THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY,FEBRUARY7,2011
PAGE 5A
Stop trying to hook up on FFA. Go out, get drunk, get laid. Ready ... Break!
opinion
I'm excited to see how much Doug Funny's ego swells when he gets back to town.
Free for all
Highlight of my weekend:building a snow couch.
apps.facebook.com/dailykansan
Did you know Queen Victoria smoked weed to help with cramps? Later, Midol!
Getting laid would be so much easier if I had a girlfriend.
How to make sure your date doesn't become your girlfriend? The rules for dating are the same as the rules for Gremlins.
It's sad cause your love is like a bus;
I may miss you, but I know more will come.
If people are going to consistently use FFA to hook up, then the rest of us reserve the right to butt into their relationship. It IS a public forum, after all.
You know he's a true gentleman when he lets you take the first hit. That's class.
It isn't even a month into the new semester and O Chem has already destroyed my soul. Awesome.
EMILIO!!!!
I've decided to be a drug dealer like White Mike in the film "Twelve."
My greatest drunk skill is being able to convince women to go to strip clubs with me.
It's saying something when the thing you miss most from your past relationship is the free weed.
I feel as though my promiscuity and drunken antics have made me officially unmarriable.
Last week, my one-night-stand turned into a TWO night/three-day stand thanks to the snowstorm. Worse? Or better? You decide.
My mouth tastes like shame.
Dear Pandora, what do Taking Back Sunday and Blues Traveler have in common? Fix this.
Girls' pants just keep getting tighter. Jeans, pants, leggings, light colored leggings ... I can't wait 'till girls start going to class in their underwear and say it's "in style."
When a crime breaks out, all the
cute girls shout ... Get the Good
Lookin Guy. Book him, Good Lookin!
This new iPod app for a virtual aquarium has helped me fulfill my life-long dream of being a marine biologist.
I cannot believe that you just quoted "Boy Meets World." Coolest. Person.Ever!
America should measure progress differently
POLITICS
In his State of the Union address, President Obama said that we have never measured progress by the yardstick of profits and economy alone, but that we "measure progress by the success of our people, by the jobs they can find and the quality of life those jobs offer" and "by the opportunities for a better life that we pass on to our children."
While we may appreciate Obama's inspirational optimism, the fact is that the train wreck of our collective action exposes our country's rigid yardstick of profit and economy.
It sounds better when we call our financial motivations "quality of life" improvements, but let's face it, Americans value progress in dollars.
Quality of life means access to money that can be exchanged for anything we need or want. Success is a job that enables us to buy a huge house, a sexy car and to maximize the diagonal dimension of our television set.
If we really measured progress by the equitable access to employment,
BY RAEANNE HANDSHY
rhandshy@kansan.com
how would we explain the 7.3 percent discrepancy in unemployment rates for whites (8.5 percent) and African Americans (15.8 percent)?
If we measured progress by the quality of life that those jobs offer, how would we explain the millions of working Americans who do not have access to health insurance?
And if we measured progress by the "better life" we plan to provide future generations, how could we justify leaving our children a $14 trillion debt, a planet raped of resources full of dirty air?
Legitimate quality of life considerations would require us to pursue progress in areas that we currently struggle to measure,areas such as social justice,environmental stewardship and realistic,fiscal responsibility.
The truth is that we have been ignoring the full scope of our human value system, and we are beginning to realize the physical, emotional and spiritual consequences of that neglect.
We have been forced to make choices between company profits and environmental protection, between what is profitable for us and what respects the rights of others.
These choices put us in countless psychological and emotional conflicts that force us to compromise our values in order to meet financial goals. We do care about our local community and global environment but societal expectations equate financial achievement with personal responsibility and success.
The good news is that we have the opportunity to change the rules.
More and more people are choosing
to operate according to a new system that honors the full range of human values. This new set of values doesn't ask us to sacrifice financial security. It simply gives us permission to consider social justice and environmental stewardship as well.
For those of us preparing to enter the professional world, this shift presents an opportunity to use our talents for more than ensuring our bosses' six, or nowadays, nine figure salaries.
It represents an opportunity to consider the things we care about and work toward the goals that truly inspire, motivate and excite us.
Handshy is a first-year MBA student from Lawrence.
The Weekly How do you feel about Valentine's Day? Poll
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LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Unwanted pregnancy is never a joking matter
We, the Commission on the Status of Women, would like to respond to the recent advice column about unplanned pregnancy. We felt as though what presumably was meant to be a humorous piece about the male perspective of unplanned pregnancy was instead inappropriate and offensive.
First, let us say that the experience of unplanned pregnancy is never funny. Period. We, too, may have chuckled at the antics of Seth Rogen and Katherine Heigel in "Knocked Up" but these authors are no Seth Rogen, Jason Segel and Jonah Hill, and their piece is far from amusing. Instead, it not only makes light of but also debases what for hundreds of women and men everyday is a very serious issue.
While Kilgore's "good" advice does bother to note, "This doesn't suck as much for you as it does for her," and even suggests that the man might begrudgingly accept the duties of fatherhood, both Schumaker and Nichols abandon any kind of respect for the experience of unplanned pregnancy with their grossly offensive "humor."
Shumaker suggests in his "bad" advice that the reader simply ignore
his child and girlfriend, shirking his legal responsibilities as a parent, a suggestion made all the less humorous by the fact that this actually happens every day, leaving women and children across the nation in poverty.
But Nichols "ugly" advice,by far, is the most offensive in its suggestion that the reader might use the market for human trafficking to trade his child for a piece of merchandise. Human trafficking, too, happens daily right here in the United States and is certainly no laughing matter.
Such gross disrespect for the experience of women and men around the world (and on our campus) who experience the pain and confusion of unplanned pregnancy is appalling. We can only hope that if faced with such a difficult issue in their own lives these authors will receive more compassion than they offer.
The Commission on the Status of Women at KU is a campus organization that focuses on gender discrimination.
Signed, CSW president Meredith Pavicic,a senior from Leawood.
HEALTH
Go red for women to prevent heart disease
T the recent death of Lisa Robinson at the mere age of 43 highlights the importance
The recent death of Lisa Robinson at the mere age of 43 highlights the importance of women's heart health. February is National Heart Awareness Month. As a female college student, I am constantly reminded about my health and safety: breast cancer, human papillomavirus leading to cervical cancer, and the dangers of domestic violence and abusive relationships are just some of these concerns. These topics are all vital, but never has heart health been stressed as significant at my age.
According to the National Heart Association, cardiovascular disease is still the No.1 killer of women. NHA also said "while one in 33 women has a chance of dying from breast cancer, one in three will die from heart disease without prevention."
Luckily, heart disease is also the No.1 most preventable disease in this country. Eighty percent of these cardiac ailments may be prevented if the right life choices are made.
Both women and men can develop plaque in their large coronary arteries. This causes them to narrow, which eventually creates a blockage because blood cannot pass through. However, it is hard to detect plaque during an angiogram. The plaque forms a thin layer in the lumen rather than lumpy blocks, so blood still flows evenly. Women, on the other hand, are more likely to develop heart disease in the tiny arteries also known as micro vessels. If enough micro vessels are under stress,
BY MONICA SAHA msaha@kansan.com
So,why go RED?
the outcome is the same as a blocked artery.
Because the life decisions we make now will be carried out in our future. A solid foundation for minimizing your risk of heart disease is founded by lowering both your blood pressure and cholesterol numbers.
This is attainable by healthier diet choices: stopping smoking, reducing alcohol intake and exercising more. I know we are stressed out college students, but add some almonds, salmon (omega three fatty acid), and blueberries to your diet. Instead of taking the bus, walk to class! It's better to work on health improvements now then pay for it later.
Keep wearing your pink, blue and purple ribbons, but remember the red ones as well. Maybe wear a nice red dress when you go out. Wear your red lipstick. Wear those red heels. Wear your red KU gear. Go red for women.
Saha is a junior in neurobiology from Overland Park.
HUMAN RIGHTS
Revolution must consider women's rights
As a young female student in the heartland of America, I face complex equality issues that often go unnoticed. Not to discount these issues, but imagine having to confront the most basic inequalities every day.
Now,throw in a political revolution Egypt has a lot to be proud of as a nation. Most obvious is the country's rich and interesting history, which makes tourism an important element of Egypt's economy. It has stood as an important ally to the United States and Israel over the years.And,it has a generation of young people ready to stand up for how they believe their country should be governed.
And, imagine the government has always accommodated such cultural divisions.
BY KELLY COSBY kcosby@kansan.com
Now, throw in a political revolution.
According to a New York Times article from last July, the recent shift many Egyptian women have made t public work has not resulted in any kind of cultural "liberation" for women
Although women in Egypt can study at universities, and many have actively participated in the political unrest, cultural traditions are still an obstacle to women's equal standing in public life.
in the country. In fact, this lack of change has discouraged many women making the traditional, confining home life seem more appealing.
This home life is not exactly the equivalent to being a stay-at-home mom in American society.
The World Economic Forum Global Gender Gap Report rated Egypt 120th out of 128 in gender equality, emphasizing problem areas of political empowerment and genuine female opportunity. In fact, the high unemployment that has been one reason for political unrest is significantly affecting women (although unemployed men in Egypt have been the media's focus—another example of the strong cultural gender dichotomy). It is safe to assume that the disconcert-
Though there have been whispers that a democracy might actually slow progress for women's rights, if women stand their ground and demand that their rights be taken into consideration during the transition, it could be a major victory for gender equality.
Though this may seem indicative of progression toward gender equality, the young women of Egypt must make this a priority as they shift toward a more democratic Egypt.
Cosby is a junior from Overland Park majoring in political science and English.
HOW TO SUBMIT A LETTER TO THE EDITOR
ment with these problems has been an impetus for female participation in the revolution.
Send letters to kansanopdesk@gmail.com. Write LT TTER TO THE EDITOR in the e-mail subject line.
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
864-4810 or ngerik@kansan.com
Alex Garrison, managing editor
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Kelly Stroda, managing editor
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D.M. Scott, opinion editor
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Mandy Matney, associate opinion editor
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864-4358 or cabbie@kansan.com
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THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Members of the Kansai Editorial Board are Nick Gerik, Alex Garrison, Kelly Strode, D.M. Scott and Mandy Matney.