.
4A
Monday, November 4, 1996
OPINION
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
VIEWPOINT
Stronger effort needed to open KU's evaluations
Rally the troops. The fight for access to teacher evaluations continues. For months, students have lobbied for changes in the policy that prevents students from reading instructor evaluations. Change will not occur, however, unless more students play an active role in making the evaluations public.
The case for student access is strong. Proponents have argued that instructor and course selection often is based on blind faith or word of mouth. Evaluations are touted as a valuable mechanism for instructors to gauge students' opinions of their performance, but the evaluations may be of little benefit unless students are allowed to use them to select a particular class or instructor. Moreover, because evaluations do not include students' grades, exam formats or grading criteria, instructors with favorable marks will attract students who are most concerned with the quality of the course.
Students have sent few brave soldiers to battle on their behalf against the mighty citadel of the University administration. Grey Montgomery, student body president, and Scott Sullivan, University Affairs Committee chairman, have been vocal. But reinforcements are needed on the front lines. Because this issue affects every student, the effort to gain access to instructor evaluations should involve most of the student body. So far, it hasn't.
If the students are going to win the war for access to instructor evaluations, more students will have to fight for the cause.
LEWIS GALLOWAY FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Legalization of marijuana necessary for medical uses
California has been the first state to take the much-needed step toward the legalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes. If voters approve Proposition 215 tomorrow, physicians will be permitted to prescribe marijuana to relieve pain from such conditions as cancer. AIDS and glaucoma.
A poll published in the Oct. 30 New York Times revealed that 56 percent of California residents supported the proposal.A private poll showed 57 percent of Californians agree with the plan. Yet another poll done by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University showed that 58 percent of California residents support the availability of marijuana to severely ill people.According to these figures, residents of California strongly support the measure.
Gen. Barry McCaffrey, Clinton's drug policy chief, said in an interview on Court TV, "A physician who tries to prescribe a Schedule One drug [such as marijuana], with or without this referendum, is subject to prosecution under federal law — and we will uphold the law." Even if it becomes legal to prescribe marijuana under California law, physicians still will have to answer to the federal government.
The war on drugs should not include those who rely on their medicinal value. In a television campaign advertisement that was broadcast in California, Anna Boyce described her husband's suffering from cancer: "The nausea from his chemotherapy was so awful it broke my heart. So I broke the law and got him marijuana. It worked. He could eat. He had an extra year of life. Proposition 215 will allow patients like J.J. use of marijuana without becoming criminals."
California residents have tackled this issue bravely. They have worked to change the rigid legal boundary of drug use. Other states and the federal government should acknowledge this singular and much needed use and work to bring the selective legalization of a now illegal medicine.
THE KANSAN EDITORIAL BOARD
KANSAN STAFF
AMANDA TRAUGHBER
Editor
CRAIG LANG
Managing editor
MATT HOOD
Associate managing editor for design
KIMBERLY CRABTREE
CHARITY JEFFRIES
News editors
DARCI L. McLAIN
SARA ROSE
Public relations directors
Editors
Campus...Susanna Lóó
...Jeon Stralk
...Amy McVeY
Editorial...John Collier
...Nicole Kennedy
Features...Alan Ward
Spotting...Bill Petitilla
Associates sports...Caryn Foster
Online editor...David L. Teska
Photo...Rich Devinid
Graphics...Noah Hussler
Artwork-Rothbock
Special sections...Amy McVeY
Wire...Debbie Staine
KAREN GERSCH
Business manager
HEALY SMART
Retail sales manager
TOM EBLEN
General manager, news adviser
JAY STEINER
Sales and marketing adviser
JUSTIN KNUPP
Technology coordinator
Business Staff
Campus mgr ... Mark Oxlmk
Regional mgr ... Denna Haupt
Assistent Retail mgr ... Dana Centeno
National mgr ... Nya Nye
Industrial mgr ... Hassan Nye
Production mgr ... Den Koppe
... Lisa Quibbman
Marketing director ... Eric Johnson
Creative director ... Desmond Lavelle
Human Resources mgr ... Dena Plaiotto
Mass Impact mgr ... Dena Plaiotte
Internet mgr ... Steve Sanger
COMING SOON.. FORRESTGRUMP
While wondering whether the Kansan Editorial Board will ever think before it gives its opinion, I thought I might respond to Phong Hu's editorial about my father, Jim Ryun.
Jeff Victor/ KANSAN
Kansan editorial incorrect about Jim Ryun's campaign
I take issue with Hu's allegation that my father has run from the media by avoiding interviews and news conferences on the stipulation that his entire family must be present at each one. That someone would stipulate such terms as laughable. Frankly, I have no idea what Hu is talking about, and I'm a Ryun. In regard to avoiding interviews, my father can't give everyone an interview. A congressional race keeps a candidate busy. But he has managed to have articles run in USA Today, People magazine, U.S. News and World Report and Sports Illustrated. Furthermore, he's discussed the issues with every major newspaper in the 2nd District and participated in 10 debates with his opponent, including two televised ones. He chose not to come to the debate at the University of Kansas for several reasons. First, the University is not in the 2nd District. Second, he had a prior commitment. I'm somewhat chagrined that his alma mater and my school would take him to task on such a trivial issue.
The fact is, Jim Ryun's stances on the issues are public. Hu
appears to be ill-read or unable to do the slightest investigative journalism. A plethora of articles have appeared: Associated Press articles, commentaries and editorial board interviews. They've covered everything from the personal life
of the Ryuns to the issues for which my father stands. I'm not really surprised that Hu would write a commentary before reading up on the facts, but for future note, it might behoove him to read up on a topic before writing. Then Hu might present himself as being somewhat competent instead of a narrow-minded journalist who waits for news to come to him, or even accepts anything written as the truth. A journalist should seek truth objectively, and he's failed to do that.
Finally, let me address Hu's charge that at the heart of my father's qualms about meeting with the media are his traditional family values. How on earth did he arrive at that conclusion? Did he just assume that? Or did he try to
extrapolate certain views to reach that conclusion? My father's values, far from being patriarchal, denote a father willing to be a part of his children's lives, and I highly resent any insinuation that states otherwise. Allow me to quote the Oct. 22 issue of The Topeka Capital-Journal "... one cannot look at the Ryuns — against the backdrop of so many broken families, neglected children and out of control or pregnant teens — and see anything but a successful venture in parenting. It has worked for the Ryuns. For that they should be applauded, not derided. Furthermore, Ryun says simply that his family's way of living should not be made into a federal case. It's their business. He's absolutely right. ... Perhaps the Ryun model isn't for many of us. But is society doing much better? Besides, in this day and age, let's be careful before criticizing a man for being too involved in his children's lives."
My father has run a campaign (might I add, run by a savvy female campaign manager) focused on legitimate public policy matters from taxes and the budget to crime and education. I trust the voters of the 2nd District will focus on these issues.
Ned Ryun is a Lawrence freshman in English and history.
Judy Hancock doesn't understand students
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
I am writing in response to a disturbing comment I heard at the candidate forum Oct. 22 on campus. During the debate between the candidates for the 3rd District seat for the U.S. House, Republican Vince Snowbarger and his Democratic opponent, Judy Hancock, a statement about students was made that profoundly disturbed me.
Hancock remarked, "Let me address the college students in this audience, the 'Me' generation."
If this is the way Hancock sees KU students, then she obviously is out of touch with us. Does Hancock realize that fraternities and sororites at KU donate tens of
thousands of dollars each year to nonprofit organizations, that KU students donate 1,300 pints of blood each year during the blood drive, that students donated 30,000 hours of volunteer work and $28,000 for Rock Chalk Revue last year, or that the Lawrence community haunted house would not be possible without the help of KU students?
The bottom line is that students do care about their community. How can Hancock expect me to vote for her when she is so out of touch with my generation? For KU students, the choice is clear. On Nov. 5, vote for Vince Snowbarger to be our next U.S. representative.
James B. Downing Wichita freshman
How to submit letters
Letters should be double-spaced, typed and fewer than 200 words. Student letters must include the author's signature, name, address, telephone number, class and hometown. Faculty or staff members must identify their positions.
All letters should be submitted to the Kansan newsroom, 111 Staufer-Flint Hall, or by e-mail: opinion@kansan.com/ The Kansan reserves the right to edit, cut to length or reject submissions. For more information, call John Collar or Nicole Kennedy, editorial page editors, at 864-4810.
As a brother of humanity and student of African politics, I'm con-
When I picked up The New York Times on Oct. 28, I immediately was struck by a picture of Hutu refugees in eastern Zaire. They were fleeing from an attack that originated near the Rwandan border, the article stated. The picture troubled me in an emotional and intellectual way.
FATE
Our actions, attitudes have impact on the global village
Whether as part of the neighborhood crime watch group, taxpayer of Kansas or resident of the global village, living in today's world demands peripheral vision. It demands creative and resourceful people who can critically analyze problems while keeping in mind that their actions and words have legs.
In one way, this is a positive development. Humble beginnings lead to global change. Indigenous people need to play big roles in solving their own problems. However, when we start to see problems outside our community as unconnected tragedies, we only contribute to the perpetuation of those problems.
Liberal
Liberal
Liberal
Liberal
ceried for the refugees who are being shuffled violently across Central Africa's borders. As a resident of Douglas County, however, the volatile political climate in Africa appears at best to be reserved for a passing comment and little else.
Judging by the lack of interest in the presidential campaign and the general lack of support for intergovernmental institutions such as the United Nations, many folks obviously are more concerned with local issues.
LIBERAL LIBERAL
LIBERAL LIBERAL
LIBERAL LIBERAL
LIBERAL LIBERAL
LIBERAL LIBERAL
Most Douglas
Andrew Longstreet is a Liberty, Mo., senior in French and political science.
Wrong. We were not born with racial stereotypes. Through the perpetuation of harmful words, actions and attitudes, we are imbued with these images. Political discourse in Lawrence has a resonating appeal. To avoid severing ties between us and them, African Americans and Caucasians, Kansas and Florida or the United States and Africa, we need to attack problems actively, understanding our potential to influence events beyond our own neck of the woods.
LIBERAL LIBERAI
Of course. A recent conversation with a friend taught me that although Florida is a long way from Kansas, the line from Lawrence to the looted stores of St. Petersburg is as clear as the racism that divides this country.
Most Douglas County residents will never go to Africa. Many know little about the continent. Thus, the plight of Africa does not appear to have an immediate impact on their lives. So why then, should we worry about Africa? Is it irrational to feel connected to something with which I might never come into contact?
When we were talking, he noticed that I became upset when I heard a casual use of a racial epithet. What does it matter that we use these words if we're not around minorities? They're just words, right?
Similarly, when news broke about the rioting in St. Petersburg, Fla., I felt a wrench tighten the screws in my stomach. I don't know anybody who lives in Florida, but as a citizen of the United States, I felt a stake in the political health of my country. Is it practical to feel this way about things I can't control?
By Shawn Trimble