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Wednesday, October 27.1993
OPINION
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
VIEWPOINT
Tonkovich's appeal is waste of Regents time
The Board of Regents should support Chancellor Gene Budig's decision to dismiss Emil Tonkovich, former tenured professor of law.
No more time and resources should be allocated to hearing his case. Budig found that Tonkovich violated the faculty code of ethics, and this is grounds for dismissal. The Committee on Tenure and Related Problems' support for his dismissal should be viewed as an appropriate call for action.
The committee's decision was made after extensive effort on all sides of the case. The decision was grounded in the truths they discovered and was not a "witch hunt" as Tonkovich claims.
The committee consisted of five impartial faculty members who spent nine months listening to 49 witnesses and observing 96 different pieces of evidence on the 20 allegations. The hearing, all 8,176 pages of it, should stand as a fair evaluation of Tonkovich's violation.
After these deadlines have been met, the Regents should end this charade and not set up a hearing. Nothing could be presented in this case that the committee didn't consider, and the Regents should realize this before proceeding with a hearing. A hearing would only present another opportunity for Tonkovich to draw out this case as only a lawyer can do.
The Regents have not established procedures for hearing Tonkovich's appeal. And it should not do so. It gave the University a deadline to respond, and it gave Tonkovich a deadline for rebuttal.
Don't give him this chance. Accept the committee's findings as enough evidence, and end the fiasco. Don't allow Tonkovich to clog the University system any longer.
TERRILYN McCORMICK FOR EDITORIAL BOARD
Abuse of Pell Grants cripples good program
The 4,000 cases of Pell Grant abuse recently discovered by the Department of Education are nothing less than frustrating. It is frustrating for students who honestly file financial aid applications, and it is frustrating for institutions like KU which try their best to give students the services they need.
It is also an abuse of taxpayer's money.
The Pell Grant program is a good program, offering students aid that does not have to be repaid, unlike loans. If such abuses continue, Congress may not appropriate money for the program in the future.
Although the department does have a lot of responsibility, it could help itself by adding more people to the staff or by reducing paper work. The department could then focus on important things like creating even better programs or catching program abuses earlier.
One policy that would reduce paper work would be if the department reviewed or audited institutions based on their past performance. Institutions like KU, that have no abuses, are burdened with extra paper work and try to satisfy the department's requirements instead of focusing on the students' needs.
Reform throughout the Department of Education especially in financial aid programs, could allow financial aid offices to provide better and quicker service to students.
MUNEERA NASEER FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD
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Ellsworth proves hope is alive in U.S. youths
People in our society assume that today's youths are synonymous with drive-by shootings, drugs and teenage pregnancies. These problems have been publicized to such an extent that most communities have begun to report that all hope in the future of America's youth is dead. This report, however, like the report of Mark Twain's death, has been greatly exaggerated. My proof is a high school band from Ellsworth, Kan.
This band was presented with an option that every high school band member dreams of, an invitation to perform on national television during halftime of a prestigious bowl game. The only obstacle in the band's way was the Jofty $55,000 price tag of the event. With two months to go before the band's deadline, almost half of that money had been raised. It was then discovered by band members that one of their classmates needed their help.
Rita Henry, 16, was diagnosed with leukemia and needed a bone marrow transplant. The significant cost of both her hospital stay and the search for a donor were not fully covered by the family's insurance company. The Henry family needed a substantial amount of money to help pay for Rita's care. It was at this point that the school band from Ellsworth decided to step in.
The band, because of legal constraints, couldn't donate the money that they had raised for the purpose of attending their bowl game. But that
COLUMNIST
didn't stop their determination to help their classmate. The band, in a 114-0 vote, decided to end their fund raise for the Freedom Bowl and raise money to help Rita.
"You hear so much bad about kids these days that sometimes you wonder if there's any good left in the world. Believe me, there is." It's tragic that most Americans don't understand the last point made by Mrs. Henry.
An altruistic act is defined as, "an unselfish regard for, or devotion to the welfare of others." The band members from Ellsworth High School exemplify this definition in every sense of the word as they continue to help not themselves, but a classmate tragically stricken with leukemia. As a result of this act Rita might be able to get the bone marrow transplant she desperately needs to live the healthy and productive lifestyle that she deserves. The altruistic act of the band members proves that America's youths are not in a constant state of demise.
The next time Peter Jennings reports that teenage pregnancies and drugs are at an all-time high in the United States, remember the story of the high school band from Ellsworth, and retain your hope in this country's future.
When I first saw the picture of Henry's daughter, Rita, laying in her hospital bed with her shaved head and tubes entering her body, I didn't see a tragedy — I saw hope. Maybe it was the smile on her pale face, or maybe it was the fact that so many people came to her side to try and beat the illusive monster that has entered her blood system. But nonetheless I saw hope.
Dottie Henry, Rita's mother, said.
If Rita's doctors are only half as good as her friends are from Ellsworth High School, then I'm sure Rita will soon be at home, enjoying the things in life that most of us take for granted. Thanks to the band members, Rita's dream of some day returning home might now be a reality, Rita's parents, the band members' parents and the Ellsworth community have learned a valuable lesson that most of us are unaware of — that hope in this country's youth is alive. And because of that Rita is too.
To send donations or letters of encouragement to Rita please write to: Rita Henry, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Blvd., Room #5074, Kansas City, Kan. 66160.
Lance Hambry is a Wichita junior majoring in political science and journalism.
NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE
Clinton lacks direction in foreign policy
Having said that, it is probably good that Sen. Dole made the threat. The Clinton administration is having difficulty devising a coherent foreign policy almost everywhere:
"...it is probably
Haiti, Bosnia, Somalia. Its lack of direction was underscored in the most embarrassing fashion when earlier this year Secretary of State
It would probably be a bad idea for the Congress to adopt Sen. Robert Dole's motion to legally restrict President Clinton from committing U.S. forces in Haiti. Such a law may be unconstitutional but, more important, it would clearly undermine the chief executive's ability to conduct foreign policy.
Dole made the
good that Senator
threat."
(Warren) Christopher went to Europe to seek our allies' advice on a strategy toward the Serbs; and, more recently, when Secretary of Defense (Les) Aspin went to the Hill to get the advice of Democrats on what to do in Somalia.
Times Union Albany, N.Y.
Seeking advice is certainly a good thing. But the chief executive of the United States should take the lead in his own foreign policy. At the very least, the administration should have a clearly devised plan before committing American resources — much less lives — in its pursuit.
Times Union Albany, N.Y.
COLUMNIST
I hate to dive into the area of politics, specifically political correctness; This is because entering this arena brings a wide variety of problems: First, you get many angry hate letters, and although my mailbox is never as full as I'd like it to be, no one likes that kind of correspondence. Second, and more importantly, political writing requires thought, which in turn, requires energy – energy that could just as easily be used to eat nachos and picante sauce.
Correct titles for guys, girls often present tough choices
Today though, I've decided to throw caution to the wind. I'd like to discuss at which point you start using the words woman and man to describe females and males. Because of the sensitivity involved with a subject as argued as this, I will randomly insert subtle statements to remind you of the nature of this column, or if you prefer, "literary piece." Subtle statements like, "TAKE IT EASY, I'M JUST KIDDING."
Closely related to this is that I'm almost certain that my roommate and I will have a conversation like this in the very near future.
I know this could be considered a pettytopic, but really it's quite controversial. I've noticed people calling the same person by different words. Like this friend of mine: when describing a male that Alison has gone out with she'll say things like, "He was (or wasn't) a nice boy." The key word being boy. (That's boy, not being.) These "boys" may, in fact, be 25 years old.
ME: "I went out with that girl, you know, that girl that I know. Do you know that girl?"
KEVIN: "What did you do today, Chris?"
KEVIN: "Yes, I know that girl. That girl is definitely a girl that I know."
Later, Kevin would probably reprimand me after realizing how foolish we had been earlier. He would say something like, "Man, Chris, you're such a piece of hell. You were very insensitive when referring to your friend." Then I'd probably have to apologize and trade enrollment appointments with him.
So where do you draw the line? On the one hand, there are females that I know that should be called women. Like my stepmother, professors and Janet Reno. On the other hand, there's not a specific age that a female is magically called a woman. Like if I called my Dad and told him about a female that I went out with. (This is very hypothetical.) I wouldn't feel right saying, "Boy, Dad, I met this really great woman." He'd think she was really old — like 30. Then he'd give me a man-to-man talk about growing up and how sometimes you just have to listen to what he says, because his "knows" more. Kind of like Mr. Cunningham used to do on "Happy Days."
Therefore, through very complicate ed reasoning, I have concluded that females I wouldn't feel comfortable asking out (like Janet Reno) should be referred to as women. Males are easier — I'll continue to use the universal term "guy." I am sure that all females and males will be comfortable with this set-up. If not, who the hell cares? HA-HA-HA.
Chris Roman is an Overland Park opioid more majoring in broadcast journalism.
University of Mars
Joel Francke