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Show Page 14 Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2011 V &1:11) i 1111 I Oil Utah State University • Logan, Utah • www.utahstatesman.com O urView Abo ut US Editor in Chief You don't own the road Catherine Meidell A s each year goes by, here at USU — and President Stan Albrecht's yearly initiative of heightened enrollment is effectively executed — we notice certain areas on and off campus continue to swell at the beginning, and to a lesser degree, at the end of each semester. Even though droves of new students are invited to come to USU to enjoy its prestigious research programs, beautiful surroundings and affordable tuition and fees, class sizes continue to grow, parking continues to decrease and roads stay the same size. If we could successfully poll all students on campus and ask them how they feel about the price and practicality of parking — especially in those places like the Terrace or University Inn parking lot, that do not require an overloaded shuttle ride or a lengthy, sub-zero walk in the winter time — chances are likely the general consensus would be less than positive. And what about drivers whose morning transit routes include a leg on the overcrowded 700 North or 800 East? How many of us, in the first couple of weeks of a new semester, have been in a hurry to get through the intersection of those two roads and screamed expletives at the perpetual stream of ignorant pedestrians who seem to think a flashing-red hand means "come on over, keep on texting, you have plenty of time"? Perhaps, the issue is we all get tunnel vision when it's early and we're in a hurry to get to class without showing up late and looking like less-thansuccessful future leaders of the world. Who hasn't been guilty of running a red light, jaywalking or pulling a "California roll" through a stop sign once in a while? The problem surmounts when a few thousand people are all doing this at the same time. It's surprising so few people end up in the hospital — or heaven forbid, dead — because of the negligent disregard for laws we all had to know to get a driver license. Returning students may recall a few years ago when a faculty member biking down the hill on 800 East T-boned a vehicle making a left turn. What turned out to be a couple of fractures and broken bones could have resulted in a coffin and tombstone. Last year, Logan City donated some time, funding and effort to painting "sharrows" on the road to reduce the anxiety and risk cyclists experience while riding in traffic with cars, trucks and buses. Furthermore, after a few repairs to the roads most proximate to USU, the "sharrows" were repainted and are now more easily visible. These road designs, consisting of a picture of a bike and an arrow, instruct drivers to be aware and have consideration for bike riders who legally and rightfully share the road. Unfortunately, what's harder to do is get bike riders to acknowledge they are still subject to the same set of laws as licensed drivers. Low energy, running late or not wanting to give up downhill momentum are not excuses for running stop signs and stoplights on your bike. Sidewalks and roads are not interchangeable — bike riders shouldn't, and don't, have the luxury of using one or the other depending on convenience. People behind the wheel of a vehicle aren't going to expect a cyclist to come barreling down a sidewalk and seamlessly merge into traffic on the street. This is reckless, dangerous and illegal. Lastly, how many people have witnessed collisions on campus sidewalks between cyclists, boarders or Razor riders? There's a reason the USU Bike Plan was concocted this year (the reason there are "Yield your wheels" signs all over campus). We're all adults here, and regardless of what you've been told, we all need to be considerate of one another. So let's take our blinders off, and realize there's a whole world out there that needs some of our attention. Finding home in India Three months ago, I A Word was sitting cross-legged in a temple in southern India, from the as Hindu priests chanted Wise verses from 4,000-year-old Aiba scriptures. The priests were a group of ancient men and young boys in dhotis — MICHAEL SOWDER white wraps covering their bodies from the waist down. They were bare-chested in the heat — chests and foreheads marked with ash — their voices reverberating through the carved, granite halls. I sat alone in one of the shrine rooms to the side, before a huge statue of I See SPIRITUALITY, page 15 Copy Editor D. Whitney Smith News Editor Rob Jepson Assistant News Editor Megan Allen Features Editor Kellyn Neumann Assistant Features Editor Allee Evensen Sports Editor Tavin Stucki Assistant Sports Editor Tyler Huskinson Photo Editor Ani Mirzakhanyan Keystone pipeline: choosing between job creation and saving oil From the left AColumn Divided From the right Two students take two angles on one political issue MIKE BURNHAM In the chaos and confusion of the earthquake that shook the East Coast and the ensuing devastation of Hurricane Irene, an equally impacting but less reported event has been taking place, the effects of which will undoubtedly be felt as long — if not longe r. For the past two weeks, environmental activists throughout the U.S. have been staging protests in front of the White House against the construction of the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline. The pipeline will stretch more than 1,700 miles to transport oil extracted from the tar sands of Alberta, Canada, down to Texas for refining. The decision of whether or not to build the pipeline rests in President Barack Obama's hands and must be made by Nov. 1. During a period of economic downturn and high unemployment, such as the one we are currently experiencing, the temptation to give the green light to the pipeline project seems like an obvious solution for many, including the President. His prospects for re-election will hinge on how well the economy performs between now and then. TransCanada, the company proposing the pipeline, contends that the $13 billion undertaking will create as many as 20,000 construction jobs, which begins to look really good after August's jobs report. With uprisings in Libya, Syria and who-knows- ;See PIPELINE, Page 15 CommentBoards Join the conversation @ utahstatesman.com In 1543, two Portuguese adventurers arrived in Japan with primitive firearms. This was Japan's first introduction to guns, and it had an immediate impact. Japan adopted the new technology and greatly advanced it. By 1600, Japan boasted the best guns in the world. Guns, however, were ungraceful weapons and ran contrary to the Samurai tradition. The government began restricting their production, and, fairly quickly, Japan virtually abolished them. The decision to abandon firearms later cost the Japanese dearly when cannon-wielding U.S. fleets bent the nation to its will. What does this story have to do with the proposed Keystone XL pipeline? Despite what it may seem, the firestorm of protests surrounding the pipeline are not about the project itself — they are about oil development in general. Wherever oil production goes, activists follow. Yet, if they had their way, new oil fields and development would cease. Slowly, as the production value of older fields drop, cheap energy would begin to fade in the U.S. the way firearms did in Japan. OPEC, and other nations willing to develop their lands, will be able to undermine U.S. sovereignty, as we were once able to do to Japan. The lesson is simple: Nations that abandon developmental advantages are eventually overrun by their competitors. eSee OIL, Page 15 Assistant Photo Editor Carl R. Wilson Web Editor Steve Kent Editorial Board Catherine Meidell D. Whitney Smith Kellyn Neumann Rob Jepson Tavin Stucki Steve Kent 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 e-mail address as well as a student identification number (none of which is published). 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