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Show A8 OPINIONS AUGUST 27, 2012 Welcome back common sense, it's been a while Common sense was absent for a while, but it's slowly coming back By Jonathan Boldt Editor-in-Chief jonboldt@gmail.com We may not be the person we want to be, but what we do determines who we are, whether we like it or not. Watching the Bunnel house be taken apart brick by brick has made me quite reflective. The house is old, unused and tiny. The new Student Life and Wellness building will be brand spankin' new, will have a use for everyone and is going to be a gimongous, state-of-theart monstrosity. It only makes sense to remove the Bunnell house to make way for this much needed facility. However, what has grabbed my attention is the thought and care that went into the relocation of our little piece of history. What a legacy. Over a hundred years after it was built, people still care what happens to it. It will be rebuilt brick by brick on a new location, preserving most of the building and keeping it on campus. My mind tends to wander and think about several topics at the same time but every now and then, a common thread weaves its way through my subconscious and stitches it all together. Rather than ending up on the ash heap of history, America will rise from those ashes like a Phoenix and be better than ever. Our country has gone through a tough stretch, is on a rough path and turbulence lies ahead. Ten years ago, gas was $1.36 per gallon, today $5 and $6 isn't unheard of. Our national debt is spiraling out of control with an equivalent of $128,300 worth of debt per household. What has really smacked me in the face and thrown a bucket of cold water over my head is the lack of common sense. You can talk numbers all day long but we are starting to reach made-up levels. When I was a kid I thought trillion was the name of an alien species. Now quadrillion has moved from the "yeah sure" category to the mundane. When you start banning soda over 16 oz, limiting the size of popcorn tubs at movie theaters, and, here comes the big one, banning the donation of food to soup kitchens, you reach the alien world of "you gotta be kidding!" It is now an everyday occurrence to hear of a lemonade stand being shutdown for health code violations and not having the proper permits. Seriously, "Big Brother" wants their share of all the ten-year olds' profits from selling cookies and lemonade by the side of the road on a hot summer day. Maybe that commercial with the little girl using her smart phone to run her lemonade stand and making tons of money got to the right person at the FDA who thought it was a mini documentary. Whatever the reason, there has been no reason as of late. What gives me hope for our country is the American spirit and the example everyday people are for me. I've come to realize that America hasn't lost its way, we haven't changed from our founding fathers principles, we just fell asleep. Our government has lad us astray, but as a people we are waking up. With the recent ban on food donations for homeless shelters (I still can't say that without furrowing my brow), a group of Americans have banded together to take a stand. Like him or not, Glenn Beck pulled off something pretty amazing last week. WRITTEN BY JONATHAN BOLDT ART COURTESY OF KYRIE HULICK In an effort to combat the ridiculous regulations, Beck called for his audience to fill 11 semi trucks with food and supplies to be delivered to the cities in the direst of straights and to do it by July 28. By the time his show ended one hour later, they were filled. The next day he asked the audience to double it within the next two weeks. 24 hours later the quota was met. Over one million meals were donated within that short time, and more are coming in every day. In a day in time where the most poor among us resort to eating cat food to survive, all it took was some or- Diversity is fun,seek it out Your life in college will benefit from getting to know people completely unlike yourself By Cameron Simek Opinions Editor camsimek@gmail.com You're finally here, College. Ready for another four, or probably more, years of schooling. High School is behind you, and your future is bright and pretty shiny. You may have friends that made the journey with you, or you may not. Those of you that didn't are the luckiest ones, becuase you'll have a chance to meet many new people, some that are completely different than yourself. College is an amazing place. It brings together so many different people with a unified goal, to gain knowledge, or at least, get a piece of paper that may help get a job, maybe. This diversity and the fact that you all have pretty much the same reason to be here is a great thing. You have something in common with everyone here, you're all students. You're GREAT VALUE all working your way through your classes and you all might be struggling in some aspect of your lives. Here's what some people, myself included, miss while they're tyring to struggle their way through. They miss the chance to get to know someone completely unlike themselves . Someone who is from across the country, or possibly the world. Someone who has a different religion, is from a different culture, or maybe is just from a different town. These are the people you need to meet. People are strange creatures, Learning about the world and what makes people tick is never a bad thing. EAMillielaWSPIRED. small life experiences change who we are in amazing ways. We then use those experiences to interpret what happens in our lives. We are all fundamentally different beings. We are a collection of events that have manifested into a personality. It's amazing to consider. This is what I mean by learning about someone else and their lives. Learn about the events that shaped them. Discover what made them who they are, and share with them what made you who you are. Learning about the world and what makes people tick is never a bad thing. If you stick to people like you, and don't venture outward into the wide world of diversity, then you may miss meeting people that completely change the way you see the world, and that would be a waste of your time here. Learning is why we're here. So why not learn about others, and where they come from. Don't shut out amazing people and experiences just becase they seem a little different. You'll end up better for stepping out of your comfort zone and getting to know someone you only have one thing in common with. ganization to rally the troops and storm in with the solution. If we attacked the war on hunger like we used to fight wars, we would go in, carpet bomb the place and leave everyone with a full belly and a smile on their face. Rather than ending up on the ash heap of history, America will rise from those ashes like a phoenix and be better than ever. Not because of who get's elected, who get's voted out or because of some government program. It's the people. Once we have woken up, you better watch out, because those that oppose the American way of life will be left in the wake of its greatness. But the greatness of America is that we will always reach back for those left behind and give them a hand. The trials we face as a nation, personally, or even as a student body, will shape who we become. Shrinking in the face of a challenge and avoiding a chance at greatness defines us as a coward, but standing strong and taking it head on makes us heroes no matter the outcome. I was losing faith in our system and how we have been operating. Dealing with politicians can do that to you. Sometimes it's like when you played as a kid and that one annoying guy would say, "No, that didn't hit me! I have a force-field!" Especially when they just start making up garbage rules that are only there because of a power trip. I mean, 16 oz„ really? If you really cared about my health and wanted us to avoid soda, just ban it altogether. Unless you institute a limit, I'll just buy two. I was starting to wonder what the heck was going on, it was almost like an episode of the Twilight Zone. Thank you America, for proving me wrong. Now keep it up. Look who's si shriekb, and la Priii;iingno gos S torytelling estival F rem, Utah It's the last weekend of summer. Bring your Triends and come play! Tickets $8 and $10 www.timpfestorg Thursday, Aug. 30 7:00—Look Who's Talking Friday, Aug. 31 8:00—My Favorite Stories 9:00—Shivers in the Night Saturday, Sept. 1 8:00—Laughin Night 8:00—The Last Laugh All events are held at Mt. Timpanogos Park in Orem except My Favorite Stories and Laughin' Night which are held at the SCERA Shell. Timpanogos Presented by OREM and iSiolytelling nstitute |