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Show Wednesday, March 3, 2010 AggieLife Page 5 Utah State University • Logan, Utah • www.aggietownsquare.com OMG! Traffic sucks • C misdemeanor for individuals caught using text messaging behind the wheel. If texting while driving causes an accident and injury or death, it is considered a felony and includes It is as dangerous as driving with a .08 up to a $10,000 fine and 15 years in prison. blood alcohol level, which is considered "When I found out it was passed I was drunken driving. happy with it," Shaw said. "It's pretty strict." Texting while driving has become comLt. Lee Perry, from the Utah Highway monplace for many students. In a Statesman Patrol, said individuals should use Shaw as survey taken of students and faculty on camthe example that texting while driving is danpus, 54 percent of students have sent a text gerous and wrong. while driving a motorized vehicle while 46 "Take a look at Reggie Shaw who this law percent will not send or type a message while came from," Perry said. "It didn't cost him his driving. life, but cost two others. This is something Becky Cheketts, sophomore in exercise Reggie has to live with his entire life. Is sendscience, is one who texts ing a text so important while driving. that it is risking your life "I can text subtly," or someone elses?" "What I did was dumb she said. "I can drive and Perry said the law and against all comtext." doesn't give any leeway mon sense. Had there However, Bri Clark, for when individuals can junior in biology, said it text while operating a been a law then, I defis something she will not vehicle. He said individuinitely would not have consider doing. als who text at stop signs been texting." "It is a hazard. I will and stoplights are still call someone instead of breaking the law. Some texting," she said. exemptions are during a - Reggie Show, Last year, Utah passed medical emergency and texter involved in accident reporting criminal activone of the toughest laws regarding cell phone ity. use in the nation. The Perry said he likes the law prohibits texting in a motorized vehicle. strict texting law. However, he said it is difReggie Shaw visited the Utah Legislature last ficult to enforce. For police officers, the law year to make sure law regarding texting was makes it more clear when spotting and taking passed. care of texting. Perry said if individuals are Shaw was responsible for taking two men's seriously injured, their cell phone records will lives as he headed eastward to Logan on be subpoenaed. It then becomes easy to prove Highway 30 in 2006. The then 19-year-old whether that individual had been texting Shaw was texting his girlfriend when his subwhile driving when the crash occurred. urban clipped a Saturn. The Saturn was then Subpoenaing phone records has become a hit by a pickup that was behind Shaw. The serious part of vehicle accident investigations, two occupants in the Saturn were killed on and Perry said the records have become one of impact. the first things involved. If the records show "What I did was dumb and against all com- texting was involved, the courts look at the mon sense," Shaw said. "Had there been a law case much more seriously. then, I definitely would not have been texting. Although, the texting and driving law covThis law is great. It prevents accidents. It preers the basics, it is not the only law involved vents people from making that same mistake." with cell phone use. Utah has a law against The law that was passed allows police careless driving, which can be defined as committing a moving violation while disofficers to pull over drivers who are texting behind the wheel. The Utah law provides a maximum penalty of three months in jail and I See DRIVING, page 7 a $750 fine. The penalty is considered a class By COURTNIE PACKER features editor UTAH HAS ONE OF the toughest laws regarding texting while driving. The law does not provide any leeway for texting while operating a motorized vehicle. STEVE SELLERS photo A shepherd of other's wisdom By KELLYN ANDERSON staff writer PHILOSOPHY PROFESSOR HARRISON KLEINER has taught at USU for the past five years. His favorite part about teaching is watching students engage in great ideas. photo courtesy HARRISON KLEINER Of the many professors USU employs, one philosophy professor will not be returning to expand the minds of students next fall. Professor Harrison Kleiner has inspired the hearts of his pupils here for five years, but because of the budget cuts, he no longer will teach them how to think like Socrates, write like Plato and study like Aristotle. He has challenged beliefs, encouraged open discussion and stimulated ethical conversation unlike any other. Kleiner began his college career as a political science major, but was drawn more and more to the philosophical side of learning. After moving away from his hometown of Colorado Springs, he attended Cornell College, double majoring in political science and philosophy. He met his wife while attending graduate school in Boston and continued along the path to teaching. When asked what his favorite part about teaching is, Kleiner replied, "I love seeing students engage great ideas. Seeing the seeds of wonder cultivated in students." Kleiner may enjoy watching this, but he takes no credit. He believes that the texts are responsible for students learning, not the teacher. "I am merely a humble shepherd of other people's wisdom," he said. As with most liberal arts majors, philosophy is not a career-oriented degree. Many times parents will encourage their children to study areas that focus toward finding a job, such as accounting or engineering. Kleiner said his parents wished he had chosen a different path, but he has no regrets. "I had so much fun myself exploring ideas. I knew that I wanted to teach," he said. Kleiner enjoys challenging his students Intellectually. He said that while the upperdivision classes are fun, Intro to Philosophy is his favorite. "Most students have not engaged great books and ideas," he said. "I like to be there when students think a great thought for the first time." Kleiner opens discussion on many controversial subjects, from abortion and homosexuality in his Social Ethics course to the philosophical challenges to Mormonism in his Intro to Philosophy class. "Most Latter-day Saint students have not had their faith challenged in this way," he said. "I do not try to take away their faith, but it is good for them to have it challenged." When asked if he believes anyone can be a philosopher, Kleiner replied that everyone already is. "Some do it intentionally and thoughtfully. Others do it unintentionally and thoughtlessly," he said. Kleiner answered an inquiry by stating that if he was king of USU, he would make Intro to Philosophy required for all students. "You cannot live a happy and fulfilling life unless you engage the great ideas," he said. Kleiner loves mountains and skiing, and doesn't have lofty goals or aspirations. "I do not have some extraordinary goal or task I feel the need to accomplish in my life," he said. "I find meaning in the ordinary as much as the extraordinary." Kleiner believes he lives an ordinary and uninteresting life, and continued by telling a I See IDEAS, page 7 |