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Letters to the Editor
It's time to grow up, kiddies
It's time to grow up. I was reading the various articles regarding the magazines in Atwood and all I could think to myself was . . .how pathetic. I am a 22-year-old male student and I see nothing wrong with any of the magazines Atwood offers. I find it hilarious that people would complain over such a petty issue. It's not like SCSU is saying you must look like these people or you're not desirable. I have many friends in other schools that have magazines such as Playboy at their college bookstore. But, then again, they have a student body that doesn't complain about everything under the sun. When I go to Cub foods they do the same thing with their magazines by blocking out the front covers. We are not children here so let's stop acting like it. Grow up, their just magazines, and damn good ones at that.
Thank you to the editorial board for having enough sense to stand up for this matter. I am eagerly waiting what opinion letters I will get from this. . .Let the complaining begin. Or should I say, continue.
Josh Arnold
Mass. Comm. Major
We must value free speech
I was disturbed to hear about the controversy over "sexist" magazines at the Atwood information desk. Personally, I agree that the images shown in these magazines can be derogatory, but as the enlightenment philosopher Voltaire reportedly said, "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." Our constitution provides nowhere for a "freedom to never once be offended in your entire life." However, it does provide for freedom of expression.
There's no way a person can live for his entire life without being offended (and I'm sure I just offended several with my use of a gender specific pronoun). But it's the coward's path to just try to hide what offends you. Use that energy to go out and make a real change! Educate someone. Break a stereotype. It feels comfortable to remove the immediate cause of offense, but this temporary comfort won't change the treatment of women � it will only make a few people walk an extra mile or so, and it will show that our campus puts no value on freedom of speech.
Hunter J. Elenbaas,
Freshman, Aviation Major
The real facts
Question: What corporation owns Sports Illustrated?
Answer: AOL Time Warner
Question: Who is the CEO of AOL Time Warner?
Answer: Ted Turner
Question: What Major League Baseball team is owned by Ted Turner?
Answer: The Atlanta Braves
The fact of the matter is that polls and "statistics" can easily be manipulated or tainted to tailor-fit an anticipated outcome or result.
Anyone interested in finding out how REAL natives feel about the mascot issue, you're more than welcome to attend any American Indian Student Organization meeting and ask about it. If that's not enough, go to any reservation and ask for yourself. We believe that your findings will differ greatly from SI's so called "facts."
Cory Lawrence
Secondary Education, HURL
Spirit Lake Dakota
Dan Martinez
Business Economics/Spanish
SCSU is not student friendly
Recently, I received a $15 parking ticket on a street near campus. I had asked the parking violations officer how many tickets he writes a day. He told me that he writes about 80 tickets a day. Even at $10 per ticket, that is $800 a day from SCSU students. Now, I wonder what priorities the administration at SCSU has. They turn their heads at the severe parking problem, but they have the money to build a new sports facility. Perhaps, as children, they were allowed to eat their dessert before they ate their meal.
These administration people put a premium on what is a luxury as the city of St. Cloud bleeds $800 a day from students who have to commute.
If only 3,000 students live in dorms, that leaves 12,000 students to live off campus, yet leaders at SCSU do very little to deal with the parking problem at SCSU.
SCSU is not a student friendly campus. it seems wherever I turn, someone is there to profit off of students. What does the present administration teach students at SCSU? They teach that, if you want a new sports facility, go ahead and build it by raising fees, but when there are real issues like parking, they come second to luxury wants. They cannot tell the difference between wants and needs.
Thomas. H. Anderson
Graduate Student
State issued morality?
The considering of banning magazines like Maxim and Cosmopolitan should be looked at very closely. Indeed, some are offended by sexually-orientated pictures and half-dressed models. But, is that a reason to ban the magazines?
This question involves freedom of speech. These magazines will argue that although the pictures on the magazines are revealing, it is a form of artistic expression and therefore is protected under the first amendment. The U.S. Supreme Court strongly protects our first amendment rights to freedom of speech, press and religion. The very question of defining artistic merit has come before the Court on many occasions. As recently as this summer, the Court ruled in Ashcroft v. Free Speech Coalition that animated child pornography was protected free speech. Furthermore, the Court considers nude dancing as artistic expression. The banning of the magazines in question clearly will violate the first amendment. If the court considers child pornography and nude dancing artistic, a model in a swimsuit is clearly protected.
Regarding the argument that Atwood should reflect the values of this campus, I am shocked this is even an issue. St. Cloud State is an arm of the state government and is publicly funded. As part of the state government, we are banned from establishing campus values. Margaret Voss's statement that we should get educated on the issue so "we have a good moral base so that when we come to a university we can make good choices" is self incriminating. SCSU cannot base decisions off moral, Ms. Voss, because morals are rooted in religion. As an arm of the state, it is unconstitutional for SCSU to make decisions based off "morality," even if it reflects the popular definition. The reason for this: it would bring religion into a government agency's decision-making.
Freedom of speech was meant to protect speech of a "scientific, political, or artistic" nature against those who feel offended by it. St. John's, because it is a private school and not funded by public money, can ban anything it wants as the Constitution only protects the rights of citizens against the government.
Since private schools are not an arm of the government, they can have an established religion and ban whatever they want from their campus. SCSU doesn't have that luxury, and although some may not like it, it is forced to remain an unbiased and unreligious campus protecting the principle of free speech.
Dan Johnson
Senior, Political Science Major
Privilege
When we talk about discrimination, let's be careful not to dismiss our privilege. I am against white male bashing, but I think it is accurate to categorize white people and males as privileged groups. People sometimes misunderstand and mistake this process of categorizing as a form of "bashing." In my understanding, the purpose for drawing a line between the powerful group and others is to clarify and reform the system that oppresses.
I am willing to accept policies that boost the equality of disadvantaged people even if it makes me feel less powerful. I am from Japan, which is a "first world" country. I have had power over the poor since I was born. For that reason, it is my responsibility to build a fair world. My ancestors used other Asian people as forced laborers in the past. I think it is the Japanese people's obligation to give reparations to the victims' offspring.
The point of this argument is that the majority of people in dominant and powerful groups have benefited and still benefit from the discrimination against minorities and less powerful groups.
For example, if a child is in the dominant group in society, the person is able to obtain a computer to study because her/his parents could afford to buy it. On the other hand, a student in an American Indian community may not have a chance to have his/her own computer because the parents live in absolute poverty.
Dominant groups in society do inherit more opportunities as a result of slavery, colonialism, racism, sexism, and unfair trade practices. Thus, people in the dominant groups are responsible for building a fair society.
Ayako Mochizuki
Graduate Student
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