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Show 0 v • & Orlin' Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2011 Page 1 Free Speech Zone Opinions on this page (columns, letters unless otherwise identified are not from Utah Statesman staff, but from a wide variety of members of the campus community who have strong opinions, just like you do! This is an open forum. Want to write something? Contact: statesman@aggiemailusu.edu Utah State Universit • Lo • an. Utah • www.utahstatesman.com OurView AboutUS Editor in Chief No more summer Catherine Meidell Copy Editor schedule bummer D. Whitney Smith A nyone who has scrambled to throw together a legitimate 6- or 12-credit summer semester schedule understands the headache that comes from fighting with Access Banner at all hours of the night. Just when it seems like that magical combination has been achieved, the final class — that final piece of the puzzle — is a class that's taught from 7:30-11:30 a.m. Wednesdays only, from May 16 to June 10. Problem is the class just so happens to conflict with a European dream vacation you planned a year ago. In short, the labyrinthine nightmare that summer registrations used to emulate will hopefully become a breezy summer daydream that draws higher numbers to summer enrollment. Provost Raymond Coward, in conjunction with Student Services, the Registrar's Office and other faculty, has worked to put together a new summer class model that may alleviate some the pain. In summers past there have been at least five summer semester sessions — three fourweek and two eight-week blocks — of intensive, fast-paced, full-credit college courses. Those who managed to find summer classes that actually fulfilled necessary major, minor or general education requirements can likely sympathize with the stress caused by the chaotic nature of summer class schedules. For students who can only take 9-12 credits per semester during the regular academic year and want to stay on track to graduate in four years, it certainly pays to register for summer credit hours — especially those staying in Cache Valley for at least a portion of the summer. However, the problem therein lies. Most people feel they need to get away for at least a couple of weeks. And, in the past, it was next to impossible to fit the necessary number of credits required to be eligible for financial aid into just one of the many summer sessions. This usually meant attending one or two classes per session, thus chewing up most of the summer break. Hopefully now, with the new summer class scheduling method, combined with a wider range of courses to choose from, the experimental plan Coward spoke of at last Monday's Faculty Senate meeting will make things easier. It should make it more appealing for a larger group of students to consider sacrificing a portion of their summers and, in the long run, save some time by graduating sooner. Finding a club that fills a cultural gap Anyone who listens to rap, hip-hop or R&B knows that it can be hard to find Lizzen quality music of this genre Up in Utah. Logan is particularly difficult — only one radio station blares a hideous mix of 12-year-old love songs with terrible rhyme schemes and not-quite-techno music that abuses the ear. For those who find the aforementioned genres of music relatable, this is frustrating and disappointing. When you're a poor college student and don't have the resources to afford cable, Sirius or incessant iTunes downloads, where do you turn for quality music? I'm glad to say I have an answer. The USU Hip-Hop Club is chock full of people who value underground music and have extensive knowledge of bigger artists who still aren't mainstream. By fraternizing with individuals in the HHC, I've become acquainted with rappers such as Chali Tuna, Immortal Technique and Atmosphere and started to know and love their music. In addition, I've met some incredibly talented local artists as well, such as the dub-step group The Beat Slum and Street Definition, which contains a veritable cornucopia of hip-hop heads from every facet of the music's lifestyle. What is the hip-hop lifestyle, you may ask? The five main elements of hip-hop include emcees (rap artists), B-boys (break dancers), deejays with turntables, graffiti artists and beat boxers. Together, these elements combine to create a culture and lifestyle that embodies "street" art — art that's all designed to help individuals express themselves through different media that are LIZ EMERY See HIP-HOP, Page 11 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 ForumLetters Quote display about theology To the editor: Last week I featured a quote from LDS prophet Brigham Young on our whiteboard — the doing of which drew forth criticism from a student in the The Statesman. I'd like to take the opportunity and respond to his criticism. For those who have observed us preaching on the Patio these last nine semesters, we hope that you will have noticed that we have sought to only discuss Biblical and LDS theology and challenge students to think about their sin, the atonement of Christ and the grace of God more deeply. We believe it is the gospel, not Mormon history, that is of utmost importance. I have never once written on the whiteboard anything of a non-theological nature, and last week's quotation was no exception. In Brigham Young's quote, I wanted to highlight the fact that he taught the doctrine of "Blood Atonement," that is, there are certain sins which the blood of Christ cannot atone for, and that one's own blood must be shed in order for forgiveness to take place. Young states this clearly, three paragraphs down from the featured quote (JOD 3:247). This is appalling to Christian theology. Nor can it be argued, as my critic has tried, that this teaching of Blood Atonement is "the exact same principle" as found in the episode with Phineas in the Old Testament. Nothing could be further from the truth. In the case of Phineas, Phineas was executing capital punishment, not redemption, by cutting the sinners off from the kingdom of God as prescribed by the Mosaic Letters to the editor • A public forum Law. In the case of Brigham Young, Young is advocating the slaying of sinners as a means of redemption, that they might be "received into the kingdom of God." There is not the slightest notion in the Bible that men can atone for their own sins by death. Death is always the great punishment of God against sin, and it is Jesus Christ alone who atones for our sins by dying in our place and bearing our punishment. Under the New Covenant, Jesus teaches us not to kill sinners but to forgive them, just as He loved us and freely forgave us through His redemption. I agree that we must have honesty and integrity, but this goes for the LDS church too. To say you are Christian but then to deny the central teaching of Christianity is in truth the real offense.. Eli Brayley Affirmative action leaves out majority I am white. I am female. I am married, and I come from a middle-class family. I am supposedly one of the least persecuted members of society. So why is it I feel like I should be sorry for my situation? Answer: affirmative action. Affirmative action, a movement trying to help minorities have the same advantages as majority groups, encourages racism, sexism and class discrimination. No, not racism against African-Americans, not sexism against females and not class discrimination against poor people. I'm talking about a movement that — while promoting advantages for certain groups — also promotes disadvantages for others. CNN recently reported on a controversial story that unfolded at the UC-Berkeley campus. The California Legislature proposed a bill allowing California universities to price tuition based on race. A group of students decided to make its own iN fifiteat azdao GSM to-2-1.0 point by holdFrom ing a bake sale in the the Legislature's soap honor. The cookies were box priced at $2 for whites, $1.50 for Asians, $1 for Latinos, 75 cents for African-Americans and 25 cents for Native Americans. All women received 25 cents off of the purchase price. According to CNN.com , when some of the other students were upset by this, campus Republicans President Shawn Lewis said, "We agree that the event is inherently racist, but that is the point. It is no more racist than giving an individual an advantage in college admissions based solely on KELLYN NEUMANN See ADVANTAGE, Page 11 Photo Editor Ani Mirzakhanyan Assistant Photo Editor Carl R. Wilson Web Editor Steve Kent Editorial Board Catherine Meidell D. Whitney Smith Steve Kent Ani Mirzakhanyan Tavin Stucki Kellyn Neumann Rob Jepson 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). 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.com for more letter guidelines and a box to submit letters. |