4
Thursday, February 1, 1990 / University Daily Kansan
Opinion
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Fee waiver needed
Regents plan for application fee accomplishes some goals but needs additional consideration
The Board of Regents, in establishing a $15
application fee for students applying to Regents schools, has accomplished its
Regents schools, has accomplished its goals of reducing duplicate applications and raising additional revenue for student services. The Regents, however, have overlooked the potential students who cannot afford the fee.
All students applying for admission to the University of Kansas for Fall 1990 must pay the application fee. Nearly every other university in the country also charges an application fee. The Regents sought the fee to reduce the number of duplicate applications to Regents schools and to give each university money to enhance services. Bruce Lindvall, director of admissions, said the Office of Admissions had seen a "fairly substantial" decrease in the number of applications to KU. He estimated that KU could receive $200,000 from the fee, dependent on the number of applications received. Lindvall said the Regents required that the University spend the money on student services and not on recruiting.
Moreover, the application fee is likely to deter students from applying to the University who are not serious about enrolling. This reduces the paperwork and work load on the Office of Admissions.
However, the fee could prevent some students from applying to the University. Unfortunately, those students who likely would have difficulty raising the application fee are the students the University has made a concerted
effort to recruit and retain. Consequently, the fee becomes a roadblock to those efforts. Using the revenue derived from the fees to recruit minority students appears logical, but the Regents have seen fit to reject that idea.
Ideally, the Regents should allow a waiver for students who cannot pay the application fee. The fee could then be attached to the students' tuition bills and deducted from their financial aid.
The Regents discussed the possibility of a waiver but decided against it. Stanley Koplik, executive director of the Board of Regents, said the Regents rejected the waiver because of the difficulty in determining who would qualify for it.
The waiver idea makes such sense that it is difficult to understand why the Regents would oppose it, especially with a way for determining the waiver already in place.
However, that determination already is made for other schools by the American College Testing program. The University could easily adopt the same waiver criteria. In fact, Lindvall favors some type of waiver.
An application fee brings the University in line with the rest of the country and accomplishes the goals of limiting the number of applications and raising revenue. The University should not, however, overlook those who want to attend KU but cannot because of a $15 fee. A fee waiver for those students is simple common sense.
Members of the editorial board are Richard Brack, Daniel Niemi, Christopher R. Ralston, John P. Milburn, Liz Hueben, Cory S. Anderson, Merceda Ares, Angela Baughman, Andres Cavelier, Chris Evans, Tiffany Harness, Stephen Kline, Camille Krehbiel, Melanie Matthes, Jennifer Metz and Scott Patty.
Daniel Niemi for the editorial board
Celebrate February
Black history goes beyond Civil Rights era
February is Black History Month. Prepare
to be inundated with facts, figures and historical data about the contributions of Blacks to society. Take advantage of this information: absorb it; learn it.
But once Black History Month has ended, don't forget the immense contribution that Blacks have made not only to the United States — that is not where Black history starts — but to the entire world.
When talking about Black history, we have a tendency to focus on the relatively recent history of Blacks in the United States. We like to talk about the Civil Rights movement and the Emancipation Proclamation. These things are only a small part of Black history. Black history goes back thousands of years to the great kingdoms of Africa. The history of Blacks does not have its basis in slavery but in
the ruling kings and queens of Africa
There is strong evidence that Black history does not have its origins in a struggle for freedom but as the wellspring of human life and the basis of Western thought. Black history is something that should be alluded to almost daily in our Western Civilization classes.
When looking at Black history, we also tend to focus on those figures in history who are most pleasing to the majority of our culture. We talk about Martin Luther King Jr. but rarely about Malcolm X. Who is Malcolm X?
When February has ended, we should continue to pursue the truth not only about Black Americans but also about the great history of Africa, and we should learn not only about Malcolm X but also Shaka Zulu.
Don't let them fool you; noise ordinance targets students
Cory Anderson for the editorial board
The month of February should give those who don't know a chance to learn.
heard a friend recently complain about living across from a church. It seems hard to believe.
church officials have no consideration.
Every Sunday the church bakes wives
him.
"I can't sleep until it stops, so I usually count the rings," my friend said. "Usually, I count 31 rings."
Students who have partied a little too enthusiastically the night before get a taste of purgatory, I was told. Each peal splits the air — and their aching heads.
A new city noise ordinance bans unreasonable noise 24 hours a day. I am not sure what reasonable noise is, but church bellapparently qualify because they are specificallypermitted by the ordinance. Without thebells' summons, the pious probablywould sleep until noon and miss church. I understandyou really can't win much of a crownin heaven these days if you don't get out of bed on Sundaymornings.
In the summer, I often wake up at 8 a.m. on Saturday — not by choice. It is the lawn mowers of my neighbors. Harley-Davidson motorcycles, the ones with straight pipes
Dave Wakefield
Staff columnist
instead of muffers, probably would do poorly in a noise contest against a really powerful lawn mower. But whether at 6 a.m. or 1 a.m., the mower is likely according to the Lawrence City Commission.
Other examples of reasonable noise permitted by the ordinance are those irritating beeps trash trucks make when they back up at 4 a.m. Also the banging. The best way to dislodge leftover cassoleer stuck to the bottom of trash trunks is to clamp on them, then they might play like huge cymbals played vigorously during a Sousa march.
Piercing car alarms are reasonable. Especially the ones that dogs maliciously set off about 3 a.m. to pay us back for making them sleep outside.
Party noise, though, is definitely not reasonable. I once thought parties met certain, essential social needs for many of us, but apparently I was wrong. Unreasonable noises such as parties and amplified music are banned 24 hours a day.
I was at a quiet party last semester. I didn't even have to shout to be heard. But by 11 p.m. police officers showed up and sent us home. I hate to think how early parties will have to end after Feb. 6, when city commissioners are scheduled to pass, on final reading, the noise ordinance.
Neighborhood leaders who initiated the ordinance claim the ordinance was not aimed at parties or students. Don't let them fool you. During hours of hearings, almost every example they presented in support of the ordinance dealt with students. And though some of the worst parts of their proposal were eliminated from the final ordinance, it still remains a threat to parties not to mention other normal activities of students.
It is so broadly worded that almost any noise could be unlawful. In brief, it makes
unlawful any "excessive, unreasonable or unusually loud noise which disturbs, injures or endangers the repose, health, peace or safety of other people of ordinary sensitivity within the vicinity." That covers just about everything. Oil the springs on your bed. I certainly know how squeaking springs from the room above me disturb my repose and peace. Don't whistle while you walk at night. It might disturb someone's peace.
There are no objective criteria for determining what noise is unreasonable or excessively loud under the ordinance. That is left up to the discretion of the law enforcement officers. I hope they show restraint in their judgment and don't respond automatically to everyone who calls in a complaint. On the other hand, how is the police officer to decide if the complainant is a person of ordinary sensibilities? Probably the safest thing to do will be to shut down the parties and silence the sterees.
You may have read in the newspaper that student leaders made no objection when the ordinance was passed. In fact, they were given copies of the revised ordinance five
minutes before they were asked to comment. B. Jake White, student body president, told me they were at a bit of a loss to know just what to say, having had so little time to analyze the document.
For five years I lived in Westport, the heart of Kansas City's bar district. Every Friday and Saturday, I could dance in my bedroom until 2 a.m. to the music from the Harris House's rooftop band. I never complained. I loved living in Westport. The benefits I received from living there far outweighed the occasional annoyance I experienced when an unusually loud band played unusually bad music until 2 a.m.
Student neighborhoods are pretty well defined. Hundreds of students should not be inconvenienced because a handful of residents occasionally are bothered by normal student activities. Perhaps those who object to student noise should move if they are so annoyed with life near the University, considering all the benefits it brings to the city.
▷ Dave Wakefield is a Lawrence senior majoring in journalism and biology.
Other Voices
In our health-crazy times, fooda are made out to be heroes and villains at a vigorous pace. What was good 10 years ago is bad today. What is touted as a cure-all for the '90s will be a carcinogen in the next century.
A new study said that oat bran wasn't bad but that it had been overhyped. Critics responded by saying that the report wasn't accurate and was based on a small sample, but several leading scientists backed up the study's methods.
And then there was the question of what kind of cholesterol oat bran worked against. Was it the good cholesterol or the bad cholesterol?
Clearly oat bran is mired in a sticky controversy about its benefits. Don't bet your heart on oat bran; exercise and common sense give you much better odds.
> From the Winona (Minn.) Daily News, Jan. 19, 1990.
News staff
Richard Breck ... Editor
Richard Niemi ... Managing editor
Christopher R. Relaton ... News editor
Planning editor ... Planning editor
John Milburn ... Editorial editor
Candy Nieman ... Campus editor
Mike Cochran ... Sports editor
E. Joseph Zurgu ... Photographer
Stephen Kline ... Graphics editor
Kris Bargoulut ... Art/Features editor
Tim Blair ... General manager
Margaret Townsend ... Business manager
Tamil Rank ... Retail sales manager
Mike Miller ... Campus sales manager
Kathy Rolloff ... National sales manager
Mike Lehman ... National sales manager
Mindy Morris ... Co-op sales manager
Nate Stamos ... Production manager
Matt Landis ... Assistant Manager
Carrie Stanikas ... Marketing director
James Glsanapp ... Creative director
Jacet Rorholm ... Classified manager
Wendy Stokes ... Ward Chief
Jeanne Hines ... Marketing and sales advisor
Business staff
Letters should be typed, double-spaced and less than 200 words and must include the writer's signature, name, address and telephone number. If the writer is affiliated with the University of Kansas, please include class and homework, or faculty or staff position.
Guest columns should be typed, double-spaced and less than 700 words. The writer will
Social Security proposal makes sense
The Kansas reserves the right to reject or edit letters, guest columns and cartoons. They can be mailed or brought to the Kansas newroom, 111 Staffer-Fall Halt. Letters, columns and cartoons are the opinion of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of the University Daily Kansas. Editorials are the opinion of the Kansas editorial board
The level of Social Security contributions has been raised several times during the 1980s and has again as of Jan. 1, 1980. Sen. Daniel P. Moynhan's D-N.Y., proposal to reduce the level of these contributions mites consideration.
Harry G.
Shaffer
Guest
columnist
Social Security contributions are not taxes; they are contributions paid by workers into an insurance fund. The funds may be held in trust by the government.
Since contributions above those needed to meet Social Security payouts are simply borrowed by the government, Moynihan now proposes that as of Jan. 1, 1991, we reduce Social Security contributions from 6.2 percent (plus 1.45 percent for Medicare) to 5.1 percent (without touching the Medicare contribution) and raise them slightly by the end of this decade. This would enable us to meet all Social Security commitments well into the second decade of the next century when an increase to 5.6 percent (still well below current levels) probably would be needed. The percentage levied on incomes last year was far more than neces
Since the major increase in Social Security levies in 1984, enormous surpluses have accumulated in the Social Security fund, now totaling more than $162 billion. But instead of keeping these surpluses in trust, they are being spent to earn interest, with the principal safe and secure, the government has taken them and used them to take care of other expenditures. And President Bush has stated openly and frankly that he intends to do it again this year, although he promised that he would start "phasing out" such activities gradually, beginning in 1993.
In this manner, the size of our real deficits are masked, and the contributions become in actuality a tax, a highly regressive tax, resting on the relatively less affluent people in our society. Because Social Security contributions are collected on the first $50,000 of income, the multimillion-
sary to meet obligations, actually leaving a surplus of $85.5 billion in 1989 alone. If the government ever intends to repay its IOUs, which the Social Security fund now holds, a decrease in Social Security contributions surely would make sense. On the other hand, if the government does not intend to repay these loans, which certainly seems to be the case, why then should lower-income earners be made to continue contributing unnecessarily large sums to pay for government operations and in this devious manner help disguise the true size of the federal deficit?
We should perhaps contact our senators and representatives to urge them to back Moynihan's proposal.
aire who earns $5 million a year pays the same amount as the middle-class income earner who makes $50,000 per year. The average whose gross income is $25,000
► Harry G. Shaffer is a KU professor of economics.
CAMP UHNEELY
THE OTHER TREES ENJOY A SKI
TRIP, R.J. MANNELT THE
CAFFEINE-LADEN POSSUM
DISCOVERS A CARMS PROBLEM
I'M SAYRY, YOU MUST
FIRST PAY YOUR FEE IN THE
PARKING OFFICE BEFORE YOU
CAN EXIT THE GARAGE.
I CAN'T BELIEVE PARKING SERVICES MAKES FAYING CUSTOMERS WALK THROUGH A COLD GARAGE JUST SO THEIR EMPLOYEES WON'T BE INCONVENIENCED!
WELL, SIR. IT'S THE LATEST THIS PAYMENT METHOD. IT'S SYSTEM IS THE WIDELY USED STUPIDEST THING BY IVE EVER. EUROPEANS. ENCOUNTERED!
BY SCOTT PATTY