OCR Text |
Show OPINIONS www.uvureview.corn APRIL 18, 2011 VOL L ISSUE 31 What place is this? By David Self Newlin Editor-in-Chief I am leaving this university at a time when both it and the state in which it is located are faltering in ways I naively thought impossible when I first laid eyes on the colored pipes and concrete walls of UVU. There are a precious and hardworking few who are trying to prevent all this. Here are some symptoms of this decay, and a few prescriptions to prevent it. Brigham Young once said that this is the place. Indeed, this is the place where for years our university's budget has been cut and then cut more, first by double digits and now by just a little less. The responsibility for funding this school has fallen on the students even though we now, and have always, received less funding per student than any other institution. Our tuition goes up and up. Our student fees go up and up. Every day it gets harder for those who most need this cheap, open enrollment university to get the education they deserve. These cuts are happening all over the world. But in Canada, in California, in Uganda and Greece and Italy, students are organizing, striking, even rioting in the thousands to prevent this from happening, to save their education and their neighbors' education, or at least to protest its inaccessibility. Here, precious few have done anything. This is the place where we accepted a new university president who is one of the increasingly numerous people who are proud to have succeeded in taking rights away from our fellow citizens. He is prominent and well liked, and for this everyone ignored the truth that just a few spoke out against. Our president has hurt gay people Randy! Nielson/UVU Review In his final weeks David Self Newlin reflects on problems in Utah and what students can do about it. around the nation, concretely, and we let him come here. This is the place where our elected representatives are engaged in a war against immigrants, which is also to say against real, actual people. Many have for years labeled them illegal, as though simply existing were a flagrant violation of the law. For as many years, they have been used as cheap laborers that could be abused and tossed away at will. This is the place where rather than helping those who have already given so much and had so much taken away, they passed a law that makes into criminals real people who deserve to be here, who deserve to stay with their families and neighbors and communities. But there is hope, though all is not well. Every day, here on this campus, there are people actively working to prevent all this, and more, from happening — those pre- cious few people and organizations that work tirelessly. You students who remain here even as I leave must find them, and they are not so hard to find. They are in the halls passing out flyers, hanging posters, talking and explaining and convincing people that this is the place where we need to prevent injustice. They are organizing — meetings, lectures, conferences, rallies — writing articles and printing pamphlets that say this is the place where good is needed. They are in classrooms, learning, debating, arguing that this is the place where we must stand up for what is right. This, students, is indeed the place. Hic Rhodus, hic salta. Don't blame apathy for low participation Low turnout for student government elections and faculty senate elections is not a matter of apathetic students and faculty, but an issue of focus and inclusion. Andrea Whatcott/UVU Review Low turnout to the question and answer session during the student government elections is just one symptom of student disinterest. By Nathan Evans Opinions Writer I n a letter published last month, UVUSA Presidentelect Chris Loumeau lamented that students weren't interested or involved enough in the political process at school. He has a point. Only two percent of the student body — roughly 700 of UVU's 32,000 students — voted in the election. Loumeau ran unopposed and was ratified into office instead of elected, as one professor put it. Last year, with two teams running for office, only 10 percent of the student body participated. For a campus that prides itself on being liberal, open-minded and politically aware, it makes a poor showing at the polls. This is not just limited to stu- dents; elections for Faculty Senate, the governing body that wields a great amount of power and assists President Holland in determining the strategic plan of the school, also only had one candidate run for office. Professors seemingly care as little as students do. History professor William W. Cobb Jr. mentors several on-campus clubs, including the Students for Political Awareness club. "I think that people get so focused on finishing their education, they don't really appreciate the life of the student outside the classroom," said Cobb. "They forget the other side that university is where they are trained to be a better citizen." He offers extensive extra credit to students who will go and participate in activities or events on campus as an encouragement for them to become more well-rounded and involved. "To say that students are apathetic is disingenuous," Cobb also said. "Underneath, no one's apathetic. Underneath, they all care passionately." To say that students are apathetic is disingenuous. Underneath, no one's apathetic ... they all care passionately. UVUSA Vice President Elect David Millet wants students to realize that student officers work on things that do have meaning, more than just handing out popcorn and to work shaping their world, but arranging dances. a little assistance would go a long Sam Hadlock, who works with way in building up participation. the Independent Branch of the Sarah Rosenborough, who won Council, wants teachers to do as a real election for her position as Professor Cobb has done and help Vice President of Clubs, calls for students realize the value of the "an unbiased person standing in the work that student government per- halls" informing students of each forms. candidate and what they stand for. Millet points out projects that That is what this school really they are working on that will affect needs: an individual or body whose students. These projects include a sole task will be to inform voters free legal advisement center and about the candidates and issues in improving the wait list for class an unbiased manner. registration, among others. Providing an easier way to inThe student council also had a clude students and faculty in the hand in arranging the practically political process on campus would free bus passes that everyone car- allow them to bridge the gap beries because students wanted them. tween their focus on education and Council members Millet, Hadlock the desire to voice their concerns. and others welcome suggestions The faculty and students here and try to respond to them. just need a kick in the pants to moUltimately, it is up to the stu- tivate themselves to vote and have dents to rouse themselves and go their say in campus politics. |