OCR Text |
Show editqr@statesman.usi^eduL katesman@cc.usu.edii OurView AboutUs Editor in Chief CHILVHOOU Background checks a necessary protection eoocAiicb). Seth R. Hawkins News Editor j Arie Kirk: Assistant News Editor ' Liz Lawyer T he first week of school can be extremely intimidating. New roommates, new jobs, new classes and new professors require considerable adjustment. Teachers hand out syllabuses and attempt to overwhelm students with the projected heavy workload over the semester. Even if professors seem a little intimidating, at least the fear of a professor being a pedophile, crack-addict or homicidal maniac can be minimized thanks to background checks being instituted by the state. A new bill has been passed by the state of Utah that requires new employees at universities to undergo background checks if there is a reasonable cause for concern. This is a great move by the state to protect the safety and privacy of students. The safety of college campuses around the country have been called into question many times due to incidents such as the Virginia Tech massacre. While horrible tragedies like that cannot easily be avoided, keeping students safe from professors with questionable pasts is easily avoidable and necessary. Professors have unique relationships with students, often working in close proximity with them. Students deserve the right to feel safe and secure while working with these professors. While a background check cannot prevent a shameful act from occurring, it can weed out potential dangers. The university owes it to the students to protect them and the fact that the university and state are This isn't to say every professor is a sex fiend in hiding. Most professors, like most people, are generally good people with no intent to injure students but universities can never be too careful: Perhaps if more universities across the country instituted tougher screening policies, including the all-too-necessary background check, teachers with questionable goals would not sneak through. A classic instance of a professor working at a university that should not have, occurred at Brigham Young University. Frank Abagnale Jr., one of the most well-known American con-men, worked at BYU as a teachers assistant, teaching sociology in the 1960s. He faked his credentials and the school bought into the con. Why should they worry about someone trying to fool them? While background checks at the time were not what they are now, even a simple call to the university Abagnale claimed he received a degree from, could have weeded out a professor that was a danger to students. While Abagnale never did anything wrong to the students he taught, he was still teaching without a degree. Since the '60s, background checks have become more complex, accurate and telling. They are simple to perform and with a small fee can tell much a b o u t a p e r s o n . v ; %-r-: ••''•:• We applaud our state legislators for unanimously pushing this measure through and urge university officials to carefully and thoroughly perform background checks on potential new employees. Features Editor I Manette Newbold' Assistant Features Editor t Brittny Goodsell Jones Sports Editor Assistant Sports Editor David Baker. Copy Editor Rebekah Bradway Photo Editor Tyler Larson, Assistant Photo Editor * Patrick Oden! i Editorial Board Seth R. Hawkins Arie Kirk Liz Lawyer David Baker Manette Newbold Forum Le 11 e r s Raise the expectations To the editor: Letters to the editor • A public forum says that we need to think through all alternatives to be prepared for all outcomes in a given situation. This is the point. We should focus our To the editor: collective information processing and organizational develApparently, we have anothopment efforts on such a goal. er gay Republican politician out If USU will lead in such an there. This time, it's a senator effort to eliminate externalities from Idaho caught messing and target wanted outcomes in around in an airport bathroom. organizations, we will not have I've always thought Orrin Hatch to worry about our rankings. wears makeup and Bob Bennett We will be number one. used to own a paint company, so he was probably dealing Kenneth Tingey with a lot of interior decorators. All I'm saying is be careful who you vote for, because it might just be a gay man. Writer warns to 'be careful' Dr. Atu! Gawande's visit as part of USU's Connections program was timely and beneficial. He focused on what is likely the most challenging issue of our time: Collaborating amid complexity within large organizations and networks. We collaborate poorly even with regard to simple tasks - a condition abetted by computerized systems that push arcane solutions on us rather than reflect our knowledge, Dave Axford gained from study and experience. As a result, we as a peo- To the editor: ple have very low expectations 'from our organizations. Did my heart good to see so Rather than basking in the many USU students packed in joy of McGregor's Theory Y, the Ballroom breaking the law - To the editor: where we are all assumed to and being bold enough to pubbe good and competent, we lish the pnotographic evidence Kudos to the author of live in a Dilbert-oriented men- on the front page of the paper! "Ride Bikes Responsibly" in tality under Theory X, where ...reminds me of the old days. we are assumed to be bad and incompetent. Dr. Gawande Kathryn Pannell 11 See LETTERS, page 19 Breaking the law boldly Cyclists need to be cautious T [MSee TRUST, page 19 j , About letters Getting sold by those we trust he older woman who had just let me in her door after less than five minutes of knowing me left me alone in her kitchen to sip on the Pepsi she had offered. She searched her house, without much concern for me, looking for the contract she signed two months ago for a security system she was still afraid to use. "Well, I can't remember the name of the company who sold it to me.../' I always found it ironic: being afraid to use something designed to make you feel more secure. I also began fearing for this woman's children, I seem to remember my mother counseling me not to sign anything without reading the fine print. What are her adult children aoing with an example like hers? Yes, my friends, I am a door to door salesman. Rather, I was over the summer. I was threatened, sworn at, offered drugs (for the first time in my life), treated subhumanly and, more than a few times, I actually feared for my safety. Unable to find the agreement with the nameless company, she came back and sat down at the table with me. I asked a few questions to see if she might qualify for us to do business for both of our benefits. I then realized something: She got sold. She got sold in the true sense of the word. Without knowing what she was getting herself into, she signed on the dotted line. How often does the public buy into something or someone they haven't really looked into? Maybe that's the American dream: getting people to buy into something - good or bad. The dream or nightmare must depend on who is whispering into our ears day or night. The night I met a woman who was "sold" something by ' Samuel Hislop1 • Letters should be limited to 350 words. • All letters may be short- i ened, edited or rejected ' for reasons of good taste, redundancy or vol-* ume of similar letters. • Letters must be topic oriented. They may not be directed toward individu-! als. 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 (none of which is published). 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 statesman@cc.usu.edu or click on www.utah statesman.com for more letter guidelines and a box to sumbit let ters. Online poll Did you donate blood to the Blood Battle? •Yes •No • Needles terrify me Visit us on the Web at www.utahstatesman.com to cast your vote. Yourtake Utah mining disaster Check out these links on www.utahstatesman.com: Tell us what you think. Submit a letter to the editor at www.utahstatesman.com The tragic mine collapse in Huntington, Utah, has sent reverberations across the state. Countless hours have been devoted to rescuing or recovering the bodies of six trapped miners following the collapse. The rescue method being used involves drilling holes down to areas near open pockets, deep inside the mine, in hopes of making contact with the trapped miners. In these efforts, three miners were killed, calling into question whether or not these efforts are worth risking additional lives. Should drilling efforts be continued or should they cease before more lives are taken? Is it worth the time, money and risk involved? Tell us what you think. • Archives • Forums • Joke's on You! • Puzzle answers • Activities and events • Classifieds • Wedding/Engagements • Slide shows & Video |