Letters to the editor
Issue date: 10/29/08 Section: Opinion
Dialogue critical to growth of the ASG
Fellow students,
The ASG office has been busy. It continues to be an honor to serve the student body here at the UA. I am writing today to briefly discuss the UA Student Poll.
The UA Student Poll was an idea that Vice President Jong Shin and I decided to put on our campaign platform in the spring of 2008 as we were planning our campaign. Jong and I saw a great need then, and still do, for students to have an outlet to use their voice and to be represented on campus.
It has been exhilarating to witness a simple idea become a reality. More than 3,900 students have taken the poll with over 900 students writing responses at the end. I have personally read every comment and am thankful for the opportunity that this poll has granted me and all of the ASG to reach students who may not have been before.
I understand that the poll is not perfect. With that being said, neither is the ASG. When Jong and I decided to run for the ASG, we did so because we saw the potential for improvement. It is our desire to give every student on this campus a voice.
I want to sincerely thank everyone for the input, criticism and compliments given as a result of the UA Student Poll. When we decided to release this poll, we knew that it provided the opportunity for criticism, and that's precisely what we want.
Without important dialogue, the ASG will never grow into the representative body that it is intended to be. This poll has opened the door to new ideas and new possibilities.
Already, a number of requests have been made asking for the results of the poll. The ASG executives will be presenting the results to various groups on campus, including the entire Division of Student Affairs. I will personally be delivering the results to Chancellor Gearhart per his request.
I know that there is much work to be done on campus. The ASG has 19,000+ voices to raise to the UA administration and the Arkansas General Assembly. We will continue to work daily to ensure that your voice is heard.
Do not forget to contact us whenever you have questions or concerns. Send an e-mail to asg@uark.edu or stop by our office on the sixth floor of the Arkansas Union. As one of my friends likes to say, "Rich dialogue never gave anyone a cavity."
Again, thank you for your input and criticism. Without it, the ASG can never grow.
Carter Ford
Junior
Biochemistry
ASG president
Creationists will never prove existence of God
Warn the neighbors! The carnival is back in town!
The creationists are back with Dr. Subodh Pandit's search seminar. This ought to be good; he is going to take a couple of hours to prove the existence of God. This is something that people, including some of our greatest philosophers, have?spent thousands of years trying to do.??
I have no problem with that; I'm a believer myself, although I doubt if?anyone will ever prove it. But the advertisement in Wednesday's Traveler?says that "evolution is not real science" and "intelligent design" is. So Pandit is just another fundamentalist who is trying to destroy the?foundations of modern science.
"Intelligent design" is just what?"creationism" has evolved into. The courts, including the Supreme Court,?have repeatedly ruled that creationism has no foundation in science and is?a result of a (mis)interpretation of scripture that the majority of?Christians do not support - for example, the Roman and Orthodox Catholic?churches and many Protestant denominations.??
The fundamentalists are just trying to force their interpretation of the?Christian Bible on everyone. Hence Sarah Palin's call to teach?creationism in public schools.
Anyone who doubts the intent of these?fundamentalists and their basic lack of morality should read the decision?of the judge in the Dover, Penn., case in rejecting intelligent?design. He points out that the fundamentalists repeatedly lied under oath?when they could not evade the questions.
What ever happened to "Thou?shalt not bear false witness"???
Malcolm Cleaveland
Professor emeritus
Geography
Higher education is a privilege, not a right
After beginning the year on his platform of "Students First," our beloved chancellor wants to give in-state tuition rates to a group of 25 illegal immigrants who attend the UA.
Are you kidding me? The operative word here is "illegal," as in they don't belong here. They should not have been permitted to enroll in the first place. How many U.S. citizens and international students were denied admission to make room for them?
Instead of catering to them, Gearhart should be reporting the identities and addresses of these people to the Immigration and Naturalization Service so they can be deported. This is not a matter of race or ethnicity. I could care less if they are blue with green stripes and speak Klingon. It is a matter of principle.
There are proper channels to go through to legally enter the United States. They do not include being smuggled across the border or rafting across the Gulf of Mexico. The university should not reward criminals with reduced tuition. That's right, I said "criminals" - they are breaking the law by being here. Who do you suppose will get stuck paying the difference? Those of us here legally, that's who!
Higher education is not a right, but a privilege. If you want to pursue a college degree here and meet the requirements, obtain a student visa. If you like it here, then get your green card and work toward becoming a citizen. I'll be the first to welcome you to America with open arms. Otherwise, get out of my country.
I encourage all students to write to Gov. Mike Beebe, Sens. Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor, and our next president to make your voices heard.
Brian Cicio
Graduate student
Operations management
Fellow students,
The ASG office has been busy. It continues to be an honor to serve the student body here at the UA. I am writing today to briefly discuss the UA Student Poll.
The UA Student Poll was an idea that Vice President Jong Shin and I decided to put on our campaign platform in the spring of 2008 as we were planning our campaign. Jong and I saw a great need then, and still do, for students to have an outlet to use their voice and to be represented on campus.
It has been exhilarating to witness a simple idea become a reality. More than 3,900 students have taken the poll with over 900 students writing responses at the end. I have personally read every comment and am thankful for the opportunity that this poll has granted me and all of the ASG to reach students who may not have been before.
I understand that the poll is not perfect. With that being said, neither is the ASG. When Jong and I decided to run for the ASG, we did so because we saw the potential for improvement. It is our desire to give every student on this campus a voice.
I want to sincerely thank everyone for the input, criticism and compliments given as a result of the UA Student Poll. When we decided to release this poll, we knew that it provided the opportunity for criticism, and that's precisely what we want.
Without important dialogue, the ASG will never grow into the representative body that it is intended to be. This poll has opened the door to new ideas and new possibilities.
Already, a number of requests have been made asking for the results of the poll. The ASG executives will be presenting the results to various groups on campus, including the entire Division of Student Affairs. I will personally be delivering the results to Chancellor Gearhart per his request.
I know that there is much work to be done on campus. The ASG has 19,000+ voices to raise to the UA administration and the Arkansas General Assembly. We will continue to work daily to ensure that your voice is heard.
Do not forget to contact us whenever you have questions or concerns. Send an e-mail to asg@uark.edu or stop by our office on the sixth floor of the Arkansas Union. As one of my friends likes to say, "Rich dialogue never gave anyone a cavity."
Again, thank you for your input and criticism. Without it, the ASG can never grow.
Carter Ford
Junior
Biochemistry
ASG president
Creationists will never prove existence of God
Warn the neighbors! The carnival is back in town!
The creationists are back with Dr. Subodh Pandit's search seminar. This ought to be good; he is going to take a couple of hours to prove the existence of God. This is something that people, including some of our greatest philosophers, have?spent thousands of years trying to do.??
I have no problem with that; I'm a believer myself, although I doubt if?anyone will ever prove it. But the advertisement in Wednesday's Traveler?says that "evolution is not real science" and "intelligent design" is. So Pandit is just another fundamentalist who is trying to destroy the?foundations of modern science.
"Intelligent design" is just what?"creationism" has evolved into. The courts, including the Supreme Court,?have repeatedly ruled that creationism has no foundation in science and is?a result of a (mis)interpretation of scripture that the majority of?Christians do not support - for example, the Roman and Orthodox Catholic?churches and many Protestant denominations.??
The fundamentalists are just trying to force their interpretation of the?Christian Bible on everyone. Hence Sarah Palin's call to teach?creationism in public schools.
Anyone who doubts the intent of these?fundamentalists and their basic lack of morality should read the decision?of the judge in the Dover, Penn., case in rejecting intelligent?design. He points out that the fundamentalists repeatedly lied under oath?when they could not evade the questions.
What ever happened to "Thou?shalt not bear false witness"???
Malcolm Cleaveland
Professor emeritus
Geography
Higher education is a privilege, not a right
After beginning the year on his platform of "Students First," our beloved chancellor wants to give in-state tuition rates to a group of 25 illegal immigrants who attend the UA.
Are you kidding me? The operative word here is "illegal," as in they don't belong here. They should not have been permitted to enroll in the first place. How many U.S. citizens and international students were denied admission to make room for them?
Instead of catering to them, Gearhart should be reporting the identities and addresses of these people to the Immigration and Naturalization Service so they can be deported. This is not a matter of race or ethnicity. I could care less if they are blue with green stripes and speak Klingon. It is a matter of principle.
There are proper channels to go through to legally enter the United States. They do not include being smuggled across the border or rafting across the Gulf of Mexico. The university should not reward criminals with reduced tuition. That's right, I said "criminals" - they are breaking the law by being here. Who do you suppose will get stuck paying the difference? Those of us here legally, that's who!
Higher education is not a right, but a privilege. If you want to pursue a college degree here and meet the requirements, obtain a student visa. If you like it here, then get your green card and work toward becoming a citizen. I'll be the first to welcome you to America with open arms. Otherwise, get out of my country.
I encourage all students to write to Gov. Mike Beebe, Sens. Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor, and our next president to make your voices heard.
Brian Cicio
Graduate student
Operations management
Viewing Comments 1 - 4 of 9
Amber Culbertson-Faegre
posted 10/29/08 @ 12:59 PM CST
Brian,
Where were you born?
What did you have to do to obtain your citizenship in this country?
How long did you wait for your citizenship?
I mean, honestly. (Continued…)
Bman
posted 10/29/08 @ 3:05 PM CST
Amber,
I would be interesting in knowing what you think constitutes a soveriegn nation. Your 'dumb luck' logic is just plain dumb. It appears that it is just poor 'dumb luck' that you were born here. (Continued…)
Jeremy
posted 10/29/08 @ 5:19 PM CST
I encourage everyone who reads this letter and the responses to read my letter to the editor in the the archives on 10/01/08. It covers most of the principles behind this. (Continued…)
Bob Tiberius
Jeremy
posted 10/29/08 @ 5:36 PM CST
As to the creation proof letter...
Every debate or conversation would be better served if those involved would accept that, at present, neither creation or big bang are provable. (Continued…)
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