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Show Monday, Sept. 21, 2009 StatesmanCampus News Page 3 USU freshman runs for City Council Briefs Campus & Community Homecoming week activities kick off By CATHERINE MEIDELL assistant news editor Skyler Tidwell, River Heights resident and USU freshman, received a call Tuesday, Sept. 15, to let him know that he made it through the primaries for River Heights City Council. After beating Keith Tilley by 16 votes, 18-year-old Tidwell has a shot at one of the two seats that need to be filled. The final election will take place Nov. 3. Tidwell, a big fan of former President George W. Bush, said he aspires to be governor of Texas and one day president of the United States. Tidwell’s father, Shawn Tidwell, said one day his son started following Bush’s election and ever since then he’s been reaching for the “hot seat.” After serving as Mountain Crest High School’s senior class president, Tidwell said he believes a spot on the city council is the next step up the ladder. Two of the city’s candidates are incumbents: Douglas L. Clausen and Kathryn Hadfield. Tidwell said the two will be the hardest to beat because they are already well-known by the people of River Heights. “I didn’t expect to make it this far,” Tidwell said. “It’s a miracle I’m keeping my head above water.” Tidwell said he thinks the reason why he won in the primaries is because Tilley didn’t get his campaign signs set up early enough to have his name recognized, while Tidwell was the first of all the candidates to place any signs. Though Tidwell won, he said he isn’t completely happy about the outcome. “I’m hard on myself. To be honest, 44 votes is pathetic. Only 17 percent of the city voted. There are a lot more votes to catch (in the next election),” Tidwell said. Political science professor Michael Lyons discussed with Tidwell about the measures that must be taken if he wants a chance at a seat on the council. Lyons said Tidwell will not have to be everything the people want but will need to be able to convey to people of River Heights that he will listen to them. Lyons said, “A person that is willing to listen to both sides, regardless of age, can operate effectively. The perception that the leader is willing to listen to them is critical.” Because he is only 18, Tidwell will need to be prepared to address his age, said Lyons. He said people will most definitely doubt Tidwell’s ability USU’s Homecoming week kicks off with various events happening around campus. The celebration will conclude Sept. 26 with the first home game of the season against Southern Utah University. Monday, Sept. 21 • Noon – Lunch for the Bunch, LDS Institute. • 8-noon – Street Painting, 700 North. • 9-11 p.m. – Pudding Dance, HPER Field. SKYLER TIDWELL, 18, sits next to one of his campaign signs. He made it through the primary elections for River Heights City Concil. Tidwell said he was attributes his success to setting up campaign signs early and getting his name recognized. TYLER LARSON photo to perform because it’s a liability. Tidwell said the current council members do not listen to the people as much as they should, which helps his campaign strategy. Undoubtedly, the most difficult part of campaigning will be earning the trust of the River Heights people. Lyons said, “If he is running against members who are out of touch and not representing, he can say he will represent them. He needs to make a sincere effort to tell people he would be different in this way.” Tidwell plans to do just this. He will go around the city knocking on doors and shaking hands with community members, sharing his goals and attitude of a willingness to listen, Tidwell said. He said he has a lot to do between now and the Nov. 3 election. He wants to make signs with a new color scheme because the ones he has now are not as noticeable as he would like. His signs will also be visible in many more locations around River Heights. The funds for his campaign are coming out of his own pocket, he said, and he will not be upset if he loses because of the experience he will have gained from the election process. Tidwell said he is determined to earn the trust of many in his city and he understands that at first they will have no reason to trust him. “Of course they’ll have a hard time trusting me. I’m 18 years old. I’m a punk. Of course they aren’t going to take me seriously,” Tidwell said about the River Heights residents’ first impression of his running for city council. Tidwell’s father said they need someone young in the city council. He said the age group of the council members has been the same for the 17 years that his family has lived there. He said the way the council operates is one sided. Tidwell said, “In the beginning I was in this to see how far I could get. Getting through the primaries was a wake up call. I’m going to fight now. A fight and a struggle isn’t going to wear me out.” – catherine.meidell@aggiemail.usu.edu Reform: Making sense of current health care issues -continued from page 1 media have reported responsibly and, as it always is, the media outlets on the far left and the far right making it progressively more difficult to come to any sort of constructive compromise on any issue.” Lyons said it would help if people understood what the real elements of the proposals are. One such example is the public option, which is a government health care plan that would provide an alternative to the private plan. People would not be obligated to utilize the public option. “The best way to become informed on what the various proposals are really about is to read up on them. There are several readily available sources to do this: The New York Times, The LA Times and even The Salt Lake Tribune provide excellent coverage on this topic,” Lyons said. “Newspapers are a resource that is significantly underutilized by students on this campus. Reading newspapers will help students to understand a lot of the health care reform proposals. That being said, this is a complex issue and not a very user-friendly one at that.” There are numerous proposals on health care reform and it’s nearly impossible to be informed and understand all of them, Lyons said. It’s best to pick a few of the more prominent proposals and to try and work to understand them. “I’m familiar with a few plans in particular, and the one I like best is the Healthy Americans Act introduced by (Democrat) Senator (Ron) Wyden (of Oregon) and sponsored by (Republican) Senator Bob Bennett of Utah,” Lyons said. “The Healthy Americans Act would drastically alter the health care system by severing the tie between employment and insurance, therefore removing the enormous burden that health insurance costs place on businesses in the United States.” Lyons said the cost of providing insurance to employees has made it very difficult for companies in the United States to compete with companies worldwide, whose governments pay for the health care of their employees. The Healthy Americans Act would remedy this by helping the poor and the working class to pay for their health care coverage and would allow for everyone to deduct their health care expenses from their taxes allowing for indirect support from the government, he said. “The Healthy Americans Act does have a few things in common with President (Barack) Obama’s plan. One of them being that it would require insurance companies to provide insurance to those with pre-existing conditions,” Lyons said. “Getting coverage for these people would have an enormous impact.” The goal of the Healthy Americans Act is to create vigorous competition among insurance companies, hopefully leading them to ultimately drop the cost of their premiums, he said. In the current system, insurance companies go to employers and when they secure a deal, end up acquiring numerous new customers through the business’ employee base. In transferring the responsibility of obtaining insurance from the employer to the employee, insurance companies would now only get one new customer out of each contract and would therefore need to create more of a buyer-friendly market, Lyons said. One challenge facing the Healthy Americans Act is its somewhat radical nature, Lyons said. This proposal would completely alter the system. Obama recently met with Bennett and told him his proposal was simply too revolutionary to be embraced by a majority of Americans. Obama emphasized that a key component to ensuring wide support for his own proposal was that he organized it so the majority of the insured could stay on the insurance plans they already have, Lyons said. “In my view, that’s shrewd. It would be more efficient and logical, but we’re accustomed to employers providing insurance,” Lyons said. “It’s what we’re comfortable with so what might be the most efficient plan isn’t the most popular plan politically.” Lyons said any health care reform at this point would be beneficial and Americans need something passed by Congress sooner rather than later. Plans like that of the Obama administration would still help to relieve many of the problems created by the present health care system, he said. “It’s important for students to care about health care reform because the population of elderly people receiving expensive medical care is growing very rapidly, and it will be an enormous burden for the working population to carry,” Lyons said. “More than terrorism, economic problems, budget deficit or the weakening education system, our health care system threatens our future prosperity and competitiveness globally.” –kayla.may.w@aggiemail.usu.edu Tuesday, Sept. 22 • Noon - Free Aggie Ice Cream, TSC Patio. • 1:30 p.m. – Treasure Hunter Barry Clifford, TSC Ballroom. Barry Clifford and his team found the largest pirate ship wreck to date. He will be here to talk about his adventures. • 7:30-9:30 p.m. – Moonlight and Music concert, amphitheater. Local group Battle School and California band Musical Chairs will be playing. • 9:30-11:00 p.m. – The Princess Bride, amphitheater. Wednesday, Sept. 23 • Noon – Pillow Fight, the Quad. Students should bring their pillow to class and then meet on the Quad for a giant pillow fight. • Noon – AXO Dollar Days, TSC Patio. • 7:00 p.m. – Mr. USU, Kent Concert Hall. This year’s theme is “I Can Go the Distance.” Eleven contestants will participate in this year’s competition. Entry is $3 without a can of food and $2 with a can of food. Thursday, Sept. 24 • Noon-2:00 p.m. – Service Blitz and Aggie Treats, Sunburst Lounge. Participants will help put together packages for children at Primary Children’s Hospital. • Noon – Eric Hipple, TSC Ballroom. The former USU Quarterback is returning to Utah State to talk about his book “Real Men do Cry.” • 2:30 p.m. – Powder Puff Football, the Quad. Students can join in on a forgotten USU tradition and get their game on. • 5-8 p.m. – The International Student Council presents kite making, the Quad. Friday, Sept. 25 • Noon – Free Scotsman dogs, the Quad. 5:30 p.m. Homecoming Banquet, TSC Ballroom. • 8 p.m.-midnight – Homecoming Dance, TSC. The dance is free with USU ID and $5 without. Come dressed in your favorite decade, with or without a date. There will be a swing band, western swing, rock bands, ‘90s disc jockey and piano bar. There will also be a cash bar for nonalcoholic drinks. • Midnight – True Aggie Night, The “A.” Saturday, Sept. 26 • 8 a.m. – 5K Fun Run, campus route. Participants will meet at the south HPER doors. Pre-registration starts at 7:30 a.m. but sign-ups can also be found online. • 10 a.m. – Homecoming Parade, Main Street. • 3 p.m. – Tailgate Party, Romney Stadium. Food will be provided by Pounders. HURD members eat for free. There will be an inflatable obstacle course and an inflatable jousting station as well as a huge chest-painting station, which will paint the phrase, “Utah State, hey Aggies all the way. Go Aggies, go Aggies. Hey, hey, hey.” • 6:05 p.m. – USU vs. SUU, Romney Stadium. • 9 p.m.-midnight – White Out Party, the Quad. Participants should come decked out in white and be ready for glow sticks. Dance features DJ Marcus Wing. Those interested in more information on Homecoming week or any of the events should visit http:// www.usu.edu/homecoming. -Compiled from staff and media reports |