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Show Tr These umbels Over 2 ,000 Students a F8 airy 18,00 10 Sp Papers a week ial Sec lions Page 11 /0 14 Cot pen pat es 10% D scount Prepay 100%, 15%, 51 % Cons cutive price reduction Open Mon-Thur 2-9 p.m., Fri-Sat 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Motel and Hot Pools open year round! 3696 N. 1600 E. Preston ID 6 miles north of Preston on Hwy 34 I Utph Slate4mar Advertising www.riverdaleresort.com 208 852-0266 doubleplay along with Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2011 From LETTERS, Page 10 7 9 7i1 7 4 3 LG VieWS&Opi11i011 years, that great reputation has been tarnished by those who sometimes forget they are representing the university as a whole when they are at sporting events. The enthusiastic school spirited chants that I loved so much 6 years ago are now mixed with classless, dehumanizing and crude chants, meant to demoralize individual players of the opposing team. Stan Albrecht was right when he asked the Aggie fans to continue with the "extraordinarily loud" school spirit, but just without the crude and vulgar personal attacks on opposing players. I don't think that's too much to ask, but for the self-proclaimed leaders of the Spectrum student body, it was. On Wednesday night they decided to make a statement by not cheering for the first 3 minutes of what would prove to be a very challenging game. Seriously guys, seriously? I find it ironic that these "leaders" of ours, who are supposed to be die-hard Aggie fans, told everyone to not do the one thing they were there to do, and everyone listened. Anyone ever heard of "groupthink" or "mob mentality"? I think it's time for all of us to grow up just a little bit. Stop throwing tantrums and stop hurting our team. Don't get me wrong, I love how enthusiastic and crazy we are at the games but there is a line and it has been crossed. So what are we going to do about it? I'm not sure what the answer is, but I know punishing our own team isn't it. Richard Varela *From LIZZEN UP, Page 10 \I NN 11\1 ( 1\1 ted by humankind — hence my tangible contempt for almost all religious things. In addition to my religious columns, every other topic I write about is also genuine to my beliefs. I really do think fraternities are simply a method of social casting; pornography can enhance a healthy sex life; and pot smokers are not criminals. And there is a large number of individuals in Logan who feel the same way I do. Because the thinking community in Utah is so generally unexposed to various opinions, it seems as if what I write is unusual or sacrilegious. Some people told me I should leave Utah if I don't like the environ- prerent a special advance screening of VALENTINE'S DAY AshtonKUICHER Selh,viEYERS LeamiCriELE Sarah Jessic: ment. Well sorry, folks. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon, and I actually feel fortunate to be able to write in a newspaper where so many people disagree with my opinions. Outside of Utah my articles really aren't all that controversial. Even if they were, I'd still write the way I do. It sounds awfully cliché, but if we all had the same beliefs, life in Logan would be even more boring than it already is. Newspapers should allow writers to express various viewpoints, and I'd like to thank those who have not censored me and have accepted my writing. They pick up plenty of flak from my columns and I admire their refusal to conform under pressure from angry readers. Believe it or not, there are people in this small valley who have beliefs and opinions that oppose the majority. If you don't like my columns, don't read them. Their content isn't going to get any less controversial next semester — but I hope by now I've made it clear that I'm writing my honest beliefs, and don't do it to anger readers. — Liz Emery is a senior majoring in English creative writing. Her column appears every Wednesday. Comments can be sent to her at liz.emery@yahoo. From SOAP BOX, Page 10 iPILL1011 GAffril MICHAEL PPrrTit BY 11,1"'NEWYEARSEVE MAIii;f111[1:1BEFIG IE EN DIANAPWRNI GARRY MARSHALL IN THEATERS DECEMBER 9 date: Thursday, December 8th, 2011 time: 7:30pm location: Wertater Univerrity Itadium 1225 fl 200 E UtahStateFilm Please note Passes are limited and will be distributed on a first come. first served basis t ./hile supplies last. No phone calls. please. Limit one pass per person Each pass admits t,vo Seating is not guaranteed Arfive early Theater is not responsible lot overbooking This screening tvill be monitoted for unauthorized recoldno By attending you agree not to burg any audio or video recording device into the theatet (audio tecording devices for credentialed press excepted) and consent to a physical search of your belongings and person. Any attempted use of recording devices will result in immediate removal from the theater forfeiture. and may subject you to criminal and civil liability. Please allow additional time for heightened security . You can assist us by leaving all nonessential bags at home or in your vehicle. First of all, marijuana — specifically the major psychoactive chemical found in it, called THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) — bonds with fat cells in the body, which means it can remain in the system for up to four weeks, or possibly longer. Therefore, just because a drunk driver had pot in their system doesn't mean it had anything to do with their accident. I'd be willing to bet it had something to do with the alcohol. The driver could have smoked the weed three weeks before they ever got behind the wheel drunk. Second of all, it's true that a lot of drug addicts, alcoholics and generally unsavory people smoke pot. However, not all potheads are drug addicts, alcoholics or generally unsavory people. So, to all you non-believers, I'm sorry, but you can't have your cake and eat it too. There are thousands, if not millions, of respectable, intelligent and God-fearing individuals who have smoked or still smoke marijuana. Marijuana is not a gateway drug. What is a gateway drug? Is that like saying buying an expensive TV is a gateway to buying a hooker? Is it the same as saying playing Monopoly is a gateway for becoming a greedy capitalist who hordes money, underpays their employees and overcharges customers? Well, maybe. Regardless, this all sounds pretty ridiculous, doesn't it? If you're willing, curious or dumb enough to try drugs, you're going to try them — regardless of which one you tried first. Actually, alcohol is the first mind-altering substance most kids try, before they ever get stoned or smoke cigarettes. The most important point I'll make is this: Marijuana is a cash crop and it'll grow anywhere. When you couple this with the fact that American pot smokers spend billions per year on their hobby, you end up with a great solution to a good portion of the national debt crisis. Legalizing marijuana would circulate billions of dollars into the legitimate American economy, eliminate an entire sector of the black market and create thousands or millions of legitimate jobs. Contrary to popular belief, most pot smokers are industrious, hard-working and responsible people who wouldn't be criminals if it wasn't for the fact that their harmless, victimless hobby is illegal. Granted, punitive and draconian states like Utah would have to figure out a new way to regenerate all their fine-based revenue currently made by keeping non-criminals tied up in the legal system. And the drug-counseling mental health facilities — in cahoots with judges and prosecutors — that profit millions by convincing regular people they have substance abuse problems would have to focus on harder-to-tackle, real-life problems like meth and heroin addiction; but what the heck, I say we legalize it. There's so much more that could be said, I just don't have the space to say it. In the meantime, why don't you put that in your pipe and smoke it? — D. Whitney Smith is The Statesman's copy editor. Comments about this column can be sent to statesmanoffice@aggiemail.usu.edu. get your Sell back your textbooks! TSC December 8-16 8AM-5PM STADIUM December 12-16 9Am-4PM LIBRARY December 12-15 9Am-4PM ■11111111hL OLD MAIN December 12-15 9AM-4PM |