OCR Text |
Show Monday, April 18, 2011 Page 10 VieW S 0 Pill1110111 Utah State University • Logan, Utah • www.utahstatesman.com AboutUS OurView Are the Robins awards truly our best? Editor in Chief Benjamin C. Wood TVE SCATTSW MOW 141A.MONS OP 'THESE 'THINGS FOR YOU'. Copy Editor Chelsey Gensel News Editor T his year's Robins' Awards ceremony was like every other. A few dozen people got their fill of cheese, crackers and fancy sandwiches in the pre-ceremony reception and an entire section of the seating was virtually empty. Some nominees did not even show up to accept their awards. Perhaps they missed the memo. Perhaps the student body has missed the memo altogether. Looking around at all the suits, cocktail dresses and stacks of program booklets, one begins to wonder what the big deal is anyway. All of the names we hear repeatedly throughout the year jump into the spotlight once again. The man and woman of the year and many others come to the stage to accept their polished trophies and say a few words about how surprised they are and cap off the speech with "Go Aggies." Once the biggest award is announced, it has already been two hours and the crowd is yawning left and right. So, who decides which individual or group is worthy of receiving these prestigious awards? Well, the students do, in theory. Students nominate those who they believe fit the qualifications, and student representatives make the final decisions. It would be interesting to find out how many students actually know this tradition exists. We presume the number is rather low. Observing the attendance of the event, it is clear that a very small fraction of students care what the Robins Awards are. The award for Achievement of the Year was a toss-up between Chase Casillas' leadership in the HOWL and the HURD's role in rowdy athletics crowds. So, this is really all we have achieved this year? Have we forgotten the displeasure voiced by a large number of HOWL attendees that never made it inside the door? And last we checked, rowdy crowds had more to do with the front row of Section F than "the biggest club on campus." We are not buying it, and while we do not mean to belittle the outstanding achievements of those nominated, we worry this event may be a poor representation of the entire student body. Undoubtedly, the winners of this year's awards are devoted individuals that deserve recognition, but how many exceptional students failed to even be considered simply by fault of not rubbing shoulders with the right people. Is this event accurately representative of USU's very best? Maybe, maybe not. Until advertising for Robins Awards nominations improve, and more students involve themselves in the nominating process, this tradition will only remain important to those who spend their time in the TSC. We will say, though, that if ASUSU President Tyler Tolson's wife can play Tchaikovsky on her violin at every formal event the way she did Saturday night, we will feel more persuaded to attend. Belief and disbelief, which is rational? Faith and Reason Is it rational to believe in a god or higher power of sorts? In contemporary discussion and debate this question has become a major point of interest. Those in the secular and atheist camps often argue that such beliefs are outdated superstition that once served a purpose, but are now silly beliefs held only by the simple-minded and mentally ill among us. A truly intelligent and reasonable fellow, according to such thinkers, would not fall for a hoax as absurd as religion. Others still find an appeal in such beliefs for a variety of reasons. Belief in a higher power gives them direction in life, a sense of purpose, or the simple comfort that can only come from a source larger than us. In this, like many great debates, there is wisdom and validity to be found on both sides. There are many forms of belief in deity or deities. Some believe that deity is involved in every aspect of existence. For this God, a bird does not die without his awareness of such an event. This is the God who hears prayers, and has intervened to aid humanity, as the God of Moses did for Israel. Others see a world where days seem to come and go much like they always do. The outcomes of these days are a product of human decisions and various natural causes. Supernatural occurrences are seen as nothing more than myth or misunderstood phenomena by these individuals. However, a higher power is not seen as completely absurd by these individuals. After all, the universe as we know it must have some cause, else it would not exist. This is the god of Antony Flew, Thomas Jefferson and other Deists. Deism is often left alone by those criticizing faith and religion. I will follow suit and focus on those who believe in a perCI See DEITY, page 11 Catherine Meidell Assistant News Editor Megan Bainum Features Editor Kellyn Neumann Assistant Features Editor Kasey Van Dyke Sports Editor Matt Sonnenberg Politics should stick to principals Major Concerns Tea Partiers swept into Washington this January ready to make a stand - they would force govern- CHARLES MAJOR ment growth to stop and take major steps to cut it back. Indeed, the Republicans have been telling us for years and years that such is their platform. That they are the party of limited government, individual rights and prosperity. But they have continuously shown the opposite colors once sitting in the chambers of congress and behind the desk in the oval office. President Bush's lack 4 of control when it came to spending was only the worst violation in a string against small government ideology. During the two Presidential terms of that champion of small government - at least in speech - Ronald Reagan, federal spending increased by nearly 23 percent. This is to be compared with an increase of just under 13 percent during Clinton's two terms. Disgust with Bush and a congress that was in his back pocket finally gathered small-government minded individuals to stand up against the big-government Republicans. They called themselves the Tea Party, after those American freedom lovers who stood up against British Appreciation for the greeks To the editor: On April 8, my friend and I walked past Alphatraz being held by Alpha Chi Omega when my friend made a comment about the money being collected. Not realizing the conversation about to take place, I found myself defending the Greek Society at Utah State University. I am not a member of the Greek Society, but have some insight on how it can make a person feel they belong and that they belong to something. As a tutor in the Writing Center, an encounter with a member of a sorority made me start thinking differently. Her entire research paper was focused on the benefits of going Greek. Most of the time, students at Utah State bash Greek Society instead of thanking them for their service they provide. When I understood what Alpha Chi Omega was doing in collecting money for a scholorship for women who have escaped domestic abuse, I wanted to hug them. From my little bit of understanding, the Greek society present on the Utah State campus does a lot to help out the school and the community. It can be from setting up a table in the TSC to collect prom dresses for high school girls who cannot afford them to collecting money for a scholorship. If I had known and understood Greek society when I started college at 20, I might have rushed. However, my own graduation looms upon me when I realize I've missed out on an chance to become a better person. Jen Howard Walk a mile falls short To the editor: Yesterday, USU was host to an event called "Walk a Mile in Her Shoes." For those not present, this event consisted of groups of men walking the distance of one mile while wearing women's shoes. While I'm sure that a number of people were disgusted by this, as I was, I'm sure my reasons were far different. The event was an act of emasculation, and I'm not even referring to the crossdressing aspect. What was truly emasculating about the event was the attitude that it forced the participants to adopt. The intent of the event was to raise awareness of sexual violence against women, via encouraging men to "get a taste of what women endure." First off, women are not the only victims of sexual violence in the country. Some could argue that men do not suffer as much from this as women, but this is false. According to the FBI, every year approximately 94,000 women are raped in the United States, while a human rights watch group reports that every year, approximately 140,000 men are raped in American prisons. A common response to this is that men can avoid this merely by staying out of prisons; this is easier said than done, as men almost always receive far sharsher sentences than women who commit the same crimes. Another problem with the man-as-perpetrator-womenas-victim paradigm is the fact that it completely ignores sexual violence committed by women. While many advocates are aware that women constitute half the perpetrators of domestic violence, their lack of focus on men's suffering betrays our culture's attitude towards such things. When Chris Brown was with Rihanna, he assaulted her, and was trashed endlessly by the media (who conveniently ignored the many times she publicly assaulted him). On the other hand, when Lorena Bobbit cut off her husband's penis with a kitchen knife, it was treated as a very humorous event. Would the world be laughing if John Wayne Bobbit had cut of his wife's breasts? Perhaps the worst part of this event is the fact that it completely ignores the flipside of sexual violence against Photo Editor Carl R. Wilson Assistant Photo Editor Alison Ostler Web Editor Rob Jepson Editorial Board Benjamin C. Wood Catherine Meidell Kellyn Neumann Matt Sonnenberg Chelsey Gensel Rob Jepson About letters See BUDGET, page 11 ForumLetters Assistant Sports Editor Tyler Huskinson Letters to the editor • A public forum women: false accusations. Despite what feminists say, rape has a significantly higher rate of false accusations than any other felony. A false accusation of rape can damage a man's life just as much as being raped can damage a woman's life. In fact, the damage is worse: rape-shield laws prohibit the defense from using the accuser's sexual history in court (even though, more often than not, it's relevant to the case), and prohibit the court from revealing the accuser's identity to the public. The accused (usually a man) receives no such protections, and even if he's acquitted, his reputation will be forever tarnished by the event. Perhaps worst of all, the fact that false accusations are seldom punished does severe damage to the credibility of genuine victims. It's especially offensive that a march like this was held when, at this very time, a man in Maine named Vladek Filler is being put on trial for rape, and being tried by Assistant District Attorney Mary Kellett, a prosecutor with a long history of unethical conduct. Filler was accused by his wife, who has a history of violent behavior and false accusations, in the middle of custody proceedings. TJ ward, a professional investigator, said that there is absolutely no reason to believe that Filler is guilty, and that Kellett deliberately omitted evidence that proves his innocence. There is no recourse at the present time for men who fall victim to false accusations. In light of this, I have a question for all the men who participated in this march: Do you really understand the implications of what you did? The next Vladek Filler (or Duke Lacrosse player) could be somebody you care about. It could be your father, your brother, your cousin or your son. Or, god forbid, it could be you. When and if that happens, look back on your participation in this event, and ask yourself: was it really worth it to curry a bit of female favor by bashing your own sex? Phil Henderson • 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 Do you believe in a higher power? • • • Yes, the universe is too complex to be spontaneous. No, there is no proof a higher power exists. I don't know. Visit us on the Web at www.utahstatesman. corn to cast your vote and see results from this straw poll. |