Be wise and stay away from Mexico during Spring Break, especially if you plan on drinking a lot.
The U.S. Department of State has issued a travel alert for Mexico that is effective through Aug. 20, 2009 because of an increase in drug-related crimes. Recent Mexican law enforcement confrontations with drug cartels have resembled mini-battlefields as some cartels are using automatic weapons and grenades in a surge of indiscriminate violence.
“It is imperative that travelers understand the risks of travel to Mexico, how best to avoid dangerous situations, and whom to contact if one becomes a crime victim,” according to the State Department Web site. “Common-sense precautions such as visiting only legitimate business and tourist areas during daylight hours, and avoiding areas where prostitution and drug dealing might occur, can help ensure that travel to Mexico is safe and enjoyable.”
The State Department also reports that in recent years, dozens of U.S. citizens have been kidnapped in Mexico and several of these cases remain unresolved. Many areas along the border are experiencing rapid growth in crime, including robberies, homicides, petty thefts and carjackings. In Ciudad Juarez alone, Mexican authorities reported that more than 1,800 people have been killed since Jan. 2008.
“The university policy is to not travel to countries where a travel warning has been issued,” said Bill Barnhart, director of the U International Center. “In the case of Mexico, there is not a travel warning, but rather an alert, which is advisory and cautionary, regarding certain areas of Mexico like the U.S.–Mexico border.”
Good judgment does not blend well with the inherent risks of traveling in Mexico along with a boatload of drinks in the sun.
According to a study from the University of Wisconsin, 75 percent of college males and 44 percent of college females reported being drunk on a daily basis during Spring Break.
After weeks of studying hard and enduring long classroom lectures, we all deserve a few days to put our feet up and relax during Spring Break. Be smart and have a good time. But know that there are potential dangers and Spring Break isn’t all about reckless fun and games. No one wants to be the friend of the person that didn’t come home.
http://dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/avoid_mexico_for_spring_break-1.1596852
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Monday, March 2, 2009
Religion minor a step forward for global-minded students
Starting in September, the U will offer a religious studies minor for the first time. This is a great first step in providing students a means to broaden their worldview of diverse cultures and religions.
Ed Barbanell, the associate dean of undergraduate studies, said no additional financial resources will be needed at this time, as the minor is composed of existing courses taught by employed faculty.
“The climate has changed the status of religion,” said Muriel Schmid, assistant professor of comparative literary and cultural studies. “You almost have to have religious literacy to compete in this global economy. The religious studies minor has expanded into disciplines beyond the humanities and is such a great compliment to any major.”
Schmid said religion came to the forefront after Sept. 11, as it was a driving factor in decisions made about social policy and politics. An ongoing dialogue is crucial to being part of a global conversation and knowing how to interact effectively within a shrinking world.
According to the proposal that was approved by the U Board of Trustees in February, the religious studies minor will better prepare students to work and live in a world that is increasingly shaped by religious pluralism and traditions.
Students can take classes that introduce the religious traditions of others to broaden their visions of internationalism and cross-cultural studies. Barbanell said the new religion studies minor will be offered through the College of Humanities and will replace the existing languages and literature minor.
“We have a tremendous demand for all of our religion classes,” said Charles Prebish, director of the Religious Studies program at Utah State University. “We are in the middle of the fundraising process to create new endowments to expand our program.”
Schmid hopes that as the U’s program grows, classes can be developed that incorporate the cultural background of Salt Lake City. But if you’re looking for an undergraduate course in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, you’ll have to walk across the street to the LDS Institute of Religion.
“The religious studies minor will be a broad range study from historical and comparative religion classes from across the university,” Barbanell said. “Because these courses already existed, they just needed to be packaged differently in a way to provide a broad range of religion classes.”
Combining classes from 13 departments across campus, the minor will include courses such as Biblical Hebrew Poetry, Early Christian Literature, Renaissance Europe, Native American Religion, Medieval England, Islamic Mysticism, Religions of India and Tai-Chi yoga movement.
“The Early Christian Literature class is giving me a deeper sense of what the modern academic community understands about the Bible, and its history,” said Jordan Rainey, a senior in comparative literature with an emphasis in religion and culture. “Seeing how the Bible is the most published literature in all English literary history, this class has been a great introduction into what I hope will be my focus in grad school.”
The U is pressing ahead of other major universities in the state that have religious curriculum. Brigham Young University, Utah Valley University and Utah State University all have coursework focused on the study of religion, with BYU predictably requiring all of their undergraduate students to take religious classes. UVU has seven students involved in a religion minor, USU has 15 students with it as a major and four with it as a minor and the U has 15 students who have a major with an emphasis in religion and culture.
The U should be commended for providing the minor to students—and better yet, without increasing spending.
http://dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/religion_minor_a_step_forward_for_global-minded_students-1.1590928
Ed Barbanell, the associate dean of undergraduate studies, said no additional financial resources will be needed at this time, as the minor is composed of existing courses taught by employed faculty.
“The climate has changed the status of religion,” said Muriel Schmid, assistant professor of comparative literary and cultural studies. “You almost have to have religious literacy to compete in this global economy. The religious studies minor has expanded into disciplines beyond the humanities and is such a great compliment to any major.”
Schmid said religion came to the forefront after Sept. 11, as it was a driving factor in decisions made about social policy and politics. An ongoing dialogue is crucial to being part of a global conversation and knowing how to interact effectively within a shrinking world.
According to the proposal that was approved by the U Board of Trustees in February, the religious studies minor will better prepare students to work and live in a world that is increasingly shaped by religious pluralism and traditions.
Students can take classes that introduce the religious traditions of others to broaden their visions of internationalism and cross-cultural studies. Barbanell said the new religion studies minor will be offered through the College of Humanities and will replace the existing languages and literature minor.
“We have a tremendous demand for all of our religion classes,” said Charles Prebish, director of the Religious Studies program at Utah State University. “We are in the middle of the fundraising process to create new endowments to expand our program.”
Schmid hopes that as the U’s program grows, classes can be developed that incorporate the cultural background of Salt Lake City. But if you’re looking for an undergraduate course in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, you’ll have to walk across the street to the LDS Institute of Religion.
“The religious studies minor will be a broad range study from historical and comparative religion classes from across the university,” Barbanell said. “Because these courses already existed, they just needed to be packaged differently in a way to provide a broad range of religion classes.”
Combining classes from 13 departments across campus, the minor will include courses such as Biblical Hebrew Poetry, Early Christian Literature, Renaissance Europe, Native American Religion, Medieval England, Islamic Mysticism, Religions of India and Tai-Chi yoga movement.
“The Early Christian Literature class is giving me a deeper sense of what the modern academic community understands about the Bible, and its history,” said Jordan Rainey, a senior in comparative literature with an emphasis in religion and culture. “Seeing how the Bible is the most published literature in all English literary history, this class has been a great introduction into what I hope will be my focus in grad school.”
The U is pressing ahead of other major universities in the state that have religious curriculum. Brigham Young University, Utah Valley University and Utah State University all have coursework focused on the study of religion, with BYU predictably requiring all of their undergraduate students to take religious classes. UVU has seven students involved in a religion minor, USU has 15 students with it as a major and four with it as a minor and the U has 15 students who have a major with an emphasis in religion and culture.
The U should be commended for providing the minor to students—and better yet, without increasing spending.
http://dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/religion_minor_a_step_forward_for_global-minded_students-1.1590928
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Smokers should police themselves in cars
Back in the 1950s, smoking was a trendy status symbol. That was before society became educated about the negative effects of smoking, such as asthma and lung cancer. It was way before we understood that even secondhand smoke can cause problems.
Last week, the Utah House of Representatives defeated a bill that would have banned smoking in a car with a child present if the child is younger than 8 years old.
House Bill 284, sponsored by Rep. Jay Seegmiller, D-Sandy, was defeated by a 7-3 vote in the House Transportation Committee because some lawmakers feared it infringed on personal property rights. The bill was supported by Utah law enforcement and would have imposed a $45 fine per violation. The age of 8 was chosen as the cutoff because that is the cutoff age of when children are no longer required to be in a car seat.
H.B. 284 would have installed a second degree offense, meaning police officers would not be able to pull vehicles over if they only saw the drivers smoking. Instead, the smoking violation would have had to be coupled with a different violation like speeding.
Although the spirit of the bill is good in that it attempts to protect a group that doesn’t have a voice, it is not an effective use of law enforcement and it doesn’t make sense from a financial standpoint.
According to the Utah State Legislature Web site, the bill would require $6,600 per year to be appropriated to the courts for servicing the initiative while only creating $5,000 in revenue. That’s not a lot compared to the entire state budget, but in the face of already extreme budget cuts, it’s not a necessary expense.
Having said that, the American Lung Association has found that secondhand smoke is the cause of 150,000 to 300,000 lower respiratory tract infections in infants and children under 18 months of age, causing 7,500 to 15,000 hospitalizations each year. It is also the cause of 430 sudden infant death syndrome deaths in the United States each year.
Smoking should be a no-brainer decision, particularly when a child with developing lungs is present. But the government shouldn’t be responsible for policing citizens’ behavior around their children. They should be able to police themselves.
http://dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/1.1575337-1.1575337
Last week, the Utah House of Representatives defeated a bill that would have banned smoking in a car with a child present if the child is younger than 8 years old.
House Bill 284, sponsored by Rep. Jay Seegmiller, D-Sandy, was defeated by a 7-3 vote in the House Transportation Committee because some lawmakers feared it infringed on personal property rights. The bill was supported by Utah law enforcement and would have imposed a $45 fine per violation. The age of 8 was chosen as the cutoff because that is the cutoff age of when children are no longer required to be in a car seat.
H.B. 284 would have installed a second degree offense, meaning police officers would not be able to pull vehicles over if they only saw the drivers smoking. Instead, the smoking violation would have had to be coupled with a different violation like speeding.
Although the spirit of the bill is good in that it attempts to protect a group that doesn’t have a voice, it is not an effective use of law enforcement and it doesn’t make sense from a financial standpoint.
According to the Utah State Legislature Web site, the bill would require $6,600 per year to be appropriated to the courts for servicing the initiative while only creating $5,000 in revenue. That’s not a lot compared to the entire state budget, but in the face of already extreme budget cuts, it’s not a necessary expense.
Having said that, the American Lung Association has found that secondhand smoke is the cause of 150,000 to 300,000 lower respiratory tract infections in infants and children under 18 months of age, causing 7,500 to 15,000 hospitalizations each year. It is also the cause of 430 sudden infant death syndrome deaths in the United States each year.
Smoking should be a no-brainer decision, particularly when a child with developing lungs is present. But the government shouldn’t be responsible for policing citizens’ behavior around their children. They should be able to police themselves.
http://dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/1.1575337-1.1575337
Monday, February 23, 2009
Find alternative transportation to cut down on pollution
You’ve probably had the experience of sitting behind a car at a red light that spews out a plume of smoke from its exhaust pipe when the light turns green. This form of pollution is one major contributor to Utah’s poor air quality.
According to the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, ozone pollution is often a summertime phenomenon that occurs when natural ozone interacts with sunlight and byproducts of cars, refineries and other chemicals.
Although Utah as a whole has met the Environmental Protection Agency’s standard for hydrocarbons, sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide, several counties, including Salt Lake County, have not achieved the ozone standard. According to the EPA, Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. and the Legislature have to submit a corrective course of action by March 12.
The Utah Office of Energy and Resource Planning reports that transportation accounts for nearly 30 percent of Utah’s air quality problems. Industrial operations take credit for 34 percent, and home and business heating emissions represent another 36 percent. Because a large chunk of air pollutants comes from cars, there are a couple of simple ways to alleviate the problem.
The first is to decide you will do your part to attack the issue. When can you ride TRAX instead of driving? When can you walk or ride a bike instead of taking your car?
Unhealthy ozone levels make it harder to breathe, particularly for the elderly, infants, people with asthma and others with lung diseases. However, ground-level ozone isn’t some terrible dark cloud that has to constantly hang over the valley. We can control these airborne pollutants by regularly getting our vehicles inspected and serviced. Well-maintained cars don’t puff out a brown-yellow haze.
Granted, Utah’s unique geographical makeup of the mountains, valley and extreme weather conditions contribute to bad air quality. There are also the vapors from industrial companies and the heating emissions from homes and businesses. But our own emissions aren’t beyond our control.
We can control the airborne toxins emitted by our cars by maintaining and limiting the use of our vehicles. Considering 30 percent of pollutants are auto emissions, imagine what a difference it would make if a significant portion of Utahns took that statement seriously. If you can walk to the store instead of driving, then walk. If you drive a clunker, be aware of the pollution you’re putting into the air if you ignore the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance schedule just to save a few bucks.
http://dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/find_alternative_transportation_to_cut_down_on_pollution-1.1568832
According to the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, ozone pollution is often a summertime phenomenon that occurs when natural ozone interacts with sunlight and byproducts of cars, refineries and other chemicals.
Although Utah as a whole has met the Environmental Protection Agency’s standard for hydrocarbons, sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide, several counties, including Salt Lake County, have not achieved the ozone standard. According to the EPA, Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. and the Legislature have to submit a corrective course of action by March 12.
The Utah Office of Energy and Resource Planning reports that transportation accounts for nearly 30 percent of Utah’s air quality problems. Industrial operations take credit for 34 percent, and home and business heating emissions represent another 36 percent. Because a large chunk of air pollutants comes from cars, there are a couple of simple ways to alleviate the problem.
The first is to decide you will do your part to attack the issue. When can you ride TRAX instead of driving? When can you walk or ride a bike instead of taking your car?
Unhealthy ozone levels make it harder to breathe, particularly for the elderly, infants, people with asthma and others with lung diseases. However, ground-level ozone isn’t some terrible dark cloud that has to constantly hang over the valley. We can control these airborne pollutants by regularly getting our vehicles inspected and serviced. Well-maintained cars don’t puff out a brown-yellow haze.
Granted, Utah’s unique geographical makeup of the mountains, valley and extreme weather conditions contribute to bad air quality. There are also the vapors from industrial companies and the heating emissions from homes and businesses. But our own emissions aren’t beyond our control.
We can control the airborne toxins emitted by our cars by maintaining and limiting the use of our vehicles. Considering 30 percent of pollutants are auto emissions, imagine what a difference it would make if a significant portion of Utahns took that statement seriously. If you can walk to the store instead of driving, then walk. If you drive a clunker, be aware of the pollution you’re putting into the air if you ignore the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance schedule just to save a few bucks.
http://dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/find_alternative_transportation_to_cut_down_on_pollution-1.1568832
Monday, February 9, 2009
Celeb drug use sets bad example
We all cheered him on as he did the impossible at the Beijing Summer Olympic Games by winning eight gold medals. Michael Phelps is in the spotlight again, but this time, it’s because he was photographed at a party in South Carolina holding a bong.
Questions are surfacing not only as to whether he will keep his endorsements and fans, but also if he will face charges on possession of marijuana. Phelps’ violation could be more severe because it is still unclear if he was smoking the drug on the University of South Carolina campus.
Sgt. Arb Nordgran with the U Police Department said charges for drug use can be more severe if the violation takes place on campus. At the U, he said drug use citations occur as frequently as everywhere else in the valley.
“We don’t have a drug problem any more than any other campus,” Nordgran said. “We’re a good community, and while you’ll always find a percentage that act out, there is the greater percentage of students that are here to get an education and mature.”
In 2008, nine citations were issued at the U for cases dealing with drug paraphernalia, and five arrests were made. The U saw 25 cases dealing with different kinds of drug citations, including calls to the pharmacy where someone obtained a drug illegally.
Marijuana possession is a class B misdemeanor in Utah, which often warrants a citation and fine. It is up to city prosecutors whether or not the offender will be arrested, but aside from its own impairing effects, marijuana is a gateway drug that often leads to the use of more dangerous substances.
Drug use is stupid because it impairs judgment and damages society. It is unfortunate when high-profile individuals, who for better or worse serve as role models, are caught engaging in stupid behaviors. It’s time for a zero-tolerance precedent to be set—yes, even for celebrities. Phelps should go sit in the pokey for a while.
http://dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/1.1360155-1.1360155
Questions are surfacing not only as to whether he will keep his endorsements and fans, but also if he will face charges on possession of marijuana. Phelps’ violation could be more severe because it is still unclear if he was smoking the drug on the University of South Carolina campus.
Sgt. Arb Nordgran with the U Police Department said charges for drug use can be more severe if the violation takes place on campus. At the U, he said drug use citations occur as frequently as everywhere else in the valley.
“We don’t have a drug problem any more than any other campus,” Nordgran said. “We’re a good community, and while you’ll always find a percentage that act out, there is the greater percentage of students that are here to get an education and mature.”
In 2008, nine citations were issued at the U for cases dealing with drug paraphernalia, and five arrests were made. The U saw 25 cases dealing with different kinds of drug citations, including calls to the pharmacy where someone obtained a drug illegally.
Marijuana possession is a class B misdemeanor in Utah, which often warrants a citation and fine. It is up to city prosecutors whether or not the offender will be arrested, but aside from its own impairing effects, marijuana is a gateway drug that often leads to the use of more dangerous substances.
Drug use is stupid because it impairs judgment and damages society. It is unfortunate when high-profile individuals, who for better or worse serve as role models, are caught engaging in stupid behaviors. It’s time for a zero-tolerance precedent to be set—yes, even for celebrities. Phelps should go sit in the pokey for a while.
http://dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/1.1360155-1.1360155
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Utah unlikely to benefit from stimulus package
The $819 million federal economic stimulus package promises to deliver $1 billion or more to Utah’s economy during the next two years. Although the stimulus package is intended to jump-start the economy while helping create and save Utah jobs, some state legislators are proposing to give it to construction crews.
State Energy Office Director Jason Berry said crews would work to retrofit buildings and schools, and help low-income Utahns weatherize their homes, making them more energy efficient.
This plan would create temporary jobs and lower energy bills for some, but when the money runs out, it will only be a drop in the bucket. If the government really wants to effectively jump-start the economy, it should lower payroll taxes so consumers will have more money to spend and pump through the economic pipeline, creating growth and value.
Since it’s inevitably coming, Utah needs to invest its portion of the federal government’s stimulus package in education, programs and infrastructure that create long-term economic growth for the state. Particularly at the U, a lot of research has been done on alternative energy and energy-efficient solutions. With funding, these projects have the potential to generate billions of dollars’ worth of energy.
U doctorate students have developed small devices capable of converting heat into sound and then electricity. This technology, an alternative to inefficient solar panels, holds promise for changing wasted heat into electricity, harnessing solar energy and cooling computers and radars.
The truth is, $1 billion doesn’t go very far when looking at the budget and needs for the entire state. In Utah County, proposals have been made to expand and update Interstate 15. This project alone is estimated to cost $5 billion. The goal for the government should be to allocate funds in areas that will generate the most value for the most people.
The U.S. government should learn from past mistakes. A stimulus package, with no transparency, no debate and no accountability, will not work. It won’t work in Utah, and it won’t work anywhere else. As in the case of a kid who does chores to earn an allowance, the reward means more because it was earned. Money given freely to industries, government and big companies with no strings attached will do little more than create a bigger tax burden and debt for Americans in the long run.
http://dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/utah_unlikely_to_benefit_from_stimulus_package-1.1355896
State Energy Office Director Jason Berry said crews would work to retrofit buildings and schools, and help low-income Utahns weatherize their homes, making them more energy efficient.
This plan would create temporary jobs and lower energy bills for some, but when the money runs out, it will only be a drop in the bucket. If the government really wants to effectively jump-start the economy, it should lower payroll taxes so consumers will have more money to spend and pump through the economic pipeline, creating growth and value.
Since it’s inevitably coming, Utah needs to invest its portion of the federal government’s stimulus package in education, programs and infrastructure that create long-term economic growth for the state. Particularly at the U, a lot of research has been done on alternative energy and energy-efficient solutions. With funding, these projects have the potential to generate billions of dollars’ worth of energy.
U doctorate students have developed small devices capable of converting heat into sound and then electricity. This technology, an alternative to inefficient solar panels, holds promise for changing wasted heat into electricity, harnessing solar energy and cooling computers and radars.
The truth is, $1 billion doesn’t go very far when looking at the budget and needs for the entire state. In Utah County, proposals have been made to expand and update Interstate 15. This project alone is estimated to cost $5 billion. The goal for the government should be to allocate funds in areas that will generate the most value for the most people.
The U.S. government should learn from past mistakes. A stimulus package, with no transparency, no debate and no accountability, will not work. It won’t work in Utah, and it won’t work anywhere else. As in the case of a kid who does chores to earn an allowance, the reward means more because it was earned. Money given freely to industries, government and big companies with no strings attached will do little more than create a bigger tax burden and debt for Americans in the long run.
http://dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/utah_unlikely_to_benefit_from_stimulus_package-1.1355896
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Legislators need to reform ethics with commission
Utah’s 2009 legislative session opened Monday and will continue through the end of March.
Finalizing state budget cuts after Utah saw a $1 billion drop in revenue, reviewing liquor laws and gay rights bills and deciding how to make health care more affordable are all on the agenda, along with the issue of ethics reform. One bill is intended to create an ethics commission and another proposes to limit gifts from lobbyists.
Last year, there were three highly publicized instances in which legislators behaved unethically in acts of coercion, bribery and leaking information. Currently, lobbyist gifts less than $50 do not have to be reported.
Based on past behavior, it appears as though some lawmakers feel entitled to gifts from lobbyists and big business donors because of the position they hold. To be fair, last year only three out of the 104 members of the Legislature were involved in ethics violation cases that reached the media, which shows that the problem seems to lie with only a handful of politicians and not the majority. Or maybe everyone else is just better at hiding violations. Regardless, these problems should not have happened at all. The Legislature needs to reform.
We expect our legislators to vote their conscience and represent the will of their constituents. They should not be guided by lobbyists. Clear reform would include a bill that requires transparency, no gifts whatsoever and ensures unused campaign dollars go to reliable charities and humanitarian organizations within the representative’s jurisdiction.
Imagine a world, or a state, where the key focus of legislators was the establishment of laws that protect society and support programs that will create sustained economic growth, not pander to special interests. As citizens, we would hope and expect that our elected officials behave honorably, but with recent violations, that behavior needs to be outlined more clearly.
http://dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/1.1317262-1.1317262
Finalizing state budget cuts after Utah saw a $1 billion drop in revenue, reviewing liquor laws and gay rights bills and deciding how to make health care more affordable are all on the agenda, along with the issue of ethics reform. One bill is intended to create an ethics commission and another proposes to limit gifts from lobbyists.
Last year, there were three highly publicized instances in which legislators behaved unethically in acts of coercion, bribery and leaking information. Currently, lobbyist gifts less than $50 do not have to be reported.
Based on past behavior, it appears as though some lawmakers feel entitled to gifts from lobbyists and big business donors because of the position they hold. To be fair, last year only three out of the 104 members of the Legislature were involved in ethics violation cases that reached the media, which shows that the problem seems to lie with only a handful of politicians and not the majority. Or maybe everyone else is just better at hiding violations. Regardless, these problems should not have happened at all. The Legislature needs to reform.
We expect our legislators to vote their conscience and represent the will of their constituents. They should not be guided by lobbyists. Clear reform would include a bill that requires transparency, no gifts whatsoever and ensures unused campaign dollars go to reliable charities and humanitarian organizations within the representative’s jurisdiction.
Imagine a world, or a state, where the key focus of legislators was the establishment of laws that protect society and support programs that will create sustained economic growth, not pander to special interests. As citizens, we would hope and expect that our elected officials behave honorably, but with recent violations, that behavior needs to be outlined more clearly.
http://dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/1.1317262-1.1317262
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