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Show Views&Opinion Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2009 Page 10 Utah State University • Logan, Utah • www.aggietownsquare.com OurView AboutUs Editor in Chief Patrick Oden Coach Andersen, thank you for putting Aggie fans first News Editor Rachel A. Christensen Assistant News Editor Catherine Meidell Features Editor Courtnie Packer U sually, the most dangerous place in America at any given time is between an FBS head coach and a television camera. Self promoters like Steve Spurrier paved the way for coaches like Lane Kiffin, Nick Saban, Rich Rodriguez and Pete Carroll, who are the foremost propagators of their own legend. These are coaches who are dedicated to the programs they work for ... right up until the moment they aren’t. Then it’s on to the next one, their transition to a more prestigious (well-compensated) position smoothed by the extensive PR work they have already done for themselves. This made what some people witnessed last Friday night in Provo all the more remarkable. Shortly after the final whistle blew on Utah State’s 35-17 loss to BYU, USU head coach Gary Andersen was approached by a television crew looking for a quick post-game reaction. But Andersen didn’t have time to speak to the media just then, and he brushed them off and ran up the ramp into the Aggie locker room. Was coach A channeling Bill Belichick on this one? Moments later, fans got their answer when members of the USU team began to re-emerge from their locker room. They made their way back down the ramp to the corner of the field where a small pocket of USU fans, and the USU marching band, were seated. When Andersen reappeared, he was escorting the last Aggie out of the locker room to his teams point of assembly. And, as the TV cameras waited for their turn, the team accompanied their fans in singing the Aggie fight song to the notes of a somewhat flat (apparently having had some of the wind knocked out of their lungs by the loss) yet proud band. Only then, after paying tribute to the fans who paid their way into LaVell Edwards Stadium, did Andersen excuse his football team to hit the showers. It was an aggressive move in hostile territory, but the fans who got to share a moment with their team after the hard-fought loss surely appreciated it. And in an environment of media-savvy head coaches who have their eyes on the next big payday, it was decidedly against the grain. Gary Andersen took the time to thank the fans who applauded his team, and now The Statesman is applauding him. Clarity needed on Afghanistan U nusual friction seems to be developing between the Obama administration and its commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McChrystal. The national security adviser, James Jones, appeared to rebuke McChrystal for campaigning to get 40,000 additional troops to stabilize Afghanistan. Some administration officials, including Vice President Joe Biden, say al-Qaeda’s defeat, not Afghan stability, should be the priority. But in London on Thursday, McChrystal labeled as “shortsighted” any strategy “that does not leave Afghanistan in a stable position.” Jones suggested on CNN on Sunday that McChrystal had overstepped his authority: “Ideally, it’s better for military advice to come up through the chain of command.” That’s true, but McChrystal’s comments seem hardly out of line. After all, President Barack Obama has supported a strong troop and stabilization strategy in Afghanistan. He moved McChrystal into his current position in large part because he didn’t believe his predecessor, Army Gen. David McKiernan, was effective in implementing one. Only recently has the administration seemed to pause over whether a troop buildup and stabilization strategy is the best way to go. Consider what Obama said in a July 2008 trip to Kabul: “We have to understand that the situation is precarious and urgent here in Afghanistan. And I believe this has to be our central focus. ... I think one of the biggest mistakes we’ve made strategically after 9/11 was to fail to finish the job here, focus our attention here.” The administration now contends that troop levels are only one component of an overall strategy still under review. True enough. But to some degree, other components hinge on Western forces’ ability to keep the Taliban at bay. That’s why settling on a firm and shared strategy for Afghanistan is critical. If the administration is rethinking its strategy in Afghanistan, Obama should be clear about how and why. Short of that, McChrystal deserves unequivocal support. This column first appeared in the Oct. 6 edition of The Dallas Morning News Assistant Features Editor Greg Boyles Sports Editor Tim Olsen Assistant Sports Editor Graham Terry Copy Editor Mark Vuong Photo Editors Pete Smithsuth Tyler Larson Ask Miss Jones Dear Miss Jones, I have a problem and I don’t have a ton of friends that I feel comfortable talking to about it, so I honestly don’t know where else to turn. See there’s this girl that I’ve liked for a while now. We had a class together a few semesters ago and we became friends, she had a boyfriend so it was always just a crush that I knew would never go anywhere. Last semester her boyfriend of more than a year broke up with her. A few months later I talked to her about it and accidentally confessed my feelings for her. She told me she doesn’t want to get into another relationship right now, which I completely understand. The problem is I’m an emotional- and feelings-driven guy and every time I see her my crush for her comes back. Normally I would just avoid her at all costs but I can’t because she’s in a class of mine. One of the worst parts of this whole thing is every time I see her she looks so damn hot I can’t help but look at her and internally go crazy. I don’t see what you could really do for me but I figured I’d let you try to work your magic. Strung-out and attached Dear Strung-out and Attached, You’re quite right in thinking that I can’t do anything to help you, with all my power I cannot DO anything, but I can and will advise you toward what I think is the best solution. First off think about the situation from her point of view. She was obviously upset after the breakup with her longtime squeeze, then you pop in and confess your feelings for her. That must have caught her somewhat on her heals. Here is what I think you should do to put her mind at ease: go to your nearest florist, buy one geranium, one aster, two bachelor buttons, one stargazer, one hibiscus, four pink roses, a star of Bethlehem and two yellow tulips. For the ones I didn’t specify colors don’t worry about it, but for the others the colors are important. See in days of old, flowers had specific meanings and symbolism that were often used to communicate certain things. A geranium symbolizes comfort, an aster is for contentment, bachelor buttons are for anticipation, stargazers are for ambition, hibiscus represent delicate beauty, pink roses are for friendship, the star of Bethlehem is for hope and yellow tulips show hopeless love. I then suggest shamelessly giving her this delightful bouquet of flowers in front of the class or at the very least in front of her roommates. She will no doubt understand that what you are trying to say is that you wish her comfort in this trying time and that you are content with your position of friendship but that you anticipate the day that your ambition of dating her will come; that she is a delicate beauty and that you are hopelessly in love with her. The hope from the star of Bethlehem is simply that you hope it’s sooner than later. After you give her the flowers just kind of fade into the distance for a couple of days until you think the initial creepiness of it wears off. After a little while she should realize what a super catch you are and make it clear that she is ready for you to ask her out. Honestly I cannot see any faults in this plan so get on it ASAP. Good luck and remember: “With as many times as Miss Jones has been around the block, her directions must be good.” E-mail your questions to be answered by Miss Jones to statesman. miss.jones@gmail. com Web Editor Karlie Brand About letters • Letters should be limited to 400 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). 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@aggiemail. usu.edu, or click on www.aggietownsquare.com for more letter guidelines and a box to submit letters. (Link: About Us.) Online poll Matter of trust: A plan to make government ownership of business less political G overnment ownership of banks, car factories and insurance companies has little or no precedent in U.S. history — and a poor track record in countries that have tried it. When governments own companies, they succumb to the temptation to manage them according to political rather than economic criteria. Losses mount, and government bleeds the rest of the economy to cover them. At the moment, the federal government finds itself in possession of large chunks of America’s biggest industrial and financial firms. This less-than-optimal situation is the result of economic emergency, not some sort of socialist plot on the part of President Obama, as some would have it. Indeed, though the bailout of both GM and Chrysler favored the United Auto Workers, one of the Democratic Party’s key constituencies, since then the president seems to have let the car companies run themselves. The problem is that there is no institutional guarantee that this will remain the case. The true test of the White House’s hands-off approach will come when management wants to do something that touches the president’s - See PLAN, page 11 If you had the choice between being filthy rich, extremely good looking, incredibly smart or having a super power, but you could only pick one, which would it be? • Filthy rich • Extremely good looking • Incredibly smart • Super power Visit us on the Web at www.aggietownsquare. com to cast your vote. |