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Show OPINION THURSDAY 3/10 PAGE Daily Utah Chronicle CHRONICLE It's not easy being green; but we're glad U is RGUOD 2 . LETTERS T TO T H E EDITOR PINC understands diversity and have not been phantoms Editor: I must say that I was surprised to see The Chronicle endorse a party in the ASUU elections, as generally it doesn't happen. As a candidacy and a campaign, we very much appreciate and are humbled by the endorsement for Students First. I would like to, however, bring light to a few things I noticed in the editorial. When discussing the issue of diversity, racial/ethnic lines are not the only characteristics of impor- tance. I believe that in championing "diversity," respect for different ideas and values are important as well. While we are very proud of what we believe to be the best representation of this campus in our candidates, I can't say that we are the only campaign that understands the importance of the issue. Finally, we very much feel'and respect the presence of our opponents in this election year. Every candidate and every campaign is making great efforts in articulating platforms and passions and trying to open a dialogue with the entire student body at the U. Again, it has been our priority to do that in a visible but equally accessible way, but I wouldn't feel good about saying that our opponents have not made efforts on their own part as well or that they have been phantoms. AM Hasnain Students First Party Presidential Candidate The Chronicle's endorsement was inappropriate Editor: Reading The Chronicle's official endorsement ("Students First is the Best Choice," March 9) made me quite upset, and aroused some rather angry and hostile feelings. I really don't think it's a school newspaper's position to claim who they think is more qualified and suited for the presidential vote. I believe that the duty of a school newspaper is to be a good representation of what is presently going on in a neutral and purely informative manner. I think it's immature and displays a poor sense of character for The Chronicle to take a stand on such issues. I recognize that columnists have the right to take a personal objective, but for the paper as a whole to make a public stand bothers me. When interviewing members of both political campaigns, did you only ask the questions you thought would get the answers you were looking for? To what extent are all your articles biased? Do you not have the faith that the student body would be able to make their own opinions and that you found it your personal moral duty to force your objectives on others? Or perhaps you just took a stand to arouse people to writing to your paper? • This is very similar to what happened last year. The Chronicle did not take an official stand, but it was pretty obvious on how they viewed elections and who they felt were more suited. May the best candidates win regardless of what biased, opinionated, brainwashing newspapers may publish. Rhiannon Lonqstaff Junior, Family Studies and Human Development Editor's Note: Patrick Muir, the reporter covering ASUU elections, is not a member of the editorial staff that wrote the endorsement An endorsement was made this year and not in years past because the editorial staffquestions the integrity of the party not endorsed. he U will begin using natural gas as a backup power source instead of coal. The switch was made as part of an effort to be more environmentally friendly. In the past, the U was forced to burn up all its coal whether it needed to or not. This caused environmental problems because coal is not a clean burning energy source. Now, because of a deal made with Questar Gas, the U will no longer use coal. Natural gas will be the exclusive back-up energy source. This is a noble and responsible . act on part of the U's administra-' tion. This issue could have easily been ignored. \: Nor is this a solitary act. The administration has done many . things-to make the U more environmentally friendly. ': Students currently pay one dollar every semester so the,, . ;••'; school can purchase wind : ^ power. Efforts are being made to increase the amount of wind energy purchased, .-^.^-i^pi^^^vj The administration has also * f',-l{) been open to student calls for ;^~ a recycling program. Although ^ slow in coming, an interest was ; expressed and the administration: : came through. , • -U'., As the school makes these ef- '.'< forts to be greener, students have ', a responsibility as well. Cleaner ; ^j energy is often more expen^ sive. Students being conscious | ^ of wasting energy can save the %% school money in the long run. KHZ)] Turn off computers not being used. Unplug appliances not needed. / Turn lights off when you leave ;^ a room. Once the recycling pro-..-^ gram starts, students will need to J comply by being careful of what they throw away and what they .; throw in the bins. >£•£ .; Until that program gets going, ^ students should e-mail ASUU • ^ | officials and ask for updates. If /vj the student body is breathing ''}&i down their necks, it's likely we'Uf^] see those bins around campus •'»$£ sooner. v ••'• *?•:S Unsigned editorials reflect the majority opinion or The Daily Utah Chronicle Editorial Board. , Editorial columns and letters to the editor are strictly the opinions of the author. The forum created on the Opinion Page is one based on vigorous debate, while at the same time demanding tolerance and respect. Material defamatory to an Individual or group because of race, ethnic background, religion, creed, gender, age, appearance or sexual orientation will be edited or will not be published. The Chronicle is unprofessional for endorsing a party Editor: I am appalled at the lack of professionalism The Chronicle showed by endorsing Students First. Obviously, you forgot that the first rule of journalism is to stay objective and to not let your opinion show. In politics especially, journalists can't let their views and opinions shine through. You failed to mention that ah1 the editors at The Chronicle probably have personal reasons for supporting Ali Hasnain. He was an editor for The Chronicle, so I'm sure he has friends on the staff. I understand that an opinion page is a place for anyone to say what they want. You are stating the feelings of the entire newspaper, so even though you may try to justify it by putting it on the opinion page, it is still unprofessional. You used the newspaper as your own personal forum to support a friend. It isn't right and shame on you for doing so. Brynn Russon Senior, Mass Communication Editor's Note: The Chronicle's opinion appears on the Opinion page of the paper. Ali Hasnain resigned as News Editor more than a year ago. Get coverage or take the hit U students should be required to have health insurance A ccording to the National College Health Assessment conducted last fall, 14 percent of surveyed students did not have health-insurance coverage. Another 4 percent were unsure of their insurance status. Nearly 1 in 5, or 4000 students, are not protected. The college age group (18-24) is typically a healthy age group, but is affected by STDs (including J3IV), accidents, injuries and some infectious diseases. The Student Health Advisory Committee is a student group on campus which "serve(s) as liaisons between U students and the Student Health Service. They provide Student Health Services with feedback to improve their quality of care." The committee believes "the only way to remedy this problem is to require students to maintain health insurance coverage while attending the U." Whether students carry the U's plan or another is up to the individual students. I agree. At first I was doubtful—I thought insurance is really expensive and that I couldn't afford it. And what about students really struggling with finances? I brought these concerns to SHAC and they had answers. If everyone is required to have insurance, the cost goes down and the benefits go up. Exactly how much it would cost and how much the benefits would increase would depend upon how many students choose to use the U's plan. SHAC estimates the cost would be approximately $80 per month with a raise in benefits. Students can If everyone is required to have insurance, the cost goes down and the benefits go up. Exactly how much it would cost and how much the benefits would increase would depend upon how many students choose to use the U's plan. Anne Looser Columnist also include the cost of heath insurance in their Financial Aid requests. The cost of attending the U goes up, so your eligibility goes up. If you think about the cost and consequences of a hospital visit, the benefits stand out even more. One night's stay could cost upward of $5,000 without insurance. This could force a student out of school. According to SHAC, in some areas of the country medical dropouts account for nearly 50 percent of all withdrawals. In 1994, the U decided to mandate insurance and enrollment stayed the same and 98 percent of the student body complied with the mandate. According to CNN.com, "More schools have started mandating the coverage in the past four years. Hospitals no longer absorb the costs because of increasing health care expenses. The plan is not only sound, but will increase the welfare of our campus. If you have questions about SHAC's plan, please attend their Q&A session on Friday, March 25 at ip.m. in the Hinckley Forum. You can also call 585-1274 or e-mail jason. gillman@shs.utah.edu. letters© chronicte.utah.edu Join SLAP to fight poverty No one is free from the threat of being poor . '"• Gokcer Ozqur SLAP member ' \ Guest Columnist .' Al Campbell SLAP Faculty Adviser Guest Columnist W hen it comes to economic progress and equality most people think, "A rising tide lifts all the boats." While it sounds logical, it's not always the case. As early as 1962, Michael Harrington was one of the many who challenged this widely accepted myth. In his book, The Other America, he showed the great economic inequalities in American society. Amid the post-war economic prosperity, half of Americans were living in poverty. This "other America" still exists today. Even the longest economic boom in U.S. economic history during 1990s did very little to solve the problem, and in some ways worsened it. It is often argued that Americans are better off now than in the 1960s because per capita income has increased. However, this does not tell us anything about income inequality or poverty. According to the "Economic Report of the President," real average weekly earnings for all workers are lower in 2003 than it used to be during 1960s (quoted in Albelda, R., Drago, R. W, Shulman, S., "Unlevel Playing Grounds," Cambridge: Dollars & Sense, 2004, p. 16). If we look at the wealth inequality figures once again, we will see that today the wealthiest 10 percent of U.S. households own 69 percent of all wealth while the bottom 50 percent owns a mere 2.8 percent (Collins et. al. "The Wealth Inequality Reader," Cambridge: Dollars & Sense, 2004, p.6). Too many college students tend to ignore the idea that they will have their lives influenced by this "other America" and might even become a part of it. Poverty (or near poverty) has become a real-life problem that everyone may potentially face— including college graduates. The chances of living in poverty may be smaller for a college graduate than a high school dropout, but rising poverty and inequality of wealth are a threat for everyone. A bachelor's degree is no longer Poverty (or near poverty) has become a real life problem that everyone may potentially face-including college graduates. a sure ticket out of poverty. Rising health costs, the elimination of economic safety nets and the everrising costs of higher education are imminent threats for students. High education costs result in more college graduates entering the work force with a negative net worth (debt). Even if you get a "decent job," the entire wage scale builds from the lowest paid jobs up. Lower minimum wages lower the entire scale, except at the very top (a very small place) where salaries are irrelevant to the vast majority of PLEASE SEND LETTERS TO THE EDITOR TO LETTERS@CHRONICLE.UTAH.EDU college graduates. There are no simple solutions to the bad practices and policies adopted over the last 30 years. Turning around and getting on a healthy and humane path will likewise take decades of continual change. We in the U's Student Labor Action Project hope that many graduates will join us in thinking about what is needed for such a restoration. It begins with a concern for the poor and near poor, which certainly does or will include a number of our friends. letters@chronicle.utah.edu |