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Show vr'Wv^ Wednesday, February 15, 2006 Editorial Editor in Chief: Maria Villasenor Phone: 626-7121 The Signpost editorial board Student senate not musical chairs Although students have already seen changing faces on the Weber State University Student Association, they'll soon have a chance to pick a whole new batch of student leaders. Considering the year-long rash of student senators resigning their posts, it might be well advised to those considering to run for office that these positions are for the whole year. At least five elected leaders resigned their posts before the spring semester began, many just a few weeks into the fall semester. In many cases this was due to work, class and scheduling conflict. It is understandable, and even admirable, for students to leave their posts (and the tuition-waiver perks) if they realize they can no longer do the work necessary. It is better to leave those positions to someone able to commit the time to his or her constituency. Nonetheless, it robs the few WSU students who actually do vote of their voice. Instead of the student body being represented by those they voted for, the positions are later appointed when those elected resign just weeks into their terms. Wasn't a big reason for the student government and student activities merger in last year's election more accountability through electing student leaders? As campaign rhetoric described last spring semester, this merger would make student government more efficient and better able to serve students. Well, the merger is worth nothing if those within the government don't hold themselves responsible to serving their students. The WSU Student Association should not be considered an ordinary extracurricular club by its very own members. While in some clubs students can leave if membership becomes a burden, the student government is not such a club. In these leadership positions, students bear a responsibility to approximately 18,000 students. The importance of these elected positions, especially one where the leaders are a student voice with the university administration, is paramount. If the WSU Student Association wants more input, interest and participation from its constituents, it should put forth that effort itself. Until student senators, presidents and vice presidents take their positions seriously, there's no reason why the student body should either. Students wanting to be involved in the student government should greet the large responsibility with eagerness, but a "Golly-gee, this should be loads of fun," attitude can't be all that takes students into the elections process. Every candidate should be aware that, if elected, he or she is responsible to WSU students to represent them fairly and bring issues to the senate that will improve the university experience for the whole year, not just when convenient. An elections packet is available at organizations.weber.edu/wsusa/ and must be completed and submitted by March 1. However, it should be submitted to the garbage by those students who are not willing to schedule in their commitments to their fellow students. From New York Daily News: Sing some, Rhymes Even as a grieving family Wednesday prepared to bury Israel Ramirez, the murdered bodyguard for hip-hopper Busta Rhymes, aka Trevor Smith, Rhymes was refusing to cooperate with cops. He's got something to hide or he's trying to boost record sales by playing the no-snitching tough guy. Take your pick which is worse. Simple human decency ought to move this latest bloodstained rapper to step forward, waive immunity and tell all under oath to a grand jury. And on his way there, he ought to open a great big trust fund for Ramirez's fatherless kids - without asking them or their mother to sign away their right to sue him for recklessly creating the dangerous circumstances in which Ramirez was shot. Rhymes had the bright idea of inviting a cavalcade of hip-hop stars - with their "security" posses - to a late-night recording session in Brooklyn, to make a videotape of his hit "Touch It." Given the ways of hip-hop, Rhymes had to know he was creating an armed camp. Blame also rests with the ringmasters of rap's violent circus: record labels that cash in on the cachet of criminality. The day after the killing, Rhymes' label, Interscope, posted music files on its Web site with the pitch: "You heard the buzz on the streets about the star-studded guest appearances, here it is, the remix!" Gross. - ^ -^ A Weber weoer State srate University university ^Signpost Editor in Chief Managing Editor News Editor Sports Editor Copy Editor Features Editor Entertainment Editor Business Editor Photo Editor Graphics Editor Online Editor Advertising Manager Office Manager Advisor Distribution Publisher Signpost Fax Marfa Villasenor Jason Staley Cory Duclos Jon McBride David Fairchild Jesica Medellin David Fairchild Lynn Wilde Tricia Gerrard Brady Leaver James Gabrielsen Brandy Lee Georgia Edwards Allison Hess Austin Adams Dr. Randy Scott 626-7121 626-7614 626-7655 626-7983 626-7659 626-7621 626-7105 626-7624 626-6358 626-7661 626-6358 626-6359 626-7974 626-7499 626-7974 626-6464 626-7401 • The Signpost Is published every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday during the semester. Subscription is $9 a semester. The first copy of The Signpost is free, each additional copy is $.50. • The Signpost Is a student publication, written, edited and drafted by Weber State University students. Student fees partially fund the printing of this publication. Opinions or positions voiced are not necessarily endorsed by the university. • The Signpost welcomes letters to the editor. Letters must include name, address, telephone number and the writer's signature. Anonymous letters will, not be printed. • The Signpost reserves the right to edit letters for reasons of space and libel and also reserves the right to refuse to print any letter. Letters should not exceed 350 words. Bring letters to the editorial office in SUB 267, mall to; The Signpost, Weber State University, Ogden, Utah, 84408-2110. Attn: Editor In Chief, email thesignpost@weber.edu Time for superpower to show power by compassion Bono, the lead singer of the band U2, recently spoke at the national prayer breakfast in Washington organized by the U.S. Senate. He spoke on behalf of his many charities that help fight world hunger and the AIDS epidemic in Africa and the rest of the world. Africa is the hardest hit by the AIDS epidemic. Twenty percent of the population suffers from the virus, so the bulk of the talk was about aiding the people of Sub-Saharan Africa Bono was mainly there to push President Bush and the governmentformore aid to those suffering peopla He stated how the U.S. government pays less than one percent to foreign aid, which really does not seem like a lot, but it does make a difference in these countries. The sad thing is that it is not enough. Bono raised the point that our government pays almost 20 percent of the budget to the military, and that does not include veteran's benefits. This overspending in the military From the Fence By josh Clendenin columnist | The Signpost does nothing to help those who are starving in the world. Not only in the world but those in our own back garden, those who should be higher on our list than those of other lands. Many Europeans are quick to bring up the argument, "If the powerful United States of America is so rich and powerful, why do they keep building new bombs in lieu.of aiding those people who can't even eat or are slowly dying of incurable disease?" To this day, the English are disgusted by the fact that they had to send military ships halfway around the world to aide the Russian sub which sank with people trapped inside because we, who have military in Alaska, could not be bothered to help those who were dying in a submarine at the bottom of the Laptev Sea off the coast of Siberia, We need to start acting like a powerful first-world country and aid others who are just getting to their knees. First, let's look at those in our own borders who need a helping hand. We have a tendency to ignore the "ugly" things in life. Homeless, hungry people are just some of those things we don't like to know are real. I suggest to everyone a drive down to about 26th and Wall. Look at all the people pouring out of the shelters, and do the truly humanistic thing by lending a helping hand. Bono ended his talk by saying that perhaps if we would stop trying to kill off the terrorists, being no better than they are, we might show them we are powerful and compassionate. Then they would see that we are not the power-hungry warmongers they think we are. We will never stop terrorism by putting salt in the wound. Letters to the Editor Those were the 'good old days' Mom. Apple pie. Ice cream. Baseball. Segregation. No suffrage for .women. No suffrage for people of color. Segregation. The Great Depression. The influenza pandemic. Slavery. Genocide of the Native American. What's wrong with traditional America? Nothing, if you were a powerful white, male Christian. The "Good Old Days" were only good for a very select few. I cannot imagine anyone with any interest in history or even a remedial education in reality referring to early America as "a much better, ideal existence." Even those with every advantage often suffered greatly {see Franklin D. Roosevelt and Polio). America is great because it can and does change. Our constitution is amendable, not some static biblical text that cannot be changed to adapt to modern life. Change is the sole reason that America continues to be a special place. Without change, America would not be a land offreedom,but would be more like Saudi Arabia, where women still can't drive, or some other nation of "evil" like Iran or North Korea I challenge anyone who pines so heavily for traditional America to take a deep breath and imagine, not fantasize, what life in the good old days would really be like, especially without the advantages of being male and white, then come back to reality and tell us how good those old days were. I, for one, hope that all of the modem blessings that we all enjoy are never stripped away, so that we are forced to live the lifestyles of our great-grandparents. Please bring back fedora, leave 'good old days' Mr. Hansen has clearly divorced himself from reality. I have never heard of anyone trying to destroy American icons like apple pie and ice cream. You show me a special interest group that's lobbying against mothers, and I'll show you a green hamster. Mr. Hansen and his constituents need to look forward, not backward. Stop wishing for the "good old days," because they weren't as good as they seemed. Joe McCarthy -Richard Bush, was condemning people with auburn WSU alumnus hair, and minorities were treated like second-class citizens. The only great thing about that era was the fedora. One thing that bothers me, Mr. I recently read that the UTA bus pass Was the school getting a bad deal? I Hansen, is your insinuation that for students was rejected. Was this really don't understand why this proposal was God had something to do with the in the best interest for the majority of rejected. It was even printed in the paper creation or progress of America. We the students? I know that there are many that ridership had gone up. Does this not are not the "chosen" people, this is students who do use the bus regularly. It tell us something? I would like to know not the promised land. America is a is my only way to get to school currently. where the money went. Why can we spend wonderful country because its people I live in Perry, by Brigham City, and the almost $1 million to tell people how to get are honorable and hardworking. No bus is a good choice for me. I don't know to school? Ever heard of MapQuest on nation is "chosen", and while I can't if you personally ride or not, but it is still Yahoo? Let's think of the greater good. The prove this, I'm pretty sure God doesn't for your best interest to have as many bus never gets lost. pick a nation out of a hat and bless it. rides as possible. A lot of students drive, The bus benefits us in many ways And why the superiority complex? and parking lots and roads get crowded. including less pollution, less parking/road Most students will buy "W" passes and congestion, stress-free traveling, never America is great, as I've stated, but are more passes will be sold than there are gets lost, and is cost effective. Did I miss we the best? First of all, how would you parking places. Do we really want to something? The benefits are endless. know? Have you been to every single worsen the situation (or is that a way to Please let me know why the proposal was country on the planet? Have you seen rake in the money)? rejected, and hopefully someone can show every wonder the world has to offer? There is also an environmental concern me that research was done and wisdom Or do you just accept Rush Limbaugh's with more cars in use. Do we really want was used in this decision. I also hope that concrete theories that Europe is full to risk our health? Are we to be the selfish the students are being fairly represented, of smelly cowards, and the rest of the university where most students must drive because I didn't have any chance to give world is full of backward savages who solo? We might as well face the fact that input. Is the government not elected to worship fire? most students commute, and we should represent the people? Get out of your ivory tower and all look for better ways of commuting. look at America and the world today. PS. If it is really not conceivable to It's not the end of the world. Society I remember reading that the contract pay for a free pass for students, perhaps isn't falling into another Dark Age. The cost the university about $185,000 a year. it would be possible to work with UTA only thing we could really use are more This would pay for only 308 students and give the students a discounted rate fedoras. to ride the bus for one year at current for the bus pass. individual costs! It will cost $600 a year for just me and over twice that if I drive! - Greg Christensen, - Matt Taylor, How may students actually use the pass? WSU chemestry junior WSU undecided freshmen EdPass is in students' best interest |