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Friday, November 4, 1988 / University Daily Kansan
Opinion
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Making English official just builds another wall
In Arizona, Colorado and Florida, a proposal is on the ballots to designate English as the official language of each state, applying primarily to government documents and meetings.
Among the thousands of decisions voters will have to make across the country is a question that puts the very essence of communication on the voter block.
applying *p*-meaning, such action would make it difficult, if not impossible, for thousands of non-English speaking immigrants to integrate into a governmental structure that prides itself on being receptive to all cultures.
being receptive to an education. The worst scenario would be for non-English speaking citizens to be turned away if they sought welfare, applied for a driver's license, filed an income tax return or completed a voter registration card. They could be turned away for not being able to speak English. That is called discrimination.
English to be used. For example, in Dade County, Fla., the ballot that would make English the official language had to be reprinted in Spanish so that the non-English speaking eligible voters could decide. It doesn't take much reasoning to determine on which side those particular voters stand.
And declaring English the official language ultimately would set the stage for bigotry and racism.
the stage for bigotry and racism.
As is every language of the world, English is under constant change through the linguistic version of natural selection;
many English words were originally foreign.
One also has to question how far states would require English to be used.
side those particular people in the United States have the right to speak whatever language they want. The government shouldn't be forced to ignore non-English speakers because of racially motivated fears.
Tony Balandran for the editorial board
One of the hardest and most important choices students make at college is figuring out where to live while they're there. In Lawrence, the overwhelming number of apartment complexes and houses for rent can make the choice even harder.
The Off-Campus Board of KU Student Senate recently discussed establishing an off-campus housing center that would offer access to a computer program that would list available housing.
In addition to listing the larger apartment complexes, it could list smaller complexes that students didn't know existed. Sounds like a pretty good idea, right?
Sounds like a pretty problem. But there's one problem: KU already has something similar to this housing center. It's an office called Residence Life, located in McColum Hall. It offers a computer listing of available apartments and rooms for rent. People call in and ask to have their apartments or rooms for rent put on the list.
The computer program that the Off-Campus Board of Student Senate proposed is different from the services available at the Residence Life office in that it could help students find housing that meets their individual needs through a questionnaire that is included in the program.
right!
But the key is doing it right. Remember Course Source? It was a good idea to list available classes and additional information about them that isn't found in the timetable. But it was also a colossal waste of time and money because of poor planning. It didn't provide any useful information about the few classes it did include in the catalog.
Before Student Senate invests a lot of time and money in its proposal, it should look into combining its ideas with the services already available. The ideas are good, and it would help the majority of students who live off-campus if it is done right.
Looking into combining Student Senate's ideas with services already available and expanding those services is the wisest thing to do. Don't let good ideas — or our money — go to waste because of poor planning, Student Senate.
Christine Martin for the editorial board
The editorials in this column are the opinion of the editorial board.
News staff
Todd Cohen ... Editor
Michael Horak ... Managing editor
Julie Adkins ... Associate editor
Stephen Wade ... News editor
Michael Merschel ... Editorial editor
Noel Gerdes ... Campus editor
Craig Anderson ... Sports editor
Scott Carpenter ... Photo editor
Dave Eames ... Graphics editor
Jill Jess ... Arts/Features editor
Tom Eblen ... General manager, news adviser
The editorial board consists of Michael Merschel, Mark Tillford, Todd Cohen, Michael Horak, Julie Adam, Julie McMahon, Christine Martin, Tony Balandran and Muktha Jost.
News staff
Business staff
Greg Knipp...Business manager
Debra Cole...Retail sales manager
Chris Cooper...Campus sales manager
Linda Prokop...National sales manager
Linda Messerlinthill...Promotions manager
Sarah Higdon...Marketing manager
BradLenhart...Production manager
Michelle Garland...Asst. production manager
Michelle Lehman...Classified manager
Same Hines...Sales and marketing adviser
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KLiNe
The buck stops here!
Bite your tongues, Larry haters He's given us a chance to learn to take probation like real fans
Boy, those people are ruthless. Our basketball team had enough problems already, and then they to go off and do something so vicious to such a time-honored symbol at the University of Kansas.
How dare Roy Williams and others around campus saw such nasty things about Larry Brown?
roor, helpless Larry. He's busy down there in San Antonio counting his millions, and Roy and company mercilessly rip him by implying that the KU program under Brown was not "clean."
The remarks were so vile, Larry went on television to refute them.
television to be "I resent the fact that they can imply that we didn't run a clean program," he said. And well he should.
should.
Where does Williams get off saying something like that? Just because the NCAA found that KU staff had given recruits everything from sneakers to cash to airline tickets, which anybody who knows a backboard from a kickback knows is illegal, doesn't mean that the KU program wasn't "clean."
Larry went on to blast some people who really deserve it, such as Williams and athletic director Bob Frederick, who bear the brunt of the penalties against things that happened while Brown was here.
"The thing that bothers me is that ever since I left KU, the new coach and athletic director have been taking shots at us right from the start, and that has really troubled me because I left the program in darn good shape," he said.
Dark straight he left the program in darn good shape. He was in great shape, especially his bank account. The team was maybe a little weak, but hey, that happens when you get too busy to do real
Michael Merschel
Editorial editor
recruiting
recruiting.
But Larry even tried to make up for that. His donation of $366 out of his own pocket to a recruit was a great attempt to try to attract quality talent to the University. He made sure his staff was similarly generous.
And he frequently attacked those picky academic snobs who insisted that players he brought in be able to cut it academically, or even read and write.
redo it again. But do people respect him for that? Not one bit They can't see that Larry was only doing his job: building a program that stresses "Win at all costs, even if you have to cheat." He must have known that fans only wanted him to make KU join that elite group of schools with similar outstanding traditions, such as Oklahoma and Southern Methodist University.
Methodist University.
I hope Larry gets these people who have been besmirching his good name. I hope he rips more of them.
their.
First on the list should be Milt Newton and other wagers that Larry left behind when he flew south. Milt got all emotional just because his dream of leading the team to post-season glory and hopes for making a strong impact on NBA scouts in the NCAA tournament were crushed.
NCAA tournament were crushed.
Larry should say, "Milt, I resent the fact that
you implied that because of penalties assessed for actions that took place when I was running things, you are upset. I ran clean away from those problems, and you could too."
problems, and you can do it.
Second, I hope he tells off all these limp-wristed,
fair-weather fans who have abandoned him in his
hour of need.
He should tell them, "The thing that bothers me is that ever since I left, you've been whining about the state of the program. Hey, you got your championship. Why are you complaining that those memories are tarnished and that you probably won't have a shot at another one for a decade or so?"
Larry has a right to stand tall. He has given KU a very noble distinction. We'll go down in the record books as the first champions to be prohibited from defending our title. We'll be a shining example to other schools as to the evils of "bad judgment," as he called the violations. We'll be the talk of the national media for weeks.
And Roy Williams gets an opportunity to do something other coaches only dream of: rebuilding a once-noble program from near-destruction. He and other complainers should be ashamed.
everything You said it, Larry. You did a lot for the University of Kansas, and the way things have turned out sure haven't been fair.
"Since the first day we left," Larry said in the television interview, "I don't think it's been fair. I spent five years there with a great staff, and I'm proud of the kids I recruited. I'm proud of the team we set out on the court, and I'm proud of everything we did for the University of Kansas."
Michael Merschel is a Lakewood, Colo., senior majoring in journalism.
K·A·N·S·A·N
MAILBOX
False teachers
In a day of liberal extremes, why should I be surprised when a "Christian," and I use that term loosely) organization such as the Ecumenical Christian Ministries sponsors an anti-Christian group such as Witches? While this particular group claims to have no connection with Satanism, they use the same terms describing their beliefs as Satanism does. The holiday celebrated by the "Wicca Religion" known as Sanhaim is a Celtic word for "The Lord of the Dead." This is very much a reference to Satan, and I'm sure, disappointing to the witches who believe they follow a goddess. However, if they choose to identify themselves or what sex their deity is, it is the same form of rebellion described in the Bible as witchcraft.
Much of what was said at this meeting by Sue Westwind on the historical background of the
Wicca Religion was disputed by Tim Miller, professor of religion, as speculative at best. Westwind showed a number of slides of ancient art with female figures of ceramics as her proof that the "real" god is a female. Her claims that it predated Christianity may be true only in that Satan was kicked out of Heaven and on to the Earth before the term of Christianity was written for our use.
I wonder if Jack Bremer of Ecumenical Christian Ministries is notifying his support groups of Methodists, Church of the Brethren and others that he is actively promoting such anti-Christian groups with their money? He should be warned that he is in serious conflict with God and His Word. "It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should cause one of these little ones to stumble," to quote Jesus Christ.
My prayer for KU students is that they can see through these false teachers and come to know the Lord Jesus Christ who came that all may have eternal life that believe upon Him. He gave Himself as the only sacrifice for sin, was crucified upon a cross and arose again on the third day. This great act of love is not to be despaired as the women from the Lawrence
Women's Center did who mocked Jesus in a song as "that dead man upon a cross" at the meeting Oct. 29.
Eric Schmidt
awrence resident
System is fair
Students living in residence halls have to pay a $4 lock-out fee after being let in for free twice. Excuse me while I wipe away a tear. Welcome to the real world, boys and girls. If you lock your keys in you car and have to be let in by a towing service or locksmith you'll pay them a lot more than $5 starting with the first time you do it.
Although I understand the intent of a recent letter to the editor, the argument about duplicate keys was laughable. It doesn't make any difference how many copies of your door key you have made, you need to take at least one of them with you when you leave your room.
The present system is fair. Find something worthwhile to pursue.
Ronald R. Lofgren Lawrence graduate student
BLOOM COUNTY
by Berke Breathed