THE RIGHT ANGLE: Immigration questions need new answers - Opinions
You can't turn on a 24-hour news network these days without being bombarded with images and stories regarding the recent illegal immigration problem in America. The proposed solutions to these issues range from completely ridiculous (building a wall on the border) to the completely unacceptable (granting amnesty to all illegal immigrants).
Illegal immigration has been quite the hot-button issue for some time now, and that won't likely change anytime soon. Spartan TV President Denise Jones interviewed me on the issue a few weeks ago, and asked how I felt about some of the proposed solutions to the problem at hand. I explained that the idea of attempting to end illegal crossing of our borders by simply building a wall or fence would be a complete waste of time and money. Does anyone really think this idea will work? I can think of about a thousand places our money would be better spent. On the other hand, I can't fathom anyone thinking that there isn't a problem with the current situation. It makes one wonder why we even have immigration laws at all, if our government is just going to allow people to break them and even organize huge protests against our laws after illegally entering the country.
Unfortunately, it seems there is no easy answer. I pride myself on having a solution to everything (no matter how unrealistic it may be), but when Jones asked me what I felt should be done regarding the issue, I found myself shaking my head and replying, "I have no idea."
Although most stories on illegal immigration deal with states along the border, North Carolina has more than its share of illegals. According to a study published July 26, 2005 by the Pew Hispanic Center, six Southern states had Hispanic populations that were growing at twice the rate of the country's. And not only was North Carolina one of those states, the study pointed out that we actually have the fastest growth in the entire country. The report did not fail to mention that the majority of this population does not speak English, not that this was a surprise to most North Carolinians.
The stereotypical redneck cry-of-outrage is, "They're taking our jobs!" That argument is a constant source of ridicule and parody, from the infamous South Park episode where outer space aliens invade earth, causing American citizens to run around screaming, "They took our jobs!" to the online Maddox cartoon depicting two Mexicans pointing to a white man and proclaiming, "Quick! There's an American! Let's take his job!" To justify this response, the pro-illegal immigration side has attempted to make it common knowledge that illegal immigrants aren't really taking jobs away from Americans.
This interesting little tidbit might not be as true as you all think. Recently, illegal workers have been taking jobs traditionally held by American teenagers. Employers are favoring these illegal workers because they are able to work longer hours than teenagers and they do not have to mold their work schedules around classes or homework. An anonymous commenter on a local blog recently gave a perfect example of this hiring bias by stating, "I hire a hispanic[sic] over a white person whenever given the opportunity� White people think they are above doing actual work� And I don't like to hire black people either because they don't do what you tell them, they get defensive when you use authority to get them to do something."
How can we not think this is a problem? Many teenagers from lower-income families find it necessary to contribute to their family's income through these jobs. With this influx of illegal workers, these same teenagers will be forced to make a choice between staying in school and keeping a job. Is this how we teach our children the importance of education? Take into account that at the same time the illegal immigrant population is growing, so are our college tuition rates. Faced with ridiculous tuition fees and less jobs to choose from, many lower-income teenagers see college as an unattainable dream. And we wonder why the high school dropout rate is so high.
The situation is outrageous, but so are many of the solutions. Many claim that we should grant amnesty, since America is a nation of immigrants. But these people also seem to ignore the differences between legal and illegal immigrants. We can't ignore that this is a problem in today's society. There has to be an answer to this pressing issue, but it's certainly not one that has been presented yet.
I received an amusing response to this article. Two days after it came out, I was walking to my 9am Political Science class, when I was spotted by two African-American female classmates who had already made their feelings about me known during the Angela Davis debacle. In an immature move, they waited until I was about to walk into the building to rudely push themselves in front of my path, pretending not to see me. Rather than stoop to their level, I rolled my eyes and let them get a few steps ahead of me. Annoyed that they had not received a response, they made a point to stop right in front of the stairwell (blocking my own access), and loudly point out a pro-illegal immigration poster which had been hung by the ISO. "Aww, poor little immigrants!" one girl exclaimed. "They're so cute! I wish I could help more of them." She the proceeded to "pet" the Hispanic girl on the poster with her finger while her friend laughed loudly.
It was then that I realized, if my opinions can piss people off so much that they revert back to middle school, I must be doing something right.
Showing posts with label education. Show all posts
Showing posts with label education. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
First Amendment Applies to Conservative Speech Too
THE RIGHT ANGLE: Freedom applies to conservative speech too - Opinions
On April 12, Erskine Bolwes was inaugurated as president of the UNC-system. The ceremony was held at UNCG's own Aycock Auditorium and was preceded by a parade leading down Spring Garden Street, where many students lined the streets to welcome Bowles to our university. One day earlier, a student organization hung a banner in the Elliott University Center to greet Bowles in a very different way. The banner, which was visible the moment one walked in the front of the EUC, read, "College Republicans welcomeSenator President Erskine Bowles... Someone had to hire him!"
Most people, including Bowles himself, realized the sign was simply poking fun at Bowles' two failed Senate campaigns. Others were not quite so enamored with the sign, saying it was "disrespectful" or "inappropriate." One of these people, a faculty member from the Bryan School, actually took down the banner on the day of Bowles' inauguration. The banner was soon found and returned to its rightful place, and the faculty member was told it is not his place to make that decision. Ironically, Bowles found the banner so amusing that he personally asked the College Republicans if he could have it to hang in his office.
This stunt couldn't have come at a better time. The very next day, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Tim Johnston hosted an Honors Coffee with the topic, "Does UNCG welcome the expression of conservative opinions?" It ended up being more of a discussion than a speech, but enlightening nonetheless. Being one of only three openly conservative students who attended, I actually did a lot of the talking.
The reaction was not what I expected. I had come ready to fight with whomever dared tell me I was imagining this liberal bias in academia. To my surprise, Dr. Johnston as well as the other faculty in attendance seemed shocked to hear how openly biased some professors are with their classes. There seemed to be a general consensus that this was to be somewhat expected, since 90 percent of the faculty at this university tend to be left-leaning. However, it was generally agreed upon that professors never have the right to ridicule their students for their beliefs. I entertained them with several stories of my favorite sociology professor who enjoyed making fun of me and my arguments on a daily basis.
Almost two years ago, I wrote a column on liberal bias at UNCG, and I had to go looking for feedback. I asked students in my political science classes (both conservative and liberal) and other random students around school if they thought their professors tended to be more welcome to liberal comments than conservative ones. As a result, I found several conservative students who pretend to be liberal while in classes with liberal professors, and liberal students who admitted there was clearly a bias in their favor.
I can't be sure what it is that's changed. Whether professors have become more blatantly liberal, conservative students have become more angry and fed up with the bias, or Facebook has just made it that much easier for people to contact me, not a week passes that I don't receive several IMs or emails about ridiculously liberal professors. Not many go into detail, but they'll say things like, "Why does my Spanish teacher insist on telling us why we shouldn't have gone to war with Iraq? You should write a column on this." Some of the best messages came back in January and February when students would contact me to let me know their professor was ripping my Angela Davis columns apart piece by piece, and that it had absolutely nothing to do with the topic of the class.
Now, I'm all for freedom of speech, and I would never advocate putting restrictions on what anyone can say (nor would I say we should use affirmative action to hire more conservatives, as one person suggested at Honors Coffee), but I would hope our professors could do the same thing. And if some of them are so intent on turning us all into bleeding hearts, they need to realize they'll catch more flies with honey. Many of my views on women's political issues have indeed become more liberal since taking a Women and Gender Studies course with a professor who was very open to discussion about other sides of the issues. And because my ideas were respected, rather than simply squashed because of their inherently anti-women, right-wing qualities, I was more likely to respect other views on those same subjects, which made a lot more sense than I cared to admit at the time.
Professors that refuse to hear conservative arguments in their classrooms are only teaching their students to be more close-minded. The students who were already liberal to begin with become more liberal, feeling justified in doing so. Likewise, the more conservative-leaning students band together and become more conservative because they are being attacked from every angle. The end result is fewer moderate students, and every little thing becomes a political war.
And, after being here for four years, I've found I learn more under professors who are less blatantly biased, I've learned who they are, and I've succeeded in filling my schedule with their classes.
However, not all the blame can be placed on professors. Conservative students who refuse to point out their views in class for fear of ridicule don't have very much room to complain. You can't accuse a professor of being liberally biased if you don't at least try to point out the inequalities.
Two years after my first "liberal bias in academia," I realize my anger isn't over having conservative views silenced in the classroom; it's having anyone's views silenced. We're here to learn, and learning means being able to take all views into account. Professors shouldn't make fun of our opinions or try to make us feel we'll be graded down for not agreeing with them, but students should also stand up for their own ideas in class. If we don't exercise our freedom of speech, we'll have no reason to complain when it is taken away.
On April 12, Erskine Bolwes was inaugurated as president of the UNC-system. The ceremony was held at UNCG's own Aycock Auditorium and was preceded by a parade leading down Spring Garden Street, where many students lined the streets to welcome Bowles to our university. One day earlier, a student organization hung a banner in the Elliott University Center to greet Bowles in a very different way. The banner, which was visible the moment one walked in the front of the EUC, read, "College Republicans welcome
Most people, including Bowles himself, realized the sign was simply poking fun at Bowles' two failed Senate campaigns. Others were not quite so enamored with the sign, saying it was "disrespectful" or "inappropriate." One of these people, a faculty member from the Bryan School, actually took down the banner on the day of Bowles' inauguration. The banner was soon found and returned to its rightful place, and the faculty member was told it is not his place to make that decision. Ironically, Bowles found the banner so amusing that he personally asked the College Republicans if he could have it to hang in his office.
This stunt couldn't have come at a better time. The very next day, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Tim Johnston hosted an Honors Coffee with the topic, "Does UNCG welcome the expression of conservative opinions?" It ended up being more of a discussion than a speech, but enlightening nonetheless. Being one of only three openly conservative students who attended, I actually did a lot of the talking.
The reaction was not what I expected. I had come ready to fight with whomever dared tell me I was imagining this liberal bias in academia. To my surprise, Dr. Johnston as well as the other faculty in attendance seemed shocked to hear how openly biased some professors are with their classes. There seemed to be a general consensus that this was to be somewhat expected, since 90 percent of the faculty at this university tend to be left-leaning. However, it was generally agreed upon that professors never have the right to ridicule their students for their beliefs. I entertained them with several stories of my favorite sociology professor who enjoyed making fun of me and my arguments on a daily basis.
Almost two years ago, I wrote a column on liberal bias at UNCG, and I had to go looking for feedback. I asked students in my political science classes (both conservative and liberal) and other random students around school if they thought their professors tended to be more welcome to liberal comments than conservative ones. As a result, I found several conservative students who pretend to be liberal while in classes with liberal professors, and liberal students who admitted there was clearly a bias in their favor.
I can't be sure what it is that's changed. Whether professors have become more blatantly liberal, conservative students have become more angry and fed up with the bias, or Facebook has just made it that much easier for people to contact me, not a week passes that I don't receive several IMs or emails about ridiculously liberal professors. Not many go into detail, but they'll say things like, "Why does my Spanish teacher insist on telling us why we shouldn't have gone to war with Iraq? You should write a column on this." Some of the best messages came back in January and February when students would contact me to let me know their professor was ripping my Angela Davis columns apart piece by piece, and that it had absolutely nothing to do with the topic of the class.
Now, I'm all for freedom of speech, and I would never advocate putting restrictions on what anyone can say (nor would I say we should use affirmative action to hire more conservatives, as one person suggested at Honors Coffee), but I would hope our professors could do the same thing. And if some of them are so intent on turning us all into bleeding hearts, they need to realize they'll catch more flies with honey. Many of my views on women's political issues have indeed become more liberal since taking a Women and Gender Studies course with a professor who was very open to discussion about other sides of the issues. And because my ideas were respected, rather than simply squashed because of their inherently anti-women, right-wing qualities, I was more likely to respect other views on those same subjects, which made a lot more sense than I cared to admit at the time.
Professors that refuse to hear conservative arguments in their classrooms are only teaching their students to be more close-minded. The students who were already liberal to begin with become more liberal, feeling justified in doing so. Likewise, the more conservative-leaning students band together and become more conservative because they are being attacked from every angle. The end result is fewer moderate students, and every little thing becomes a political war.
And, after being here for four years, I've found I learn more under professors who are less blatantly biased, I've learned who they are, and I've succeeded in filling my schedule with their classes.
However, not all the blame can be placed on professors. Conservative students who refuse to point out their views in class for fear of ridicule don't have very much room to complain. You can't accuse a professor of being liberally biased if you don't at least try to point out the inequalities.
Two years after my first "liberal bias in academia," I realize my anger isn't over having conservative views silenced in the classroom; it's having anyone's views silenced. We're here to learn, and learning means being able to take all views into account. Professors shouldn't make fun of our opinions or try to make us feel we'll be graded down for not agreeing with them, but students should also stand up for their own ideas in class. If we don't exercise our freedom of speech, we'll have no reason to complain when it is taken away.
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Senioritis Setting In
THE RIGHT ANGLE: Senioritis setting in - Opinions
Back near the beginning of last semester, I wrote acolumn about how badly I had senioritis. But now that I'm less than two months away from graduation, I realize that I could never have known how bad it would eventually get.
Senioritis, for those of you who are completely lost, is that state of mind that sets in the closer you get to graduation that causes you to just stop caring. It's that mindset of, "Ahh, who cares, I only have two months left anyway." There are varying levels of senioritis, and it can set in at different times. In fact, I'm fairly certain my roommate is starting to get it, and she's only a junior.
Senioritis takes away any motivation to do schoolwork, and we all know most college students don't have enough motivation to spare. It turns that late-night study session with your classmates into gossip hour, and even though you know you should be spending your time trying to find a good job for after graduation, you're much more concerned with finding an affordable beach house for after graduation.
Yes, I've fallen victim to every single one of these characteristics. But there's more at work here than just the promise of graduation and freedom. Senioritis weakens the system and leaves students more susceptible to Internet Axis of Evil: MySpace, Facebook, and blogs.
Now I have a MySpace page, but I basically stopped using it after I realized just how many insane people there were on that site. Facebook, well, I've decided that Facebook eats time, and literally. I mean, one minute I'm looking at a friend's photo album, and the next thing I know, it's five hours later, and I've gone through my entire friends list and coded how I knew everyone.
Yes, I think we can all agree that Facebook is evil, but a necessary one. After all, if I wasn't able to communicate with classmates through Facebook, I might be forced to use a phone or some other ancient form of communication. And where else can you befriend George W. Bush, the Flying Spaghetti Monster, and Jesus Christ all at the same time?
Of course, I know I might spend too much time on Facebook, but it's nothing compared to the amount of time I spend reading and posting on blogs. I've had a blog of sorts ever since sophomore year when I started my Livejournal so I could have a place to rant about the exceedingly liberal writings of the Carolinian.
But my blogmania didn't really start until recently, when I switched my blog over to Blogspot. Blogspot, it turns out, is releasing my inner nerd. Not only am I posting and responding more frequently, I'm finally teaching myself basic HTML. Yeah, I know it's sad, and I've had people offer to help me, but I find teaching myself is so much more rewarding.
Aside from just being so much nicer than Livejournal, you can find a blog for pretty much every active UNCG student on Blogspot, or so it seems. And because you can give access to several posters all on one blog, it's perfect for student organizations, such as the College Republicans (uncgcr.blogspot.com) and the College Democrats (uncgcollegedems.org).
Okay, so yes it can be argued that the Internet is leading to the downfall of society, what with the fact that we can communicate with millions of people thousands of miles away and never have to leave our desk, all while completely losing the art of real conversation. At this point, I'm far too addicted to live without it. Also, my senioritis is telling me that I don't care.
Eh, I only have a little over a month left anyway...
Back near the beginning of last semester, I wrote acolumn about how badly I had senioritis. But now that I'm less than two months away from graduation, I realize that I could never have known how bad it would eventually get.
Senioritis, for those of you who are completely lost, is that state of mind that sets in the closer you get to graduation that causes you to just stop caring. It's that mindset of, "Ahh, who cares, I only have two months left anyway." There are varying levels of senioritis, and it can set in at different times. In fact, I'm fairly certain my roommate is starting to get it, and she's only a junior.
Senioritis takes away any motivation to do schoolwork, and we all know most college students don't have enough motivation to spare. It turns that late-night study session with your classmates into gossip hour, and even though you know you should be spending your time trying to find a good job for after graduation, you're much more concerned with finding an affordable beach house for after graduation.
Yes, I've fallen victim to every single one of these characteristics. But there's more at work here than just the promise of graduation and freedom. Senioritis weakens the system and leaves students more susceptible to Internet Axis of Evil: MySpace, Facebook, and blogs.
Now I have a MySpace page, but I basically stopped using it after I realized just how many insane people there were on that site. Facebook, well, I've decided that Facebook eats time, and literally. I mean, one minute I'm looking at a friend's photo album, and the next thing I know, it's five hours later, and I've gone through my entire friends list and coded how I knew everyone.
Yes, I think we can all agree that Facebook is evil, but a necessary one. After all, if I wasn't able to communicate with classmates through Facebook, I might be forced to use a phone or some other ancient form of communication. And where else can you befriend George W. Bush, the Flying Spaghetti Monster, and Jesus Christ all at the same time?
Of course, I know I might spend too much time on Facebook, but it's nothing compared to the amount of time I spend reading and posting on blogs. I've had a blog of sorts ever since sophomore year when I started my Livejournal so I could have a place to rant about the exceedingly liberal writings of the Carolinian.
But my blogmania didn't really start until recently, when I switched my blog over to Blogspot. Blogspot, it turns out, is releasing my inner nerd. Not only am I posting and responding more frequently, I'm finally teaching myself basic HTML. Yeah, I know it's sad, and I've had people offer to help me, but I find teaching myself is so much more rewarding.
Aside from just being so much nicer than Livejournal, you can find a blog for pretty much every active UNCG student on Blogspot, or so it seems. And because you can give access to several posters all on one blog, it's perfect for student organizations, such as the College Republicans (uncgcr.blogspot.com) and the College Democrats (uncgcollegedems.org).
Okay, so yes it can be argued that the Internet is leading to the downfall of society, what with the fact that we can communicate with millions of people thousands of miles away and never have to leave our desk, all while completely losing the art of real conversation. At this point, I'm far too addicted to live without it. Also, my senioritis is telling me that I don't care.
Eh, I only have a little over a month left anyway...
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
It's Only College: I Realize This is Supposed to be Practice for the Real World, but There Comes a Time When You Must Draw a Line
THE RIGHT ANGLE: It's only college - Opinions
"You shouldn't take life too seriously. You'll never get out alive." -- Ryan Reynolds as Van Wilder
I have to say, I never expected to begin one of my columns with a quote from a National Lampoon movie. But sometimes you find yourself in a stupid situation that can only be explained through a quote from a mindless college movie. That's where I'm at right now.
I've always been amazed by the number of college students who take themselves too seriously. For four years now, I've heard that silly statistic about how 60 percent of women meet their husbands as undergrads, and for four years, I've been urged by my fellow coeds to hurry up and find one. Now, I'm not sure what the real statistic is, as I've heard several different numbers from several different people, but numbers like that tend to send women into a panic. As a result, I've seen many desperate female college students spend more time trying to attract a mate than actually preparing for their own futures.
I'm not saying that doesn't work for some women, but if they're going to get terrified over that statistic, they should pay attention to the others. 50 percent of all marriages end in divorce. With that in mind, do you really want to spend your college years stressing out over some guy? I'm almost 22 and single, and the last thing on my mind is marriage. Don't take insignificant things too seriously this early on in your lives. Years in the future, you'll look back and realize how trivial it all is in comparison.
Recently, I've encountered another group of people who take themselves too seriously. After the last issue of the Carolinian, a certain Opinions columnist (ahem) was accused of "leaking" information about one of the SGA Vice-Presidential candidates. Because I repeatedly refused to "reveal my source", I've been constantly answering to student journalists trying to guess my source and my motives. I can't even tell you how many times I've been referred to as Judith Miller. And I really can't do anything but laugh about the situation.
We are in COLLEGE, people! I realize this is supposed to be practice for the real world, but there comes a time when you must draw a line. Everyone wants this to be such a bigger deal than it actually is. The truth of the matter is, the information I gave the Carolinian was public information which can be obtained by doing a simple Google search. Contrary to popular belief, this is not the equivalent of leaking the identity of a CIA agent. The identity of my "source" is unnecessary, and seeing as how the information was already public, I don't see what all the fuss is about. I don't even think it's possible to "leak" public information.
Among the students who want this to be so much more than it actually is was a WUAG reporter who had already decided what "really" happened. He went around the school interviewing students he thought were involved in a manner which can only be described as harassing, and attempted to prove his own story through very leading questions. I'm sure this is a good technique to use when you're involved in a real news story, like the Judith Miller case, but on a college campus you're not going to win any Pulitzers.
I try to not take myself too seriously. I'm the first one to make fun of myself, my columns, and my own beliefs, but even I found myself getting caught up in the campus drama. I let it interfere with my schoolwork, as I got stuck in a wave of non-stop interviews and meetings, trying voraciously to save my reputation. And then one night, a friend of mine told me, "You think this is bad? Wait until the New York Times is gunning for you."
In an instant, things were put into perspective for me. If I worry so much about what the college media says about me now, how am I ever going to make it in the real political world? That's when I realized how ridiculous it all is. I'm no Judith Miller, and this isn't going to ruin anyone's life. We are in college to learn about and prepare for the real world, and we can't let extracurricular drama control our lives.
So the next time you find yourself in a situation that seems to be taking over your life, try to put things in perspective. While boyfriend/girlfriend drama might seem like the most important thing in your life right now, when you're applying to grad school years in the future, you'll wish you hadn't let a stupid fight result in an F on that midterm. Chances are, these are the best years of your life, and you shouldn't waste them stressing over the little things. And so, I'll leave you with one more quote from Van Wilder: "Worrying is like a rocking chair: it gives you something to do, but it doesn't get you anywhere."
Write that down.
"You shouldn't take life too seriously. You'll never get out alive." -- Ryan Reynolds as Van Wilder
I have to say, I never expected to begin one of my columns with a quote from a National Lampoon movie. But sometimes you find yourself in a stupid situation that can only be explained through a quote from a mindless college movie. That's where I'm at right now.
I've always been amazed by the number of college students who take themselves too seriously. For four years now, I've heard that silly statistic about how 60 percent of women meet their husbands as undergrads, and for four years, I've been urged by my fellow coeds to hurry up and find one. Now, I'm not sure what the real statistic is, as I've heard several different numbers from several different people, but numbers like that tend to send women into a panic. As a result, I've seen many desperate female college students spend more time trying to attract a mate than actually preparing for their own futures.
I'm not saying that doesn't work for some women, but if they're going to get terrified over that statistic, they should pay attention to the others. 50 percent of all marriages end in divorce. With that in mind, do you really want to spend your college years stressing out over some guy? I'm almost 22 and single, and the last thing on my mind is marriage. Don't take insignificant things too seriously this early on in your lives. Years in the future, you'll look back and realize how trivial it all is in comparison.
Recently, I've encountered another group of people who take themselves too seriously. After the last issue of the Carolinian, a certain Opinions columnist (ahem) was accused of "leaking" information about one of the SGA Vice-Presidential candidates. Because I repeatedly refused to "reveal my source", I've been constantly answering to student journalists trying to guess my source and my motives. I can't even tell you how many times I've been referred to as Judith Miller. And I really can't do anything but laugh about the situation.
We are in COLLEGE, people! I realize this is supposed to be practice for the real world, but there comes a time when you must draw a line. Everyone wants this to be such a bigger deal than it actually is. The truth of the matter is, the information I gave the Carolinian was public information which can be obtained by doing a simple Google search. Contrary to popular belief, this is not the equivalent of leaking the identity of a CIA agent. The identity of my "source" is unnecessary, and seeing as how the information was already public, I don't see what all the fuss is about. I don't even think it's possible to "leak" public information.
Among the students who want this to be so much more than it actually is was a WUAG reporter who had already decided what "really" happened. He went around the school interviewing students he thought were involved in a manner which can only be described as harassing, and attempted to prove his own story through very leading questions. I'm sure this is a good technique to use when you're involved in a real news story, like the Judith Miller case, but on a college campus you're not going to win any Pulitzers.
I try to not take myself too seriously. I'm the first one to make fun of myself, my columns, and my own beliefs, but even I found myself getting caught up in the campus drama. I let it interfere with my schoolwork, as I got stuck in a wave of non-stop interviews and meetings, trying voraciously to save my reputation. And then one night, a friend of mine told me, "You think this is bad? Wait until the New York Times is gunning for you."
In an instant, things were put into perspective for me. If I worry so much about what the college media says about me now, how am I ever going to make it in the real political world? That's when I realized how ridiculous it all is. I'm no Judith Miller, and this isn't going to ruin anyone's life. We are in college to learn about and prepare for the real world, and we can't let extracurricular drama control our lives.
So the next time you find yourself in a situation that seems to be taking over your life, try to put things in perspective. While boyfriend/girlfriend drama might seem like the most important thing in your life right now, when you're applying to grad school years in the future, you'll wish you hadn't let a stupid fight result in an F on that midterm. Chances are, these are the best years of your life, and you shouldn't waste them stressing over the little things. And so, I'll leave you with one more quote from Van Wilder: "Worrying is like a rocking chair: it gives you something to do, but it doesn't get you anywhere."
Write that down.
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Students First? Not Anymore
THE RIGHT ANGLE: Students First? Not anymore - Opinions
When I first arrived at UNCG as a freshman in Fall 2002, the university motto was "Students First." Sure, it was the butt of a few jokes, but it served its purpose in expressing that UNCG felt a rightful obligation to its own students. I'm not aware of when the switch occurred, but at some point, UNCG discreetly changed its motto to the very vague "Service." It sounds nice, but as a student who often feels her needs are forgotten in the midst of a large bureaucracy, sometimes I have to wonder: "Service" to whom?
I started thinking about this last week while frantically trying to finish the several papers that had piled up on me while I was sick. Thanks to my technological illiteracy, I have managed to accidentally delete Microsoft Office from my home computer, which means I rely completely on UNCG's computer labs. I planned to spend most of the night in the Bryan Lab because it doesn't close until 3am, and I figured I'd have plenty of time to finish my papers. Unfortunately, the lab consultant working at that time was paid a visit by three of his friends, and they spent the next 45 minutes talking above the normal speaking level, in a place where students go to do homework. This isn't the first time I've had this happen to me, and it makes me wonder if maybe UNCG is unable to hire people who can do their jobs.
UNCG's disservice to their students doesn't stop there. Anyone who has ever lived on campus knows how wonderful it is to be forced to buy a campus meal plan. For those of you who have never known this pleasure, I'll go over the basics. Meal plans are required for anyone living on UNCG's campus (they think that if we don't eat on campus, we'll just forget to eat all together and starve to death). Freshmen are given one choice for a meal plan, and that is a plan that includes only the Caf. As you become a sophomore and so on, they allow you to choose meal plans with a little more flexibility.
The main problem with this is that UNCG is taking our money under the guise of allowing us to eat all semester, but not really treating us as paying customers. The Caf has horrible hours of operation. Also, if you happen to make it in right before they close, you're not likely to find much to eat, and some Caf workers will even complain vociferously about students that come in late. If workers at a restaurant kept the same attitudes that people working at UNCG's dining facilities have, the restaurant wouldn't stay open very long. But UNCG knows they have a captive audience for their food services, so they really couldn't care less.
In response to the abuse many students undergo at the Caf and other dining places on campus, some students are taking action. Matt Hill, a student who is very active on campus, was disrespected by two Caf workers, and upon complaining to the manager on duty, was actually threatened by one of the workers, who attempted to start a physical fight with him right there in the middle of the dining area. The entire experience has left this student feeling intimidated about dining in the Caf for fear that the worker might try to start another fight. Because Matt realizes that he is not alone (I myself have had several problems with Dining Service employees, including the manager of Spencers), he has started a website entitled "This $#!+ Has Got To Stop Campaign" (http://www.matthillnc.com/diningcomplaints). He is using this site to compile stories about similar abuse by UNCG Dining Service employees which will eventually lead to an SGA resolution concerning the conduct of these employees.
In what might seem like an unrelated story, the UNCG College Republicans were asked to stop using their logo by University Relations. Why? The CR logo features the Republican elephant sharing the yellow and blue shield with Minerva, our school symbol. The CRs created and used the logo to illustrate their connection with the university, and yet the university has told them that they have no right to their own school's symbols. The symbol of Minerva represents UNCG and therefore represents their students, and as a student, I feel I should have a right to use this logo which represents me. These ridiculous rules outlining how the image of Minerva may and may not be used are little more than just another example of how UNCG is trying to completely distance themselves from their students. It also makes one wonder if these people really have nothing better to do with their time than bust students for a simple graphic design.
It's fairly simple to understand why UNCG changed its motto to "Service." If it was still "Students First," they might have to make some serious changes, such as pretending to actually care about their students. But as they seem to be content with offering sub par lab services and even worse dining options, as well as restricting their own students' rights to show any sort of connection with the university through the Minerva logo, I doubt we'll ever see "Students First" again. In fact, maybe something more along the lines of "Shut Up, Give Us Your Money, and Enjoy Being Screwed Over for the Next Four Years" would be more appropriate.
When I first arrived at UNCG as a freshman in Fall 2002, the university motto was "Students First." Sure, it was the butt of a few jokes, but it served its purpose in expressing that UNCG felt a rightful obligation to its own students. I'm not aware of when the switch occurred, but at some point, UNCG discreetly changed its motto to the very vague "Service." It sounds nice, but as a student who often feels her needs are forgotten in the midst of a large bureaucracy, sometimes I have to wonder: "Service" to whom?
I started thinking about this last week while frantically trying to finish the several papers that had piled up on me while I was sick. Thanks to my technological illiteracy, I have managed to accidentally delete Microsoft Office from my home computer, which means I rely completely on UNCG's computer labs. I planned to spend most of the night in the Bryan Lab because it doesn't close until 3am, and I figured I'd have plenty of time to finish my papers. Unfortunately, the lab consultant working at that time was paid a visit by three of his friends, and they spent the next 45 minutes talking above the normal speaking level, in a place where students go to do homework. This isn't the first time I've had this happen to me, and it makes me wonder if maybe UNCG is unable to hire people who can do their jobs.
UNCG's disservice to their students doesn't stop there. Anyone who has ever lived on campus knows how wonderful it is to be forced to buy a campus meal plan. For those of you who have never known this pleasure, I'll go over the basics. Meal plans are required for anyone living on UNCG's campus (they think that if we don't eat on campus, we'll just forget to eat all together and starve to death). Freshmen are given one choice for a meal plan, and that is a plan that includes only the Caf. As you become a sophomore and so on, they allow you to choose meal plans with a little more flexibility.
The main problem with this is that UNCG is taking our money under the guise of allowing us to eat all semester, but not really treating us as paying customers. The Caf has horrible hours of operation. Also, if you happen to make it in right before they close, you're not likely to find much to eat, and some Caf workers will even complain vociferously about students that come in late. If workers at a restaurant kept the same attitudes that people working at UNCG's dining facilities have, the restaurant wouldn't stay open very long. But UNCG knows they have a captive audience for their food services, so they really couldn't care less.
In response to the abuse many students undergo at the Caf and other dining places on campus, some students are taking action. Matt Hill, a student who is very active on campus, was disrespected by two Caf workers, and upon complaining to the manager on duty, was actually threatened by one of the workers, who attempted to start a physical fight with him right there in the middle of the dining area. The entire experience has left this student feeling intimidated about dining in the Caf for fear that the worker might try to start another fight. Because Matt realizes that he is not alone (I myself have had several problems with Dining Service employees, including the manager of Spencers), he has started a website entitled "This $#!+ Has Got To Stop Campaign" (http://www.matthillnc.com/diningcomplaints). He is using this site to compile stories about similar abuse by UNCG Dining Service employees which will eventually lead to an SGA resolution concerning the conduct of these employees.
In what might seem like an unrelated story, the UNCG College Republicans were asked to stop using their logo by University Relations. Why? The CR logo features the Republican elephant sharing the yellow and blue shield with Minerva, our school symbol. The CRs created and used the logo to illustrate their connection with the university, and yet the university has told them that they have no right to their own school's symbols. The symbol of Minerva represents UNCG and therefore represents their students, and as a student, I feel I should have a right to use this logo which represents me. These ridiculous rules outlining how the image of Minerva may and may not be used are little more than just another example of how UNCG is trying to completely distance themselves from their students. It also makes one wonder if these people really have nothing better to do with their time than bust students for a simple graphic design.
It's fairly simple to understand why UNCG changed its motto to "Service." If it was still "Students First," they might have to make some serious changes, such as pretending to actually care about their students. But as they seem to be content with offering sub par lab services and even worse dining options, as well as restricting their own students' rights to show any sort of connection with the university through the Minerva logo, I doubt we'll ever see "Students First" again. In fact, maybe something more along the lines of "Shut Up, Give Us Your Money, and Enjoy Being Screwed Over for the Next Four Years" would be more appropriate.
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
Don't Fall Prey to the Partisan Monster
(I hope it's painfully obvious to everyone that I did NOT title this column... I'm guessing my editor is to blame for this gem.)
THE RIGHT ANGLE: Don't fall prey to the partisan monster - Opinions
Partisanship is ruining the world. There, I said it.
Some people may think that's an odd statement coming from me. After all, this is the token conservative column, and I am the president of the College Republicans. But I also think there is a fine line between party loyalty and stupidity.
I started really thinking about it this weekend while I was scanning through the UNCG Livejournal community once again. A student had posted an advertisement asking students to vote for him in the recent SGA Senate elections. Another student immediately responded, asking where they could find information about all the candidates, including their "political status".
I'm not sure why, but that immediately annoyed me. I could be wrong, but I just don't think SGA is going to be taking a vote to do away with Social Security any time soon. What possible advantage could knowing a student's political affiliation have? Should we have all students running for SGA offices list their preferred political party next to their name? Do we need to start offering students a "straight ticket" voting option?
What goes on inside partisan group meetings is one thing, but it's another thing completely to bring it out into the open. There are actually members of other campus organizations that refuse to talk to me, or openly glare at me around campus, simply because I am a well-known College Republican.
Ironically enough, on the few occasions that someone from a more liberal group will actually TALK to me, they end up telling me that I'm not quite the "monster" everyone claims I am (and yes, that term has been used). These same people are often shocked to find that I can talk about things other than politics, and that even while discussing politics, I'm very laid-back about it all. This is because I don't take my politics to extremes. I like to see both sides of an issue and decide for myself what's right. Anyone that reads this column knows that I would not be considered a "good" Republican by any means. After all, I don't let the Republican Party tell me what I do and don't believe in. And I would certainly never refuse to be friendly to someone just because of their political preference.
And honestly, we're in college. Yes, this is supposed to be preparing us for the real world, but everything doesn't have to be a life or death situation. I personally enjoy debating politics with someone, and then going out for a beer with that same person afterwards. So what if I think we should privatize Social Security and they think the government should handle everything? Doesn't mean we can't talk about something much more important later, like baseball, or who's going to win American Idol this season.
I know I seem to be contradicting myself, because I've always wanted people to be more politically aware, but aware doesn't necessarily mean "blindly loyal". In last November's elections, I voted for a couple Democrats as well as several Libertarians. Actually being aware of the candidates and the issues can help you make informed decisions - straight-ticket voting just elects a party platform, not necessarily a good politician.
Stereotypes are just all-around bad, whether you attach them to races, genders, or members of a political party. When it all comes down to it, does it really matter what my voter registration card says I am? After all, it's far more probable I'll dislike you for being a Boston Red Sox fan than for being a Democrat.
THE RIGHT ANGLE: Don't fall prey to the partisan monster - Opinions
Partisanship is ruining the world. There, I said it.
Some people may think that's an odd statement coming from me. After all, this is the token conservative column, and I am the president of the College Republicans. But I also think there is a fine line between party loyalty and stupidity.
I started really thinking about it this weekend while I was scanning through the UNCG Livejournal community once again. A student had posted an advertisement asking students to vote for him in the recent SGA Senate elections. Another student immediately responded, asking where they could find information about all the candidates, including their "political status".
I'm not sure why, but that immediately annoyed me. I could be wrong, but I just don't think SGA is going to be taking a vote to do away with Social Security any time soon. What possible advantage could knowing a student's political affiliation have? Should we have all students running for SGA offices list their preferred political party next to their name? Do we need to start offering students a "straight ticket" voting option?
What goes on inside partisan group meetings is one thing, but it's another thing completely to bring it out into the open. There are actually members of other campus organizations that refuse to talk to me, or openly glare at me around campus, simply because I am a well-known College Republican.
Ironically enough, on the few occasions that someone from a more liberal group will actually TALK to me, they end up telling me that I'm not quite the "monster" everyone claims I am (and yes, that term has been used). These same people are often shocked to find that I can talk about things other than politics, and that even while discussing politics, I'm very laid-back about it all. This is because I don't take my politics to extremes. I like to see both sides of an issue and decide for myself what's right. Anyone that reads this column knows that I would not be considered a "good" Republican by any means. After all, I don't let the Republican Party tell me what I do and don't believe in. And I would certainly never refuse to be friendly to someone just because of their political preference.
And honestly, we're in college. Yes, this is supposed to be preparing us for the real world, but everything doesn't have to be a life or death situation. I personally enjoy debating politics with someone, and then going out for a beer with that same person afterwards. So what if I think we should privatize Social Security and they think the government should handle everything? Doesn't mean we can't talk about something much more important later, like baseball, or who's going to win American Idol this season.
I know I seem to be contradicting myself, because I've always wanted people to be more politically aware, but aware doesn't necessarily mean "blindly loyal". In last November's elections, I voted for a couple Democrats as well as several Libertarians. Actually being aware of the candidates and the issues can help you make informed decisions - straight-ticket voting just elects a party platform, not necessarily a good politician.
Stereotypes are just all-around bad, whether you attach them to races, genders, or members of a political party. When it all comes down to it, does it really matter what my voter registration card says I am? After all, it's far more probable I'll dislike you for being a Boston Red Sox fan than for being a Democrat.
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Getting More For Your Money
THE RIGHT ANGLE: Getting more for your money - Opinions
I'm a big girl. I can admit when I'm wrong - fortunately, now is not one of those times. No, this time I'm merely not 100% right. Let me explain: a week ago, I set out to prove that students who are paying their own way through college are more likely to want challenging classes than those whose parents were footing the bill. That theory was wrong. However, in realizing the flaws in my original theory, I eventually came to an even better conclusion.
Let me start at the beginning. In Spring 2005, I took an economics course. As a political science major, this course wasn't required, but I figured it would be applicable. Several people had joked that after taking an economics course I would quickly change my political affiliation. Eager to be a sheep like everyone else, I was excited at the prospect of joining the Democratic Party upon my completion of the course.
I never got that chance. In May, I left that class knowing just as much about economics as I had in January. Simply put, I was cheated out of an economics education by a teacher who just didn't care.
Had I realized how lax the professor was during the first week of school, I would have changed courses immediately. I never had a chance: that first Tuesday class lasted fifteen minutes and the professor was sick that Thursday.
As the semester wore on, I began to realize that I was learning very little, and it had nothing to do with me being a poor student. This professor spent a good 20-30 minutes a day talking about his personal life. I'll never forget the day he saw me putting on my iPod after class and remarked, "Hey, I hope you weren't listening to that during class." I smiled politely, but I really wanted to tell him that it probably wouldn't have made a difference.
Sometime last April, I ran into a girl who recognized me from that class. I lamented to her that I felt we had the worst professor in the department. She replied with a puzzled look and told me that she thought he was great because he was "so much fun in class."
Obviously, the same traits that caused me to despise this man are what made this fellow student love him. The only way I could rationalize this was by assuming that she was not paying for her own college tuition and therefore did not care that she was sacrificing her education for a "fun" teacher.
This led to my aforementioned theory. In order to test this theory, I signed on to the UNCG LiveJournal community and asked for volunteers. Technology is a beautiful thing, and within days I had dozens of students willing to take my survey. I asked several random questions, including a hypothetical situation involving a lenient and a hard professor, how they were paying for college, what (if anything) their parents were helping them pay for, and, just for good measure, how they leaned politically in regards to fiscal matters.
I surveyed several random volunteers, including my own suitemates (my own captive audience), making sure to get a good mixture of different types of students. The outcome was a disaster. There was absolutely no truth to my theory. Instead, half of all paying students chose the lenient professor, and half of all students living on their parents' dime also chose the lenient professor. So I was wrong. And even the one fraternity member that I was able to convince to take the survey crushed my theory that only rich kids "go Greek."
At second glance, however, I was able to find an interesting connection. With very few exceptions, the students who had chosen the harder professor leaned Republican when it came to fiscal matters, and vice versa. This gives all new meaning to my favorite bumper sticker: "Annoy a liberal, work hard and be happy."
Although it's not what I wanted to prove, it worked. Furthermore, upon asking why certain students chose the harder professor, I was relieved to receive answers such as "I want to be prepared for harder classes and graduate school," and "I don't expect to be spoon fed my entire life." These kids don't realize it, but they just renewed my faith in humankind.
As for the professor, the best I could do was to give him a bad evaluation. And as I recall, I wrote the equivalent of a short novel on his evaluation form. It obviously didn't help too much of anything - he's still teaching in the economics department. Meanwhile, I guess I'll never get those three course hours of my life back.
I'm a big girl. I can admit when I'm wrong - fortunately, now is not one of those times. No, this time I'm merely not 100% right. Let me explain: a week ago, I set out to prove that students who are paying their own way through college are more likely to want challenging classes than those whose parents were footing the bill. That theory was wrong. However, in realizing the flaws in my original theory, I eventually came to an even better conclusion.
Let me start at the beginning. In Spring 2005, I took an economics course. As a political science major, this course wasn't required, but I figured it would be applicable. Several people had joked that after taking an economics course I would quickly change my political affiliation. Eager to be a sheep like everyone else, I was excited at the prospect of joining the Democratic Party upon my completion of the course.
I never got that chance. In May, I left that class knowing just as much about economics as I had in January. Simply put, I was cheated out of an economics education by a teacher who just didn't care.
Had I realized how lax the professor was during the first week of school, I would have changed courses immediately. I never had a chance: that first Tuesday class lasted fifteen minutes and the professor was sick that Thursday.
As the semester wore on, I began to realize that I was learning very little, and it had nothing to do with me being a poor student. This professor spent a good 20-30 minutes a day talking about his personal life. I'll never forget the day he saw me putting on my iPod after class and remarked, "Hey, I hope you weren't listening to that during class." I smiled politely, but I really wanted to tell him that it probably wouldn't have made a difference.
Sometime last April, I ran into a girl who recognized me from that class. I lamented to her that I felt we had the worst professor in the department. She replied with a puzzled look and told me that she thought he was great because he was "so much fun in class."
Obviously, the same traits that caused me to despise this man are what made this fellow student love him. The only way I could rationalize this was by assuming that she was not paying for her own college tuition and therefore did not care that she was sacrificing her education for a "fun" teacher.
This led to my aforementioned theory. In order to test this theory, I signed on to the UNCG LiveJournal community and asked for volunteers. Technology is a beautiful thing, and within days I had dozens of students willing to take my survey. I asked several random questions, including a hypothetical situation involving a lenient and a hard professor, how they were paying for college, what (if anything) their parents were helping them pay for, and, just for good measure, how they leaned politically in regards to fiscal matters.
I surveyed several random volunteers, including my own suitemates (my own captive audience), making sure to get a good mixture of different types of students. The outcome was a disaster. There was absolutely no truth to my theory. Instead, half of all paying students chose the lenient professor, and half of all students living on their parents' dime also chose the lenient professor. So I was wrong. And even the one fraternity member that I was able to convince to take the survey crushed my theory that only rich kids "go Greek."
At second glance, however, I was able to find an interesting connection. With very few exceptions, the students who had chosen the harder professor leaned Republican when it came to fiscal matters, and vice versa. This gives all new meaning to my favorite bumper sticker: "Annoy a liberal, work hard and be happy."
Although it's not what I wanted to prove, it worked. Furthermore, upon asking why certain students chose the harder professor, I was relieved to receive answers such as "I want to be prepared for harder classes and graduate school," and "I don't expect to be spoon fed my entire life." These kids don't realize it, but they just renewed my faith in humankind.
As for the professor, the best I could do was to give him a bad evaluation. And as I recall, I wrote the equivalent of a short novel on his evaluation form. It obviously didn't help too much of anything - he's still teaching in the economics department. Meanwhile, I guess I'll never get those three course hours of my life back.
Tuesday, May 03, 2005
Farewell, Class of 2005: You're Now Entering the Real World... Please Don't Screw It Up
The Right Angle: Farewell, Class of '05 - Opinions
Graduation is both the worst and best time of the year for me. On one hand, I find myself being forced to let go of several friends I have made over the past three years. Sure, we say we'll keep in touch, but I remember saying the same thing at my high school graduation, and those promises are easily broken. On the other hand, I'm excited for the graduating class; they've been through a lot over the past four (five, six?) years, and they finally have a chance to take on the world armed with their new knowledge. As I sit back, staring at least another year in the face, I'm jealous of their newfound freedom.
So even though I can't give the graduating class any experienced words of wisdom about life after UNCG, I do believe I can find a few things to say that I hope you will take with you on your quickly approaching new life.
I have to start off with an excerpt from Ann Coulter's How to Talk to a Liberal (If You Must): "Historically, the best way to convert liberals is to have them move out of their parents' home, get a job, and start paying taxes." While Ann and I may have our disagreements, I don't believe truer words have ever been spoken.
Now before any of you go off on a rampage about how you do indeed live on your own and pay taxes, let me just say that I applaud you, and this system obviously does not work for everyone. In fact, in some cases, it may produce the opposite effect. I had the pleasure of meeting one young man last week who adheres to the socialist platform because his Republican parents refuse to pay his way through college. Some call this rebelling; I call it a failure of our public education system.
But in all seriousness, whether this year's graduates become card-carrying Republicans or screaming anarchists is not my major concern. I just want you all to do something.
There are tons of young people that take an active part in trying to change their world for the better. And then, there are those that just don't care. You know who I'm talking about. Those are the students that never know anything at all about current events. They shrug when you ask them who they support in a national election. Of course, you're usually lucky if you can get any sort of response out of them as these types of students are usually either completely caught up in a brainless sitcom or tragically addicted to Halo. They simply are so busy that they don't have the TIME for brainless drivel like politics or business.
I've often wondered if some sort of magic happens to them once they get their degree; perhaps they suddenly take an interest in the world and set out to cure cancer to make up for all the years they wasted in front of a television screen. But I highly doubt it. I have this fear that the majority of these unmotivated students grow up to be unmotivated graduates who become the subject material for stoner movies like "Dude, Where's My Car?"
Adults are often telling me how nice it is to see young people getting involved in and caring about politics. Sadly enough, I get the feeling that many of these people have given up on my generation accomplishing anything of great importance. The stereotypical college student has taken on the form of lazy couch potato who will go to great lengths to keep from having to move an inch.
And so I bid the Class of 2005 farewell with this parting message: Society may have lowered its standards for you, but not all of us have. I know that we all have some great purpose in life, and you're probably not going to find it while watching Friends reruns. So go out there and make a difference. Cure cancer, solve world hunger, bring peace to the Middle East, anything. It would be great to see a UNCG graduate in the White House someday. I expect great things from you. Don't let me down.
Graduation is both the worst and best time of the year for me. On one hand, I find myself being forced to let go of several friends I have made over the past three years. Sure, we say we'll keep in touch, but I remember saying the same thing at my high school graduation, and those promises are easily broken. On the other hand, I'm excited for the graduating class; they've been through a lot over the past four (five, six?) years, and they finally have a chance to take on the world armed with their new knowledge. As I sit back, staring at least another year in the face, I'm jealous of their newfound freedom.
So even though I can't give the graduating class any experienced words of wisdom about life after UNCG, I do believe I can find a few things to say that I hope you will take with you on your quickly approaching new life.
I have to start off with an excerpt from Ann Coulter's How to Talk to a Liberal (If You Must): "Historically, the best way to convert liberals is to have them move out of their parents' home, get a job, and start paying taxes." While Ann and I may have our disagreements, I don't believe truer words have ever been spoken.
Now before any of you go off on a rampage about how you do indeed live on your own and pay taxes, let me just say that I applaud you, and this system obviously does not work for everyone. In fact, in some cases, it may produce the opposite effect. I had the pleasure of meeting one young man last week who adheres to the socialist platform because his Republican parents refuse to pay his way through college. Some call this rebelling; I call it a failure of our public education system.
But in all seriousness, whether this year's graduates become card-carrying Republicans or screaming anarchists is not my major concern. I just want you all to do something.
There are tons of young people that take an active part in trying to change their world for the better. And then, there are those that just don't care. You know who I'm talking about. Those are the students that never know anything at all about current events. They shrug when you ask them who they support in a national election. Of course, you're usually lucky if you can get any sort of response out of them as these types of students are usually either completely caught up in a brainless sitcom or tragically addicted to Halo. They simply are so busy that they don't have the TIME for brainless drivel like politics or business.
I've often wondered if some sort of magic happens to them once they get their degree; perhaps they suddenly take an interest in the world and set out to cure cancer to make up for all the years they wasted in front of a television screen. But I highly doubt it. I have this fear that the majority of these unmotivated students grow up to be unmotivated graduates who become the subject material for stoner movies like "Dude, Where's My Car?"
Adults are often telling me how nice it is to see young people getting involved in and caring about politics. Sadly enough, I get the feeling that many of these people have given up on my generation accomplishing anything of great importance. The stereotypical college student has taken on the form of lazy couch potato who will go to great lengths to keep from having to move an inch.
And so I bid the Class of 2005 farewell with this parting message: Society may have lowered its standards for you, but not all of us have. I know that we all have some great purpose in life, and you're probably not going to find it while watching Friends reruns. So go out there and make a difference. Cure cancer, solve world hunger, bring peace to the Middle East, anything. It would be great to see a UNCG graduate in the White House someday. I expect great things from you. Don't let me down.
Tuesday, April 05, 2005
Women's and Gender Studies: Why a WGS Class is a Good Thing, Even for Conservatives
Women's and Gender Studies - Opinions
Ahhh, it's that time of year again. The birds are singing, the flowers are blooming, and the stress levels are through the roof. Teachers are rushing to assign all the papers and presentations they possibly can, just in case we thought we might be able to relax and enjoy the nice weather for a minute or two. And on top of the tauntingly nice weather, the numerous assignments, and the looming promise of final exams in the near future, we're expected to find time to plan out a class schedule that will fit our lives four months from now.
My biggest problem with registration has always been finding classes I won't sleep through. I have a habit of picking classes that sound really interesting, just to discover that they are the exact opposite three weeks into the semester. And I know I'm not the only one.
But I'm writing this column to make your life just a little bit easier. I'm going to tell you all about the most interesting class I've ever taken in my three years at UNCG. I want to tell you why you should look into taking a Women's and Gender Studies course.
Before I lose half of my audience, I want you to give me a chance here. WGS courses are largely misunderstood. Contrary to popular belief, we don't sit around and discuss how much we hate all the males in the world. You might actually be surprised at the number of guys that take these courses, even if some of them do so to meet girls.
I am currently taking Women and Politics, and it's the first 9:30 class I've ever not wanted to sleep through. This class has taught me so much about the struggle of women throughout the years and has helped me appreciate all the opportunities we have now so much more. It has also helped me to truly understand present-day feminism.
For these reasons, I think female students at UNCG should take a WGS course. I think that as women, it is important for us to understand our history, realize how we have gotten as far as we have, and acknowledge that we still have a long road to equality in society.
The current argument of whether or not America is ready for a female President, whether that means Hillary or Condoleezza, is a great example of this. Unfortunately, I am fairly certain America would not elect a female President at this time, and I believe a lot of that has to do with an underlying bias in American society. Few people would admit to viewing men and women as "unequal", but many would never dream of electing one to such a high position.
It is also important that men take a WGS course. On such an adamantly liberal campus, you would think that courses that teach equality would be a big hit with everyone, but this is not the case. The consensus by many males on campus seems to be that WGS courses are full of man-hating femi-nazis. I've also heard same say that they don't need to take these courses because it's not "their" problem. This couldn't be further from the truth. In fact, if you have ever uttered a phrase similar to this, you definitely need to take a WGS course. Because society is male-biased, it is important to educate everyone, including men, about women's issues. True equality will not be reached until we can all understand and accept our differences.
Variety is another reason to take a WGS course. Many of their courses are cross-listed with other departments, which means even you can get credit for a history course at the same time as getting credit for a WGS course. It's just like taking a regular college course, but from a different viewpoint, which can be refreshing.
Taking a Women's and Gender Studies course won't turn you into a crazy liberal man-hater, but I promise it will open your eyes and expand your horizons. I urge all of you to look into WGS courses, whether you are male or female, conservative or liberal. It's one class you won't regret taking, even if it does mean you can't sleep in past noon.
Ahhh, it's that time of year again. The birds are singing, the flowers are blooming, and the stress levels are through the roof. Teachers are rushing to assign all the papers and presentations they possibly can, just in case we thought we might be able to relax and enjoy the nice weather for a minute or two. And on top of the tauntingly nice weather, the numerous assignments, and the looming promise of final exams in the near future, we're expected to find time to plan out a class schedule that will fit our lives four months from now.
My biggest problem with registration has always been finding classes I won't sleep through. I have a habit of picking classes that sound really interesting, just to discover that they are the exact opposite three weeks into the semester. And I know I'm not the only one.
But I'm writing this column to make your life just a little bit easier. I'm going to tell you all about the most interesting class I've ever taken in my three years at UNCG. I want to tell you why you should look into taking a Women's and Gender Studies course.
Before I lose half of my audience, I want you to give me a chance here. WGS courses are largely misunderstood. Contrary to popular belief, we don't sit around and discuss how much we hate all the males in the world. You might actually be surprised at the number of guys that take these courses, even if some of them do so to meet girls.
I am currently taking Women and Politics, and it's the first 9:30 class I've ever not wanted to sleep through. This class has taught me so much about the struggle of women throughout the years and has helped me appreciate all the opportunities we have now so much more. It has also helped me to truly understand present-day feminism.
For these reasons, I think female students at UNCG should take a WGS course. I think that as women, it is important for us to understand our history, realize how we have gotten as far as we have, and acknowledge that we still have a long road to equality in society.
The current argument of whether or not America is ready for a female President, whether that means Hillary or Condoleezza, is a great example of this. Unfortunately, I am fairly certain America would not elect a female President at this time, and I believe a lot of that has to do with an underlying bias in American society. Few people would admit to viewing men and women as "unequal", but many would never dream of electing one to such a high position.
It is also important that men take a WGS course. On such an adamantly liberal campus, you would think that courses that teach equality would be a big hit with everyone, but this is not the case. The consensus by many males on campus seems to be that WGS courses are full of man-hating femi-nazis. I've also heard same say that they don't need to take these courses because it's not "their" problem. This couldn't be further from the truth. In fact, if you have ever uttered a phrase similar to this, you definitely need to take a WGS course. Because society is male-biased, it is important to educate everyone, including men, about women's issues. True equality will not be reached until we can all understand and accept our differences.
Variety is another reason to take a WGS course. Many of their courses are cross-listed with other departments, which means even you can get credit for a history course at the same time as getting credit for a WGS course. It's just like taking a regular college course, but from a different viewpoint, which can be refreshing.
Taking a Women's and Gender Studies course won't turn you into a crazy liberal man-hater, but I promise it will open your eyes and expand your horizons. I urge all of you to look into WGS courses, whether you are male or female, conservative or liberal. It's one class you won't regret taking, even if it does mean you can't sleep in past noon.
Tuesday, March 29, 2005
Democracy at UNCG: SGA to Campus -- "We Lied. Your Vote Really Doesn't Matter."
Democracy at UNCG - Opinions
A lot has happened since my last published column. I must say, the absence of a campus paper has been frustrating. Even the Spartan News, which started last semester as an "alternative" news source, shunned the chance to control the UNCG news scene; since the Carolinian's last edition in November, the Spartan News has updated only once and with only one article.
Without the Carolinian, the more motivated students were forced to find alternate means of campus information. I found SGA to be handy for learning about upcoming campus events and such. I have wanted to be active in SGA since I was a freshman but was turned off by fellow students who warned me of what a snooze fest it was. But apparently, I'll do anything to get out of doing homework.
Although it may not be the normal college student's idea of a good time, it was anything but boring. Three hours of bickering over money and arguing the mechanics of the English language later, I was completely convinced that democracy doesn't stand a chance in this country. At least they accomplished something.
Aside from lengthy meetings, irrelevant arguments, and destroying my faith in humanity, I saw the basic necessity of SGA. I found it almost heart-warming to see so many students working together (sometimes) to insure the success of the entire university.
All those warm fuzzies went away, however, when election time rolled around. I was shocked to discover, in this large group of motivated, ambitious students, that there was only one person running for president and one person running for vice-president. So much for my vision of students actually caring about the future of our campus.
If I sound bitter, you'll have to excuse me. You see, I was nominated for SGA President, and then told I could not run because I had not attended enough meetings. Others were turned away because of their low GPA. This experience leads me to believe that the lack of candidates does not stem completely from indifference, but from the pointless regulations placed upon interested students.
I didn't really mind not being able to run until I realized that no one was running against Daphne Villanueva. I attended the "debate" in which Daphne told us why we should elect her for president, as if we had a choice in the matter. She and Sandy Dempsey, the vice-presidential candidate, answered basic questions on the campus parking situation, financial aid, and relating with students. I sat in the audience, not necessarily disagreeing with either of them, but yearning for a differing opinion.
For example, Daphne doesn't see a problem with the parking situation on campus. Apparently, the fact that there aren't enough spaces to accommodate everyone with a parking pass is not as important as making sure all of our freshmen are able to have passes. As a rising senior who lives on campus and is sick of having to park on the street when I come home at night, I don't see the problem with the freshman lottery that was standard when I first came to UNCG. At the very least, we should go back to having "freshman passes" so those of us with seniority don't have to park somewhere near the edge of the earth to make sure we don't get a ticket.
I would have loved to see an opposing view on the parking situation at the debate, and I'm sure plenty of other students would agree with me. The closest thing we received to contrasting ideas were Sandy's answers as to why she would make a good vice-president. Before the debate was over, I was fairly certain that Sandy was more qualified for the position of president than Daphne was, but my opinion (as well as my vote) didn't count for much.
The real losers in this situation are not those of us who were not allowed to run because we had not attended a certain number of meetings but the entire student body. How can we expect students to participate in national and statewide elections when we won't even allow them to see the benefits of democracy in their own university?
The week before "elections", signs went up all over the university urging students to vote. Daphne and Sandy plastered posters all over the EUC. Out of sheer curiosity, I logged on to the voting page, and found that there was not even a place to write in a different candidate.
What really gets to me is the fact that the people who come up with the rules for who can and cannot run are probably the same people who were stressing the importance of voting in the SGA elections. I'm sure they created the rules in order to keep people in charge who were "fit" for the job, but shouldn't they let the students decide who is appropriate? Shouldn't they allow the students to decide if a candidate's low GPA or low attendance record makes them unfit for the office?
We're supposed to be teaching students that the ability to elect our leaders is an important right that they should take advantage of, but instead, we're teaching them apathy. I say let the students decide who should represent them. I demand a recount; you should too.
A lot has happened since my last published column. I must say, the absence of a campus paper has been frustrating. Even the Spartan News, which started last semester as an "alternative" news source, shunned the chance to control the UNCG news scene; since the Carolinian's last edition in November, the Spartan News has updated only once and with only one article.
Without the Carolinian, the more motivated students were forced to find alternate means of campus information. I found SGA to be handy for learning about upcoming campus events and such. I have wanted to be active in SGA since I was a freshman but was turned off by fellow students who warned me of what a snooze fest it was. But apparently, I'll do anything to get out of doing homework.
Although it may not be the normal college student's idea of a good time, it was anything but boring. Three hours of bickering over money and arguing the mechanics of the English language later, I was completely convinced that democracy doesn't stand a chance in this country. At least they accomplished something.
Aside from lengthy meetings, irrelevant arguments, and destroying my faith in humanity, I saw the basic necessity of SGA. I found it almost heart-warming to see so many students working together (sometimes) to insure the success of the entire university.
All those warm fuzzies went away, however, when election time rolled around. I was shocked to discover, in this large group of motivated, ambitious students, that there was only one person running for president and one person running for vice-president. So much for my vision of students actually caring about the future of our campus.
If I sound bitter, you'll have to excuse me. You see, I was nominated for SGA President, and then told I could not run because I had not attended enough meetings. Others were turned away because of their low GPA. This experience leads me to believe that the lack of candidates does not stem completely from indifference, but from the pointless regulations placed upon interested students.
I didn't really mind not being able to run until I realized that no one was running against Daphne Villanueva. I attended the "debate" in which Daphne told us why we should elect her for president, as if we had a choice in the matter. She and Sandy Dempsey, the vice-presidential candidate, answered basic questions on the campus parking situation, financial aid, and relating with students. I sat in the audience, not necessarily disagreeing with either of them, but yearning for a differing opinion.
For example, Daphne doesn't see a problem with the parking situation on campus. Apparently, the fact that there aren't enough spaces to accommodate everyone with a parking pass is not as important as making sure all of our freshmen are able to have passes. As a rising senior who lives on campus and is sick of having to park on the street when I come home at night, I don't see the problem with the freshman lottery that was standard when I first came to UNCG. At the very least, we should go back to having "freshman passes" so those of us with seniority don't have to park somewhere near the edge of the earth to make sure we don't get a ticket.
I would have loved to see an opposing view on the parking situation at the debate, and I'm sure plenty of other students would agree with me. The closest thing we received to contrasting ideas were Sandy's answers as to why she would make a good vice-president. Before the debate was over, I was fairly certain that Sandy was more qualified for the position of president than Daphne was, but my opinion (as well as my vote) didn't count for much.
The real losers in this situation are not those of us who were not allowed to run because we had not attended a certain number of meetings but the entire student body. How can we expect students to participate in national and statewide elections when we won't even allow them to see the benefits of democracy in their own university?
The week before "elections", signs went up all over the university urging students to vote. Daphne and Sandy plastered posters all over the EUC. Out of sheer curiosity, I logged on to the voting page, and found that there was not even a place to write in a different candidate.
What really gets to me is the fact that the people who come up with the rules for who can and cannot run are probably the same people who were stressing the importance of voting in the SGA elections. I'm sure they created the rules in order to keep people in charge who were "fit" for the job, but shouldn't they let the students decide who is appropriate? Shouldn't they allow the students to decide if a candidate's low GPA or low attendance record makes them unfit for the office?
We're supposed to be teaching students that the ability to elect our leaders is an important right that they should take advantage of, but instead, we're teaching them apathy. I say let the students decide who should represent them. I demand a recount; you should too.
Tuesday, November 16, 2004
The Truth About College Republicans
THE RIGHT ANGLE: The Truth About College Republicans - Opinions
All of your life, you've been taught to never judge a book by its cover. And yet, you do it everyday without even thinking about it. Maybe you judge people by their physical appearance, maybe by their clothing, or maybe by things you've heard about them. Regardless of why you judge them, it's wrong, and you know it. Why then, do you continue to let hearsay dictate how you view certain groups around campus?
Today, I am going to introduce you to the UNCG College Republicans. I am well aware of the things they say about us, and so are most of you. The groups and individuals on campus that differ from us ideologically would have you believe that we are racist, sexist, and homophobic. I suppose these rumors are to be expected, but I have a suspicion that there are those of you who are capable of thinking for yourselves, and that is who I am speaking to right now.
According to our wonderful critics, the College Republicans are not interested in doing anything that is not controversial. They say we exist solely to cause trouble. These people have never bothered to listen to our side of an issue; they simply go by what they've heard and what they want to believe.
Last Wednesday, I attended a meeting of the College Republicans. If I were to believe everything I had heard about the group, I would have expected to do nothing all night but discuss how we could annoy the rest of the campus. But perhaps you'd be shocked to learn that we don't want to do that. During our hour long meeting, we discussed many things - food drives, community service, trips to Washington DC, fun group events - and yet, not once did I hear someone say, "Hey everyone, what are some fun, creative ways we can make the liberals on campus hate us even more?
I know for a fact that some people have avoided associating with the College Republicans because of our image around campus. I find it very unfortunate that so many of you blindly believe these rumors without even bothering to hear our side. Last year's Morals Week was not meant to promote bigotry, regardless of what you might have heard. It was actually meant to promote equality; had you opened your mind and looked at it from a different point of view for once, this would have been obvious.
Stop letting other people dictate your beliefs. Drop in on a College Republican meeting sometime and decide for yourself. I know from some of the emails I've received recently that there are more conservatives on UNCG's campus than one might think. It would be wonderful if their voice was louder on this campus.
Fellow conservatives, here is your opportunity to have fun with a group of people who share your views. This is also your chance to make a difference. Right now we are working hard to build our group up so that we can do great things for our community.
We welcome people of all backgrounds and belief. We may not all be "gun nuts", "Jesus freaks", or "rednecks" like you've heard, but we do welcome all kinds. Find out what we are REALLY all about. Stop by and join us on Wednesday nights at 7 in the Joyner Room of the EUC.
All of your life, you've been taught to never judge a book by its cover. And yet, you do it everyday without even thinking about it. Maybe you judge people by their physical appearance, maybe by their clothing, or maybe by things you've heard about them. Regardless of why you judge them, it's wrong, and you know it. Why then, do you continue to let hearsay dictate how you view certain groups around campus?
Today, I am going to introduce you to the UNCG College Republicans. I am well aware of the things they say about us, and so are most of you. The groups and individuals on campus that differ from us ideologically would have you believe that we are racist, sexist, and homophobic. I suppose these rumors are to be expected, but I have a suspicion that there are those of you who are capable of thinking for yourselves, and that is who I am speaking to right now.
According to our wonderful critics, the College Republicans are not interested in doing anything that is not controversial. They say we exist solely to cause trouble. These people have never bothered to listen to our side of an issue; they simply go by what they've heard and what they want to believe.
Last Wednesday, I attended a meeting of the College Republicans. If I were to believe everything I had heard about the group, I would have expected to do nothing all night but discuss how we could annoy the rest of the campus. But perhaps you'd be shocked to learn that we don't want to do that. During our hour long meeting, we discussed many things - food drives, community service, trips to Washington DC, fun group events - and yet, not once did I hear someone say, "Hey everyone, what are some fun, creative ways we can make the liberals on campus hate us even more?
I know for a fact that some people have avoided associating with the College Republicans because of our image around campus. I find it very unfortunate that so many of you blindly believe these rumors without even bothering to hear our side. Last year's Morals Week was not meant to promote bigotry, regardless of what you might have heard. It was actually meant to promote equality; had you opened your mind and looked at it from a different point of view for once, this would have been obvious.
Stop letting other people dictate your beliefs. Drop in on a College Republican meeting sometime and decide for yourself. I know from some of the emails I've received recently that there are more conservatives on UNCG's campus than one might think. It would be wonderful if their voice was louder on this campus.
Fellow conservatives, here is your opportunity to have fun with a group of people who share your views. This is also your chance to make a difference. Right now we are working hard to build our group up so that we can do great things for our community.
We welcome people of all backgrounds and belief. We may not all be "gun nuts", "Jesus freaks", or "rednecks" like you've heard, but we do welcome all kinds. Find out what we are REALLY all about. Stop by and join us on Wednesday nights at 7 in the Joyner Room of the EUC.
Monday, October 25, 2004
Listening to Both Sides
THE RIGHT ANGLE: Listening to both sides - Opinions
A couple of weeks ago, I attended UNCG's final Debate Watch. As many of you know, the final presidential debate was a real snoozer. Let's face it: none of us watching the debate were expecting to learn anything new about the issues. We just wanted to see someone make an idiot out of themselves.
But I wasn't just a viewer at this Debate Watch. I had volunteered to be a discussion leader. This meant that after the debate was over, I had to engage a group of students in intelligent conversation about the issues. And throughout all of this, I had to be bipartisan.
Like most groups there, mine tended to lean toward the left. I sat there, gritting my teeth as I forced myself to not correct some of the participants' extremely misguided views. Luckily for them (and you!), I wrote down the question and answers, and I'm going to give you a little political lesson, because we all know how dangerous uninformed voting is!
THE QUESTION: What was discussed that you found irrelevant?
THEIR ANSWER: Bush's answer for everything was "education". More education will not help unemployment.
MY REPLY: I'm not sure about you, but there's a reason I'm in college: it's because I don't plan on being a waitress forever. Now, if you're in a major that is difficult to find a job in, well, that's not my problem. But for the most part, people go to college to make themselves more desirable to future employers. Bush's plan is one of the best I've heard: allow people whose jobs have been shipped overseas to go back to school. America is moving forward right now, and we're seeing a need for more and more jobs that require certain skills. Yes, we are losing some jobs, and even Kerry admitted there was nothing that could be done about that. But rather than sit around and cry about it, Bush wants to give these people the skills that they need to find a new job. How can anyone say that education is irrelevant here?
THE QUESTION: What is the most important issue in this election?
THEIR (FIRST) ANSWER: Iraq.
MY REPLY: Iraq is a big issue, and understandably so. We have thousands of American soldiers over there, bravely trying to make the world a safer place. And while I would love to see the troops come home as quickly as possible, I know that cannot happen immediately. My heart goes out to all the troops and their loved ones, but when I see antiwar protestors, I just want to scream at them and remind them that THERE WAS NOT A DRAFT. The soldiers in Iraq signed up for service, knowing that they could be called to duty at any time. When we first sent troops over to Iraq, the entire country was fairly certain that they posed an imminent threat to us. Now that we're there, we can't just pull out without regard to the Iraqis because of faulty intelligence, military scandals, or whiny antiwar protestors. I have faith that Bush will do the right thing in making sure Iraq's future is as secure as possible. I do not feel that Kerry has any right commanding our troops; the mindset that caused us to pull out of Vietnam prematurely and resulted in the massacre of over 3.5 million people is the same mindset that Kerry had then and still has today.
THE QUESTION: Most important issue?
THEIR (SECOND) ANSWER: We should make healthcare/higher education available to everyone.
MY REPLY: I know that everyone's basis for this theory is that Europe has universal healthcare. Well, yes, Europe does have universal healthcare and it works just fine for them. But the last time I checked, we are not a European nation. I love my country, but America has this way of screwing things up. Look at our public education system: it's not the greatest thing in the world. Do we really want our healthcare system to look like our public school system? For that matter, do we want our higher education to look like our public school system? Everything that works for Europe will not necessarily work over here. Besides, you can't complain about high taxes and then whine about not having universal healthcare, because no matter what Kerry tells you, you WILL be paying for that healthcare plan with your hard earned money. I'm not sure where he thinks money like that comes from. Perhaps he thinks we all had the good fortune of marrying a widowed millionaire?
So to make it simple for all you debate-watchers, what we have here are two distinct choices: we can vote for a man with several unspoken "plans", who does not take human life into consideration when ending a military conflict, and who thinks that you won't notice if he raises taxes to pay for his billion dollar, still unspoken "plans"; or we can re-elect the man who wants to improve your chances of getting a job, who cares about the welfare of people all over the globe, and who wants to give Americans the right to put more of their hard-earned money into their pockets. For lower taxes, compassion, common sense, and someone who knows where they stand at all times, re-elect George W. Bush in 2004.
A couple of weeks ago, I attended UNCG's final Debate Watch. As many of you know, the final presidential debate was a real snoozer. Let's face it: none of us watching the debate were expecting to learn anything new about the issues. We just wanted to see someone make an idiot out of themselves.
But I wasn't just a viewer at this Debate Watch. I had volunteered to be a discussion leader. This meant that after the debate was over, I had to engage a group of students in intelligent conversation about the issues. And throughout all of this, I had to be bipartisan.
Like most groups there, mine tended to lean toward the left. I sat there, gritting my teeth as I forced myself to not correct some of the participants' extremely misguided views. Luckily for them (and you!), I wrote down the question and answers, and I'm going to give you a little political lesson, because we all know how dangerous uninformed voting is!
THE QUESTION: What was discussed that you found irrelevant?
THEIR ANSWER: Bush's answer for everything was "education". More education will not help unemployment.
MY REPLY: I'm not sure about you, but there's a reason I'm in college: it's because I don't plan on being a waitress forever. Now, if you're in a major that is difficult to find a job in, well, that's not my problem. But for the most part, people go to college to make themselves more desirable to future employers. Bush's plan is one of the best I've heard: allow people whose jobs have been shipped overseas to go back to school. America is moving forward right now, and we're seeing a need for more and more jobs that require certain skills. Yes, we are losing some jobs, and even Kerry admitted there was nothing that could be done about that. But rather than sit around and cry about it, Bush wants to give these people the skills that they need to find a new job. How can anyone say that education is irrelevant here?
THE QUESTION: What is the most important issue in this election?
THEIR (FIRST) ANSWER: Iraq.
MY REPLY: Iraq is a big issue, and understandably so. We have thousands of American soldiers over there, bravely trying to make the world a safer place. And while I would love to see the troops come home as quickly as possible, I know that cannot happen immediately. My heart goes out to all the troops and their loved ones, but when I see antiwar protestors, I just want to scream at them and remind them that THERE WAS NOT A DRAFT. The soldiers in Iraq signed up for service, knowing that they could be called to duty at any time. When we first sent troops over to Iraq, the entire country was fairly certain that they posed an imminent threat to us. Now that we're there, we can't just pull out without regard to the Iraqis because of faulty intelligence, military scandals, or whiny antiwar protestors. I have faith that Bush will do the right thing in making sure Iraq's future is as secure as possible. I do not feel that Kerry has any right commanding our troops; the mindset that caused us to pull out of Vietnam prematurely and resulted in the massacre of over 3.5 million people is the same mindset that Kerry had then and still has today.
THE QUESTION: Most important issue?
THEIR (SECOND) ANSWER: We should make healthcare/higher education available to everyone.
MY REPLY: I know that everyone's basis for this theory is that Europe has universal healthcare. Well, yes, Europe does have universal healthcare and it works just fine for them. But the last time I checked, we are not a European nation. I love my country, but America has this way of screwing things up. Look at our public education system: it's not the greatest thing in the world. Do we really want our healthcare system to look like our public school system? For that matter, do we want our higher education to look like our public school system? Everything that works for Europe will not necessarily work over here. Besides, you can't complain about high taxes and then whine about not having universal healthcare, because no matter what Kerry tells you, you WILL be paying for that healthcare plan with your hard earned money. I'm not sure where he thinks money like that comes from. Perhaps he thinks we all had the good fortune of marrying a widowed millionaire?
So to make it simple for all you debate-watchers, what we have here are two distinct choices: we can vote for a man with several unspoken "plans", who does not take human life into consideration when ending a military conflict, and who thinks that you won't notice if he raises taxes to pay for his billion dollar, still unspoken "plans"; or we can re-elect the man who wants to improve your chances of getting a job, who cares about the welfare of people all over the globe, and who wants to give Americans the right to put more of their hard-earned money into their pockets. For lower taxes, compassion, common sense, and someone who knows where they stand at all times, re-elect George W. Bush in 2004.
Monday, September 13, 2004
Oh No! A Republican!
Guest Column: Oh No! A Republican! - Letters to the Editor
I am a rarity on UNCG's campus. My binder is covered in (gasp) Pro-Bush bumper stickers. I have your basic Bush/Cheney stickers, some anti-Kerry stickers, and even a few stickers supporting Republicans in local elections.
I'm merely stating my opinions, something other students do everyday, something we have been encouraged to do for as long as I can remember, but apparently my opinions are WRONG. I know this by some of the looks and comments I have received. I had one student get in my face and call me a "white racist bitch." Until that moment, I was unaware that political affiliation determined whether or not you were racist.
I understand that there are people out there who feel that Bush has personally attacked them in one way or another. In the past year, I've been accused of being racist, homophobic, and closed-minded.
But in reality, which of us is more closed-minded? None of these people actually asked me about my views. They don't know that I don't support Bush's marriage amendment, or that I was rooting for John McCain in the 2000 primaries. The only thing they know for sure is that they don't like my binder.
In a lot of ways, I feel that my political affiliation is no different than race and/or sexual orientation. Honestly, I WISH I were a liberal at times. I've tried to get into that kind of mindset, but I just can't do it. This is how I am, and you are judging me for something I have no control over.
I want to take this moment to thank the few people who have commented positively on my Bush gear. Thank you for being different, for respecting and sharing my views. Thank you for letting me know that I'm not alone.
I also want to thank the people who don't necessarily agree with my views, but who commented on my "bravery". Even though you don't share my point of view, it's nice to hear words of encouragement every now and then.
Maybe you've seen my binder, my pins, or my Bush visor. Maybe you have an opinion on them, maybe you don't. Maybe you've wanted to tell me that you share my support, but you're too shy. If you agree with me, please let me know. Tell me you like my pins, ask me where I got my stickers, anything.
If you disagree with me, let me know that you support my right to freedom of speech. Tell me that you think it takes guts to tote my right-wing propaganda around this campus. Tell me why you disagree with Bush's policies, and ask me what I think of the controversial issues.
And if you really hate me with a passion the second you see my Bush gear, please try to keep it in. Yelling obscenities at me will not make me change my mind, and calling me hurtful names will only make me NOT want to support whomever you do.
I'm not trying to convert you. I just want a little respect.
I am a rarity on UNCG's campus. My binder is covered in (gasp) Pro-Bush bumper stickers. I have your basic Bush/Cheney stickers, some anti-Kerry stickers, and even a few stickers supporting Republicans in local elections.
I'm merely stating my opinions, something other students do everyday, something we have been encouraged to do for as long as I can remember, but apparently my opinions are WRONG. I know this by some of the looks and comments I have received. I had one student get in my face and call me a "white racist bitch." Until that moment, I was unaware that political affiliation determined whether or not you were racist.
I understand that there are people out there who feel that Bush has personally attacked them in one way or another. In the past year, I've been accused of being racist, homophobic, and closed-minded.
But in reality, which of us is more closed-minded? None of these people actually asked me about my views. They don't know that I don't support Bush's marriage amendment, or that I was rooting for John McCain in the 2000 primaries. The only thing they know for sure is that they don't like my binder.
In a lot of ways, I feel that my political affiliation is no different than race and/or sexual orientation. Honestly, I WISH I were a liberal at times. I've tried to get into that kind of mindset, but I just can't do it. This is how I am, and you are judging me for something I have no control over.
I want to take this moment to thank the few people who have commented positively on my Bush gear. Thank you for being different, for respecting and sharing my views. Thank you for letting me know that I'm not alone.
I also want to thank the people who don't necessarily agree with my views, but who commented on my "bravery". Even though you don't share my point of view, it's nice to hear words of encouragement every now and then.
Maybe you've seen my binder, my pins, or my Bush visor. Maybe you have an opinion on them, maybe you don't. Maybe you've wanted to tell me that you share my support, but you're too shy. If you agree with me, please let me know. Tell me you like my pins, ask me where I got my stickers, anything.
If you disagree with me, let me know that you support my right to freedom of speech. Tell me that you think it takes guts to tote my right-wing propaganda around this campus. Tell me why you disagree with Bush's policies, and ask me what I think of the controversial issues.
And if you really hate me with a passion the second you see my Bush gear, please try to keep it in. Yelling obscenities at me will not make me change my mind, and calling me hurtful names will only make me NOT want to support whomever you do.
I'm not trying to convert you. I just want a little respect.
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