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Show Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2010 Utah Campus Voice since 1902 •SE Utah State University • Logan, Utah • www.utahstatesman.com Survey shows students lean right By BENJAMIN WOOD editor in chief According to an unscientific survey conducted by The Utah Statesman, 51 percent of students generally self-align with the Republican Party. Students were asked if they were registered for a political party and, if not, if they generally agree with one party over the others. Of the 248 students who participated in the survey, 24 percent were registered members of the Republican Party, while another 27 percent selected the Republicans as the party they tend to agree with. Registered Democrats made up 10 percent, with an additional 8 percent generally agreeing with that party's platforms. Michael Lyons, an associate professor in the department of political science who was not involved with the survey, said the number of registered voters on campus is probably lower than the survey suggests, but that the majority of students on campus would likely lean towards the Republican Party. "What you're mostly getting in USU is students reflecting the views of their parents and the community around them," Lyons said. "Most people 17, 18, 19 years old have not given enough thought to issues to formulate what they think." Of those students who were registered to vote, 32 percent were not registered for a political party and of the total pool of respondents, 25 percent said they do not agree with Which way do USU students lean? Republican 5 I %* Democrat 18%* Registered to Vote? Yes 68% No 32% If yes, are you registered with a party? Yes 68% 2% e m o 265cx If yes ... Repub No 32% Demo Other 13% Do you generally agree with one party? Unregistered: Registered...Repub 7I Repub 62% Demo 38% Demo 22% Other 7% Did you vote in last general election? ifyes McCain 46% Yes 68% No 32% Obama 37% Other 17% If no, who would you have voted for? McCain 54% Obama 25% Other 21% Plan to vote in mid-term elections? Yes 71% No 29% * Combined results of "With which party are you registered?" and "Do you generally agree with one party or another?" All figures are results of a non-scientific survey of 248 USU students conducted week of Oct.l 6 near the TSC. a particular party. Lyons said these numbers of political independence are not uncommon. "Roughly 40 percent (of Americans) claim to be independent," Lyons said. Lyons described himself as a strong advocate of parties and said that often when individuals do not claim a political affiliation, it is more a result of being uninformed on issues than conflicting with the parties' platforms. "The more informed you are the more likely you are to have a secure party identity," Lyons said, adding that older individuals tend to be more secure in their affiliations. "It's when you start to pay taxes and government starts to affect you more directly that you become more concerned with politics," he said. Lyons also suggested that while college campuses are normally considered liberalleaning, the academic emphasis of USU coincides with conservative groups. Engineering, science, agriculture and business — the major fields at typical land-grant universities such as Utah State — tend to be made up of conservatives who value order, organization and finite conclusions. Social sciences like political science and humanities that deal more with theoretical applications of behavior tend to lean liberal. "People with a high tolerance for disorder and ambiguity are more likely to be liberals," Lyons said, joking that the very topic he was discussing would be an example of the theoretical analysis of human behavior liberalminded people are involved in. "We (USU) are not an outlier, we're part of a broad group," Lyons said. While many people frown upon certain aspects of party politics, Lyons said that in a democracy, the formation of groups by likeminded individuals is inevitable. "There is no such thing as a viable democracy without political parties," Lyons said. "I would fear any attempt to operate a democracy without parties." Lyons said that parties play a crucial role in American politics, framing elections in a way that the average citizen need not spend exhaustive efforts educating themselves on the minutiae of each issue at stake. Without parties, he said, we would be left with what the philosopher Thomas Hobbes described as a "war of all against all." "You're left with interest groups who view issues through narrow prisms of their own self-interest," Lyons said. With parties, he said, groups have to take a broad perspective on a wide-range of issues I See POLLS, page 4 Grantfuels vaccine training program Utah State receives By DAN SMITH staff writer USU received a $300,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to fund a vaccine-manufacturing training program, said Kamal Rashid, associate director and research professor for the Center for Integrated Bio-Systems (CIB). The program will specifically focus on improving production of influenza vaccines. Exceptional facilities and faculty at Utah State continue to make major advances in research that help set the university apart from others, Rashid said. "The whole idea is how to be prepared in case of an outbreak of influenza," Rashid said. "How do you be prepared? By having vaccines so when there is disease, you can vaccinate people. Prevention is always better than treatment." Rashid, along with Research Assistant Professor Bart Tarbet from the Institute for Antiviral Research, was recently awarded the grant and will work toward implementing the training program for members of various international scientific communities in developing countries. The countries sending participants to USU for training include Egypt, India, Indonesia, Vietnam and Mexico. There are a total of 11 countries participating. "The better the world is prepared to battle these diseases from spreading, the better for the U.S. also," Rashid said. The grant was awarded by the DHHS's Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA). The money will help pay for travel expenses, lodging, meals and visas for the vaccine production teams from the 11 countries, Tarbet said. The course will be taught at CIB's cutting-edge facilities and last three weeks. He said the course will be highly intensive, starting with theory and science and then focusing on hands-on practice. I See FLU, page 3 KAMAL A. RASHID, Ph.D associate director and research professor, and Bart Tarbet, Ph.D research associate professor, work with different types of bench scale bioreactors in the Biotech lab, Tuesday. AN! MIRZAKHANYAN photo Inside This Issue 10/27/10 New ping pong dub attracts 80 members to the HPER buildilng for weekly sessions. Lauren Hansen is nearing the title of alltime leading scorer at USU. most federal funding economically vital research mission." With Bennett moving out of office, USU will be on the Utah State will look to lookout for a new political set itself apart as one of the advocate for the approprianation's top research unition of federal funds. Bennett versities as funding faces has been on the Federal further decline, said Michael Appropriations Committee Kennedy, vice president for for 18 years. Kennedy said federal and state relations. the amount of earmark fund"Big schools who are ing will definitely drop after known get bigger, and the Bennett is gone. small schools, who are not Mike Lee, the republican known, have a chance to die senatorial candidate, will preon the vine," Kennedy said, sumably win November elecindicating USU's fortitude tions, he said. According to would come in the form of a Kennedy, Lee said he's going one-of-a-kind research proto do a one-year earmark gram. moratorium to allow for earA lot of university funds mark reform. come from state, local and "It's really kind of a rare private benefactors. However, time in hisa sizable "We have enjoyed tory where a portion of new senator USU research a great relationcan get on the dollars come ship with Senator committee. I from federal Bob Bennett, and think a guy investments, like Mike Lee he has been a Kennedy could probsaid. Of these great champion ably get on, funds, 10-15 for our research." if he wanted percent of to," Kennedy them come — Michael Kennedy, said. "If Mike in the form becomes of earmarks vice president for federal Lee senator, we'll which are and state relations work with him promoted by to understand Utah's conhow imporgressmen, such as Sen. Bob tant these projects are." Bennett. Director of the Energy "We have enjoyed a great Dynamics Lab (EDL) Jeff relationship with Senator Muhs said its Innovation Bennett, and he has been Campus facility will genera great champion for our ate around $8 million in research," Kennedy said. "We revenue this fiscal year. The look forward to working with his successor and our entire I See EARMARKS, page 4 delegation, in fulfilling our By DAN SMITH staff writer Check out Big Blue's Best Calendar, the best master calendar on campus. Send something in ... let people know what you're up to. 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