties the position should entail. Ten months seems to be more than enough time to decide what the role of the executive vice chancellor is. The groundwork for the position has been laid since 1974 If the executive vice chancellor's duties do need to be revamped, then the chancellor should let the students, faculty and administration know what he has in mind. The student body and Shankel should not have to wait until Budig is "ready" to appoint a permanent executive vice chancellor. The executive vice chancellor's responsibilities include overseeing endowment campaigns and the administration of the Regents Center in Overland Park and the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita. A position of this importance should not be filled with an interim official for almost a year. The sooner a permanent executive vice chancellor can become familiar with the position and the University, the sooner a permanent focus can be placed on the executive vice chancellor's role. Shankel, having been the first KU executive vice chancellor, certainly is qualified to serve as interim executive vice chancellor. But Shankel said he wanted to continue his scientific research as soon as his interim position is terminated. The chancellor should choose a permanent executive vice chancellor who is hungry for the long-term commitment the position needs and deserves and let Shankel return to his role as a professor Carol Krekeler for the editorial board Education gamble Gaming funds should go directly to education I Gov. Jean Finney's proposal for spending gambling money passes, education will be left in the dust A Missouri proposal offers a better suggestion for how to spend state gaming money, which includes money raised through lottery ticket sales and, in Kansas, also would include dog and horse racing. Last week, a Missouri legislator proposed that all of the state's lottery ticket revenue be used for Missouri public schools. Kansas should follow this example. But Finney's proposal provides no guarantee that money from the gaming fund will be spent on education. The governor recommended that 60 percent of the revenues from the State Gaming Revenues Fund be transferred directly into the State General Fund. She also recommended that 40 percent be transferred to capital improvements, including the Corrections Institutions Building Fund and a new fund titled the General Facilities Building Fund. This proposal is a mistake, because if the money for education was placed in the general fund, it would get lost among other programs, as it has in the past. The money that goes into the gaming fund should be designated only for education and KTEC (Kansas Technology Enterprise Corporation). Education financing should include primary, secondary and college levels, including financing the third year of the Margin of Excellence. The gaming fund is an account for the money available to the state from the Lottery and Racing Commission. Revenue from the gaming fund is estimated to be $26.7 million in fiscal 1991 and $27.4 million in fiscal 1992. Now, 90 percent of the state gaming money is transferred to the Economic Development Initiatives Fund and 10 percent to the Corrections Building Fund. If 60 percent of the money was pooled in the State General Fund, education might get lost in the competition for financing because of tight financial times. If the state gaming money used for education is placed in the State General Fund, it would be easy for legislators to divert money from education to other programs. The state gaming money should be used only for education so financing would be guaranteed. Amy Zamierowski for the editorial board Pro-war attitudes surprising Some people are puzzled by the pro-war attitude of U.S. college students. During the Vietnam War, among the most zealous peacenems. But now, "support the president" groups are springing up on campuses all over the country. Pro-war rallies are drawing big, enthusiastic crowds. Some campus newspapers carry articles by students deriding peace activists as naive, unpatriotic, swimming cowards. So experts are trying to probe the hearts and minds of these hard-nosed students to see how they got that way. And there are many theories. "To understand that, you have to have a background in mass psychology, which I do, among many other fields, and it is very hard to understand." Then what is behind their surprising enthusiasm for the war? Could it be, I asked, that this generation of students could be trying, even conscionably, to make sports more important for Vietnam veterans were treated? Curious myself, I asked I.M. Kookie, one of the world's leading experts on lots of stuff, if he had any insights. "Anything is possible," Dr. Kroice said, "But based on my clinical research, I would have to say, nah, no way." Then could it be that they have somehow become a genetic throwback to earlier generations that were willing to rally round the flag those who came of age in the Great Depression and later in war II and their younger brothers who quietly went to Korea even though they didn't know where it was? "That's possible, too." Dr. Kookie said. "But according to my studies, forget it." Mike Royko Syndicated columnist scares most people more than anything else?" Yes, but I'm try. "OK. Then tell me this. What Snakes? Or maybe big bugs? Or footsteps on their roof at night? "Yes, those are all scary. But the thing that scares people the most is ceasing to be." You mean dving? "Yeah, you could put it that way. When somebody is murdered, it gets in the paper. But if they are scared by a snake or a bug, who cares?" "So let us look back to the students of the Vietnam era and what motivated them." We all know that. They were against war. They were appalled by the mass destruction and waste of life. Yes,but I'll try. "Yeah, some, maybe. But most of them were appalled by the chance that it was them who might, to use their power, zap zapped. Remember, we had a draft." Yes, but those who stayed in school were deferred. "Sure but they couldn't all stay in school. And they couldn't all get jobs teaching in inner-city schools so they'd be deferred. And most of them didn't have enough clout to get themselves into some National Guard outfit with the politicians' sons and the professional football players." Are you saying the students' anti- war movement in those days was based on personal fear? "Not all of it. Maybe 90 percent." "Maybe. But after the draft was abolished, most of those inner-city That is a harsh judgment schoolteachers said: 'Bye, kids, I got to go make a buck.' But what about today's hard-nosed students? How do you explain their attitudes? "I thought I explained it. There is no draft. So except for the ones who are in reserve outfits that got called up, there's no chance that they'll get zapped. Their lives aren't being disrupted. They don't have to go teach kids or run away to Canada do anything but watch the war on TV." You seem to be saying that if we still had the draft, their attitude would be different "Yes, that's fair to say. I think that we had a draft, instead of bravely signing petitions saying they support the troops and president, and telling TV reporters that they are a new, different group, they would be more systematic in imaging and down, screaming and hiding in their closets. "Sure they support the troops Because the troops are there instead of them. And they support the president because he says there won't be a draft. The day he says he's running short of warm bodies and is drawing them, they'll start putting up old Abie Hoffman posters." Do you have any scientific data to support your theory? "Sure. Lots of it. You can check it out yourself." How? "Whenever there is one of these pre-war campus rallies, and they strut around saying they support the prez, and we are fighting for democracy and to stop the spread of whatizs and the threat of whooits, go up to the student and ask them one question." What question: "When are you going to enlist?" University shouldn't discriminate between federal holidays Mike Royko is a syndicated columnist with the Chicago Tribune. Ahh, the University of Kansas, the home of celebrated diversity and unequaled equality. We challenge all to find and earn the kind of education only the finest universities can offer. However, even with all the celebration of diversity and stressing of its members, a "mute" state remains. nearest addition to our national holidays, and one that I, personally, thought was overdue, is the recognition of Martin Luther King Jr. That simple something is the observance of the conglomerated presidents, Presidents' Day. The federal government has set aside a few days of the year to commemorate various people, ideas and events that have shaped the country, whether we like it or not, most people are able to stay home on these days Kurt Kaemmerlen Guest columnist He was a great man, a super- orator, and he shared with us some very fundamental and crucial ideas. he deserves to be recognized But so do those presidents I spoke of earlier. Primarily, I speak of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, both of whom used to have their own birthdays. However, to streamline his speech, the presidentAbbe were smooshed into one Monday along with all other presidents Monday, the nation honored these presidents, and most people slept late, did not hassle with rush hour and stayed home to watch CNN. But for some lopsided reason, the University of Kansas showed its respect to the smoother presidents with the honor of conducting classes as usual. And while you may not agree that all presidents were great, we have to credit a few of them. holidays to honor. Actually, whether the University observes national holidays really does not matter to me. I am just very pleased that the University chose a way in which the University chose Odd, you say, because, if we all recall, back on Jan. 21 we were able to sleep late in honor of the birthday of King. Without taking anything away from King, I wonder why we honor him and choose to overlook our founding and foremost presidents Washington could have been a complete jerk, but he was the first president of this country. And even though Lincoln wore stupid hats, he did something that probably made King proud. He single-handedly put a stop to, in my mind, the worst part of this nation's history. To whomever is responsible for the decision to honor or ignore national holidays, I would ask this simple question: What are the reasons for your seemingly inappropriate decision to ignore Presidents' Day? Your track record shows that you honor at least one of the national holidays, why not all? As I read the Kansan Monday morning before class, I became a tad angered. Right there on the Opinion page was placed an editorial on how awful it was that someone conducted a class on Martin Luther King Day. I found this to be almost a slap in the face of sorts since, ironically, we were all in class reading this on Presidents' day. And furthermore, the editorial even mentioned possible disciplinary action toward the person responsible. If the University considers this ill- planned decision to conduct classes on a national holiday so awful, why not allow them to attend classes on Presidents Day? Your answer might be very logical, and perhaps I am overlooking something, but I still think that to honor King and not to honor our nation's finest presidents seems a little short-sighted. Perhaps you were choosing to avoid the inevitable backlash of hatred the University would feel if you did not honor King. But I would propose that it is inappropriate and misguided to think that simply making a statement either King Day will make the problems at this University disappear. It is simple. Either observe all the national holidays or none of the national holidays. It is not up to you, or me for that matter, to decide which holiday is worthy of canceling classes for a day. Kurt Kaemmerlen is a St. Louis senior majoring in architecture. 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