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Show WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17. 2001 THE DAILY UTAH CHRONICLE CORY RODISOM vr Chronicle Opinion Columnist jor some reason, I was never able to side with the kids who made fun of the fat kid picked last for the basketball team. . I was the because Partly usually fat kid picked last for the basketball team and partly because the other fat kids picked last were often my friends. I made friends with people who other people didn't understand. I have been the instigator and the receiver of hard times in life. With that said, and on the subject of guilt, I wonder why it is that we as people have a hard time seeing things from the point of view of those just lower than where we currently are. While looking for a job, I thought about the options that lay before me. I was out of work, not starving at first, but I needed to find work fast to maintain my quality of life. Days dragged to weeks and weeks to months. Blood plasma became $30 a week that flowed through my veins, and panhandling seemed to be as good as any job being offered with the added benefit of being able to work outside. I seriously considered panhandling once. Then I got a job. weeks the Two later, became the of "them" panhandlers So me. below far society. maybe I'd bless them will) a dollar, or maybe I'd withhold it for fear that the dollar would be spent to buy another beer instead of something useful. This thinking makes me feel - guilty. became friends with 2 woman who had seen tragedy. Her younger brother, her closest friend and hero, was driving a stretch of road somewhere between American towns. The stretch was long, the weather cold and the walk impossible. This man decided to hitch hike. No one knows what happened for I the next three days, but his body was found on the side of the road some 50 miles away from where his car broke down. His wallet was gone, his car had been stripped of anything that could be sold. Today I drove by someone on the side of the road who needed help. Perhaps I couldn't help as I am no auto mechanic. But I felt a sharp twinge in my gut as I saw him disappear into the night in my rear-viemirror. a car is microcosm, it's my My little world. The discomfort of letting someone in my car for a and the Calendar Kick-of- f On Road to Recovery, It's Necessary To Release the Brakes of Discomfort are closed), Fall break (when no one is on campus for the games anyway) and LDS General Conference. He tries very hard to get away games and byes scheduled those weeks. This effort has everything to do with the amount of revenue the U can generate from the home football games, and very little to do with respect for teachers, the LDS church or the deer hunt. This year, there were just too many conflicts in October to avoid scheduling conflicts. CHARLES WENTWORTH First Year, Law School Editor would never say anything in junior high when a kid I knew, and maybe even liked, was getting his underwear stretched over his head by the wrestling team. I sat silently not because of any bodily fear, but because of what people would say if I helped a dork cut Perhaps it just took rae longer than most to realize that we're all just dorks just human dorks. The finger has been pointed at myself in this article, because I am the only person I can control. In truth, everybody can relate to the things that I feel guilty about. Everyone has a moment they should have stood up, should have 1 of stopped to let someone in. Perhaps fear of discomfort grips our entire nation. I wonder if everyone feels the of same twinge I do as they too drive of needy, by a woman changing a tire by herself on the side of the freeway for up in a miniskirt. That twinge kicks who me in the ribs and tells me that every time I drive by I am the person I hate. up Back to being the fat kid picked last for basketball. I feel like "that for 5! same insecure kid every time I need help from someone. I'm in college, which pretty much means ride beat out the feelings of that my car has to break down humanity that begged me to stop every day. and ask if I could help. Sometimes going full speed on in was need he not the Maybe truly freeway, the thing will just would have he of help, perhaps stop. Last time it stalled on State gotten in my car with the Street in the middle of morning ; intention of killing me and using traffic, I got out and began to push the at his my corpse as an hunting lodge after all I did see behemoth up a hill toward a gas "Silence of the Lambs" therefore I station. People drove around me, know what happens every time most seemed intent on not hitting you pick a stranger up who me for which I was grateful but appears to be iii need of. for a' few minutes, no one would ' assistance. stop their day to help me push. I felt enlightened. I was angry, Or maybe, in the real world, he was just a. normal guy with a but I felt I deserved to push the normal wife and normal kids thing myself. Of course, someone who'd like to know that their dad stopped and helped push that had been driven to a gas station so person was my hero. I thought, "How often do you he could call home and let them know he was alright. really get to be a hero nowadays?" In reality, I notice more and I think I'll start today. We have evidence of heroism more that I refuse to do things I feel I should do because I am far away in the East. We could afraid. have it in our own town and not I am afraid of the homeless, have to endure tragedy to see it afraid of the needy, afraid of Cory welcomes feedback at or standing up for those who need crobisonchronideMtah.edu someone to stand up and say send letters to the editor to: letters(aichranicle.utah.edu. something for them. I Neither Amy Romanowski nor Hal J. Rushton understand the role the Saints' General Conrecent Latter-da- y ference played in the University of Utah football schedule this year, or any year for that matter. The week before the game against South Florida, Chris Hill, the U's athletics director, specifically addressed this issue. Hill said that the U always tries to set up the football schedule so it doesn't conflict with things such as the Utah Educators Association Conference (UEA, when all the states schools x w am afraid the homeless, afraid the afraid n x 'y' omcthing X lL- - 1 j I ilsf jr standing need those someone to and say stand yyy ft di ciO r Xx - : ; : ' V $ : ' i :. ... i tit - f ' le U h'" '" .f ., : V " i' - ' ? i 1 1 lit . f. tiJ fr I r 5 u sI I v I Sj 1 10 2)ay of Ilie 2)eaJ A few weeks after his disclosure, my manager, her husband, my girlfriend and I went to John's house to play board games and have dinner. We continued being great friends until we both changed jobs and eventually lost contact. All the while, though, he knew my beliefs, and he was well aware that I supported traditional families. He understood that I disagreed in principle with his lifestyle. He knew that someday I might oppose him on legislation or social structures that he might support. But if you ask me if John hated me, I will tell you no. And if you asked John if I hated him, he would give you the same answer. As a second-yea- r medical student, said in a simple but Burton Wayne letter to the Daily Utah eloquent Chronicle on Oct. 12: "Disagreement jpremedicaf (Enrichment froratn Uor and bisadiantaged Studenli Wlinority Ylovemler 12, 9:00 a.m. tdniteriittj oj Utah - 2001 5:00 p.m. cliooi of fjedi flea5e cad llie " lit-,- , 't&zit; mmim is not synonymous with hate. It's a shame when they are mistaken." Mike welcomes feedback at: mchidesterchronicle.utah.edu or send letters to the editor to: letters(5chronicle.utah.edu. , . CHIDESTER continued from page X them. end-tab- i J K i 11 Off of 2) iteriil omnium itii Outrnacli f .J 4 585-243- 0 ill ff |