THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
PAGE 5A
TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2011
opinion
Piecing together my weekend used to be fun and amusing but now it's just stressful.
I have never been so drunk that I wanted to be friends with someone from Mizzou.
Fake Patty's the only day of the year "Manhappinen" is happening.
Obviously Asher Roth never pulled an all-nighter. At this moment, I hate college.
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The morning after Jell-O shots makes me realize how loud my dorm really is.
I know it's for the greater good, but I really hate that I'm going to have to cheer for K-State tonight.
Losing a friend because you realized they're a douche is like eating Sour Patch Kids, sour at first then sweet.
Why does everyone who's presenting/receiving the Oscars sound like they're drunk?
I kissed a girl and I hate her.
My roommate hacked on my FB and posted "loves the wiener" as my status. Later I got a call from my mom saying that she was disturbed by my recent posts...
I took a week off from the gym and dimmed down a belt hole. What?！
Turn on some Hawthorne Heights, drink a whole bottle of wine and drunk dial the second guy on your "I love you" to-do list.
It's pouring rain... And there are still piles of snow on the ground. I have never seen that before in my life.
Wow, Phog Allen is pissed again.
If I ever become a musician, I'm gonna debut my songs at strip clubs.
No one actually meets from the FFA. People troll, that's it.
Why hasn't anyone made fun of the Spangle's rap yet?
Is it bad that I keep my rosary in a box on my desk almost directly under my light-up Budweiser neon bar sign?
Sex advice on the FFA, I believe I have seen it all now.
Lesson learned: It is not wise to put glass bottles in pinatas.
Ok, someone help me out. What is with all of the aaron Carter FFAs?
ATTENTION BOYS: Cussing in every other sentence is in no way attractive. You just sound uneducated and trashy.
It's time to kick ass and chew bubble gum... I'm all outta gum
As the Peace Corps approaches 50 years of service, it can celebrate a solid foundation built by President John Kennedy in 1961.
EDITORIAL
Peace Corps' birthday overshadowed by issues
To better prepare volunteers against the inherent risks that come with living and working abroad, the Peace Corps is establishing prevention and response committees and has increased its focus on safety during volunteers' in-country training.
Through the years, the Peace Corps has sent more than 200,000 volunteers to 139 countries with a mission of establishing world peace and promoting friendship.
Today, volunteers still educate children and work on bringing safe, clean water to communities across the globe as they did in the beginning days of the organization, but now the Peace Corps also offers programs that include information technology, business development and HIV/AIDS related activities.
There are 47 KU graduates serving
abroad with the Peace Corps, which landed the University a spot on the Peace Corps Top Colleges 2011 list. The University ranked 25th among large universities and colleges, according to the Peace Corps website.
Unfortunately, recent reports of rape and sexual assault have been prevalent in the media, diminishing the organization's achievements. During the past few months, several female Peace Corps volunteers have come forward and shared their experiences abroad.
It is important not to let the negativity overshadow all of the good that the Peace Corps has accomplished. At the same time, this is definitely an issue that requires immediate attention if the Peace Corps wants to continue to spread its message of peace and friendship across the world.
In a recent "20/20" interview, Jess Smochek, a volunteer from Pennsylvania, revealed that she was gag raped in Bangladesh in 2004. Smochek said her requests to be relocated were ignored by Peace Corps officials within the country that she served.
Between 2000 and 2009, Peace Corps figures show that there were 221 rapes or attempted rapes, 147 major sexual attacks and 719 other sexual assaults - defined as unwanted or forced kissing, fondling or groping according to an ABC news article by Anna Schecter and Brian Ross.
Ben Wiechman, the University's Peace Corps recruiter, said the safety of volunteers was a top priority and that the Peace Corps Director Aaron Williams, appointed by President Obama in 2009, was particularly focused on addressing the safety of volunteers.
Jessie Blakeborough for the Kansan Editorial Board.
LOCAL CULTURE
Nine easy changes to make Lawrence best college town
It's safe to say that I love Lawrence. After being born at Memorial Hospital 21 years ago, it's always tough for me to leave this unique town. As a townie, I think that Lawrence is the best place to go to school, live or even raise a family. However, just like any city, it could use a few tweaks to make this the best place possible. So I've developed a list of nine things I'd change.
1. Abolish the Jayhawk Café (a.k.a The Hawk)
I know, I know, that really chafed some of you. But for most of us that have been to the Hawk more than once, this is pretty self-explanatory. This will cause us to broaden our horizons and venture out to the other less crowded bars of Lawrence.
2. Get rid of the Texas attitude
You all (or should I say y'all) got one thing right: you got the heck out of Texas and came here; now that's a step in the right direction. Your second plan of action would be to get rid of the Texas attitude. This includes the accents, jargon, flags, Cowboy jerseys and for the love of Pete, we need to get rid of the overall thinking that Texas is the best state, or as some say "country," in the world. Yes, Texas is a big state. But that doesn't mean Texans' heads have to be big too.
3. Have at least two Brellas lines in the underground
Students are busy. No one has time to wait 20 minutes for his or her daily Crunchy Chicken Cheddar wrap.
4. Limit the size of "frat packs" to no more than five at a time while walking on campus
We've all seen it, a pack of 20 guys walking in unison with a button down, khaki pants and Sperry's. This causes so much confusion in my mind; are they all going to one class? Do they drop each other off at class? And more importantly, why are they all wearing slightly varied versions of the exact same outfit? To avoid confusion, I limit to five per frat pack.
BY TAYLOR BUSSINGER
tbussinger@kansan.com
5. Add at least one more Chick-Fil-A in town
After those two epic snow days, I've really been able to see what the lack of Chick-Fil-A does to me. If campus is closed, this means no Chick-Fil-A for Taylor. We all get that sudden urge for a No. 1 combo when were running errands off campus. Lawrence has to recognize this problem and add another freaking Chick-Fil-A.
6. Prohibit Tech9 concerts We all just know there is way too much sketch activity there. Point blank.
7. Get rid of meter maids
Throughout my years living in this town and going to the University, I've racked up some debt in parking tickets. In fact I've had two warrants out for my dad's arrest because my car is registered in his name. Can you think of another job besides meter maids and cops (nothing against cops), where all day long they just ruin peoples' days writing tickets? Getting rid of meter maids would make residents in Lawrence 100 times happier.
8. Clean up the "student ghetto"
After living in the "student ghetto" for two years, I've had enough with the sketchy business that goes down here. Most of us who live between Ohio and Kentucky Streets know how screwed we get month in and month out. The landlords typically suck, charging usually over $400 a month per person for a house that shakes every time you walk up the stairs.
9. Fix the freaking potholes.
Bussinger is a junior in secondary education history and government from Lawrence.
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INTERNATIONAL CULTURE
Misconceptions of China still prevalent
China's economic power has grown at a rapid rate over the past 30 years. The whole world witnessed its growth and was stunned by it.
After I came to the United States, I frequently heard that China might be the next super power on this planet. And that it's one of the most technologically advanced places in the world, along with Japan.
And of course, I heard that the Chinese government is the abolisher of civilized human rights.
So what is China? Are those observations true? I am sorry but I might have to disappoint you.
Let's start with the economy. China might have a very strong economic growth rate, but we did not have a large economy to start with. China's Gross Domestic Product, though growing at an astonishing rate of almost 10 percent a year, is still only a fraction of the U.S.'s GDP. We might have made a lot of T-shirts, but how many T-shirts can be exchanged for a Boeing 747? We cannot even make a gas operated car engine yet. I would not call this a strong economy.
What about the military? Western countries are often frightened by the increased military spending of China, but if the entire Chinese defense budget was to be used on the U.S.military, the money would be gone within the first two months of the year.
Is China technologically advanced? I am afraid the answer has to be no. Seventy percent of the population in China is farmers. Computers are still rare in a lot of remote farming areas. Occasionally you have this impression that China is advanced technologically, and that is because you have probably gone to one of the showcase cities in China. Cities like Shanghai are very famous and rich, yet they
BY KIRK WU
kwu@kansan.com
are a very inaccurate representation of the true lives of the Chinese people. For the 1.4 billion people we have, many are still fighting hard for tomorrow's food. The difference on the distribution of wealth is tremendous.
And is the Chinese government a bad one? No matter how bad you say the Chinese government is, one thing I have to give it credit for,it manages to feed one-sixth of the population on the planet. Mind you, China used to be a land of starvation and was often invaded by foreign powers before the communist government took over. They made a lot of mistakes along the way, but looking at where things are going now,they seem to know what they are doing.
Overall, China has gotten richer over the past 30 years, but becoming a super power is still a midday's dream. One thing I felt very sad about is that although the wallets of the people were becoming bigger and bigger, too many have become money-driven. True values are rarely presented these days. The society is becoming richer but indeed, a crueler one under the shadow of materialism. Which is better, a richer country or an innocent one?
Often, it seems that we do not have a choice.
Wu is a sophomore in mechanical engineering from Nanjing, China.
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