THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
FRIDAY, MARCH 18, 2011
PAGE 5A
opinion
I am NOT crazy. I have a burning passion for the pre-law program, and I will NOT be satisfied until every single person believes it.
apps.facebook.com/dailykansan
I love how everyone's crazy side comes out on FFA during midterms. Everyone all hopped up on Adderall and caffeine. Everyone's losing their minds.
I agree. Also, us somewhat-nerdy guys rarely treat girls badly. Chivalry is NOT dead, I say!
I'm going to take a women's studies course, so I can understand the inner workings of the female mind.
My Internet kept kicking me off Facebook all day. I think the universe was trying to get me to study ... So I took a nap instead!
My roommate asks me some of the stupidest questions ever. With the questions she asks me, I have no idea how she has made it this far on her own.
I love spring. It's when women decide to let their legs come out of hibernation.
So typical ... The weather is great during midterms week when I'm stuck inside, but is probably going to be terrible during spring break. Damn you Mother Nature.
What exactly did St. Patrick do?... Just get drunk?
I have to explain to my roommate what things in the FFA mean ... Every day.
Brick wall, waterfall, girl you think you got it all. But ya don't and I do, so BOOM with that attitude
Why are round pizzas served in square boxes?
My mom got off the phone with me to hang out with my ex-boyfriend. I can't make this up.
I really want to kiss you and your shirt gives me permission, so let's do it
New drinking game: watch Tyra.
Drink every time she talks about herself.
There's a really sick part of me that can't help but hope that over spring break a few guys make my ex their slam piece so she might realize how good she had it with me.
Dodging hot dogs on campus.
goodday.
I thought that I had it bad until I got into the computer lab and heard some guy asking himself questions ... that he answers ... for himself ...
You have to be witty to get into the FFA. And you my friend, will never be witty.
With championship in sight, stay classy Jayhawks
There should be a rule against playing ABBA before 8 a.m.
Editor's note: there is.
The Irish would have ruled the world if it weren't for beer and whiskey.
EDITORIAL
It is an understatement to say that University of Kansas fans love basketball. Basketball beats through the crimson and blood of Jayhawk fans. We live for the spine-shaking dunks, the miracle three-pointers and the final-buzzer ally-oops. It unites us. It gives us pride. For Kansas fans, basketball is more than a game. It's a culture. Some might even consider it a religion. We invest our time, money, energy and emotions into watching our boys in blue dominate the wooden floor.
Naturally, emotions are especially heightened during the tournament. Every year we count on our team to not only make the NCAA tournament (which for many teams is an
accomplishment in itself), we expect to be seeded very highly and go very far. Most years, we expect our beloved boys in blue to at least make it to the Final Four and/or win the National Championship. And we are very disappointed when the season ends otherwise.
Which isn't totally preposterous, considering the history of our program prompts this assurance (unlike Kansas State and Missouri). We are the university where the inventor himself coached and Wilt Chamberlain once played. We have the second most victories in the history of NCAA basketball. It's perfectly understandable to expect a lot from our team.
Any true Kansan has experienced
lose with pride. Don't let the outcome of the tournament overshadow the accomplishments of the season. Don't give K-State and Missouri fans anything more to talk about. They love to catch us in our moments of weakness. Don't let them.
firsthand the real meaning of March Madness, from both sides of the spectrum. We've seen miracles go for and against us. We've won it all and we've blown it in the first round.
But this year, despite the outcome, it is crucial that fans stay positive throughout the tournament and continue to take pride in our team. Focus on the achievements of the season Remember how far the team has come, as players and as men, through tragedy and through triumph.
As Jayhawks spread across the country for spring break, let's show the country how classy and respectful our fan base truly is.
It is said that the wise prepare for the worst. With that said, if we lose,
And if when we win, celebrate with class. Be respectful and be smart. The last thing the team wants is for a fan to get hurt from careless celebration.
Continue to be the greatest fan base in the nation. Have fun. Enjoy the madness.
Rock Chalk. And remember, F.O.E.
Mandy Matney for the Kansan Editorial Board.
MUSIC
Don't overlook Kanye's very own Sleepy Hollow
Kanye West's "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" was the best album of 2010. That's good, fantastic. Why it's the best album is not my concern; there's more than enough coverage offering generally the same reason: He's a mad scientist. What hasn't received attention, however, is why the 14-time Grammy winner has a fish stick for early 19th century literature.
BY MATTHEW MARSAGLIA
mmarsagliajkansan.com
Among the numerous pop culture icons culled from Kanye's cortex and laced within Fantasy's neurotic narrative: Alec Baldwin, South Park, Family Matters, American Apparel and President Obama. Of all the references, however, only one is mentioned twice.
In Pitchfork's review, the popular music site keyed in on Kanye's allusions to Michael Jackson over the years, pointing out references in "Slow Jamz," post-Today Show tweets, and Fantasy's fourth song, "All of the Lights." Despite Pitchfork's ambitious review, however, West's latent penchant for a Washington Irving story mentioned in both the titular track and later by Rick Ross in "Runaway" (as well as in "Livin' in a Movie," a track kept off Late Registration) is never addressed.
Perhaps there are reasons why outlets haven't given this much consideration. Perhaps it's just a coincidence, and there is no significance. After all, on both occasions, the nods to "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" appear to contribute nothing more than re-establishing bravado, a perception generally understood about Kanye well before the album's release.
Fantasy is such an integral album that I can't imagine 'ye lacking the cleverness, or the effort, to allow two references if they didn't add anything beyond bravado. In fact, after a closer reading of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," numerous connections between Irving's short story and West are noticeable.
Nonetheless, I can't capitate to coincidence.
I can't because that's the way the College of Liberal Arts has wired my brain to think, and it seems too important to ignore. Its inclusion means "Sleepy Hollow" is in his immediate cultural lexicon and possibly contributes to the album's concept.
For instance, hypergamy is central in both "Sleepy Hollow" and West's repertoire. From his Twitter battle with Lily Allen, to "Gold Digger," to his philosophy on phoniness in
"Devil in a New Dress," West has been preoccupied over the years with the same financial outlook Crane approaches Katrina Van Tassel with. Also, both West and Crane use music cathartically.
When Crane hears the "dreary hooting of the screech-owl, or the sudden rustling in the thicket of birds frightened from their roots" during his walk home, "[Crane's] only resource is to sing psalm tunes, the good people of Sleepy Hollow ... filled with awe at hearing his melody." Similarly, West uses his music to reflect on his mother's death, his ugly breakups and the ongoing battle between his ego and self-loathing.
Lastly, the town of Sleepy Hollow and Fantasy's theme share a gothic tone. In Irving's opening paragraphs, Sleepy Hollow is described as a town that values telling ghost stories, and as having a "drowsy, dreamy influence ... pervad[ing] the very atmosphere."
Nicki Minaj sets a similar tone with her opening verse on the album's lead-off track, "Dark Fantasy," a reworked Roald Dahl poem that revisits "Cinderella." Moreover, Irving constructs Sleepy Hollow as a storyteller's escape: "If ever I should wish for a retreat, whither I might steal from the world and its distractions ... I know of none more promising than this little valley."
After Kanye's gaffe at the MTV Music Awards, he abscended to Hawaii to record Fantasy, only to reappear months later in Silicon Valley. Coincidentally, though never explained, the reader is led to believe that like West, Crane arrived to Sleepy Hollow after leaving Connecticut under questionable circumstances.
Whether these arguments hold any weight, I'm still unsure. Nonetheless, I can only speculate and hope West will explain his lit' love soon.
Marsaglia is a senior in English from Naperville, Ill.
weet of the week
If your tweet is particularly interesting, unique clever, insightful and/or funny, it could be selected as the tweet of the week. You have 140 characters, good luck!
Tweet us your opinions to @kansanopinion
COMMENTARY
Eating meat may be bad, but please don't yell at me
When an animal rights activist says "Meat is murder!" or something similar, I always wonder what they think I'm thinking. I guess they're hoping I'll think "Hey, this guy is calling me a murderer! This really makes me want to listen to him!" But, like almost everyone, I do not enjoy being criticized so intensely and especially not by an organization as laughably incompetent as PETA.
PETA, or People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, was founded in the early 1980s and has spent most of the time since then making sure no one takes them seriously.
In defense of PETA, they actually do a lot of good work. They fight against fur farming, animal testing, cock fighting and dog fighting, as well as tracking down cases of animal cruelty, something that is not exactly a high priority for law enforcement agencies. Then they make si re they squander any good-will they have through a variety of ill-conceived press stunts.
I guess this is all a roundabout way of saying that I love it when animal rights activists yell at me.
When Obama first took office, he killed a fly in the middle of an interview. Except for his "Karate Kid" esque fly-killing skills, there was nothing notable about the incident until PETA posted a blog entry saying "[Our] position is this: He isn't the Buddha, he's a human being, and human beings have a long way to go before they think before they act." Ignoring the convoluted sentence structure, I think we can all get behind killing flies. There are literally billions of them and they are universally hated.
Like most Americans, I enjoy eating meat. I enjoy barbecue, turkey sandwiches and if I'm feeling particularly adventurous, hot dogs. That said, I don't eat meat all the time, and it doesn't make up a significant portion of my diet (that honor would belong to Ramen Noodles). Being a broke college student, I haven't had a steak in a long time, but who among us can resist the siren song of chicken wings and hamburgers?
BY LOU SCHUMAKER
ischumaker@kansan.com
I don't hate animal rights activists, and I don't hate vegetarians or vegans. I know plenty of people in both categories who are perfectly good, decent, caring people. I have a problem with the minority of people who think the best way to win an argument is to act as arrogant and antagonistic as possible. If organizations like PETA and the people who support them want to be taken seriously, they need to ratchet down the rhetoric and present their issues in a way that will earn them more consideration than a spot in Conan O'Brien's monologue.
Another genius press stunt of theirs was a letter sent to the owners of Ben & Jerry's asking them to use breast milk in their ice cream in place of cow's milk. This was, of course, met with a collective rolling of the eyes. If PETA's intention was to make sure no one took the idea of replacing cow's milk seriously, then congratulations! Mission accomplished.
Schumaker is a junior in film and media studies from Overland Park.
HOW TO SUBMIT A LETTER TO THE EDITOR
LETTER GUIDELINES
Send letters to kanzenkopdes@gmail.com. Write LETTER TO THE EDITOR in the e-mail subject line.
**Length:** 300 words
The submission should include the author's name, grade and hometown.
Find our full letter to the editor policy online at kansan.com/letters.
Nick Garik, editor
864-4810 or ngerik@kansan.com
Michael Holtz, managing editor
864-4810 or mboltz@kansan.com
Kelly Stroda, managing editor
864-4810 or kstrdone@kansan.com
D.M. Scott, opinion editor
864-9434 or scottdjkansan.com
Mandy Matney, associate opinion editor
864-9434 or mmatneykansan.com
CONTACT US
Carolyn Battle, business manager 864-4358 or cbattle@kansan.com
Jessica Cassin, sales manager
864-474-192 or jcaskin@kansan.com
Malcolm Gibson, general manager and news adviser
864-7667 or mgibson@kansan.com
Jon Schitt, sales and marketing adviser
864-2053 or jschitt@kansan.com
THE EDITORIAL BOARD Members of the Kansan Editorial Board are Nick Gerik, Michael Holtz, Kelly Stroda, D.M. Scott and Mandy Matney.