Vote Democrat
Tomorrow you will make one of the most important decisions of your life. You will vote.
Many of you might be thinking that I am exaggerating this decision, so I shall explain. You are frustrated that your work study was cut 90 percent this year so you will have to work full time off campus in order to afford school. And (you are frustrated) you have to go to school full time because you would like to get a job paying a living wage before you turn 30 and have a job, preferably. However, because you think that voting is pointless, especially after Florida 2000, you decide not to vote.
Yet you continue to bitch about tuition and nothing changes. I wonder what you could do to quit bitching about school and actually do something about it? Wait! I know! You could vote! Think of the possibilities.
You vote for, say, a Democrat because they care about education and not making sure that the top 1 percent of this country can continue to keep their several multi-million dollar homes around the world by not taxing them their fair share.
So you vote for Walter Mondale, who is running for U.S. Senator to carry on Sen. Paul Wellstone's ideals and liberalism. And you will ask, what are his credentials? He was Minnesota Attorney General from 1960 to 1964, he was a United States Senator from 1965-1976, he was Vice President to Jimmy Carter from 1977 to 1981, he was a Democratic Presidential Candidate in 1984, and he was ambassador to Japan from 1993 to 1996. I think you know he is qualified, but he is also a good and kind man.
Anyway, I am going off topic, back to voting for a Democrat. So you vote for a Democrat and what does that get you? Well you know that Democrats are going to fight to lower tuition and reinstate work study, and you might think that is good enough. What you don't know is that by voting for a Democrat you make sure that the majority of people in the U.S. Senate are Democrats so you know that the chances of these bills, that the Democrats have fought so hard to get passed, probably will, because you don't have Republicans constantly voting them down.
More than anything else though, no matter how your vote is cast, make sure that you vote, because your vote does count
Cheyenne Malcolm
Freshman
Student government thanked
I would like to commend the SCSU student government in proposing a piece of legislation that will greatly benefit the students at St. Cloud State. Oftentimes, I have been forced to give over my social security number in class, and that is all professors have known me as. In this globalized world, where the possession of a social security number can basically eliminate the existence of a person, the use of a student ID number makes more logical sense. Also, maybe this will motivate some professors to knowing students' names, and not knowing them by 1234567. Isn't it easier to remember a first and/or second name instead of seven numbers?
Serafina Scholl
Senior, International Relations
A clarification
Regarding my remarks as quoted in the 10/31 article on using Social Security numbers ("Students seek privacy, Thurs., Oct. 31), I won't say I was misquoted, as I may not have been clear. I have never used Social Security numbers. As a person who has taught a privacy seminar and is very concerned about privacy, I think it is wrong to use full Social Security numbers.
It is perfectly legal and proper to use something like the last four digits of a student tech ID. Faculty don't have to ask students for a tech ID. It is readily available to us. Regardless, we should all take steps to make sure there is no personal linkage. Without some type of ID, I could not post grades on my web site and students would have to wait days, or longer, until class for their grades or many days for their final grades. If pressed, I could find some other legal way to post grades by some type of unique ID.
Dr. Steve Frank,
Department of Political Science
Professor & Chair
Story links absurdity
I came across the lastest issue of (University) Chronicle (Thurs, Oct. 31), to find a specific article rather disappointing in many ways.
The article reads: "Artwork Links Cultures," by Paul Solsrud. The article was about the art featured in our Atwood Gallery. Not once was the coordinator, or the advisor to the Visual Arts Committee questioned or quoted for this. Wouldn't you think these would be the first people you would contact?
I do understand getting the 'live-student opinion,' but as a mass communications student myself, I believe a thoroughly researched and well thought out story would be the most presentable.
Also, a quote was put in, of a student by the name of Joe Zeirden, of whom did not particularly care for the work. He was quoted saying the following: "Art is lame and a waste of resources, but still intriguing,...I like the circles, they are the best, and SC football rules."
What kind of a joke is that? It is called editing the quote. The football team and its record has absolutely NOTHING to do with this work. Do your job professionally, or don't do it at all.
This brings forth a variety of concerns for me.
First of all, I am a member of the Visual Arts Committee. While we do understand that not everyone enjoys the art displayed, I do know that we would have really enjoyed to have a part in the input of this pathetic story.
Editors, I encourage you to thoroughly use the resources and training you have, have discretion, and be respectful of every side of the story.
I am looking forward to seeing (University) Chronicle, (the most budgeted non-director organization) to be looking into the best possible reporting they can offer.
Please address these concerns.
Desiree Westby
5th Year, Mass Communications,
Communications Studies Majors
