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Show opinion/ MONDAY*DECEMBER 5-2005 A5 Apathy at UVSC community forum son. It is very possible to leave college uneducated. I could go on and on this institution for the rest about the Moore/UVSC of its existence, and its stuissue, but until students dents should be a part of are willing to get involved the process. We have a perspective it really doesn't matter. different from any other Don't miss out on the edugroup. We are in the stage cation you can experience of life when we have the - going to speakers and opportunity to spend al- events (sports are impormost all of our time assim- tant, but I speak of other ilating information from events) is just as crucial just about every realm of to your education, if not study. We are creating per- more so, as going to class sonal schemas to use and and getting your grades. build on for the rest of our Stop cruising by the bullives. But it is just an op- letin boards without even portunity - believe it or not, glancing at what's «oins no one is going to place a on. Pay attention. Become chip in your brain that will educated. Do it now. make you an educated perFrom Apathy • A4 Changes are underway, but crucial work remains Norman Nielsen Guest Op-Ed It's no secret that I have been an outspoken critic of UVSC for what I and many others in the community have accurately perceived as political bias masquerading as academic freedom. Apparently, and thankfully, someone has been listening. In fact, I am cautiously optimistic that significant change is underway. The following are worth noting: David T. Barstow, a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter for the ultra-liberal New York Times, came to campus in November and gave a surprisingly balanced presentation about freedom of speech. He noted that the media itself is responsible for reporting the news truthfully and without bias, adding that "the job of journalists is to report an unbiased account of the world around us. I have strong political opinions, but when I cover a story I put those aside..." That's stellar advice for journalists everywhere, including - pointedly, I might add - the writers and editors of The College Times. The president of the Utah Senate, John Valentine, predicted, also in November, that UVSC's elevation to university status is not a matter of " i f but "when." But he included a vital prerequisite - one I have mentioned several times: "When you're in the process of trying to make university status and you ask the taxpayers to be supportive, you have to be reflective [of the community]." Senator Valentine explained that while he values diversity, activities on the UVSC campus must adhere to the community's values. In mid-November, UVSC College Republicans, joined by Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff and three state legislators, attended a rally to show support for keeping the phrase "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance. They also voiced support for our flag and our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. The event was entitled "Keep Us One Nation Under God." Jared Sumsion, UVSC's student body president for the 2005-2006 school year, has assured me that he and members of his administration are committed to striking a more moderate tone than their predecessors. I commend them for that. Clearly, they understand the constituency they were elected to serve. These praiseworthy developments notwithstanding, I remain concerned about some - albeit a minority - of UVSC faculty who insist on making their political positions part of their course material. That practice tends to coerce students into accepting the professor's opinions. While it is true that UVSC maintains a grievance process for such situations, many students are unaware of it or do not use it because they fear reprisals from their professors; to whom, of course, they are beholden for their grades. I believe the best way - and perhaps the only way - to solve this problem is for students to be encouraged to exercise their rights as set forth in the Academic Rights section of UVSC's Policy Statement, which stipulates that a student will have the "freedom to take exception to views presented in a classroom setting and to reserve judgement in matters of opinion." That referenced freedom is reinforced in Article III, Section XII of the ASUVSC Constitution, which states: "The Ombudsman shall act as a third-party mediator and be available to ASUVSC to provide assistance to students in matters concerning, but not limited to, policies, procedures, faculty, consumers, and housing, and shall provide referral for students needing legal council [sic]." This institution does not belong to a cabal of faculty members bent on turning it into the Berkeley of the Wasatch. It belongs to the community and the student body. I call upon both entities to understand their rights and to exercise them with diligence. DC PROTOUR From Capitalism • A4 ing market share as it is. People can get high-quality news from the Internet for free. And lets face the facts, those interested in the world and current events are going to take the time to find out what's going on. Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher appear so frequently on "news" programs because the majority of America doesn't care about the Sudan or South East Asia, and news companies cater to their audience. That's not capitalism, that's apathy. Joe also points out the under-funding of our schools. This may sound insensitive but I have never seen convincing evidence that increased funds improve education; in fact, I have seen studies that point to the fact that funding has little or no effect. Take the schools in Washington D.C. for example, they have the highest funding of any schools in the nation per student and still consistently rank among the lowest in test scores. If anything, parent involvement has the best result in raising test scores, pointing again to lack of responsibility and apathy as the problem, not capitalism. Capitalism? It's a great scapegoat for all of America's problems. The truth of the matter is, capitalism increases our freedom and independence, something no good socialist wouIdwant. How fun would it be t o design something that helped make life easier for someone else? That is exactly what Justin Smith is doing and •«& x Capitalism misunderstood getting paid well to do it. Justin, a graduate of UVSC's Engineering Graphics and Design Department (formerly Drafting) in 2001, works as an Engineering Technician for Otto Bock (www.ottobock.com) a division of which is located in West Valley City, Utah. Otto Bock is a global leader in the design Tickets manufacturing of healthcare products. The facility in West Valley City designs and fabricates prosthetic and orthotic products to assist those who have lost limbs. Justin has been involved in the design of prosthetic feet. His favorite part of the job is the personal interaction he has with patients while involved in the design process at Otto Bock. B ti A degree in ENGINEERING GRAPHICS AND DESIGN TECHNOLOGY principally prepares students for drafting, design (mechanical, architectural, structural, civil, and electrical/electronic), and surveying careers. Drafting jobs are available with architects, cities, counties, states, the federal government, engineering and surveying companies, mines, research and development companies, and the mechanical, structural steel, architectural development, electrical and electronics, construction, and fire protection industries. Saturday, December 10 >m Graduates will also be prepared to succeed in most technological fields, such as manufacturing, industrial engineering, and construction technicians. They can McKay Events Center also work in functional areas of purchasing, estimating, bidding, plant manage- UVSC Campus: 800 West University Ave. Orem expediting and sales. Come laugh your guts out as nil-star alumni of Divine Comedy reunite in a brand new off-campus comedy tour, called DC PROTOUR a hilarious evening filled with al! their most requested skits! Guest-starring MADTV veteran Jky^@¥l£ B ^ W e i l Brigham Young from The Work and the Glory: American Zion Tickets available at the BYU Bookstore and the UVSC Campus Connection Questions? contact Vineyard Distribution 801.284.7460 ment, quality control, THE U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS QUOTES THE MEDIAN ANNUAL STARTING SALARY BETWEEN $37,330.00 and $41,090.00 with the highest 10 percent at $68,000.00.* THIS IS YOUR CHANCE TO GET INVOLVED!!! Call 863 8363 FOR REGISTRATION INFORMATION. •Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Dept. of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2004-05 edition. Data represents statistics for 2002. |