School is cool. OK, so the last time you may have said that was when you were eating REAL school pizza, looking forward to some serious jungle gym time and then nap time. But that is what more than 300 volunteers were telling children from local elementary schools Tuesday. Jill Johnson, a junior social work major and School Is Cool Jam coordinator, said that activities included relay races, basketball, a dunk tank, soccer and face painting. "We want to show them that school is fun, exciting and rewarding," Johnson said. "A lot of kids drop out of school between sixth and eighth grade, and we want them to stay in school." The School Is Cool Jam is put on by social work students from the Generalist Practice With Communities and Organizations class. The class is taught by department chairwoman Linda Moore. The TCU Athletics Department teamed up with social work students and staffed many of the events. TCU has been focusing on being involved in the community as demonstrated with the recent creation of the Community Scholars program. Now other groups at TCU are showing that they want to be involved in the community also. We often complain about the TCU bubble. But bubbles can be burst. As students interact with elementary schoolchildren they not only carry TCU to the community but bring the community back into TCU. TCU doesn't have the best relationship with the community, as the stereotype of the rich, snobbish student persists. Rather than complaining any more, let us show the community we care about more than ourselves. The School Is Cool Jam not only allowed different groups at TCU to work together but allowed us to show we care about the community.
Is the war on drugs a no-win venture? War on drugs, zero tolerance policy flawed, needs to be reexamined Like many government programs, the war on drugs began with a positive, noble goal in mind, but it got bogged down in the implementation. Primary among the problem is the zero tolerance policy, which sends first-time users of illegal drugs to jail. The controversial policy's two main goals are to demonstrate to the general public that their elected officials are "getting tough on crime" and to deter offenders with the promise of jail time. The most immediate impact of the zero tolerance policy was that prisons quickly filled up with first-time users (unless they were able to afford a good lawyer). This certainly achieved the intended effect of showing that politicians were "getting tough on crime," but the other intended effect did not work so well. Yes, some first-time drug users were "scared straight" into changing their ways because of the time they spent in prison, but more of them came out worse than they went in. Their time in prison introduced them to the criminal lifestyle and hardened them. Even worse, they were introduced to more powerful and addictive drugs. The damaging effects of the war on drugs helped reintroduce the debate of fully legalizing drug use versus spending enormous sums of money on a flawed anti-drug program. One of the main arguments is that making drugs legal will help eliminate the profit margin of drug dealers. Another argument is that by ending the war on drugs, millions of dollars will be freed for other uses - for instance, education about the harmful effects of drug use. Yet another argument is that legalized drug use will remove the "forbidden fruit" allure that illegal drug use currently has. There are many problems with this approach, however. While arguments can be made for ending the zero tolerance policy, arguments can also be made for why ending all anti-drug laws is an even worse idea. For instance, how will such a public about-face look? How will children handle being told one minute that drug use is bad and the next minute being told that drug use is acceptable after all? Can you say "credibility problem?" Next, consider the almost certain ballooning increase of drug users who would suddenly have their drugs cheap and legal. Can our society function with so many of its citizens too stoned to perform their duties? How will the massive increase of drug addicts affect the health insurance industry? Will HMOs cover drug addicts, and if not, what will we do with thousands of uninsured drug addicts? The only health industry I can see benefiting from a vast increase of drug users is the drug rehabilitation industry. Finally, consider all the lives that will be ruined or lost from increased drug usage. The number would be uncountable. With so much going against legalizing drug usage, the question becomes this: Can we afford the multi-layered impact that legalized drug usage will have on our society? Some supporters respond by saying that an increase is to be expected, but after a while it will level off and then go down as the allure wears off. This is assuming that drug users will live that long. Dealing with illegal drug usage is a complex issue that cannot be solved with simplistic solutions like the zero tolerance policy or the legalizing of currently illegal drugs. This issue instead calls for patience, clear-headed thinking and compassion. Unfortunately, there are no drugs for that.
John P. Araujo is an MLA graduate student
from Fort Worth.
"The Sig Eps are a pebble in a pond with good ripples in it." - Tom Sullivan, director of fraternity and sorority affairs, on Sigma Phi Epsilon's attempt at reaching full membership in the Interfraternity Council.
"It's become so commonplace that I forget it's illegal." - "Maria" (name has been changed), on smoking marijuana
I am seeking ye first the kingdom of love - who is with me? As I read all the recent articles in the Skiff, I find myself wondering if people see me the way Christians are portrayed by Skiff columnists. Am I seen as a "Marcia" from the Brady Bunch or someone who suffers just like everyone else and has just as many flaws, seen and unseen, as the everyday Joe? My heart grows heavy to think that many agree with the statement made by Jennifer Klein: "God doesn't care what the Christians think or what the church decrees ... God's got grace. He can let whomever into heaven that he good and well pleases." What a profound statement. I am in awe. It IS God's grace, and his grace alone, that has kept you and me here this long. I could get into the argument about homosexuals, women in the church and people of other faiths, but I don't believe this is the time or the place to discuss it. Rather, I leave you with this: God has plans for you - each and every one of you. "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with your whole heart" (Jeremiah 29: 11-13). He loves us all, but you must open your heart and your eyes and see him to know the everlasting love he has in store for you.
Virginia Peterson sophomore elementary education major
-Amy Render, sophomore premajor
-Brian Tulbert, sophomore business major
-Katie Urban, sophomore elementary education major
-J Kuper, freshman business major
-Jenna Spain, freshman political science major |
"I think guns will be available to people anyway. I
don't think we should start denying people the right to protect themselves.
That really wouldn't be right."
"I certainly don't have any problems
with hunting and people's issues with self-defense. I just think people
should be more educated on gun usage."
"I don't think we need tougher laws
right now. We should just try to better enforce the laws we already have.
We have good laws right now, but they don't seem to be used correctly."
"I think they need to crack down on the illegal firearms
by enforcing the lethal weapon laws. They should leave the hunting guns
alone. Nothing useful can be done with those lethal guns except killing
people. I don't think anyone should be given that chance to hurt anyone."
"Enforcing the laws we already have should be more
important right now than coming up with new laws. Also, I think they need
to find a way to make the guns safer and less accessible to everyone. I
think it's too easy to actually get a gun."
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