Dean supporter speaks out
I’m writing in reference to the January 23 article “Caucuses finally prove worth in 2004.”
I am fairly upset by this article, both because of the lack of research the author did and by the inflammatory style he used. It seems to me that when writing for a politically unbiased paper, one should rely on facts as the meat and potatoes of one’s article, rather than on slanted phrases such as “I’m afraid that outside college campuses people don’t smoke enough dope to be deluded into that prospect,” “the country is divided geographically into two parts: New Hampshire, and sanity,” or “wonderfully witless Mr. Bush and his Orwellian double-speaker, Mr. Karl Rove.”
As a sort of point-counterpoint, we can start with “Dean’s chances are better amongst the sort of person who confuses rhetoric with reality.” Heaven forbid Dean should say he can balance a budget, create jobs, and make healthcare affordable. After all, as governor, Dean only cut the income tax twice, removed the sales tax on most clothing, created over 41,000 jobs (the equivalent of creating 19,594,675 jobs nationwide, adjusted for population), expanded programs to help seniors afford prescription drugs and paid off a $70 million deficit (Vermont doesn’t require a balanced budget). Vermont has one of the lowest uninsured rates in the country (99% of children are covered by healthcare insurance).
Perhaps when Mr. Guagliardo called Dean’s speeches rhetoric, he should have used the definition “oratory; the art of speaking with propriety, elegance, and force”. The definition I assume he was using (something like “language that is elaborate, pretentious, insincere, or intellectually vacuous”) seems like it could be better placed talking about some of the other candidates. I believe it was Kerry and Edwards who signed the PATRIOT Act and voted for going to war with Iraq, only to change their minds and play the blame game in the debates.
I’d like to close by saying not only does much of our local Dean support come from volunteers outside of college campuses, but I have never seen a joint at one of our events.
 
Corey Tisdale
Senior
ISDS
Senate Speaker responds to column
In response to Mr. Sternberg’s recent editorial, I would like to agree with half of your assessment.
It is no secret that I have not been happy with the time that had to be spent debating a new election code. However, unlike the real legislature, I as Speaker can not institutionally control the meeting agenda. Many feel as though a new election code will be the answer to more students voting. I cannot disagree more. The real answer to getting more students to vote is accomplishing some major victories that will make LSU better for students. Once we prove that we can make major changes that benefit students, students will decide that it is in their interests to vote.
Because of the effect of the election code, much of my legislative package was put on hold. Please hear me well… We will make up for lost time. While the senate was busy debating the election code my staff and I worked to reform the Senate organizationally in order to make it more effective in instituting major legislative change.
We have increased the staff in order to increase our resources, enforced an absentee policy for senators, provided senators with legislation and other information more efficiently, and have changed the culture of the Senate as a whole. As a result the students of LSU will witness one of the most effective Student Governments in LSU history.
This Wednesday I will lay out an ambitious legislative package and will make the first of two major announcements. I will also form a caucus within the Senate to ensure that my legislative package receives heavy debate, research, and is eventually enacted.
So Mr. Sternberg, I invite you and any other interested students to our Senate meeting this Wednesday at 6:30 in the Atchafalaya Room where you will be able to witness history.
Michael Busada
Speaker
LSU Student Senate
Manship school needs scheduling makeover
I only have one complaint for LSU. Mass Communication scheduling is extremely unpleasant! I am a Marketing major and a Mass Communication minor. Normally, a student can schedule all of his or her semester classes on PAWS or Reggie. However, if you are a MC minor it is not as easy. The MC Department requires students who minor in MC to call a MC Counselor and let them schedule your MC classes for you. This process creates some major problems.
It seems almost every semester my schedule date is set for a Sunday. Therefore, the MC office is not open. Since it is not open I can not call in my request until Monday morning. By the time Monday arrives the classes are usually full. Sometimes I get lucky and my schedule day is a weekday, but then I look at the time. Scheduling does not start until five in the evening. The MC department closes at four o’clock. So again I am forced to wait until the next day to schedule.
All of these problems add up to me not being able to schedule my required classes. In conclusion, I think that the MC department should consider other alternatives of handing the scheduling for MC minors.
Heather Hughes
Senior
Marketing
Early morning alarms unnecessary
I am a freshman here at LSU and am currently living in a Residence Hall. I understand, and even agree, that fire drills are necessary.
What are not needed are multiple fire alarms a day, and especially none at 3:30 in the morning. If there were an actual fire or even smoke, I would be more than willing to leave the building; actually I would probably be one of the first out.
However, when for one reason or another, the fire alarm goes off at 3:30 a.m. and nothing is wrong, it is unnecessary to stand outside until 5:00 a.m. First of all, standing in 25 degree weather could lead to illness. Secondly, spending that much time outside is completely unfair to students with early morning classes; losing nearly two hours of sleep could impair learning abilities. Clearly these early morning fire alarms are harmful to our health and education.
When there is actually something wrong with the building, nobody would have a problem with standing outside, but when nothing is wrong it is completely unnecessary.
Mary Dykes
Freshman
Mass Communcation