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California bans
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As many as 18,000 same-sex marriages
could be afected. naTional 5A
Classifieds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3B
Crossword. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6A
Horoscopes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6A
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55 36 48 30 50 25
thursday, november 6, 2008 www.kansan.com volume 120 issue 56
Jayhawk soCCer Team upseTs no. 11
Texas a&m in The big 12 TournamenT
Kansas will play Missouri this Friday after defeating the Aggies 4-2. sporTs | 1b
full sTory page 3a
full sTory page 4a
Jayplay
cAmpus
Economy
BusinEss
Voting open
for game day
T-shirt contest
Five finalists remain out of more
than 300 entries for The University
Daily Kansans Search for the Shirt
contest, which aims at finding an offi-
cial game day shirt for KU athlet-
ics events. Students can vote for their
favorite slogan online at Kansan.com
until next Thursday, Nov. 13.
Owners fght
rising costs
of imports,
cut quantities
Economy
BY JOE PREINER
jpreiner@kansan.com
The bars are closing. Its 2 a.m. Ryan
has been drinking for nearly six hours. On
an average night, he consumes anywhere
from five to 10 drinks, usually a combina-
tion of shots and beer. He and his friends
stumble out onto the sidewalk in down-
town Lawrence.
And then Ryan drives home.
I dont usually get wasted, Ryan said.
So when I leave, Im still feeling fine.
Ryan, a Kansas City, Kan., senior who
said he didnt want his last name included,
doesnt get pulled over this time. In fact, he
has never been pulled over despite drink-
ing and driving more times than he said he
could remember during the past two years.
Ryan is lucky.
The most recent statistics available
from the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration said about 1.46 million
people in the United States were arrested
for driving under the influence in 2006.
In Lawrence, DUI arrests have dropped
30 percent since 2003, according to the
Lawrence Police Departments crime sta-
tistics.
Eighteen percent of KU students said
they had driven after consuming at least
five alcoholic beverages, according to the
2006 National College Health Assessment.
The Lawrence Police Department, which
has jurisdiction over Massachusetts Street
and the surrounding area, issued 219 DUI
tickets in the first six months of this year.
The department has issued an average of
almost 42 DUIs each month for the last
three years.
The penalties for being caught driv-
ing under the influence of alcohol can be
severe. Michele Kessler, attorney and asso-
ciate director of Legal Services for Students,
said there were two different sides to the
legal implications of a DUI. One part of
the process involves state laws and a sus-
pension of a drivers license. The other
involves those of the city or county where
the offense occurred.
Kessler said some chose to fight DUI
tickets. A request for a hearing has to
be filed within 10 days of the ticket, or
the case cant be heard in court. She said
the process entailed two separate cases,
which addressed the licence suspension
and fine attached to the infraction. The city
charges first-time offenders between $500
and $1,000.
Jenny McKee, health educator for Student
Health Services, said the fine was put into
perspective by how much students spent
on alcohol. McKee said the Universitys
online e-CHUG program, which moni-
tors students drinking habits, reported the
average amount an average student spent
on alcohol during a year was $999.04.
Kessler said a DUI charge can hinder
a students future endeavors. In addition
to monetary consequences, Kessler said,
the criminal offense could damage ones
reputation and affect a persons ability to
get a job.
Weve had incidents where students
get in the car, put the key in and pass out,
Kessler said. Youre operating even though
you didnt get on the street.
Kessler said police officers needed a
probable cause to pull someone over if they
suspected that person of driving under the
influence.
Sgt. Bill Cory of the Lawrence Police
Department said police looked for drivers
who commit basic traffic infractions, such
as swerving, having burnt-out headlights or
failing to stop completely at stop signs.
Kim Murphree, records manager for
Lawrence Police Department, said the
decrease in DUIs could be attributed to
the police actively enforcing drinking and
driving laws. She said the department also
encouraged citizens to report suspicious
driving.
Edited by Becka Cremer
BY RYAN McGEENEY
rmcgeeney@kansan.com
Gov. Kathleen Sebelius announced
Wednesday that state agencies would face
3-percent budget cuts for the upcom-
ing fiscal year. While Sebelius said she
planned to spare K-12 education from
the belt-tightening, most state institu-
tions, including the University, will have
to find ways to carve enough from their
individual budgets to reach the $60 mil-
lion cut.
The decision stems from a meeting of
the Consensus Revenue Estimating Group,
an agency within the Kansas Division
of the Budget. On Tuesday, the group
reduced the 2009 fiscal year General Fund
forecast by $211 million.
Nicole Corcoran, press secretary for
Sebelius, said the governor had instructed
heads of all state agencies to fill only essen-
tial positions at this time, and that deeper
cuts for fiscal year 2010 were likely.
Sebelius said that a state tax increase
was likely off the table, because Kansas
families were already having difficulty
weathering the financial downturn.
The $137 million budget shortfall is
largely attributed to a decline in income
tax revenue, as well as reduced prop-
erty taxes as home values have sunk in the
wake of the collapsing housing bubble.
Lynn Bretz, director of University
Communications, said Wednesday after-
noon that the Chancellors office was
awaiting guidance from the Kansas Board
of Regents regarding how the University
should meet the coming budget restric-
tions.
KUs mission is to provide a high-
quality education to the students of
Kansas, Bretz said. For some time,
weve been focusing on how to do that
as efficiently as possible. When we got
word this summer about the potential
for budget cuts, we began looking hard
at ways we could trim our expendi-
tures. Obviously, with the governors
announcement today, well need to con-
tinue that approach.
Bretz said that the University began
evaluating expenditures in July, when
the governors office announced 1- to
2-percent budget cuts. With Wednesdays
announcement, Bretz said that KU admin-
istrators and Regents would continue
working with legislators in much the same
way to find the most reasonable ways to
deal with the economic downturn.
One thing we ask people to keep in
mind is that were all looking at a short-
term budget shortfall, Bretz said. But
over the long term, KUs mission is to help
create an educated workforce for Kansas,
which is exactly what the state will need
to grow the economy.
Edited by Becka Cremer
undEr thE influEncE
Local bakeries
afected by
wheat prices
University looks for more ways to trim spending
dUI numbers
full sTory page 5a
$500 - minimum fne for a
DUI
$1,000 - maximum fne for
frst-time DUI
48 - hours spent in jail for
a DUI
100 - hours of community
service to avoid jail-time
Source: Michele Kessler, attor-
ney and associate director of
Legal Services for Students
Gov. Kathleen Sebelius announces 3-percent budget cuts; Chancellors Office awaits advice from Regents
The decreasing value of the U.S. dol-
lar has made importing goods expen-
sive for local businesses. Owners of
businesses such as Hobbs, The Bay Leaf
and Au March have had to cut back
on imports and raise prices to be able
to pay bills.
Rising wheat prices have caused local
bakeries and pizza shops to raise prices
and look for new ways to cut costs.
Some local businesses have raised pric-
es by as much as 46 percent in the past
year and half.
after a night at the bars
DUI arrests in Lawrence have declined since 2003, but 18 percent of students say they
have risked the fines, license suspension and social consequences of drinking and driving.
photo illustration by Jon goering
Inside
Jayplay
NEWS 2A thursday, november 6, 2008
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first copy is paid through the
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dent voice in radio.
Each day there is
news, music, sports,
talk shows and oth-
er content made for
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For
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Contact Matt Erickson, Mark
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Kansan newsroom
111 Stauffer-Flint Hall
1435 Jayhawk Blvd.
Lawrence, KS 66045
(785) 864-4810
It is possible to store the
mind with a million facts and
still be entirely uneducated.
Alec Bourne
Epistemophobia is a fear of
knowledge.
www.factoftheday.com
Heres a list of the fve most
e-mailed stories from Kansan.
com:
1. Jenkins defeats Boyda for
U.S. House seat
2. Supporters cheer after
Obama is named President
3. Lawrence public transit
system saved
4. How fair and balanced is
the news?
5. The infuences behind KU
students votes
The Flu Immunization Clinic
will begin at 10 a.m. in The
Underground in Wescoe Hall.
The seminar Searching
for patterns of migration and
development in North Mato
Grosso State, Brazil will begin
at noon in 318 Bailey Hall.
The seminar Voices of the
Prairie: Prairie Fiction Writ-
ers from Willa Cather to Kent
Harufwill begin at 2 p.m. in
Continuing Education Build-
ing.
The public event Women
Running for Ofce will begin
at 5:30 p.m. in the Dole Insti-
tute of Politics.
The entertainment event
SUA Singing Bee will begin
at 8 p.m. in the Theatre in
Hashinger Hall.
The SUA Feature Film Wall-
E will be shown at 8 p.m. in
Woodruf Auditorium in the
Kansas Union.
daily KU info
There are more than 530
registered student organiza-
tions at KU. Surely there is one
for you! Check out the organiza-
tions directory at the Student
Involvement and Leadership
Center Website.
Hittin the books
on the record
On Nov. 5, the Lawrence
Police Department reported
that:
On Nov. 1, one student
reported being the victim of a
battery, and another reported
the theft of a $1,200 Apple
laptop, two cellular telephones
valued at $200, and other
items totalling more than $360
in value.
On Nov. 2, one student
reported $5,000 in criminal
damage to a 2004 Ford Mus-
tang and the theft of speak-
ers, an amplifer, and other
items totalling $3,000 in value.
Another student reported
criminal damage to property
and the theft of more than
$1,000 of automotive stereo
equipment.
On Nov. 3, a student
reported $100 in criminal
damage when someone broke
a window to his residence.
On Nov. 5, a student
reported being the victim of
domestic violence battery.
Chance Dibben/KANSAN
Daniel Lee, Portland, Ore., junior, tutors Ashley Sheldon, Holcomb freshman, inside the newly completed Sabatini Multicultural Resource Center onWednsday afternoon. Paired through the
HawkLink tutoring service, Sheldon said Lees instructionhelps me understand my classes, especially big lecture courses.
BY JACOB MUSELMANN
editor@kansan.com
Brent Metz is a professor of
anthropology at the University of
Kansas. He earned his bachelors
degree in Spanish and anthropol-
ogy, his masters degree in anthro-
pology, and his doctorate in anthro-
pology from the State University of
New York. He has been teaching
at the University since 2000. He is
teaching two courses this semes-
ter: Indigenous Traditions of Latin
America and Mexamerica.
What do you like about teach-
ing?
I came from a rural, conser-
vative area. My mind was really
broadened by the university expe-
rience, and so it meant a lot to me,
and therefore I want it to mean for
students who have never had the
chance to know the world. Plus, its
just very satisfying to broaden the
horizons of students. Thats what I
like about it.
What do you hate about teach-
ing?
Sometimes I am disappointed
by student apathy. But only some
students are apathetic. But that is
disappointing and goes against the
grain of what I like. Its also time-
consuming. I once had to calculate
how many hours I put in a week at
a different university and it was 68
and one-half hours. So it was 10
hours a day, but Sunday was a day
of rest with only eight and one-
half hours of work. That includes
prepping for class, writing papers,
doing research, writing letters of
recommendation, grading theses,
endless amounts of stuff. I dont
mind doing it only when it
gets overwhelming. The amount of
work sometimes can be heavy.
Is it about the same amount of
work at KU?
About the same here. The weight
of the work is different. Some
semesters I taught four courses. I
had taught a lot. But then here, I
have more graduate students and
fewer undergraduates, but that
brings on other kinds of duties
like thesis defenses, masters theses,
doctoral dissertations and doctoral
papers they have to defend. That
stuff can be endless. The amount
of work is the same, but what youre
doing changes. Here I only teach
two courses. If youre an instructor,
youre required to teach four. There
is no obligation to be on commit-
tees, no publish or perish.
What is the weight?
The weight of an average pro-
fessors work is 40-40-20: forty
percent research, 40 percent teach-
ing and 20 percent service. Service
mainly means being on commit-
tees. Only 40 percent of the time
Im supposed to be teaching. The
rest of time Im supposed to be
writing, researching, publishing
and working on committees.
What are you working on right
now?
Ive got two papers in need of
revision, quickly. One is in Spanish
and to be published in Spain. The
other is for a journal in the U.S.
Ive also got a book coming out
that Ive edited. It has 20 chapters
and 19 authors. The theme of the
book is the long history of the
Chorti Maya area of Guatemala,
Honduras and El Salvador, going
back 3,000 years to the present. Id
gather together anyone whod done
anything on this corner of the
world, and ask them if they wanted
to do it. Fortunately they said yes.
If you could do anything besides
teaching, what would it be?
Sometimes I have fantasies of
going into ethically based business
that would help the Chorti Maya.
Ive thought about that before. I
dont know exactly what would
work because Ive seen many
things fail. A lot of my leftist stu-
dents have a reflex when they hear
the word business and they think
evil. They think capitalists, they
think exploitation, you know the
story. But there can be a lot of good
business that can help people.
Why are you so interested in
Chorti Maya?
I got interested in Guatemala
as an undergraduate when I was
in the honors program during col-
lege. There was a three-week trip
to Guatemala during Christmas
break. I saw a poster for it and it
really intrigued me, and it looked
beautiful. It was $800 for three
weeks, and I thought that was not
so bad. It was the 1980s. Civil
war was going on and it was very
politically charged at the time. So
I went on the trip and I just fell in
love with the country. Years later,
when I decided to do my doc-
toral dissertation, I went back to
the country and looked at a place
very few people had looked at. I
thought, Well, this is the perfect
place. But I did not like being
there at all. It was incredibly hot,
dry and poor. I get sick just about
every time I go. But its kind of my
mission, this area. I do enjoy talk-
ing to people down there. I speak
Chorti and Spanish, and its always
exhilarating to talk with them.
Edited by Brenna Hawley
with
Professor Brent Metz,
professor of anthropology
&
Q
A
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
www.ContinuingEd.ku.edu (keyword: testprep) - I-4-11
GRE
LSAT
GMAT
TEST PREPARATION
Register early! Save $100!
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now enrolling.
Thats Right on Target.
090098
Co-sponsored by KUs Ofce of the Chancellor, the School of Business, and the Department of Geology.
No tickets are required.
This event is free and open to the public.
www.|ollcerte|.|u.eJu /858c++/98
The Role and Responsibility of
the Multi-National Corporation
Cynthia Carroll
CEO of Anglo American
J-+ u.a., ||iJo], lu.ea|e| 1+
Spencer Museum of Art Auditorium
Reception to follow
Cynthia Carroll is the rst woman to become chief
executive at Anglo American, one of the worlds
largest independent mining companies. She received
her masters degree in geology from KU before going
ur tu eo|r or MB/ ot |o|.o|J uri.e|sit]. lr ZJJ8, |u||es
Moo/ire |or|eJ |e| 5t| ir t|ei| list u T|e wu|lJ's 1JJ Must
|uwe|ul wuaer. T|e] Jesc|i|eJ Co||ull os "o uuwe||uuse ir t|e
world of commodities, a sector crucial to the worlds economy. And within
the corridors of world governments, she is a force to be reckoned with.
Co-sponsored by KUs Ofce of the Chancellor, the School of Business, the Department of Geology,
and the Alumni Association.
No tickets are required.
This event is free and open to the public.
www.hallcenter.ku.edu 785-864-4798
news 3A Thursday, November 6, 2008
D
AILY
K
ANSAN
T
HE
U
NIVERSITY
campus
Voting open for students
in traditions T-shirt contest
BY B.J. RAINS
rains@kansan.com
Starting today students can vote
on Kansan.com for the five final-
ists in the Kansans Search for The
Shirt contest after a committee
chose five slogans from more than
300 entries that were received in the
past two weeks.
The University Daily Kansan
is teaming up with the Athletics
Department, the KU Alumni
Association and the Kansas Union
to come up with an official game
day shirt for students, alumni and
fans to all wear at KU sporting
events this year.
Were trying to make this some-
thing that we can do year after year,
said Katie Feeley, promotions man-
ager for The Kansan. We think
its something students will like
because not only did they submit
the slogans, they are getting to vote
on which one they want.
The voting will end a week from
today on Nov. 13, and the winner
will be announced soon after.
The best thing about this con-
test is that it was by the students
and for the students, said Mike
Harrity, assistant athletics director
for Student-Athlete Development
and Community Relations.
Its a powerful thing to see the
winning slogan on T-shirts on
campus and at our athletics events.
It shows the influence that stu-
dents can have when they work
together.
A shirt was created last year to
replace the Muck Fizzou shirts,
but the group is now trying to start
a tradition of having a new shirt
selected each year.
They took the idea from the
University of Notre Dame, which
is in its 19th season of holding a
similar game day shirt contest.
They sold 150,000 of them last
year and a made a lot of money
for charity and stuff, Feeley said.
Obviously, this is our first year of
trying to do something like that,
so it wont be that big, but were
really trying to make it the shirt for
everybody to have.
Harrity said he hoped someday
the project would get as big as
Notre Dames.
Its been inspiring to see the
energy and enthusiasm the student
leaders from various groups have
invested to help make this proj-
ect a success, Harrity said. Notre
Dames project was started 18 years
ago, and our group aspires to estab-
lish a tradition as strong as Notre
Dames has become.
Feeley said the T-shirts would
be in stores as early as the end of
November. They will sell for $10.
Edited by Brenna Hawley
Students can vote for the fve
fnalists on Kansan.com until
next Thursday, Nov. 13.
The Swagger is Back
Rock Chalkin your socks
of since 1865
My favorite subject
in school was always
Gameday
The University of Kansas:
Majoring in Champion-
ships since 1865
Fly like a Jayhawk, Sting
like a beak
election 2008
Obama selects chief of staf
BY DAVID ESPO AND
NEDRA PICKLER
ASSOCIAtED PRESS
WASHINGTON President-
elect Barack Obama pivoted
quickly to begin filling out his new
administration on Wednesday,
selecting hard-charging Illinois Rep.
Rahm Emanuel as White House
chief of staff while aides stepped
up the pace of transition work that
had been cloaked in pre-election
secrecy.
Several Democrats confirmed
that Emanuel had been offered the
job. While it was not clear he had
accepted, a rejection would amount
to an unlikely public snub of the
new president-elect within hours of
an electoral college landslide.
With hundreds of jobs to fill and
only 10 weeks until Inauguration
Day, Obama and his transition
team confronted a formidable task
complicated by his anti-lobbyist
campaign rhetoric.
The official campaign Web Site
said no political appointees would
be permitted to work on regu-
lations or contracts directly and
substantially related to their prior
employer for two years. And no
political appointee will be able to
lobby the executive branch after
leaving government service during
the remainder of the administra-
tion.
But almost exactly one year ago,
on Nov. 3, 2007, candidate Obama
went considerably further than
that while campaigning in South
Carolina. I dont take a dime of
their money, and when I am presi-
dent, they wont find a job in my
White House, he said of lobbyists
at the time.
Because they often have prior
experience in government or poli-
tics, lobbyists figure as potential
appointees for presidents of both
parties.
On the morning after making
history, the man elected the first
black president had breakfast with
his wife and two daughters at their
Chicago home, went to a nearby
gym and visited his downtown
offices.
Aides said he planned no public
appearances until later in the week,
when he has promised to hold a
news conference.
As president-elect, he begins
receiving highly classified brief-
ings from top intelligence officials
Thursday.
In offering the post of White
House chief of staff to Emanuel,
Obama turned to a fellow Chicago
politician with a far different style
from his own, a man known for
his bluntness as well as his single-
minded determination.
Emanuel was a political and
policy aide in Bill Clintons White
House. Leaving that, he turned to
investment banking, then won a
Chicago-area House seat six years
ago. In Congress, he moved quick-
ly into the leadership. As chair-
man of the Democratic campaign
committee in 2006, he played an
instrumental role in restoring his
party to power after 12 years in the
minority.
Emanuel maintained neutral-
ity during the long primary battle
between Obama and Sen. Hillary
Rodham Clinton, not surprising
given his long-standing ties to the
former first lady and his Illinois
connections with Obama.
The day after the election there
already was jockeying for Cabinet
appointments.
Several Democrats said Sen.
John Kerry of Massachusetts,
who won a new six-year term on
Tuesday, was angling for secretary
of state. They spoke on condition
of anonymity, saying they were not
authorized to discuss any private
conversations.
Kerrys spokeswoman, Brigid
ORourke, disputed the reports. Its
not true. Its ridiculous, she said in
an interview.
Announcement of the transition
team came in a written statement
from the Obama camp.
The group is headed by John
Podesta, who served as chief of staff
under former President Clinton;
Pete Rouse, who has been Obamas
chief of staff in the Senate, and
Valerie Jarrett, a friend of the presi-
dent-elect and campaign adviser.
Several Democrats described
a sprawling operation well under
way. Officials had kept deliberations
under wraps to avoid the appear-
ance of overconfidence in the weeks
leading to Tuesdays election.
They said the group was stocked
with longtime associates of Obama,
as well as veterans of Clintons
White House.
Quite apart from transition
issues, Obamas status as an incum-
bent member of Congress presents
issues unseen since 1960, when
John F. Kennedy moved from the
Senate to the White House.
Fighting in Congo forces locals to fee
international
Illinois representative offered job, unclear if he accepted
T-shirt fnalists
BY ANItA POWELL
ASSOCIAtED PRESS
KIWANJA, Congo Sporadic
gunfire and explosions echoed
Wednesday around this town in
eastern Congo, as rebels fought
pro-government militiamen for a
second day, forcing thousands of
people to flee.
A wider cease-fire between the
rebels and the government was
holding further south around the
provincial capital, however, as
diplomats prepared to assemble
a regional peace summit Friday
in Kenya. It was bringing togeth-
er U.N. Secretary-General Ban
Ki-moon and the presidents of
Rwanda and Congo.
In Kiwanja, 45 miles north of
the main city Goma, clashes erupt-
ed Tuesday between rebels and
a militia known as the Mai Mai,
but the violence eased Wednesday
afternoon.
Speaking in an interview, war-
lord Laurent Nkunda accused
Congos army of firing mortars
toward rebel positions from
behind militia lines during
Wednesdays battles. He also said
ethnic Hutu Rwandan militias
linked to Rwandas 1994 genocide
were fighting alongside the Mai
Mai around Kiwanja.
The army could not be reached
for comment.
Nkunda claimed the army
had also taken part in fighting
Saturday in two other towns in
the region: Mweso and Kashuga,
breaking the cease-fire Nkunda
unilaterally declared Oct. 29 three
times.
This morning they wanted
to advance (past Kiwanja) ... but
our forces fought them back,
Nkunda said. They were very
well armed.
Associated Press journalists
who visited Kiwanja at midday
saw several thousand people on
the roads, including mothers with
babies on their backs, trying to
find safety. As insurgents loyal to
Nkunda searched houses, artillery
fire boomed in the hills nearby,
and rebels told the reporters to
leave.
In nearby village of Mabenga,
a Belgian journalist working for
a German newspaper was kid-
napped by the Mai Mai late
Tuesday along with his assistant
and three rebel fighters, according
to local official Gilles Simpeze. He
said the government was negotiat-
ing their release.
On the edge of Kiwanja, hun-
dreds of people took shelter at a
roofless, abandoned school beside
a U.N. base manned by Indian
peacekeepers. The soldiers, in blue
helmets and flak jackets, crouched
behind sandbags and a ring of
concertina wire.
(The U.N.) should open up
their gates to protect us, said
Ntaganzwi Sinzahera, a 30-year-
old refugee.
But soon after, Sinzahera and
everyone else at the school left,
joining a large crowd of refugees
streaming toward the adjacent reb-
el-controlled town of Rutshuru.
Tonight we dont know
where were going, said 21-year-
old Omar Issa, who joined the
crowds leaving Kiwanja. I didnt
bring anything. We dont have any
food.
Few had time to gather up pos-
sessions. One man carried only
his Bible.
In Kiwanja, the streets were
empty except for refugees.
Ramshackle shops were shuttered,
wooden doors were padlocked. A
few residents peeked out of their
homes and ducked back inside.
Fighting in Congo intensified
in August and has since displaced
around 250,000 million people,
forcing exhausted refugees to
struggle through the countryside,
lugging belongings, children, even
goats.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Displaced Congolese protect themselves froma rain stormin the Kibati camp north of Goma, eastern Congo, onTuesday. Congos govern-
ment rejected rebel leader Laurent Nkundas demand for direct talks to solve the crisis in eastern Congo, where fghting between rebels and the
government has left tens of thousands of refugees desperate for international aid.
By DIAA HADID
AssocIAteD Press
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip
Israel and Gazas Hamas rulers
scrambled Wednesday to contain
fallout from the deadliest outbreak
of violence since a truce brought
an uneasy peace to the area five
months ago.
Gaza militants pounded south-
ern Israel with dozens of rockets
to avenge raids that left six mili-
tants dead, but the guns quickly fell
silent with neither side appearing
to have much to gain from renewed
hostilities.
We have no intention of vio-
lating the quiet, Israeli Defense
Minister Ehud Barak said on a tour
of areas bordering Gaza. But in
any place where we need to thwart
an action against Israeli soldiers
and civilians, we will act.
Hamas spokesman Fawzi
Barhoum said the group fired
deep into Israel to demonstrate
the price of continued aggression.
At the same time, he said, Hamas
had contacted Egyptian mediators
to find ways of keeping the truce
intact.
Before the Egyptian-mediated
truce in June, near-daily rocket
barrages played havoc with south-
ern border towns and Israel has
not found a military solution to
stop them. Retaliatory Israeli air-
strikes killed scores of Palestinians
in Gaza.
Hamas, on the other hand, needs
the calm to strengthen its hold on
Gaza, where it seized control in
June 2007, and restore its military
capabilities ahead of a potential
future battle with Israel.
Clashes began late Tuesday after
the Israeli army burst into Gaza to
destroy what it said was a tun-
nel being dug near the border to
abduct Israeli troops. During the
incursion, Hamas gunmen battled
Israeli forces. One Hamas fighter
was killed, prompting a wave of
mortar fire at nearby Israeli tar-
gets.
An Israeli airstrike then killed
five Hamas militants preparing to
fire mortar shells. Hamas respond-
ed with the barrage of rockets,
including one that landed in an
empty area in the city of Ashkelon,
some 10 miles north of Gaza.
There were no reports of inju-
ries or property damage. The army
said four soldiers were wounded,
two moderately, in the fighting.
Thousands of Palestinian
mourners rushed slain militants
through the streets of the southern
Gaza town of Khan Younis, wav-
ing green Hamas flags and vowing
revenge.
Israeli defense officials said they
had discovered a 300-yard long
tunnel days ago, and concluded the
passage was to be used for a kid-
napping. Hamas already is holding
an Israeli soldier that militants cap-
tured in a cross-border raid more
than two years ago.
Defense officials said they knew
the raid could jeopardize the cease-
fire, but concluded Hamas would
have an interest in restoring the
calm.
Sporadic rocket attacks on
southern Israel have persisted since
the truce, but the attacks were car-
ried out by smaller groups seeking
to embarrass Hamas for preserving
a truce with the Jewish state.
Continued attacks have prompt-
ed Israel to close its crossings
into the coastal strip of 1.4 mil-
lion Palestinians. Israel and Egypt
lead a blockade on the Gaza Strip,
imposed since Hamas seized power
of the territory a year ago.
NEWS 4A thursday, November 6, 2008
Rising cost of wheat forces local businesses to raise prices
Business
By ryAn elDer
editor@kansan.com
Doug White never thought being
a bread enthusiast would have an
effect on how he budgeted for food.
Food prices
have been on
a steep rise for
the last year, but
bakery items
such as a loaf
of bread have
risen even more
drastically.
Its not a
real big deal,
but sometimes I
dont let myself
buy that cup of coffee on the way to
work, or stuff like that, he said.
White, a Lawrence resident, isnt
buying less bread than he has for the
past 15 years, but his favorite food
is costing him more. The prices at
local bakeries and pizza shops have
skyrocketed by as much as 46 per-
cent in the past year and a half.
Bob Garrett, owner of Great
Harvest Bread Co., 807 Vermont
St., said his business had taken a
financial hit from high wheat prices.
His store produces 6,000 to 7,000
loaves of bread per month at a cost
of about $1 per loaf. Garrett said
that a year ago, a loaf of bread cost
about $.80 to make. That means
Garrett spends about $1,400 extra
per month on making bread.
Garrett said it had become
increasingly difficult to make a
profit, but his business was con-
stantly thinking of new ways to cut
costs. He said the store had sched-
uled labor tighter and started shop-
ping more competitively for the
cheapest Hard Red Spring Wheat,
the type of wheat used to make
almost every type of bread.
We decided months ago that
we would not reduce the quality of
our product, Garrett said.
The bakery has raised its menu
prices three times in the past nine
months to keep up with the ris-
ing cost of wheat. A $5.50 loaf of
honey whole wheat bread cost $3.75
last December.
That 46 per-
cent increase
in menu prices
has changed
the way Garrett
operates his
bakery.
Our pric-
es should be
higher, but
we have con-
tinually stayed
behind the average price of a loaf
of bread, Garrett said.
Terry Kastens, professor of agri-
culture economics at Kansas State
University, said wheat prices 15
months ago were less than $5 per
bushel. He said this month prices
had been floating between $8 and
$9. Three months ago, one bushel
of wheat went for more than $12.
Kastens said the price of every
crop had risen because of the soar-
ing cost of energy, especially crude
oil. The increased production of
ethanol in 2006 and a massive
world demand on limited supplies
have caused wheat prices to rise
more than other crops.
When ethanol became more
popular, a lot of the acreage for
wheat was converted into corn fields
and soy bean fields, Kastens said.
Although the rise in grain pric-
es has severely affected businesses
and consumers, the agriculture
industry has benefited.
Generally, anybody connected
to agriculture is making a pretty
good profit, Kastens said. It has
really provided an economic boom
for all the rural areas.
According to the Kansas Wheat
Commission, wheat will have a $2
billion economic effect on Kansas
in 2008. Farmers, mill operators
and farm implement businesses
will see the biggest profit.
Not everybody has been posi-
tively affected. At Munchers Bakery,
925 Iowa St., owner Mike Tennyson
has been forced to raise the price of
every item on the menu by 20 per-
cent. The price change was made in
April, but there hasnt been a drop-
off in business since then. Tennyson
said that he believed most custom-
ers understood that increasing pric-
es were necessary.
Its something you just have to
do, he said. We had no choice.
Once red flour went from $8.95 per
bag to $29 per bag in one month,
we had no option but to raise the
prices. It would have devastated us.
Pizza restaurants have also been
affected by wheat prices. Papa
Kenos Pizzeria employee Emma
Golden, said that Papa Kenos, 1035
Massachusetts St., had a staff meet-
ing a month ago about the ris-
ing cost of wheat. To save money,
employees have been instructed to
put fewer toppings on the pizzas.
Kastens said that wheat prices
had started to decrease during the
past few weeks, but that prices
would never return to $5 per bush-
el. He said he didnt expect prices
to reach $12 per bushel again any-
time soon.
Its very tough to predict because
the market is extremely volatile right
now, Kastens said. My guess is that
the prices will rebound and start to
go back up sooner than later.
White said he would still buy
two to three loaves of fresh-baked
bread a week, just as he had for the
past 15 years.
Since I love the fresh bread, I
try to cut out other expenses that
arent necessary, White said.
Edited by Jennifer Torline
international
Six Hamas militants dead in brief clashes with Israeli army
Jessica Sain-Baird/KANSAN
Nina Dahemprepares sourdough starter, which will be used to make sourdough bread, at Great Harvest Bread Co. onWednesday afternoon.
Dahemsaid sourdough starter is aged and passed down fromgeneration to generation. Sourdough bread tastes better the more it ages,she said.
We got this starter froma 100-year-old lady. It was in her family since the Alaskan gold rush.
Our prices should be higher,
but we have continually stayed
behind the average price of a
loaf of bread.
bob Garett
owner of Great Harvest bread Co.
Every Tursday
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REPAIR.
By AdAm Schoof
editor@kansan.com
When Mark Swanson flew to
New York City to negotiate with
European vendors for his clothing
and accessory business, he couldnt
buy half of what he had the previ-
ous year.
It was cool stuff, but it was way
too expensive, Swanson said.
Since the value of the U.S. dollar
has decreased, the cost of import-
ing goods has increased. This has
affected many local businesses that
import products, such as Swansons
store, Hobbs. Swanson said that he
imported 60 to 70 percent of his
inventory, and that the price of
European products have increased
by about 30 percent in the past
year.
Theres no way were buying
like we did, he said.
Geri Riekhof, owner of the
kitchen accessory store The Bay
Leaf, said she, too, had to cut
back on her foreign imports. She
said the economic climate had pre-
vented her from stocking her store
with more ornate pieces, such as
Italian ceramics.
Riekhof s brother, an importer
in Chicago, helps her buy directly
from the manufacturer instead of
relying on a wholesale distributor.
Even with this advantage, though,
Riekhof said importing was still
too expensive.
She said she believed customers
wouldnt pay for the more expen-
sive products in a struggling econ-
omy. That means customers have
fewer choices and less competition
among busi-
nesses to lower
prices.
Riekhof said
she looked for
products made
in America and
Canada first
because the price
of imports had
risen. She said it
helped her make
the most of her
money.
One Lawrence business signifi-
cantly affected by import prices
is the European food market Au
March, owned by Lora Wiley.
Wiley said 99 percent of what Au
March sold was imported.
I cant keep the prices we had a
year ago and
pay our bills,
she said.
This could
be a long
run. I dont
know when
this econom-
ic crisis will
end.
She said
she had reser-
vations about
raising prices
and pinching customers wallets,
but said she was more worried
about the future of her business.
Prices have gone up for Wiley
across the board, and she has had
to raise her mark-up.
Regular customers at Au March
are feeling the crunch.
I come in every month or
so just to look at prices, Jessie
Johnson, Lawrence resident and
Au March customer, said. Ive
been buying less foreign stuff
because its so expensive. You have
to be choosy now and think, Do I
really need this?
Johnson said price had been
her primary concern when mak-
ing purchases.
John Keating, associate pro-
fessor of economics, said people
would continue to buy imported
goods as long as they had the
money because there werent many
alternatives in the market.
Keating said the dollar could
rise because of signs that the econ-
omy was turning around, such as
Warren Buffetts $5 billion stake
of Goldman Sachs. This would
strengthen the dollar and make
imported goods more affordable.
Keating also said having a
wholesale distributor, or middle-
man who can absorb price changes,
could help keep prices of imported
goods from fluctuating. Research
suggests that the closer a purchase
is to the original manufacturer, the
more turbulent the price will be,
Keating said.
Wiley uses a distributor to get
her imported goods and agreed
with Keating that it was better to
have a middleman in the mix.
Edited by Jennifer Torline
news 5A thursday, november 6, 2008
Money tight for local businesses that import goods
economy
Decreasing value of U.S. dollar has forced owners to cut back on expensive products and raise prices of others
I cant keep the prices we had
a year ago and pay our bills.
This could be a long run. I dont
know when this economic crisis
will end.
Lora WiLey
owner of au March
national
California passes amendment that bans same-sex marriage
By LISA LEff
associated Press
LOS ANGELES Voters put
a stop to same-sex marriage in
California, dealing a crushing
defeat to gay-rights activists in
a state they hoped would be a
vanguard and putting in doubt as
many as 18,000 same-sex marriag-
es conducted since a court ruling
made them legal this year.
The gay-rights movement had
a rough election elsewhere as well.
On Tuesday, amendments to ban
gay marriage were approved in
Arizona and Florida, and Arkansas
voters approved a measure ban-
ning unmarried couples from serv-
ing as adoptive or foster parents.
Supporters made clear that gays and
lesbians were their main target.
But California, the nations most
populous state, had been the big
prize. Spending for and against
Proposition 8 reached $74 mil-
lion, the most expensive social-
issues campaign in U.S. history
and the most expensive campaign
this year outside the race for the
White House. Activists on both
sides of the issue saw the measure
as critical to building momentum
for their causes.
People believe in the institution
of marriage, Frank Schubert, co-
manager of the Yes on 8 campaign,
said after declaring victory early
Wednesday. Its one institution
that crosses ethnic divides, that
crosses partisan divides. ... People
have stood up because they care
about marriage and they care a
great deal.
With almost all precincts report-
ing, election returns showed the
measure winning with 52 percent
of the vote. An estimated 2 million
to 3 million provisional and absen-
tee ballots remained to be tallied,
but based on trends and the loca-
tions of the votes still outstanding,
the margin of support in favor of
the initiative was secure.
Leaders of the No on 8 cam-
paign said they were not ready to
concede.
Because Prop 8 involves the
sensitive matter of individual rights,
we believe it is important to wait
until we receive further information
about the outcome, Geoff Kors,
director of Equality California, said
in a statement Wednesday.
Exit polls for The Associated
Press found that Proposition
8 received critical support from
black voters who flocked to the
polls to support Barack Obama
for president. About seven in 10
blacks voted in favor of the ban,
while Latinos also supported it and
whites were split.
Californians overwhelmingly
passed a ban on same-sex marriage
in 2000, but gay-rights supporters
had hoped public opinion on the
issue had shifted enough for this
years measure to be rejected.
We pick ourselves up and
trudge on, said Kate Kendell,
executive director of the National
Center for Lesbian Rights. There
has been enormous movement in
favor of full equality in eight short
years. That is the direction this is
heading, and if its not today or its
not tomorrow, it will be soon.
The constitutional amendment
limits marriage to heterosexual
couples, nullifying the California
Supreme Court decision that had
made same-sex marriages legal in
the state since June.
Similar bans had prevailed in 27
states before Tuesdays elections,
but none were in Californias situ-
ation with about 18,000 gay
couples already married. The state
attorney general, Jerry Brown, has
said those marriages will remain
valid, although legal challenges are
possible.
Despite intense disappointment,
some newlyweds chose to look on
the positive side, taking comfort
that millions of Californians had
voted to validate their relationships.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Married same-sex couple Stuart Gafney and John Lewis watch election returns during a
rally against California Proposition 8 in San Francisco Tuesday. They campaigned to reject ballot
measure Proposition 8 that would ban same-sex marriage in California. The proposition passed,
reversing the California Supreme Court decision that had made same-sex marriages legal in June.
APPLICATION
DEADLINE:
Friday,
November 7
Full salary and benets.
All academic majors.
www.teachforamerica.org
I h
a
v
e
a
t
e
s
t
t
o
m
o
r
r
o
w
m
o
r
n
i
n
g
!
Im supposed to
go to the game on
Saturday!
I c
a
n
t
g
o
o
n
m
y
d
a
t
e
f
e
e
lin
g
lik
e
t
h
is
!
Ill be in
so m
u
ch
trou
ble if I ca
ll in
sick
to w
ork
a
g
a
in
!
Protect yourself against the u by geng vaccinated. Student Health Services is
commied to your health by oering u clinics open to all KU students, faculty,
sta and rerees (ages 18 and over).
Go ahead and compare. Not only can students get billed for the vaccine instead
of paying on the spot, we have some of the LOWEST PRICES IN TOWN!
Flu Shot $15
*
Nasal Mist Flu Vaccine $10
*
(ages 18 49; subject to availability)
* Only current KU students are eligible to be billed for this service. All others must pay at me of service. Medicaid and Medicare are not accepted.
Cant make it to a clinic? You can also get vaccinated at Watkins Memorial
Health Center by calling 785.864.9507 to make an appointment. For the full
schedule of u clinics, visit www.studenthealth.ku.edu.
WHY DIDNT I JUST GET A FLU SHOT?!
Thursday, November 6
The Underground (Wescoe)
10 am 2 pm
Tuesday, November 11
Kansas Union
10 am 2 pm
Thursday, November 13
Watkins Health Center
2 pm 6 pm
Watkins Memorial Health Center
1200 Schwegler Drive Lawrence, KS 66045
(785) 864-9500 www.studenthealth.ku.edu
Contribung to Student Success
P
e e r He a l t h
PHE
E
d
u c a t o
r
s
Wednesday, November 12
Strong Hall
10 am 2 pm
entertainment 6a Thursday, November 6, 2008
10 is the easiest day, 0 the
most challenging.
Drew Stearns
SKETCH BOOK
HOrOSCOpES
ArIES (March 21-April 19)
Today is a 7
Social activities can get very
expensive very quickly. Dont
buy something you really
cant aford just to be popular.
People love you for who you
are, not for what you have.
TAUrUS (April 20-May 20)
Today is a 7
A surprise bonus helps you
get just what you wanted. Cel-
ebrate with friends, but dont
overdo it. You hate it when that
happens.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21)
Today is a 7
Go ahead and begin a new
endeavor, even if the one
youre working on isnt quite
fnished yet. This is a good day
for launching projects.
CANCEr (June 22-July 22)
Today is a 7
Theres one hassle after an-
other, but the overall outcome
is good. This might just be you
shopping for bargains and
holding out for the best deals.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)
Today is a 7
Your partners brilliant move
helps you achieve your goal.
This is one of the reasons you
should always hang out with
talented people.
VIrGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
Today is a 7
The work is challenging and
you may not be quite certain if
you got it right. Keep studying
the instructions, but use your
imagination, too.
LIBrA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
Today is a 7
Dont let your friends or loved
ones talk you into spending
more than you can aford. They
think you can do anything, but
they might also think youre
made of money. Be frugal.
SCOrpIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
Today is a 7
You should be fnding it easier
to express yourself in writing.
You have several messages you
want to get across. Work on
them now.
SAGITTArIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
Today is a 7
Conditions are pretty good for
taking on technical challenges.
You might decide to hire an
expert, and that would be OK.
This has been bothering you
for quite some time, and it will
be great to have it done.
CAprICOrN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
Today is an 8
In order to get diferent results,
youll have to do something
diferent. Youve been thinking
about this for quite some time,
so go ahead and do it.
AQUArIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
Today is an 8
After a very tough confron-
tation, all ends well. This is
mostly due to the other people
on your team. You couldnt
have done it without them.
pISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)
Today is a 7
Vague worries may be showing
up in your dreams, dressed in
outrageous outfts. You should
be used to these bozos by now;
youve encountered them all
your life.
FASHION
Obamas dress for success
By SAMANTHA CRITCHELL
ASSoCIATEd PRESS
NEW YORK The Obamas
first official appearance as first
family-elect will be long remem-
bered for many weighty historic
reasons, but it could also signal
another new beginning: An entire-
ly different fashion sense in the
White House.
The Obama family took the
stage in Chicago Tuesday night in
color-coordinated outfits, all with
touches of red or black.
For Michelle Obama, no stuffy
suits or demure pastels here:
Instead she wore a striking red-
and-black dress designed by well-
regarded, but not-so-mainstream,
Narciso Rodriguez.
President-elect Barack Obama
wore the same style dark-
navy suit custom-made by Hart
Schaffner Marx that he wore at
the Democratic Convention, the
company says, accompanied with a
deep red, striped necktie.
Older daughter Malia wore a red
bubble-hem dress, while the young-
er Sasha wore a black dress with an
oversized bow on the front.
Together, they made a pleasing
picture of coordination and confi-
dence, style-watchers say.
One of the things about
Michelle and Barack is that they
have classic American style, said
Pamela Fiori, editor in chief of
Town & Country.
I hope as they move into the
White House, theyll continue that
and dress in a lot of American
designers it certainly has been
the case so far. She says on TV that
shes wearing an outfit from J.Crew,
she said. You have to appreciate
her honesty and sense of style.
Michelle Obama also has worn
some relatively new names on the
fashion scene, including Thakoon
Panichgul and Maria Pinto. She
also wore an off-the-rack style by
White House Black Market on
The View.
You know what I think is
amazing? She likes fashion but she
doesnt really let fashion wear her,
observed Adam Glassman, creative
director at Oprah magazine.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
President-elect Barack Obama, left, his wife Michelle Obama, right, and two daughters, Malia, and Sasha, center left, wave to the
crowd at the election night rally in Chicago, Tuesday.
President-elects family has classic American style
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OpiniOn
7A
thursday, november 6, 2008
To contribute to Free for
All, call 785-864-0500.
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864-4810 or dhurst@kansan.com
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864-4810 or mdent@kansan.com
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864-4810 or khayes@kansan.com
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864-4924 or lkeith@kansan.com
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864-4924 or pdeoliveira@kansan.com
Jordan Herrmann, business manager
864-4358 or jherrmann@kansan.com
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864-4477 or tbergquist@kansan.com
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adviser
864-7667 or mgibson@kansan.com
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864-7666 or jschlitt@kansan.com
THe ediTOriAL BOArd
Members of the Kansan Editorial Board are Alex
Doherty, Lauren Keith, Patrick de Oliveira, Ray
Segebrecht and Ian Stanford.
contAct us
how to submit A LEttER to thE EDitoR
Do you remember me?
Yeah, I remember you. Youre
the guy who was always reading
those thick books in high school.
Yeah, that was me. But it wasnt
until after high school that I con-
quered Tolstoys War and Peace, a
journey spanning seven months.
So here I am again. Still reading.
Not as much as I should be, but
reading nonetheless. Unfortunately,
I am in the minority.
According to a 2004 report by
the National Endowment for the
Arts, the percentage of people read-
ing literature dropped 10 percent-
age points from 1982 to 2002. More
significant was the 17 percentage
point decline of reading literature
of those between the ages of 18 and
24 during the same time period.
Standardized test scores sup-
port this trend. The Center for
Pubic Education reported a 6 per-
centage point decline on National
Assessment of Education Progress
reading test scores among 12th
graders between 1992 and 2005. As
the name suggests, this test is used
to measure progress in education,
especially in math and reading.
However, test scores are often
an abstract and impersonal way of
measuring reading ability. When
you get into the specifics, its diffi-
cult to measure how well someone
can read by talking about what
percentage of people scored at the
proficient level or the exemplary
level for instance. Because read-
ing ability and writing ability are
closely related, its fair to look at
writing ability to gauge how literate
Americans are.
Martin Rochester of the
Education newspaper Education
Week wrote in 1996, As a col-
lege professor for over a quarter
of a century, I have been struck by
the steady, almost annual decline
in the literacy of students. This
observation has been confirmed
by colleagues in various disciplines
at virtually all universities with
which I have had contact. By lit-
eracy, I mean (1) the capacity to
read a sophisticated written work
and to understand the major ideas
expressed by the author and (2) the
capacity to write polished prose
consisting of complete words, sen-
tences, and paragraphs using stan-
dard English conventions. I have
seen both of Rochesters critiques
in action and notably the second.
Amidst a short story editing ses-
sion my senior year of high school,
I was shocked at the horridness of
the pieces I read. It was not the sub-
ject matter or style that tripped me
up but the inability of the author to
string coherent thoughts together. I
remember at least three times not
knowing where to start the editing
process. These were pieces riddled
with sentence fragments, misspell-
ings and usage problems. Sure,
these were rough drafts, but its
impossible to give feedback when
you have no idea what the person
is even trying to say.
The importance of being able to
read and write well cant be over-
stated. Of late the problem with
not being able to read and write
well has focused on not being able
to compete with workers in China
and India, which is important, but
there are really more important
reasons why the decline in literacy
is such a problem.
Effective writing and reading
not only allow us to effectively
communicate, but in an increas-
ingly fragmented world, it is one
of the few universals left. It brings
everyone together. Religion does
not unite us. Sports do not unite
us. Storytelling does. Everyone is
a storyteller and everyone appreci-
ates a good story. Stories transcend
time and culture and age and gen-
der.
Stories have the power to change
the world like the kickoff chant.
However, while wasting time bick-
ering over the political correct-
ness of the football kickoff chant,
we should be discussing why a
quote from The Waterboy is so
popular.
Thats another story though.
Mangiaracina is a Lenexa
senior in journalism.
max rinkel
FrOM THe drAWinG BOArd
reading, writing are
two of our last bonds
Can the KU grounds crew pick
up all of these leaves? Jesus,
what is this?
n n n
To that nice young lady who
gave me that smirk while
sitting on the steps of Budig: I
would love to see you again.
n n n
I feel like theres something
that you are trying to tell me.
Lets see, I read the opinion
page, but I forgot what it was
about. Oh well, I am sure I will
remember sometime around
7:30 p.m.
n n n
So when I saw the starting
lineup I wondered Am I at
Duke or KU?What the hell.
n n n
Oh my God, a car with John-
son County tags and an
Obama 08 sticker. I never
thought I would see it.
n n n
Damn. Obama won. Now I
have to move to France.
n n n
Was there an election last
night?
n n n
If Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is
going to run for president in
2012 ,then I am too, just for
shits and giggles.
n n n
Chapter Four: And the greeks
said, We are the evolution.
n n n
Note to the class of 2012: We
dont stand on the bleachers
in basketball games, and we
dont sit down during the frst
half. This is Kansas basketball.
Rock Chalk Jayhawk!
n n n
Wednesdays main headline
made me think that we just
elected Bob the Builder.
n n n
My roommate really needs to
stop and let one rip.
n n n
Well, now my roommate is
walking down the hill and
farting.
n n n
Where can I buy a pair of
those rose-colored glasses?
I want to view the election
from your perspective.
n n n
To the girl sitting behind me:
Its really sad that you think
that because Barack Obama is
a Christian he will see the light
and become a Republican and
the country will be OK.
n n n
I cannot wait for Baracks afro.
n n n
Dear Douchebag-From-The-
10th-Floor, please leave the
female race alone. Were not
gonna have sex with you.
n n n
That poor, poor man. I cannot
imagine the pain and anguish
he must be feeling right now.
n n n
Yes, the key to my heart. Find
me tomorrow and if you say
those exact words to me Ill be
yours forever and ever more.
n n n
nick mAngiARAcinA
THE
CYNICAL
OPTIMIST editorials around the state
prohibit Westar from
breaking promise
Westar customers who
previously purchased elec-
tricity from Kansas Power &
Light, like those in Law-
rence, had better be ready
for the other shoe to drop.
The Kansas Corporation
Commission is moving
toward approval of a
compromise rate increase
negotiated by Westar and
the Citizens Utility Rate-
payers Board. The negoti-
ated increase would raise
electrical rates by about 11
percent, instead of the 15
percent originally proposed
by Westar.
Thats the relatively good
news. However, the KCC
also said last week that it
plans to consider a related
issue that could bump elec-
trical rates up even higher
for customers formerly
served by KPL.
The equalization issue
dates back to 1991 when
KPL merged with Kansas
Gas and Electric, which
was charging signifcantly
higher electrical rates to
ofset its costs for build-
ing the Wolf Creek nuclear
power plant. As part of
the merger, KPL custom-
ers were protected from
those higher rates and have
continued to pay lower
rates than former KG&E
customers.
Now, the KCC says its
time to consider equalizing
those rates.
A KCC spokesman
made the argument that
equalization would spread
among all Westar custom-
ers the cost of environ-
mental remediation eforts
that will be required at the
Jefrey, Lawrence, Tecum-
seh and LaCygne coal-fred
plants. Although former
KPL customers would be
helping pay of the debt for
Wolf Creek, they also would
beneft from the lower pro-
duction costs at that plant,
she said.
Fairness should be the
KCCs top consideration in
this matter. KG&E custom-
ers made the decision to
take on the debt for Wolf
Creek and its only fair that
they should be responsible
for that debt. Westar should
not be allowed to backtrack
on that promise.
The Lawrence Journal-World
Nov. 3 editorial
assOciated press
The sun is quietly creeping over
the silhouettes of the houses and
trees dotting the horizon. Fall is
in control. There is a cool breeze
blowing from the east, and the
sound of the fallen leaves moving
along the street is reassuring. The
music of humanity temporarily
drowns out the leaves, and I hear a
flag whipping in the distance. Fall
is indeed in control.
Partially intoxicated by an indul-
gence in Colombian coffee, I make
my way to the nexus of America.
Theres a line but no one cares.
They have coffee cups in their
hands and smiles on their faces.
There is absolute silence but there
is definitely communication.
Some people are pacing. Some
are checking the time. Others try
to make small talk but the conver-
sation dies as soon as it starts and
their eyes awkwardly glance down.
I hear curtains being opened
and shut and the sound of elec-
tronics humming.
Everybody is equal here. They
have one name, and they have one
duty, and no one can deny them.
They know that alone, they are
weak. But together they are as pow-
erful as any army.
I sign my name and get my piece
of paper. I walk intently, careful to
dodge the kids playing and careful
to dodge the people studying. I
open and close the curtain slowly.
I pull out my reference sheet, set it
on the table and proceed to color.
Within three minutes, my job is
done. I hand my paper to a volun-
teer who thanks me. I leave.
I have been very critical, and will
continue to be, of this country. We
are struggling to keep our identity.
Our leaders refuse to communicate
and come together for the good of
us all. We still discriminate and
we still alienate. Although we do
it a lot more quietly than most, its
just as damaging. But today, maybe
because of naivety, I am hopeful.
When I see people voting, I see
Americans. I see no race and no
religion. I dont see upper class or
lower class. I dont see Republicans
or Democrats.
This is the America I love, and
this is the America I will fight for.
Graham is a Columbus, Ohio,
graduate student in exercise
physiology.
Where i discovered
the heart of america
zAchARy gRAhAm
MUSINGS
OF THE
DOOMED
assOciated press
reCenT COMMenTs
@
United States
Representative, District 3
Incumbent U.S. Rep. Dennis
Moore (D-Kan.) has won as a
Democrat in the conservative
3rd district every two years since
1998. His political triumphs
include victories against ultra-
conservatives such as Phill Kline
and Kris Kobach.
Now he has a new challenge.
Moore must beat Nick Jordan, a
moderate Republican state sena-
tor, with many of the same prom-
ises for bipartisanship as Moore.
But Jordan hasnt proved hell
stay that moderate as a congress-
man yet. Moore has.
Hes a candidate whos voted
across party lines consistently
during the last 10 years. People
like Moore in
Congress are more
important than ever
at this time when
bipartisanship is
needed to fix the ail-
ing economy. Moore
deserves re-election.
He has solidified
his reputation as
someone who votes
issue by issue rather
than worrying about
his party.
Moore has also
showed he would act on find-
ing alternative energy sources
and would try to cut down on
Americas dependence on foreign
oil by supporting the Energy
Independence and Security Act
in 2007.
Jordan is running on a plat-
form in which he promises to
shake up Washington. But his
plans are flawed. He wants to
bring down debt and has criti-
cized Moore for being part of a
Congress that has compiled mas-
sive deficits.
Yet Jordan still promises tax
cuts. For someone who on his
own Web site stresses the impor-
tance of math education for the
youth, his ideas dont add up. Tax
cuts and debt go
hand in hand.
Hes also criti-
cized Moore for
voting to approve
the rescue plan,
but economists
have said the
economy would
be worse off if
Congress turned
down the plan.
Flawed prom-
ises and unde-
served criticisms
show a lack of experience. Jordan
is a respectable candidate, but
Moore has proven himself.
Mark Dent for the
editorial board
OpiniOn 7A
FrIday, oCtober 31, 2008
@
To contribute to Free for
All, call 785-864-0500.
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Send letters to opinion@kansan.com
Write LeTTerTOTHe ediTOr in the
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attack a reporter or columnist.
Matt erickson, editor
864-4810 or merickson@kansan.com
dani Hurst, managing editor
864-4810 or dhurst@kansan.com
Mark dent, managing editor
864-4810 or mdent@kansan.com
Kelsey Hayes, managing editor
864-4810 or khayes@kansan.com
Lauren Keith, opinion editor
864-4924 or lkeith@kansan.com
Patrick de Oliveira, associate opinion editor
864-4924 or pdeoliveira@kansan.com
Jordan Herrmann, business manager
864-4358 or jherrmann@kansan.com
Toni Bergquist, sales manager
864-4477 or tbergquist@kansan.com
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adviser
864-7667 or mgibson@kansan.com
Jon schlitt, sales and marketing adviser
864-7666 or jschlitt@kansan.com
THe ediTOriAL BOArd
Members of the Kansan Editorial Board are Alex
Doherty, Jenny Hartz, Lauren Keith, Patrick de
Oliveira, Ray Segebrecht and Ian Stanford.
contAct us
how to submit A LEttER to thE EDitoR
Our
CHOiCe
ELECTION 2008
FrOM THe ediTOriAL BOArd
Moore
if we lose the t, could
we lose park and ride?
Every morning a bus waits out-
side of my apartment complex at
31st and Iowa. I am thankful for
the bus system because it saves
me from purchasing a parking
pass I would need to drive on
campus. If it werent for KU on
Wheels, a majority of students
would have difficulty getting to
and from classes every day. KU on
Wheels provides a much-needed
public service to students, as does
the Transit System to the city of
Lawrence. However, the future of
the Lawrence Transit System is in
danger.
The fate of the Lawrence Transit
Systemhinges on two propositions.
If a sales tax increase on the Nov.
4 ballot does not pass, the Transit
System will not exist.
Students might think that
because they may not use the T,
the propositions on the ballot may
not affect them. But KU on Wheels
will be affected by the outcome of
the vote, too.
Park and Ride receives some
of its funding from federal dollars
provided to the city of Lawrence.
If the city has no bus system, it
would receive no federal funding,
and Park and Ride would lose its
federal dollars as well.
The T saves people from losing
more money at the gas pump and
decreases the amount of carbon
waste produced by vehicles. The
Transit System provides an average
of 1,600 rides each day, according
to the Lawrence Transit Web site,
and in 2006, ridership increased by
8.6 percent.
People who rely most on the T
are those with disabilities that do
not allow themto operate a vehicle.
Others may need to rely on the sys-
tembased on age or financial hard-
ship. People who may not be able
to afford a car use the T as their
only mode of transportation.
Likewise, those seeking employ-
ment can use the T to search for a
job. Without the T, those with dis-
abilities or financial hardships will
face even greater challenges.
Also, students can ride both KU
buses and T buses for free. T buses
operate from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. dur-
ing the week and also on the week-
ends. Students without vehicles at
the University may rely on both
KU buses and the T buses for
transportation around Lawrence.
Without the T, students must find
another form of transportation on
the weekends and after 6 p.m. dur-
ing the week.
The T is a public service like the
fire and police departments. No
one would question raising taxes to
protect our streets, so why not be
just as willing to provide the public
service of transportation?
I amlucky to be provided trans-
portation to and fromcampus each
day, as I am sure many of you are,
too. Remember other people in
the Lawrence community who may
also rely on public transportation
when you go to the polls Nov. 4.
Brown is a Wichita sopho-
more in journalism and politi-
cal science.
kansan File pHOtO
ERin bRown
THE
CAMPUS
VOTE
"All human knowledge is tainted
with an ideological taint. It pre-
tends to be more true than it is. It is
finite knowledge, gained from a par-
ticular perspective; but it pretends to
be final and ultimate knowledge.
Reinhold Niebuhr
Its a demoralizing time to be
a Republican. The nomination of
Sarah Palin has split the partys
ideological wing from its moder-
ate pragmatists. Adherents of the
former comprise an ideological
school that came of age during the
Reagan administration. Elevated by
Reagans rise and vindicated by his
successes, they brought the concen-
trated support of their movement
behind George W. Bush, and their
efforts brought him to power.
Today, they resist the discon-
certing implications of Bushs fail-
ures. Their reaction to the manifest
failures of their ideology during
the Bush years has been to demand
ever stricter conformity with con-
servative doctrine.
The nomination of Palin is their
coup, and their aim is to ensure the
preeminence within GOP ranks of
their ideology, an increasingly rigid
canon, which fails to distinguish
the present from 1981 and Barack
Obamas policies from unfettered
socialism.
This tendency of conservative
elites to ideological purity is trou-
bling not only because it portends
political oblivion for the GOP in
the short-term, but also because it
runs counter to the political flex-
ibility and governing pragmatism
that philosopher Edmund Burke
hailed as essential components of
stable governments.
Indeed, history carries stern les-
sons about political systems riven
by such ideological hackery. It was
similar ideological devotion that
animated irreligious European
intellectuals throughout the 19th
and 20th centuries, and the history
books are replete with chronicles of
warring movements and national-
isms, failed governments and other
murderous consequences of that
period.
Customarily in America, it is
left to liberals, leftists and godless
intellectuals to make functional
religions of their political ideolo-
gies, but now, conservatives too
exhibit such tendencies.
The free market is their gospel,
and Reagan is their messiah, and
anything less is socialism.
Observe Fox News commentator
Sean Hannity systematically divid-
ing each of his callers and televi-
sion guests into monolithic blocks
of conservative true believers and
unconverted liberals. Visit the Web
site of the Heritage Foundation, a
renowned conservative think tank,
where a large banner asks with
apparent seriousness, "What would
Reagan do?"
Religion is by nature a dog-
matic, uncompromising pursuit.
Politics ought to be a pragmatic,
flexible one. This important dis-
tinction goes back to Alexis de
Tocqueville.
To de Tocqueville, the impor-
tance of religion in American
life is that it acts as a check on
the seductive ideologies to which
human nature is naturally drawn.
It trumps politics, relegating it to
lesser realms where moderation
and compromise are apt to pre-
vail. By contrast, when the impas-
sioned, uncompromising character
of religious disputes is applied to
politics, the result is factionalism,
division, conflict and the obstruc-
tion of good governance.
When conservative political
elites elevate ideology to the place
of religion, it should raise red flags
for moral reasons, if not strategic
ones.
If far too few red flags are being
raised, perhaps a well-deserved
electoral landslide defeat early next
week will do the trick.
Armstrong is a Dallas senior
in business.
What conservatives
keep getting wrong
PAuL ARmstRong
ASSUMPTION
CHECK
max rinkel
For all of the kids running
to catch the Park & Ride this
morning: If you can run to
catch the bus, you can def-
nitely walk to class.
n n n
Everyday I pick up a Kansan
thinking that there is no way
it can suck as much as the day
before, but each day it proves
me wrong.
n n n
Why do you always expect me
to have lotion? Is it because
I'mblack?
n n n
I just sawa girl walking
around campus with moon
boots. Really? Give Napoleon
Dynamite back his shoes.
n n n
Who wears a Missou sweat-
shirt on Jayhawk Boulevard?
n n n
Where are the KU police? A
bike just ran a stop sign.
n n n
So what? So let's dance!
n n n
I'mliving on PBJ and PBR.
n n n
Is it just me, or is there a lady-
bug problemon campus? And
yes, ladybugs are a problem.
n n n
Today I realized that pro-
fessors are just like us. My
professor almost bought a
Shamwowas well.
n n n
Blacking out on a Tuesday
night: That is what fraternity
life is all about.
n n n
Last night I checked my
sociology test score, cried,
stabbed a knife into my desk,
gave up on my hopes and
dreams and then went to
bed. No more drinking on
Tuesdays.
n n n
What's this about a ladybug?
n n n
Eat my hummus and call me
something dirty.
n n n
Yo yo yo, it's lunch time.
n n n
Barack chalk Jayhawk.
n n n
And so God unleashed the
eighth plague upon the Uni-
versity of Kansas, the rampage
of ladybugs to smite the GDIs.
n n n
Howcome there's so many
ladybugs in your room? Be-
cause I'ma lady's man.
n n n
My friend is seriously ob-
sessed with Bill Self, and it is
starting to freak me out.
n n n
To the stripper who I amin
love with: Do you live north
of the river and were you at
the frat house this weekend?
n n n
It's my birthday and all I want
is birthday sex, but I won't get
it. Fuck the world.
re-elect moore for
U.s. representative
FrOM THe drAWinG BOArd
To see all of the
editorial boards
endorsements for this
election, visit
kansan.com/opinion.
@
matt cHase
Conservatives don't raise
political ideology to the level of
religion. Most just want to make
sure that religion still has an
infuence on their ideology.
The liberals are the ones
usually substituting ideology
for religion since they rarely
practice one.
comment by vladislav
Our ideology didn't fail
during the Bush years. The
members of the Republican
party who were in Congress
(and Bush) did not adhere to
it. In the few areas they did we
have seen success.
The Bush tax cuts, for ex-
ample, stimulated the economy
to rousing success without
sacrifcing federal revenue. We
faced defcits because of bloat-
ed spending, not something a
conservative would advocate.
comment by connerm
The conservative ideology
is still a winning ideology com-
pared to the leftist ideology. As
connerm said, it's the people in
Washington (Congress, not the
president) that were supposed
to implement the ideology that
failed, not the ideology. The Re-
publicans in Congress allowed
spending to get out of control,
becoming more like Democrats
in the process. This is where
they failed.
Leftists want to pin the
economic calamity we are in
on George W. Bush. Bush hasn't
failed insofar as his economic
ideology. Look around: He
faced a recession courtesy of
the late-90s dot com bust as he
took ofce. He faced Sept. 11.
The economy rebounded with
vigor. Then, with Democrats
pushing for easy lending and
the Fed keeping interests rates
too low in 2003, the housing
price bubble was created which
has now burst.
excerpted froma comment by KU88
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The Swagger I s Back
Rock Chal ki n Your Socks Off Si nce 1865
My Favori te Subject i n School
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The Uni versi ty of Kansas: Majori ng i n
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*To vote you must be a current University of Kansas student with a valid KU email address. Limited to One Vote Per Person. The University Daily
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