Show I Opinion The Herald Journal Logan Utah " 'ZSSSSSSS&F! MJudNLmdM Amarfean JuiM pm-iin- ) Pa9el2i Tuesday November 23 1999 Our view ‘True stories’ should be judged with careful eye hen “Rocket Boy Homer Hickam Jr came to Utah State University last week he made a few observations about the veracity of the movie “October Sky" based on his bode Not only was the name of the book changed from “Rocket Boys: A Memoir” to the more palatable movie title "October Sky” several other facts were altered in the film version For example the Rocket Boys were a group of six not four kids The central character Hickam is named Homer but went by his nickname “Sonny in the book Since he's Homer Hickam Jr his father’s name of course is also Homer In the movie however Sonny’s father’s name is “John" Although the movie depicted it the Rocket Boys never stole railroad tracks The rockets they built woe also much more sophisticated than the ones in the film Hickam did not quit school to work in the mines and the Rocket Boys did not win college scholarships The Herald Journal's editorial board points this out to remind readers of the maxim “caveat emp- - tor”: buyer beware Liberties have been taken with history in other movies like “Amistad” And in some like “JFK” history has been invented Hollywood however has no on fudging the facts monopoly Television creations” of Ronald is full of “dramatic reand a recent biography Reagan included a fic- tional character Headlines in supermarket tabloids scream about alleged JonBenet Ramsey confessions and even die best newspapers make mistakes and are victims of hoaxes and shoddy reporting We just want to remind our readers that in a free society there is a multitude of accounts on any subject — some accurate some nearly accurate some fictional and some ridiculous In a perfect world all information would be accurate and unbiased In this world however the best that can be done is to allow pretty much anybody to say pretty much anything As Judge Learned Hand is quoted as saying at the top of this page: “Right conclusions are more likely to be gathered out of a multitude of tongues than through any kind of authoritative selection” Your view Safety discrimination face off complaint has seen results The Commission told New York cabbies “If they can’t see decency on a human level they ByJackAndereon and Douglas Cohn w will understand it on nn economic ASHINGTON — A Depart-taxi-dr- iment of Labor report declared ving to be one of the highest risk occupations One of the most dangerous lewd” Glover and his lawyer would like drivers to receive training and meet “ordinary black New Yorkers" as part of jobs in Americn nccording to the and Department of Labor is taxi-drivi- ng the cabbies are seeking safety in discrimination Here are both sides of the issue: It is something Getting an education known for years: Taxicabs are not very likely to BvGOCroeH n the cover of Utah State University's fall semester catalog is a quote by TS Eliot that captures the essence of an educational experience: “We shall not cease from exploration and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time" These words stir me because I believe edu- cation is all about exploration and the insights and discoveries that reward us along the way It is a journey that is not for the faint of heart It is an expedition fraught with many unknowns that require preparation planning and vision — and sometimes little sleep and lots of stair climbing It is not easy but like anything of great value it does not come without a fight I think of one of our recent graduates Jennifer who can count all 124 steps up Old Main Hill in her sleep and who climbed those stairs once or twice a day for four yean — part of the “sacred rituals of higher education" she said For ha those stairs came to symbolize her plateaus and progress on her upward climb to graduation She described her four-yeexploration as a combination of happy and hard times There were miserable assignments she said and unintelligible readings There were nights she never saw her (allow and long lines in which she never saw the end But in contrast there were also flashes of discovery that reminded her of why she came to college “It was not to complete a formula to jump through hoops to buy a diploma to be filled like a tea cup” she said “I came to Utah State University for the spiritual experience of getting an education and I haven’t been disappointed” Jennifer described a professor who lectured using a box of notepads and books ar the end she lamented she had discussed only a third of what she had hoped to But in the process Jennifer observed “she had given her class and me something valuable that she felt deeply" This professor and many others she said responded to her and her work in an tend not to see Danny Glover the talented black actor well-dress- watched as a handful of taxicabs pass him his daughter and her friend in New extraordinarily personal way: “They York recently When one did finally atop invested in my education by giving me a the driver refused to allow him to sit in the front seat as he had requested part of their souls” No wonder we hold on to our college because of a hip injury even though that is permitted in the city's taxi code The memories like we do other in our lives Jennifer said the end of her driver wanted Glover nnd his party undergraduate college journey was a dra- behind the bulletproof window separatmatic finale equal to previous “chapten" ing the driver from the backseat Glover disgusted filed a discriminain her life I also bold tight to my college tion it and in and revere not of complaint with New York City’s chapter spite the hard work and sacrifice of those Taxi and Limousine Commission The early years but because of them There are as many stories to tell about discipline sacrifice and initiative as wise to consider your objectives and there are millions of college graduates chart your course accordingly The less mile-mark- ers living in our country today In recognition of National College Week I find myself wanting to share these stories and to encourage all of our high school students to take this journey if they have the desire I look also to our growing numstudents who are ber of seeking to enlighten their lives by taking I irish I had a secret formula to guarantee ultimate success in this exploration we call a college education I cannot But I do know you need to stock up chart a course and hold to a dream just as you would for any major expedition We are fortunate to live in n state where education is highly valued and where outstanding institutions are close by and affordable Ibition rates in Utah are some of the lowest in the nation — the 11th lowest for undergraduates That is a good investment if you realize college graduates pull in nearly twice the lifetime earnings of those who only graduate from high school That alone is a good incentive and a good reason to prepare now for those costs In addition financial aid packages are available to help you get through Once you have stocked up you will be cab licensing someone described as a 130 undercover officers have taken Mack man The other driver a man was found dead near his cab 2000 undercover rides in n little more than a week The “Operation Refusal” He died of multiple stab wounds killed by two men who robbed him at rush sting goes like this: African-Americundercover cops hail a cab while a white hour in a crime-ridde- n neighborhood partner stands a space off and also hails Two black men are being sought in the the cab If the driver ignores the first cop and opts for the white fare he will be ticketed his licenseiuspended and the : chb impounded ' Hi vbeebkiHed in theilafct sevtxal years wfliibavci an uvocyiioahbie we ialked dowhasbeen i!irWithiBaiweekj thedrivet Shearing and if found guilty face a fine robbed atleast onawnwnvK One man Nadir an immigrant from up to $330 for the first offense up to $300 for the second offense and will Ilose the Middle East has been driving for 10 his license on the third offense years In that time he has been robbed So far more than a dozen drivers have three times all by black assailants In been suspended and their taxis impoundone encounter he picked up two ed for refusing to pick up fares or for black men and a woman ip the refusal to take riders to certain locations Chinatown area They Itabbed him In New York as in many of the repeatedly in his neck until he handed nation’s large cities more than half of over die $300 he had on Mm Now Nadir the cab drivers are immigrants and disis more selective of the fores he picks up crimination may not be the issue so late at night and concedes sometimes it much as experience Tui drivers account just comes down to appearance d for 10 percent of all victims of It is a collision between discrimination homicide while they represent only I and personal safety and the answer may ' shields separating driven percent of the nation's work force Strip- - be bullet-prodriver’s select fares a to and passengers After all there is always ping away right a risk regardless of race when one indithey believe increases their risk For example as New York cracked vidual provides a ride for another: an that African Americans have i§ down on taxicab driven who refuse service to certain areas or people two cab driven were robbed and murdered in crimoridden neighborhoods of Washington DC One driver was robbed and stabbed to death in a parking lot nt 7 am by a circuitous your route the soooer you will reach your destination If you are in high school take advantage of your high school counselors Spend time as well with others who have attended college ed job-relate- of Othor viours Family meals are history SrijowwdNffwSsnlcs comparison over half of all children 2 and up have a TV in their bedroom The worrisome aspect of die report is new study finds that American how much of this media exposure is children are spending an increasing done in isolation For children 2 to 7 81 trained staff and counselors ready to amount of time alone with TVs radios percent of TV watching is done alone for older children it’s 93 percent The help Most offer entry programs to orien- CD players and computers substituting for human companionship tate you and guide you safely out of port impact on their social dillt can only be And finally most important of all find The Kaiser Family Foundation reports guessed at but it’s almost certainly not your dream aod stick with it That will be that children between ages 8 and 18 good since what they watch is intended what keeps you climbing those 124 steps average an astonishing x hours and 43 to be neither trntional nor uplifting every day and prompts you to roll out of minutes every d ay seven days a week but to sell products The dinner table bed despite foiling into it just a few hours immwmH in mtertMimwit mwti may have once been a forum for family And the avenge for all children 2 to togetherness but that seems to be less before I like the term “higher education" because it suggests looking forward and 18 is five horn and 29 minutes most of and less so: almost 60 percent of did kids upward It requires climbing not sliding it two hours and 46 minutes watching said the TV was on during meals television with listening to CDs or tapes Most of the children reported being moving forward not backward It is an elevating experience but only a distant second at 48 minutes followed content with their lives but the study after much effort So stock up now chart by reading 44 minutes listening to the reported that extensive media immersion your course hold to your dream and in radio 39 minifies playing with the com- could be a symptom of deeper problems For good or ill children done with the process you may also one day find puter 21 minutes playing video games yourself back where you began and 20 minutes and using the Internet eight their own means of entertainment is a The relatively small amount of fact of modern life but it is a disheartenknow that (dace for the first time time devoted to computers is likely to ing commentary that devices intended as George Emert Is president of Utah State grow since only a minority have than a means of communication have also and still fewer nave Intenet access By become a means of isolation University and ask them what they would do differ-ittodently if they had i be surprised at what they tell you aware as well that all colleges have oi A I1 Mallard Fillmore JODOoHa ffeuro it Mart srodVr a? ton twssaww rfuro a MWtsGHMR 4 Herald Journal The Harid Journal wotoomss Mtois to too or oHanaive MMs art nri bo prfrfahpd however and too odhor rasarwa Vie right to ed rfUeUen to oontona ' 1 to Via tangto and style raquMmonts ol tie odHor PMsnHty torim 1 TtaOpMon papa to Mended to acquaM ados wNh a variety ol vtoapointB on sweat lance and provide mambeia el aflh latonm to Mr views me cartoons and M toeopHoneeltoalr infer too hoadtoaur too rfemal 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