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Show Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2010 Page 11 Views&Opilli011 Utah State University • Logan, Utah • www.utahstatesman.com qs- WI I` C., OurView WE WANT THE GUYS WHO DROVE US INTO THE DITCH TO DRIVE Concealed weapons caught in crossfire acking heat is always a hot button topic, and heat has been turned up on campus. The USU College Republicans recently hosted a class, as they do each semester, where students could earn a state permit to carry a concealed weapon. The second amendment to the U.S. Constitution gives the right to all people to bear arms without infringement of Congress. Thinking back to the unfortunate events that occurred at Virginia Tech University and that have occurred at high schools and colleges nationwide, the idea of concealed weapons may seem like a safety net. In theory, an armed person could potentially disarm a gunman in a dangerous situation, potentially sparing lives in the process. However, the idea of having many students on campus carrying a concealed weapon is disconcerting. Yes, a lot of damage could be averted if a legally armed person could disable a gunman on a rampage, but would they? Does that theoretical person have the training, quick-thinking and capacity of conscience to take action when it is needed? The chance of avoiding an already unlikely situation may not be worth allowing concealed weapons to be carried on campus. Those who pass the required course to obtain a concealed weapons permit are not required to take any further training. Accidents happen to the best of people and carrying a gun around campus would only heighten the possibility of an accident. However, it is also likely that the potential for tragedy may not increase due to concealed weapons - someone who cares to go the legal route of obtaining a concealed weapon is not often the same person who will use it inappropriately. Those who would misuse a weapon and cause harm to others are likely to employ whatever means necessary to obtain destructive materials, be it a gun or a bomb or a vehicle. We respect the right to bear arms, and applaud the organizations on campus that facilitate the process of obtaining a legal weapons permit. In a world where bad people will always have guns, we are comforted by the idea that good people are able to carry them as well. However, we also feel slightly uncomfortable with the idea of sitting next to a loaded gun during class and on the quad. Editor in Chief Benjamin C. Wood News Editor Catherine Meidell Assistant News Editor Megan Bainum p An ode to a rivalry 4,4 Thousands of eager fans The 'Low sat roasting in the unusually warm October sun. The Down most dedicated fans painted themselves blue, only worsening the hot conditions =.P for themselves. That, however, is the kind of sacrifice TYLER BARLOW that makes college football great. The opportunity to play our most bitter foe at home made for a fantastic Friday evening. If you haven't heard who won yet, your only excuse is a coma. I do not mean to make light of a tragic human condition, but simply accentuate how important the Friday win over BYU was for the Aggie faithful. At the risk of vilifying myself, I must confess that I grew up a fan of BYU. This only changed when I came to Utah State and fell in love with Aggie athletics. I am a life-long fan of college football, so even though some deemed being a fan of Aggie football as something difficult, I had no problem re-aligning my loyalties ... even though some may claim I hold Cougar sentiments to this day. The exhilarating experience that was the BYU-USU basketball game last year was enough to turn the tables. Fanaticism is fiercely contagious, and in the Spectrum or Romney Stadium, nearly impossible to avoid. But who would want to? This Friday's smack-down, for the lack of a more satisfying term, only added flame to the fire of my favorite Utah State rivalry. We have beaten them now. Not just in hockey, or basketball, but their pride and joy - football. Sure, our last share of football greatness came from the new namesake of the field, Merlin Olsen, and yes, BYU has their all-American quarterbacks. But we have the win, this time around. The future is bright for our program, as is the future of the rivalry. We may very well see the changing of the tides in the annual battle of the resident church school and their state university rival. The University of Utah will graduate to a BCS automatic qualifying conference next year, and from the looks of it, BYU is likely to remain a second-tier program for the foreseeable future. I See WIN, page 12 A bout U S Features Editor Courtnie Packer Assistant Features Editor Kellyn Neumann Sports Editor Adam Nettina Assistant Sports Editor Matt Sonnenberg Copy Editor Chelsey Gensel ForumLetters Aggie fans lacking respect To the editor: I'm competitive. I think patience is for losers and droolers. I like a hard-fought blood and sweat contest not hug-fests where we circle up and sing kumbiya. But, has it been so long since we've won that we can't remember how to act as spectators? Here's a simple concept that seems to have generally evaded our crowd: without the opposing team there would be no game! In grade school, children mock, denigrate and besmirch others for the wrong hair or shoes or name. Most people outgrow that titillating puerile behavior and look back with a learned measure of respect for other humans. Maybe USU has too many frat brats who never outgrew second grade. "Kindergarten baby born in the gravy" is now, "Stupid, stupid", or "Left, right, sit down!" Obviously, every person who chants this rubbish has never MADE any team. Jealousy precludes their ability to be decent and failures are seldom magnanimous. Since they have no real team uniform they wear shirts with vile and contemptuous slogans. They may as well print, "I am a dumb -A." Only a "jack-a" brings a guest into their home in order to urinate on them. A student ID or a ticket doesn't entitle you to center stage as the crude clown to make sports events into a ghetto fabulous experience for others. If you want to be the center of attention then develop your talent and see how well you fare against those who have made the effort to be on a team. Winners, and that doesn't necessarily mean the highest scorers, actually respect and esteem their opponents Photo Editor Carl R. Wilson Letters to the editor • A public forum because they know the effort it takes to get there. If you really believe the opposing team is weak, pathetic, unworthy of respect, then winning a contest against them is as proud a moment as winning an arm-wrestle with a 5-year-old. It is hilarious to assume people come to games to be entertained by talentless discourteous saps in the stands. When trashy disrespectful behavior gives USU and the local community the image of discourteous fools, it is tasteless to turn around and ask our community to extend "Aggie discounts." USU alumni do business all over the world with people who've been ridiculed disdainfully by jerks at USU. Does this helps alumni to rush to donate to USU? Have you ever heard of the bird that poops in its own nest? Pena Nilson Learning social responsibility at USU The role university campuses is also an important Faculty of universities part of the national dialogue at universiin the United ties across the country. The Association Voices States has of American Colleges and Universities traditionally (AAC&U) recently released its Core been to help Commitments, a signature initiative of this students develconsortium of 23 universities that aims to op academirevitalize the academy's role in fostering cally, grow students' development of social responsibilinto effective ity. The Core Commitments is "designed leaders, and become engaged citizens. As to help campuses create learning environour world faces a growing array of complex ments in which all students reach for excelproblems, universities are being asked to lence in the use of their talents, take responsibility for the integrity and quality of their help students acquire a new set of skills in social responsibility. No longer is it sufficient work, and engage in meaningful practices, to produce the best physicians, engineers, including taking seriously the perspectives and teachers; universities must graduate of others, that prepare them to fulfill their students who accept the responsibility to obligations as students in an academic comleverage their talents and training to help munity and as responsible global and local other people in their community, the nation citizens." and the world. Utah State The following incident illusUniversity is not exempt from trates the impact that applying "As our world this trend and, in fact, is fully the precepts of "Aggies Think, faces a growing embracing this notion. Care, Act" can have on indiarray of comThis fall semester, the viduals, others, and the USU community: One morning, I Division of Student Services plex problems, launched "Aggies Think, Care, left my office with just enough universities are Act," a program that focuses time to make a punctual arrival being asked to on raising USU students' at a speaking engagement on awareness of their social campus. In the interest of time, help students responsibility as a member of I took a shortcut through the acquire a new set lobby of the University Inn. As the USU community. "Aggies of skills in social I neared the lobby exit doors, Think, Care, Act" emphasizes that each community member responsibility" I noticed a University staff is accountable for helping to member approaching to enter foster the values of human digthe hotel pushing a handcart nity, equality, respect and safety for everyloaded with a large recycling barrel. The one. barrel was obviously quite heavy, making The program is challenging students to the handcart extremely unwieldy. Instantly, I think about how their words, actions or realized the choice before me: I could open silence can affect problematic situations. the door and hold it for him to enter easStudents are learning that part of being an ily or I could disregard his plight and conAggie means helping to create a caring tinue on my way to ensure a timely arrival community. A basic tenet is that the choices at my speaking engagement. I glanced at students make can affect daily behavior my watch and knew that if I took the time and help address more serious situations to hold the door, I would be late for my that may arise on campus. For example, appointment. The group who had invited caring about a roommate who is struggling, me to speak would be inconvenienced by promoting academic integrity in a group my late arrival and might even be less attenassignment or a testing situation, speaking tive to my remarks since I had not cared up when racist "jokes" are made, etc. The enough to be punctual. I also knew that takprogram also directs students to resources ing the time to hold the door for my camthat help students act to end incidents of harm or injustice. I See CARE, page 12 The trend toward social responsibility on Assistant Photo Editor Alison Ostler Web Editor Tyler Huskinson Editorial Board Benjamin C. Wood Catherine Meidell Courtnie Packer Adam Nettina Chelsey Gensel Tyler Huskinson 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.utahstatesman. corn for more letter guidelines and a box to submit letters. Online poll How often do you ride the Aggie Shuttles? • • Always. The hills around campus are too steep to walk. Sometimes. If I see it coming then I'll hop on. Never. It's usually late and packed full. 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