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Show rcV£¥£SCT¥¥¥S torfpjst&esrjian.dsu^ji staStesroan@cc.usu.eldu §epi44r2007] OurView AboutUs y MwdodWs brinj£in^ iw. people to Greeks contribute more than noise Editor in Chief Seth R. Hawkins; run things. News Editor Arie Kirk Assistant News Editor Liz Lawyer W ith the loud music, car beating and pig roast this past week at different fraternity houses, it's hard to blame people for agreeing with the stereotype of Greeks being only interested in partying. However, what people tend to see less of are the other purposes of the Greek community but which are just as prevalent as these visible entertaining activities. Each fraternity and sorority involved at USU has gives large contributions and has several requirements regarding service, scholarship and other positive aspects of college life. Last year, the Greek community raised more than $17,000 to go toward philanthropies supported by each house, including the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, Girl Scouts of America, Children's Miracle Network and others. To raise this money, the Greek students volunteered their time, giving earned wages to their philanthropies, and organize fund-raising events. They sponsor activities that raise awareness of domestic violence, collect cans for the food bank and promote the Best Buddies organization. The Greeks also recorded more than 4,500 service hours last school year. Along with focusing on service, the Greek houses all have the importance of scholarship implemented into their programs. The Greeks have certain GPAs they must get in order to be a part of their organizations, and several sororities and fraternities require completion of study hours in order to attend social activities. The Greek community also focuses on leadership skills, each house having an executive board and many leadership positions, and involvement on campus. Some intramural sports have entire pools of teams from the Greek houses, and participation with the Service Center is highly encouraged. The fraternities and sororities also all promote brotherhood and sisterhood within each house as well as cooperation with each other. On Monday, USU President Stan Albrecht invited the Greek students and advisers to a dinner at his home, where he commended them on their involvement on campus and willingness to serve. He noted that Greeks make up a group of loyal alumni, willing to contribute greatly to not just their own houses or the Greek community, but to the entire USU campus. He attributed this to Greeks learning loyalty within their individual houses and thanked them for their consistent support. Albrecht makes a great point, as the Greek community contributes largely to our campus and Cache Valley community. When people look past the party image and understand what Greeks really do, maybe they won't be so quick to judge.::, . Pointing the finger becoming too easy W orking in Washington, D.C., over the anniversary of 9/11 provided a historic opportunity. Army Gen. David Petraeus came to town. He's the one whose name has been everywhere political the entire week. He gave his recommendation to the Senate slowly and calmly on how to proceed in Iraq. When I returned to work, his face was on every TV in the room. After lunch, his likeness was still there, but a it looked a touch on the tired side. Watching his actions scrupulously debated for the entirety of the day, I wondered to myself, "Isn't he just doing the job given to him?" At an out-of-state gas station a short while ago, the attendant filling up our car did an average job. She wasn't extra nice. I wasn't thoroughly impressed with the speed with which she processed everything. To be fair, she did her job well enough to sufficiently complete the task at hand, given the normal circumstances. Belittling her performance wouldn't accomplish much. The pump couldn't go any faster. The gas wouldn't magically get cheaper, And I wouldn't be a better individual for demeaning her. Maybe we're spending too much effort looking over the shoulders of the people we put in charge of the conflict in Iraq. Before our 'discussion' goes any further: I want the fighting to be done as quickly as anyone else could want. I'm sure Petraeus and all of our troops aren't thrilled to continue living in a combatant state. I don't support a prolonged settling of forces in Iraq but can see where people discern as much from our extensive occupation. There snould be no claiming this land or that land as history records mankind is so prone to do. I recognize some of us believe we should never have gone there, but we are there now so let's address what we started. The war was never expected to last a particular amount of time. There is no touchdown or final whistle to signify the end of the game here. I'm no fan of suffering, but we must ask ourselves • I See PERFORMANCE, page 13 Features Editor Manette Newbold Assistant Features Editor Brittny Goodsell Jones Sports Editor Samuel Hislop Assistant Sports Editor David Baker Copy Editor Rebekah Bradway Photo Editor Forum Lett e rs Listen to views respectfully Letters to the editor • A public forum fact allowed to come to USU then why not give him a room, advertise his speech and make it a real deal? Then those who To the editor: Patrick Clark wish not to be subjected to mindless one-sided religionI would like to thank our ists could avoid the event. All leaders here at USU for giving other guest speakers are dealt us many opportunities to learn with in this sort of way. and expand our knowledge. It It is one thing to approach seems at every turn here on To the editor: someone with a question campus, there is something and not force belief, and it is going on that I would love to Having had experience another to stand in a public attend. Sadly, as a busy stu- head on with preacher men place, especially an institution dent, I don't have enough time from many sects, I find it like ours, and bear down on to attend everything, but while repulsive and poor taste for another faith with claws of a traveling between classes in a preacher man to enter a predator. A very smart man, the morning, I have had some university to bring religion to Paul, said, that we should seek chances to listen to a man those who had "nothing better for the things that are of great share his religious beliefs. It to do". The best results found worth. That alone eliminates has been a nice interlude to for trying to teach anyone to the idea that the bible is the stop, listen and take that short embrace anything, including only way to go. There are so break. However, more often religion, is based on them first many other books out there than not, while I am listen- having a question or a desire that can bring you to a greater ing to his preaching, it is met to know. Seeing a man standlevel of humanism, respect, with laughter, criticism, raised ing with a bible open preying and spirituality. Don't distort voices and even some hostil- on the crowd is not answering my learning with preacher ity from the gathering crowd. questions to those who are men aiming to destroy. Only Because of their reactions to in need. He is destroying. I increase my surroundings with this man, I have never been think that ultimately I find an aliments that build our kin-ship more embarrassed to call institution of higher education and bring us together on commyself a student here at USU. being subjected to a preacher mon ground. Being a saxoI am a member of the over- man of poor hell fire quality phonist, it is something else whelmingly predominant reli- speeches is deceptive. This to stand in a jazz combo and gion here and we have thou- school is not a school of reli- feel the soul of the groove, the sands of missionaries doing the gion or based on one. If we brotherhood of the rhythm, exact thing this man is doing. I want to find out information and the serenity of being apart think the least we could do, about the born again religion of a creation; unified in the eleas adults, is offer this man the then we could always wikipements of music. That feeling same respect we want for our dia it. is one that is hard to find, yet own missionaries and let him is easily discernible between The other thing is that this speak without being so child- preacher man was paid for by the audacious wailing of a paid ish. We're not signing over our a local 'Christian' Book seller. preacher. eternal souls by just listening Has USU been compensated to him. By showing this mutu- for allowing such an individual Mark Priddis al respect, maybe the rumor on campus? If this man was in might spread {heaven forbid) that Utah Mormons aren't bigots. Don't destroy beliefs of others Partisan war won't end sectarian one Not for the first time, self-awareness was in short supply across Washington during this week's marathon congressional hearings on Iraq with Army Gen. David H. Petraeus and U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker. The one point that drew agreement from Republicans and Democrats alike was that Iraq's political leaders have too often failed to transcend their narrow sectarian interests to forge compromises in the national interest*,. . Pot, meet kettle. ••^^••••^^^••••••i Here in the that all sides consider the key to long-term stabilization in Iraq. Petraeus and Crocker, while not ignoring those problems, unduly minimized them, too. At the same time, interest groups on the left and right are doing their best to discourage anyone from bridging this partisan gulf. Conservatives have fired repeated warning shots at Republicans wavering on the war. Freedom's Watch, a new conservative group, is targeting Republican, not Democratic, members ofCongress in most of its multimillion-dollar ad campaign urging support for Bush's strategy. And Republicans surely have noticed that both GOP House members most critical of the conflict (Maryland's Wayne United States , the two parties are doing much What others are same thing. saying about Issues. the President Busn DiSee BIPARTISAN, page 13 and congressional Democrats separately are so determined to win the argument over Iraq that they have lost sight of their joint interest in finding a way forward that can attract broad and lasting support from a public disillusioned and dangerously polarized over the war. More than ever, the parties this week structured the debate as if it were an electoral campaign. Each asked Americans to ponder only those pieces of the picture most congenial to its arguments. Democrats, challenging Petraeus' numbers on the overall trends in violence, downplayed the evidence that the "surge" has improved security where it has been applied - and, if nothing else, has prevented a downward spiral into full-scale civil war. The White House and congressional Republicans, celebrating those intermittent security gains, brushed aside the National Intelligence Estimate and the report from the Government Accountability Office documenting the Iraqi government's inability to provide basic services, the continuing doubts about the loyalty and reliability of the Iraqi security forces, ana the absence of proeress toward the political reconciliation Tyler Larson Assistant Photo Editor Patrick Oden Editorial Board Seth R. Hawkins Arie Kirk Liz Lawyer David Baker Manette Newbold Brittny Goodsell Jones 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. 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