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Show OPINIONS 02.08.2010 Letter to the editor In response to Feb. 1 article "Sometimes high school math classes just don't cut it" I'm curious as to why the student paper would write a supposed news article about Ology without checking out the facts with the developmental mathematics department or the UVU Tutor Lab. Your writer has basically written an advertising piece without labeling it as such for a private, offcampus, tutor service. I accept the fact that Ology does pay for advertising in conjunction with the paper, but I would not think that is enough to get free copy. As the developmental math advisor, I hear complaints regularly from students who have given around $1500 to Ology and the schools they work with and end up with no credit and no refund. Ology is a pay in advance program for small group tutoring to help you pass a class through independent study at BYU or Barton College in Kansas. The guarantee requires you to attend every tutor session and to complete all homework and tests in the home study program to get a refund if you don't pass. UVU students have already paid a lab fee with their tuition that allows them free tutoring in LA 201 six days a week including an online option and a private session option. They may also take Math Pass if they need a review which is only a one credit class done online and is based on diagnostic tests. Students only need to work on areas where they are weak and then they are allowed to take a final test to show that they are ready to move to the next class in the sequence. The Structered Learning Assisted program lets students enroll in a class with a few extra class sessions each week with a facilitator to provide additional assistance for students that need more help than a regular class provides. When I teach math courses, I too can guarantee that students who attend every class, complete all the homework assignments, and take every test will pass the class. Students who meet with their teachers when they have questions, who use the tutoring services on campus, and who prepare for class are almost always successful. AIMITTON/Uyu Review "Censorship" should never be confused with criticism. CENSORSHIP from • A5 Robert M.Williams Developmental Mathematics Advisor Letter to the editor requirements • Letters must be turned in on Wednesday by noon in order to be printed in the next edition. • Please provide an electronic copy regardless of whether or not you wish to submit a hard copy. • We make no guarantee that letters will be printed. • All letters become the property of UVU Review as soon as they are submitted. • Letters 300 words or less have a greater chance of being published - anything longer will be edited for content. • Anonymous letters are only publishable when the safety or professional status of the letter writer is in jeopardy. example, if you express an opinion about something (i.e. "Gay marriage is going to destroy America"), and someone offers a counterpoint to your expressed opinion (i.e. "No, and you're an idiot"), they are not necessarily censoring you. The constitutionally protected free speech that allows one person to criticize gay marriage also allows someone smarter to criticize that opinion (which, remember, despite its ignorance, they are welcome to express). The term "censor" originated from a Roman governmental position. A censor was responsible for the census and the over- The State of the University MERINDA DAVIS/ UVU Review Pres. Matthew Holland will offer the State of the University address on Feb. 11 at 2 p.m. in the Ragan Theater. Letter from the editor JENNIE NICHOLLS-SMITH Editor-in-chief Dear students, The State of the University address will be delivered this Thrusday at 2 p.m. in the Ragan Theater. Although this address may seem like a formality, this speech discusses issues facing our school and student body. More specifically, it aids in understanding the myriad reasons the school functions as it does. Maybe because of my involvement with the student newspaper I have been particularly engaged in these addresses. However, I encourage each student to attend and take interest in the institution you pay tuition to attend, just as taxpayers should take interest in the State of the Union address. In an effort to excite you to attend this event, please consider these issues that will more than likely be addressed, and if not, should be addressed during the question and answer portion. The campus is outgrowing its open-enrollment roots. Campus crowding is be a more adequate effort intensely increasing, while than requesting building no apparent changes have funds that will not soon been made to manage the be granted, although, 1 do onset of a larger student population. The registration understand the effort and appreciate the administraprocess is now a waiting tion's tireless campaigning game for students needing for our institution. to enroll even in general courses. "UVU Review" was Some classes are filled critical of President Holpast capacity, leaving land's appointment last students to sit on the floor. summer, due to his seemUVU must re-evaluate ing lack of qualifications enrolling anyone that pays and limited background in the application fee, because administrative authority. they can no longer equitaHowever, Holland has won bly accomI^^-^^M ^ ^ ^ _ over many of modate this early critics The campus his scenario. with his personYes, this also is outgrowing able approach to effects the the position. its open entrivial issue Aside from rollment roots. that, there are of parkingit is more many people ______ on this camheinous than pus concerned ever before, with Holland's with not only previous involvement as a the paid lots full, but also founding board member of the visitor and free lots. Our administration is . the National Organization aggressively advocating the for Marriage, an organization with goals to prevent funding of a much-needed same-sex marriage from new science building from being recognized and the state legislature. Being accepted by law. A large that UVU was granted the LGBT student community money to build the library exists on this campus, as only a few years ago, the well as serves as faculty effort seems to be, at best, misguided. Massive budget and staff members. How are their relationcuts in the past legislative ships with Holland afsession, and another anfected, and how is Holland nounced for next fall seem addressing these concerns? to be much more of an isWe simply do not know, sue than hoping for a large because Holland has not sum of money. Where are the new cuts going to leave addressed it. The State of the University address UVU? would be an interesting Last year when cuts forum to hear him finally were announced, Linda Makin, director of budgets, address the issue of LGBT rights and his authority on was adamant about UVU campus. having a 'rainy day fund,' Whatever your feelfrom which they would ings on these issues or any subsidize the new cuts. of the other pressing issues Is that still the case in a that directly affect this second year of heavy cuts? campus, the State of the Are more faculty positions University address is your going to be trimmed? A forum to get answers. tighter freeze on hiring? I hope to.see you there. Maybe looking for alternatives to budgeting would seeing of public morals. While some may argue that censorship is always wrong, there are certain times when it seems obviously called for; child pornography, hate speech, and Stephanie Meyer novels immediately come to mind. In the 1919 Supreme Court decision of Schenk v. United States, Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., a man whose square name indicates only half of his complete and total awesomeness, famously declared that the First Amendment of the Constitution would not protect a citizen from "falsely shouting fire in a theatre and causing a panic." Holmes is frequently misquoted without the allimportant word "falsely," the incredibly crucial adjective indicating the necessity and importance of truth behind any protected speech. This does, of course, include opinion, but remember that the opinions of all citizens of the United States are protected by the First Amendment, not simply the opinions with which you agree. Making Glenn Beck's television program illegal would be censorship. Starting your own show that exists solely to call out Beck's deluded, transparent-asclear-water demagoguery is just a utilization of free speech. Let's remember the difference. And also, let's ignore Glenn Beck. He's evil. And I'm allowed to say so. Eat it. MATHESON 9 from A5 •- stem cell research is yielding a cure to male-pattern baldness. The truth is that there are Republicans in the house who are more progressive than Matheson. Aside from alienating Democrats in his district with his voting record, it doesn't help that Matheson attributes his dissent on these issues to being more 'level-headed' or fiscally responsible. His Web site has even posted an article to promote his status as the seventh most conservative Democrat in congress. This blue dog dogma hides other possible motives behind Matheson's voting record, such as political expediency. As Minch points out, it is downright false. "Matheson and the blue dog Democrats like to think of themselves as fiscally responsible," Minch said. "But they're not. If you're fiscally responsible, then passing health care reform is the right thing to do." Matheson's status as a Democrat does little if anything for Utah progressives. If he were replaced with a moderate Republican, we would see little if any difference. That's why Weis' slim chances in this election and the fear that he may act as a spoiler against Matheson shouldn't stop Utah Democrats from voting for him. Indeed, a vote for Weis is more about reaffirming the power of citizenry than about the election outcome;: "For me, it's about creating alternative models for the political process, ones that are more democratic," saidMinch. "Hopefully, it will bring a breath of fresh ait into the political arena." - BATTLE from • A5 may alternatively expect nothing or too much from their female students. Students need to Be sensitive to the position of women in relation to them. ;' However, this won't happen unless professors address this not only in their syllabus, but throughout you put in. « M ^ « W — ^ the semester Those A college edu- in their who have an cation is a lot like classes. imbalance a poker game; This is not of genders a perfect you get as much in their solution, but classes need out as you put in. it is a step, to make it or a skip, possible for in the right everyone to have an equal experience. direction. Any women feeling discriminated The fact that we are all adults does not guarantee against or disrespected from either professors or that these issues will classmates should; contact work themselves out. Teachers need to be more the Woman's Resource aware of what's going on center on campus at 80 lv 863-8080. • within their walls - they dominated by men. "It's so competitive, which is good, but sometimes guys automatically want to take control of a group. But you can't let them get all the leadership experience," she said. A college education is a lot like a poker game; you get as much out as |