THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN MONDAY,FEBRUARY 28,2011 PAGE 5A opinion apps.facebook.com/dailykansan Thunderstorms + nap = homework can wait. Sweat pants and frozen pizza should thank each other. I hated Missouri before hating Missouri was cool. My roommate likes to use the phrases "that raft has sailed" and "you are whipped under me". He's new to this country. Dear neighbors, the polite thing to do when you see somebody struggling to get their car out of the lot is to offer assistance, not stare at them, then laugh and walk inside Second-hand smoke is the leading cause of bitching and moaning. Thanks for not totally sucking for once, Colorado. I feel like if we started calling medical marijuana something more pharmaceutical sounding like Blazonex, everyone would be fine with it. I had to use my GPS to drive home from my best friend's house ... That's when you know you're messed up. What does Aaron Carter look like? I forget. I heard we were all invited to Aaron's party. I sure wish Aaron Carter was going to a '90s party next weekend. Oh wait! Mother Nature is changing her mind so much because she's going through menopause. Just because you're listening to your iPod and can't hear anything other than your music doesn't mean we can't hear you fart. When the snow files off of my car while I'm driving down the highway, I feel like I'm in a live version of Mario Kart and the snow chunks are my turtle shells. I never sleep on planes. I don't want to get incepted. You can tell a lot about a person by seeing if they buy Cheez-its or Cheese Nips. To the person who invented clicky pens ... You're going to die a horrible death. I promise you. This weather is not a snowpocalypse, snowami or snowmageddon ... It is freaking winter people. In some form or another, everyone cheats. Life is a lot more fun once you realize this. I tried the whole "pay it forward" thing and helped four to five people with their cars this winter. NO LONGER! The University's environmental image can be greener ENVIRONMENT This week Studio 804 announced the ground breaking of its new design-build studio. According to the University's press release, this will be "a cutting-edge facility that will showcase the latest in sustainable energy technology." The design incorporates an electric vehicle charging system, a smart grid meter, wind turbines and a green roof. Through annual design and construction projects, Studio 804 students have greatly contributed to the University's green image. In fact, through many student initiatives such as the 26-year-old KU Environs, the Environmental Stewardship Program (ESP) and most recently the university's Center for Sustainability, the University's green image has been defined by the hard work of a few dedicated individuals. Despite these important and well-publicized initiatives, everyday operations and behaviors continue to undermine an authentic culture of BY RAEANN HANDSHY rhandshy@kansan.com sustainability. While architecture students are designing and implementing the latest in green technology, some instructors ask commuting students to drive 40 miles one way just to turn in a hardcopy research paper. While engineering students are participating in a national competition for smart grid development, business students are only offered a single, 2-hour course on sustainability in business. While wind turbines and electric charging stations are specified for the new Studio 804 facility, many of the University's existing departments have yet to invest in classroom recycling bins, to implement energy efficient lighting technologies or to require that instructors utilize Blackboard in order to significantly reduce paper consumption. According to ESP Program Coordinator, Aileen Dingus, last year's waste audit of Jayhawk Boulevard revealed that "as many recyclables were thrown in the trash as were in the recycling bins." As a campus we can do better by giving the same effort to designing our behaviors as Studio 804 gives to designing their buildings. The true measure of our University's environmental commitment, compassionate spirit and long-term success depends on the collection of our simple, individual actions. Each student, administrator, professor and staff member plays a part in defining the University's image. We can create an authentically sustainable campus; we just need everyone to get involved. It isn't difficult to do. We can march in the Earth Day parade. We can attend an Environs, Net Impact or Center for Sustainability meeting. We can share our ideas and instigate progress. We can show off the new Studio 804 facility to visiting family and friends. We can demand that our schools prepare us for a more equitable, profitable and environmentally responsible career. We can request that our instructors use Blackboard instead of white paper and we can most definitely take our plastic bottles a few extra feet to a recycling bin. We are the unique, creative and intelligent individuals who will design our collective future. It is time for us to take part and take pride.Rock Chalk Jayhawk! RaeAnn Handshy is a first year MBA student from Lawrence. 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 How do you feel about people who hand out fliers or other literature on campus? I love being handed things, so I think they're great! Hate 'em all, even if I agree with them They're irritating, but I understand why they do it. [ ] I go out of my way to avoid them. [ ] It depends on the cause. Vote now at KANSAN.COM/POLLS German native and KU student Inga Potting tells us the top five reasons what is special about American student life. Kansan columnist Monica Saha takes a positive spin on "useless" mandatory classes LETTER TO THE EDITOR Misquote in 'Speak Up'article devalues LGBT Resource Center's standards, mission This letter is in response to the February 15th article entitled "Students 'Speak Up' to Injustice," where I was quoted to say, "It doesn't matter your color, age, sex, orientation or beliefs because we are all minorities in one way." I have been interviewed for a number of stories in the University Daily Kansan, and my statements were always represented accurately. That is why I was deeply disappointed to find the above quote attributed to me and the LGBT Resource Center. The quote does not reflect my personal or professional views regarding the status of minorities in society. Though people experience varying levels of power and privilege associated with different aspects of their identity, this statement is problematic because it minimizes the occurrence of systemic oppression on the basis of group membership. It is a gross violation of journalistic ethics to fabricate a quote. Such a misrepresentation of facts devalues the standards and mission of the LGBT Resource Center, the University and this paper. I fully expect that you will handle this violation with the seriousness and professionalism it warrants, which certainly includes a retraction of the statement. With regards, Diane Genther, M.S. LGBT Resource Center Coordinator POLITICS Congress overreacting by defunding Planned Parenthood A bill passed in the House of Representatives this month that would defund Planned Parenthood is disconcerting and irresponsible - no matter where you stand on abortion. Although this bill will likely fail in the Senate very soon (and if not, it will certainly be vetoed by President Obama), the fact that it passed the House is indicative of just how narrow-minded the attitude of the House has become. The amendment specifically taking all federal funding away from Planned Parenthood was supposedly meant to be an attack on abortion providers. BY KELLY COSBY kcosby@kansan.com It is true that Planned Parenthood is the largest provider of abortions in the U.S. However, the organization provides so many other important health care services. Cancer screenings, STD and HIV tests, safe sex education and In reality, a very small portion of the federal funds in jeopardy paid for abortions - and only in very specific cases, often involving rape or incest. Federal statute requires Planned Parenthood to separate abortion expenses from operation costs. So why pregnancy prevention make up the vast majority of the services covered under Planned Parenthood's budget; abortion only accounts for 3 percent, according to the Washington Post. are so many lawmakers eager to cut funding to this organization? Defunding Planned Parenthood would jeopardize vital services needed for the reproductive and sexual health of countless individuals. Many women who already have limited options would be faced with the possibility of losing access to affordable birth control, HIV tests and safe sex information. Is this what our elected officials are aiming for? Perhaps it is. Since this amendment is only targeting freestanding clinics and not hospitals, it is clearly intended (at least by some) to disenfranchise entities that provide safe sex education and other related information. This is not solely about penalizing abortion providers. By discouraging safe sex education, proponents of My guess is that a lot of this amendment's supporters are the same folks advocating abstinence-only education in schools. the amendment are overreaching the government's boundaries by trying to force citizens to live by a strict moral code. Even so, if this were only about abortion, cutting these funds would be the exact kind of federal over-reach criticized in other areas by the same conservative representatives. Abortion is a legal operation in this country, and a health clinic should not be punished in such a way simply for providing this option. Kelly Cosby is junior in English and political science from Overland Park. Follow her on Twitter @KellyCosby. HOW TO SUBMIT A LETTER TO THE EDITOR LETTER GUIDELINES 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 Gerik, editor 864-8108 or ngerik@akansan.com Michael Holtz, managing editor 864-8108 or agarison@akansan.com Kally Strode, managing editor 864-8108 or kstrode@akansan.com D.M. Scott, opnition editor 864-4924 or scottkamsan.com Marney, associate opnition editor thehawksman.org CONTACT US Carolyn Battle, business manager 864-4358 or cbattle@kansan.com Jessica Cassin, sales manager 864-7447 or jcssit@kansan.com Malcolm Gibson, general manager and news adviser 864-7667 or mgibson@kansan.com Jon Schitt, sales and marketing adviser 864-7660 or jschitt@kansan.com THE EDITORIAL BOARD Members of the Kaanan Editor Board are Nick Gerik, Michael Holtz, Kelly Stroda, D.M. Scott and Mandy Matthey