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Show Monday, October 17, 2005 Page 4 Editorial Editor in Chief: Maria Villasenor Phone: 626-7121 The Signpost editorial staff Football team getting better The slogan "Back Mac, Mac's Back," is rather interesting since this is coach Ron McBride's first year at Weber Slate University. Therefore, backing Mac because he is back at WSU is silly because he was never here in the first place. But fans should be badcing Mac because he has helped lead the football team to change. By the time the football team won its second game, it had doubled last year's record, but the games it has lost this year have been tight. As far as statistics go, the games against Fresno State University, University of Montana and Montana State University were close. Not just close - when looking over the stats, the football team mopped the floor with the other teams except on one simple statistic: the score. With the help of other coaches and the football team, Mac has converted the team into an entertaining pastime for the fans and an object of pride for WSU. Expecting the team to go through the metamorphasis of a losing-streak team to the Big Sky Champions overnight is a little much, but it seems likely the team will improve over the coming years. Mac has a history of leading a team to change. When hefirstjoined the University of Utah in 1990. it had a losing season, but the team became one of the best teams in the Mountain West Conference within a handful of years. During his 13-year tenure at Utah, Mac led the team to an overall record of 88 wins and 63 losses with nine total winning seasons and two conference championships. In addition, he led the team to six bowl games and won three of those. Utah attended only three bowl games in the previous 97 years before Mac's dynasty. Along with being a good coach, he has been able to sniff out football talent such as Utah's quarterback Alex Smith, the number one draft pick for the 2005 NFL season, Jordan Gross and Steve Smith of the Carolina Panthers, Jamal Anderson of the Atlanta Falcons, Kevin Dyson of the Tennessee Titans and Luther Elliss of the Detroit Lions. Only time will reveal the affect Mac will have on the future of the football team, but meanwhile, the team has improved and is fun to watch. WSU football will probably never compete at the Bowl Championship Series level of the big football colleges, but as long as they are contenders within the Big Sky Conference, for what more can we ask? Back Mac and the rest of the football team. Bush's domestic agenda is aggressive, positive By Bill Ferguson, Knight Ridder Newspapers: Since 2001, the liberal media have been trying to convince the public that things are going bad in America. Every hurricane that comes along is somehow an evil, twisted part of the Bush conspiracy to It seems Americans are constantly getting pelted with scientific studies that tell us destroy poor and middle-class America. They run surveys that suggest gas prices we are fat, and getting fatter by the minute. The latest round of bad news was brought to us courtesy of researchers at Boston University who have been gathering health data are Bush's fault; they don't report strong economies, but eagerly report slowdowns. on a group of 4,000 adults for the last 30 years. Their conclusion: a jaw-dropping nine out of 10 men and seven out of 10 women They love to remind everyone how poorly the will become overweight at some point in their lives. And those of us who have managed economy was doing when the president took to keep the weight monster at bay into middle age shouldn't be too smug. Half the office and they downplay the recession we people in the study who reached the summer of their lives without a weight problem faced two quarters before Clinton left office. eventually joined the ranks of the "large" majority. The truth is the Bush administration Although the numbers were a little higher than expected, they don't (or shouldn't, has engaged in one of the most aggressive at least) come as a complete shock to anyone. Our culture, our lifestyles and our work domestic agendas there has ever been. Not habits ail conspire against us in the battle to stay fit. only did his policies and tax cuts revive the Foods that are high in calories and low in food value are tasty, plentiful and receding Clinton and reeling post-Sept. 11, convenient, and many of our best-paying jobs and most popular leisure activities have 2001, economies, but also they brought us sitting nearly motionless in front of video displays for hours and hours on end. them back with a vengeance. The government has responded to the situation by encouraging us to eat right and There are more jobs in America today get more exercise. They even came up with a colorful new food pyramid to illustrate the than there ever have been. Congress has a latest scientific thinking on what constitutes a healthy diet. larger budget than they have ever had; this Yeah, I'm sure that's going to help. We may as well hope for the Fat Fairy to come along is the case even after Bush's "devastating tax while we're sleeping and magically make us all thin with a wave of her skinny wand. cuts." Simply put, we have a larger economy If the government really wants to do something about the obesity epidemic, it needs with more people working in it. According to stick to what it knows best. And that's raising taxes. The government could calculate a "fat tax" that would be tied directly to the relative calorie content of each food item we buy compared to its overall nutritional value. The more "empty calories" a food provides, the higher the tax. Fresh fruits and vegetables would of course be taxed at 0 percent, but potato chips, french fries and ice cream would be hit really hard. How does $5 for a large fry sound? Or $20 for a triple-decker bacon cheeseburger? Not too good, right? Well that's the idea. I'll bet we'd think twice before pigging out on junk food six days a week if our pocketbooks were hit harder when we went that route. After all, despite all the noise that conservationists have been making for years about the importance of cutting back on fossil fuel use, the average American couldn't be bothered with such nonsense until gasoline hit $3 a gallon. Now everyone wants a hybrid. The same motivation would undoubtedly work if it was applied to the kinds of food that are most responsible for increasing our waist lines. So where would the extra money go? My advice would be to use it to finance tax A letter to the editor in the Oct. 10, credits to reimburse companies that provide their employees with an hour of fully Signpost questioned why some people compensated time each day to be used for vigorous exercise. were being greeted with a prefix such as People would be forced, by financial necessity, to eat mpre healthy foods and they'd "Mr." or "Ms." while others were not. In be rewarded with an extra hour of time off each workda^ to go out and take a walk, the new Lynx/Banner database the prefix go swimming or ride a bike. It wouldn't completely solve the obesity epidemic, but I is a data field available for update by every guarantee you my plan would make a significant impact. individual. To change or update your prefix: Of course, it's unlikely such a plan would win the popular support it would need to become (1) log in to the eWeber portal, (2) click reality. We've already had to give up our SUVs. It would be cruel and unusual to make us give up McDonald s and Krispy Kreme as well. I mean, there has to be some pleasure in life, right? Fighting obesity with 'fat tax' have in many years from any president of either party. The media can say what they From the Right want; they can try to distort the facts, but Jared Hardy somehow the truth keeps getting through. This was made painfully evident to the columnist | The Signpost democrats in 2004 on Election Day. Right now, the best advice a liberal could to the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics, take is to stop attacking Bush. As long as there are currently 8 million more jobs than the energy and resources of the opposition there were the year Clinton left office. This party are focused on our president, the is not republican rhetoric; view the facts for Republican Party will continue to make great electoral strides. The American people yourself on their Web site. There is a weakness in our system, are all for opposition, but not opposition however; it is the liberal demagoguery's simply for the sake of opposing. Trying to take Bush down with personal attacks is insistence the president is a racist. The something tKat the presidentfririveson. truth is, the president had no control " Fo^whatitsworth,liber^lsandtJeniocrafts over who would be affected by Hurricane will never regain power pos'turing against Katrina, nor did he ask the New Orleans the president in this way What will help mayor or the Louisiana governor to them regain power is a realistic and positive neglect their duties. On the other hand, outlook on our economic and political there are factual things that have occurred prospects. If the liberals can contrive their to minorities during Bush's terms. own positive and aggressive agenda, they For one, minority home ownership is will renew the support of their constituency. up nearly 2 percent. Another fact is that We will have to wait and see if they can the Hispanic population has enjoyed more restrain themselves and project new and attention from a U.S. president than they refreshing ideas into the system. Letters to the Editor How to be greeted as Mr. or Mrs. on the Student Services Fall 05-Spring 06 tab, (3) click on Personal Info, (4) click on UpdateAddress(es) andPhone(s), (5) under Current Name, Primary, click on the Prefix drop-down menu, (6) select the prefix you prefer and (7) click on Update Prefix. While you are there, you also might want to check the accuracy of the other name, address and phone number fields and make any needed corrections. We appreciate your help in making this part of the student database as accurate as possible. - Don E. Gardner, WSU chief information officer/ information technology Memo from the Destroy America Movement The ^-»u A Weber State University vveoeroiaie 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 Villasefior Jason Staley Blair Dee Hodges Jeremy Tyler Kristen Hebestreet Jesica Medellin David Fairchild Lisa Mann Mo Williams Brady Leaver Nick Litster 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 S.5O. • 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. Altn: Editor in Chief, email theslgnpost@weber.edu .^____ Here at the Ogden, Utah chapter of the Destroy America Movement (DAM), tilings, have been a little hectic the last couple of days. It seems that a WSU student has recently stumbled upon our dastardly plans to destroy the United States. Thankfully the "liberally elected officials" we installed will continue with our quest to undermine the United States with unwavering resolve. We will continue to destroy the traditional family unit and will be sending your young fathers off to die in a war that defies Article I, Section 8 of the United States Constitution. We are further excited about the addition of two more of our kind to the U.S. Supreme Court With the country's highest court filled with the president's botulismrinjecu'ng, inexperienced cronies, there won't be any "legislating from the bench." In fact, by gerrymandering the competition nearly out of existence, we can throw out that whole checks and balances thing, and usher in our tyranny of a 2 percent majority. We will continue to rape and plunder the environment, leading to higher rates of preventable diseases like asthma and cancer. We will also desperately fight the chance of any American receiving guaranteed treatment for these diseases. Care for those who can afford it will include drugs that we cannot guarantee the safety of, because nobody makes money on disease prevention or the necessary drug testing. Those who cannot afford to get sick will be forced into financial ruin. We will continue to suspect American citizens of Middle Eastern descent of being Islamic-Fascists while brothers FaJwell and Robertson continue to force Christianity on the people. They will continue to support our sister organization, the "Blame America First Movement." We will continue to beat the "We are a Christian nation" drum, ignoring the existence of Article VI of the Constitution. Our plan to force science teachers to teach thinly veiled creationism is gaining momentum in some provinces. We also hope to get forced prayer to the Flying Spaghetti Monster in public schools by the end of the year. Furthermore, at DAM, we will freak out at any display of sexuality in entertainment while we condone horrific violence. We will continue to distract the public with the "gay marriage" issue, because it is much easier to hate homosexuals than to debate anything that would actually affect the lives of every American. We are very proud that we have convinced a country where half of the marriages end in divorce, that a constitutional amendment preventing homosexuals from marrying is necessary to protect the sanctity of the union. We have convinced the people that the First Amendment goes too far and that the rights guaranteed by Amendments IV V, VI and VIII are detrimental to the "Global Struggle Against Extremism." To add to the insult of taking away supposedly unalienable rights, we have named the piece oflegislation that does it the "USA Patriot Act." This is a far cry from those "Give me liberty, or give me death!" whackos this country used to be filled with and we ought to be proud. To conclude, we would like to say that all of us here at the DAM are like our liberal pinko comrade in the White House; we're working real hard and making progress in bringing this great nation down. Just keep reminding people of how scared they are and we will soon accomplish our goal. Remember: America has been too great for too long. Keep listening to public radio and don't forget the barbeque at our undisclosed secret volcano lair this weekend (BYOB). - Ron Proctor & Michael Malmrose, the liberal educated elite THESIGNPOST@WEBER.EDU |