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Show Editorial TUESDAY, JUNE 14,2011 THE SIGNPOST The Signpost Viewpoint Students shouldn't have time for porn Porn. So much of American society, private and otherwise, seems to revolve around the copulation and faux copulation of human beings. It's pretty easy to flip on the television and see generally non-clothed people rolling around and having sexual relations. One would think that a place to find solace from porn would be on the campus of higher education, where the famously time-lacking students are thought to be working hard to improve themselves through the means of learning. Well, as it turns out, one isn't protected as much as they might think. It seems that there have been some incidences of Weber State University students going to the library to study human anatomy - not for any class, but for other, more self-gratifying reasons. The worst part is, legally, neither the library nor university personnel placed on the computers in can do anything about it. Unfortuneatly, viewing porri WSU's library that read 'No on library computers doesn't Pornography*. The signs were technically violate the Internet put up by the head of Reference usage contract, even though and Information Services, Kathy it takes place on university Payne, inhopes of preventingthe computers that require public viewing of pornography student login information. on campus. The attempt should Appropriate uses of public be applauded, although it might access workstations in the be in vain. library include "instruction, Besides the fact that porn is study, research, and personal generally unsavory regardless enrichment." It is doubtful of the setting in which it is that pornography falls under viewed, it is astonishing college any of those categories. The students can somehow find time most probable one is "personal to waste watching porn instead enrichment," but let's be honest of worrying about their studies. - the only thing really being Because WSU is a public enriched is the blood flow to university according to its legal various body parts. consultants, it becomes really Although it's in every other difficult to classify what is being nook and cranny in American used for educational purposes, society, should porn be allowed and what is not. It's logical, and to infiltrate the campuses of as students we should respect higher education? The general the fact that administrators consensus seems to be 'no.' don't want to put a limit on what Recently, new signs were can be called educational, but protecting porn is ridiculous. The entire porn industry is completely recreational (besides the participants, who presumably gain something monetarily), not something worthy of protection or justification as a form of education. Even with a signed appropriate use contract, c o m p u t e r privileges cannot be revoked because of the university's status as public. This seems like circular logic. The hard fact that WSU is a public university - receiving predominantly taxpayer funding - should almost make it easier to not allow something like pornography on campus. Surely taxpayers would not like the fact that the money they are paying is going to fund delinquent students who obviously have too much time on their hands (among other things). Students shouldn't have, to pay student fees, tution and taxes to support a behavior they might find highly disagreeable and offensive. The public, not courts of law, should have ultimate discretion on what activities their taxes support. The university providesnice computers and software that should be used in the pursuit of higher education, not for voyeurism. Comment on this column at wsusignpost.com. Abstract Academic Small Talk: You either have it or you don't * 93$' Kory Wood - t t I I Pi i I i • I t 1I 1I 11 \ a 11 i l l I I I H I s I ' I f I 7 I V • i: ft I e 11 1. -1 ' 11 i t < i } .*„ Signpost columnist My wife and I recently moved into a new neighborhood in Layton, and were subsequently invited to a neighborhood barbecue. I'm not usually very good at these kinds of things, because my idea of small talk is to take the Forrest Gump route, staring into the distance and telling winding stories about life lessons from my childhood until the person opposite from me slowly walks away to get more potato salad. I promise that my intention is not to create awkward moments. It's not fun for me, either.' It's just that, when someone shakes my hand and asks me questions, I suddenly become monosyllabic. "Ugh," I mutter. "Yes. Me study English. Two year till graduate. Me go get hot dog now." I've always felt like, when people are born, the doctor takes the new baby to a separate room, hands it a script and says, "Here you go, baby. This is the script to life. Follow this, and you'll be set." This is the script mHe tttfaff So pencerGarn Melissa McComas ShayLynneClark than Davis y n Butterfield Emily Hulse 626-7121 626-7614 626-7655 626-7983 626-80ZI 5-7621 Jljpsignpost is a student publication, written, edited and drafted by Weber State ^hiversity. students. Student femes'fund the printing of this publication^ptlpns or positions voiced are not necessarily endorsed by the university.'--) r . •*." that allows people to maintain a steady conversational flow at neighborhood barbecues, transitioning smoothly into topics like weather, health, dog breeds and Charlie Sheen. My problem is that my doctor, who was probably distracted by the space shuttle Challenger explosion, or maybe an episode of M*A*S*H, forgot to give me my script, and instead accidentally gave me a 1986 issue of People magazine ("the cast of Aliens talks about love, life and their favorite summer desserts!") that was sitting in the hospital lobby. Apart from being the cause of my awkward attempts at small talk, this would also explain my weird crush on Sigourney Weaver. Small talk is one of my wife's great talents. Thirty seconds after meeting someone new, she will have found a common acquaintance, exchanged contact information and made a casual dinner appointment with them, whereas I will have started a conversation with a question like, "Who do you think was the most influential band of the last 60 years?" (hint: The Beatles) or maybe "What is your political affiliation and/or pant size?" The barbecue went fairly well, though. I had my wife to Features Editor A&E Editor Copy Editor Adviser Ads Manager Office Manager Jerrica Archibald Kory Wood Stephanie Presleyj Shane Farver Shelley Hart Georgia Etjwards lean on the whole time, and I gave it my best for quite a while, but I eventually gave up my attempts at small talk and played volleyball with a bunch of little kids. I find kids a lot easier to talk to than adults. How many times have you run into a neighbor at the grocery store and said, "Hi, Carol! Do you want to see this cool new scab I got?" The answer is zero times. But with kids, nothing is off-topic. Here is an excerpt of the conversation between myself and two 9-year-olds at the barbecue, whom I will call "Tyler" and "Preston," because those are their names. Me: How old are you guys? Tyler: Nine. Have you ever ridden a four-wheeler? Preston: I have! In Idaho! We were out at night and we saw a mountain lion. Me: A mountain lion? Preston: Yep. Or it might have been Sasquatch. Or a deer. Me: Oh. Still pretty cool. Preston: Yeah. Me: Yeah. Tyler: Yeah. My dad got in a fight with Sasquatch. Comment on this column at wsusignpost.com. 626-7624 626-7105 626-7659 626-7526 626-6359 626-7974 The Signpost reserves the right to edit for reasons of spKe andFlibel and also feTerves trTSS§ht to refuse to print any letter. Letters should not exceed 350 words. Letters should be submitted online to thesignpost@weber.edu and read Letter to the Editor in the subject box! T |