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Albrecht: Expect proposal to raise Tier II tuition
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Election: And then there were 2
4By Danielle Manley assistant news editor
USU faculty and staff need a 3 percent pay increase, which is twice what the Utah Legislature is considering, USU President Stan Albrecht said in a presentation to student government leaders Tuesday night. Albrecht came to the USU Student Association Executive Council to warn them about a potential proposal for a Tier II Stan Albrecht tuition USU President increase wou ld from his office, in add it ion to the requests made by student i nvolvement. “We’re going to make a proposal to you that really does not tie things down,” Albrecht said. “There’s really so much uncertainty now.” Albrecht said the Legislature is discussing a potential 1.5 percent pay increase for faculty and staff at USU. He said he thinks USU should receive a higher raise. “We do a really good job at hiring strong faculty,” he said. “We do not do quite as good a job at retaining those faculty.” Albrecht said faculty often leave USU because they find better salary elsewhere. “We simply feel like we have to do better than 1.5 percent,” he said. “I’ve indicated to our senior team that we’d like to do 3 percent.” According to the Utah System of Higher Education website, Tier II tuition is based on a recommendation by the institution’s president and board of trustees and is added to the first tier of tuition set by the Utah Legislature. “Back in 2001, the Utah State Legislature passed a funding bill for our education that allowed each institution to collect funds for Tier II tuition,” Albrecht said. He said when the bill passed 13 years ago, the
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We’re going to make a proposal to you that really does not tie things down. There’s really so much uncertainty now.
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jSee TUITION, Page 3
Ryan Costanzo photos PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES DOUG FIEFIA, LEFT, AND RYAN LAMBERT, RIGHT, took on the issues at The Utah Statesman’s debate for final candidates in the USU/SA election Tuesday night in the TSC Auditorium.
Final candidates for USU/SA offices debate, explain plans for office 4By Manda Perkins
Doug Fiefia
staff writer
President incumbent
Increasing student involvement and executive transparency were themes of the night as the final candidates for USU/SA executive offices debated Tuesday night. The topic was fitting, considering the half-empty TSC Auditorium included a majority of candidates and those volunteering on their campaigns. Nadir Tekarli, a student involved with several campaigns, said the candidates were successful in their responses, but the lack of students in the audience was disappointing. “Ideally we would do this in the Spectrum, to be honest, to have that many people there,” he said. Debate moderators asked candidates how they would use their elected position to further student involvement on campus. Presidential candidate and incumbent Doug Fiefia cited the myVoice platform that was implemented this year, a promise he said he made to students during his presidency. He said more
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...The biggest thing we’ve worked on this year is making sure that we’re down in the info booth and talking to students, that we’re being aware.
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than 1,200 concerns have been submitted to date, and he plans to continue streamlined student access to government if re-elected. Fiefia also emphasized the importance of being visible and available to students. “I think the biggest thing we’ve worked on this year is making sure
Ryan Lambert
President challenger
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The Executive Council can’t display everything. They need to get out into the colleges.
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that we’re down in the info booth and talking to students, that we’re being aware,” Fiefia said. “I think that’s very different from office hours, waiting for students to come to you and then going out and saying, ‘Hey, do you have any questions? These are the issues. This is what we’re working on.’” Ryan Lambert, a presidential candidate, said the student body needs to be more aware of the decisions being made that affect them. If elected, he plans to
4Related Info, Page 3 have the Executive Council work more closely with the Academic Senate to make that happen. “The Executive Council can’t display everything. They need to get out into the colleges,” Lambert said. “I think the way to do that is by strengthening that gap between the Exec Council and the Academic Senate so that they are the ones reaching students who aren’t in the TSC all the time.” Promotional weeks for colleges and colleges’ use of student funding were also debated topics. Most candidates agreed college weeks are beneficial and should be utilized by the colleges. Spencer Steadman, a candidate for Executive vice president, said college weeks should be utilized as a recruitment tool to attract high-ability students because the university needs the talent. “Anything that we can do to increase people’s pride in their college is really
jSee DEBATE, Page 2
Catering steps up the wedding biz 4By David Berg staff writer
Helping the students and staff of USU
Photo courtesy Annie Christensen USU CATERING does weddings. For more information, visit their blog: exceedingexpectations.blogspot.com.
have memorable wedding celebrations is at the center of USU Catering’s marketing push for 2014. “We want to provide them with a nice wedding opportunity, … one that exudes elegance without being expensive,” said Alan Andersen, executive director of Dining Services. The theme “Meet Here, Fell in Love Here, Celebrate Here” has been promoted by USU Catering since in January. It will be the center of Catering’s marketing strategy for 2014, a strategy that includes everything from fliers to advertisements in newspapers and
on buses. One such advertisement was the display in the window of the Campus Store that was up until the beginning of this week. Already, USU Catering has seen interest in the service due to the placement of the display, Andersen said. “So often, students don’t know what is offered on campus,” Andersen said. Any part of the wedding can be held on campus, from the actual wedding to any variety of receptions. USU Catering is already involved with two weddings taking place in March. According to Andersen, the idea for the marketing push came as the staff worked toward meeting their mission of “Creating an Excellent College Experience.”
“Why Catering is part of campus is because of the students,” Andersen said. For many student couples, the university plays a major role in their story. They may have shared their first kiss over the Block A. They might have been in class together and studied in the Merrill-Cazier Library. Andersen said having the university play a role in these student couples’ weddings can be an important part of those stories. “It’s about accommodating students,” said Annie Christensen, senior Catering sales associate. There are several spaces available on campus for events. The David B. Haight Alumni House is a smaller venue with outdoor jSee WEDDING, Page 2
CampusNews
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In brief LGBT rights take a leap in several states Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer vetoed a bill the state legislature passed that would allow business owners to refuse service to people on religious grounds Wednesday night. The bill has stirred protests in Arizona and the displeasure of supporters of LGBT rights nationally. A federal judge in Texas struck down the state’s ban on same-sex marriage on Wednesday. Texas is the most recent state to have its ban on same-sex marriage ruled unconstitutional, while Utah, Kentucky, Oklahoma and Virginia have also seen similar rulings.
Egypt’s government resigns unexpectedly Egyptian Prime Minister Hazem al-Beblawi stepped down unexpectedly along with his cabinet on Monday. Al-Beblawi was appointed after former president Mohammed Morsi was ousted by the military in July. Ibrahim Mahlab, the outgoing Egyptian housing minister, has been asked to form a new government, but a new election has to take place by midApril. Field Marshal Abdul Fattah al-Sisi, the current commander in chief of the armed forces, is expected to run for president. He will be the likely favorite to win the election.
Ukrainian president steps down and flees Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych stepped down last week in lieu of anti-government protests. Yanukovych fled the country’s capital city of Kiev after he resigned. He is on an international wanted list, accused of being responsible for the deaths of more than 100 protesters. Pro-Kiev and pro-Russian supporters clashed in the southern province of Crimea. One person died in the violence, which was broken up by police. The person reportedly died of a heart attack. Ukraine’s main protest camp, the Maiden, has named Arseniy Yatsenyuk as its prime minister and will vote tomorrow on cabinet members.
South African murder trial set for Monday South African track star Oscar Pistorius will stand trial Monday for shooting and killing his girlfriend in his home more than one year ago. Pistorius said he mistook her for an intruder. Pistorius’ trial will also be partially televised, according to a ruling by a South African judge on Wednesday. South African track star Oscar Pistorius will stand trial Monday for shooting and killing his girlfriend in his home more than one year ago. Pistorius said he mistook her for an intruder. Pistorius’ trial will also be partially televised, according to a ruling by a South African judge on Wednesday.
4Compiled
from staff and media reports
The policy of The Utah Statesman is to correct any error made as soon as possible. If you find something you would like clarified or find in error, please contact the editor at 797-1742, statesman@aggiemail. usu.edu or come in to TSC 311.
Professor’s paper gets big award 4By Marissa Neeley staff writer
An associated professor in the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business won a $1,000 prize for the best paper in the journal Public Choice. Diana Thomas’ paper entitled “Twotiered political entrepreneurship and the congressional committee system” argues when political entrepreneurs — somebody in the political process who pursues their own interest — aren’t allowed to pursue their own interest, they change the rules of the game. The paper uses the evolution of the Congressional committee as an example, Thomas said. “If you don’t get what you want, you move up the levels or tiers, from bureaucratic to Congress to the Constitution,” she said. The paper looks at rule changes from political actors, she said. “It’s about what individual people want,” Thomas said. “Politics is not about public interest.” Public choice is a subfield of public economics. It is everything relating to government and applies economics to politics, she said. “The field of public choice applies the concept of rational self-interest, an essential characteristic of individual behavior, to the public sector or politics,” said Tyler Bowles, USU professor and head of the economics and finance department. “One of the important insights provided by the theory of pub-
Wedding From Page 1 features. The Skyroom has vistas of Cache Valley. The various ballrooms are good for larger events, Andersen said. In fact, a previous wedding held in the TSC International Lounge catered to more than 500 guests. Each space has several different options as to what can be done, Andersen said. “There are a lot of audio-visual elements. There is no limit to what these spaces can do,” Andersen said. USU Catering maintains a blog to showcase the events it hosts. The top
lic choice is that while rational self-interest by individuals in the private sector produces socially-desirable outTHOMAS comes, rational self-interest in politics often results in boondoggles. For example, Congress recently passed a farm bill that transfers income to one of the wealthiest segments of society — farmers.” General insights in public choice should be interesting to anyone, Thomas said. “Rules aren’t set in stone,” she said. “They change to benefit public choice. It is specific interest, not majority rule.” Gordon Tullock was the founder of Public Choice. The Gordon Tullock Prize is given to the best paper by a younger scholar or scholars. It was created to encourage young scholars, said William Shughart, editor of Public Choice. To be published in the journal, a scholar needs to have their paper accepted by Shughart. Once it is accepted, the paper is put in the running for the prize. Public Choice is one of the top-35 two events currently featured on the site are weddings receptions held for students employed by Catering. “Neither wedding was that expensive,” Andersen said. Amy Rasmussen, USU Catering sales and event manager, said there could be the misconception that USU Catering would serve as event coordinators and wedding planners as well. This is not the case; Catering would only provide the food and staffing for the event. To reserve the event spaces, contact the scheduling secretary for the Taggart Student Center at 435-7971724 or in TSC 326.
economic journals and is among one ner is chosen selectively by the editors. of the top-30 political science journals, In January, the associated editors are asked for nominations. They have to he said. “We appeal to a certain audience,” pick one of the six nominations, he said. “There’s no controversy over the winShughart said. Six hundred manuscripts are sub- ner,” Shughart said. “To get selected to mitted every year, and 12 to 15 percent be published is an honor, but to be the are published. Twenty-five to 30 per- best of the 12 to15 percent is quite an cent of the papers are rejected due to honor.” flaws in analysis or the model. Last year Because Public Choice is such an 500 manuscripts were submitted, he elite journal, it is a notable professional accomplishment just to have an article said. He said the decision process is sim- published, Bowles said. “Diana has further ple. distinguished her “If it has to do self by having her with the interarticle recognized section of econowith the Gordon my and political Follow us on Tullock Best Paper science, and if it Twitter Award,” he said. uses the theories @UtahStatesman The Gordon of economics and Tullock Prize has applies that to been around since decision-making in 2005, Shughart said. non-market settings, the institution “Diana is the first woman to win where those choices are made matter,” the prize ever,” Shughart said. “Diana Shughart said. being at Utah State is just a coincidence. Shughart said he gets papers from It is and was a very good paper. It was the Middle East, South America and well-deserving of the prize. I felt very Asia. comfortable accepting her paper and “All submitted manuscripts go to awarding her the prize.” me first,” Shughart said. “I look at the Thomas was excited to be awarded abstract, the sources and introduction. the prize, she said. I ask myself if it would be interesting “I was pretty excited about it,” to our readers. If not, they get a desk Thomas said. “This is my specialty. My rejection.” work is appreciated. I hope it was the If it is interesting, the paper gets most interesting paper to read.” assigned to one of three associated editors. The Gordon Tullock Prize win– marissa.neeley@aggiemail.usu.edu
Get Social
Rocking the USU/SA vote
Mikayla Kapp photo
TAYLOR AND BENTON OF THE BANDS LITTLE BAREFOOT AND PANTHER MILK play at Rock the Vote on Wednesday night. Voting ends at 3 p.m. today. To cast your ballot, visit vote.usu.edu.
Nation & World
Thursday, Feb. 27, 2014
– david.berg@aggiemail.usu.edu
Debate From Page 1 important, and if we have cool enough events, getting people to the university and to go to the colleges that interest them, that’s really, really important,” Steadman said. Opposing candidate Matt Ditto said the amount of money being put into college weeks is well worth it, citing that the Engineering and Business colleges, which receive a lot of donor funding, did well with their weeks. “If you have better weeks, better alumni, it’s bringing unity to your college,” Ditto said. “I think that’s the purpose of it, so the amount of money we’re putting into it for the amount of money we’re getting is well worth it.” John Wicker, a candidate for College of Education senator, said he doesn’t see college weeks as an effective tool in his college. He said the Collins Touhy lecture was a successful event, but all others were sparsely attended. “I think that is a massive problem, especially since the bulk of our money
Ryan Costanzo photo SPENCER STEADMAN, LEFT, AND MATT DITTO, RIGHT, explained their stances on issues for the campaign for executive vice president at the Utah Statesman debate.
went into Collins Touhy,” Wicker said. “I wonder if there could have been more input from the students to get someone even better. I think if we’re going to be spending that much money, we should get the best.” The pros and cons of fresh faces in executive offices were debated by several candidates. Fiefia said once a president has been elected, it takes about five
For more information call Dennis • (435) 770-2326
months to get into the swing of things. If elected, he said he plans to use his continued presidency to affect more changes with his previously established relationships and experience. Lambert said experience is a non-issue because Fiefia enacted changes in his first year of presidency, a trajectory he would also follow. “It happens every year,” he said.
“Why not do it again next year?” Ditto shares a similar stance with Fiefia. As the current College of Education senator and a member of the Student Fee Board, Ditto said he knows how the system works and can see the issues that need to be resolved. “We can have fresh input or we can have change,” Ditto said. “I vote for change.” Steadman said if the university needed people to understand the technicalities of holding executive office, they would hire someone to educate. “I think the input that we really need is fresh input,” he said. “If all of the people that are currently on student government get re-elected, that’s over 50 percent of the current voted (executive council) positions. From my point of view, it needs to change.” Final elections end 3 p.m. Thursday. For more information on candidates and their platforms, pick up a copy of the 2014 Voter Information Packet at a Utah Statesman newsstand or visit vote. usu.edu.
– manda.perkins@gmail.com
CampusNews
Thursday, Feb. 27, 2014
Senate candidate drops out, write-in comes close 4By Danielle Manley assistant news editor
S.J. and Jessie E. Quinney College of Natural Resources senatorial candidate Patrick Adams withdrew from the race Wednesday afternoon. He decided to spend the fall semester studying abroad in London. “We are surprised by Patrick’s news but excited for his opportunity, and we hope this inspires some natural resource students,” said Shelby Frauen, elections committee co-chair. “I hope this calls natural resource students to action.” Because he was unopposed, the elections committee will reopen the spot. “I think for such a small college, they deserve some big representation,” Frauen said. “They have a newly named college and new endowments. With all the exciting things happening in their college, students could be taking advantage of that.” Write-in candidates have also been a focus of this year’s elections because new legislation was passed. The change allows write-ins to be on the final ballot if they receive a certain number of votes. Michelle Staples and Oakman
Tuition From Page 1 state decided Tier I tuition would be set by the Board of Regents and mandated to be identical through all institutions, but allowed each school to set its own Tier II tuition. It’s also mandated that 25 percent of faculty salary comes from Tier II tuition. Albrecht will make his final decision based on the Legislature’s announcement on Friday, Feb. 28 and then come to the USU/SA Executive Council with an official
Kennedy both ran active write-in campaigns for Programming vice president during primary campaigning. Staples was eight votes away from receiving her name on the ballot. “The new legislation should change the way students think about write-ins because for every illegitimate vote, it increases the amount of votes a serious or legitimate candidate needs to get in order to appear on the final ballot,” said Nathan Laursen, adviser for the elections committee. When a person votes for Stew Morrill, Big Blue or Batman, it increases the number of votes a write needs to obtain, Laursen said. Some students don’t think the “silly” write-ins is a problem. “If the student body thought of Michelle as a qualified and experienced candidate, I don’t feel that there would have been as close of a call, regardless of the funny writeins,” said Jacob Scott, an election committee member. Final voting ends 3 p.m. Thursday, and results will be announced at 6:30 p.m. in the Sunburst and International Lounge on the second floor of the Taggart Student Center. – daniellekmanley@gmail.com Twitter: daniellekmanley proposal. “If I were sitting in your seat, I would expect a 3 percent Tier I increase, 2 percent Tier II increase for 5 percent total,” Albrecht said. After Albrecht brings a proposal to the Executive Council, the group would need to approve it and pass it on the Board of Trustees for approval. The state law then mandates a public hearing and public advertising of the potential increase. The next Executive Council meeting is 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 4. – daniellekmanley@gmail.com Twitter: daniellekmanley
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Thursday, Feb. 27, 2014 Page 4
AggieLife
Utah State University • Logan, Utah • www.utahstatesman.com
Pets trained to ‘open doors’ for students Companions offer nontraditional healing benefits during CAPS therapy sessions 4By Katie Whitmore
“Remy is really great for patients when they are talking about stressful topics,” said Helms, Remy’s handler and owner. “It’s help Alternative forms of therapy are gaining ful for them to take a break and pet him. It popularity all over the world, and USU is no calms them down so that they can continue exception. talking. He’s also helpful as a conversation Counseling and Psychological Services at starter and ice breaker during sessions.” USU focuses on helping students “achieve Remy is a six-year-old red heeler who has (their) personal, relational, and academic been working in the center as a therapy dog goals while at USU” by offering a range of for the majority of his life. psychological services by taking a “holistic Aside from his weekly Friday visits to the approach” to counseling. office, Remy also helps out in group coun One such service is having a therapy dog seling and workshops when it is appropripresent during a counselate and visits on-campus ing session. The CAPS ofevents when his presence fice has two fully trained might be useful. LuAnn Helms and certified therapy dogs, “It’s been really neat to Remy and Boris, who are work with the dogs,” said able to help with a variety Karen Caronna, a member of issues. of the CAPS staff. “Groups “Remy helps to break of students will just drop down the stigma of counby the office to see them. seling. People are more It helps students to conwilling to ask about our nect to home and comforts services when I’m out them when they are misswalking him rather than ing their pets.” when I am out by myself,” Boris, the other therapy said LuAnn Helms, assisdog at the CAPS center, is tant director and psycholowned and handled by Eri ogist at the CAPS center. Bentley, a psychologist at The use of therapy dogs the center. She does not was established at USU in have regular times that 1997 by an intern and the she visits the office, but then-director of the center, arrangements can be made Mary Doty, and has been with her handler if her seraround ever since. However, many students vices are requested. still do not know about this opportunity. “Petting dogs makes you feel so much “(The dogs) open up the door for people better,” said Adrianna Haws, an undeclared to ask about our services and (they) help us freshman. “They have the ability to help in a to get to know students around campus,” Helms said. non-verbal way, which is great.” The path to becoming a therapy dog is not The CAPS center has a wide variety of easy one. The dogs must complete an obedi- counselors and workshops that deal with a ence class, be up to date on their shots. Their myriad of different issues. Students can drop handlers must have signed a “no bite” state- by their office in TSC 306 for information ment, and the dogs must go through the “K9 on Assisted Animal Therapy and workshops available. Good Citizen” certification every year. Kylee Larsen photo Despite the many tests, the therapy dogs at CAPS made it. – katie.whitmore@aggiemail.usu.edu LUANN HELMS AND HER DOG, REMY, WORK with students who are having a hard time. staff writer
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Remy is really great for patients when they are talking about stressful topics. It’s helpful for them to take a break and pet him.
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A day in the life of a high school teacher: Phil Wade The Utah Statesman interviewed Phil Wade, who has been an AP English and journalism teacher at Logan High School for 15 years. Utah Statesman: What got you into teaching?
Phil Wade
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I used to read (books) when I was younger so I fell in love with literature that way.
Phil Wade: I’d mainly say my dad. My dad is a teacher at Weber State University and he would bring home his literature books, and I used to read them when I was younger so I fell in love with literature that way. My grandmother was also a teacher. She was an elementary school teacher and librarian. When I was growing up, I would go to her little library quite a bit and Ryan Costanzo photo read books, and she was always buying books for me, and my grandfather was also an elemen-
PHIL WADE said being able to spend time with his family is part of why he became a teacher.
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tary teacher for 20 years before he retired and did other things. And there were other ancestors who were teachers as well, so it somewhat runs in the family. I didn’t want to be a teacher, which is typical of a lot of people who are children of teachers who become teachers themselves. I went to Utah State University to be an aerospace engineer and got cranked out a teacher. US: How many students do you have?
PW: Usually around 180 to 200, depending on the load.”
jSee TEACHER, Page 5
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Thursday, Feb. 27, 2014
AggieLife
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What all the healthy people won’t tell you Here’s the thing about eating healthy: It’s suuuuuper annoying. Seriously; who is allured to the concept of a diet as Just soon as you come to realize a few your food options are limited laughs to Raisin Bran, kale and kale only, tuna with mustard and selective samples of beach sand? I haven’t even mentioned all the running. Who runs? I haven’t had to pitchfork protest a religious goon out of town in decades, so I’ll happily get my cross-town exercise done in the comfort of my 2004 Hyundai Elantra, thank you very much. There is enough in the world of healthy to make one never want to ever care for their body. We all have that friend who says the word “calories” so many times in a paragraph, you get curious if they’ve mistaken it for basic conjunctions. It makes no sense to you that they would be arrogant about eating a grilled chicken sandwich wrapped in lettuce when you get to simplify and order a Baconator, but they do it nonetheless. I vent to the general public about this because I recently made a personal push to better my body in fear of obesity, kidney stones and looking like John Goodman. I decided to start small with no soda, all water; the basic tier-one of slim down tactics, but as does life in general, my health habits have evolved to more and more by the hour. In just one week I’ve learned my share of
Steve Schwartzman
information, and I feel like it’s important that you learn the same. I would’ve happily accepted leftover brownies and a Slim Jim for First and foremost, water sucks. It’s awful. No flavor, no car- breakfast. Now, I’m a surly vitamin-intake monster, and by some bonation and it warms too quickly. It’s like having a basic study divine providence, I like it that way. It almost feels dirty. party without the potential of impromptu pizza runs, make-out I could go on longer about the the new worlds I’ve discovsessions in the TV room and the smart kid in the group giving ered in my wholesome-intake pilgrimage both for positive and up and saying he’ll just do the project for evnegative, but let one thing be absolutely clear: eryone. If you ever meet someone who claims Know your limits. Being healthy and living lonSteve water is their favorite beverage, I have a secret ger is one thing, but it’s one swift step closer to for you: They’re lying right to your face. That’s Schwartzman becoming a foodie prudie. like saying your favorite popsicle is “unfla Nobody likes a calorie-counting, corn-syrup vored” — looking at you, Maude Flanders. Anyfactoid jackwad. Lowering sugar and fat from one who publicly says they crave Dasani has your regimen is one thing, but if you notice an emergency Sprite Remix hidden under his you are starting to accept pine nuts as a breakor her mattress right now in box with a stack fast cereal, you research how to correctly proof buy-one-get-one Krazy Bread coupons and nounce “acai,” or you, in any given scenario, Fruit Stripe gum. These are just facts. find yourself uttering “I don’t know, I just think The plus side affect: Less soda means less quinoa makes a better chip than corn,” slam sugar. The fun part about almost no sugar in on those breaks, because the only option after your diet — work with me on this — fruit starts that is a conservative-colored food blog, an Into taste like candy. I don’t know how it hapstagram full of vegan-friendly brunch appetizer pens, but it’s foolproof. One day you meanphotos and zero friends. Balance in all things, der through the grocery store and glance at a people. bag of sweet-tooth capsules of sort, and out of Rant over. Now, if you excuse me, I have 45 left field, the thought comes: “You know what minutes of hot yoga to work off looking at a would be better than strawberry taffy? Actual can of Mug rootbeer. We all have a weakness. strawberries.” The next thing you know, you are walking out of a store with a sack full of things that ascended from dirt and are – Steve Schwartzman is a senior finishing a degree in commupurchased by weight — and you’re excited about it. nication studies. With eight years of column writing and improvi You think I’m kidding? I ate a grapefruit this morning; an entire sational comedy under his belt, he lives to make you laugh. Send grapefruit, because I wanted to. I didn’t even stop to check and thoughts to steve.schwartzman@aggiemail.usu.edu or hit him up see if it was a blood orange. I accepted it as it was. A month ago, on Twitter @SESchwartzman.
Who should take home an Oscar?
Chris shares his picks for the Academy Awards
The Academy Awards cerecharacter breaks the fourth Christopher mony airs on ABC at 6:30 p.m. wall to talk to the audience. Campbell His language is conversational, Mountain Standard Time on March 2. Having reviewed all and it is easy to see why people would fall for his charm. The but one film nominated for Best Picture on my blog — that film film shows how despicable he being “Philomena” because it is, but the dialogue makes him Film was never in Logan — I decided Critic likeable. to write my predictions for who and what will win this year. Directing: Steve McQueen for “12 Years a Slave” What I think and what the Academy thinks are probably McQueen’s direction for this film is uncomfortable to watch, different. The only experience I have had in filmmaking, aside which is one of the reasons the from YouTube videos, is as an film is so great. It is about a very serious issue that needs to be extra in “High School Musical remembered so we, as human 3,” and that is hardly enough experience to know exactly how people in the beings, do not do it again. One scene from this Academy think. While I will try to put myself in film that sticks out to me involves a man waiting their shoes, my own biases are also going to be in a very precarious situation. It is one long shot that takes about two minutes of him just standthere. Another thing to note is that I am not listing all ing there, trying to survive. of the awards. A more complete list will be on my blog within the next few days: criticalchristo- Best Picture: “Dallas Buyers Club” pher.blogspot.com. This was a very hard choice for me. While some of these films are better than others, it Writing Original Screenplay: Spike Jonze for all came down to four: “Dallas Buyers Club,” “Her” “Gravity,” “Her” and “12 Years a Slave.” If “Dal When I first heard of this film, I thought it las Buyers Club” does not win, I am confident it sounded very weird. When I started seeing ex- will be one of the other three. cellent ratings for the film, I became incredibly While “Dallas Buyers Club” is not the best curious, and when it finally came to Logan, I had constructed movie, it is socially relevant and very eye-opening. It deals with AIDS in the to see it. The script is so well-written and the characters 1980s, when the disease was still newly discovso well-developed that it makes a very odd con- ered. It discusses the incorrect assumption peocept believable. The story is ultimately about a ple had at the time that only homosexuals could man who has an intimate relationship with his get AIDS, and it goes into how unfair the Food computer in a not-too-distant future when artifi- and Drug Administration can be. Furthermore, cial intelligence is real. That definitely sounds like it portrays homosexuals very tastefully. They are a stupid premise, but once the computer starts very human in the film, and this fact is not potalking, I could see why he would fall in love with larizing no matter what political orientation one “her.” may have. Overall, I walked out of the theatre with the feeling that I had learned a lot. Writing Adapted Screenplay: Terence Winter – Christopher Campbell is a fellow Aggie film for “The Wolf of Wall Street” The film is about the rise and fall of a very buff who has written reviews for several publicashady Wall Street tycoon named Jordan Belfort tions. He has been involved in the National (Leonardo DiCaprio). While it is very long-windSociety of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS) and PsiChi. He is currently majoring in psychology and ed — at just more than three hours long — and minoring in Portuguese. Send any feedback to filled with a little too much sex and nudity for topherwriter@gmail.com, check out his blog at my taste, it was written in a very unique way. It is criticalchristopher.blogspot.com or follow him one of those movies that knows it is a movie. on Twitter @ChrisCampbell02. There are several scenes in which DiCaprio’s
healthy “ Being and living lon-
ger is one thing, but it’s one swift step closer to becoming a foodie prudie.
”
Teacher
who are not prepared, but that’s the exception, not the rule. I enjoy that part of it.
From Page 4
US: What got you into English and journalism rather than something else?
US: What’s your biggest class right now? PW: My biggest class right now is my modern novel class. There’s close to 50 in that one, but that’s a unique class.” US: What’s the best part about teaching? PW: The first answer usually is summer, just because I love it. I love that time with my family. The summer is my favorite part of teaching. The other favorite part I have is just the fact that I’m always learning. I never feel like I’m at the peak of my game. I never feel bored; a little bit with the papers. That’s the opposite end of the spectrum. US: How much time do you spend focused on school? PW: It varies by the year, but this year I’d say probably 80 hours a week where I’m either worried about school or I’m doing school stuff. It is very intense teaching AP for the first time. US: How is that going and what’s been different about it from regular English?
Phil
PW: I used to fly. I considered flying for a career for a while, but one of the big things that turned me towards English, journalism and teaching was just the fact that I’d have more time with my family. That really is one of the main things for me honestly. Teaching, with all its headaches and heartaches, is a good job as far as a family job goes. (And) I fell in love with literature. My parents were divorced when I was a kid, and it’s a pretty tough thing to deal with when it happens; so many different issues that you have to sort out in your own mind where the family around you is falling apart and you’re trying to hold yourself together and your life together. But reading about other people’s experiences in literature gave me a broader perspective because I think it’s very easy, as individuals, to think, “Woe is me, my life is horrible,” but through literature, I learned my life wasn’t near as bad as I sometimes thought. I Wade just enjoy the intellectual challenge also, and I love to write. I love to write, I love to read, so when I got up to the university, I decided I’d major in English. The more I looked at what a teacher does, I realized I loved learning. I’ve always loved to learn, which was the beautiful thing about journalism too.
about “ Reading other people’s experiences in literature gave me a broader perspective.
PW: The difference is, it’s great that the majority of the students care. They’re really there to learn. And I would say that most high school students in general care enough to want to learn, but the AP kids are much more driven and it’s always nice to basically expect something, and typically that expectation is met. That’s rare in a regular high school class. You say, “We have this homework due tomorrow,” and maybe half the class will have it ready, if you’re lucky, in a general class. In AP, you’ll have a few
”
US: What would you say to those considering a teaching career?
PW: Be prepared for it to be a lot harder than you could ever imagine, but also be prepared to love it. When you put your heart and souls into things, those are the things you end up loving. You hate it too, it’s a love hate relationship. With teaching, it’s a job that you could always be doing better, you could always be doing more. You’d want to be prepared for that. It’s not easy to learn to balance, but you have to learn that.
ThursdaySports Thursday, Feb. 27, 2014 Page 6
Utah State University • Logan, Utah • www.utahstatesman.com
Special Feature
Remembering legends: Aggie greats have left mark 4By Calvin Makelky staff writer
Merlin Olsen
71
71
Olsen is the first name to grace the list because he is the best athlete to ever come out of Utah — according to Sports Illustrated — let alone just USU. Merlin was locally bred right in Logan and graduated from Logan High School. Olsen dominated his competition while at USU as a defensive tackle. During his senior year, the Aggies were No. 1 in the nation at stopping the run at 50.8 yards per game, and the defense only gave up 6.5 points per game during his junior year. During his last two seasons as an Aggie, the football team went 18-3-1 with two conference championships and finished No. 10 in the AP poll, which is the highest in USU football history. He was named an All-American in 1960 and 1961 and won the Outland Trophy for best interior lineman in the nation in 1961. Olsen was drafted in the first round by the Los Angeles Rams, where he dominated and became part of the famous Fearsome Foursome. Following his exceptional 1974 NFL season, Olsen won the NFL Player of the Year award. In his NFL career, Olsen was named to a ridiculous 14 Pro Bowls in his 15 years and was a six-time firstteam All-Pro selection. He was elected to NFL Hall of Fame in 1982 in his first year of eligibility, and he was ranked No. 25 on The Sporting News’ list of the 100 greatest football players.
Wayne Estes Estes easily makes this list because he was the greatest player ever to don an Aggie basketball uniform. The 6-foot-6 Estes was an extremely talented shooter, scorer and rebounder for USU. He was held to single digits in points once in his 73 career games. The USU basketball record books are littered with his name. In just three years of play, he is the No. 3 leading scorer in school history with 2,001 points and the No. 4 rebounder with 893
rebounds. In addition, Estes holds the school record for career points per game with 26.7, free throws made in career with 469, consecutive 10-point games with 64, points per game in a season at 33.7, points in a game with 52 and rebounds in a game with 28. In his final year at USU in 1965, Estes and future legendary NBA player Rick Barry battled each other for the single-season scoring title with Estes finishing second. Tragically, after the game where he eclipsed the 2,000 point mark,
Estes and his friends stopped at the scene of a car accident on campus. Estes brushed against a downed power line and was fatally electrocuted. Estes was posthumously honored, being named firstteam All-American in 1965 and inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1967. Estes is a member of the USU Hall of Fame and was named Utah State AllCentury MVP for USU basketball in 2005.
Stew Morrill Ralph Maughan
If anybody bled Aggie Blue, it was Ralph Maughan. For five decades, this Aggie great was the face of USU athletics. Unlike the others on this list, Maughan was not known for just one sport, but for his all-around greatness as both a player and as a coach in multiple sports. Growing up in Cache Valley, Maughan was a three-sport star at South Cache High School. While attending USU, he lettered all four years in football and track and three years in basketball. After his sophomore year however, he enlisted in the Reserve Corps and received a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star for his service in France and Belgium during World War II. He returned to USU short-
ly afterward, where he led the football team to its first two bowl berths in 1946 and 1947. Maughan was later named to the USU All-Century Team for football as a center, and he is one of just seven Aggies to ever make all-conference three times in football. In addition to football, he was also a great basketball player. He made all-conference on the hardwood. He also excelled in track and field as much as any sport. He was the American Athletic Union national hammer champion in 1946 and placed No. 5 in javelin at the NCAA Nationals in 1946 and 1947. After college, Maughan was drafted in the 1947 NFL draft by the Detroit Lions and played
one year in the NFL before leaving to coach at Ricks College. After a short stint there, he came back to coach at USU where he was an assistant coach for the football team from 1951 to 1967 and an assistant coach in basketball from 1951 to 1955. He was most famous for coaching track. During his incredible 37 years as an Aggie track coach from 1951 to 1988, he coached 11 All-Americans, several national champions, four Olympians, and two world record setters. His 37 year coaching career is longest tenure of any coach in USU history. Maughan has been inducted into both the Utah State Hall of Fame and the Utah Sports Hall of Fame.
Morri l l makes this list even though he is still coaching because is unequivocally the best coach of USU’s best sport. Morrill currently sits at 599 wins during his 16-year career at USU, which ranks No. 29 all-time in Division I history. Morrill has an incredible 73 percent winning percentage at USU with 381 wins and only 141 losses to go along with nine career NCAA Tournament appearances. His teams have been extremely consistent, and he has guided USU to 14-straight 21-win seasons and 13-straight seasons of postseason play, which ended last year. Both are school
records. Even with the basketball team’s rich history, Morrill has propelled the program to new heights; 12 of the top-13 seasons in USU history have come with him at the helm. Perhaps most impressive is the fact that since Morrill took over, the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum has been an absolute nightmare for opposing teams, with Morrill’s team winning a gaudy 91 percent of the time — 224 wins to 22 losses — entering this season. – cmakelky@gmail.com Twitter: @makelky
StatesmanSports
Page 7
State your case:
Could the state of Utah support an NFL franchise if it was given the opportunity?
4By Jeff Dahdah
4By Logan Jones
LAST WEEK’S WINNER
NEW CHALLENGER
If you build it, they won’t come. It’s no secret that the state of Utah allbut shuts down on Sundays. Guess what day the NFL plays on? It isn’t practical to expect to fill an entire NFL stadium in dahdah Utah. The team with the lowest average attendance last year was Oakland, and they still drew over 50,000 people. Does anyone really think 50,000 people will come out eight Sundays a year? I don’t. I haven’t even seen 50 people at a movie theater on a Sunday in all of my years living here. I don’t think anyone wants to be compared to the Raiders for anything. Also, where would they put a team? There is no facility that could house an NFL team in Utah, and they had to go 30 miles away from downtown Salt Lake City to build an MLS stadium. I guess they could put it out in Magna, but then nobody would be able to drink the water. Where would the money come from? If the money came from the government, then it would cause an uproar. The government already doesn’t spend money on important things like education. The Miller family could pay for and potentially own it, but that would just be a risky investment, especially with its current ownership of most other professional sporting activities in the state. – dahdahjm@gmail.com Twitter: @dahdahusu
Salt Lake City joins the likes of Portland and Sacramento on the list of great sports cities with only one major sports team, but it’s no secret that football is already a big deal throughout the state, so why not put a professional jones team in Salt Lake? Small markets are by no means unprecedented in the NFL — Kansas City and Indianapolis would be roughly comparable to a team in the beehive state, and Salt Lake would have a leg up on other small markets in gathering loyal fans. A pro football franchise in Salt Lake would feed off of Utah’s well-established reputation as the home of numerous major corporations and one of the nation’s best cities for business. Ownership, sponsorships and deals with a newly built arena wouldn’t be much of a struggle for a newly fashioned Utah football team. While sports markets like New Orleans and Detroit both enjoy rich history and a city-wide love of sports, they still routinely underperform when it comes to overall revenue due to the cities’ economic issues. The median income of Salt Lake City’s metro area is an incredible $48,000, which could easily translate to a fanbase more willing to purchase tickets and merchandise than that of those smaller struggling markets. SLC may not be first in line for an NFL team, but the money and the fans are certainly there. – logan.jones@aggiemail.usu.edu Twitter: @logantj
assistant sports editor
staff writer
Thursday, Feb. 27, 2014
Basketball
Aggies sink New Mexico 4By Logan Jones staff writer
Jennifer Schlott hit a pair of free throws with 1.1 seconds remaining on the clock to clinch USU’s second victory over New Mexico this season. The foul shots marked the end of a frantic finish at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum Wednesday. With just six seconds remaining in a tie game, Schlott drove the length of the court and drew a foul to ultimately end the contest, which featured 11 lead changes and nine tie scores. “I was just trying to attack the basket, get something, make something happen,” Schlott said. For the second time this season, New Mexico had no solution for Schlott. The senior guard, who burned the Lobos for 30 in a win at The Pit earlier this season, scored a game-high 33 and went a perfect 7-of-7 from the foul line. New Mexico’s last nine games have been decided by seven points or fewer. The Lobos are 2-7 in that span. Makenlee Williams added 21 points for the Aggies, and according to Head Coach Jerry Finkbeiner, appears to be fully recovered from her leg injury suffered earlier this season. “Mak the last two games now has started to be the Mak prior to her injury,” Finkbeiner said. Coach Finkbeiner wasn’t the only one who noticed Williams’ impact Wednesday. “Mak had a huge second half,” Schlott said. “She played great. That’s exactly what we need from her, that’s exactly what we expect from her.” The win brings USU’s conference record to 6-10 with two games left to play this season before travelling to Las
Delayne Ripplinger photo JUNIOR GUARD JASMINE PORTER dribbles past a New Mexico defender during USU’s win over New Mexico on Wednesday at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.
Vegas for the Mountain West Conference Tournament. The Aggies’ final home game is at 7 p.m. Saturday in the Spectrum. “I hope Cache Valley comes out,” Finkbeiner said. “It’s a senior class that I’m proud of and close to. Jen Schlott has
put together a senior year that is almost for the ages. I hope people take advantage of that Saturday night and come out to see her last game here.” – logan.jones@aggiemail.usu.edu Twitter: @logantj
Apply for the
FJ Management Scholarship Available to any USU student • Recipients receive a cash award, up to $5,000 per year • Scholarship recipients must be a former or current employee, or the spouse or child of a former or current employee of Flying J or the FJ Management Corporation • Recipients must have a minimum GPA of 3.0
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Thursday, Feb. 27, 2014 Page 8
Views&Opinion Utah State University • Logan, Utah • www.utahstatesman.com
Coming out shouldn’t be a big deal On Sunday Jason Collins pulled on a jersey, laced up his shoes and took the court with nine other men, just like every other game of his twelve year career. Only this time he did so as the first openly gay NBA player. It’s about time someone did. While Collins checked into the game in front of a loud ovation at the Staples Center, Michael Sam participated in the NFL combine. Sam came out to the media two weeks before the combine and after he works out for scouts, gets drafted and goes through OTA’s, he will step on the field in the fall as the first openly gay NFL player, and it’s about time. Both Collins and Sam have said they wish this was not such a big deal, that being openly gay and playing a professional
Jeff Dahdah The cardinal rule
sport shouldn’t be a story. They are right. However it shouldn’t have been a big deal for Jackie Robinson to step into the batters box all of those years ago. Surely Robinson would have wished he could have gone to a press conference after the game and talk about baseball as much as Collins and Sam would want to tell the media about basketball
and football. It’s simply not that simple though. I’ll be the first to say that hopefully one day this won’t be that newsworthy. Hopefully one day the fact that an athlete is gay will become embedded in a Wikipedia page, become barely a noteworthy fact. After all, Collins had a successful career before he came out last year and Sam won co-defensive MVP in what is considered the best conference in college football. So yes, objectively, nothing has changed. They are the same people with the same capabilities. We don’t live in that world right now. We live in a world where athletes don’t know how they will be treated if they come out. The repercussions of owning up to the way they feel are uncharted and unprecedented. We live in a world
where what Collins and Sam are doing is brave. Possibly the most important thing about all of this is that somewhere there are kids and teenagers confused about how they feel that can turn on their television and see these athletes, proudly gay and competing at the highest possible athletic level. They can look at Collins and Sam and see that it doesn’t matter if their sexual orientation is different than that of their teammates. It’s about time they can have those role models. However, don’t be mistaken; Collins and Sam are two of the best role models in sports today for all young aspiring athletes, no matter what gender they are attracted to. Sam has had three siblings die and two more jailed. He promised himself from a young age he wouldn’t follow that
Jeff Dahdah
“
Let’s be honest: The opportunity cost of becoming informed about political issues is high.
”
path. Collins proved he can contribute to a team despite his aging body, proving that hard work will eventually pay off. It looks like the world of sports is ready for this new movement too. Fans in the Staples Center gave Collins, not a Laker but a Net, a strong ovation. Sam’s teammates knew all season that he was gay and didn’t
leak it nor let it become a distraction. Collins’ no. 98 Brooklyn Nets jersey is the top selling jersey on NBA. com. Yes, they represent more than being gay athletes. Hopefully one day players coming out won’t be a headline. But for now take in the view and appreciate what is happening, because nobody ever realizes how far the climb was until they look down from the top. In the world of professional sports, it’s about time. – Jeffrey Dahdah is a sophomore studying statistics and journalism. He is a die-hard Cardinals, Rams, Jazz and Aggies fan. He loves sports statistics and loves using them to analyze and prove his points. If you have something to say to him, feel free to email him at dahdahjm@gmail.com.
Planned Parenthood Logan: Not baby killers As a columnist, I pride myself on the controversial topics I choose to cover. My job is to ruffle feathers and make people think. If I’m not making someone feel just a little uneasy, I haven’t done my job. What’s unique to my situation is the bevy of hot-button issues I can choose from and the many different people I can potentially offend. We have a unique demographical situation in northern Utah and here at USU. Many locales throughout the country can be split into opposing political and ideological factions based heavily on age — a younger, liberal generation versus an aging conservative group.
Paul Christiansen The Book of Paul
No, we are somewhat unique. Our rival factions are each populated by individuals of all ages, sexes and backgrounds. It’s truly fascinating to look at, and it provides me with an ev-
er-present opportunity to upset people while rallying for the causes of others. This instance will be no different, I assure you. Some people, as they are wont to do when speaking about things they know little about, will split the finest of hairs. Most recently, letters to this publication’s editor came pouring in based upon one staff writer’s choice to use the word “philanthropic” to describe the Planned Parenthood Association of Utah, specifically an annual fundraiser for a local clinic. Those who wrote their criticisms of the writer were concerned about the “misleading” use of this single word to describe an orga-
Paul Christiansen
individ“ These uals obviously
hadn’t done their homework before lashing out.
”
nization that single-handedly kills vast amounts of unborn children every year. But these individuals obviously hadn’t done their homework before lashing out. Being some-
one who needs fact provided to them before making an informed a decision — you know, a journalist. Or someone with common sense — about this topic, I’ve done a little research. The branch of Planned Parenthood found here in Logan does not provide abortions or kill babies. It does provide “informed consent” to women who may be considering terminating a pregnancy for whatever reason. They are provided with accurate information about all abortion procedures, given the option to watch an educational video developed by the Utah Department of Health and offered the chance to view an ultra-
sound of their unborn child. Planned Parenthood of Logan also provides information about any other options available to the mother, including adoption. The mother is then referred to a licensed physician who can legally — yes, it’s still legal in Utah and throughout the country — provide the procedure. But it isn’t as if the pregnant individual can then drive a distance, hit up a back-alley clinic and be done with it all within the same day. Utah has a law that requires those seeking abortions to wait a mandatory 72-hour period before
jSee ABORTION, Page 9
Religious freedom is a right we must continue to protect
To the editor:
Letters to the editor
I would like to respectfully disagree with the opinion published by Josh Richards in The Utah Statesman on Feb. 20, 2014. The opinion was written in an attempt to discredit President Barack Obama’s assumption that the majority
of women want to receive the same wages as men for performing the same work. Before proceeding with my argument, I would like to make it clear that I do not, from a general standpoint, agree with the president’s philosophy of what the federal government’s duties should be in enforcing wage equality and overseeing labor relations throughout the country. However, I am not offering my opinions in an attempt to either promote or
• All letters may be shortened, edited or rejected for reasons of good taste, redundancy or volume of similar letters. • No anonymous letters will be published. Writers must sign all letters and include a phone number or e-mail address as well as a student identification
demote the political agenda of the Democratic Party, but rather to disprove the supposition that gender discrepancies in the workforce are “an indicator of our country’s family values.” The foremost weakness in Richard’s article is presented in his claim that “women of today didn’t prepare themselves to earn six figures a year like their male counterparts … They were planning on becoming
jSee LETTERS, Page 9
number (none of which is published). Letters will not be printed without this verification. • Letters can be hand delivered or mailed to The Statesman in the TSC, Room 311, or can be emailed to: statesmaneditor@ aggiemail.usu.edu.
The page
Equal pay in the workforce
Andy Pierucci
Pierucci’s politics
Many came to the U.S. fleeing from persecution for their religious beliefs. The founders of this country recognized the importance of establishing a constitution that allowed individuals to participate in any religion without fear of persecution. In a letter to Baptists from Danbury, Conn., in 1802, Thomas Jefferson wrote, “I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should ‘make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free ex-
Opinions on this page (columns, letters) unless otherwise identified are not from Utah Statesman staff, but from a wide variety of members of the campus community who have strong opinions, just like you. This is an open forum. Want to write something? Contact: statesmaneditor@ aggiemail.usu.edu.
The staff
Forum letters: Your voice
Freedom empowers individuals to do as they wish, become what they want and live how they would like. It is one of the most valued principles in the world. Freedom of religion is not usually the first item that comes to mind when making a list of freedoms, but in recent years, it has become a hot topic. Religious freedom is not just the right to worship or to believe how one chooses, although these are important characteristics of religious freedom. It is the right to think, act upon and express what one believes. Freedom of religion benefits the believers and nonbelievers alike. Society is better when freedom of religion is protected. Wherever there are high levels of religious freedom in the world, there is more economic prosperity, lower income inequality, lower levels of conflict and an increased level in other civil and human rights. Freedom of religion is a fundamental human right.
ercise thereof,’ thus building a wall of separation between Church and State.” Jefferson was referring to the First Amendment to the Constitution. Somewhere between 1802 and now, people have misconstrued Jefferson’s words. A few argue “separation of church and state” means religion must take a back seat in the public square. I’m not sure how they come to that conclusion. In fact, I question whether those who espouse that interpretation have even read Jefferson’s letter. Freedom of religion is not only an American issue. The Vatican estimates nearly 100,000 Christians are killed annually because of their faith. The numbers are rising in North Africa and the Middle East. In Nigeria, religious tension is at an all-time high. It is not uncommon for religious leaders to be assassinated by those of another faith. This is not just a Christian
jSee RELIGION, Page 9
Editorial Board: Lis Stewart Danielle Manley Eric Jungblut Mariah Noble Chelsea Hunter Curtis Lundstrom Jeff Dahdah Mikayla Kapp Meghann Nixon
Editor in Chief: Tavin Stucki
Views&Opinion
Thursday, Feb. 27, 2014
Abortion
From Page 8
an abortion can take place. Planned Parenthood of Logan simply provides information to those who seek it. It doesn’t involve any big conspiracy or speakeasy process where an illegal act is carried out on location, and those who work at the clinic aren’t bloodthirsty individuals who encourage all patients to have abortions. They offer a full spectrum of information. Yes, I know that information scares a lot of us in Utah, but I assure you, my fellow Aggies, knowledge won’t corrupt you or lead you astray. The Logan clinic offers a variety of tests, educational means and health care options. It provides affordable testing, treatment and vaccines for expensive and debilitating sexually-transmitted diseases, testing for HIV, birth control and contraception options — you know, those pesky precautions that could ultimately prevent an individual from having to ever consider having an abortion — pregnancy tests and information about general sexual
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Paul Christiansen
Perhaps it’s time for those Christian soldiers moving onward to get some information on birth control.
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and reproductive health for both men and women. The clinic further focuses on women’s health issues by offering physicals, breast exams and cervical screenings to check for cancers that are leading causes of death in women who are left untreated. While some critics of those who associate philanthropy with the Logan Planned Parenthood clinic base their opinions on a dictionary definition that says philanthropists have “good will towards all men” and are “directed to a general good,” I’d respond with a larger definition — one that seems to have been deliberately ig-
nored in order to frame the issue a certain way. As a print journalist, words are my livelihood. I know their importance, but you have to look at the entire picture — the sum of an object’s parts that make up the whole — before you can take value in any meaning. The Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary defines philanthropy as an “active effort to promote human welfare” and “an act or gift done or made for humanitarian purpose.” It seems to me that Planned Parenthood does exactly this by providing information, education and treatment regarding sexual health. And with the average number of children per household in this great state fast approaching double digits, perhaps it’s time for those Christian soldiers moving onward to get some information on birth control. I know a place where that’s possible. – Paul is the former features editor of The Utah Statesman and is a senior majoring in print journalism. Send any comments to paul.r.christiansen@ aggiemail.usu.edu.
Religion
ger communities bring prosperity. Now is the time for us to act.
From Page 8
– Andy is a senior majoring in political science. He is currently the vice president of USU Pi Sigma Alpha, a member of the GRC, the Secretary of the Utah Federation of College Republicans and president of USU College Republicans.
issue either. The Cham people are Muslims who live in Vietnam. Local police stormed into a mosque in the village of Chau Giang in 2012 and took away a generator that provided electricity to more than 40 Muslim families. Shortly after their brutal assault they returned to the village, kidnapped a number of young girls and raped them. The police committed these awful acts of brutality because the villagers were Muslim. These stories paint a grim picture of the world, but there is hope. Many remember seeing photos of Muslim protesters in Egypt protecting Christians as they pray, and then the Christians returning the favor by encircling their Muslim friends as they knelt in prayer. There is still much good in this world. We must stand with others around the globe to promote and protect freedom of religion. This can be done as we elect those who will promote religious freedom in the U.S. and abroad. Religious freedom empowers individuals and promotes peace. Empowered individuals strengthen their communities and stron-
The Deep End • Tyson Cole
Haslam Comic • marcus.haslam@aggiemail.usu.edu
Wonders and Blunders • melissamw89@gmail.com
All But Dead • abdcomics.com
Page 9
Letters From Page 8 ers. They were planning on raising the future of America.” The ludicrousness of this statement is eminent in the assumption that all women who pursue degrees in highly intellectualized fields have somehow wrongly prioritized their lives, thereby doing a disfavor to their posterity, as well as to the future of our nation. I find such an assumption disturbingly anti-capitalistic, as well as degrading to the role of motherhood. I would hold that the improvement of society is dependent upon the morals, education and livelihood passed down to children from both of their parents. Although the purpose of your article was to promote healthy family values, your claim that American women lack the desire See the rest online at to improve utahstatesman.com themselves through the pursuance of an advanced education is both nonsensical and false and devalues the very assumption of human nature on which democracy was founded...
Finish online
– Anna Marchant
Alumni perspective: Why candidates pester To the editor: This week, I had the opportunity to travel to USU for the Career Fair. As it also happens to be elections week, I could not help but notice the anxious and stressed candidates vying for votes. As a former USU/SA (ASUSU) member, I remember this difficult week. For candidates it is exciting and exhausting, as well as full of drama. But for the majority of the student body, it is just annoying and disruptive. Some argue the candidates are running just to build their personal resumes and the election process is simply a popularity contest. Now that I have graduated, I have an outside perspective. I certainly put “senator” on my resume; however, this title was not a key factor in me getting a job. My colleagues, also former student body reps for other colleges, agree it is not very applicable experience. I ran for senator because I sincerely wanted to improve USU. I am passionate about helping other students take ownership of their education. I know the other officers of my year shared my same passion for “you,” the student. Many of the current candidates do as well. I was surprised by the “work” that the position entailed. We didn’t write any legislation to serve chocolate milk in the drinking fountains. In fact, we barely wrote any bills at all my year. The only legislation I wrote was an effort to make elections less annoying, but it failed. What we did do as Academic Senate was take a small budget and plan some thorough events we felt would benefit students education. We also had some heated debates on where some money should be allocated. I also remember representing students at numerous board meetings. Nearly all of the projects your elected officers work on are self-initiated and not required. Every elected officer sacrifices works, friends and even school to spend their energies serving students, especially the president, Programming, Service, and Athletics vice presidents. All this work and service is extremely rewarding, though. I was so excited when I saw more than 1,400 students turn out at a service project. If you do not vote for a candidate, it probably will not change the outcome. Most candidates should certainly understand if your
phone is not worth your time, but remember that these dedicated individuals are all up in your business because they care about your student experience. I would encourage all students to take advantage of the great programs, events and opportunities USU/SA and the university sponsors. I still hope you USU students take ownership of your education. For example, I was very excited and pleased to see students take advantage of the Career Fair. – Jeff Parker
Students need to take their headphones out To the editor: As I was taking a much-needed break from campaigning for elections week, I picked up a copy of The Statesman. I quickly glanced over a few articles on the first few pages when I came across the article entitled “Why I wear headphones during elections week on campus.” As I read through the article, I found myself getting more and more enraged over the content of the article. I found the content of the article deplorable. First and foremost, this type of behavior, as expressed in the title of the article, is part of the problem when it comes to student elections. Not enough students care, and many are even apathetic regarding student elections to the point where they resort to the tactic of placing earphones in their ears or faking talking on the cellphone so they don’t get bothered by those who are manning the A Frames. If these students would take a few minutes of their time to simply read up on each candidate and, more importantly, make an informed decision regarding each candidate and then place their vote, we would stop attempting to talk to them to get them to vote. This is a simple solution that is completely ignored in the aforementioned article. Secondly, Mr. Jones states in his article, “The vast popularity contest that is student elections has been overexaggerated by those in student government to appear like an opportunity for the average student’s voice to be heard.” Student elections in college are by no means a popularity contest, Mr. Jones; often times, a student will win based off his platform and the effort he puts into his campaign rather than his popularity. Though this may not always be the case, the best student leaders are those who are elected based off of merit rather than popularity. Lastly, the statement I most disagreed with Mr. Jones on was when he stated, “The changes instituted by student government are, at best, nice things for those few in charge to put on their resumes.” This is absolutely not true Mr. Jones, and this goes to again show that he did not read into the candidates’ platforms and goals. Many of us who are running have goals that can affect all students. For example, presidential candidate and current USU/SA President Doug Fiefia has a goal to institutionalize a more cost-effective tuition model. This would have a profound impact on the lives of all students and would not simply “pad his resume.” Another example is myself. One of my goals is to assist the college dean in his efforts to fundraise for See the rest online at the new utahstatesman.com CHaSS building. In doing so, it would not merely “pad my resume,” but would have an impact in generations of Aggies to come...
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– Nickoles Clason
theBackBurner
Thursday, Feb. 27, 2014
48/34 Thursday Rain
51/38
48/38
Friday Mostly cloudy
Thursday, Feb. 27 • Forum on Venezuela and Cuba, 1:30-2:45 p.m., Old Main 340 • Finding Your Academic Strengths, 10-11 a.m., TSC 315A • Friends of Merrill-Cazier Library spring lecture with Dr. Leonard Rosenband, 7 p.m., Merill-Cazier Library room 101 • Symphony orchestra, 7:30 p.m., Chase Fine Arts Center, Kent Concert Hall
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47/34
Saturday Chance of rain
Sunday Chance of rain
Friday, Feb. 28
51/37
Monday Partly cloudy
Saturday, Feb. 29
• Men’s Tennis vs. Idaho, 12 a.m. to 2 p.m., • Family First Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Museum of Anthropology Sports Academy • Gymnastics vs. Sac State University, 7-10 • 41st Annual Echoing Traditional Ways Pow Wow, all day, Nelson Fieldhouse p.m., Spectrum • 41st Annual Echoing Traditional Ways Pow • Shamrock Bake-Off, 1-4 p.m., TSC International Lounge Wow, 7 p.m., Nelson Fieldhouse • DSA’s Areito 2014 Annual Banquet, 6:309:30 p.m., TSC Ballroom • Fundraiser Dance, 7-11 p.m., Mendon Station
utahstatesman.com
Today is Thursday, Feb. 27 2014. Today’s issue of The Utah Statesman is published especially for Katie Henrie, a freshman majoring in landscape architecture from American Fork, Utah.
Across 1 Lunchbox staple, initially 4 Handy, say 8 Hatcher of “Lois & Clark” 12 Pakistani language 14 Pakistan neighbor 15 Tablecloth fabric 16 Striped fish 17 Dangerously sharp 19 Ranch nightmare 21 “Wake Up Little Susie” singer Don or Phil 22 “Curb Your Enthusiasm” creator 24 Next-to-last Greek letter 26 Difficult turn on the slopes 27 Fellows 28 Cape Town’s land: Abbr. 31 1983 Streisand film 33 “From __ to shining ...” 34 Has-__ 35 Common pump choice 39 Early garden 40 La-Z-Boy room
41 Very unpleasant, weather-wise 42 Country south of Turk. 43 Costly cracker-topper 44 35-Across, e.g. 46 Boxer’s stat 47 Gnarly one on the waves 50 “Beat it, kid!” 53 “I’m serious!” 56 “Star Wars” droid, and a hint to letters shared by 17-, 22-, 35- and 47-Across 58 Eyelid trouble 59 Taxi fixture 60 Clothier Strauss 61 Traffic sound 62 Glimpse 63 Lose sleep (over) 64 Mario Brothers console Down 1 Stout servers 2 Unruly kid 3 Holden Caulfield creator 4 Cable stations, e.g. 5 Vintage sitcom stepfamily 6 Vegged out
7 Ambient music pioneer Brian 8 Assisted through a tough time, with “over” 9 Caltech grad, often: Abbr. 10 Hose holder 11 Race nickname 13 West Point letters 15 “Deathtrap” playwright Ira 18 Disclose 20 Suave shelfmate 23 “So true!” 24 Funereal piles 25 Like some rye bread 28 Comedian who ended his show with “... and may God bless” 29 Make arrangements for 30 Raggedy dolls 32 Winery cask 33 Baltimore daily 34 Cry from a flock 36 Loved to pieces 37 Scuba spot 38 Come after 43 Gossip fodder
44 Vinyl record feature 45 Cleverly skillful 47 “Here, piggies!” 48 “It’s open!”
49 Imprecise cooking measure 50 Pool or polo 51 Raw rocks
52 Web address opening 54 Harp kin 55 Strong urges 57 Pixie
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