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Show fcjp'S'- 2 lM& II the forum, A word from the wise Yearbook, yes by David Neiser Forum F.ditor Consumers whine too much n w r n by Brent Ijirson Forum Staff Writer ! J t?f, V ( .? v dfafc iU'd- you blame the for the death of your twin daughters if you were the person who rolled the vehicle the young sisters died in? A few weeks, ago, twin sisters of a were killed in the recreational vehicle while riding with their father. The accident occurred in a vehicle noted for its narrow wheel base and high center of gravity. After the accident, the father blasted the U.S. government Would roll-ov- Westminster has seen a heated debate on whether or not yearbook. At ASWG Senate meetings the issue is Recently a with met equal amounts of enthusiasm and disdain; the has also been criticized outside of senate meetings. proposed yearbook This criticism is another unfortunate example of the apathy Westminster students hold towards their campus experience. A student body that takes no interest in its college experience has no need for a yearbook. However, there arc many who do participate on campus to whom a yearbook holds appeal The greatest advantage the yearbook would give Westminster would be a greater cohesion among the student body. A chronicle that captures the campus life at Westminster would make a good memento for those of us who do enjoy being involved on campus. Like any publication, the yearbook will not be free, but after advertising and fundraising revenue the estimated cost is a mere $5,000 far below the original $24,000 ASWG expected to pay when the project was first suggest-e- d. that students seeking a written history of the Westminster other avenues, I personally suggest collecting issues of have experience the Forum for the most accurate and fair record of campus life, however a yearbook would serve an important function at Westminster. A Yearbook would be one of the missing elements that separates a commuter college from a school that people really care about. The yearbook would also give Westminster a sense of history that the Forum and the Ellipsis do not provide. In fact, all the objections to the yearbook are symptoms of the unfortunate apathy of Westminster students. Many students are not interested in a yearbook because a chronicle of events and activities that they failed to participate in would only serve to remind them how empty their college experience was. To a great many Westminster students the yearbook has no appeal because their Westminster experience consisted only of driving here, going to class and driving back home. However, even if only half of the student body receives a yearbook, those funds will have been better spent than the majority of the ASWG budget. There arc students willing to go to work to make a Westminster yearbook a reality, it would be a waste if ASWG fails to utilize this rare enthusiasm by not funding the yearbook. It is true Identity crisis same person, new identity by Angie Francone Forum Staff Writer students of Westminster ColAslege we arc all familiar with the terms traditional and that horrifying change. I am getting married in less than six weeks, this alone will deem me as And to make matters even worse, I will also become a (the connotations of that word, itself, arc horrifying). I am not sure if Im ready for all of this label change. In a matter of minutes I will go from single to married, Francone to Larson, child to mother, and, not to mention, traditional to However, through all of this label change I will still remain the same person, with the same values, with the same job, doing the same quality of work. It is sad that there arent labels for these things. While my identity completely changes, I shall remain the same. step-moth- students. Upon acceptance we arc all given one of these labels. I was stamped as a traditional student. As I understand it, traditional literally means (in Westminster terms of course) those who enter college directly out of high school, ages Any variation on this means arc deemed you This label lasts with you all of your years here, or docs it? Recently I have been wondering what happens when one changes status. I suppose you cant go from 18-2- 5. a! to traditional, however the other way around is quite feasible. Actually many students once deemed traditional students may not graduate. In fact, in the very near future I, myself, will endure the forum Westminster College of Salt Lake City Editor: David Neisler Copy Editor: Monica Sanchez Production Manager Mat White Photo Editor Amy Friberg BusinessAd Manager Mathew B. White Faculty Advisor Fred Fogo Forum Staff: Alan Blain, Brett Boberg, Johna Brems, Marianne Day, Angela Francone, Janaya Hawkins, er al. Whether traditional or we arc all students of Westminster College working hard for our education; shouldnt that be our label? al, Shawn Kuennen, Brice Laris, Brent Larson, Kimi Michel, Stephanie Mommsen, Terresa Newport, Irma Noriega, Christopher Thomas, Missy Tibbitts, John Wells Photo Staff: Jason Bringard, Jenny Cobb, Alex Ferguson, Paul Jones, Jake Kilgrow, Curtis Mitchell The Forum is published every Tuesday. The editorial staff encourages letters from students (please include your major), faculty and all other readers. Address all letters to: The Forum, Westminster College, 1840 So. 1300 E., Salt Lake City, UT 84105. Submissions must be received one week prior to publication. Due to limited space, the Forum editors reserve the right to edit all submissions. Opinions expressed on the editorial or commentary pages are those of the writers and are not to be construed as those of the Associated of Students Forurn, Westminster College, the College administration, faculty or staff. Mail subscriptions are 20$ a year for er not warning consumers about the dangers of driving such a recreational vehicle. This guy should be sitting in the same chair as O.J. wishing he would have put safety ahead of whatever was on his mind at the time. It wouldnt surprise me if, when he rolled the vehicle, the bonehead was talking on a car phone. I sincerely feel sorry for the sisters who were robbed of their life by a negligent father who put their safety on a back burner. However, I would like to use their story to illustrate how idiotic one American is being in expecting government-hel- p with what should be common sense decision making. This man should be tried for the vehicular manslaughter of his twin daughters. Instead, the media puts this idiot on a pedestal to broadcast nationally his blame of the government for not warning against the dangers of driving a Letter to the Editor Dear Editor, This letter response to the is written ignorantly-base- in d letter submitted by Campus Jonathan Jemming. First, the ASWC Senate and Executive Officers were present when the project was authorized. All students are welcome to attend the senate meetings. of the campus none Unfortunately, activists, who care so much about what is going on, have shown up at any meetings. We are sorry that Mr. Jemming is disappointed that he was uninformed about the yearbook decision. Although it is not standard procedure for the senate to advertise upcoming issues, the yearbook supporters thought it was important in this case. Before voting, the idea of the yearbook was presented at the club fair, in two issues of the Forum, at several senate meetings, and through various student polls. Secondly, the yearbook will cost $12,000, $5,000 of which will be funded through ASWC. This means that of the $60 yearly student activity fee, the cost of the yearbook for each student will be less that $2.50. However, the $5,000 appropriated to the project is coming from a fund created in previous years not from this years student activity budget. In regards to his question of who was responsible for informing the students about the yearbook budget it is an individual responsibility to become informed. Therefore, Jonathan, the answer to your question is you. Third, as a Political Science major (if we offered it), Mr. Jemming should know that through the election process, the senators are given the power to represent the student body. By placing your vote, consent was given. The senators do not wish to undermine the power of those who put them w'hcrc they arc. It is important that constituents receive representation and in this case, it was done through student interest Activist roll-ov- polls. er The majority of responses rccreationalvchicle. ed high-center- American society doesnt need government regulation to assist with individual decision making when is involved. Do we common-sens- e in a live want to society where government regulates the freedom we enjoy to make our own common sense decisions? I do realize there are instances where the consumer needs to be taken care of when purchasing goods. For instance, much of the meat and poultry produced in the United States is contaminated by microscopic bacteria. This bacterial contamination is physically impossible for consumers to detect at a restaurant or supermarket. Consequently, the U.S. government steps in and provides regulated procedures for processing which should protect consumers from ingesting any harmful live bacteria. Government regulation is needed in this case because the alternative would require consumers to pack a microscope and a few petri dishes to test for contaminated food when eating at a restaurant, or shopping at a supermarket . This would be absurd, therefore, the consumer needs government regulation to insure safe and relaconsumption of tively stress-fre- e and other foods at meat, poultry food outlets. However, the physical attributes of a recreational vehicle are much easier for the consumer to For instance, the differentiate. recreational vehicle a which height indicated support for the yearbook idea. These positive results are what led to the approval of the yearbook. Finally, ASWC has not forgot- ten that the students are the foundation of the college. That is the main reason the yearbook is being created. We are unclear as to why this procedure was unethical, when the ASWC constitution, which is available for student perusal, was followed point by f? stands above the ground is painfully obvious. Any educated, competent adult can look at a number of recreational vehicles and pick out some that have a higher center of gravity than others. A consumer can decide to buy one of lower or higher center of gravity if he or she chooses. Most Americans learn about center of gravity in grade school physical education classes. Youngsters learn that if they are short, they have a low center of gravity and are able to move quickly without falling over. But if they are tall, they have a high center of gravity and it is much more difficult to move quickly without falling over. Lessons on center of gravity are learned early in life. If a consumer chooses to buy a recreational vehicle which has a high center of gravity, that consumer has to realize the risks involved while negotiating turns in that vehicle. The higher the center of gravity, the slower one must travel through a turn. Likewise, the lower the center of gravity, the faster one can travel through a turn. So, how difficult can it be for an adult father to realize the risks of driving a recreational vehicle which has a higher center of gravity than most in its class, especially in the company of his or her own siblings. Do we need the U.S. government to regulate our ability to rationalize good and bad center of gravity when buying a recreational vehicle? Wake up America. Lets use some common sense. Thank you anyway, point. Jonathan, for your concern. Sincerely, Jennie Irvine, biology senior and Brain Pilling, communications junior It is unfortunate that some peotalk ple just to hear their own voices, instead of concentrating on P.S. valid concerns. STUDENT POLL, o by Brent Larson Forum Staff Writer How do you feel about term limits? I think they are a good idea for both state and national government. Lifetime terms take away from the true meaning of the job. Politicians should take office with the intent to get a lot during a short term instead of pulling strings to settle into a career. Lee Ostergar Sophomore Computer Science The president is limited to two terms. Therefore, I think we should pass a constitutional amendment mandating term limits national ly...across the board. Christian Persons Senior PhysicsChemistry like the idea of term limits because politicians who are in office long time seem to get set in their ways and loose touch with their constituents. Voter representation takes a back seat to special interests. ; Erika Birch Junior Economics I a We need term limits to obtain greater diversity in our political tem. It also allows for more fresh blood to work the system. Shonell Rowley Sophomore Nursing sys- Term limits will work if every state is doing term limits. Every state needs to start out evenly with all new representatives. If only some states adopt term limits, Utah needs to stick with unlimited terms because Orrin Hatch has developed a strong voice for the state of Utah. Amy Paulsen Sophomore Education! Biology Term limits are not really a good idea for states on the national level because smaller states depend on the recognition of long time representatives. The numbers game will leave them out of the picture if term limits are adopted nationally. Don Plott Junior Early Childhood Education |