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Show Tuesday, January 14, 1992 The Daily Utah Chronicle - Page Four Opinions D The Daily Utah Chronicle Editorial Voliuioteerisinn) Service-learni- ng program will scholar benefit U. i r I? sense of community and an appreciation for people is one of the greatest lessons a can learn. But all to often the lesson of fierson lost in the academic setting. Most people come to the University of Utah to earn a degree so they can get a good job and make lots of money. But some students from the U. have proposed a plan that will encourage students to not only work toward a degree, but to work toward A improving their community and bettering society. The Service-Learnin- g Scholars program, ASUU Bennion Center, is and the sponsored by a proposed program that will enable students to gain university credit and acknowledgement for becoming involved with service projects and volunteering in their community. In a proposal to the Academic Senate, ASUU V n Paul Simon's South African concert tour encourages apartheid system The groups of Paul Simon's concert is ironic. Simon, whose poetic lyrics, vibrant rhythms and passionate melodies have enraptured audiences since stated, "The purpose of this program is to: Provide students with the opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills, acquired at the fc JW Eleni JI university, to community problems; encourage students to integrate service into their university academic curriculum; heighten student awareness of community needs; Instill in students the importance of a long-ter- protest by radical South JfJt j m Vatsis , the 1960's, has become an allegory for the mixing of development of a student." have . combined the rhythms and harmonies of African and South American In order to be named a service-learnin- g scholar, students must complete at least 15 service-oriente- d course hours of U.-approv- ed, work. They must complete an intensive service project and volunteer for a minimum of 400 community service hours. Participants in the program must report to a faculty advisor and complete a final project about their experience. Implementation of the program would not only benefit student participants, but would directly encourage betterment of the Salt Lake Community. Also, more classes will be offered at the U. that will focus on volunteerism, accommodate the service-learnin- g to program. Previous classes, that would have been approved for the program, included an engineering course where students designed a solar food dryer for the St. Vincent de Paul Center and a psychology class involved in setting up a community recycling project in the avenues. Students involved in the program will benefit, but students who take the courses will also have an opportunity to learn the value of community involvement and become more socially aware. Service-Learning Scholars The proposed only benefit student program will not participants, but will be a valuable part of the community. It will place the U. at a halfway point between being an "ivory tower" of academia and an institution whose main concern is community service. cultures. His most recent musical efforts music. tours Simon's past demonstrated that people of different races and ethnic groups can come together and create something unique and amazing without hatred seeping in and destroying the music. He has assembled his concert, tour band from such diverse areas as Soweto and Portland, Oregon. Members have shown that combining different cultures can prove a magical experience for any audience. But the political and social situation in Despite Simon's peaceful motives, he chose the wrong time to tour the country. The mere presence of the artist is a slap in the face from the American government which has relaxed its stance on South-Africa- n apartheid by lifting economic and cultural sanctions. Although violence gives any protest, group a bestial and diabolical reputation, groups who have threatened violence during Chronicle Asst. the Paul Simon concert series are Editorial Editor a desperate voice with a valid service commitment; and provide a way for the university to recognize service as a valuable learning experience which contributes significantly to the intellectual and moral contradicts Simon what music. accomplishes through South Africa The current argument. empowered leaders of South Africa haven't gone far enough to create an equitable system of government. For the Bush administration, the releasing of Nelson Mandela and the South-Africa- n declaration which abolished apartheid were convincing enough to prove the of the sincerity Pretorian government. But these actions prove only Apart from understandably emotional quotes, Mr. Wood's article of Jan. 7, ("Croatians hope cease fire brings real peace"), is reminiscent more of some state controlled Yugoslavian newspaper than of the Chronicle. such, it would best be answered by some pearls from As pro-Serbi- an propaganda. However, having family and friends on both sides of the ethnic line, it would be immoral for me engage' in nationalistic bickering using the same arguments as those that started and helped to propagate human suffering. Suffice it to say that this is not a battle for democracy, of which there is little in either Croatia or Serbia, nor a war to to system all-whi- te of government that stands today. Perhaps George Bush has more in common with his Republican challenger Pat Buchanan than officials would have us Earty In an interview on NBC's news program Meet the Press, Buchanan dodged accusations of racism, most notably by explaining his editorial written against a potential 'one person, one Vote' system in South Africa. Buchanan said he was convinced that extending suffrage to all adults living there would cause an oppression of the minority by the majority. This may be true, especially if the status of blacks in South Africa remains in limbo, causing frustration among black radicals who may react more violently as time goes on. Violence and instability, though, intensify when any country goes through changes in de Alexis government. Tocqueville said countries suffer symbolic when compared to substantial changes which must revolution not when citizens are The single most important lenient. South Africa falls directly into step with this example. Now that the government has taken a few steps presumably in favor of the black population, there has take place in South Africa. change for South Africa is to grant each adult living there, black or white, the to voting. is opportunity Until this participate in government through accomplished, any rewards from Washington to Pretoria, such as the lifting of sanctions, endorses Letters Croatian reports misleading Editor: the protect Serbs in Croatia from another genocide, as many Serbs are led to believe. If the Chronicle has to tackle murky foreign issues, it should do so with more research and with caution, taking emotional statements with a grain of salt. Otherwise, it falls in the same category as CroatianSerbian media which, with tragic success, to convince their respective publics that their side managed is fighting for a just cause and that the other side is the exclusive culprit for the war. Let us hope that current peace will hold and that judging this conflict will cease to be of any but the academic interest. DusanKostic biology but when the government becomes more oppressed, been an increased amount of radical groups trying to influence the political system. The Soviet see "Vatsis" on page six ! J Letter Policy The Daily Utah Chronicle Business hours: Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 581-704- 1 The Chronicle welcomes reader response. Please bring typed, double-space- d letters, not exceeding two pages, to 240 Union Building. Each letter should include your name, major, year in school and telephone number (for . verification purposes only). Unsigned, letters will not be considered for publication. The Chronicle reserves the right to edit letters for spelling, grammar and space. I |
