Diversity is a crucial ingredient in a free and progressive society.
The U has several diversity offices that enrich educational experiences, enable individuals to progress without barriers and encourage everyone to participate in the effort.
Every day we are fighting a war of diverse ideas, and America is losing. With monumental challenges to overcome in our economy, the environment, national security, energy, health care, crime and equality, we tend to fight rather than look for solutions and compromise. Some march in protest while others sit in frustration.
It seems as though diversity is a double-edged sword—we want to be tolerant of different ideas, yet not at the expense of our own self-interests. In this battle, some voices are louder than others.
In New York after California’s gay marriage ban passed, protesters in lower Manhattan stood behind barricades, holding signs. “Love and Unity not hate,” one read. “All we need is love,” said another.
In Los Angeles, thousands of demonstrators were met by counter-demonstrators. “There is nothing civil about a man marrying another man,” one protester said. “You lost. It is not a civil rights issue. It is an issue with morality.”
It is challenging enough to achieve a diverse society when both sides of a controversial issue have valid arguments and facts to support their side. However, it becomes even harder when blind, aggressive arguments enter into the equation. Until we can sort out a compromise in deciding how to move forward with the issues facing our nation, we must maintain peaceful objectivity.
As part of the “McCarthey Family Lecture Series: In Praise of Independent Journalism,” CNN anchor Anderson Cooper addressed a crowd of more than 300 at Rowland Hall-St. Mark’s School in Salt Lake City on Saturday. He discussed the importance of objectivity and finding your own voice amid a war of ideas.
“You can’t allow your own fear and insecurity to alter what you see,” Cooper said. “It’s very easy to demonize those with a different opinion from your own, but it’s harder to walk in their shoes. Strangers reaching out to strangers is what makes the difference.”
There are no clear answers as to how to facilitate and encourage diversity, but the process is certain. Rather than get lost in the heat of emotion and angry words, we must foster an attitude of understanding and desire to listen to new ideas.
“We have to look directly into the things that scare us the most,” Cooper said. “In the hustle and bustle of daily life, we can easily forget the lives other people are living every day.”
It’s important to form opinions and have a backbone in defending them. However, when diverse ideas are presented, rather than decidedly disregarding them, it’s more important to listen while creating an atmosphere of mutual respect and understanding—even if there is no solution and the outcome is to respectfully agree to disagree.
http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/1.915542
Friday, November 21, 2008
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Prop. 8 blame game no use
Once seen as a black-and-white issue, the definition of marriage has become gray. In last week’s election, Arizona, California and Florida voted to change their constitutions to define marriage as a heterosexuals-only institution. The marriage amendment passed in Florida 62.1 percent to 37.9 percent. It was a much tighter margin in California, with the amendment passing by less than 4 percent.
Because we live in a democracy, the citizens of our country are extended the right to vote for the passage of laws intended to benefit society. Although the majority of voters decided to maintain the traditional definition of marriage, the opposing side is protesting the decision.
Supporters of same-sex marriage focused their protest and anger on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by staging marches at the Los Angeles Temple and at Temple Square in Salt Lake City. A close look at polling numbers will quickly show that their efforts were misguided.
Black turnout—spurred by Barack Obama’s historic campaign for president—was unusually large, with black Americans making up roughly 10 percent of the total electorate. Polls show that black voters are more likely to attend church than white voters and less likely to be comfortable with equality for gays and lesbians. According to CNN, black Americans voted against marriage equality by a wide margin: 69 percent to 31 percent.
“I was born black. I can’t change that,” said California resident Bilson Davis, 57, who voted for Proposition 8. “They weren’t born gay—they chose it.”
According to an analysis of the most recent reports from the California secretary of state, opponents of Proposition 8 raised $43.6 million, compared with just $29.8 million for those who oppose gay marriage. The Los Angeles Times reported that LDS Church members donated nearly $20 million dollars to support the amendment. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that California has a population of 36.5 million people. LDS Church members total 770,000, which represents only 2 percent of California’s population.
Supporters of gay marriage will inevitably exercise their right and appeal the decision of the general election. It is a healthy democracy when citizens exercise their freedoms, but it is inappropriate for supporters of gay marriage to unjustly target and falsely accuse the LDS Church or any other group of wrongdoing just because the decision didn’t go their way. There should be no blame assigned for why the amendment did or did not pass. Instead, it’d be more productive for both sides of the issue to engage in a mutually respectful dialogue to determine appropriate solutions and compromises to settle the issue rather than fight with crass words and heated emotions.
http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/1.906433
Because we live in a democracy, the citizens of our country are extended the right to vote for the passage of laws intended to benefit society. Although the majority of voters decided to maintain the traditional definition of marriage, the opposing side is protesting the decision.
Supporters of same-sex marriage focused their protest and anger on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by staging marches at the Los Angeles Temple and at Temple Square in Salt Lake City. A close look at polling numbers will quickly show that their efforts were misguided.
Black turnout—spurred by Barack Obama’s historic campaign for president—was unusually large, with black Americans making up roughly 10 percent of the total electorate. Polls show that black voters are more likely to attend church than white voters and less likely to be comfortable with equality for gays and lesbians. According to CNN, black Americans voted against marriage equality by a wide margin: 69 percent to 31 percent.
“I was born black. I can’t change that,” said California resident Bilson Davis, 57, who voted for Proposition 8. “They weren’t born gay—they chose it.”
According to an analysis of the most recent reports from the California secretary of state, opponents of Proposition 8 raised $43.6 million, compared with just $29.8 million for those who oppose gay marriage. The Los Angeles Times reported that LDS Church members donated nearly $20 million dollars to support the amendment. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that California has a population of 36.5 million people. LDS Church members total 770,000, which represents only 2 percent of California’s population.
Supporters of gay marriage will inevitably exercise their right and appeal the decision of the general election. It is a healthy democracy when citizens exercise their freedoms, but it is inappropriate for supporters of gay marriage to unjustly target and falsely accuse the LDS Church or any other group of wrongdoing just because the decision didn’t go their way. There should be no blame assigned for why the amendment did or did not pass. Instead, it’d be more productive for both sides of the issue to engage in a mutually respectful dialogue to determine appropriate solutions and compromises to settle the issue rather than fight with crass words and heated emotions.
http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/1.906433
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Campus bike lanes a waste of funds
White lines are being painted all over campus sidewalks. They first appeared late last month and are intended to prevent accidents between bicyclists and pedestrians. During the weekend, bicyclist stencils were painted alongside the bike routes to educate pedestrians and bikers on how to use this new striping system.
Jake Green from Commuter Services said he is aware of two bicyclist-pedestrian accidents that have taken place this semester.
Former U student Josh Jones said he was once ticketed by a campus police officer for riding his bike too fast. Although difficult to enforce, a campus police watchdog system seems like it’d be better than lines painted on a sidewalk to promote safety.
The new sidewalk striping program is a pointless initiative. The lack of planning and research that took place before the lines were painted is dumbfounding.
Green said an ad hoc study was conducted in which avid bicyclists stood next to a sidewalk near the Student Services Building to count the number of bikes that passed during a two-and-a-half-hour period. Forgoing the use of speedometers, they counted nearly 40 bikes that passed along Union Drive. Apparently this information was enough to justify paying a contractor $3,500 to paint the lines on campus sidewalks.
Green said the initiative is in the beginning stages and Commuter Services is relying primarily on students to assist with the program’s rollout. For example, the U Bikes Public Comment Forum is a Google group where U employees, students and concerned people can discuss the biking environment at the U and make suggestions of where more white lines should be painted. But considering the money being spent, the project should be managed by an entity that does real research before implanting unproven solutions.
Many students are confused by the bike lanes and can’t see the point.
“If someone cannot control their bike because they do not know which side of the pavement to ride on, then they have serious issues and might need to think before even bringing a bike on campus,” said Brett Sorensen, a junior in communication.
The bike routes proceed from the Heritage Center to the Marriott Library and the Student Services Building. The lanes will extend to the Warnock Engineering Building as soon as water piping construction in the area finishes.
Regardless, the bike lanes are unnecessary and a reckless use of funds. The $3,500 spent to paint these lines on the sidewalk could have been better used in almost any other capacity.
http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/campus_bike_lanes_a_waste_of_funds
Jake Green from Commuter Services said he is aware of two bicyclist-pedestrian accidents that have taken place this semester.
Former U student Josh Jones said he was once ticketed by a campus police officer for riding his bike too fast. Although difficult to enforce, a campus police watchdog system seems like it’d be better than lines painted on a sidewalk to promote safety.
The new sidewalk striping program is a pointless initiative. The lack of planning and research that took place before the lines were painted is dumbfounding.
Green said an ad hoc study was conducted in which avid bicyclists stood next to a sidewalk near the Student Services Building to count the number of bikes that passed during a two-and-a-half-hour period. Forgoing the use of speedometers, they counted nearly 40 bikes that passed along Union Drive. Apparently this information was enough to justify paying a contractor $3,500 to paint the lines on campus sidewalks.
Green said the initiative is in the beginning stages and Commuter Services is relying primarily on students to assist with the program’s rollout. For example, the U Bikes Public Comment Forum is a Google group where U employees, students and concerned people can discuss the biking environment at the U and make suggestions of where more white lines should be painted. But considering the money being spent, the project should be managed by an entity that does real research before implanting unproven solutions.
Many students are confused by the bike lanes and can’t see the point.
“If someone cannot control their bike because they do not know which side of the pavement to ride on, then they have serious issues and might need to think before even bringing a bike on campus,” said Brett Sorensen, a junior in communication.
The bike routes proceed from the Heritage Center to the Marriott Library and the Student Services Building. The lanes will extend to the Warnock Engineering Building as soon as water piping construction in the area finishes.
Regardless, the bike lanes are unnecessary and a reckless use of funds. The $3,500 spent to paint these lines on the sidewalk could have been better used in almost any other capacity.
http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/campus_bike_lanes_a_waste_of_funds
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Kindle not worth Granite's money
The Granite School District recently blew $52,773 on a product that is supposed to replace books. The district purchased 147 Amazon Kindles at $359 apiece in an effort to cut down on paper costs and the space and energy needed to store books. The Kindle is an electronic reader that allows the user to download content and read on a high-resolution screen.
The Kindle is touted as the answer to literacy problems facing the district. However, the inherent flaw in the district’s logic is its assumption that students will read more books because they are presented in a new format.
Sure, there are perks that come with the Kindle that potentially could be implemented at the U, specifically to reduce textbook fees for students. With textbooks running $100 or more, Kindle titles cost an average of $10 and can easily be shared among several users.
It is disconcerting that the district invested in a technology that is unproven in the marketplace, not to mention that the product can only be utilized by 0.002 percent of its student body, as the district’s Web site reports servicing 68,075 students. Unlike Apple’s iPod, the Kindle does not have a touch screen, intuitive scroll wheel, or clear transitions between chapters and pages. It’s also an expensive product to replace if it gets damaged, stolen or becomes obsolete.
In May, Los Angeles hosted Book Expo America, a trade show for networking and selling within the publishing industry. Industry experts were abuzz debating how technology would change the book market since content could be presented in a paperless format and downloaded to portable reading devices.
It’s fascinating to consider that the book industry could also fall victim to what happened to the music industry in the late ’90s with the development of popular Internet sites that made it easy for listeners (particularly college students) to download popular music for free. Of course, Apple came to the rescue by developing iTunes, giving listeners a legal and affordable platform to purchase songs while music publishers still received compensation. The music industry changed because the Internet hit sales in the traditional music distribution model hard and profits for record companies and artists plummeted.
Perhaps the publishing industry will soon face a similar scenario because of emerging technologies and consumer preferences. There is a lot of potential for the developing format, but we seem to be at a crossroads in terms of aligning the technology with consumer behavior.
http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/1.851466
The Kindle is touted as the answer to literacy problems facing the district. However, the inherent flaw in the district’s logic is its assumption that students will read more books because they are presented in a new format.
Sure, there are perks that come with the Kindle that potentially could be implemented at the U, specifically to reduce textbook fees for students. With textbooks running $100 or more, Kindle titles cost an average of $10 and can easily be shared among several users.
It is disconcerting that the district invested in a technology that is unproven in the marketplace, not to mention that the product can only be utilized by 0.002 percent of its student body, as the district’s Web site reports servicing 68,075 students. Unlike Apple’s iPod, the Kindle does not have a touch screen, intuitive scroll wheel, or clear transitions between chapters and pages. It’s also an expensive product to replace if it gets damaged, stolen or becomes obsolete.
In May, Los Angeles hosted Book Expo America, a trade show for networking and selling within the publishing industry. Industry experts were abuzz debating how technology would change the book market since content could be presented in a paperless format and downloaded to portable reading devices.
It’s fascinating to consider that the book industry could also fall victim to what happened to the music industry in the late ’90s with the development of popular Internet sites that made it easy for listeners (particularly college students) to download popular music for free. Of course, Apple came to the rescue by developing iTunes, giving listeners a legal and affordable platform to purchase songs while music publishers still received compensation. The music industry changed because the Internet hit sales in the traditional music distribution model hard and profits for record companies and artists plummeted.
Perhaps the publishing industry will soon face a similar scenario because of emerging technologies and consumer preferences. There is a lot of potential for the developing format, but we seem to be at a crossroads in terms of aligning the technology with consumer behavior.
http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/1.851466
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Many issues in election will affect young voters
Election Day is fewer than two weeks away and Utah is one of several early-voting states. Students and citizens across the state can begin casting their ballots in the presidential race as well as making their opinions count in state and civic propositions and selection of representatives.
A February Rock the Vote poll found that more than half of young adults ages 18 to 29 said the top issue of concern is the economy and job creation, followed closely by health care and education costs.
Today’s young adults are having a hard time making ends meet in a difficult economy. There are 44 million 18-to 29-year-olds eligible to vote in the United States, one-fifth of the electorate. Today’s 18- to 29-year-olds are part of the Millennial Generation, the biggest generation since the baby boomers, according to CompleteCampaigns.com.
Debt and living from paycheck to paycheck is a fact of life for today’s young adults. During the past decade, college, health insurance and housing costs have soared. About two-thirds of college students graduate with debt, with the average graduate owing $20,000.
The Sacred Heart University Polling Institute found that the primary concerns of 18- to 30-year-olds vary. When asked whether they agreed with certain statements, 82 percent reported they are concerned with college affordability, 68 percent said global warming is a real and growing threat, and 65 percent said the U.S. government should provide universal health care.
“Young voters are a potential powerhouse in the 2008 elections,” said Kat Barr, research director for Rock the Vote. “This poll is yet another indicator that candidates who want to win in 2008 must court this large and increasingly active group of voters.”
To make voting easier for students this year, the Associated Students of the University of Utah Government Relations Board has coordinated early voting at the U with booths set up in the Union. As it’s a presidential election year, students are encouraged to vote now more than ever. Programs and policies that are passed in this election will impact life on a day-to-day basis.
A lot of people say the vote of an individual person doesn’t count and won’t make any difference in the election. But, as they say in basketball, you miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take. If you don’t vote at all, your vote really is worth nothing.
http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/1.842515
A February Rock the Vote poll found that more than half of young adults ages 18 to 29 said the top issue of concern is the economy and job creation, followed closely by health care and education costs.
Today’s young adults are having a hard time making ends meet in a difficult economy. There are 44 million 18-to 29-year-olds eligible to vote in the United States, one-fifth of the electorate. Today’s 18- to 29-year-olds are part of the Millennial Generation, the biggest generation since the baby boomers, according to CompleteCampaigns.com.
Debt and living from paycheck to paycheck is a fact of life for today’s young adults. During the past decade, college, health insurance and housing costs have soared. About two-thirds of college students graduate with debt, with the average graduate owing $20,000.
The Sacred Heart University Polling Institute found that the primary concerns of 18- to 30-year-olds vary. When asked whether they agreed with certain statements, 82 percent reported they are concerned with college affordability, 68 percent said global warming is a real and growing threat, and 65 percent said the U.S. government should provide universal health care.
“Young voters are a potential powerhouse in the 2008 elections,” said Kat Barr, research director for Rock the Vote. “This poll is yet another indicator that candidates who want to win in 2008 must court this large and increasingly active group of voters.”
To make voting easier for students this year, the Associated Students of the University of Utah Government Relations Board has coordinated early voting at the U with booths set up in the Union. As it’s a presidential election year, students are encouraged to vote now more than ever. Programs and policies that are passed in this election will impact life on a day-to-day basis.
A lot of people say the vote of an individual person doesn’t count and won’t make any difference in the election. But, as they say in basketball, you miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take. If you don’t vote at all, your vote really is worth nothing.
http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/1.842515
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Keep cell phones out of class
There are few things in this world more annoying than sitting in a classroom about 20 minutes into a test when someone’s cell phone goes off. As if the late night of studying and gallons of Dr Pepper aren’t already making you edgy, the silence of concentration, now broken by a pitchy ring tone, can definitely affect not only how well you do on the test, but in extreme terms, whether or not you pass the class.
The U’s cell phone policy is left to the discretion of professors. Most teachers will permit phones in class, but insist that they must be turned off during a lecture.
The State Board of Education in Utah is beginning to crack down even harder on the problem.
Itracks, an online data collection company, polled 1,000 teens across North America in August and found that 38 percent of teens surveyed text message with friends during school hours. Thirty percent of students said they have played games on their phones while at school.
Educators fear students use their cell phones inappropriately, swapping pictures, passing notes, even cheating on tests. The State Board of Education wants to prevent these things by requiring every district in the state to create a cell phone policy by next spring. Although this initiative only applies to K-12 schools across the state, the U would be better off taking a hard stand against cell phones in the classroom.
Unless students are able to control their compulsive texting habits, cell phones should be checked at the classroom door. Professors should tell students at the beginning of the term that if a phone goes off in class, some consequence will follow and then enforce those consequences.
Of course there are emergency situations in which a cell phone is a necessary tool for help and protection, but they are a disruption in classrooms all across the U. It’s time for students across campus to hang up their phones and put their full effort into getting an education instead of entertaining themselves with an electronic gadget.
http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/1.778323
The U’s cell phone policy is left to the discretion of professors. Most teachers will permit phones in class, but insist that they must be turned off during a lecture.
The State Board of Education in Utah is beginning to crack down even harder on the problem.
Itracks, an online data collection company, polled 1,000 teens across North America in August and found that 38 percent of teens surveyed text message with friends during school hours. Thirty percent of students said they have played games on their phones while at school.
Educators fear students use their cell phones inappropriately, swapping pictures, passing notes, even cheating on tests. The State Board of Education wants to prevent these things by requiring every district in the state to create a cell phone policy by next spring. Although this initiative only applies to K-12 schools across the state, the U would be better off taking a hard stand against cell phones in the classroom.
Unless students are able to control their compulsive texting habits, cell phones should be checked at the classroom door. Professors should tell students at the beginning of the term that if a phone goes off in class, some consequence will follow and then enforce those consequences.
Of course there are emergency situations in which a cell phone is a necessary tool for help and protection, but they are a disruption in classrooms all across the U. It’s time for students across campus to hang up their phones and put their full effort into getting an education instead of entertaining themselves with an electronic gadget.
http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/1.778323
Thursday, October 2, 2008
National crisis has local effect
The financial crisis facing our country is said to be the worst economic situation since the Great Depression. Primarily rooted in bad debt owned by the mortgage industry, increasing fuel and food prices aren’t helping the situation.
People making only minimum wage can budget all they want, but if prices continue to rise there is no way they can survive without acquiring debt.
According to the Wells Fargo consumer price index, the cost of groceries increased 4.9 percent from July to August along the Wasatch Front, compared with only .7 percent nationally. The index also reports that gas prices in Utah were the third highest in the nation in mid-August, prompting Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. to order the state to monitor the situation and make sure Utah consumers weren’t being gouged. During the past six months, food prices have jumped 10.2 percent locally, driven mostly by a 11.2 percent hike in Utah fuel costs during that period.
While the government works on a solution for fluctuating prices, there are independent voices offering opinions on the economy’s ups and downs.
Ron Paul said that in the housing market, builders who have overbuilt and have too many houses to sell seek to recoup as much of their money as possible, even if it means lowering prices drastically. Doing so brings the economy back into balance, equalizing supply and demand. This economic adjustment means that there are some winners—in this case, those who can again find affordable housing without the need for creative mortgage products, and some losers—builders and other sectors connected to real estate suffer setbacks.
The government doesn’t like this, however, and undertakes measures to keep prices artificially inflated. The bailout of Fannie and Freddie, the purchase of AIG and the Treasury’s failed multi-hundred billion dollar plan all have one thing in common: They seek to prevent the liquidation of bad debt and worthless assets at market prices, and instead try to prop up those markets and keep those assets trading at prices far in excess of what any buyer would be willing to pay. This throws the economy out of balance.
A Forbes.com article by Matt Woolsey published Sept. 23 supports the notion that a multi-billion dollar bailout proposal can be given back to the people. The nation’s bridges need $180 billion in repairs, rail infrastructure needs $185 billion in maintenance, or $150 billion would provide every American with private health insurance.
As for AIG and every other company that operates on bad debt, we should liquidate them. Sell off their good parts and let the private sector bargain hunters cut them up and clean them up. By using trillions of dollars of taxpayer money to purchase illusory short-term security, the federal government is actually ensuring even greater instability in the financial system in the long term. This definitely won’t help gas and grocery prices in Utah or anywhere else in the nation stabilize anytime soon.
http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/1.758041
People making only minimum wage can budget all they want, but if prices continue to rise there is no way they can survive without acquiring debt.
According to the Wells Fargo consumer price index, the cost of groceries increased 4.9 percent from July to August along the Wasatch Front, compared with only .7 percent nationally. The index also reports that gas prices in Utah were the third highest in the nation in mid-August, prompting Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. to order the state to monitor the situation and make sure Utah consumers weren’t being gouged. During the past six months, food prices have jumped 10.2 percent locally, driven mostly by a 11.2 percent hike in Utah fuel costs during that period.
While the government works on a solution for fluctuating prices, there are independent voices offering opinions on the economy’s ups and downs.
Ron Paul said that in the housing market, builders who have overbuilt and have too many houses to sell seek to recoup as much of their money as possible, even if it means lowering prices drastically. Doing so brings the economy back into balance, equalizing supply and demand. This economic adjustment means that there are some winners—in this case, those who can again find affordable housing without the need for creative mortgage products, and some losers—builders and other sectors connected to real estate suffer setbacks.
The government doesn’t like this, however, and undertakes measures to keep prices artificially inflated. The bailout of Fannie and Freddie, the purchase of AIG and the Treasury’s failed multi-hundred billion dollar plan all have one thing in common: They seek to prevent the liquidation of bad debt and worthless assets at market prices, and instead try to prop up those markets and keep those assets trading at prices far in excess of what any buyer would be willing to pay. This throws the economy out of balance.
A Forbes.com article by Matt Woolsey published Sept. 23 supports the notion that a multi-billion dollar bailout proposal can be given back to the people. The nation’s bridges need $180 billion in repairs, rail infrastructure needs $185 billion in maintenance, or $150 billion would provide every American with private health insurance.
As for AIG and every other company that operates on bad debt, we should liquidate them. Sell off their good parts and let the private sector bargain hunters cut them up and clean them up. By using trillions of dollars of taxpayer money to purchase illusory short-term security, the federal government is actually ensuring even greater instability in the financial system in the long term. This definitely won’t help gas and grocery prices in Utah or anywhere else in the nation stabilize anytime soon.
http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/1.758041
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