|
WWW ... What? TCU launched a new Web site on Jan. 24 in response to negative feedback from the TCU community. Primary complaints dealt with navigation and user-friendliness. Officials said the new Web site tried to address a series of complaints as well as add much-needed features to the site. New additions include a headline bar which contains internal TCU information, a calendar of events and a pull-down search menu. Neil also decided to feature less graphics and more text in hopes of improving the speed of navigation and downloading time. William Koehler, vice chancellor for student affairs, said the new Web site will be the primary way people see the institution. "The site gives everyone, including present students, prospective students, alumni and all faculty and staff, an easier understanding of everything at TCU," Koehler said. The new site features all of the new additions promised. But it is much harder to navigate, and it is not aesthetically pleasing. Having fewer graphics means they need to be better graphics. TCU has state-of-the-art computer labs and other equipment that are vital to our education. To not make it clear that we have this available would be a waste of our time and money. Compare the TCU Web site to those from Baylor University (www.baylor.edu), Southern Methodist (www.smu.edu) and University of Texas at Arlington (www.uta.edu). Their sites make the necessary information for students - student directories and various important offices - easy to find. They also serve the needs of prospective students, alumni, faculty and staff in the same manner. There must be a way that the TCU site can do the same.
Lipscomb sets a bad example It appears that the residents of the city of Dallas have once again fallen into the hands of a corrupt politician. Last week, Amarillo jurors found Dallas City Council member Al Lipscomb guilty of no less than 65 counts of bribery and conspiracy. Lipscomb obviously is in need of open admonition for his actions, however, there are many Lipscomb supporters that think quite the opposite. How, you may ask, can anyone support a man that is so blatantly guilty of bribery and conspiracy? Well, according to his friends (several of whom testified in his trial), his work as a civil rights leader for the last few decades in Dallas should prevent him from being punished for his crimes. Yes, you read that right; they think he should be left alone despite the fact that he has committed conspiracy and bribery with Yellow Cab company's owner. This justification for Lipscomb's actions is nearly as inexcusable as the actions themselves. How in the world can someone argue that a person's good deeds of the past vindicate them from criminal acts of the present? That is almost like saying that if a person goes out and builds a church or two in his lifetime and is generally a good person, he or she can then feel free to go out and hold up a convenience store without consequence. As children, we are taught to take responsibility for our actions, no matter the outcome. Apparently, this notion is just being thrown out of the window for Lipscomb's situation as far as his followers are concerned. This sort of "get out of jail free" mentality is ludicrous and most certainly establishes a horrible example from this so-called leader. What makes this whole situation worse is the fact that Lipscomb is an elected leader, whose constituents voted for him in the hopes that he would rightly represent them. An elected leader should always be held to a much higher moral and ethical standard than the common man. While it almost seems like the norm nowadays for politicians to be crooked, Lipscomb should have demonstrated some true leadership and strayed away from this path of dishonesty. A quote by Confucius further enforces this point by saying, "The superior man understands what is right; the inferior man understands what will sell." In this case, Lipscomb saw his City Council vote for sale, instead of standing behind the virtue and truth that should be expected of our politicians. Many of Lipscomb's supporters contend that his trial should have been held in Dallas, instead of being arbitrarily moved to Amarillo. They argued that only in Dallas could he get a fair trial by a jury of his peers. On the other hand, unless Dallas County jurors have lost all ability to think rationally, it is essentially undeniable that Dallas jurors would most likely have found him just as guilty. Adding further insult to injury with regards to his supporters, as well as indicating his own guilt, Lipscomb even admitted to taking $1,000 a month payments from Yellow Cab. Nevertheless, he said it did not affect his voting decisions on the company, even though he went from consistently voting against the company to supporting it 100 percent after the payments began. Are we just supposed to assume that the owner of Yellow Cab was independently wealthy to the extent that he felt like giving his money away to a City Council member without receiving any political services in return? In view of this rhetorical question, it makes the supporters of Lipscomb look like lobotomized squirrels. His involvement in bribery and conspiracy certainly belittles, or at least brings into question, his works as a civil rights leader. What sort of example is Lipscomb setting to young black children, let alone what is he doing to the image of honest, respectable black businessmen? By putting his efforts towards fattening his back account over representing his voters, Lipscomb has set back the civil rights movement by generating a new level of distrust between black politicians and their non-black constituents. This is akin to the old adage that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. It does not matter how much Lipscomb has done for civil rights, with his illegal dealings he has unquestionably insulted the face of equality in Dallas. Robert Davis is a senior computer science major from Garland, Texas. He can be reached at (rddavis@delta.is.tcu.edu). 'Surprise' denominations, ATMs and robbery make banking fun When I deposit money at the bank, I think it's funny when they ask me in what denomination I want my money. I always think first to say, "In billion-dollar bills, please," but then I remember I seldom make billion-dollar deposits. Usually I have to take it in dimes or in fives, depending on what I have been able to fence lately. The more I think about the matter, there are lots of funny things about banks. The whole denomination question (which is an entirely different
discussion where dancing, drinking and female ministers are concerned)
amuses me. Since I'm poor but spend beyond my means anyway, I
don't really care in what denomination I receive currency. If
I didn't think it would increase my banking time, I would say,
"Just surprise me." But what about rappers? If I were
a rapper, I would probably take it in "Benjamins,"
just like Puffy and Biggie liked it. I'd be like, "Bling
bling yo! I'm a rapper. You know what to do in this heazy."
And then, if the teller didn't put a bunch of unmarked bills
in a sack and press the alarm button, he or she would probably
understand that I wanted my money in hundreds. Another funny part of banking are bank robbers because of their unbridled foolishness. Let me tell you, people, if you have to knock over a place that has money (meaning not my wallet), pick a convenience store. Robbing convenience stores is more sensible in that they are easier to rob, their money won't erupt into indelible purple goo, and you can do three or four of them in a night. (Don't ask me how to report this on your taxes, though; I haven't found an inconspicuous name for "armed-robber). Banks usually have a lot of witnesses, are only open from 11 a.m. to 11:48 a.m. and they always give robbers the Nickelodeon-brand, exploding kind of money. Plus, the swat team or Keanu Reeves always shows up if you aren't quick enough. Even if you rob a bank wearing a clown mask, or a Richard Nixon mask or a Richard Nixon clown mask, the only people who will think its funny are the booboisie who watch those Fox "World's Stupidest Criminals" specials. Perhaps the funniest aspect of banks is how they make money. Sure, there are overdraft fees, ATM fees, speaking-with-surly-tellers fees and other "mystery" fees, but how do they do make the big bucks (multi-Benjamins)? I have had to take a few economics classes, and I all I could gather from them was that banks create money out of some nebulous process of loans and interest. Since there was a little bit of math involved in this process, I determined that banks create money from thin air, which is a process I like to refer to as "magic." In the past, the only use I had for banks was to keep me from spending what would amount to huge piles of coins, not unlike those of Uncle Scrooge or Captain Morgan. I have found that banks, like the rest of the life, also serve to amuse me. Since I could use a good laugh right now, I think I'll go check my balance. I'm sure it will be really funny. Steve Steward is a senior political science major from Lodi, Calif. and served two years for snatching trick-or-treat bags. He can be reached at (haoledubstyle@hotmail.com). Letters to the editor Students offended by Confederate flag defense The article that was written about the Confederate flag was one of the worst articles I have ever read in the Daily Skiff. As a black male on TCU's campus, I really cannot believe the article ran in the school paper. Not only was the Confederate flag used as a symbol of hatred by racists and bigots during the 1960s and 1970s but also in the 1860s, 1870s and even in today's time. Why do KKK members and some skinhead groups still hold so tight to this flag and have signs that go along with that flag that say, "The South will rise again"? It is not because the flag represents truth and stands for law. It surely did not stand for those causes when my parents could not go into "white only" stores and the Confederate flag hung proudly in the window. -Brandon Simmons I have to say that I am truly offended by your article and that you have the audacity to believe that what you wrote was an OK stance on the Confederate flag and the beliefs of Dr. King. When you are concerned with your basic human rights for equality and understanding, a symbol of oppression may not be at the top of your list of things to fight. From your article, it seems that you have not done your research on why the NAACP is fighting against the flag being flown in South Carolina. Isn't it funny that South Carolina is the only state that does not recognize Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday? The NAACP is not saying that the Confederate flag cannot be used as a memorial of those who lost their lives in a war to keep people such as myself in slavery. They have, in fact, said that a memorial should be built because we cannot deny that it was a major part of U.S. history. The problem is that the flag in its current location is not a symbol of an act of the past but says what we still put value on it in the present. South Carolina should build a memorial to recognize those that were slain and remove the flag from the capital. At this memorial they can fly as many flags as they want as high as they want, as long as it is not flown in front of a building that is about preserving freedom and democracy. -Thenera Bailey Thanks & spanks Thanks: To everyone who gave blood in the blood drive. By the time you read this, the blood you gave will have been replaced and will be saving lives. Spanks: To the United States for holding Elian Gonzalez,
the 6-year-old Cuban boy who lost his mother in a rafting accident
during a refugee run to Florida. He isn't being allowed to see
his father and is being held in Florida. Thanks: To the men's basketball team for spanking SMU,
92-75. Beating SMU is always enjoyable. Even more so when it
shuts up seven busloads of obnoxious SMU students. Well done,
Tubbs and Co. Spanks: To the administration for canceling class last Thursday at 4 p.m. instead of 11 a.m. There is nothing better than driving on icy slush. Oh wait. What should we have expected? They had no way of getting the word out across campus. Thanks: To Capital Investment Program bond election for providing the Berry Street Grant. It would be nice to drive down Berry and be enchanted by its amenities, much in the way that Austin that has the hub of Sixth Street. Spanks: To the administration for not doing anything concerning the parking situation. We love paying $65 to walk four or five blocks to campus. But at least the landscaping is immaculately kept, and we have new athletic buildings. Thanks: Once again to TCU football head coach Dennis Franchione and staff for rounding up one of the school's best recruiting classes in history. To the Mobile Bowl and beyond. Thanks: To the Saint Louis Rams and the Tennessee Titans for putting on the most exciting Super Bowl in years. It was great to finally not have the bean dip be the best part of the evening. Got something to say? Send your 'thanks & spanks' to the Skiff at (skiffletters@tcu.edu). Be sure to include your name and a phone number. |
The TCU Daily Skiff © 1998, 1999 Credits |