THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Friday, JANUARY 28, 2011
PAGE 3A
opinion
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Free for all
Powdered doughnuts make me go-nuts.
Let your freak flag fly.
While eating hot pockets and pizza, my roommate and his girlfriend argued for half an hour over what to wear to workout... fail.
My dog has more friends than me on Facebook.
Pancakes and ribs for dinner? Yes please. Mrs. E's how do you always know what I want?
I want them (sic.) to stop being to (sic.) cocky and realize they don't actually make a different (sic.) on campus.
I like break better, when I could sleep, sled, drink and generally do whatever I want.
My thought is this: if basically every attractive girl I talk to has a boyfriend, I truly doubt there's some cute/hot girl roaming around on free for all. Just saying.
FREE FOR ALL IS NOT MATCH.COM!!!
I feel like I look like a little sister. There's no way a guy would go for that.
The common factor in all your failed relationships is you.
I'm sick of cleaning dishes that aren't mine. My roommate should pay me for this.
If you're going to walk slower than molasses, don't walk in the middle of the hallway, sidewalk, stairwell, etc.
AND THERE'S NOT A SPACE BEFORE
PUNCTUATION!!!
Oh FFA. Sometimes you people are the only friends I have.
Take that homework done before 3 p.m... What now you ask? Well Jack Daniels of course!
It is possible to love someone that you don't know that well? Because I love Robinson!
Shacking at a schol hall is way classier.
The weather outside is nature's version of a vasectomy.
You know what bugs me? When people leave the ticket on their jacket from a ski resort. We get it, you ski!
Nickelodeon officially has more music videos on it now than MTV, this is just wrong.
Winter is so much more exciting with my new nipple piercings!
If the rec got shakeweights, a lot more girls would be using them. And then a lot more guys would just be watching the girls.
Robinson family needs continued support from fans
EDITORIAL
Sophomore forward Thomas Robinson and his seven-year-old sister, Jayla, have been blindsided by a reality so heavy only a few hearts can fully grasp it.
They have suffered the severity of three separate tragedies within the past three weeks. They lost their grandmother. Then their grandfather. And last Friday night, their 43-year-old mother, Lisa, died suddenly of a heart attack, rearranging life as Jayla and Thomas once knew it.
The tragic tale swiftly stirred deep into the hearts of the Lawrence community, forcing all of us to stop, reconsider and recognize that there are
much bigger things in life than basketball. Perhaps the tragedy even shifted our life perspective.
Either way, one thing's for sure: This is about so much more than basketball.
This story goes much deeper than a sophomore forward, whom we all know for goal-shaking dunks and a bright smile, losing three close family members. The tragedy, unfortunately, strikes hardest with a seven-year-old girl, who just lost mommy, grandma and grandpa.
This is about a child whose whole world was ripped apart at its seams in less than a month. And for that, students, alumni and fans have found their true test
of support: for Robinson and his sister.
It's up to us to help make their unenviable task of putting life's most fragile pieces back together easier in any way we can.
The only upside of tragedy is its weird way to clear people's vision and separate people's true colors. Being a supportive fan has been easy for Jayhawk basketball in the past. But this circumstance is our true challenge.
We urge all of you to provide continued support for Thomas and Jayla and help ease their wounds as best as we can. It's up to us to help give them the support they need to get their feet back on solid ground.
Every contribution, no matter the size, will be greatly appreciated. Perhaps even forwarding this message to family members. Anything will help.
The family is asking that instead of flowers or other gifts, contributions be made to the Lisa Robinson Scholarship Fund, to benefit her daughter, Jayla, c/o SNR Denton, 1301 K Street NW, Suite 600, East Tower, Washington, DC 20005-3364.
Mandy Matney is a junior in journalism from Shawnee. She is associate opinion editor and writer for the editorial board.
HUMOR
Men and women play role in the lies of attraction
First of all, I would just like to thank my colleague Matt Marsaglia for recognizing the utility of Old Navy goga pants.
It is good to know my $12 was not a waste this winter break. My butt looks firm and great, and I don't even do yoga. To a certain extent, this may make me, along with the rest of my sorority sisters that traded their skinny jeans for pants with an elastic waistband, a liar.
But as Lil Wayne would auto tune, "women lie, men lie." Men have had the female version of the Wonderbra for a while now. Australian designer Guyon Holland designed underwear, AussieBum, to enhance the bulge of a male's crotch. Unlike most female Wonderbras, the AussieBum comes in assorted colors including the colors of one's particular nation. While we are stuck with nude or black, you guys can lift your man parts as well as your patriotic spirits.
Stepping away from the literal sense, pea coats are not the only clothing that gives the illusion of "charm and character." You have your plaid shirts, Ray-Bans and murses. When a guy wears a plaid shirt, I think to myself, "man, he goes on a lot of nature walks. He probably climbs mountains as well. What a cool guy!"
When a guy wears Ray-Bans, I
BY MONICA SAHA msaha@kansan.com
instantly think of Mike Posner. That guy is probably cooler than me, and I want to know why.
When a guy wears his leather brown murse (male purse), it gives the impression of ambitiousness. This fellow is so determined that a backpack cannot even handle his vigor. What's in your murse? A laptop, Jesus on that piece of toast, more Ray-Bans? Even Snoop Dogg looks good with one.
Either way, both sexes are at fault for stretching the truth. I admit I wear bug-eyed glasses if I look tired or if I just don't want to make eye contact with anyone.
But here is a secret to all you men who think we wear yoga pants to transform our butts: We chose to wear them because we are in college and can no longer fit into real jeans. The butt lift is just an added bonus.
Saha is a junior in neurobiology from Overland Park.
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What do you think of starting the semester on a Friday?
26 total votes
I wouldn't prefer it,
but I can deal with it.
Monday, Friday, who cares!
I like it. Easy way to ease back into the semester.
It's completely ridiculous and utterly insane. Just give us the whole weekend!
NATIONAL
Pregnancy issues the problem, not abortion
in. 22 marked the 38th day of Roe v. Wade, it's becoming increasingly clear that the abortion debate is far from over. It's always been a heated and polarizing issue, certainly, but the influx of Republicans into varying positions of power assures that this constitutional right of women will once again be at the forefront. Kansas, of course, is no exception.
Is abortion in itself a problem? No. Unwanted pregnancy is a problem. Criminalizing abortion would presumably not affect unwanted pregnancy—despite certain pro-life propaganda, not all women who choose to terminate a pregnancy are selfish, carefree individuals for whom abortion is a simple and painless decision.
With the number of providers dwindling and institutions such as Planned Parenthood constantly fighting for funding, legal abortions become ever harder to obtain.
(It's important to add that according to the Guttmacher Institute, neither do women necessarily suffer increased mental or health problems as a result of abortion.)
The question over whether or not abortion should be legal is in reality a question over how safe we want women to be. Women, for any number
BY ALI FREE
afree@kansan.com
The recent case of Kermit Gosnell makes this fact horribly clear. Gosnell was a Philadelphia doctor who performed illegal late-term abortions in a filth, unsafe clinic with untrained, unlicensed staff. He has been charged with, among other things, eight counts of murder.
of reasons, will continue to make this decision and when there is a lack of responsible care, they will suffer.
Women go to people like Gosnell when they are in a desperate situation and have nowhere else to turn. Criminalizing abortion or making it more difficult would only lead to even more cases like this.
Women should not be placed in this situation in the first place. Abortion should remain an option for those in need, but structures should be set up so that fewer women will be in need.
There is common ground, I think.
between both sides of the debate. Both sides, for instance, desire fewer abortions. The thing to do, then, is reduce the amount of unwanted pregnancies. Here is where the two sides often diverge. The pro-life faction tends to also be vocally against contraception, especially its distribution to vulnerable groups such as teenagers, which leaves abstinence as the only option for preventing pregnancy. The only problem is most people live in a reality-based universe where sex happens. To enable women to live real lives without constant fear that their life will be set off course by pregnancy, cheap and reliable contraception needs to be widely available, along with education on how to use it.
It sounds so simple, but then again we are on a college campus, most of us have insurance and we all have access to some form of contraceptive.
Life isn't this easy for everyone.
We can also find common ground in support for pregnant women and mothers. I hear a lot about the rights of the fetus, but all too often the pro-life side pays only lip-service to the life of the woman.
Some women do not want to deal with pregnancy or childbirth because they understand the real economic costs associated with children. With health care costs still extremely high, public
Things like nuance and context surrounding the issue of abortion are notably absent from Governor Brownback's empty calls for "a culture of life in Kansas."
More restrictions to abortion access won't take long to get on the books, but I'll bet anything you won't see realistic and positive ways enacted that would reduce the necessity. What restrictions will do is make life more complicated and difficult for women who aren't in an easy place to begin with. This is morally reprehensible.
assistance programs facing constant budget cuts and employers not required to provide substantial paid maternity leave, having a child can look like the worst decision possible for some women.
Abortion does not exist in a bubble, but in the same environment as various social, economic and cultural structures. The best solution is always more complicated than it first appears. If we truly want to help women, adding more restrictions to the already-difficult decision is not the answer.
As the murdered Dr. Tiller said, trust women.
Free is a sophomore in women's studies from Blue Springs, Mo.
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THE EDITORIAL BOARD
THE EDITORIAL BOARD Members of the Kansai Editorial Board are Nick Gerik, Alex Garrison, Kelly Strody, D.M. Scott and Mandy Matney.
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