| Primary Voice
Student Government Association elections were held Wednesday in a first-time 24-hour online election, and the student body responded - in a way that has unsurpassed other elections in recent memory. Nearly 1,900 voters cast their electronic ballot in the primary election, topping last year's election turnout of 1,178 by 63 percent. The races rallied about 25 percent of the student body to the polls. "I am impressed and amazed," SGA President Ben Alexander said. "The student body has responded." Student voters elected Meredith Killgore for vice president for Programming Council and Stine Lunden for SGA treasurer, who were the lone candidates for the positions. A run-off election between the candidates for SGA president, House vice president and secretary will determine who will join Killgore and Lunden on the SGA Executive Board for next year. Although many still missed Wednesday's election, turnout was impressive. Students have spoken and proven that there are more than a few who care about their student government. Perhaps these results help to chip away the perception that TCU students are apathetic and help to show that we are a group of students who are concerned about our leadership for the future. Some had their doubts about online voting, but the accessibility even allowed for participation across the country and around the world. Alexander said votes were received from students in study programs at the Biosphere II in Tucson, Ariz., Washington D.C. and London. Today, however, was just the start. Friday's run-off elections will decide the results of the three student government offices, all close races based on Wednesday's election. Your voice is more important than ever. If you missed Wednesday's election, follow the example of the 25 percent who participated Wednesday and let your voice be heard Friday.
'About you' not all about athletes Closed classes can be the most annoying part of registration. Most students have faced the closed-class dilemma at some point in their college careers. We either bite the bullet and postpone a class until another semester or sign up for something else. Athletes, because of their demanding schedules, are given priority during registration. Because of set practice times, they have a limited time frame in which they can go to class. It is understandable that the university would offer assistance to these students who have certain needs. But athletes are not the only ones who need special consideration. Students in the 3/2 MBA program must complete their undergraduate work before the end of their junior year. One closed class can spell big trouble, especially in a department with limited course selections. There are also students, believe it or not, who work full-time to pay their way through school. Along with studying, group projects, sleeping and sanity, they must also manage a 40-hour work-week. If the university gives special consideration to athletes who have time constraints, it should also assist those students who have other legitimate reasons for needing specific classes. TCU has improved advising and registration with FrogNet. With online registration, students and faculty no longer have to deal with finding lost paperwork and scheduling advising appointments. In addition, students can choose not to see their adviser at all. Instead of being viewed as the fall guy when a student makes a poor scheduling choice, faculty can take on more of mentor's role. It's the student's responsibility to make sure they are taking the right classes. These improvements will make the registration process easier for most students. But TCU should offer help for students on strict course plans who may face serious scheduling problems if classes they need are closed. Special measures should not be taken for just anyone who wants to get in a class that has closed. But students who do need classes during a certain semester should be able to get them. TCU should not work against students who face special academic circumstances simply because they are not athletes. And students who know they would be in dire straits if a class closes shouldn't expect a special favor from the Registrar's Office at the last minute. Instead, students should plan ahead. If the university is willing to grant priority registration, students should notify the Registrar's Office before advising and registration begins. If TCU is "about you" during the admission process, it should be "about you" during registration. What we experience from one semester to the next determines whether we stay or leave TCU. All students with special circumstances deserve help.
Aimée Courtice is a senior news-editorial journalism major from San Diego, Calif. She can be reached at (aecourtice-@delta.is.tcu.edu). Playing it safe won't help Bush win The headline in Wednesday's Fort Worth Star-Telegram said it all: "Bush advocates morality in schools." Gee, thanks, G-Dub. In a speech to the Northern White Mountain Chamber of Commerce, Gov. George W. Bush said Tuesday that if he were president, he would make moral values and discipline as important as reading, 'riting and 'rithmetic. Well isn't that special? As the GOP frontrunner for the 2000 nomination, this is the perfect time for him to stress the importance of morals and discipline. What better time for Bush to gain a few votes from those who are convinced that the good ol' days of respecting and obeying public school teachers are long gone? There's no doubt that levels of respect in schools have gone from slim to slimmer. Many kids don't learn those lessons at home, so it's logical that these lessons should be taught in schools. The Star-Telegram reported that Bush called for tripling the annual federal investment in "character education" programs from $8 million to about $25 million. These lessons, the Star-Telegram reported, would train teachers to incorporate lessons in virtues into the school curriculum. This might make Bush's campaign seem that much more attractive to voters unconvinced of his political prowess, but his endorsement of morality in the classrom earns more questions than votes. Whose morals will this curriculum be based on? Will stuffed-shirt school board members write the "morals" for students in their districts, or will a politically correct group of four Hispanic women, three white men, two black women and a partridge in a pear tree decide which morals to teach? Our nation can't even agree on sex-education programs. While school board leaders and politicians debate the best way to teach students about sex, children are having children. Children are getting diseases. Children are dying, and these leaders can't decide whether or not teachers should say "condom" in classes. But does Bush have to speak out for morality in the classroom? As a product of the public school system, I know classrooms need help. And that's probably something that most other people know, too. It's great that Bush supports building character in the school system. But this is a topic that goes without saying, and it deserves more than campaign promises to score votes and a party nomination. Maybe before he goes about advocating Morality 101 (as if anyone would not support morals and discipline), Bush should speak about his views on other issues that not everyone agrees on. Campaigning is not about stating the obvious.
Opinion Editor Laura Head is a junior news-editorial journalism major from Shreveport, La. She can be reached at (lahead@delta.is.tcu.edu). Letters to the editor Abstinence is self-control and learning appreciation of sexuality We feel that we must respond to the incredible opinions voiced in "Dangerous Sex Education" (published Oct. 28). SheriAnn Spicer alleges that "these programs use numerous scare tactics to convince teenagers that sex is a bad thing that somehow becomes OK only after marriage." Chastity is about developing self-control, the ability to control the attraction and not act like animals. We don't "preach" that sex is terrible at all. This movement of sex education is attempting to teach teenagers to appreciate the gift of sexuality. We know from personal experience in dealing with teenagers that 80 percent wish they had waited until marriage. As far as methods of protection, let us talk about so-called "protection." The traditional protection most prevalent in society is the condom. Made out of latex, this material is not completely solid because it has microscopic holes. These holes can be up to five microns wide, small enough to prevent a pregnancy (if it doesn't break, and they are not known for their durability), but much larger than most viruses. The HIV/AIDS virus is only one-tenth of one micron in size and according to the American Medical Association journal, condoms were reported to have a 30 percent failure rate in preventing the transmission of AIDS. We are dealing with life and death here nobody wants their brakes to work 70 percent of the time! Besides that, think about saving yourself for that special night. After committing yourself to the one person, you are going to be with for the rest of your life, THEN give yourself totally to that person. It is a gift that means something very special when it has not been given to everyone else. Lori Lopez junior sociology major Lori Ball junior criminal justice major |
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