Waiting For Apology
It was about this time last year when I called on Chris Giovarelli, then the newly crowned 'winner' of the BYUSA election, to resign. I felt the manner of his ascension was unbecoming, and that he clearly didn't deserve the office. I also mentioned the BYUSA election system was ineffective. I was quite gratified to see that Giovarelli agrees with me in the March 2 edition of The Daily Universe.
He hasn't resigned, of course, (more's the pity) but he did state the system only works if students vote. Students do not vote (only one in 10 voted in the 'election' that swept him into power) so by his own logic, the system is broken. It's too bad he delayed admitting this until the end of his term, thus missing out on the blessings he could have received by sacrificing his position in the name of honesty, but better late than never, right?
Last year we had a BYUSA employee, Todd Hendricks, making headlines with his criticism of the broken system. This year we have the unelected backroom-selectee 'president' essentially admitting that Hendricks was right. Reform does not seem imminent.
Who, exactly, would have to speak up for the system to get fixed?
Peter Johnston
Lexington, Mass.
Corralled at Marriott
Shame on BYU and shame on the athletic department. They bold-faced lied to the students. Their bogus promises of respectable seats at the BYU/Utah game were the impetus for devoted Cougar fans to skip class and reschedule their entire day in order to be at the Marriott Center to get 'good' seats.
But only after they corralled us into the Marriott Center and made us endure two hours of a spectacle that can hardly be called sport, and a half hour of post game show. Did they slap us all collectively in the face?
We had waited outside, enduring torrid weather and game, to save seats for faculty and staff. Where were they while airball after airball were being hoisted? We on the other hand were being relegated to the upper regions of the Marriott Center. Where is Section 128 anyway? I only wish I could've sat there for the girl's game.
Insult to injury. We were herded out single file, row-by-row like second graders going to the bathroom, or lunch, or recess, or anything else second graders do. To whom it may concern, I'm not in second grade anymore. Such order was not necessary as surely no one was fighting for seats in Section 128.
Shame on BYU. Next year, let's have some honest advertising about the ticket distribution; we could even call it an Honor Code for advertising. Don't slap us in the face by lying to us; we are adults, after all.
Mark Sanders
Fairfield, Calif.
Blades of Shame
I am very disappointed The Daily Universe would include an ad for a movie as distasteful and as contrary to what BYU stands for as you did on March 2, in publishing the ad for the movie 'Blades of Glory,' a movie about two male ice skaters skating as a team in a couple-ice-skating competition.
Although the film doesn't go as far as making the characters gay, nonetheless from the trailer and the topic of the film, it is apparent that it goes way too far in crudeness and suggestiveness. Of course, I'm even more disappointed Jon Heder has succumbed to such filth, and acted in such a disgusting movie, one which especially goes against what the LDS church teaches (of which he's not only a member, but a returned missionary), and encouraging and making light of immorality. In light of his bad example, how could our very own BYU newspaper encourage such conduct, by supporting his film in any way by putting that ad in our newspaper?
We need to rise above this, and find those films that are truly uplifting, which will change the world for good, and not for evil.
Steven Schmidt
Sandy
Liberals are Human Too
There are times when taking a divergent political stance on this campus can produce a somewhat unfavorable response from the general university population. It takes great courage of one's convictions to stand true in the face of possible public reprimand. The author of 'Pray unites' (March 2) did just this, and I just want to tip my hat to him. The letter said 'From campus-wide Devotionals to small study groups, all are silent for the prayer. It doesn't matter if you are sure the person next to you is a heathen or even a liberal. When push comes to shove the people on this campus all have a deep respect for their Creator.' In just three short sentences the author made a strong statement on an oft-debated BYU political topic: Liberals have souls.
We pray. We believe in God. And yes, believe it or not, we even go to church, hold callings and serve missions. In fact, for many of us 'liberal' students, it is our religious conviction that motivates us to support left-leaning policies. So yes I will gladly bow my head with you and all the other 'heathens' out there in reverence to my God. How wonderful to believe in a Supreme Being that has a place in His heart for all His children, even the 'liberal' ones.
Darren Jackson
Ashburn, Va.
Diverse Presidential Election
The year 2008 holds myriad potential. First of all, we must realize this upcoming election year can (and should) be a phenomenal period of new governmental standards. If we were to take a step back from the rhetoric of belligerent pundits of the left and right side, we would see that our country is setting new standards for presidential qualifications.
This upcoming election year could raise that bar even a little more. We see both Republicans and Democrats striving to be the first in their field. Presidential hopefuls Mitt Romney, Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama could be the first LDS, female or African-American president; an accomplishment that would spawn the dawning of a new generation of American political leaders.
If we are truly striving to prove affirmative action is the apex of American idolatry, then we ought to do the following: Everyone should vote for Gladys Knight and we could successfully vote in the first female, African-American, LDS President of the United States.
Brad Miller
Winslow, Ariz.
Nix on Parking Meters
Provo City should waste less time and money finding ways to take our money and do more finding ways to use it - to our benefit. I'm fine with taxes and tolls and whatever else as long as they're actually using it to benefit us or better our lives. I've been a Provo resident now for more than a year and have spent the last nine months living in the 'Joaquin' neighborhood, a neighborhood mainly composed of students. I pay my taxes, yet what's been done with my money? Nothing. It's the same neighborhood it was nine months ago. If they want to help us in that neighborhood, they should improve it.
I'm talking about better-lit crosswalks and intersections (Remember the accident in that same neighborhood only a few weeks ago in a crosswalk? What's being done?), improved streets and sidewalks (You try walking the sidewalks at night), better traffic control and visibility (Try driving through there at any time), and that would just be a good start. I whole-heartedly agree with the article saying Provo City doesn't recognize or appreciate the 35,000-plus students supporting the Provo economy as Provo residents, and especially those of us that are real-life tax-paying residents of Utah. We shouldn't feel threatened traveling through our own neighborhoods and on our own streets. We need improvements, not restrictions.
Joshua Hiram
Provo
More Thanks for Domestic Abuse Coverage
Thank you for the breadth and depth coverage last week about the terrible problems of family violence. It was one of the best series I've ever seen The Daily Universe address, regarding a topic of vital importance to the LDS and BYU community. I speak from three decades of witnessing the sorrow, pain and emotional disaster that occurs from spouse abuse. I have counseled students over the years, as well as ward members, neighbors and extended family. It's a huge problem in our culture that is largely either denied or overlooked.
But it is devastating to the women who suffer from domestic abuse, and often to their children, as well. Unfortunately I've seen too many BYU males and return missionaries, who perpetrated the violence, as well as faculty who denied or minimized it. As a campus feminist, who seeks to advocate social justice in Mormon society, both locally and worldwide, I appreciate you bringing this matter out into the open. Your in-depth analysis, poignant stories, and actual data regarding statistics and trends are vital to building the awareness necessary to confront these issues in our community. Until we do more than merely give talks that condemn such practices, these problems will never be reduced or cease. Thanks again for your superb articles.
Warner P. Woodworth, Ph.D.
Social Entrepreneur/Professor
Marriott School / BYU
786 Tanner
Provo, UT 84602
WEB LETTERS
Broken Promises
Let's recall all the things BYUSA has promised and never delivered: public student ratings of teachers, extra exits to the library and fair off-campus housing. Did anyone believe they could follow-through on these? Why not just promise to install transporters from Star Trek all over campus to make parking and walking obsolete? It's no worse than anything else we've been promised by our 'representatives.'
On that notes, does anyone believe BYUSA represents the student body? In the last 3 years, the front-runner has been disqualified for spurious reasons. Instead, the winner was whoever dug up more dirt about their neighbor.
Rather than having the person who finds fault with his neighbor win, let's just have President Samuelson choose his preferred puppets. BYUSA's responses to student complaints just parrot what he says anyway.
Furthermore, change the title to 'BYU activities committee.' See how many people volunteer for the job when the opportunity to pad their resume isn't there. Maybe we'll finally get someone who cares about the students more than their own glory.
Craig Rich
Deltona, Fla.
BYUSA Nonsense
BYUSA president Christopher Giovarelli in his viewpoint article March 2 claimed students 'elected the current executive BYUSA presidency on the campaign promise of extending the library's hours ...' This statement came a few paragraphs after he said BYUSA is not an executive board. My question is, 'Do you really think that's what got you elected?' My encounters with BYUSA have always left me feeling dissatisfied. After reading comments like Giovarelli's, quite frankly I feel disgusted.
Last year's elections, like years before, were inundated with controversy. It is common knowledge how Linford, and Romney were robbed of the campaign because they got a good deal on copies. The year before it was a similarly ridiculous defamation that disqualified the frontrunners. I'm sorry, Christopher Giovarelli, you won by default, you were not the student's choice, it had nothing to do with your campaign promises, and you still would have lost if Linford/Romney's staff had paid full price for their printing.
Now in the long run perhaps this doesn't matter, and to me it doesn't, the elections are more like glorified popularity contests. However, what infuriates me is when people like Todd Hendricks get fired, because they express an opinion. I don't know how anyone after reading the letter he wrote could in his or her right mind justify him being fired. BYUSA can talk all they want about students serving students, but how are they going to control the damage something like the Hendrick's incident has on PR for BYU?
Dustin Draper
Orem
Annoying Campaigns
If any of you are as frustrated as I am with the extremely annoying BYUSA campaign of the 'Orange' campaign team, fear not: we have a solution. This year there are only two teams running, one that which has been extremely over-the-top in pestering anyone within earshot with the refrain of 'JasonandJohn.com,' and the other which has been relatively low-key and mellow in their campaigning.
I do not pretend to care which candidates are awarded the dubious honor of sitting front and center at every BYU Devotional and forum next year. I do care, however, that candidates get the message that annoying campaigning backfires. For that reason, I urge every other BYUSA-apathetic voter to take a couple of minutes and vote for Summer and Devon, if only so that next year's candidates won't stand atop a pile of frozen snow and sing their campaign song all day long.
Brian Wall
Henderson, Nev.