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Show 4 THE SIGNPOST Wednesday, May 23, 1990 Opinion Speaking out The f the Letter to the editor policy a : The Signpost welcomes letters to the editor. Letters must be typed and should not exceed 300 words in knth. For subjects requiring greater exposition, arrangements may be made with the editor In chief. Letters MUST include name,, address, phone number, relationship to WSC (student, staff, Ogden resident, etc.) and the signature of the writer. Letters without this Information HI not be printed. The Stgnpest reserves the right to edit for reasons of space s and libel and reserves the right to refuse to print any letter. a Learning how to get back to basics By Brett Hart Editor In chief of The Signpost Jack Anderson's comments at convocation intrigued me. First, as a journalist, I was caught up in the thrill of being in the presence of an icon of investigative journalism, in spite of the fact that I really hadn't read a great deal of his work. Sadly, I must admit that his column is not the first thing I read when I pick up the paper. Of course it would be different if the column happened to be on the page with the TV schedule or the funnies. I remember sitting in the audience waiting for this man, a journalistic legend, wondering what in the world he would talk about. I wondered what secrets of hidden scandal he would bring to light. He took the stage and began his speech. What did he talk A A A WASAFlAG r II 4 Kl Wmmmv'- about? He didn't talk about scandal or secret tips on how to get the big story; he talked about getting back to basics. He talked about the nations's need to follow the original Ten Commandments instead of the substitute versions we have come to live by. I was totally amazed, perhaps even a little disappointed. It's not that I don't believe in the commandments or religion, I wasn't in the mood for a religious sermon. I guess I wanted (as all good journalists should) titilating scandel straight from Washington D.C. However, his message began to hit home. Anderson stated that as we blame others and attempt to fix the problems that plague our nation, we need to start with the person looking back at us in the mirror. Right now our country faces its greatest challenge-the challenge from within. As we attempt to find solutions to the THWAVEN5, I WW THIS THANK Ml FOR NOT BREATHING economic and social problems that confront us, it's easy to believe that there is nothing an individual can do which will make a difference. Religion aside, after thinking about some of the things Anderson said I've decided that the Ten Commandments, at least the last five, are really a written form of a basic contract that exists between individuals who wish to live in the same society. Whatever a culture decides to call these rules of human interaction, i.e. the Ten Commandments, the Golden Rule etc.; they are the basic rules upon which any civilization or government is based, especially our own. These rules pertain to all the individuals in the society-president to pauper. It seems that somehow we've gotten our wires crossed or our messages mixed up. Now instead of "Thou shalt not steal," Document falls short claims WSC student To the editor: May 21, 1990 Evidently neither the student senate nor The Signpost has taken a close reading of the "Student Rights and Responsibilities document. It's obvious that the senators were not 'anxious to represent the students and preserve their rights. The text reads like the Soviet Constitution. In one section it says that the students have rights, and in the next, takes the same rights away. Section IV of the document entitled, "Student Responsibilities," does serious damage to students' Constitutional rights. The section delineates various forms of conduct which are prohibited, such as Student urges Weber to adopt a highway To the editor: May 2 1, 1 990 I am a member of Pi Kappa Alpha, a fraternity here on campus. We have a service project which we do three times a year. This service project is called "Adopt a Highway." We go out on the freeway near the Riverdale exit and pick up all the garbage, torn up tires and debris from the sides and meridian along a two mile stretch of freeway. We do this project on a Saturday morning. We recently did this project on Earth Day. We started at 7 a.m. and finished around 11 a.m. The project consists of a bunch of guys walking down the sides and middle of the road carrying big garbage bags, wearing orange vests and picking up trash. We even had a guy that found a ten dollar the commandment seems to be, "Thou shalt go ahead and steal but do it in a manner that the tax payers can help foot the bill." By refusing to teach ideas of ethics and human rights, we undermine and erode the foundation upon which our own freedoms are based. While I am not necessarily in favor of teaching religion in school, there must be some kind of basic moral and ethical behavior on the part of all members of the society for it to continue to exist. Like it or not, it must be taught somewhere. Yet, our society seems to be crumbling from beneath us, not because we do not have a sound understanding of the ethics we need to live by, but because these ethics have been replaced by other values. If we wish to enjoy the economic and social benefits that our nation once celebrated, we must get back to basics. expression and assembly. Under the guise of defending student rights, the student senate has effectively eliminated the First Amendment on campus. The document places our most fundamental rights entirely under control of the administration. This document seems to point to further administrative control over student government. I hope that next year's senate will be able to have more working control over student affairs and that the administration will grant them more sovereignty. Glad I'm Graduating Treg Julander WSC student bill, so it's actually rewarding. It can also be fun if you are out there with people you know and like. I would like to see more groups adopt a two mile stretch of freeway; it doesn't take much time out of the day, and after you finish, top the morning off by everybody going for pizza. The "Adopt a Highway program is a great program. It makes the roads, which we all travel on, a much better environment in which to travel. I guess we really wouldn't need this program if some of us didn't feel the need to throw every little piece of trash we have in our car out the window. Cody Jones WSC student |