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Show ^ D A I L Y UTAH CHRONICLE i:* O PINION www.dailyutahchronicle.com Wednesday, March 22, 2006 K-WHAT? Editor: ASUU shoixld be able to do whatever it wants with KUTE. Don't get me wrong—I don't believe that governments should take control of media outlets. There are, however, a few problems with the arguments presented against ASUU taking control of KUTE. As Harry W. Haines wrote in his letter to the editor, the Associated Students of the University of Utah running KUTE would be like "the Utah State Legislature taking over the operation of KSL Radio" ("KUTE needs to remain independent," March 21). The problem with this argument is that ASUU shouldn't be compared to a government. ASUU's political influence falls somewhere between that of a high school student government and that of the queen of England—powerless! What does ASUU do? Organize parties and fund student groups so they can organize parties. Sounds an awful lot like a media outlet and less like a government to me. Yes, it has the semblance of an actual government with elections and titles, and occasionally they will investigate important issues such as health insurance or a student rec center, but the deci- sion-making power of ASUU is miniscule. I think comparing this situation to Simmons Media Group purchasing a new radio station is much more appropriate. The second problem with the arguments presented by The Chronicle's Editorial Board ("ASUU: Hands off KUTE," March 21) and others is the assumption that KUTE actually means anything to anyone right now. Oops! I'm sorry if I offended the handful of people that work up there right now or their five listeners. KUTE doesn't have a voicel Even Kellen Wilson, the often-annoying letter writer of this Opinion page, has a louder voice right now, and he's not wasting any of our student fees. Whom does KUTE represent? How much awareness has it propagated? KUTE is effectively non-existent right now, and it costs us $15,000 per year. If ASUU can streamline the finances of KUTE and make it even noticeable to students, I say let them have it. Only after students realize that KUTE exists can it have any impact and become a voice for students. Scott Barnes Senior, Biomedical Engineering THE CHRONICLE'S ASUUjust wants KUTE to improve, better serve students Editor: We are writing in regard to the recent editorial ("ASUU: Hands off KUTE," March 21) to supplement the story regarding the relationship of ASUU to KUTE, the U's student radio station. We are fully aware of and appreciate arguments suggesting the value of independent media outlets, whether they are on campus or across the nation. While we agree with this theoretical discussion in principle, it is not practically applied in this situation. ASUU funds thousands of dollars of student fees for a student radio station with relatively no return for students. Statistics compiled via the KUTE Web site suggest that a very small population logs in to listen. Of those listeners, many are not U •students. It would be a wonder as to how many students reading this have actually listened to KUTE. However, we would not debate the potential and importance of a functioning student station on campus. But under the circumstances, that potential is not being realized. ASUU currently has the resources in place (marketing, stafF assistance, Web master, etc.) to allow the station to grow, regardless of whether or not a higher air frequency is ever realized. By striking the redundancy of resources, we would save at least $9,000 in'student fees every year. Finally, while one may see this as a takeover for the sake of propaganda, the intention of ASUU is to utilize KUTE as a communication arm for students, not to strong-arm our opinions. The focus would be on music, spotlighting and broadcasting campus events and the promotion of student groups. This is the purpose of ASUU, which aligns appropriately with the purpose of KUTE. Our hope is that KUTE will choose to utilize ASUU as a setting in which to flourish before branching off into independence. The accountability, however, of $15,000 a year or what has historically been as high as $24,000 a year to the station needs immediate attention and revision, and we as elected representatives feel responsible to make this change. AZi Hasnain ASUU President John Poelman ASUU Vice President The Chronicle is wrong about ASUU Editor: In a recent Opinion column ("Don't worry—I hate us, too: The Chronicle needs to repent of its biases by only writing super-duper nice things about the BLOC Party," March 8), Opinion Editor RuthAnne Frost asked readers to express our opinion of The Chronicle's performance in a letter to the editor. A couple years ago, I was a part of ASUU, and I was extremely frustrated with The Chronicle. In regard to ASUU, I don't believe there was a single instance when The Chronicle reported the correct facts on any of the projects on which we were working. Morning after morning, I would pick up The Chronicle to discover that, once again, they had led the U campus astray. At times during interviews, I would repeat quotes word-for-word to Chrony writers, and somehow the quotes would still be misprinted and/or placed in the wrong context. I have read some really professional and funny articles in The Chronicle; however, those articles seem to be quite sparse. In this Opinion column, which The Chronicle chose to publish, Frost criticized a candidate who said, "The Chronicle is awful, and we wanted to throw every one of them away." I want to you to know I sympathize with this candidate and at times have felt The Chronicle is a disservice to the students of the U. Adrian Johnson Alumnus, Former ASUU President ^Smith and Thorburn deserve more attention i • ow far the U women's basketball team will advance in the NCAA Tournament is anybody's guess. H After all, the impressive manner in which the Utes nave come back from double-digit deficits to win their first two baUgames certainly says something about their ability to'do some serious damage in this year's tourney. ; |. : ; • } ^>^J But one thing is clear: The careers of Kim Smith and Shona Thorburn, two players who have more than reached lofty expectations and could reasonably be considered the two best players in the team's history, are finally winding down. ',.: • rft^S;^' 1 - v \ •- - •' -.;; '$ ' Those who are used to spending March paying attention to the Runnin' Utes over in the men's bracket shouldn't feel sorry for their underachieving 2006 squad but should, instead, use the free time they suddenly have to take a look at the women's tournament—at least there they will have a legitimate contender for whom to root. : 7 Head coach Elaine Elliott has been at the U for 23 years and has built a consistently strong program during that span. The Utes advanced to r the Sweet-16 for the first time in 2001, back when fLauren Beckman and Kristina Andersen were i leading the way. _ " .'' '. ; -:: Now, in the final season for Smith—a four• time Mountain West Conference Player of the Year—and Thorburn, who has averaged 20 points, 8.7 rebounds and 10 assists over the past three games, the Utes have once again secured a, : place among the nation's final 16. \iu.":\- Monday's victory over fourth-seeded Arizona \J. State showed why Utah could be such a threat. £? After looking severely outmatched early in the i *", game and falling behind by as many as 15 points."- >Thorburn, Smith and fellow senior Julie Larsen *£ rallied their team from behind, and by the sec- ;" ond hah0, the Ute offense was too much for the . • I Sun Devil defense to handle. . j^t This Saturday, the Utes once again put their •-'• season on the line as they face off against ;,• eighth-seeded Boston College in the round of •;• 16. Even if they get past the Eagles, it won't get r *; much easier, as the Utes may have to take on the * * likes of Baylor or Maryland. +1* The bottom line is that this could be the final I'Z weekend in the careers of Smith and Thorburn. ZtZ But they could extend their careers another *-weekend, and too many people in this area— ;*£ more specifically, too many self-proclaimed "diet-; hard" Ute fans—have taken them for granted. •**. Now is the time to give them the attention they ; . • deserve. The Sweet-16 and Elite-8 meetings will:;* air on ESPN2, and Ute fans would be well served; • to turn on the TV this Saturday and lend the .'•{ team some support. -** Further, both Smith and Thorburn will land Z~Z somewhere in the WNBA Draft, which takes "^ place April 5. For those who typically follow the!-! post-collegiate careers of some of their favorite t*t Utes, the draft—and the subsequent seasons of ; I ; whatever teams pick up Smith and Thorburn— *t~ should be exciting. Make sure, Ute fans, to pay *> attention this weekend and beyond. •> Unsigned editorials reflect the majority opinion of 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, appearance or sexual orientation will be edited or will not be published. All letters to the editor will now be published onliniT* at www.dailyvtahchronicle.com. Letters that the editor deems best represent those received will be printed in the newspaper as well \* as online.'••. .'r-.-y.ir.^'i.U • . . , , . • • • ' . • • • . ^ T r ^ . i ^ T < ; . . j •,;';•*:• , ' , . * • " • • ' ' • • • ' . . ' - . C - , • - . . - * . • - . . */*•" . . _ , , • • * • * Mexican students had a much bigger reason to protest Editor: Nobody enjoys tuition going up. Sometimes it's inevitable, and other times it could be avoided. I agree with Jay Richards in that aspect, but I do take offense to his characterization of U students as weak and unwilling to fight for their future ("Don't want tuition raised? Do something about it!" March 6). His argument mentioned the UNAM strikes of 1999 and 2000. What he didn't state is that the tuition increased nearly 7,500 times from what it normally was—from $.02 to $150! That is not anywhere near the 7 percent our tuition would increase. The Mexican students were outraged because the cost of their education, which should have been free according to the Mexican Constitution, was increased. I am sorry that the U students didn't get out to protest an extra $10 million that wasn't given to the university—on the other hand, our Mexican brothers and sisters actually had something to protest. Jim Madscn Junior, Economics Smackdown: Sam Welter's vs. Barnes and Noble Patronizing local businesses can strengthen Utah's economy and community B efore you automatically opt for Wal-Mart's unbeatable low prices, consider the benefits of purchasing local goods and services first. It will be a better decision in the long run. A grassroots movement called Local First Utah is making a difference throughout the state by supporting local businesses. Local First Utah promotes a stronger local economy through encouraging consumers, businesses and government to look to local businesses first for their needs. For a business to be considered "local" by the group, it must fulfill two criteria. At least 51 percent of the company's owners must be located in Utah, and the business owners must be able to make independent decisions on purchasing, practices and distribution. That doesn't seem too hard, now does it? I mean, all someone's doing is going to a local coffee shop instead of Starbucks. The great thing is that there are benefits to doing something so simple. For example, if someone buys locally as opposed to nationally, he or she can help create a stronger economy for Utah. With a stronger Utah economy, jobs will be more abundant—not to mention that a strong economy can also increase the hourly wages or salaries of employees statewide. In a 2002 study titled "Livable City," researchers found that for every $100 spent at local bookstores in Austin, Texas, $39 was returned to the local economy. At a national bookstore, only $13 was returned. It is obvious where your dollar is doing more for you. Local businesses also create a stronger community throughout the Salt Lake Valley and across the state by reflecting the wants, needs and interests of their consumers— us. Basically, local stores are Utah. Clayton Norlen Now, I know how U students feel about community—they don't want anything to do with it on campus. So this is a perfect solution: We can have community where it belongs—everywhere else. That should make all of you who are against the rec center happy. Other benefits of purchasing local goods include a variety of goods. Local goods aren't streamlined for the masses like national goods; they are made for Utahns. Also, buying local creates a per- sonal shopping experience. Patrona list of local bookstores and their izing a local business brings out the addresses. small town in even the biggest of Searches can also be conducted cities. When buying local, you have by location or name. Now I don't the opporneed to put tunity to be ~—"~~ up with the acknowledged tween scene VV hen buying local, you by the owner. at the malls You become find a good have the opportunity to be toread. an individual instead of a acknowledged by the owner. The addemographic. vantages to I am no You become an individual shopping lolonger just a cally may not instead of a demographic. white male. appear overLocal First ~——~ it or even Utah has even It week, but created a directory on its Web site, they will come eventually. www.localfirst.org, for the roughly It's time to start thinking long 487 businesses that have signed on term. By purchasing local, we can with it. Shopping has never been make Utah a self-sufficient state. easier. So, next time you go shopping, look For example: Say I'm looking for for the Local First Utah sticker and a bookstore. I go to the directory make Utah a better place. and click on the category that hosts letters® bookstores. Then I'm provided with chronicle.utah.edu |