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Show A6 Monday • June 30, 2008 The new UV OneCard offers new technology for a campus identification card. Is this advancement for the better or worse? PRO ID, lunch money, Target gift card, food stamp card, and Opinions writer just about any other service Imagine a world where you can think of all comyour student ID, debit card, bined in the near future. Of course, one would bus pass, and starving student card don't spill onto the think, "What if the card is lost floor every time you open or stolen? Everything would your wallet. Imagine the con- be gone." However, the risk venience of having all these of this unfortunate occurservices on just one card to rence seems equal to that of prevent such an accident. all those cards being stolen or "It's brilliant," says UVU lost when they are separate. student Richard Portwood. After all, they would all be Another student, Kim Ras- in the same wallet anyway, mussen, goes on to say, "It's and more people lose their a smart idea." Both these stu- entire wallet rather than just dents have experienced such their debit card. Plus, with convenience in their lives by the expansion of technology using the UV OneCard Plus. previously pointed out, in UVU is taking itsfirststep the future, there will be sevtoward the future with these eral ways to ensure that the technologies, and is the first owner of the card will be the school to combine all these only person permitted to use services on one card. Guar- it. The risk of things such as anteed, several other colleges identity theft are not exacerand universities will take ad- bated through the use of the vantage of the OneCard Plus card, either. If one takes the in the near future. Compare same precautions with the it to Apple. They were the card as with all these serfirst computer company to vices separated on individual rid their computers of floppy cards, everything possible disk drives. Floppy disks are has been done to prevent now extremely endangered identity theft. The OneCard Plus is a thanks to the expansion of technology and the invention healthy ripple in the wave of technology rolling forth of theflashdrive. According to Moore's to change the world. The Law, the amount of technol- wave is expanding every ogy currently doubles every day. Many things are almost two years, and by the year obsolete before they are even 2020 it will double at least manufactured. Whether you every 72 hours. With such like it or not, technology afrapid and sweeping changes fects you, and it will affect to the way society interacts you for the rest of your life. with technology, it isn't By purchasing the OneCard, far-fetched to suggest that students help the world adthe "norm" will eventually vance, and prevent thembe to have your driver's li- selves from cleaning the floor cense, debit and credit card, every time they go to pay for bus pass, work ID, school something: Spencer Shelf Opinions editor Ethan Dodge J | VISA CON | The new UV OneCard caters too much to the idea that everyone wants the same things for the same reasons. It forces a mindset that should not be welcome. Is having decisions made for you the most important thing in life, effectively having all personality and individuality taken away from you? If everyone thinks the same way, does that mean it's right? This problem is widespread enough in Utah Valley already. Having a student ID, debit card, bus pass, library card and all sports pass in an all-in-one card seems like a good idea. However, upon actual thought, many problems do arise. Students do have the option of which features are included in their card, but with how much students tend to act like sheep, I assume that many will follow along with all the new whistles and bells, without giving much thought to what other, potentially superior options may be. This all seems like a pretty sweet deal for Utah Community Credit Union. With the inevitable increase of new accounts created by students signing up to get their trendy new cards, UCCU could be getting customers for life; customers who haven't given a thought to what else is out there. I am not familiar with the way that UCCU does banking, but making an informed decision has always been paramount in my book; v»*>. TA \ -I Do you have an opinion? Voice it at uvcollegetimes.com, or send a letter to the editor to uvu.review.opinions@gmail.com —The Orem Owlz need you Join the Flog Fest Rescheduling puts team on UVUphoria back burner Heather Jones Opinions writer Jennie Nlcholls J the Anaheim Angels. Once the fat is trimmed and they Editor at large are in prime playing conSummer nights are al- dition, they are off to play ways well spent under the Angels ball. That being said, glow of stadium lights. I the glamour of the Major feel lucky to have a baseball League is not there to draw team, literally in the back- in a packed game every yard of my attended, and night the Owlz play. An esnow esteemed, university to timated 2,000 people attend cheer on during the summer. the games on a regular game The Orem Owlz are a staple night, with Sunday games in this Utah Valley commu- being lucky to scrape in 200 fans. nity. UVUphoria was going I'm sure that many of us to expose this team to more share fond memories of the fans and respectfully, more hot dogs, homeruns, and hoots from time spent in the money. To pack the ballpark Brent Brown Ballpark. As would have been an enorfor those of us that truly love mously positive thing for the baseball and the nights on Owlz. But the game, as you the field, I think I can eas- may well know, has been reily say that the cancellation scheduled to play (now as a of the Owlz game during the double-header) on Sunday. UVUphoria celebration due Since the trend shows a seto the really cool (cough) verely low turn-out to games concert's lengthy stage set- on Sundays in Utah County, the Owlz have offered to up time was a farce. I'm sure the inconve- exchange the tickets for the nience has been felt not only cancelled game to any other by enthusiastic fans, such as during their season. Which, myself, but by event coordi- on the Owlz' part, is quite nators, Owlz affiliates and accommodating to somethe community alike. The thing that seriously wrecked reason the cancellation is their chance at making big more than just a reschedul- bucks with concessions sales ing event to these groups is and the fame of being an insomething that deserves re- tegral part of the big events happening on June 30. flection. Players come to the Owlz Fans are feeling the grit to prepare them to play for of the cancellation because the main reason for getting tickets to that game was for the sole purpose that it was the game that ushered in the school's official status change. If fans do exchange tickets for a later, different date, they will still miss that experience that was sought in the first place. But no ticket exchange at all is what I fear the worst. The Owlz need the fans and the community support and hopefully, they still earn it. It's sad to see the muchneeded publicity of one of our community allies is now put on hold for the honky tonk of highly paid superstars. money Bin tain the ( it a profess sional level the he school ceivlng /n lea In addition to the lack of informed decision-making that could happen as a result of this new service, there are those that could sign up who are simply not prepared for having plastic in their purses or wallets. It is really easy to spend money when you do not see the actual cold, hard cash leaving your hands. Do you think that all of the students who will get this card will really have the will power required? Aside from any problems that come with the banking side of the card, there is the potential of identity theft and the inconvenience and other potential problems of losing the card. Things get lost all of the time. Purses and wallets containing all that the UV OneCard offers and more get misplaced and stolen. Despite this, the potential of losing the card is still high, with or without it being lost with other possessions. And if this is the item that gets misplaced, stolen or left behind, the risk is much higher than if it was a simple ID card, debit card or bus pass. Really, this new student ID could be beneficial to many people, but by having the new card, it allows for the potential of a lot more to go wrong. Then again, we are all in college, this is life, and we all have to learn from our own mistakes eventually. Just think once before you act. You don't have to do something just because it is convenient. | If I gripe about how people are too judgmental, am I being judgmental? Probably, and yet here I go. I can't help it. There are so many stones being thrown, I don't know which way to run. It's like the Millennium Falcon zipping through an asteroid field, except this isn't the movies and Harrison Ford isn't driving. People are being pummeled right and left, but if the principal marched in and asked who was throwing stuff, everyone would say "not me." I recently found myself trapped on a message board, arguing the moral righteousness of Kirby Heyborne. In case you've been living in a cave—or classroom, as the case may be—Kirby recently took a lucrative acting job in a commercial. It's a funny commercial, and the Heyborne family will be able to buy peanut butter and Wonder Bread for a few more months. The problem, for some, is that the commercial is for beer. Gasp! Not Kirby, our little RM?? Schlepping intoxicating beverages just to feed his family?! Inexcusable! He doesn't drink the stuff and even believes it's something of a sin, yet he's telling my kids to buy it. I can't compete with witty commercials starring little-known actors with surfer haircuts. If my son becomes a loser, it's all Kirby's fault. Orson Scott Card printed a rebuttal in the Deseret News. He's pro-Kirby and pulled out the whip for all those self-righteous, intolerant, bloggers who are sending Kirby hate mail. The page was dripping with sarcasm. It was a delightful read, but in the process of giving his own opinion, Card condemned those who had found fault with Heyborne. And the gauntlet of judgment was thrown down once again. Now people won't read Cards books anymore. Besides, he writes bad words in those books anyway, so no wonder he's confused about right and wrong. He's obviously Satan. Or Kirby is. Let's flog them both. This feels like an epidemic. Our nation is full of people who deserve a good thumping. Every day gay bashing occurs right and left. And every day I hear the same stuff coming from the gay community, only the words have changed to bash anyone who doesn't don the rainbow and shout for marriage rights. Neither side can understand how anyone can be passionate about a view or belief that is opposite their own. It's silly. You're all welcome to worship, believe, and fight for whatever is important to you, but you should know, Peanut Butter Panic is THE best flavor of ice-cream and anyone who thinks otherwise is a moron. While we're at it, illegal immigrants are bloodsucking law-breakers and those who would send them home make Hitler look like a Sunday school teacher. Republicans are brain dead and Democrats are blind to reality. Obama supporters« are dorks; Hillary supporters are dweebs. Let's flog them all. You are cordially invited to our weekly flog-fest. Fun for the whole family! A chance to get all the judgmental rhetoric out of our systems so we can start the long and difficult process of rebuilding our lives. Or, we could turn to Plato, who was a really smart guy. "You are young, my son, and, as the years go by, time will change and even reverse many of your present opinions. Refrain therefore awhile from setting yourself up as a judge of the highest matters." Refreshments anyone? Peanut Butter Panic icecream, of course. |