OCR Text |
Show 74 Monday, March 27,2006 797-1762 statesman@cc.usu.edu www.utahstatesman.com Utah Statesman Rise in tuition a fact of lite, but still painful Staff Editor in Chief With the State Board of Regents already announcing a 4 percent increase in Tier-I tuition statewide, no one's jaw dropped when USU officials announced that its students would see another 4 percent increase in Tier-II tuition next fall. Rising college tuition, at this juncture, is a fact of life. Welcome, students, to the status uo Our View ^ Brooke Nelson News Editor Aaron Fal# 1 Assistant News Editor •/ Marie MacKay Features Editor - V i l l VICW But just because the increase \EdtioriQJ__ H ^ M isn't surprising doesn't mean the $246 per semester increase won't hit most students where it hurts the most: their wallets. College students are not notoriously wealthy and, last we checked, nobody's getting rich waiting tables or taking inbound customer service complaints at 3 in the morning. And at $6 per hour, it would take more than 40 hours to cover the additional cost - before taxes. Still, USU officials are not to blame for the increase. This year, the Utah Legislature used a $300 million budget surplus, the largest surplus in years, to knock off 2 percent of the state's food tax. WS&FcForum With surpluses routinely going to fund road construction or provide temporary tax breaks, the Utah Proposal for changes in TSC cause concerns Legislature has shown higher education is not its top priority. Editor, If you're discouraged by the increase and wonder if I'm concerned about some you'll be able to afford college next semester, just know of the proposed changes to that there will always be work for you fixing Utah's high- the Taggart Student Center, ways. and I'd like to add my two If, however, you're angered by these endless tuition cents. I've visited with a numhikes, don't write a letter to USU President Stan Albrecht ber of students about theidea - write a letter to your representative and remember to expand the computer lab, and very few have been in that frustration come November when it's time to cast favor of the decision. your ballot. There seems to be countBut if that's not enough to calm you, maybe you can less other computer labs that take solace in the fact that you don't go to Dixie State, aren't used at capacity, and where freshman and sophomores will see a 27.1 per- it would seem silly to use valuable real-estate in the cent increase in tuition next fall. Taggart for more computers Ouch. when most of the time, they Assistant Features Editor 1 Emma Tippetts* Sports Editor :; Andrea Edmunds Assistant Sports Editor Bryan Hinton, Diversions Editor Debate of censuring Bush serves dueling purposes Now -1 Matt Wrighl Letters to the Editor would sit unused. There are only a few hours each day that there's even a waiting list for lab there, and during 1 Steve Shinney Copy Editor 0 Lindsay Kit£ Photo Editor Michael Sharp those hours, I don't think it sible. I think it's important to would hurt students to walk keep our news center cento another lab. The CIL Lab trally located. in the ESLC is usually empty, I've also heard it proposed and it's less than a two min- that the remaining space now ute walk from the Taggart. Is occupied by the Statesman it possible to promote a little would be converted back exercise rather than immedi- into some sort of lounge or ate convenience? game area, like the O l d Bull If we do decide to extend Pen. Now I started school the lab, then the Statesman here once the Bull Pen was office would need to be gone, but I'm guessing they moved, as has been dis- did away with it because it cussed. It has been proposed wasn't being used, much like to put it in the Towers, and I the TV lounge on the second think this would be a gross floor. If we bring it back, mistake if we are seeking will it go unused Tike it was to make the TSC more stu- before, or is something going dent-friendly. The Statesman to be different? I hope this at is the voice of the students, least provides some food for so rather than sending it to thought, especially for those some obscure office, I think making these difficult it would be in the best inter- decisions. est of the student body to keep the Statesman accesBenjamin F Cummings is the best time to be Republican Maybe to save money and Democratic leaders are driftreduce duplication, MoveOn. ing toward a midterm mesViolence and sex are everywhere on teleToday, Republicans control every branch org and the Republican sage that indicts Bush more National Committee should on grounds of competence vision. The average person has seen more of government and the media. America is one just hire the same ad agency. (Iraq, Hurricane Katrina, pre- than 200,000 murders by the time they're 18. of only two industrialized nations to enforce the death penalty. The vast majorUsually, the RNC and scription drugs) than ideol- Sexual behavior among high school and junior high schoofstudents has ity of other industrialized societies MoveOn, the giant online lib- ogyAdam Strong support gay marriage and still, Democrats want been normalized. eral advocacy group, _ ^ ^ ^ _ 11 out of 50 states in the United Several years ago, this would not go at it h a m m e r M a t ' l Americans to cast States outlaw it in their constitube the case. Back before Elvis startand tongs. But t h e y l » w l I their ballots this tion. Besides the Middle East, the ed shaking his hips, back when Dick have found common [QHf^'f Vdfl November lookUnited States of America is the cause of a sort. Both ing backward, Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore most conservative country on the are highlighting the resolution at the missteps and setbacks slept in separate beds, back when planet. Americans' minds were clean. Those by Sen. Russell D. Feingold, that have depressed Bush's D-Wis., that asks the Senate approval ratings to anemic were the good ol' days. Innocent There has never been a betAmerica. Nothing to be offended by, to censure President Bush levels. ter time to be a Republican in for authorizing warrantless America, and while President A focus on ideology, by nothing to worry about. surveillance by the National contrast, inherently tilts the Bush is pulling in some of the lowPerfect. Security Agency. est approval ratings in the history The picture looks slightly differelection forward: It asks votof the presidency, the mindset of a Feingold and his resolu- • ers to decide which side ent in today's society. Police officers tion dominated prime real has a better plan to move are arresting shirtless men on TV, Billie Joe country "slipping away" is still on Americans' estate on the Web sites of ahead. Most Democratic Armstrong is brainwashing our youth with minds. both MoveOn.org and the leaders seem leery about that radically liberal lyrics and every day we ease President Bush and his Republican-conup a little more on what we deem as "inap- trolled government are painting a deceivRNC. Possibly not since an approach. unknown Bruce Springsteen Not Feingold. He andpropriate." There is no doubt that our country ing picture. A picture of a country that is simultaneously scored the his allies, such as MoveOn, is slipping away, and American values are being taken over by evil empire-like liberals. covers of Time and Newsweek believe Democrats should slowly diminishing - or at least that is what Republicans would like us to believe our three decades ago has any present clear, confrontational conservatives are saying. morals are being taken from us. When, in public figure landed such an alternatives to Bush that will Just last night, while watching "The Daily fact, the shoe belongs on the other foot. unlikely twofer. inspire a large turnout from Show," a Republican propaganda commercial President Bush's approval ratings are MoveOn, of course, cham- the party's base. " O u r biggest was shown. This commercial was a Star Wars plummeting for a reason. He is sitting in his pioned Feingold's idea, and problem is Democrats, all spin-off, portraying Democrats as the Evil metaphorical "Death Star" surrounded by the RNC condemned it. over America, saying: "Why Rebel Empire and showed the Republicans people telling him he is right, when the counBut both want it in the vot- don't you guys ever stand as the Lulce Skywalker-sponsored light side. try knows he is wrong. We are in a poorly My Star Wars trivia is a little rusty, but doesn't planned war led by a corrupt man. I can only ers' minds as the elections up?'" Feingold insists. approach. Eli Pariser, executive direc- the Evil Empire attack Luke Skywalker's sand- nope Han Solo is on his way. One group has been con- tor of MoveOn's political filled, Arabian-like homeland in the beginComments and questions can be sent to spicuously absent from that action committee, says pro- ning? How ironic. adamstrong@cc.usu.edu. consensus: most Democrats moting censure will convince in Washington, D.C. Their voters that "Democrats are objections to Feingold's gam- strong and will take princibit are both substantive and pled positions." political. While sharing his Republican strategists, perconcern about the legality haps too optimistically, welof the NSA program, some come such talk. They insist worry about formally sanc- their prospects will improve tioning another president so if Democrats present a soon after the Republican sharper alternative this fall. Congress impeached Bill Republicans want voters to Clinton. Others contend that see the election , more as a Feingold's resolution diverts choice than a referendum. the debate from the surveilSo Republicans are drawlance program itself to wheth- ing attention to Feingold's er it is appropriate to offi- censure idea. The Senate cially rebuke the commander Judiciary Committee has in cnief at a time of war (as scheduled a hearing on it Republicans like to put it). Friday. Almost daily, the RNC It's an understatement to say issues statements charging Feingold's proposal doesn't that Feingold's resolution is fit with his party's emerging the first step in a Democratic election strategy. In a nar- plan to impeach Bush if the row sense, many Democrats party recaptures the House. Tnose jabs are designed would rather focus on Iraq than on the NSA surveillance, on which polls show Bush enjoys greater support. • CENSURE On a broader level, see page 75 Assistant Photo Editor Jessica Alexander Editorial Board Brooke Nelson Aaron Falk Bryan Hinton Marie MacKay Michael Sharp Steve Shinney About letters • • • . • • • • , Letters should be limited_ to 350 words. All letters may be short- 4 ened, edited or rejected j for reasons of good taste* redundancy or volume of similar letters. -1 Letters must be topic o r n ented. They may not be & directed toward individ-) uals. Any letter directed J .to a specific individual 1 may be edited or not printed. 1 No anonymous let> J ters will be published. .1 Writers must sign all 1 letters and include a \ phone number or ei mail address as well as >* a student identification ^ number. Letters will not » be printed without this ?venfication. J Letters representing ' groups — or more than ' one individual — must } have a singular represen-l tative clearly stated, with, all necessary identifica- ; J tion information. a 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 , What did you do for Spring 3 Break? I" • Traveled with friends and | family (62%) v • Caught up on sleep at home (25%) * • Caught up on homework, (13%) . -, Visit us on the Web at ) www.utahstatesman.com to cast your vote. 'i Check out these links on www.utahstatesman.com: Local TV listings Faculty evaluations Comics Activities and events Classifieds Weather Archives J i Z (i I) o |