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Show 7 Thursday, April! 6,2009 OPINION www.dailyutahchronicle.com Join the tweevolution THE CHRONICLE'S VIEW Concert schedule isn't very grand Social networks can bring change N ot many people wish it were Rtay more V than those who attended The Grand Ker- ^ ruffle on Wednesday. ,X The show, featuring Lupe Fiasco and Girl Talk, ''i was preceded by almost a day long mid-April .£ show storm, leaving the ground partially covered -\ in a thin layer of snow for the evening concert. In the afternoon, event workers were even warning attendees about a "no-umbrella" rule. Concert-goers who weren't intimidated by the day's weather faced a temperature forecast of about 30 degrees. This isn't thefirsttime the Kerfuffle has been hampered by bad weather, and although there is al- * ways someriskin holding an outdoor concert, organizers should consider the benefits of pushing back the date. Although May might be best, even pushing the date to the last weekend beforefinalsweek would improve the chance of agreeable weather. Pushing back the Kerfuffle would not only .. • v ; increase the chance of good weather, but could '. breathe new life into U student attendance. In the past few years, the event seems to be better attended by local high school students and less attended by U students. Having the show scheduled on a Wednesday night leading up tofinalsclashes with the schedules of many at the U. Holding the Kerfuffle on the last night of school or on a weekend immediately followingfinalsin May would make it easier to attend. Besides the scheduling problem, the Kerfuffle' struggles to attract bands.that interest a large portion of the student body. The difficulty in hiring a band that can catch the attention of such a diverse group of people is understandable. ".-...,.' , ;.. However, the event could be just as cost ef- ' fective and better attended by making it more : a festival than a concert. Instead of the current structure, organizers should invite multiple local bands to perform on two or more stages and cap them with a headliner to close out the night. Not only would this help attract students with different tastes, it would keep more students on campus for longer, which would attract vendors. Instead of sticking with the traditional schedule and structure, the Kerfuffle could be unproved by a few small changes. Future organizers should be prepared to shake it up. letters@chronicle.utah.edu Unsigned editorials reflect the majority opinion of The Daily Utah Chronicle Editorial Board. Signed editorials, editorial columns apd_ letters to the edi•'t for 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 online at www. daily u rah chronicle.com. Letters that the editor deems best represent those received will be printed in the newspaper. EMILY RODRIGUEZVARGAS O ne voice can go a long way. Last week^a Twitter revolution broke out in Chisinau, Moldova. Because of activism via Twitter, blogs and Facebook, a huge anti-Communist protest of 15,000 people was brought together on the streets. The frequent updates on these networks made it possible to inform Moldovians about the time and place of the protest. Although we might not be planning a revolution here in Salt Lake City, many individuals use social media to express themselves and connect through blogs, Facebook and Twitter. The Moldova protest demonstrates just how powerful these resources can be. Those not versed in the social network jargon have a little catching up to do to comprehend the whole Twittosphere of tweets and tweeple, and what Facebook is all about. To my own great surprise, some departments at the U are keeping students informed through their own Twitter and Facebook profiles. If you don't feel like you know what's going on in your department, or simply want to keep up on upcoming events, this is the easiest way to stay informed at the U, with all of the events planned for Salt Lake City, and anywhere else you'd like to keep tabs on. Twitter is more of a networking tool where you can find others with similar interests and stay in touch with frequent updates or ideas you can share. Just interested in finding other writers and grad students whose brains I could pick, I recently started my own profile. With this network, I've been able to talk to a lot of different people already in my future career field, ask questions and get advice on grad school applications, workshops that are taking place in the area, and many other things I'd have missed out on without these connections. Sarah Nielson, a communication major at the U, even relies on this network for research. "It's easy to hop online and ask a question to hundreds of people, rather than seek out individual people," Nielson said. "Students are pressed for time and this allows someone to get many different Bike program has potential W hen I first heard the basic premise of the Senior Council's proposed senior gift, the UBike program, I was confused by some of the details. But after really looking into the program, it was clear to me that a lot of the components of the bike rental program are misunderstood. The creators of UBike have clearly done their research and based many of the fundamentals of the rental program on existing systems which have been very successful. Utah State University, which has a similar program that has enjoyed a great deal of success, has been the main model for UBike. Although there is always some risk on how a program will turn out, it seems to be pretty well thought-out and could be a great addition to campus. There has been a lot of criticism concerning the possibility of theft of the cruisers. However, after consulting officials from almost identical programs at Westminster College and Utah State (which averages three thefts per year), as well as the cruiser company, which has years of experience creating similar programs at campuses across the nation, the Senior Council concluded that theft was not going to be a major issue. Furthermore, the cruisers will have several very distinct characteristics that will make their theft much less likely. They are red cruisers, with UBike and the U's logo plastered across the frame, which should make them fairly recognizable. Another major concern with UBike is the fact that the bikes available for rent will be three-speed cruisers, which could prove to be incompatible with the U as our JOHN HANNON campus certainly has its share of vertical incline. But, as I found with . most of the possible hiccups in the program, this option is clearly the most logical According to Associated Students of the University of Utah Senior Class President Madison Warren, the model she has selected makes concessions to the topography of campus and is also the least labor-intensive of any other possible options. Cruisers have very few spare parts and require little maintenance in order to keep them consistently in the rental program. These exact models are part of programs on all types of campuses and seem to work just fine wherever they've been implemented: I have never ridden a three-speed cruiser on campus, but I'm intrigued by UBike, and it seems like ASUU has done their homework here. I'm willing to give it a shot. I'll be attending their kickoff celebration, April 22 at noon at the Union patio, where students and faculty will have a chance to test ride a cruiser. Come check out the bikes and see how you feel about the class of 2OO9's gift to theU. Leaving a legacy at the institution from which you received your diploma is a great goal to strive for. Hopefully the rental program takes off at the U, Give it a chance. letters@ chronicle.utah.edu 2OQ<3 T>*VOU — X'<V\ "JUST O\JT /M VLADIMIR SOKOLOV/TheDatyUtohQirenktt opinions at once." Most newspapers and magazines are becoming more involved in the network world by delivering short news bits online. CNN, which had 937,000 followers, on its Twitter feed as of Wednesday afternoon, supplies its followers with breaking news from any corner of the world. Combining networking, news updates and reading up on what your Congressman or favorite celebrity is doing can simplify your life by only using one network. The "flat world effect," as described by the economic author Thomas Friedman, doesn't only become real when you can follow Ashton Kutcher or Britney Spears, but when you know that it's possible to have your voice heard instantaneously on the other side of the globe. With the world somewhat more leveled, opportunities open up that can be used to share your insights on things important to you. Using online resources for something other than socializing is a wise move. Your view of the world, your future, and even society can be changed with the simple cb'ck of a mouse. Instead of spending hours wandering aimlessly on Facebook, there are many alternatives that can be used to learn more about the happenings around us, interact with others who are already on your career path, and perhaps even get more involved in making a difference. letters@chronicle.utah.edu LETTERS TQ THE EDITOR Williams' privilege blinds her Editor: means of proactively expecting equal Alicia Williams' column ('"Safe rights everywhere on campus. Bezones' would create false danger percause discrimination is still very real, ceptions," April 14), is full of false perand often silent, designation of safe ceptions. Privilege shields the writer , zones is natural and necessary. The from the reality that not all campus prevalence of privilege, as evidenced areas are safe, even where diversity is in the editorial, shows the necessity supposedly valued. It engenders her of safe zones. Being proactive, howto determine an area's safety, which ever, is not a one-way street. Without cannot be her decision, unless she has adequate publicity, obscure protection encountered such threats to her idenpolicies are merely ploys to silence tity. Respect and consideration are not the marginalized. Rather than excussubstitutes for education and are not ing ignorance with claims of segregathe only requisites for safety. Just as tion, people truly concerned about non-queers are automatically entitled inclusion should step outside their to humanity, we should not have to privilege. demand ours. Sherry Li, She does not realize safe zones are a Junior, Political Science Conficker story misleading Editor: I was extremely disappointed by the article about the Conficker virus O'Conficker worm attacks U computers," April 10). The Conficker worm affects only computers running Microsoft Windows operating systems. That means that Apple computer users and Linux users are in no way at risk. Your article makes no mention of which operating systems are vulnerable and blatantly misleads your readers. This kind of information gap is unacceptable, particularly when it concerns the security of students' personal property. Rachel Stuart, Freshman, Pre-Business U offers valuablefinanceclasses Editor: While I wholeheartedly support Jeffrey Jenkins' proposal regarding a required course infinancialliteracy at the U ("Financial class should be required," April 15), let's not overlook the courses that already exist on that subject—inside and outside the School of Business. I offer one such class, Family and Consumer Studies 3500: Consumer and Family Finance. Check out the course description in this summer's course catalog. Robert Mayer, . Professor, Department of Family and Consumer Studies Letters to the editor should be sent to Ietters@chronfcle.utah.edu. Letters should be fewer than 150 words and must include the writer's name. Letters from students should also include the writer's major and year in school. Letters from U faculty and staff should include department and title. All other letters must include the sender's name. All letters become property of The Daily Utah Chronicle and may be edited for style, length and content. w w w. d a• 1 c h y u 0 t n a 1• h c 1 e. c 0 m |