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Show 4 Thursday December 6, 2012 OPINION www.dailyutahchronicle.com U.S. economy depends too heavily upon Black Friday RACHEL JACKSON Opinion Columnist L ISAAC J. BROMLEY/The Daily Utah Chronicle Keynote speaker unworthy I n honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Week, the U announced the infamous Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. would be the keynote speaker. In a press release, President Pershing said, "We feel very fortunate to have Rev. Jackson deliver the keynote address for this year's MLK celebration. As a civil rights leader who worked alongside Martin Luther King, his presence will lend a special significance this year as we recognize the contributions and legacy of King." Octavio Villalpando, associate vice president for equity and diversity, continued, saying, "The University of Utah couldn't be more excited to have the esteemed Rev. Jesse Jackson headline our MLK celebrations. The fervor and energy generated by the pres- "Over the years Jackson has said and done some truly unscrupulous, offensive and even racist things." MARY MELLOR / Opinion Columnist ence of such an important social leader serves to highlight the importance of equity on our campus." While it is exciting to have such a famous historical figure coming to campus, it's worth noting that Jackson's history is not limited to marching for civil rights beside Dr. King. In fact, over the years Jackson has said and done some truly unscrupulous, offensive and even racist things — things not at all reflecting the values the U Online Comments "Santa Claus true symbol of Christmas" (Courtney Tanner, Dec. 5, 2012) Daniel posted on 12.05.2012 at 9:27 am. Thank you. I love Christmas and I'm an atheist. If Christians want to insist that it's a religious holiday I don't care, but they should keep it off public land. In December there are several happy holidays happening in addition to Christmas — hence the "happy holidays" greeting. I enjoy celebrating Christmas by giving gifts, listening to seasonal music (both secular and religious) and don't feel any need to attach it to any particular myth. If Christians weren't so insistent on pushing their beliefs into every square inch of the Govt. from the Pledge of Allegiance to currency (which is funny considering Jesus's stand on money) to unattended displays on public land I would have no problem with them.They can believe what they want — but I shouldn't have to pay for it. Jennifer M 10 posted on 12.05.2012 at 10:11 am. You seriously need to think about what you are saying.Yes, Santa is a fun icon at Christmas time, but he came into the picture much more recently than Jesus. And, Jesus is the reason why Christmas came about. So, yes I understand you are not a Christian, but you need to acknowledge that Christ IS Christmas, or include him equal to Santa since you are not religious. Or, stop pushing your beliefs onto others. Christ died on the cross, not Santa Claus. Christ died for our sins. He atoned for every one of us. So, have some respect because after this life (and you will remember my words on judgement day), you will know for an absolute fact that he exists and he did indeed die for us. He gave the ultimate sacrifice, enduring the most heinous crimes brought upon him as an innocent human being. He was crucified for every single sin we have committed, and every sin all mankind has not yet made, so we can live with him again. Jace posted on 12.05.2012 at 10:39 am. I don't feel like the author was pushing his beliefs onto others, simply stating an opinion in the opinion section of this news source.Also, you might want to check your facts prior to attacking someone with threats from a faith they themselves profess no belief in. Celebrations during this time of the year predate Christ's birth. In fact, celebrating Christ's birth on December 25th was early Christians way of trying to usurp a Pagan holiday being celebrated at the same time in Rome. Christmas trees, wreaths, bells, Santa, and a host of other Christmas symbols have been added to the celebration over the centuries. Why do you feel the need to attack someone for having an opinion that is different from yours? There is room on the bus for all of us to celebrate with each other in many wonderful and unique ways. Instead of attacking someone else's celebration method, maybe you could practice Christ's way and join them in their joy.Why not meet on the commonalities instead of attacking people for their differences? is trying to elevate during MLK Week. First, during his unsuccessful 1984 run for president, Jackson referred to Jews as "Hymies" and New York City as "Hymietown" in an interview with Washington Post journalist Milton Coleman. After denying the statements and then accusing Jews of conspiring against him, the situation was aggravated further by Jackson's friend, radical antiSemite and leader of the Nation of Islam Louis Farrakhan, who announced on the radio to Coleman and Jews "if you harm this brother, it will be the last one you harm." Jackson profusely apologized but the scandal ruined his chances at the presidency. In 2001, another scandal broke loose, this time claiming that Jackson had not only carried on a long-term extramarital affair, but had fathered a love See JACKSON Page 5 et's take a glance at the biggest shopping day of the year and how it affected the economy. That day is Black Friday — the one day a year where you can push, shove and potentially assault people and get away with it. As the official start of the holiday shopping season, Black Friday is (in)famous for drawing massive crowds. People flock from all over to local stores that offer the best bargains and lowest prices. According to various sources, it is also the biggest revenue day for retail stores, bringing in close to 20 percent of total yearly sales. This makes Black Friday something the economy has started to depend on as a way to recover from the recession. More people shopped this year during Black Friday than any other year — a record high of 89 million people, according to a report done by the National Retail Federation (NRF). This year, Black Friday shoppers also beat their amount spent per person over last year. On average, each individual spent about 450 dollars. A new strategy for 2012, which was supposed to boost the numbers, saw some stores opening not at midnight but well before then. This drew the older crowd that prefers not to stay out too late as well as the younger crowd that doesn't like to wake up early. What do these numbers mean? And why are people so excited about them? It's generally believed that Black Friday is crucial for not only building our way back out of the recession, but also a good way to create jobs. But at what cost, at what escalation of our consumerist tendencies? Some people, however, attempt to fight consumerism by having a "buy nothing day," which refers to an individual's effort at spending absolutely nothing for one whole day. The challenge here is to notice how much we are required to spend even on things such as interest from debts and cell phone usage, which we pay for every day. Our wallets are becoming so electronically linked to things that it's nearly impossible not to spend money. Regardless of its economic benefits, we can choose to fight consumerism on Black Friday. One day of morbid spending doesn't make or break an economy, anyway. See BLACK FRIDAY Page 5 Classes should cater to all students C kAJOkA.,D 11 -Bt, TossIBU_ To sciitputt -n_if, T IKAL TO b Opinion Columnist M any nontraditional undergraduate students who work full time during the day have limited options when it comes to picking their class schedule. Our university must find a way to retain nontraditional, working students by offering more classes at night. Some majors, such as those offered by the Art Department, do not offer any evening or weekend classes, while many other departments have limited class selections during these times as well. Some options for students in this dilemma are to find a major where classes are almost entirely online, such as anthropology. This does not take into account, however, many of the general education requirements students must fulfill in order to graduate. Online colleges are an option, but many online colleges do not have the same reputation or accreditation as the U. Many of these options may be part of the answer, but relying on them entirely for a degree misses r_ i gILF 13ED11 111f ?/ 8-rx-d 1)04 SALLY YOO/The Daily Utah Chronicle the value in a learning process built around a classroom and human relationships. Learning is a human process requiring interaction and dialogue — students gain much from closeness with fellow students and professors. Some students are told to decide between work and school — a decision no student should ever have to face. That is also not an acceptable decision for those who have to work to provide for themselves out of necessity, not because they want to. The U is largely a commuter campus and does a great job of catering to many nontraditional needs, but the limited number of courses offered during nontraditional school hours is one area that needs to be addressed, and soon. Many graduate programs are geared toward students who work full time. It wouldn't be too difficult to find out how those programs have structured their schedules and apply it to undergraduate majors and departments. Many classes could assume a hybrid form, where most of the work is online but the class meets once a week in person. Some online classes are already doing this. Hybrid classes allow flexibility for students and professors alike. There is space for flexibility at the U, and all students would benefit from it. It's simply a matter of committing to facilitating every student's education — not just the education of the traditional students. letters@chronicle.utah.edu |
