Candidates should campaign to students
October 4th is now less than a month away. Exciting, isn’t it? The sad part is that many students on the campus of LSU don’t have that date circled on their calendars.
In case you didn’t know, another election for the governor of Louisiana is on the horizon. Unfortunately, this event has not sparked much anticipation among the apathetic majority on campus. The students on this campus can get excited about LSU football starting, but not for a major turning point for the state? If you are a political junkie like me you treat Election Day like the day Santa comes to town. Okay maybe I’m getting a little too excited but back to the point.
College students in Baton Rouge and around the U.S. are considered an apathetic group when it comes to breaking down voting demographics for elections. But whose fault is it?
Some blame must go to the candidates that seek out those precious votes among their constituents. If candidates would take a little time out of their schedules to show some interest in the issues that concern the student body a pool of votes is available that could ultimately put them over the top come Election Day.
If college students knew the candidates were working for their votes maybe it would cause more student participation. If you shook the hand of a candidate or saw them speak in person wouldn’t you be more likely to go out and vote for them? Why would most students take the time out to vote if they have no idea where the candidates stand on issues that concern them?
On a national level, studies show that candidate for President Howard Dean has increased his name recognition significantly by marketing his name out to people between the ages of 18 to 25. Now he is on the rise as a strong Democratic candidate to unseat current President George W. Bush in 2004. So if candidates for President of the U.S. are seeing this trend work, why can’t the politicians in our state understand it? A note to candidates running for governor: the students of LSU want to vote for you, you just have to come get it.
Fortunately, someone gets it as current Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives Hunt Downer came to campus to pitch his issues and ideas to students last Wednesday.
Not only did Downer make an appearance he talked about something that is relevant to students and the creation of more jobs in the state to discourage so many people from leaving.
Candidates should take Downer’s lead and fight to influence students not only to vote, but vote for them. If we feel our votes count and we could help build the future of our state it, may spark a movement that could influence colleges and universities throughout the nation.
Ben Smith
Senior
Mass Communication
Bands can be found without file sharing
I read Tim Basilica’s column, “Death to downloading – buy a CD” and I say right on, Tim! It’s about time that someone speaks some truth. I feel that downloading masses of songs off the internet is WRONG. In today’s society when crime happens habitually, people are so desensitized that its no longer seems wrong. WAKE UP.
In response to Brent Whitehead’s thoughts on this matter, I am glad you do not feel like a criminal for downloading music but the greed of the record industry does in no way justify your stealing. I challenge you to go into a CD store here in town and take what you want and walk out. When the police are called, you will be very shocked and disgusted to be treated like a common criminal. Just tell the officer that you plan to buy a shirt at the next concert you go to. He will let you go, I swear.
There is no argument that there are greedy people in the industry. What about the CD stores? They are losing tons of profit and some are closing. Nevertheless, I guess the proprietors of the mom and pops CD stores are greedy bastards, too. Many of these stores employ college students. They too are affected by the decrease in CD sales, due to payroll decreases.
Brent, you are right about the Internet being a tremendous way to find new music. Downloading from Napster isn’t the only way to hear new music. I found my favorite band – i am tv – through word of mouth from other Radiohead fans. I went to their site and they have mp3s that you can listen to. They had the foresight enough to realize that people want to hear something before they buy a CD, so there are four songs to download. The main difference in this is PERMISSION from the band. Many bands have this on their site. Some band just starting need those records sales to prove to a record company to either sign them or keep them on as a project. Downloading does more harm than you think.
Lauren Chustz
Sophomore
Mass Communication
Tiger Weekly column a disgrace
This morning when I began looking through the Tiger Weekly, I came across something that not only shocked, but disgusted me. There was a section entitled “Fasion Police” in which LSU students were being photographed and ridiculed. Maybe Tiger Weekly thought they could imitate shows like ET and Extra, but the featured people on those shows are celebrities and expect to be ridiculed because they chose to place themselves in the limelight. I was appaled to read a caption ridiculing someone, whom the writer assumed to be a freshman, being made fun of for having a bow in her hair. Is that the kind of welcome Tiger Weekly wants to give to the new freshmen of LSU? I would hope not, because I surely wouldn’t pick up a paper every week only to see more jokes made about my status at the university. The people written about are people who have come to LSU to recieve an education, not a public flogging in the local paper. LSU’s campus is not a fashion runway, which some people need to be reminded of. People should be comfortable however they are dressed and however they look, especially when they go to class.
They should not be concerned with looking over their shoulder for the
obnoxious “fashion police.” Bottom line, this section is an embarrassing
edition to the Tiger Weekly, disrespectful to the students of LSU, and just plain mean. I am pleased that the Reveille does not partake in such a waste of space.
Oh, and by the way, I am not one of the “fashion victims” nor have I ever been.
Amie Lannes
Senior
General Studies