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Show 12 U TA WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25,2005 S T A T E S M A N Contact: 797-1762 editor@statesman.usu.edu Utah Statesman Transformation U transforming for the good While most of us dread attending class once in awhile, the idea of dropping out still seems slightly extreme. However, in 2001 almost one-third of those students admitted leave USU after their first year. Over the years, university officials have noticed the troubling attrition rate and rather than looking the other way, members of USU have developed a different strategy - encouraging OUT VlPW •'""•••^k^fcr.i students to succeed i JmmmH a n c j graduate. The university has implemented "Transformation U/'which has increased the retention rate by 10 points, from 66 to 75 percent. The university should be commended for implementing such a program to encourage students to continue to pursue a higher education. Remembering back to our freshman year, we sympathize with the chaotic emotions this transition brings. Freshman year can often be overwhelming and the idea of actually attending classes necessary for a career is daunting. No wonder many students drop out after their first year. However, the university is offering guidance for students by focusing on the recruitment process and aiming to help potential Aggies decide whether USU is right for them. This call to action can also be seen in our athletics programs. According to a posting on www.pnnonline.org, a nonprofit news and information source, USU's men's basketball team in this season's NCAA tournament show a 100 percent graduation rate for this year. According to the site, within six years of initial enrollment, nearly one-third of the men's teams across the country, 20 out of 65, failed to graduate 30 percent of their players. The university should be commended for its efforts in student retention and recruitment. Even though some of us come kicking and screaming to class, we still come and our appreciation goes out to those who are making that a reality. Planning for worse than taxes It is hardly surprising that a society incapable of agreeing on when life officially begins cannot, agree on when life can end. Whafs dumbfounding after 30 years of disputed unpluggings, from Karen Ann Quinlan to the politically suspended passing of Terri Schiavo, is that enlightened Americans still prove largely incapable of drawing the obvious conclusion, taking responsibility for themselves and making advance preparations to shape their own ends. We'll all die. But in an age of increased longevity and medical advances, death can be suspended, sometimes indefinitely, and no longer slips in according to its own immutable timetable, So, for both patients and their loved ones, real decisions are demanded: When do we stop doing all that we can do? When The Los Angeles Times Guest Editorial llFF See Page 13 Staff Editor in Chief Emilie Holmes News Editor Katie Ashton Assistant News Editor Brooke Nelson Features Editor Joel Featherstone Assistant Features Editor Steve Shinney Sports Editor Aaron Falk Assistant Sports Editor Andrea Edmunds World & Nation Editor Lindsay Kite Photo Editor John Zsiray Assistant Photo Editor Michael Sharp Letters to the Editor Editor's note: Letters concerning ASUSU elections will not be printed after March 28. The deadline for those submissions is at noon, March 27. Drinking ad is hateful Editor, I am concerned with an ad in the March 21 issue of the Utah Statesman. The ad I am concerned with is the ad placed by the Student Wellness Center depicting people who drink as "pants pissing out-of-control losers." This ad is not only unfair, but it is covertly political and motivated by moral elitism. Instead of promoting responsible drinking or drinking at a proper age, the ad focuses on putting unneeded fear in students. I feel that it serves no good purpose to the students. After reading it students may think that alcohol automatically makes you lose control, and they may Editorial Board develop a negative perception of their fellow students who do choose to drink alcohol responsibly. This ad forces narrow-minded views of the NATIONAL minority on an entire campus of diverse individuals. Please do a real service to the student body and focus in inclusion and education instead of exclusion and hateful propaganda. ErikValdez Aggies treated badly at tourney Editor, I "attended'trie Big West tourney this last weekend. First off let me say congratulations to an amazing tournament win. Most fans at Univeristy of the Pacific recognize that you were the better team Saturday night. I am writing in regards to demeaning and what I call racist comments that were being yelled from our stands. When your player (Pak I beleive) had the ball in his posssesion our fans chanted a phrase that represents horrible thoughts and emotions for anyone that hears it. Also the continued bashing of the Mormon religion gave me intense feelings of embarassment. I assure you that the people yelling the comments were 100 percent ignorant to the comments they were yelling. Being religous I found that you may not agree with a religion but you need to find a way to live with and respect humans in this world regardless of their religous views. There are many good and bad things that come from a rivalry such as our's but I .believe that UOP. acted in a manner that does not represent our team or our university as a whole. Best of luck at the tourney of tourneys. Stuart Krengel Editor's note: The above letter was sent during USU's Spring Break, while the Statesman was not in print and before the Aggies played in the NCAA tournament. Congress Schiavo decision made based on what matters Life on a feeding tube certainly wouldn't be the most pleasant. In fact, 78 percent of Americans say they would rather die first before living like that. Personally, I count myself among the 78 percent. Yet, when such a tragedy does occur, a family will go through no greater struggle than to actually remove the support and watch a loved one pass away. Such is the case of Terri Schiavo. For those watching the case, things seem to change by the minute. Just this past Friday, the vegetated woman's feeding tube was removed according to a ruling by a Florida court. Now Congress and the president have stepped in and moved the case to federal courts to be reheard. Meanwhile, Terri continues without food or water. Such difficult decisions are best left to the family/ not government. But this time, they were in disagreement. Terri's husband and legal guardian, Michael, is adamant about her wishes to end her life rather than being sustained artificially. Yet her family disagrees. They believe she snows signs of coherence despite significant brain loss and the dependency upon a feeding tube. Despite that, the court sided with Michael and the feeding tube was removed. So, with the Supreme Court refusing to hear the case and nowhere else to turn, Congress has stepped in. The House and the Senate called an emergency session over the weekend to push the case into a federal court, an unprecedented move. Many are irate that Congress would overstep its bounds and interfere. And frankly, they have a point. Checks and balances are the whole essence of our government. By overriding a court's Ally Ally Oxen Free Jon Cox decision, you essentially take away their check on you and the whole system becomes imbalanced. Others have criticized Congress and the president for taking time away from more important affairs to hear about the Terri Schiavo case. There are social security reforms to be made, budgets to be balanced and democracy to be spread. But amidst all the talk of programs, sometimes we can lose sight of the people. I am enthralled that Congress would pass such a bill, and not because I side with her parents on the matter. The reason why I'm so gung-ho about Congress's move is because it shows we care. While the world spins around and around, sometimes we lose track of what really matters, the individual." But not this time. Terri Schiavo holds no great personal wealth ready to be doled out in the next election. She isn't the close relative of some important world leader. She's just Terri Schiavo. Yet, the most powerSrHiAvn See Page 73 Emilie Holmes Katie Ashton Brooke Nelson John Zsiray Aaron Falk Michael Sharp About Letters • Letters should be limited to 350 words. • All letters may be shortened, edited or rejected for reasons of good taste, redundancy or volume of similar letters. • Letters must be topic oriented. They may not be directed toward individuals. Any letter directed to a specific individual may be edited or not printed. • No anonymous letters will be published. Writers must sign all letters and include a phone number or e-mail address as well as a student identification number. • Letters representing groups — or more than one individual — must have a singular representative clearly stated, with all • necessary identification information. • Writers must wait 21 days before submitting successive letters — no exceptions. • Letters can be hand delivered or mailed to The Statesman in the TSC, Room 105, or can be emailed to editor@statesman.usu.edu or click on www.utahstatesman.com for more letter guidelines and a submission box. Online Poll Will you be voting in the ASUSU primary or final elections? • Yes, it's important for the future of this university. • Yes, I have acquaintances running whom I will vote for. • No, my vote doesn't matter that much anyway. • No, ASUSU's decisions have little influence on my life. • Who knows, I'm just confused about its new organization. • I don't know yet. We'll see when the time comes. 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