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Show esmanCTcc.iisu.edu AboutUs OurView Editor in Chief So long seniors, us a check in the mail raduates of the class of 2007 ... good riddance. "v--- 1 '^-r"^][:???*:;'?**$}• ****? . Bon voyage. ^ You see, that was a joke, and you're always supposed to start with a joke, that's what they say. A USU graduate walked into a bar... wait, no they didn't. Another joke. .. ^ .-..;.- ,\: -,,-,...-.. ., „. For real now, December graduates are among the most intelligent creatures. You're all getting out ; at the perfect time. The rest of us schmucks are • stuck to brave another frozen, Logan winter, wade : through the snow and do intricate ice dances with I our cars during the next six months. There is no doubt in our minds you will all be whisking yourselves away to warmer climates, flying south like a flock of well-educated birds with the whole world ahead of them, beating their wings : incessantly to keep the massive piles of student loan debt afloat. Some would call you cut-and-runners. We would agree, but there's no,shame in it..It's like declining _ an invite to cage fight an 18-foot-talI abominable snowman - no one is really going to blame you. Unless you had the means to acquire a blowtorch, and then you would be cowardly and yellow. We all lament the loss of bodies at basketball games. Those people who cheer mindlessly, no matter how poorly the game is going. Those people who get dressed up like the game is some sort of church meet-and-greet. Those people who text message throughout the game and have to ask which team won. We lament the loss of hearts and soul that are devoted to causes. When you are old, which you all will be in about a week, there is no room to have a cause. Your cause is to stay fed. Your cause is to keep the lights on. Your cause is to work your way up to middle management and have a midlife crisis. Then and only then, deep in the throes of that midlife crisis, can you revert back to your college days and wear your "Don't Taze me, bro" shirts raging against police brutality, or your "Students Helping Indonesian Tea Sellers" shirts that caused a rise with their poorly thought out acronym. Most of all, we want you to go out and make some money. Then gift that money back to Utah State. Students of the future will be in need of lots of things: A large campus hot tub in the middle of the Quad with all of someone's names on it. Hover buses. An army of cyborg athletes. A vending machine where drinks aren't $4. We will be needy, and since this university has educated you, the least you could do is hook it up with a sweet climate-control bubble that will keep campus a perfect 72 degrees and sunny, even in the middle of the most frozen, awful inversions. So, for the good of USU, we wish you good luck. Seth R. Hawkins NewsEditor Arie Kirk Assistant News Editor j Liz Lawyer -\ G Food Service monopoly needs some busting U SU has some prime real estate. We're up here on the hill, looking out over the rest of Logan, effectively cut off from the hustle and bustle of downtown. Unfortunately, we're also cut off from the food. Like fast-food restaurants in airports or concessions in theaters and football stadiums, USU Food Services uses its advantage of an isolated customer base to jack up prices. ^^^—^^^^^^^^~mm | don't have proof, because I StatCSJTiaVL CA^nlwtY ^wcipDWA. haven't been keeping a record of tne P rices a t the Hub, but I swear they just took a jump. This is ridiculous. Food on campus already costs an exorbitant amount. A bottle of soda costs $1.39 at the Hub or $1.19 at the Quick Stop, but the same soda would cost maybe 80 cents to a dollar some place where there was competition for food prices. A wrap from Hazel's costs something like $4.89. Frankly, they don't taste like $4.89. A personal pizza from Freschetta in the Hub costs upwards of $4, too. A Blazing Chicken Sandwich from the Grill is $3.09. Pretty much everything is overpriced. Burritos from Taco Time cost $4-5 or more. What gives? Isn't Food Services milking enough from the students at the Living and Learning Center, who have to eat at the Marketplace for $6 a meal? Is it unreasonable to make just enough profit off food sales to cover operation expenses and employee wages? If there was a place where students could get off campus during the day, and access other restaurants and vendors not [1 See FOOD, page 15 [> Features Editor Manette Newbold |J Assistant Features Editor .j Brittny Goodsell Jones q Sports Editor Samuel Hislop ^ Assistant Sports Editor David Baker l j \ Copy Editor B Rebekah Bradway J Photo Editor In Iowa, they like Mike AUKEE, Iowa — Lori Hommer is Thompson, but Huckabee's recent surge has threading blue ribbon through con- swayed him. "As he became stronger, I was tribution envelopes to hang on the more interested." With evangelicals expected to comprise Christmas trees at Point of Grace Church, and she scarcely pauses when asked if she's decid- four in 10 Republican caucusgoers, voters such as Williams hold the key to a Huckabee ed on a candidate in next month's caucuses. "Yes, Mike Huckabee," said Hommer, 50, victory — and they could deliver it. In the who teaches at the church. "He has conser- latest Post-ABC News poll of likely GOP cauvative Christian values ... the same values I cusgoers, the former Arkansas governor led ^ ^ ^ ^ M have." As to the Romney 44 percent to 22 percent among man who had evangelical Protestants. It is no coincidence that Huckabee's new TV been leading in the polls here ad opens with a shot of the Southern Baptist What others are until recently, minister and the words "Christian Leader." A saying about issues. she said, "I could little unsettling — imagine an ad touting Joe probably sup- Lieberman as a "Jewish leader" — and perhaps port Mitt Romney if I had to. I'm just a little a subtle effort to reinforce evangelical voters' squeamishness about Romney's Mormonism, ieery of him. I'm just not sure he's genuine." Hommer was both typical and atypical of but no doubt effective: Huckabee's "Christian the people I spoke with during Sunday-morn- values" was the most commented-on selling .., .. ing visits to three evangelical churches out- point I heard here. Romney scoffs that he is not running for side Des Moines. She was atypical in that she was even think- "pastor in chief," but it is no coincidence ing about caucusing. Most people — noshing that TrustHuckabee.com, an outside group on bagels before the early service at Point of mobilizing caucusgoers, asks supporters in Grace, dropping off toddlers at day care at its online form, "What church do you go to?" Valley Evangelical Free Church, sipping cof- Without Romney-level money to build an fee after services at Crossroads Fellowship infrastructure, Huckabee may be able to rely Christian Reformed — practically recoiled on a word-of-mouth get-out-the-vote strategywhen asked about caucuses. It wasn't a question of the event conflictHuckabee hasn't sealed the deal with all ing with the Orange Bowl or coming so soon these voters. Some wonder whether he will after the holidays or of dissatisfaction with end up like Pat Robertson, who finished secthe field — though those may also depress ond here in 1988 and then fizzled. Others turnout. They had made it to church on an icy have misgivings about whether he's prepared December morning, but politics didn't inter- to be commander in chief. est them enough for them to consider venturEvangelical leadersworrythatthe Huckabee ing out on a frigid January night. effect could be to boost their least favored Hommer was typical in that, among likely candidate, Rudy Giuliani. "He's the one cancaucusgoers at the churches I visited, support didate who would be a disaster for our movefor Huckabee was overwhelming. I encoun- ment," says Iowa Christian Alliance President tered more Hillary Clinton voters Cone) than Steve Scheffler. Romney backers. Activists "understand that a Huckabee win "Romney seems like a politician to me — a in Iowa ... plays right into Giuliani's hands," little bit like Hillary Clinton — they're going says one Romney campaign strategist. "That's to say what they need to say to get elected," not quite where the rank and file is, so part of said Nate Schefhaas, 33, an Urbandale actu- our challenge is to communicate that effecary who attends Crossroads, where Huckabee tively over the next 30 days." preached this summer. Huckabee has been such a non-factor that "At first I was more interested in Mitt "nobody cared enough for a very long time to Romney," said Jeff Williams, 41, pastor at go define who he was as governor and what Point of Grace. "I'm just too nervous about his he did," the strategist says. Now, the Romney past changes on issues. If the right situation campaign has to assess the risk of going negacomes along, will he change policies again?" tive on someone who comes off as the ultiHuckabee is getting help delivering that mate nice guy. But time is short, and even diemessage from some surprising bedfellows: A hard caucusgoers are about to be distracted new ad by the Republican Majority for Choice by Christmas. The Romney campaign may end details Romney's shifting positions on abor- up ruing that it didn't do its defining sooner. tion — and urges him to flip back, but it may have the effect of driving more voters to the Ruth Marcus is a member of The Washington staunchly anti-abortion Huckabee. Post's editorial page staff. For now, Williams is wavering between Huckabee and former Tennessee Sen. Fred W NgfZVoice YourTake The untouchables • • - ' • • > $ . * ' • • Tell us what you thjnk. & Submit a letter to the editor at **Z f * * ,-f| www.utahstatesman.com Leave it to an often-outspoken Phil Jackson of the Los Angeles Lakers to get himself in touble by saying something the NBA didn't like and made him voice an apology. After getting beaten badly by hot 3-point shooting by the San Antonio Spurs, Jackson was asked about the Spurs' penetration leading to open shooters, to which he responded, "We call this a 'Brokeback Mountain' game, because there's so much penetration and kickouts," At the time he said it, he said many journalists laughed, but the NBA and many activist groups seemed to miss the humor. Sure the comment wasn't in the best taste, and Jackson admits that. But .would the situation be different had Jackson made a joke about lawyers or accountants? Would people be in such an uproar? In our increasingly complex society of special interest groups, there seems to be a large number of groups that nave special protection. While it may be kosher to say something about one group - such as jawyers - it is completely out of line to say things about other groups. Is this special protection necessary? Is there actually special protection taking place? Is there a double standard here? What should be done about it? What's your take? Tell us at www.utahstatesman.com/messageboard. A Tyler Larson !l 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. Writers must sign all letters and include a phone number or email address as well as a student identification number (none of which is published). 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