Opinion
FRIDAY, JANUARY 15, 2010
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--activities, including tempo, diet, and mentality.
I propose a challenge to those who consider themselves men. (Ladies you are more than welcome to participate.) Go out of your way to do something nice for a complete stranger.
Sean Connery Celebrity Jeopardy rules.
It's a big hat.
--activities, including tempo, diet, and mentality.
Aww, KU's Craigslist is back in session.
Dear KU Basketball, Thank you for pulling that game out of the gutter. Love, The Student Body.
--activities, including tempo, diet, and mentality.
--activities, including tempo, diet, and mentality.
Anyone else eat a box of Oreos just to have black colored poop?
My roommate's girlfriend uses my loofah. How do I know this? I pulled a long blond strand of hair out of my ass crack today. Sucks to be her.
--activities, including tempo, diet, and mentality.
--activities, including tempo, diet, and mentality.
Darn you, "American Idol." You sucked me in again.
--activities, including tempo, diet, and mentality.
I don't know how I feel about you.
--activities, including tempo, diet, and mentality.
My horoscope says to stay in bed today and read the paper. UDK, this is NOT the way to increase readership, but I'll go with it.
--activities, including tempo, diet, and mentality.
--activities, including tempo, diet, and mentality.
As much as I love snow, I hate when it melts. It's muddy and wet and there's puddles everywhere
What are some cheap motels in Lawrence?
--activities, including tempo, diet, and mentality.
Class on the first floor or the fourth floor? Easy choice.
--activities, including tempo, diet, and mentality.
True Life: My boyfriend is the biggest douche ever.
--activities, including tempo, diet, and mentality.
Everyone was sitting in the hall nervously acting like they were playing on their phone to avoid looking at each other.
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--activities, including tempo, diet, and mentality.
HOODIE FOOTIE!?
WHHHHAAAAT!
--activities, including tempo, diet, and mentality.
--activities, including tempo, diet, and mentality.
My super hot GTA from last semester was the first person I talked to today. It's gonna be a great semester.
You had sex. So you got some. No biggie.
WHERE CAN I GO TO SWIM
I APS!!!!?
--activities, including tempo, diet, and mentality.
--activities, including tempo, diet, and mentality.
MEDIA ISSUES
Advances in technology transform personal race training
Rarely is it possible to relate an event from 490 B.C. to the presence of technology in media and society, but such is the case regarding my training for an upcoming marathon.
A popular tale from ancient Greece describes the origin of the race: Carrying news of a Persian defeat, the Greek messenger Pheidippides ran 26.2 miles from the town of Marathon to Athens. While Pheidippides ran the distance for the simple reason of delivering news, his trek has spawned a running culture that has embraced innovations in technology.
Without products such as an interactive program calendar, Garmin's Forerunner 405 watch, or Google's G-map pedometer Web application, I know my training would not have been anywhere near as productive as it has been.
THAT GUY
BY TRENT BOULTINGHOUSE
thoughtful boy in an outfit
For starters, the program I have been following is an 18-week gem that can be found online. Structured differently for each day, simply clicking on each day's link gives me suggestions for the day's
Another example of ubiquitous running technology is the Forerunner 405 watch, which allows the runner to monitor elements such as distance, speed, elevation, calories and heart rate, among others. The data is instantly uploaded to the user's computer when the watch is within the computer's range. After wearing his watch during a recent 10-mile run, my training partner and I were able to view all of our run's advanced statistics within 10 minutes of stopping. What's more, before we even started running, we plotted our
ABOOLKHAN
route using Google's application to get an accurate scope of mileage and terrain.
Outside of the running world, a recent Sports Illustrated (SI) article provided a peek into the future. A piece by Joe Posnanski on Penn State football coach Joe Paterno was a traditional story in both aesthetics and content when it appeared in the SI pages. But, when the same story appeared on the innovative webzine www.flypmedia.com, the piece came alive; readers could hear Penn State's fight song playing in the background, watch clips of Paterno on the sidelines and click on photos and information at their own pace—all of which appeared next to the same words that appeared in Posnanski's article for SI.
My reliance on these features got me thinking about a saying: "Old media don't die—they adapt." In that phrase, one could easily replace "media" with "technology." Today's obvious example is Google, which began as an Internet search engine. Years later, the company has expanded into everything from satellite imagery to e-mail. Whether we choose to accept or reject it, the preponderance of media and technology in everyday life is only going to increase from this point forward.
This demonstrates just how extensively the use of multimedia and technology has permeated not just the running world, but society in general. Granted, when I'm running the marathon, the future of media and technology will be the furthest thing from my mind. But the reflective nature of the training program has, at the very least, introduced me to exciting technological innovations, one mile at a time.
Boultinghouse is a Girard sophomore in journalism and history.
RELIGION
Religious tolerance on campus needs work
The election of President Obama marked many changes for U.S. politics, but also the relations between government and religion.
But, despite all of the emphasis on religious freedom and tolerance, America is, and always will be, one nation under (the Judeo-Christian) God.
Eboo Patel, a member of President Obama's Faith Advisory Council, has taken it upon himself to help transform America into a nation that can remain religious, while still respecting the many images and interpretations of God.
As a young man, Patel, now only 34 years old, attended an interfaith conference and noticed something strange. Nearly everyone was in their 60s or 70s. Yet the terrorists' using violence in the name of religion were primarily his age.
Patel is a Muslim, born in India and raised in Chicago. His interviews are laced with harrowing childhood stories of torment and bullying, almost entirely because of his religion and race.
This childhood torment is one of the reasons Patel said he started the Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC). Since its inception in 1998, the IFYC has greatly expanded with a presence at 140 universities worldwide. The main goal of the IFYC is to provide students with the training and tools needed to create and live in a world of pluralism, both religious and otherwise. For our generation of college-educated adults, this is increasingly important since many of us will be working within a globalized market. Yet, the University of Kansas has not stepped up to become a part of the program.
As young people at a university as freethinking as KU, why aren't we asking ourselves,
BY SHAUNA BLACKMON
what am I doing to enhance religious pluralism and tolerance in Lawrence? The University has a large exchange student population from all over the world. Almost any culture, religion or lifestyle can be found in this strange, jumbled town we call home.
To its credit, the University has created programs and student groups for almost every religious practice, as well as an official Office of Diversity and Equity. There is however, a lot of hostility and prejudice among the student body. In my experience this is especially true in regards to the Muslim population.
Our generation has every reason to hate violence and the ideals people latch onto that perpetuate this violence. Hundreds of thousands of people, including KU students and faculty, have lost friends or family because of extremist violence. Still, personal loss doesn't give anyone the right to hate any religion, race or gender we think they might be associated with.
Religion is about being fulfilled, loving and compassionate. Hatred stemming from your religion or toward another religion would make your God, no matter which God, cringe.
Blackmon is an Olathe junior in journalism.
GUEST EDITORIAL
Haitians require more aid to rebound from earthquake
On Tuesday afternoon, the city of Port au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, was rocked by a massive earthquake that registered a magnitude of 7.0. Now, just two days later, the city is stuck in a dire situation. Collapsed buildings, downed communication, looters and streets filled with the dead and injured require the help of a massive international effort.
A disaster of such large scale only compounds the many difficulties facing Haiti already. Years
Or political instability and corruption left the country unprepared for such a disaster. On-the-ground resources were relatively scarce, and many buildings crumbled because they were not well-maintained, according to an NPR report. Additional photos show the Haitian presidential palace (Haiti's equivalent of the White House) in ruins. Many news reports, including the AP, have reported death tolls that are as high as 500,000.
Fortunately, relief is pouring into the country. International efforts such as the Red Cross have pledged money and other resources to the relief effort. On Wednesday, the group opened up many of their standby reserves to aid the country, but a midday report from the AP said Red Cross workers in Haiti may have already run out of medical supplies. The Red Cross estimates up to a third of the 9 million people of Haiti may need help.
More supplies are on the way, but it may take some time to get there. Time that the more than 2 million residents of Port-au-Prince don't have. And even as the last of the survivors are pulled from the wreckage, the destruction of Port-au-Prince will leave the country with long-term economic problems.
In order to aid those affected by the earthquake, we encourage readers to contribute to the Red Cross relief effort.
INTERNATIONAL ISSUES
You can do so by visiting their Web site at www.redcross.org or by calling 1-800-REDCROSS (1-800-733-2767). People can also contribute in a newly implemented way by texting "Haiti" to 90999, which will send a $10 donation, which is added to your monthly bill, to the Red Cross.
Originally published by the University Daily Nebraskan Editorial Board on January 13, 2010.
Finding meaning of life through the music of the streets
In a cosmopolitan city like New York, the rich and the disadvantaged pass each other by every day.
They have inseparable interaction in the society: one gives, one takes. Without grass-roots contribution, the upper class cannot stand alone. Likewise, without the upper class' consumption and support, grass roots has no way to live.
Weeks ago, in the metro carriage in New York, silence filled the air. Then, three cheerful men entered.
They took deep breaths, and released a melodious stream of a cappella music through the space.
Unfazed New Yorkers were used to this phenomenon but, as tourists, my friends and I were not.
Three men with guitars, good voices and warm smiles provided us more visual-auditory enjoyment on the way to Central Park.
To us, this pleasing performance earned the musicians both our attention and money.
The next day: same place, different souls.
Life in a Kaleidoscope
Again, I couldn't help but contribute some money to show my appreciation.
While we were queuing up for the ferry to the Statue of Liberty, an old violinist played a Chinese
BY JOSIE HO
jho@kapun.com
When we pretended we were Japanese and Korean, he switched to play their anthems with great ease.
He respected every nationality equally and played each anthem for his livelihood. I thought he could have been a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize.
anthem when he saw us.
Inside the dim and chilly space, I barely heard any joyful chatters among those pent-up looking passengers. Apparently the space is not a cozy place for passengers to hang around.
Metro Station was the transition that we couldn't avoid to go through when we spent a week in New York this winter break.
However, it sets a unique stage or workplace for tons of unfortunate talented artists; whenever the metro train departs, it's show time.
Performers play their music with soul, dance with effort. They
look for appreciation and hope to be discovered by talent scouts.
But, do not underestimate disadvantaged people's ability to earn their livings; I saw their genuine effort to make ends meet.
Many of them know how to use limited resources to achieve the greatest benefits.
I'd dare say, they even know more about what matters in life.
I remember an all-round middle-aged performer who could play guitar, drum and harmonica at the same time.
That embodiment of art and achievement of human extremes was nothing short of awesome.
From their slow movements and worn clothing, I didn't see weariness or desperation. Instead, I saw they had simple eagerness to let their art be appreciated.
The street musicians I saw with true passion saw every performance as the real show time.
They don't need much to live as long as they feel content in their artistry.
They entertained passers-by and satisfied themselves at the same time. They didn't beg for money brazenly. They were just open to any amount of tips.
New York is known for being a competitive arena. No one spares any effort to earn their bread
tactically.
Yet, I believe the artists I saw discovered the secret to survival. They were optimistic and maintained pride in their workmanship. To them, cruelty was of no significance, as long as they had
If someone fails to keep pace with the mass, they are simply and spontaneously dragged out of the game—reality is cruel.
their music.
"I have nothing to lose, but time and soul to burn," said a violinist who always pushes a grocery cart of belongings.
"As long as the city needs my entertainment, I will keep doing it."
Ho is a Macau, China junior in journalism.
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