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Show Monday,April 21,2008 THE DAILY UTAH CHRONICLE The University of Utah's Independent Student Voice Since 1890 v o u u i NQ.I63|©2008 Young to sign climate pact Dan Fletcher ASST. REDUX EDITOR plementation, though. "President Young did not want to make light of this decision," Forster said." He wanted to make sure that we could actually do it before signing." Young's signature will commit the U to a very specific course of action for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, the Office of Sustainability and student groups, such as Sustainable Environments and Ecological Design or SEED, have given the U a sizable head start. Participants mustfirstcreate structures to guide the implementation of the plan, perform a comprehensive inventory of greenhouse gas emissions and complete at least two of seven specified tasks within two years. The Office of Sustainability meets the requirement for a leadership group and has already begun an emissions inventory. The U's EdPass program fulfills one requirement. And as the university approaches 15 percent renewable energy through the purchase of carbon offsets, the second is nearing completion. After two years, the U must draft a Climate Neutrality Action Plan that sets a date for complete offsetting of greenhouse gas emissions. It must also include plans for incorporating issues of sustainability into university curriculum and improving research on environmental issues. The Office of Sustainability has organized a campus-wide sustainability curriculum development team to support -environmentally , conscious coursework and plans to facilitate frequent guest lecture U President Michael Young announced Thursday that he will sign the American College and University President's Climate Commitment during Tuesday's Earth Day celebration—an action long awaited by some students and faculty. The commitment, which boasts over 500 signatories, provides institutions with guidelines for reducing carbon emissions and combating global warming. "I can say, with assurance, this is just the beginning of our commitment to making this campus a model of sustainability," Young said in a statementCraig Forster, director of the U's Office of Sustainability, agrees. "We hope the commitment will make campus decision makers more aware of the implications of their actions," he said of the commitment's potentiaL Some students fear the university's initial hesitancy to sign the commitment implies a lack of genuine concern. "Environmental issues are a hot topic right now, so the U is forced to confront climate change, but if we're really going to make a difference, it won't be through more big bureaucratic public relations," said Gardner Seawright, a senior in sociology. "It seems that President Young has procrastinated, and only time will tell if we follow through." Other Utah schools, such as Utah State University, Weber State University and Westminster College, all signed the agreement last year. Fprster feels the wait was nedes'sary for the administration to prepare the plan's im- See PACT Page 4 AARON SCHWENDIMAN/ffwOatyUtcti Ctuotidt Phuntsok Choedon, a U student studying mass communication and member of Students for Free Tibet, shouts at opposing protesters near the Salt Lake City Public Library on Sunday morning. Protestors clash over Olympics Lana Groves STAFF WRITER While Tibetan students and members of the Salt Lake community walked through downtown Salt Lake City on Sunday to oppose China's occupation of Tibet, Chinese students and community members held a rival protest to show support for the Chinese government and the Beijing Olympics. The Tibetan group organized a Human Rights Torch Relay to call attention to China's supposedly poor human rights record. They held signs and shouted about the unfair actions by Chinese police and government officials toward Tibetans. The group rallied outside the Salt Lake City and County Building and listened to speakers talk about a Tibetan riot on March 14 when Tibetans took to the streets in protest and were subdued by Chinese authorities. The riot in Tibet began after monks, who began protesting March 10, were arrested by the Chinese government. As the Olympic Torch relay began in preparation for the games this summer, Tibetans and people of various nationalities have . protested the Beijing games and China's treatment of the Tibetan people. "There's so much violence and aggression in China," said Lhaksam Choedon, a U nursing student. "The president in China says he wants a harmonious society, but how can that happen when the nation is being oppressed?" Just one block away, groups of Chinese nationals from the community held banners and waved signs. Jing Hu, a doctorate student in computer science at Utah State University, came to Salt Lake with other students from Logan to protest accusations that China has mistreated Tibetans and to show support for the Chinese government and Beijing Olympics. "(The Tibetan protestors) describe the riots on March 14 as peaceful protests and say the Chinese government is killing See PROTEST Page 3 Ebadi says intervention can't solve Iran's problems and peaceful environment," Ebadi said through an interpreter. Ebadi said a military attack or even Despite blasting Iran's human a threat of a military attack would rights record on several accounts, worsen the human rights situation Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin in Iran tremendously. Ebadi said she believes the solutions She said there should be no milito those human rights violations will taries, but until that day, governcome from the Iranian people and ments around the world should not foreign military intervention. dedicate 10 percent of their current About 700 students, professors military spending to education. and community membersfilledthe Ebadi said violence is propagated in Union Ballroom Friday morning to children's lives through things such welcome and listen to Shirin Ebadi, as toy guns and violent video games. an Iranian crusader of women and To promote peace, Ebadi urged govchildren's rights who won the No- ernments around the world to rebel Peace Prize in 2003. The talk, strict such toys and replace them titled "Human Rights: The Struggle with books and pens. for Iran," comprised the second-an"I especially liked what she said nual World Leaders Lecture Forum, about how foreign interventions or which last year welcomed former Is- military endeavors are not necesraeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak. sarily the best option," said Sawaiba Iranian Nobel Prize winnerShrrin Ebadi speaks to a large crowd In the Union Ballroom on Friday. The lecture, titled "Democracy and human rights can Khan, a senior in history and English. "Human Rights; The Strugglefbr Iran/abo touched on relations between the Iranian and American people. only grow and flourish in a sound "People within their own countries Edgar Zuniga Jr. STAFF WRITER U ski team reunites Members come together from all over globe Andrew Cone STAFF WRITER I wish we'd started sooner because we'd have had even more people." The event was attended by alumni from a variety of years and places. "We've got former team members here from all over the world," said Pat Miller, 1 who was the head coach of the ski team for 20 years during the 1980s and 1990s. "They came from Finland, Sweden, Norway, Chile, Switzerland, Austria, Canada... all over." Bjorn Malkomsen, a graduate from the U's business school who now lives in Norway, attended and competed in all three events. "I was the first alpine skier from Norway at the U. I won a couple of races back in '69," said Malkomsen, who was on the Utah ski team from 1969 until 1972. Awards for each of the events were handed out during the banquet Saturday night. Additionally, the Jerry Dixon Scholarship was awarded to Scott Veenis, who also won the CD. Reddish Memo- Members of the U ski team, past and present, gathered at Snowbird Ski Resort during the weekend to celebrate the group's 60th anniversary. "It's our first-ever ski team reunion in 60 years," said Barbara Yamada, who helped organize the event. In addition to a social reception and banquet, the celebration featured three events Saturday: a four-mile, uphill cross country race starting at the bottom of the mountain, a dual super slalom race and a scavenger hunt. "A lot of people who did the uphill race did the other events also, which is pretty amazmg because these were people who were here in the '60s," Yamada said. About 160 people came to the event, said Eli Brown, director of the U's ski program and organizer of the event. "It was pretty overwhelming, the turnout," Brown said. "My main motivation for this event was to get everyone together. See SKI Page 4 have the right to make changes and influence their own countries with: out needing a foreign military." Human rights is an international standard on how to live, and it has nothing to do with the West or East, Muslims or Christians, Ebadi saidShe said many Middle Eastern governments, including Iran, use Islam as a pretext to enforce their own interpretation of Islam on their people and limit their human rights. For example, Ebadi said in a country tike Saudi Arabia, women cannot drive or enjoy other rights, but other Is-: lamic countries such as Indonesia or Pakistan have women becoming political leaders decades ago. "I admired what she said about the; interpretation of Islam, because the problem (in Muslim countries) is not Islam," said Khadija Guet, a seSee PEACE Page 4 Class gift pays for new playground Rochelle McConkie ASST. NEWS EDITOR , . ,. ;. :, ,, .., Chalen Brown stands with a partially eaten M&M cookie in each hand, watching her three kids play on the newly renovated playground the ASUU Senior Class Council dedicated Friday as this year's class gift. Suddenly, her 6-year-old son, Ethan, comes running toward her, crying because he fell coming off the slides. It's mom to the rescue. Brown, a senior in exercise and sport science, has been sending her children to the Associated Students of the University of Utah Child Care Center since Ethan was a year and a half old. Now, her two daughters, ages 3 and 4, spend about 20 hours each week at the center. "It's probably the only way I would have gotten my degree," Brown said. "My husband and I are both students...and with little income, trying to go elsewhere—there's no way we could afford that." Senior Class President Nicole Nguyen said the council chose to fund renovations of the ASUU Child Care Center playground to show support for non-traditional students. The renovation of the playground, located between the Alfred Emery Building and the James Talmage Building, was a fulfillment of Nguyen's commitment to completing a senior class gift be- PHOTO COURTESY MAEAKAFA RYAN MCOM8ER The new ASUU Child Care Center playground was dedicated Friday evening. The senior class gave a donation to help pay for the reconstruction. fore students graduated this year. Although none of the student leaders have children, Nguyen said they know how difficult school can be even as traditional students. "We recognize the challenges that face student parents," she said. See PLAYGROUND Page 3 |