4A
Monday, November 18, 1996
OPINION
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
VIEWPOINT
GTAs require health care for spouses and children
No undergraduate student possibly know the demands placed on graduate teaching assistants. Not only are GTAs expected to perform significant duties at the University of Kansas, but they also work without adequate compensation.
GTAs deserve health-care benefits.
GTA negotiators and University representatives already have had three rounds of contract negotiations for health-care benefits. Before its third meeting on Nov. 7, the GTA Coalition rallied in front of Wescoe Hall. Rally coordinator Laura Senio said the purpose of the rally was to educate the public about a big problem affecting GTAs. This rally, Senio said, was a way to promote positive action that anybody could have participated in.
Karen Hellekson, president of the coalition, said many undergraduates didn't realize how bad things were for GTAs. While they are eligible for student health care, problems arise because the health-care benefits are not available for dependents or spouses. Because of time constraints, GTAs are hard-pressed to find employment outside of the University that would provide affordable health-care coverage.
GTAs at 11 schools in the nation have unionized; only two of them don't provide subsidized health care: the University of Florida and the University of Kansas.
The University needs to recognize that providing health care for GTAs is one tangible way to receive the respect they deserve.
In the United States, health care usually is provided by an employer. Health-care benefits shouldn't be considered a luxury at the University — it should be a requirement.
DOUG WEINSTEIN FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Policy places an unnecessary hold on students' enrollment
The enrollment process needs to be changed. When students have holds on their permits to enroll, they must visit all the departments that have issued holds. Long walks, lines and other inconveniences often are involved. Considering that enrollment is a service that students pay for — such as computer access, meals and classes — enrollment could be far more convenient.
This semester, 7,000 holds were issued for 6,100 students, or one-fifth of KU students, said Brenda Selman, assistant registrar. Clearly, the inconvenience that holds cause is not an isolated issue.
While permits to enroll are issued at least two weeks prior to a student's enrollment time, too much responsibility is placed on the student and too little on the Enrollment Center. Students who, for whatever reason, have not resolved their holds should not have to traverse the far reaches of campus. A room or even a series of tables should be set up near the enrollment area — similar to the "One Stop Option Shop" tables where students can resolve hold problems.
While Student Senate, under the direction of Grey Montgomery and Jamie Johnson, has considered changing enrollment to benefit students, little change has been made. All of the departments involved have to be on the same wavelength. When this does not occur and the administration acts slowly, progress is difficult. Montgomery said.
For a service that is paid for by students, too little has been attempted to create a more convenient, painless way to complete enrollment. Until something is done to improve it, the enrollment process will continue to cause headaches and hard feelings.
GERRY DOYLE FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD
KANSAN STAFF
AMANDA TRAUGHBER
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Jeff MacNelly/ CHICAGO TRIBUNE
"I love you, you love me..." True, it's hardly the beginning of a political platform, but according to recent studies and surveys, Barney may be favored to win the next presidential election. Why? How could a talking purple dinosaur carry the Electoral College? It easily could happen if current trends continue.
Vote Barney, for president the perfect candidate in 2000
Now, political contests are waged to determine who can appear the most like Barney. It follows, then, that Barney himself has the best chance of picking up the presidency in the next election. He has three advantages against other candidates: First, he is the most lovgushing, huggable guy on the planet. Second, he is the most patently inoffensive entity of the post-modern era. And third, he's especially adept at dwelling in the land of make-believe.
Take a look at the characterization forced upon Bob Dole. Political cartoons across the nation painted Dole as Mr. Wilson from *Dennis the Menace*: a grumpy, belligerent fogy. Bill Clinton, on the other hand, was a teddy bear. "I feel your pain," he said in 1992. Dole was the harsh grandfather, while Clinton was happy-go-lucky Uncle Bill.
Forget issues. Forget agendas, programs and goals. Forget reality. What made the difference in the 1996 election was the Snuggle bear factor. Which one of these guys would you rather invite to be Santa Claus at the factory outlet mall?
I once tried to count the number of jokes I heard in a single day about Bob Dole's age. I don't watch much television, but during one period of
STAFF COLUMNIST
a couple hours, I heard four jokes
— one of them, on a Comedy Central commercial. How many comments were made on the economy or foreign policy? Not many.
his way — washed or unwashed. Whatever your race, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation or favorite kind of Lunchable, he's got lots of purple love to give.
Barney loves everybody, tolerates everything and just hugs what ever humanity passes
This is not so with many unpopular political figures. Newt Gingrich and Dole have the nasty habit of saying things some people don't like. Criticizing affirmative action and low education standards got them off a lot of people's nice lists and onto the naughty lists. Speaking ill of the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Education Association disqualified them from ever having a guest spot on Barney's TV show.
debates on the issues, we should al hold hands in a circle and sing songs.
Clinton is a little better at winning affection. With the poise and confidence of a used-car salesman, he opens his arms wide to let us know that he loves us. Regardless of what we believe in, he can tell us why he supports that belief, why we ought to trust him, why Dole just doesn't understand love. Instead of having
Perhaps Barney's greatest strength is that he lives in the land of imagination. He only comes to life when we make-believe. That's the best way to win votes in America these days.
By pretending we can reduce the deficit without cutting spending, Clinton led us into the land of make-believe. Other politicians do the same thing. Their castles of sand are grand and glittering.
Dole, on the other hand, insisted on sticking to yucky, dirty reality. He kept hitting on the fact that the average U.S. family kicks back around 40 percent of their earnings to the government — four times the amount demanded from medieval serfs from their lords. He reminded us of American students' poor showing on standardized achievement tests and that many high school students can't even find the United States on an unlabeled globe. But Barney tells us that we can play in our imagination, where everything is good and pretty and happy; where we don't have to deal with such bad news.
Barney is the perfect candidate as president in 2000, as long as his supporters can convince him to run. The only question is, who will be his secretary of state: Ronald McDonald or Big Bird?
Andy Rohrback is an Andover sophomore in Journalism. His e-mail address is arohrback@kansan.com/
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Germans have learned lessons from Holocaust
In response to Stephanie Brewer's column on the Holocaust (Nov. 12), a few things must be made clear. First of all, Adolf Hitler came to power during a time when Germany had been destroyed by World War I, and the German economy was in ruins. He convinced the German people that he would bring them out of these ruins, restore their pride and their country's pride. He promised to restore nationalism.
This nationalism, however, turned into fascism as Hitler took over military power, the presidency and the chancellorship. This ultimate power, backed by the German SS military, allowed him to use this power through the intimidation of his people. If someone put a gun in your hand and a gun at your head and
Another point is the education of German citizens about the war. Students in secondary schools spend two full years studying World War II and the Holocaust. The German people know very well what happened 50 years ago, and today they have much more respect, understanding and appreciation for difference and individuality. They have the largest number of immigrant workers in Europe. A very small minority now retains a fascist ideology.
I ask you who has forgotten the events of their history? Columbus Day. If this isn't a blatant rejection of American culture, I'll give another example: affirmative action. This
ordered you to kill your best friend, would you do it, taking into consideration that if you didn't, you would both die? ! know German people who were also in a concentration camp, and they aren't Jewish. They are German people who resisted.
country should have moved far beyond that by 1950 and it hasn't yet. I ask you what country blindly takes on mass culture such as the Macarena, technology before equality, the acceptance of only a two-party system and complete social ignorance of systemic problems such as the environment, education, health care and equality of job opportunities.
Graham Johnson Lincoln, Neb., senior
Nobody should be proud that he lives in this country. Pride is dangerous because it provides an excuse for ignorance. Use World War II Germany as an example of what not to do; they have already. And I'll tell you, they are not proud anymore and have moved on with their lives. And I know this because I lived with them in a university setting for eight months.
In the middle of November, I am going to use that seasonal phrase for the first time: "It is that time of year again." This phrase often is confused with other time-honored classics such as, "The holidays are just around the corner" and "Look, Wal-Mart put up its Christmas decorations. It must be July." Notice how each conveys slightly different messages yet brings the same sick feeling to the pit.
feeling to the pit of your stomach
Decorations and donations boost holiday season spirit
If people chose just one organization to give to, even if they only could give spare change to the 10-year-old with the bell, we could help alleviate a lot of the pain some people feel during the season. I do not mean to suggest giving a lot of money. I know just as well as the next gal that most of us don't have a lot of money to give. But if everyone gave a little, it would accumulate into a lot. And after giving, we could focus on the more important part of the holiday season — receiving.
The point is not how they do it, the point is that they do it. The fact of the matter is, there are many needy people and almost as many organizations to help them. All of these people deserve help, and no one can afford to donate to them all. This year, I most likely will join the group of people who donate to the same organization yearly and avoid the hassle of the rest. The point is, I will be doing something. It may mean buying fewer decorations at Wal-Mart, but hey, my tree will survive.
HUBIE
Well, it is that time of year again. After you finish suppressing the urge to vomit, I would like to mention the holidays are just around the corner, and you know what that means: Don't forget to buy your decorations at Wal-Mart!
Stacy Nagy is a Topeka Junior in Russian and women's studies.
STAFF COLUMNIST
Other people donate to the same organization every year. I think this is a wonderful idea. When anyone else asks for money, they honestly can say they have given already. But even they had to make a choice at some point as to where their money would go. How did they do it?
I suppose some people have it easy. They just decide not to donate to anyone. How they are able to come to this conclusion, after passing 10,000 10-year-olds and their fathers ringing bells in front of Dillons, is beyond me. But they do, and therefore they do not wrestle with my yearly choice.
While you are out and about, or snug and inside, for that matter, you really can get into the holiday spirit by donating to one of your favorite charitable organizations. The Salvation Army should be setting up camp on every street corner soon, or you can put change in a box at your local grocery store. If you are like me, Jimmy Carter has been recruiting you to send money to Habitat for Humanity. You can get a group of friends or co-workers together and adopt a family. Or you always can buy American Cancer Society holiday cards or labels.
In fact, I already have lost count of the many ways we can donate money this season. But the groups mentioned above are worthy, and they definitely need the money. I certainly can't afford to donate to them all, so to whom am I supposed to donate?
By Greg Hardin