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Show IMONDAV, MARCH 19, 2001 PAGE 11 UNIVERSITY·JOURNAL OPINION EPARrn.l ~NML TAKES ITh 1t>LLONTIEf\JNto~~tt~ NEW LETrERS \ / 11 .J \ ~ ... \\ CHANGE thanks SUU TO THE EDITQR: CHANGE is going to Kenya. Our group started last spring from a conversation about how we take our own education for granted. Today, we are nearing our goal of raising $6,000 to fund part of the construction of a school in the town of Malo, Kenya . And our success in raising this money is , in very large part. due to the generosity of the SUU community , particularly its students . In late May, eight SUU students and our faculty adviser will be working in the African sun ; putting your contributions to work. Many of you have seen us around campus , hustling for change or selling midnight movie tickets. What we. want now is to thank you for all you have given . Individual acts of generosity are too numerous to mention , but there are several examples of groups helping us that need to be acknowledged . SUUSA donated one dollar for every student who attended the "back-·to school " dance in January, which gave us $900 : the Ceramics Gu ild donated 130 ceram ic bowls, Food Services donated chil( and we sold them together for $600; the Movie Club will donate onethird of their profits at the end of the semester; and two midnight movies netted another $1 ,500. We also want to take this opportunity to encourage student involvement in whatever areas might interest you. Most of us feel powerless to make an impact on our world, as if one person's will is not big enough to change things. VVhile we could argue this point, it has become clear to us over the last eight months that, through collective efforts guided by individual passions, not only can we make an impact, but we have made an impact. Margaret· Mead put it well , "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, .50..,.\l ,=....,a..,PA committed individuals can ,J..J-~T'.:ICL.change the world, indeed it's the only thing that ever has.· Our advice is simple, though difficult; find one or two people who share your passion for anything. Out of that, great things often emerge. Thank you again, SUU , for helping us affect a very . small part of our world . - ,~ ~. r " ~ CHANGE Club Senate funds too frivolous TO THE EDITOR: Is anyone else frustrated that the student senate is giving $425 and the business department is giving $850 to buy paintball guns for the ROTC? Roughly 40 percent of our tax dollars goes to the defense industry. Do we want our student fees and tuition to provide more money to make war? This seems to be a cost that the Army should pay if it is needed for the training of ROTC members. I have seen paintball guns at the local stores for around $30 to $40 . If !he members of ROTC feel the need to have paintball wars they should purchase the guns for their own personal use. If this is truly a cost of the ROTC program they should first try to obtain funding from the military . Our student and univers ity funds should be used wisely. James Long JOURNAVL SOUTHERN UTAH UNIVERSITY · CEDAR CITY UTAH DIRECTING STAFF ANO DESK PHONE NUMBERS: Editor Kamltynn Savage 586-7750 Associate Editors Jessica Blonquist 586-7750 PhotD Editot' Janelle Reichert 586-7750 Copy Editor Amberly Robinson 586-1992 Focu Editor Stacee Childs 586-1992 Arts EditDr Ashley Adams 865-8<1<13 Sports Editor Jason Ericksa, 865-8«3 Camery Lybbert 586-7759 Almanac Editor Jody Johnson 865-8226 Webmaater Russell Wiliams 586-7750 Ad M.inager Cami Perkins 586-7758 Adviser Larry Baker 586-7751 Writing Coach Paul Husselbetl 865-8556 SENIOR STAFF WRITcRS AND REPORTERS' DESK 586-7757, 586-5488 The UfMllity Joume/ Is JU)tished """'Y ~ and To<n<my or the ocaoemic ye.- by and ror the sMlonl body ol Sou1hMn Uta/I Uni•t<sity. It r.cehiH ..,.,,.oment from the university admi,,..lrlllion and lrom lh• lrillersdys commuricatior1 depe,1mof"c. The views an<I opinions oxp,used Jn tllfl Joutrlll/ . . ll>ose ol lldiwtJai - . , . .-.cl do not ~ect lhe vi-. or lhe innlu1ion. tac..11y, staff or Jludonl body ., general. The U'1SlgMd editorial ci.-Y llboVe la the oponi<>n al 11111 ~ Jwma/ •• a lingle enuiy. I.attars lo the edilDr m_ust be typed Ind ff\dt.i. h name .-.:t phd,,o . . . -. Only lh6 .,.,,.,. w,11 be pnmea. Na,ne, ...1 not be wtthhekt unSw ""'1 °""""'tances and lhe . - ,.,.,.... 9di6ng privileQ&J Letters mY&I be submitted by 6 p m. Thlndays for inctaJon in lolonday - .. and by 5 p,m. l.londirys for TIIU'sday -.,,,. ,,..,..,siy u,. ... lhe...,..., Gtlw-: Nry - • grltlvonc,o against 11'111 Jourml ..... -. Iha! i,ir,,-- lhoud lhen be <lnc:ted lO UnJvwslty .Jounw: Otlon In suu TecMalav, lllalding 011. M~ « FAX (435} 586-5-w7. ~ - such p,oblem llt$l l0 lhe edilDr. suu. Ctdar Oly,UUh &4720. E-n. -•11: jou-na1C/11UU.tdl !Nle) ON IIECYCLEO PAPER. PLEASE RECVCLE THIS COP'(. ~ ANDY BURT COMMENTARY My sprir,g break extravaganza 2001 Spring is in the air; the favorite season of college coeds across the country. Leaves will soon be budding as days get longer and nights get wilder. Graduation looms for seniors and everyone else can at least look forward to a summer free from the confines of a musty classroom . And the one event that kicks it all off - Spring Break : an entire week devoted to carefree frolicking , skin, and fun in the sun. Can I just tell you that Andy Burt's spring break 2001 was no exception? It was an entire week of debauchery and random acts of self indulgence. Actually , if you leave Qut the frqlicking and funin-the-sun, you've pretty much hit the nail on the head ; I did however work a little skin into my spring break extravaganza. My exciting week beg,an when every single person in Cedar City that I know, left town. Unfortunately I had to stay and work. Now, I knew this beforehand and was counting on a few of my friends leaving town. but I figured at leasl one person I knew would be around for me to hang out with. Nope, not one. It was like being stranded on a desert island. I became a Cedar City castaway. That is until Thursday. I had been spending a lot of time with Pete, my roommate's soccer ball (I drew a face on him with a permanent marker) and he suggested that I get out of the house; do something with myself. I think he was getting bored with playing ping pong-I beat him almost every game. So I threw on some clean clothes - I had been wearing my pajama pants and an old DARE Tshirt for the last four days, and headed to Denny's. No sign of college life there, but I pulled up a seat at the bar next to the kitchen anyway. Not five minutes later, lik.e an angel sent from heaven to 'rescue me from the boredom of the last few days, Ed sat down right beside me. Ed is a retired construction worker from Mesquite. He was forced into early retirement when he accidentally drank a whole can of varnish at a home he was helping to build . Someone left an open can next to the six-pack of Budweiser he was drinking for lunch. As a result, Ed can only see out of one eye , has a limp and a lispy speech impediment. You yet used to it after 15 minutes or so. He sat down and we began to talk. I told him about my predicament and he lent a supportive ear. He even tried to cheer me up by telling me about the time he and a few co-workers attached a cat. by its tail , to a fence, with a nail gun. The time just flew by. One hour turned i{lto three and the · next thing I knew I had invited Ed ~ver to my apartment for some ice cream and nachos. We spent the next two days together and they were the happiest days of my life. I never knew a man like Ed, a true friend. But in the end, Ed arid I had to go our separate ways; he had to go back to work and I, back to school. In a way I was sad, but I will always remember our time together. I didn't want the best spring break ever to end on a sour note, so last ·night Pete and I decided to have a wet T-shirt contest. He won of course and was grinning Jike an idiot-until his face washed off, but it's wobably better that way. My roommate would have been angry. Now that spring break is done, I'm ready to buckle down for the rest of the semester. But don't you think for a' second that I'm not counting the days until summer and the adventures that it will bring. . Maybe, just maybe, Ed and I will meet again . Andy Burt, is a senior communication major from 1 Toledo, Ohio. . I • |