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Rating or Censoring?

June 6th, 2012 | Add a Comment

Rated R for pervasive language in a film not backed by a big Hollywood name, gratuitous violence in an independent film, homosexual sexuality/nudity and smoking. These are all different reasons the MPAA has for branding a film with harsh rating.  The MPAA is known for making bizarre demands such as forcing Martin Scorsese to de-saturate the color of blood in “Taxi Driver” to get an R rating.  The MPAA has its own viewpoint and agenda that seeps into its film ratings in insidious ways.  Some of these biases become readily apparent when looking at different ratings received by films.   When the creators of South Park, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, made the independent film “Orgazmo,” they were branded with an NC-17 rating for overall sexual content. When Parker and Stone asked the MPAA what they … Read entire article »

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You can take the church out of politics, but you can’t take the church out of the politician

June 6th, 2012 | Add a Comment

Forget the Constitution. Some political figures seem to ignore one crucial rule: separation of church and state. And with upcoming elections hot in the tabloids, the Republican Party appears to be a repeat offender. Thomas Jefferson crafted the idea with hopes of creating fair public policy for all citizens: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” It isn’t a new concept. While laying the foundation for a democratic country, the Founding Fathers were careful to prohibit religious influence in political decisions. More than 220 years later, many politicians have not only blurred the line between the two, but actively defied the mandate against religion in politics. However, for the minority practicing other religions or no religion at all, is it fair that certain political figures … Read entire article »

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A Toast to the reader

June 6th, 2012 | Add a Comment

My goal as editor-in-chief can be summed up in University News’ new mission: To provide relevant, timely coverage of the UMKC community by seeking truth, fairness and accuracy in reporting while preserving the integrity of U-News as an independent student-run publication. I drafted this statement once my promotion became official after the last spring semester paper printed in April. The potential to produce a top-notch paper is readily apparent. With a diverse, commuter-majority student body of 15,000, UMKC needs a reliable medium for students—many with hectic lives outside of school—to become informed about campus news and events and have an outlet to relate their concerns. Building a successful paper can be a challenge in today’s journalism environment, where tradition has clashed with the inevitable: technology, progress and innovation. Albert Einstein is credited (perhaps incorrectly) … Read entire article »

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Tell that to a plant

June 6th, 2012 | Add a Comment

Every day I watch the people around me throw away unnecessary amounts of trash, use an abnormally large amount of water and treat the Earth solely as an abundant resource for their personal disposal. A few weeks ago I took a summer course on waste management. We visited a landfill on the first day. I was saddened by the huge amounts of trash our community is forced to try to dispose of and sort. In the materials recovery facility, where recyclables are sorted, a problem was the lack of community effort and awareness of what is recyclable in the city’s curbside recycling program. The piles of recyclables would be cluttered with trash bags and glass bottles that couldn’t be recycled on site. The ignorance of others slows down the environmental progression … Read entire article »

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Geoffrey Canada gives insight at Freedom School benefit luncheon

June 6th, 2012 | Add a Comment

In April, Time Magazine released its annual list of top 100 innovators, activists and artists. Among inspirations such as Mark Zuckerberg, Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey was Geoffrey Canada. Canada is known for his passion for children, namely those who become victims of a poor education due to living in poverty-stricken areas. A few weeks after Time released the list, Canada spoke at the Freedom School Sixth Child Benefit Luncheon at the Westin Crown Center here in Kansas City. Several prominent Kansas Citians were in attendance, including Rev. Stan Archie, who serves as Vice President of the Missouri School Board of Education, Kansas City Public Schools superintendent Dr. Stephen Green, and Mayor Sly James. I was honored to be able to join these and other respected citizens at the luncheon. At … Read entire article »

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Imitation, a sincere form of flattery; plagiarism, illegal

June 6th, 2012 | Add a Comment

Thumbing through any academic institution’s Code of Conduct handbook, certainly there is something listed pertaining to plagiarism. Usually it is defined along the lines of: taking credit for work done by others, cheating, copying other’s work verbatim without citation. We have had these rules drilled into our brains since grade school. Evidentially, this literary expectation doesn’t always carry over into the real world of work. On May 17, singer/songwriter and guitarist Nate Cook, of Colorado rock band The Yawpers, posted a status on the band’s Facebook account stating “We hate thieves, so few things piss us off worse than PLAGIARIZING AND STEALING the work of other writers/artists/musicians.” Cook’s mention of a January review by U-News Managing Editor Mal Hartigan, plagiarized on a small Colorado town’s newspaper’s website, www.lyonsrecorder.com, caught fans attention.  Upon further scrutiny … Read entire article »

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Rating is not censoring

June 6th, 2012 | Add a Comment

Picture this scenario in a world without the Motion Picture Association of America rating system: a group of elementary school kids arrive at their local movie theatre. Unfamiliar with the titles, they randomly pick what in today’s world would be considered an R-rated film full of foul language, violence and nudity. Confused, they go home and ask their parents to explain the meaning of certain derogatory terms. The parents reply in shock and anger before going to the movie theatre, asking why the box office cashiers would allow a ten year old into such a gruesome film. With no other answer to give, the cashier tells the angry parent how there is no rule system in place to stop kids from attending such a movie. There are many misconceptions floating around … Read entire article »

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The University of Kansas City?

June 6th, 2012 | Add a Comment

    Chartered in 1929, the University of Kansas City switched to UMKC when it joined the UM System in July 1963. Now the word is spreading that the University may change its name again – back to the original UKC. “It’s not really clear who first may have proposed the idea,” said John Martellaro, director of media relations. The first major mention to the public came May 8, when The Kansas City Star ran an article about the name change. The article quoted Chancellor Leo Morton, who said it is time to act on the “long-percolating idea” of the name change, which he hopes could end UMKC’s stigma as an offshoot of the Columbia campus. In order for a name change to happen, the University must submit a proposal to the UM Board of Curators. The … Read entire article »

Filed under: News

Sticking it to the students Part II

June 6th, 2012 | Add a Comment

Student loans are a college reality that won’t go away anytime soon. Of the more than 1,800 spring 2012 graduates at UMKC, 74 percent of undergrads took out loans. Graduating seniors with loans average $28,000 in debt, according to Financial Aid director Nancy Merz. Graduate and professional students, who are enrolled in costlier studies and ineligible for the Pell Grant, accumulate even more debt. The $106 million in loans borrowed by UMKC students in 2011, the more current year, is a small chunk of the nearly $1 trillion accumulated by students nationwide, according to data released May 31 by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. For student borrowers, the Fed’s other findings aren’t cheery: • Since 2003, student loan debt has climbed $633 billion. • Student loan debt has increased by $293 billion since 2008, whereas other … Read entire article »

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New SGA president brings experience and hope for a smooth transition to next year

June 6th, 2012 | Add a Comment

With the spring semester over, many campus organizations have held elections to transition from one Executive Board to the next. The Student Government Association (SGA), which acts as a liaison between students, faculty and administrators, closed its polls on April 13, electing Danny Riffel as the 2012 president. The other Executive Board members are: Executive Vice President Linnaia McKenzie, Administrative Vice President Joshua Krueger and Comptroller Katie Carlino. Senior Riffel has become familiar with the inner workings of SGA throughout his academic career. He served as scribe for SGA Senate meetings under the direction of prior Administrative Vice President Luke Whitworth. This gave Riffel ample time to become comfortable with the organization and prepare for greater tasks. “That year was definitely a step up for me in levels of responsibility I had to shoulder,” he … Read entire article »

Filed under: News

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