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Show OPINIONS rfr\*. : £ • '• - ?*.,;•* , AUGUST 23, 2010 VOL L ISSUE 4 www.uvureview.com No place for our voices Native Sun powwow " By Agustin Diaz ..,, Opinions Writer ' ,;;:V :?' ,X X\ -According to advisor Moana Havea-Angilau, in May the Multicultural Center•, sent in its requests to student government. "They've'been, very good in scheduling us for the Ken Sekaquaptewa, an advisor at the Multicultural Center, calmly expresses feelings of frustration: "One weekend is all we're asking for,", he A'What else is j says. • :! ;-;/ i ' • r'' r':-:^X: XFor eight years, the Native expected from a American community of Utah predominantly and those who appreciate their vibrant heritage look forward white campus?" to the Native American Powwow in November, which is; Native American Heritage past five to ten years," she said, Month. ;.fr:^ / $ ' • fe "so I assumed things would go, This year, however,1 those smoothly again this year." ^XX involved in the powwow disAccording to Havea-Angcovered that the university has ilau , the Multicultural Center failed to recognize the pow-j Jwas told they've been inconwow's importance to the com- sistent with their dates and munity. therefore was told to figure The powwow has been lo- things out on their own this cated in the ballroom of the year. By this time, however, it student center for eight years. was too late to secure the stuThe room allows numerous dent ballroom. people to attend and the hardA lopk at the November wood floors are perfect for weekends on the online stutraditional Native American dent calendar indicates there dance performances. is one Friday volleyball game Dancers come from all over and, other than that, an all the Rocky Mountain West, ex- month event at the Woodbury cited to participate in a festival Art Museum. From this calenof cultural recognition and re- dar, it's unclear what is booked in the ballroom all month long, vival of identity. As students and staff sought but no one is giving students out details for the powwow, straight answers. they found that the ballroom Instead, they've been rewould not be available dur- ferred to the physical educaing the most important time of tion building's gymnasium. year for all Native Americans. Hopefully, negotiations to se- ^ will go well, but accommodations will be y^:; v^^^... . \ l a tlje gymnasium, a mat must be. laid out for any ndnathjetici' ^events, The dancers clp,how4ver,require hardwood fpr the recreation of stomping, beatarid jrhythm that are strong C0mp0h€int§ of their culture. 7 J;Jia^e6-Ajngilau mentions the personal assistance from Student Body President Richard^orttyood, "I love the students jn student government," sh,e',said,;, but feels concerned . that.-;npj, even ffrese students can bevallowed to Support all students; \V "Student government gives methejir schedule for the academic year by June 1 and then it is open to on-campus departments' arid then off-campus institutions. After that, it is first come first serve," said Leslie Farnsworth, administrative scheduler of the Student Center, ;1 "Native American students pay student fees, they are no different from other students," said Sekaquaptewa, who is of Hopi Indian descent. "One would think that our students would have equal access to the Student Center's ballroom to express their culture for a night or two in November." The potential blame for miscommunication between those charged with schedul- ing the event is irrelevant, It does not change the fact that a community who struggles for representation will be negatively affected and unable to adequately honor their traditions. Students and faculty at the Multicultural Center have been guarded about discussing the issue too openly - the atmosphere is that apprehensive. Billie Atisty is correct when she says that this is a tragic, culturally insensitive campus situation. The university should be on its way to bridge cultural divides with understanding and tolerance in mind. With the presence of President Holland, perhaps we are on that path, but moments like these vividly show that we often fall back a step or two and sometimes we stumble down the entire staircase. "What else is expected from a predominantly white campus?" said BilIie Atisty, president of the club. Additional Reporting by Matthew A. Jonassaint Have logic, will argue| A guide to having a savvy opinion] i By Matthew A. Jonassaint Opinions Editor False: "You have the right to your own opinion." There are a few big obstacles to healthy discussion. I'd like to invalidate a few to start off a good year of student opinions. Personally, I come across the biggest obstacle when I get in an argument and the other person becomes frustrated, saying, "Well, everyone's got a right to their own opinion." The assertion here is the cheap baloney. Here's why. First, it's irrelevant. It doesn't provide new insight., into the conversation and, in fact, simply changes the subject to something it's not about. Second, having an opinion hardly seems like a rigbt. A right is usually defined (check any dictionary) as a privilege that comes with a duty, and a duty is something that comes with obligations. Who or what would obligate me to warrant someone their opinion? Perhaps respect (insofar as an argument shouldn't end in emotional, linguistic, or physical vio- Jake Buntjer/UVU Review lence) but not much else. Therefore, it is untrue to believe you have the right to your own opinion. You don't, and even if you did it wouldn't matter. Now, given that I've just argued that having an opinion isn't a right, I've still only argued my opinion. But in doing so, I've hopefully done a few things that help any opinion be something worth arguing successfully. For one thing, an opinion without facts or evidence is like a computer without an operating system. When you say, "Obama is the new Hitler," without grounded reasoning, it is similar to referencing the Bible, Wikipedia and Glenn Beck. These are examples of unfounded substitutes for an authoritative source like a birth certificate. So avoid exaggerations that can't be proven with certainty.1 Be open to criticism and the possibility that you will change your mind. I used to love The Dark Knight and after reading the comic books for two years, I argue it's the worst thing that's ever happened to Batman. (Yes, worse than the nip- pie suits in Batman and Robin.) ;-J Also remember some things afe simply a matter of taste and sortie things aren't. I prefer The Atafjs to Don Henley singing "The Bo$s of Summer" and ultimately thatts about what I enjoy, not which sorfe is perfect. But no matter how mucjl I love "Careless Whisper," it's;Ja pretty bad song, whether George Michael or Seether is singing it. 1 Here in the opinions page of your student newspaper, ydu should feel welcome to engage Jp a place students can have multidimensional discussions regarding campus issues that may not reach one unified consensus but are unified in understanding. We may not have rights to our opinions, but we have access to facts and reasoning that we can use to learn more about our world and each other - which, I would argue, includes obligations and privileges that make attending a university a right. ; So here's to a year of student community, understanding and opinions! , -* V V, Instead, look for ways to show how Obama is using cinema, the press and pseudo-science* to en^terage patriotism. Next, show where he blames the financial crises on immigrants, homosexuals and communists and is against capitalism and world trade - sayingftiese groups and ideas threaten society and nuclear family. Finally, demonstrate that he wants to permanently rid America of those things. Then you'd have a basic but valid argument to tag with a neat, short analogy like "Obama is the new Hitler." |