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Show "Only the mediocre are always at their' best" Jean Ciraudoux_ U Friday, April 13,2007 797-1762 statesman@cc.usu.edu www.utahstatesman.com Utah Statesman ASUSU: trustees or representatives? Staff About this time every year, ASUSU seems to come to a sudden realization that its term is almost up and wonder what legacy it will leave behind. This prompts bee-in-thebonnet activity that leads ASUSU to attempt to pass bills and resolutions that are probably better left alone. For example, last year the big ASUSU push was to expand the TSC computer lab even though it didn't ^ --, need to be expanded, considering UUr VIGW manv c o m Editor in Chief ""3 Elizabeth LawyerTi News Editor Di Lewi?' Assistant News Editor Arie KirkG Features Editor P u t e r 'aks across cam- itriitWrimmamm^^ pus remained under-utilized. e=xa^^^^^mm jf-,,s v e a r ASUSU carries on the tradition of leaving a lasting impression on the university by passing the resolution to support the Board of Regents in maanaating health insurance. At the time the resolution was proposed, the plan was to gather more student input before making a decision. Nearly two months later, ASUSU passed the mandatory health insurance resolution in support of the possibility of the Board of Regents' decision. ASUSU had plenty of time to hear students' views before voting, and the prevailing view was loud and clear: Students do not support mandatory health insurance when the costs are so high. Few students on campus would disagree that health insurance is a good idea. However, when the pocketbook comes into the picture, suddenly the issue becomes much more complicated. The students of USU expected their voice to be heard by ASUSU - their elected representatives - and for ASUSU to vote according to the student voice. In this aspect, ASUSU dropped the ball. It voted more along the lines of what the health insurance promoters wanted than what the majority of the student body wanted. Now before anyone gets all up in arms about this, take a moment to reflect on what the resolution actually meant. It is not a bill. It does not take immediate effect, nor does it necessarily mean that health insurance will be mandatory. The resolution was designed to protect the students of USU in the event statewide mandatory health insurance is established. It states what students at USU want to see happen. The resolution turned out to be a good thing for students - even those opposed to mandatory health insurance. However, this resolution has not been presented in this light, which has resulted in frustration and confusion. We at The Statesman take our fair share of the blame for not digging in deeper to discover what this resolution was all about. It is our responsibility to find and report the news accurately, and in this aspect we dropped the ball. However, ASUSU also needs to take some of the blame on this resolution. It is ASUSU's responsibility to be frank and open with the student body about the legislation that is being discussed. ASUSU should have presented this information more openly and stated in clear terms what the resolution actually meant. This would have alleviated much of the frustration. The bottom line is a lot of errors were made on a resolution that has major impacts. This should not have happened and could have been prevented if ASUSU and The Statesman worked together to bring the information to students. This would have allowed ASUSU to get a better picture of what the students wanted so it could vote with a knowledge that the students' voice was truly being represented. As it stands, the voice of the students who will be affected adversely by a mandatory health insurance bill was by and large ignored. ASUSU was elected by the students to represent the students, and this resolution was one area where it could have and should have done a better job. A new-found respect for moms and dads Back in October, 1 got a call whether my every move might from my oldest brother ask- cause a very small person to ing me if I wanted to baby-sit become injured or a criminal his two kids for the weekend. someday. Okay, I didn't actuAt first, the idea didn't sound ally do that, but I would have very appealing, but then he if I'd thought of it at the time. mentioned that there were a Within the first few hours couple hundred dollars and a I was already starting to go a lot of free food in it bit crazy from followu e v i n renx for me, so I accepted. ing around my 14After all, I thought, month old niece, who how bad could it be? I seemed to believe like kids, I've worked that the purpose of in elementary schools, stairs was to test the and I'm an all-around effects of gravity on capable guy. Besides, little blond toddlers. you've got to learn I was spurred to conOne Cent stant vigilance by the to change a diaper dfeiix@cc.usu.edu sometime, right? scene that kept playing out in my mind So I drove to Lehi, where my brother and his fam- in which I'd have to tell my ily live, and assumed the role brother and his wife that the of a stay-at-home uncle. Two reason Lil/s legs were broken days and 835 diapers later, I was that I was too busy watchstaggered to my car and sped ing 'The Simpsons" to notice happily back to my single'life that she was climbing up the in Logan, where I went around wobbly shelf with the anvils on my house leaving sharp knives everywhere and swearing loudly in celebration of the fact • A L L THINGS BABY see page 13 that I no longer had to consider Holly Mitchell' Assistant Features Editor Manette Newbold: I). Sports Editor Seth Hawkins,. Assistant Sports Editor Samuel HislopiJ io Diversions Editor Steve Shinneyn i. '] Copy Editor Rebekah Bradway>i Letters to the Editor Photo Editor , Jamie Crane,^ Assistant Photo Editor * IWhlic'Jrorui Inappropriate poetics To the editor: I was initially delighted and pleased by the poem dedicated to spring that appeared in Wednesday's Utah Statesman. However, my delight turned into disgust upon sharing the poem with my brethren co-worker. He politely informed me of the poem's title: "To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time". The theme of this poem is to urge women along pornographic lines! Shame to the editorial board for including such inappropriate material on the editorial pages! Such perversions should be kept to one 's self, and not snared with unknowing individuals. When I want pornographic poems, I'll find them myself - I don't need to see them on the pages of a newspaper! Furthermore, in a separate topic - I want to voice my support to the suggestion that women and men are free to wear what they want come spring and summer! No Burqas in Cache Valley, please. We are blessed with one of the healthiest populations in America! Thanks to limited alcohol, smoking and caffeine, we have some of the greatest student bodies in America. So flaunt it! Eric Dinger Left-handedness v. homosexuality To the editor: I was excited to see that Matthew Blackham compared Homosexuality to "leftnandedness" because I have been looking for something this absurd all year to justify a letter to the editor. In his comparison he stated that the only reason homosexuality is an issue is because the non-homosexua! community makes it one. Humor me for a minute while I point out the obvious stupidity of such a comparison. Imagine for a moment my left handed friend... He wears a shirt every day with an arrow pointing to his left hand and makes a point of letting you know that not only is he not right handed, but he is offended that you would think so. He marches on occasion with his other left handed friends in protest of a right handed community. His car carries a bumper sticker emblazoned with "left hand pride" and he'drapes a left hand flag out his dorm window. He boycotts athletic stores that sell predominantly right handed baseball mitts and refuses to eat at restaurants that put his fork on the "right side." Case in point... The reason "left handedness" is a non-issue is because those who are left handed don't make it one. Pinning the blame for the "homosexual issue," strictly on the nonhomosexual community is fallacious and irresponsible. If Blackham and homosexuals want homosexuality to be a "non-issue" maybe they could start by not marching in the streets. Ryan Beck Parking tickets out of hand Totheeditor: am I supposed to park when I visit my friends that live in the LLC? Why should I get a ticket for parking somewhere when no one else is going to park there? Why didn't I get a warning? And why was it so expensive? I've had many problems with the parking officials this year. I've received 3 tickets for parking in my overflow parking lot. During a USU basketball game, I received a ticket for parking in the R3 parking lot when my R2 lot was full. What is. to be done? Why are only some punished? How much does the Parking Office make? Clark Abraham Bureaucracy blues at USU To the editor: Have you ever been sent to several staff members with one simple question? All I wanted to know was if Utah State offered an Associates Degree. A one word answer would have suited me just fine: yes or no. Almost nobody on the USU staff can or will answer my question. I am not quite sure if this indolence is a problem with basic policy knowledge, or if the staff has a generaf lack of concern for the very students who are supporting their salaries. I went to my advisor with this issue, the person hired to assist students, who sent me to the registrar. Although very friendly, the registrar once again ushered me on to someone else...ironically, back to my advisor. Even the Student Services office sent me on my way, question unanswered. The University has overemphasized its willingness ana ability to help students achieve their personal academic success. The very This past Friday night, I went to visit a friend in the new Living and Learning Center. Due to the lack of visitor parking, I parked in the nearly empty parking lot at the Alumni House. It was about 12:15 am when I parked. After my visit, I found a ticket on my car with 12:26 am as the time the ticket was issued. So, in the end, I paid $19 to park in a nearly empty parking lot, • LETTERS late on a Friday night. Where : WHOLE MIPEAST INTO OOMFY OF DEMOCPACK SHOCK AND ANNE. see page 13 NOW, FOLK? YEARS LATER.! HAVE JUST AS EXPERTLY DFTESVWNED THAT HE IS AJi INCOMPETENT FtOR I M E A N , W W WAS HETHlNKlNer*. Tyler Larsen Editorial Board I Elizabeth Lawyer Di Lewis Seth Hawkins Steve Shinney Holly Mitchell T About letters • Letters should be limited to> 350 words. u • All letters may be short^ ' ened, edited or rejected ^ for reasons of good taste, redundancy or volume of similar letters. ,? • Letters must be topic ori- ^ ented. They may not be directed toward individuals. Any letter directed to a " specific individual may be u 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 (none of which is published). Letters will p not be printed without this verification. • Letters representing groups — or more than one individual — must have a sin- , gular representative clearly stated, with all necessary \\ identification information. ,; • Writers must wait 21 days ,j before submitting successive letters — no excep- ••• tions. • Letters can be hand deliv- , ered or mailed to The $ Statesman in the TSC,. Room 105, or can be emailed to statesman@cc.usu.edu or click on www.utahstatesman.com for more letter guidelines and a box to sumbit letters. i Online poll Do you think Congress will hold to its goal to remove troops from Iraq by March 2008? • Yes • No \ Visit us on the Web at www.utahstatesman.com to cast your vote. I BET WIPE W3NDERIN© «QW t GET AWAY WITH WS.THAPS EAST' \>tA A KEENLY ANALYT1CAL WASHIN6TON FOREIGN FCUCY PUNDIT/ v ° Check out these links on www.utahstatesman.com: Archives Dining Guide COMING! Comics Activities and events Classifieds Wedding/Engagements Slide shows & Video |
