2008 Woodie Awards
Letters to the editor
Issue date: 2/22/08 Section: Opinion
Senate should overturn veto
The following is an oratory, prepared for Tuesday's Associated Student Government meeting, in favor of overriding the veto on Resolution XI. Prior to that meeting, the Senate unanimously approved of Resolution XI. However, President Looney, against all, vetoed the resolution afterward:
Esteemed senators, my friends and fellow students, tonight begins a journey with an unknown destination.
Having been elected by our fellow students, we as the legislative body, act on their behalf. It is our duty to voice and discuss their concerns, for theirs are ours. Has ever an issue concerning the benefit of the campus brought more concern from our fellow students than the matter at hand? Has ever an issue concerning the mighty power of the veto brought more focus from the Traveler than the matter at hand before?
Are we but a good group of forgetful old ladies and gentlemen? Have we already forgotten our systematic reasoning and our unanimous vote on this legislation on that thunder-clattering night not so long ago? Or perhaps are we too easily swayed by the opinion of others that we would taste the venom to see if it's deadly?
Have we the pitiful reading level of no better than an eighth-grader that we fail to understand the simple request and formation of an Ad-Hoc committee in the legislation? Or is it the others who failed to understand and gave us the unjust veto for which we are here tonight to decide for ourselves, and for our supporting fellow students?
If the veto stands, this legislation will be no more. What purpose, then, does this legislative body serve if legislation is no more, if everything was negotiated under the table between some head figure and another head figure in the UA Administration?
Seek out your hearts and let us convocate our votes. Together, let us set this in motion and keep moving forward.
Tom Zhang
ASG senator
Fulbright College
Kids are a disturbance
I have noticed lately the increasing number of children being brought to the campus by their parents or grandparents. Is there nothing sacred anymore? There seems to be no place where an adult can go to get away from the distraction of children.
One of the holiest places on campus for me is Mullins Library. I can generally count on finding a sanctuary to work and read there, but no more.
To those of you who think it is OK to bring children here, it is not. Please respect our wishes. We pay big bucks for the privilege to have a place to work free from distraction.
Marti Suchsland
Senior
Education
Armed Professors
The most recent violence on a college campus has me thinking back to Arkansas' history of school shootings. From elementary schools to higher education, the odds of getting shot in school are high in Arkansas.
As a long time gun owner, I would feel a lot safer if the laws of the state extended to the school I attend. I hear arguments against students and professors carrying arms to class; most of the arguments conclude with "We pay people to protect us."
No one ever mentions the events at the Appalachian School of Law when students with privately owned firearms subdued a shooter (Jan. 16, 2002).
The people who are paid to protect us are the least likely to be in a classroom when a violent situation occurs. If the most highly educated individuals on campus had the option of carrying a concealed firearm the odds of a deranged individual taking any lives with them would be greatly decreased.
I don't know which horrifies me more, another shooting or the fact that everyone cowered on the floor in silence then bolted after the man shot himself. No one threw anything at him; no one had mace, or a tazer or even a cane. They just cowered in silence, waiting to be slaughtered like sheep.
If the students had rushed the gunman en masse and ripped him limb from limb the casualties would be about the same or lower, because he had to reload twice. Perhaps the next madman would choose some place other than a campus to end his life.
Let professors arm themselves, let students carry swords, knives, clubs, mace, tazers, black jacks and even firearms. Not only will it be safer, the campus will be much more polite.
Nathan Landry
Senior
Undeclared
The following is an oratory, prepared for Tuesday's Associated Student Government meeting, in favor of overriding the veto on Resolution XI. Prior to that meeting, the Senate unanimously approved of Resolution XI. However, President Looney, against all, vetoed the resolution afterward:
Esteemed senators, my friends and fellow students, tonight begins a journey with an unknown destination.
Having been elected by our fellow students, we as the legislative body, act on their behalf. It is our duty to voice and discuss their concerns, for theirs are ours. Has ever an issue concerning the benefit of the campus brought more concern from our fellow students than the matter at hand? Has ever an issue concerning the mighty power of the veto brought more focus from the Traveler than the matter at hand before?
Are we but a good group of forgetful old ladies and gentlemen? Have we already forgotten our systematic reasoning and our unanimous vote on this legislation on that thunder-clattering night not so long ago? Or perhaps are we too easily swayed by the opinion of others that we would taste the venom to see if it's deadly?
Have we the pitiful reading level of no better than an eighth-grader that we fail to understand the simple request and formation of an Ad-Hoc committee in the legislation? Or is it the others who failed to understand and gave us the unjust veto for which we are here tonight to decide for ourselves, and for our supporting fellow students?
If the veto stands, this legislation will be no more. What purpose, then, does this legislative body serve if legislation is no more, if everything was negotiated under the table between some head figure and another head figure in the UA Administration?
Seek out your hearts and let us convocate our votes. Together, let us set this in motion and keep moving forward.
Tom Zhang
ASG senator
Fulbright College
Kids are a disturbance
I have noticed lately the increasing number of children being brought to the campus by their parents or grandparents. Is there nothing sacred anymore? There seems to be no place where an adult can go to get away from the distraction of children.
One of the holiest places on campus for me is Mullins Library. I can generally count on finding a sanctuary to work and read there, but no more.
To those of you who think it is OK to bring children here, it is not. Please respect our wishes. We pay big bucks for the privilege to have a place to work free from distraction.
Marti Suchsland
Senior
Education
Armed Professors
The most recent violence on a college campus has me thinking back to Arkansas' history of school shootings. From elementary schools to higher education, the odds of getting shot in school are high in Arkansas.
As a long time gun owner, I would feel a lot safer if the laws of the state extended to the school I attend. I hear arguments against students and professors carrying arms to class; most of the arguments conclude with "We pay people to protect us."
No one ever mentions the events at the Appalachian School of Law when students with privately owned firearms subdued a shooter (Jan. 16, 2002).
The people who are paid to protect us are the least likely to be in a classroom when a violent situation occurs. If the most highly educated individuals on campus had the option of carrying a concealed firearm the odds of a deranged individual taking any lives with them would be greatly decreased.
I don't know which horrifies me more, another shooting or the fact that everyone cowered on the floor in silence then bolted after the man shot himself. No one threw anything at him; no one had mace, or a tazer or even a cane. They just cowered in silence, waiting to be slaughtered like sheep.
If the students had rushed the gunman en masse and ripped him limb from limb the casualties would be about the same or lower, because he had to reload twice. Perhaps the next madman would choose some place other than a campus to end his life.
Let professors arm themselves, let students carry swords, knives, clubs, mace, tazers, black jacks and even firearms. Not only will it be safer, the campus will be much more polite.
Nathan Landry
Senior
Undeclared
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