OPINION
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
4A
PUBLISHED DAILY SINCE 1912
CRAIG LANG, Editor
SUSANNA LOOP, Managing editor
KIMBERLY CRASTEP, Editorial editor
TOM EBILEN, General manager, news adviser
MARK OZMKE, Business manager
DENNIS HAUPT, Retail sales manager
JUSTIN KNUPP, Technology coordinator
JA STENNER, Sales and marketing adviser
Wednesday, January 15, 1997
Jeff MacNelly / CHICAGO TRIBUNE
Editorials
Re-election of Gingrich reveals consequence of keeping quiet
We are responsible for Newt Gingrich's re-election as speaker of the House. Although we did not technically vote him in or hand him the speaker's position, we are guilty just the same.
Although Gingrich had not been convicted of an ethics violation when the speaker of the House vote took place, he had admitted to concealing the truth from the ethics committee. And when the House elected its speaker, all of Kansas' U.S. representatives voted for it.
Gingrich was elected speaker despite polls showing the majority of the American public did not want Gingrich reelected as speaker.
Our justice system claims that we are innocent until proven guilty, but the fact that Gingrich admitted to misleading the ethics committee threw doubt on that innocence and made many citizens skeptical of his ability to help guide our country in the right direction. But even our Kansas representatives ignored the doubts and desires of the American people and decided that party loyalty was more important than ethical leadership. And this fault is not limited to the Republican Party.
As voters, we must keep our officials informed about our opinions
None of this changes the truth. We, as eligible voters, are bound by duty to take part in our government.
At the very least, it is our obligation to vote and let our leaders know what we expect from them. But the issue goes deeper than that.
We have to ask ourselves if ethics and honesty are important attributes in our
leaders. And if so, are our leaders only wrong when they get caught?
It should be our task to make sure they maintain high standards of honor and duty by telling them through letters, email or telephone calls when we think they are wrong. By waiting until a catastrophe occurs before we get involved, we only encourage dishonest, reckless behavior by politicians.
For these reasons, we are responsible for Gingrich's re-election. The representatives elected by the majority in this district and other districts with Republican representatives did not listen to their constituents at a crucial moment — perhaps because their constituents were silent until it was too late.
And when the crucial moment arrived, we were of no help to our representatives. Therefore, we must share in the responsibility.
NICOLE SKALLA FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Ebonics is an insufficient solution
The Dec. 18 resolution passed by the Oakland, Calif., school board to treat Ebonics, or Black English, as a second language may simplify teaching standard English to African-American students. But Ebonics ignores larger problems in American education, especially among minority students.
In the proposal, the Oakland school board recognizes Ebonics as the primary language of the majority of its students that are African American and calls for teaching those students in their primary language and helping them translate it into standard English instead of simply correcting their errors in standard English.
Proponents of Ebonics suggest that it helps African-American students learn standard English.
But although it may be helpful for educators teaching these students, Ebonics
the majority of students in the education Rather than focusing on a small part of education that could divide students, teachers need to help students succeed in all facets of their education and let the speech patterns develop accordingly.
Teachers need to help students succeed in all facets of their education.
Too often, minorities feel out of place and at an academic disadvantage in comparison to their Caucasian classmates. By differentiating African-American students and telling them that they speak not slang, a different dialect, but a different language, educators are creating one more cause for division. The division might not be as noticeable in schools where the majority of students are African American. If this program is adopted, African-American students might feel exceptionally set apart from their classmates in schools where
should not be mistaken as the panacea for educating minority students.
Ellis Cose, author of a book about Ebonics that will be released later this month, writes in Newsweek, "the key to teaching Black children (or any children) is not in convincing them that they speak a foreign language, but that they are capable of mastering any material put in front of them."
If teachers want to help students excel, they must find a way to give all students an academic challenge and convince them that they are able to meet that challenge, whether it is learning to speak standard English or work calculus.
the majority of students are Caucasian.
KAREN CHANDLER FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD
KANSAN STAFF
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LA TINA SULLIVAN . . . Associate Editorial
KRISTIE BLASI . . . News
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TARA TRENARY . . News
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Sprawling city limits should be contained
Columns
If only we could find a location for the new South Lawrence Trafficway that is environmentally friendly and culturally sensitive.
This idea which circulates among those who
This idea, which circulates oppose the freeway in Lawrence, is shortsighted and limited. The freeway should be opposed for more basic philosophical and ideological reasons. The new freeway and the growth of Lawrence are not as inherently beneficial or inevitable as we are led to believe. We need to help stop the growth of Lawrence and the destruction of the quality of life that we already possess. Lawrence residents are
Lawrence has been a tranquil college town for most of its existence but will not always be the place you will remember. Growth and expansion could destroy Lawrence's college-town charm, appeal and security. Lawrence is fast becoming a suburb for Topeka and Kansas City, filled with suburbanites who neither know their neighbors nor care about their community. In 30 years, Lawrence
may no longer be the small, peaceful community with locally owned businesses that exists today but will become a larger city, dominated by out-of-town businesses and chain restaurants and faced with real urban problems.
Lawrence residents are lucky. The city contains educated residents who enjoy a high standard of living, low crime rate, adequate public services, and access to culture and the arts. At face value, growth and change for Lawrence seem desirable because they should enhance our already superior situation. Growth would present new jobs and opportunities, amenities and an improved standard of living.
The urbanization and expansion of Lawrence will bring big-city problems that handcuff every large American city. With growth comes increased crime and a decentralized the people.
However, this is only the rhetoric of those who stand to profit from a growing Lawrence and not from those who would suffer from expansion. The continued growth of Lawrence will destroy all that we enjoy about living here.
As Lawrence's outskirts continue to walk south and west, so goes downtown. Fewer people will visit downtown, and our community could become more fragmented and decentralized.
The growth of the west and south sections of the city could result in the neglect of the older sections that is common in the growth of American cities. Problems such as homelessness, dispensation of adequate social services and disparities in the distribution of wealth may only be aggravated by expansion.
Growth may also come at taxpayers' expense to finance new roads and sewers. Developers and construction companies could grow rich as tax money is used to build new infrastructure that will help ease their profitability. This tax money would be welfare for rich developers, builders and others who stand to profit as the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.
As long as the University exists, Lawrence will survive. New freeways won't solve traffic problems but will only invite more residents and congestion. More roads and residents will diminish our quality of life. Call your city commissioner and express your concern about unrestrained growth in Lawrence. Now if you will excuse me, I have to go see when the new movie theaters will open.
Colin Gotham is a Kansas City, Kan., first-year law student.
Unusual names can test one's patience, sensitivity
I was almost a Laura. I had a shot at being a Susan. The idea of Ramona even came up. Instead, I am an Elena. No, that's El-lyn-na, not Elain-na. Don't worry, I'm used to it. I get it all the time.
Since the beginning of my time on earth, my name has been a source of great trouble to those around me and an exercise in patience for myself.
My name is the Italian derivative of the English name Helen. However, I must concede that the way it is spelled often makes it confusing to those who are more familiar with the pronunciation of the Spanish version of Elena.
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My mother had to know this would happen, didn't she?
My friend Stephanie teaches English literature at the University of Washington in Seattle. During winter break, she told me about a student in her class last semester who spelled her name the same as mine, but pronounced it the more common way. E-lain-na, instead of El-Lyn-na.
Try as I might, I get stumped also and I am profusely apologetic for it.
"I kept pronouncing it El-lyn-la like yours is pronounced," my friend said.
I work with a man named Mehrad (Mara-dodd). During my first two weeks on the job, I would not address him by name. "Marigold? No, that's not right," I'd think to myself. Yet I could get it correct. Finally, after hearing my co-workers pronounce it correctly enough times, it finally sunk in. However, I still answer phone calls for "Mardan" and "Merlin."
"How did she react?" I asked proddingly, squealing in delight that someone had erred in my favor in the pronunciation of my name.
Being name-sensitive, I am acutely aware of how annoying it is for someone when his or her name is butchered. One would think this would cause me never to mispronounce a name, right? Wrong.
She kept looking at me as if something were wrong with me.
But Mehrdad's mother also had to know this would happen, didn't she?
So on behalf of all the Unas, Ameens, Elenas and others with equally challenging names, please don't take offense if we correct you. Our mothers had to know this would happen, but they are not here to correct you.
Elena Macaluso is a Sacramento, Calif., graduate student in Journalism.
I have a classmate named Una (pronounced You-na). I alternated calling her "You-na," "Oohna" and "Hey There." When she still had to correct me in late October, I knew that I had to get some phonetics into the picture. I hate to admit this, but whenever I think of Una, I have to think of the Unabomber — I am so sorry, Una, please forgive me. It made perfect sense, though. The case attracted widespread publicity, and it is even more relevant to me because hydrogen boy is going to be tried in my hometown of Sacramento, Calif.
But Una's mother had to know this would happen, didn't she?
But Ameen's mother had to know this would happen, didn't she?
My reply in turn: "Hey Armin, how's it going? Can I work in with you, Armin?" Armin Armin Armin. I did this for months until one day I heard him paged in the club and realized that I had been mispronouncing his name all along and he never said a word. I immediately started pronouncing his name correctly the next time I saw him, and nothing ever was said about my huge gaffe.
Finally, there's Ameen (pronounced Ah-mean). Ameen works out at my health club in Sacramento. Since our first introduction, Ameen never stumbled with my name. "Hey El-lyn-na, what's up? How's your workout, El-lyn-na?" he would ask.
Letters
Tree-free hemp paper is safe for environment
The editorial by Mark McMaster, Departments should offer recycled paper for faculty, did not look into the paper supply issue far enough. He cited that the University of Kasnas offers 50 percent recycled stock and pure virgin paper to its departments. The University should use tree-free hemp paper.
Neither virgin or recycled paper are environmentally friendly. Close to half of all trees are cut down to make paper which weakens topsoil and ecosystems while increasing the greenhouse effect. Using tree-free hemp paper is definitely the solution to these problems and more. An acre of hemp can produce four times the paper that an acre of timber
Matt H. Gregg Newton junior
Christmas are not a symbol of Christianity
She said Christmas trees should not be put up by the administration because it
I am writing in response to Nicole Kennedy's editorial last semester on the removal of the Christmas tree from Strong Hall.
land can, and it grows annually. Hemp required little fertilizer and hardly any treatment with pesticides that pollute water supplies. Instead of providing its departments with recycled paper, the University should acquire a much more environmentally friendly hemp paper, and soon other institutions will follow this logical course of action.
would be an endorsement of the Christian faith. The fact that it is called a Christmas tree does not mean they are Christian trees.
Kennedy continued by saying the University should practice separation of church and state, because it is a state institution. It might be surprising to know that nowhere in the Constitution does the phrase separation of church and state exist. The phrase was first used by Thomas Jefferson in 1802, 21 years after the Constitution was ratified.
All religions should be studied.
Public schools have the freedom to discuss Jesus as a cultural part of Christmas.
Christianity is a part of our Christmas cultural heritage.
Robert Farris
Overland Park senior