Opinion
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2009
United States First Amendment
Folmsbee: Why I don't 'believe'in evolution COMING WEDNESDAY
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--always come to dread occurs whenever I lack new music to play on my iPod. Granted, sometimes this period can be a way for me to rediscover old music, but usually it's a wake up call to start seeking out new bands and songs.
I've been a fan of KU football since the 1990s. We're still so much better to watch now than we were back then. I'll chant my "Rock Chalks!"
If I was to run the halls naked,
do you think anyone would
stop me?
Just by reading FFA you'd think that the entire population of KU is nothing but sex-starved, lonely alcoholics. Oh wait, we are.
Does anyone think that the Kansas versus Missouri game will be worth going to?
--always come to dread occurs whenever I lack new music to play on my iPod. Granted, sometimes this period can be a way for me to rediscover old music, but usually it's a wake up call to start seeking out new bands and songs.
I'm looking for a mountain man in Kansas. This is never going to work.
I really don't like how my head is so big. It makes me feel ever so awkward
--always come to dread occurs whenever I lack new music to play on my iPod. Granted, sometimes this period can be a way for me to rediscover old music, but usually it's a wake up call to start seeking out new bands and songs.
April 7,2008. Do I go too far saying it was the greatest day
--always come to dread occurs whenever I lack new music to play on my iPod. Granted, sometimes this period can be a way for me to rediscover old music, but usually it's a wake up call to start seeking out new bands and songs.
This campus needs a safari zone.
--always come to dread occurs whenever I lack new music to play on my iPod. Granted, sometimes this period can be a way for me to rediscover old music, but usually it's a wake up call to start seeking out new bands and songs.
I went to math class. I took a test. I passed it. My life is average.
Cock. Cock, cock, cock.
--always come to dread occurs whenever I lack new music to play on my iPod. Granted, sometimes this period can be a way for me to rediscover old music, but usually it's a wake up call to start seeking out new bands and songs.
Someone needs to change the "If it's yellow, let it mellow" rule, because I am sick of smelling piss at the urinals.
--always come to dread occurs whenever I lack new music to play on my iPod. Granted, sometimes this period can be a way for me to rediscover old music, but usually it's a wake up call to start seeking out new bands and songs.
--always come to dread occurs whenever I lack new music to play on my iPod. Granted, sometimes this period can be a way for me to rediscover old music, but usually it's a wake up call to start seeking out new bands and songs.
I love touch phones because no one can hear you text in the bathroom stall.
My professor just told us that the reason she started smoking cigarettes was so that she could start smoking pot better.
--always come to dread occurs whenever I lack new music to play on my iPod. Granted, sometimes this period can be a way for me to rediscover old music, but usually it's a wake up call to start seeking out new bands and songs.
I totally just witnessed a Facebook hookup through FFA online.
--always come to dread occurs whenever I lack new music to play on my iPod. Granted, sometimes this period can be a way for me to rediscover old music, but usually it's a wake up call to start seeking out new bands and songs.
How does Facebook select the people I need to reconnect with? There's a reason why we haven't spoken in five years.
--always come to dread occurs whenever I lack new music to play on my iPod. Granted, sometimes this period can be a way for me to rediscover old music, but usually it's a wake up call to start seeking out new bands and songs.
Do you feel stupid that you're wearing shorts and it's snowing outside?
--always come to dread occurs whenever I lack new music to play on my iPod. Granted, sometimes this period can be a way for me to rediscover old music, but usually it's a wake up call to start seeking out new bands and songs.
Would any guys be into a polyamorous relationship, but with only one girl?
--always come to dread occurs whenever I lack new music to play on my iPod. Granted, sometimes this period can be a way for me to rediscover old music, but usually it's a wake up call to start seeking out new bands and songs.
Note to self: Do not yell, "Man down!" at a women's basketball game.
--always come to dread occurs whenever I lack new music to play on my iPod. Granted, sometimes this period can be a way for me to rediscover old music, but usually it's a wake up call to start seeking out new bands and songs.
POLITICALLY CORRECT Same-sex marriage
After Maine passed a referendum Nov. 3 overturning a law allowing same-sex couples to wed, the debate over gay marriage continues. Despite the political nature of this debate, gay marriage remains a moral question at its most fundamental level. Three of our political columnists weigh in on this contentious issue.
"The course of true love never did run smooth." Shakespeare wrote. There was once a time in this country when some people believed interracial marriages would be "immoral" for shaky reasons.
People have been insisting for years that gay marriage would somehow be "immoral." How it is immoral for two consenting adults in a loving relationship to have the same rights and legal recognition as all other couples is beyond me.
I've heard the argument that our society is somehow founded on the sanctity of marriage, yet nobody seems to care much that some of our Founding Fathers had mistresses. I've heard that allowing gay couples to marry would cheapen the process, yet the divorce rate in America is somewhere around 52 percent as it is. And I've heard that legalizing gay marriage would force churches to conduct same-sex marriages, which shows a phenomenal ignorance of how marriage laws work in general.
Cohen is a Topeka senior in political science.
Gay rights are human rights. As long as the laws of this country hold straight as the norm and gay as the aberration, the laws of this country remain fundamentally unjust.
If you are a gay kid growing up in America today, you see that you cannot be honest with yourself and still expect the basic dignity of family life; marriage and children. That is why complete marriage equality is an inextricable part of gay rights.
The majority of Americans may not yet support equal rights for gay couples, but that will change soon enough. On no other issue is there such a clear generational divide. Even in Kansas, a majority of 18- to 29-year-olds approve of gay marriage.
A decade ago, it would have been unthinkable that a referendum on gay marriage would result in such a closely contested election.
— Thompson is a Topeka senior in economics.
President Barack Obama has said repeatedly that he believes marriage is a relationship between a man and a woman, and I agree with him on this. He has also said he is not in favor of same-sex marriage.
The gay marriage issue is only a part of the larger gay rights issue. I support the extension of current employment discrimination protections. Our nation's economic success depends on having the most qualified and hardest working people in the workforce. Discrimination in employment is unfair and destructive to our nation.
The use of intimidation to keep people from voicing their opinion on this issue is unacceptable. Automatically branding people who shun political correctness and voice their personal opinion (i.e. Carrie Prejean) as homophobic, bigoted and insensitive flies in the face of what gay marriage advocates claim to be fighting for: tolerance.
- Compton is a Wichita senior in political science.
WHO DO YOU THINK IS POLITICALLY CORRECT?
Go to Kansan.com to vote and listen to the podcast. Send your topic ideas to pc@kansan.com.
MUSIC .
Remedies for iPod idleness
One of the experiences I've always come to dread occurs when
Unfortunately, the lack of new material doesn't seem to bother Top 40 radio stations, who continue to blast gems like "Party in the USA," "Boom Boom Pow" and "You Belong With Me" as if these songs were the only ones left in the world. Fortunately, there are ways of preventing your musical taste from becoming a victim of iPod social Darwinism. With elite bands scheduled to play in Lawrence within the next month at The Granada and The Bottleneck, there's no excuse to not discover new songs.
Fellow columnists Nicolas Roesler and Ben Coldham have promoted the hip-hop acts coming to Lawrence throughout the semester, but a genre that we often overlook is alternative rock. On Dec. 9, elite rock bands Underoath, Emery and August Burns Red will take the stage at the Granada, while the following night has the likes of Mayday Parade, There For Tomorrow, and The Dangerous
TRENT BOULTINGHOUSE
Even though Emery, Underoath and August Burns Red remain relatively unknown on mainstream airwaves, they're arguably the most popular bands within the post-hardcore and hard-rock scene. As a devoted fan of this genre, the Granada's show is hardcore rock's equivalent of having Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, and Chris Brown taking the stage. Have seen these bands before, I can attest that their passion-fueled, heavy rock songs are undeniably intense. The crowd will most likely be jumping from the opening note to the (presumed) encore. All three have released a new album within the past year: Emery with "In Shallow Seas We Sail," August Burns Red with "Constellations," and Underoath with "Lost in the Sound of Separation."
Summer at The Bottleneck. Because these venues are willing to book top-notch acts, Lawrence's music scene continues to thrive.
Although the following night's bands do not have as heavy of sound as the Granada's lineup, they are equally as catchy. Mayday Parade and There For Tomorrow stand out from the lineup. Both are appealing to non-traditional rock fans (i.e. robotic Top 40 listeners) as they possess a more mainstream, yet widely unique sound. Mayday Parade and There For Tomorrow were featured on the compilation "Punk Goes Pop 2" with covers of The Pussycat Dolls "When I Grow Up" and Omarion's "Ice Box," respectively. A trademark of the pop-punk genre, the bands' swinging guitar hooks and catchy lyrics are appealing to all fans of alternative rock. Up-and-comers The Dangerous Summer will also put on a good show, having just released their debut album this year.
All of these bands have a MySpace or have songs on YouTube, so there's no excuse to not hear any of their songs before the shows. If your music library is becoming stagnant, you should be able to take advantage of these remedies in early December.
Boultinghouse is a Girard sophomore in journalism and history.
BLOG: GREEN MY GUY
Foods such as $2.50 frozen pizzas seem like a deal, but in fact hide a very real and very expensive cost: detrimental effects on the environment and our health. These external costs may not appear on your grocery bill or drive-thru receipt, but still we bear their effects on a day-to-day basis.
High price, cheap foods
So what are these external costs and what creates them?
The majority of subsidies distributed by the farm bill are put into the pockets of large, commercial farms growing commodity crops such as corn, soybeans and wheat. Rather than help maintain a balanced agricultural economy, the government pays by bushels
Cost: Obesity. Cause: Farm bill subsidies.
produced, keeping prices low and encouraging overproduction.
What to do then with all the extra corn, soybeans and wheat? Simply look at the ingredients list of most processed foods, from cereal to soda, chips to Hamburger Helper. You'll likely find a derivative of these commodity crops there. These cheap, subsidy endorsed add-ons allow food producers to sell their high-calorie, high-fat, high-cholesterol foods at incredibly low prices.
Meanwhile, farmers who grow fresh produce have received hardly any assistance. Although waistline widening fast foods and junk foods get cheaper and cheaper, vegetables and fruits become more and more expensive.
Cost: Air and water pollution.
Cause: industrial food production.
Commodity crops such as corn
and soy are also very resource intensive crops, meaning that they require large amounts of water and chemical fertilizers to grow. Born out of fossil fuels, these chemical fertilizers are a double whammy on the environment: First it releases greenhouse gases (POW!) and then the chemical run-off pollutes both soil and water (WA-POW!).
We have agricultural run-off to thank for that.
Though this kind of environmental degradation is occurring, many of us continue to eat industrially produced food. Why? Because it's easy to simply turn off your computer or TV, ignore the pollution and chomp into a $1 cheeseburger.
— Janie Chen is a junior from Olathe.
Her sustainability blog can be read at
www.greenmgyuy.worldpress.com.
STUDENT LIFE
NICHOLAS SAMBALUK
Adderall provides a quick fix
Full-time college students between the ages of 18 and 22 are twice as likely to use Adderall for non-medical purposes than those not in college, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The illegal use of this prescription drug is a growing trend among college campuses, including the University of Kansas. Although the benefits of this drug are tempting for those facing tough academic schedules, students should be aware of possible side effects and the threat of dependence, addiction or abuse.
Adderall is an amphetamine that serves as a stimulant, and is prescribed to patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, according to drugs, com, a drug information Web site. For those with this disorder, Adderall helps regulate hyperactivity and impulse controls. For those with ADHD, Adderall makes them average, and for those not diagnosed with ADHD, Adderall makes them better than average.
Some common side effects of Adderall include insomnia, headache, loss of appetite, nervousness, dry mouth and even addiction, according to adderal.net, an amphetamine information Web site. Less common side effects include high blood pressure, depression and hallucinations.
Not only can Adderall be dangerous, but it is also illegal to use Adderall without a prescription. For most college students, the benefits outweigh the costs. The notion of an increased GPA with less effort is enough for some students to overlook the side effects and the law. Adderall won't increase intelligence, but it will enhance concentration, motivation and the alertness necessary to pull an all-nighter before your exam
Adderall is another drug to add to society's list of quick fixes and fast results with less effort. Diet pills promise the loss of pounds in merely weeks, steroids promise a better performance and the use of Adderall enhances academic careers.
Adderall is to college students
what steroids are to athletes:
The drug helps increase the ability to study just as steroids help increase the abilities of an athlete. The use of steroids is considered cheating in sports, and so should the non-prescription use of Adderall be in academics.
When used occasionally, the side effects of Adderall are easily manageable and the threat of long-term effects is small. However, the possibility of dependence or addiction is always present.
Students who use Adderall only occasionally for big projects, papers or exams may find that eventually they cannot perform well without the use of the drug. If Adderall is needed to pass a big exam, other problems in the future such as business projects or career goals may also seem impossible without the illegal use of a stimulant.
People have been taking stimulants for years before Adderall, but if students must rely solely on the illegal use of a prescription drug they are only hurting themselves in the long run. The desire to succeed by one's own effort should never be something that is drug induced.
Maybe if I took Adderall I wouldn't be wondering if I have any new e-mails, or checking Facebook every 10 minutes. I probably could have finished this column quicker and more efficiently, but I wouldn't be able to say I did it on my own.
The benefits of using Adderall seem tempting, but those who do not use the stimulant will know that they owe their success to nothing but themselves.
Brown is a Wichita junior in journalism and political science.
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