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Show Monday, March 8, 2010 Page 12 Views&Opilli011 Utah State University • Logan, Utah • www.aggietownsquare.com OurView AboutUS Editor in Chief Patrick Oden Being average is not something to loathe News Editor Rachel A. Christensen Assistant News Editor Catherine Meidell W e have all done it. We have looked at the women in the magazines or the men in the exercise equipment infomercials and wanted a body just like theirs. We have coveted the girls that look great in bikinis with not even a tenth of an inch of fat hanging off of their sides. Men have even desired the washboard abs, the kind that make women want to grate cheese on. The media makes it look so easy to be this beautiful and handsome. They make it seem like with just a little bit of work and a few less calories a day and we are well on our way to looking like a mass of supermodels. But did you know that the body type portrayed in advertising as the ideal body for women is only naturally possessed by 5 percent of females in the United States? The media definitely knows the ropes for how to make women and men feel discouraged. The diet industry alone is worth anywhere between $40 to $100 billion a year, selling temporary weight loss. The American research group Anorexia Nervosa & Related Eating Disorders, Inc. says one of four college-aged women use unhealthy methods of weight control, including fasting, skipping meals, excessive exercise, laxative abuse and self-induced vomiting. The pressure to be thin is getting out of control. Love who you are. Love the body you have been given. Located in the Sunburst Lounge of the TSC is this year's Body Acceptance Fair, with the theme Every "Body" Rocks. This is a day devoted to helping students overcome subliminal messages the media bombards their minds with. The fair is designed to help students focus on being at peace with themselves. It is easy for us to fall into this pit of despair and feel discouraged about our outward appearance. However, we need to remember that it is not a realistic goal to be a size 2 with no acne. Be proud of not looking like Barbie or Ken. Find something you love about your body and concentrate on that. Once you find one thing, you will find another and another. It is a chain reaction. Remember, every body rocks - including yours. Getting Involved D uring my years here at Utah State, I have considered myself an overachiever. I get restless just sitting around my bedroom. If I'm not out doing something, I feel like the world is passing me by. Recently, I decided to scale back some of my extracurricular activities, which means I now only have five different groups on my plate. Now, I don't think that everyone should follow my frantic lead, however, do something. Way too many times I hear fellow students in passing talk about how boring this campus is and how there is never anything to do. That couldn't be further from the truth. With all the groups and activities going on daily, you have to work hard not to be involved. Why sit around being a lump? Get out there and follow Nike's famous quote, "Just do it." USU invests a lot of money in putting events on to keep you busy. Comedians, parties, banquets, musical acts. They are always going on. You feel like a lyrical genius? Stop by Poetry and a Beverage and let your creative juice loose. Want to make a difference on the planet but don't know how? The Val R. Christensen Service Center has a ton of different organizations to get involved. If you have dance skills that need to be center stage, check out USU premier dance groups. You think you are more of a behind-the-scenes person, the Student Activities Board (STAB) is always looking for members to help plan out the best events and parties in Utah. If you are like me, food is a big draw to get me involved. STAB is the best fed organization on campus. Even better, being involved gives you something to put on a résumé for jobs and internships. Being involved has helped me land a few lucrative paid internships. Stepping into the business world, you need something that will set you above other people with similar school degrees. Being able to say you worked with organizations that give you real-world experience while still in college is a plus. The Council of Clubs and Student Organizations (CSCO) offers more specific clubs created for students by students. These clubs are generally smaller and more personal, but still offer a lot of fun. Clubs, such as the Aggie Nap Club, the Book Club and the Ag Tech Club, all have different and exciting things to offer. The Ag Tech Club focuses on "creating a learning and leadership experience for agricultural mechanization students as well as preserve the agricultural heritage of USU." The Book Club "gives anyone who might be interested in literature an opportunity to come and broaden their literary horizons while meeting people who share their similar interests." If you are wondering what the Aggie Nap Club does, well, they nap. Its mission is "to provide students with the opportunity to take a well deserved nap." There are many active clubs on campus, and if you can't find one you are interested in, I See INVOLVED, page 13 Features Editor Courtnie Packer Assistant Features Editor Benjamin Wood Sports Editor Connor Jones Assistant Sports Editor Matt Sonnenberg Copy Editor Mark Vuong Photo Editors Pete Smithsuth Steve Sellers Web Editor Karlie Brand ForumLetters Letters to the editor • A public forum Higher standards needed for ASUSU To the editor: Like many students, I was surprised with the ASUSU election scandal this year. I was even more surprised that the candidate at the center of the scandal faced no substantial consequences for his actions. It is also unsettling that the candidate's faculty adviser did not advise the student against such unethical conduct. I understand why there was no disqualification; however, I hope changes will be implemented quickly to prevent future candidates from engaging in such activities. Most surprising was that there was never a denial of wrong-doing. Just because there is not a specific bi-law or code prohibiting a particular behavior, does not necessarily make that particular action acceptable. It is neither possible nor practical to spell out every possible inappropriate behavior. There isn't a law or formal rule telling me that I can't kiss someone's fiancée, but it is still something that, as a society, we know is inappropriate and we just don't do. When there isn't a specific punishment for an action, people may think they can escape without consequences, and it may even appear that they have done so. But we live in an age of information. Imagine if a future employer ran an Internet search and found your name in connection with a major breach of ethics. I asked the human resources department of my last employer what they would do in such a situation. The HR director wrote, "If I became aware of any job candidate participating in (what happened at Utah State), that candidate would no longer be under consideration for employment. That kind of behavior demonstrates poor ethics and is a signal of future behavior. While we do not have a policy that addresses this situation specifically, we do have a policy that requires honest, ethical behavior from all employees." From what has transpired, it would appear that we are not holding ASUSU candidates to the fairly low standards of the real world. There is one part of the student code I particularly admire for its simplicity: "I pledge, on my honor, to conduct myself with the foremost level of academic integrity." It is hard to rationalize inappropriate behavior under such a standard. Perhaps we should require all ASUSU candidates to swear to conduct their campaigns at the foremost level of integrity. I doubt many students would agree that such was the case this year. Future elections may remain free of corruption if we raise the standards to the foremost of integrity. Richard Orcutt Introducing you to ASUSU Public Relations Director Allie Anderson Hey Aggies. My name is Allie Anderson, and I am this year's ASUSU public relations director. I take great pride in Utah State University and feel honored to represent my fellow students. I'm from a little town called Grantsville, which is just south of the Great Salt Lake. I grew up on a farm and learned how to drive a tractor, feed cows, change pipe and much more. I also rode horses competitively and participated in the 4H program. The most important thing I learned from my family farm was how to work hard until the job is done, a skill I have applied to my entire college career and to this position. After graduating high school, I came to Utah State and am now in my senior year. I will graduate this May in creative writing and public relations, and I just got accepted to the master's of English program. I love being a student at Utah State University and am excited to continue my education here. It is such a student-orientated campus and community with endless activities and ways to get involved. One of the best decisions I made was choosing to get involved with ASUSU. I began as a volunteer for different councils and activities and then applied for my current position, which is appointed by the ASUSU president. Some of my responsibilities include scheduling columns and ads with the Statesman, arranging interviews for current ASUSU officers and managing a team of three designers and a Web master. I also sit on the student fee board, Fusion HD3 radio board and Executive Council as a non-voting member. Another part of my job is running student body elections, which were completed last week. They were a great success, and I want to personally thank all those who participated. Any student who is eligible and wants to put in the time and effort can run. A campaign is a lot of work and once in office it is even more work. ASUSU officers work extremely 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.) Sound Off ALLIE ANDERSON hard for the scholarships we receive, and our main goal is to improve student life. We put countless hours into these positions and often times it is a juggling act with school and other obligations. It's not always easy, but we each have a deep love for Utah State and a goal to constantly improve. I would encourage anyone who wants to make a change to come up to the third floor and make it for themselves, because with ASUSU it's possible. ASUSU is a wonderful organization and it has helped me grow as a student and individual. I am better for having been involved and getting to know the amazing people I've worked with this year. ASUSU has something to offer everyone, and I would encourage all students at Utah State to get involved and make a difference. Allie Anderson can be reached by e-mail at a.and@aggiemaiLusu.edu . Leave your comments on the stories and columns you find in The Utah Statesman at aggietownsquare.com |