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Show 9 Wednesday, March 8,2006 797-1762 statesman@cc.usu.edu www.utahstatesman.com Wednesday is last chance to vote If you're reading this before 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, put down the paper, log onto your Webmail and vote. Maybe you're tired of elections and you think that _ _ ^ _ ^ _ ^ ^ _ _ _ not voting will oe your way Utah Statesman r SWS OBESITY Mi DOWN WHEN I ^ S T U BtFORETHt TERIWST5COJ \ I Sound judgment important in keeping paradise memorable It's the final stretch of mid- matter how tempting. terms,, and I tell y you what I had a few thoughts of g If i d k i my brain hurts. After hours of my own. If getting drunk is studying, writing and home- your idea of spring break fun, working, I am really looking make especially sure you are forwardto a week without all among friends that can make of it, where I can sleep in a sure you don't pass out in the little and relax a lot, where I pool, get dragged away by can just turn off my brain. strangers or drive anywhere. g y For me, this is a valid If travel t l iis your thing, hi d ' don't option. I'm not go anywhere alone venturing any- a bus, a bathroom, Mikaylie where exotic for a bedroom - always KarjmDer my break. The be with someone comforts of my you know. La-Z-Boy recliner Of course, these and the book I've tips are likely not been meaning to going to cover every read for the last circumstance you three months come across during doesn't require the break. much pertinent In fact, I read somethe Fence where thought and very once that little planning. But every time someone for those traveling outside the goes on a trip, they come confines of their own living across two instances when room, spring break is going to they are required to make require a little brain power... sound judgment, no matter well, at least it should. where they happen to be Whether you are sitting traveling. in class imagining a sandy For these instances, I have beach with palm trees and one last bit of wisdom, a percocktails or another adven- sonal motto of mine I learned ture with more substance and my first year of college sfte seeing involved, safety is don't do anything stupicT. This always something to keep in may sound a little trite and mind. incredibly obvious, but I am I'm sure everyone has constantly amazed by the heard at least one spring stupid iaeas that suddenly break horror story. Therefore, sound brilliant when uttered I don't see the need to recount by a friend. any. We know that bad things This is starting to sound a can happen while you're cut- little like the standard par,-ting loose in the Caribbean or ent lecture on traveling. And mingling among the locals in the last thing we want to do Mexico. Travel, while one of before heading out on the the most exciting things you college student's rite of pascan do, can sometimes be an sage is admit our parents unfortunate experience. were right. For now is the So let's be careful. The time to discover what we're Seattle Times issued a story made, to prove we can make on Sunday with tips from sensible choices without Global Tracks, a professional the supervision of teachers, travel agency, on how to make classes, parents or drinking your spring break safe and laws. successful. They suggested I hope everyone finds their things like making sure you version of paradise, and most check in at home periodical- of all makes it back safely. ly, not carrying extra money Happy trails to you all! and credit cards with you, Mikaylie Kartchner is a before you drink something senior in print journalism. know where it came from Comments and questions and not wandering off with can be sent to someone you don't know, no mikayliek@cc. usu. edu. Brooke Nelson Aaron Fa Ik Assistant News Editor Marie MacKay Features Editor Steve Shinney i'''"' ' " ' ' H B B B I Spring Break safety more than just buckling up Editor in Chief News Editor t0 OUT V l P W Protest- Maybe you're tired ^V~-?JHJ[J^^— of naving to take an alternate route on campus to avoid the candidates and their handouts. You might be tired of the signs that have filled virtually every window on 8th East. You might even be tired of the Statesman staff urging you to vote. But by 5 p.m. tonight, it will all be over. If the results weren't what you wanted, and you didn't vote, you have no one to blame but yourself. And if not voting is your way of rebelling, based on past voter turnouts, voting is actually the progressive thing to do. Picking a qualified representative isn't time consuming. You can access the ballot from at least three different places on the web. The most obvious is your Webmail account. The process is fast, easy and relatively painless. You can log in, vote and submit your ballot in less time than it will take to skirt around those A-frames or decide if the sugar rush you could get from a handout is worth the spiel you'll get on a candidate's goals. Student fees have never been higher; the enrollment problem has not been completely corrected; credit card machines still run slowly. All problems that can be fixed by voting in the right people and then holding them accountable for the positions they hold. So go on and vote already. That nagging feeling you're forgetting something will go away, the candidates will disappear from campus sidewalks, and if you vote for the right people, so might some of the troubles that plague campus. But only if you vote. Staff Assistant Features Editor Emma Tippetts Sports Editor Andrea Edmunds Assistant Sports Editor Bryan Hinton. Diversions Editor Matt Wright Copy Editor Letters to the Editor Lindsay Kite Photo Editor iPublicTdfurd.own. I was surprised when I opened the letter and found that it was asking for contributions. To the Editor, The letter was from the former Classified Employees I've been a fu 11 time employ- Association president, Milton ee at USU for 6 months now, Johnson. He stated that my and while it is a good paying efforts were truly noticed by job, I wouldn't say that my others on campus, that I was husband (a full time student) a great employee, etc. and I are "well off". I'm taking He then went on the say two classes this semester, and how hard it is for students was thrilled to get half tuition that have to work part time for my classes. to balance school work with I was surprised when my their other responsibilities. father-in-law called the other This could prevent them from day to say he had some mail having time to work with profor me at his house, from USU. fessors on research projects I don't know why they would and other important things. have sent anything there; I've If I would only sign up to never listed that address as my have money taken out of Student employee asked to donate money my paycheck each month, I could really help those struggling students. My contribution could help offset the cost of tuition those students pay, because an extra $100.00 in tuition could cause someone to go to a different university. Thafs interesting, because I remember reading about tuition increases, new 40 million dollar buildings being built, and decreases in funding from the state recently. I guess the university thought it could solicit donations from its employees, implement hiring freezes, and raise student fees to offset their budgeting woes. Candiss Petersen Students should have known about TSC lab proposal before it passed Whether or not the expan- Should we really be expandsion of the TSC computer lab ing this lab when we just will be in the best interest spent $40 million on a new of the students seems to be library with a computer lab? something ASUSU president Especially when enrollment is Quinn Millet has down. Millet said already figured out. the lab will be Andrea It needs to be done, expanded using Edosmds no questions asked money left over ... especially before from the library his term is up. and will not cost the students anyThere is nothing thing. But students wrong with wanting have already paid to expand the lab for these 10 other to help students out, open access labs. but the way Millet Statesman By not looking for went about it was ways to fully utiwrong. As president Soapbox lize them, it seems of the Associated like we are throwStudents of Utah ing that money out the winState University which we, as students of USU, are all dow. part of, Millet did a poor job True, with the openof informing students of his ing of the LivingMearning plans and giving the student Community there could body a chance to voice our be even more students tryopinions on whether or not ing to use the lab. But we we really thought we needed won't know how many more the computer lab expanded. students from the Living\ Yes trie lab is crowded, Learning Community will use and it can be painful - but the lab until they are actually only during peak times on there using it. Who's to say certain days. Is expanding most of them won't have their the TSC lao the best option own computers? And techniwhen there are 10 other open cally, the computer lab in access computer labs on cam- the ESLC is closer to the new pus that are underutilized? residences. Whether or not the lab expansion is a good idea, Millet should have let the student body know his plans. He should have informed students of his research. Millet says he's done the research to back this proposal, but he didn't share it, or his reasons for it, with students until the ASUSU Executive Council meeting Tuesday night where the idea was proposed, discussed, voted on and passed all in less than an hour's time. Maybe there were other, better uses for this money. Maybe this is a project he's been working on for months. Maybe this is his way to make a name for himself. Maybe this really is whar/s best for the students. We don't know, and that's my point. What it all comes down to is that this isn't an issue of whether or not the expansion is a good idea or where the Statesman should be moved to; ifs about how getting the legislation passed behind students' backs feels wrong on so many levels. Andrea Edmunds is the sports editor for the Utah Statesman. Send comments to aedmunds@cc.usu.edu. Michael Sharp Assistant Photo Editor Jessica Alexander Editorial Board Brooke Nelson Aaron Fa Ik Bryan Hinton Marie MacKay Michael Sharp Steve Shinney 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 T""maybe-edited or not : printed. • No anonymous letters will be published. Writers must sign all letters and include a phone number or email address as well as a student identification number. Letters will not be printed without this verification. • 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 e-mailed to editor© statesman.usu.edu or click on www.utahstatesman.com for more letter guidelines and a submission box. Online poll Do you think the TSC computer lab needs to be expanded? • Yes, that lab is always full / .'V \ • No, there are other labs on campus that aren't being used RESCUE TfcAVfi NEEPEDl NOCQhU Visit us on the Web at www.utahstatesman.com to cast your vote. Check out these links on www.utahstatesman.com: Local TV listings Faculty evaluations Comics Activities and events Classifieds Weather Archives |