| Time For Action
Many people around the campus have high hopes for the newly formed Commission on the Future of TCU. The 450-member commission is split into 17 task forces which will begin to redefine "the TCU way" when it meets for the first time today. It will present its findings in June, and the Board of Trustees will then prioritize the findings for the university. Michael Sacken, a professor of education, said universities at the next level are traditionally defined as those that create knowledge through graduate and research programs. "The history of TCU is such that you would almost have to burn it to the ground and rebuild it to make certain changes," he said. "It is built on the undergraduate tradition ...(people) don't want to make it a cutthroat place." But for TCU to move to the next level, changes must be made in the academic structure of the university. All areas of higher education: academics, diversity and sense of community must be strengthened. And this commission is just the thing to initiate these changes. With voices coming from students, faculty, staff and other stakeholders in the university,the commission represents a diverse population of opinions. The commission is a step in the right direction, and one long overdue. We hope it is as effective as it aims to be. However, the time has come for us to see results instead of plans and actions instead of ideas. There seems to be a lot of communication between faculty and staff organizations, but we've failed to see changes in major university policies. But at the turn of the century, the university is positioned for change. It's time to see these ideas become a reality. And it's time for these leaders to make it happen.
Point of protest lost in 'racial' conflict I am really disturbed by something, and I'm almost afraid to go there. It has a hint of racial controversy, which is something that requires delicate handling. So many people have created an injustice. Seven black high school students in Decatur, Ill., started a large brawl at a Friday night football game in September. It began when the students initiated a fight between rival schools, MacArthur High School and Eisenhower High School, which spread from bleacher to bleacher. Adults were even in on the action, attacking and defending themselves as needed. The football game in progress came to a halt for 10 minutes until police could gain control. Out of this mess, those seven students were expelled from their respective schools for two years, which was reduced to one year after consideration. Though no one at the game was seriously injured, the potential was definitely there. The school board in Decatur had implemented a zero-tolerance policy, and the guidelines call for the strict punishment that was given to them. At first, people stood beside the school board. That was before the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition rode into town. The Rainbow/PUSH Coalition is a multiracial organization with an international membership founded by the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, according to the Web site of the Herald and Review newspaper in Decatur. So here is where the racial implication comes in. Jackson arrived in Decatur last week and caused some uproar. Jackson, locked arm-in-arm with supporters, led the expelled students and about 2,000 other people through the streets of Decatur. He was protesting that expulsion was not the answer for the students. Of course, Jackson drew more than just spectators. The Indiana-based American Knights of the Ku Klux Klan showed up with about 200 members to question Jackson's involvement in the expulsion. Not only that, but Matt Hale, leader of the white supremacist group, World Church of the Creator, was on hand also protesting Jackson's involvement. The march turned into a racial issue, and the real purpose for the demonstration was lost. People along the streets jumped in behind Jackson with signs on their backs reading, "Death to the KKK." Police made a line with yellow police tape so that the groups could not get within 100 feet of each other. One has to expect opposition, especially from the KKK, whose ignorance always shines through. But I do think Jackson's presence in this town is completely unnecessary. Why did he decide this issue needed to be put in front of the cameras? His photos are all over the newspapers, but I barely found pictures of the expelled students. Jackson is turning this into a protest reminiscent of the 1960s. He asked the crowd at a MacArthur High School rally Sunday how many of them would be willing to get arrested for the cause. Almost everyone raised a hand, even little children watching as they straddled a parent's shoulders, according to the Herald and Review Web site. I doubt 75 percent of those kids knew what they were raising their hands for. Risking arrest should be the last move in a fight, and by far not the best example for those students. Desperate situations do call for desperate measures, but I would hardly call this a desperate situation. Heaven forbid those kids might actually have to pay for the consequences of their actions. The students are being offered alternative schooling. They are not being hung out to dry. The school board knows these kids need an education. Most of the townspeople are upset now because their school board has been mocked and challenged by Jackson. They feel he is trying to run their schools, and they are sick of being in the news. So they should end it, jump off the bandwagon, and tell Jackson and his entourage to hit the road.
Courtney Roach is a sophomore broadcast journalism major from Springfield, Mo. She can be reached at (caroach@delta.is.tcu.edu). Federal money should benefit those who need it most Every other Friday, I wake up with a bigger smile on my face than usual. I actually look forward to getting my mail. I open up my tiny box, and I pull out my purple paycheck. It is amazing how excited a person can get over $100, give or take a bit. But when I look at my stub, frustration creeps in. I hate that I only make minimum wage. I find myself saying, "This paycheck is a travesty." I think I deserve more. If Congress can get through the other budget bills it is trying to pass before it ends this year's session Wednesday, it will likely vote on a bill aimed at increasing the minimum wage by a dollar. When I first read this news, my heart leapt with delight. But once I got to the third paragraph, my heart sank. The article went on to say several people in Congress are opposed to the bill because they believe increasing minimum wage will only help people like me. What's wrong with helping me? I work hard for my money. I could use my afternoons studying or enjoying the sunshine, but instead I file papers and answer phones. That extra dollar an hour would make my life a lot easier, or at least a lot more fun on the weekends. Downtown Fort Worth is not cheap. Dallas is even more expensive. I want my congressmen to do me a favor. What's wrong with that? The bill's opponents are saying that raising the minimum wage should not be about helping the average upper middle-class high school or college student add a little bit more to their meager bank accounts. Raising the minimum wage should be about helping the poor people of this country find a better life. They suggest the federal monies that would be put toward a wage increase would be better spent on social programs designed to help get thousands of hungry and homeless Americans off the streets. Although I am skeptical about how more government programming can change the poverty in this country, their point is well taken. Here at TCU and around this country, students lose touch with the value of money. I count myself among that sad group. There I sat in front of my $2,000 computer system wishing I had just a little bit more cash on hand. Then the facts hit me. The money I spent on my Gateway was enough to pay rent and buy food for some of my neighbors just down the street. I just want the minimum wage to go up so I can buy more things from the Gap - on sale of course. For many in this country, an increase in the minimum wage might mean they won't have to work three jobs. I can get a job anywhere. I'm a college student, not an ex-con with a felony conviction. If I really need something, I know I can call my parents. I've never known what it's like to be hungry or cold or scared. I have no perspective on the issues that face people who live in poverty. This week is Hunger Week. This week may also be the week that Congress decides what to do about the minimum wage in America. I would never have made a connection between the two until now. The minimum wage should go up, but I want it to reward those people that need it the most: the people outside the bubble.
Jaime Walker is a sophomore news-editorial journalism and political science double major from Roswell, Ga. She can be reached at (jlwalker@delta.is.tcu.edu). 'C' in TCU should not define university mentality and image It always amazes me what words can mean to people. Some folks will say, "Just kidding. It was only a joke, and it didn't mean anything," with great consistency. Freudian psychology would tell us that none of these are true. Everything we say has a meaning, and when words become symbols for strong beliefs, especially of the religious type, the defense or obliteration of these words can be down right dangerous. The word I'm speaking of particularly is "Christian." The word itself can be perceived in an infinite number of ways, but for students here, it is generally thought of as the middle initial in our acronym. It's also a word which has come under a shadow of controversy. Rumors have circulated about attempts to take the blessed "C" out of circulation and simply use the rest of the acronym to represent us. I'm not sure how TCU could actually be pronounced, but the inevitable "Bless you" would surely follow. Here we are left with speculation and a big debate, which challenges us on a number of levels. From a marketing standpoint, the word "Christian" itself acts as an automatic flag word for promising students flipping through their grossly enlarged Princeton Review guidebooks. I just picture a prospective senior in Delaware with no actual background on TCU thinking, "Hum, Christian, 40 percent Greek, in a place called Cowtown. Sounds open-minded to me." You may not think this is how it works, but it is. While the TCU bubble might be comforting for those of us who live in it, those who don't might not be inspired to read further. From another point of view, I wonder what the actual moral advantage of being affiliated with the Christians actually is. They shut down both Aristotle's Lyceum and Plato's Academy, making one wonder if Christians really are education-friendly. They're responsible for the Crusades and the deaths of many moral human beings. I've heard people say they want to put the "Christian" back into TCU. Even a member of the House of Student Representatives stated that as a goal during a brainstorming session. There are other groups in history who have tried to put Christianity back into the world. Maybe they were just trying to put the "Christian" back in Muslim during the Crusades or the "Christian" back in genocide during Holocaust. From all these examples, we find reasons to be watchful and mindful of our words - especially the ones we believe in. We must choose our religion for us alone, not for others. I recently saw the movie, "Dogma," where a particular line caught my attention. This farcical criticism of the Catholic Church made me jump for joy when the 13th apostle, Rufus, played by Chris Rock, states, "Beliefs are dangerous. What people need to have are ideas." It is particularly pertinent to our situation, seeing that the main goal of a university is to protect and encourage ideas, no matter how radical they may be and to leave beliefs to critical inquiry and criticism. The job of the administration is not to make TCU attractive for people who want a church camp experience but for people who want to challenge both their minds and their faith. I have spent a number of nights considering my morals, actions and the way I really treat people, and it wasn't a church service or a Christian community that brought about these thoughts. It's a combination of class work, parties, relationships and conversations that have challenged me to start thinking. I acknowledge that religion - any religion - can be very healthy, but one belief alone is dangerous. One kind of thinking leaves no room for a diversity of ideas. Be mindful of the "C," but don't let it define us. Keep this Lyceum open.
Matthew Colglazier is a freshman news-editorial journalism major from Fort Worth. He can be reached at (mscolglazier@delta.is.tcu.edu). |
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