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8 | Tuesday, November 7, 2006 | The Red & Black
David Pittman | Editor in Chief
editor@randb.com
Lyndsay Hoban | Managing Editor
me@randb.com
Lauren Morgan | Opinions Editor
opinions@ramlb.com
Majority opinions of The Red & Black’s editorial hoard
Rock the vote!
Fight for your right to party by going
out to vote in the state elections
Today is Election Day. Are you out voting —
or are you sitting in class?
With the constant push for young adults to
take an active role in the community and
obnoxious campaigns like “Vote or die!”
assaulting the average student-age group,
many are left wondering why the young voter
turnout is consistently low.
Apathy? Not necessarily.
Some students choose not to vote, saying the
elections won’t effect them, but with issues
such as a change in the closing time of down
town bars to midnight and changes that could
affect the HOPE Scholarship, we know that’s
not the case.
Forcing our generation of Georgians to care
about the issues that lie in the hands of voters
could be an endless battle, but there’s one
thing that could be quickly alleviated — the
convenience.
If you skipped class to vote, would that be an
excused absence? What if you have a test (or
three) today? How are you expected to make it
to the polls?
It is commonplace for employers to allow
workers time off to mark their ballots, but judg
ing by the semester’s scheduling, the adminis
tration places more importance on Georgia-
Florida than Election Day.
If students are registered in Athens-Clarke
County, their biggest hurdle is an hour wait
time, but the rest of campus faces either a drive
back home or an antiquated absentee system.
We can’t promise that if the University pro
vided a day free from class there would be a
spike in voter turnout, but it would make it
easier for the students who do care about the
issues.
Playing fairly
Why The Red & Black’s ed. board
clwoses mt to endorse candidates
This time of year, newspapers around the
country endorse candidates for political office.
As voters head to the polls, newspaper’s edito
rial boards — those not terribly different from
The Red & Black’s — tell their readers who
they should vote for.
It’s like an “Our Take” about what candidate
the editorial board of the newspaper feels is
best for its readers. It’s a very important deci
sion and something newspapers take seriously.
But The Red & Black’s editorial board chose
not to make endorsements for this round of
elections. Because of the gravity of the deci
sion, we don’t want to make an ill-informed one
and led our readers astray.
Usually, candidates are interviewed by the
newspaper for their endorsement, but The Red
& Black doesn’t have the resources to do that
with all the candidates for governor, state
house and senate and mayor. We are a staff of
students and pressed for time. These candi
dates are also pressed for time.
The Red & Black does make endorsements
for Student Government Association, but we
interview those candidates.
Regardless, these elections are important
enough for you to research and make a decision
about who to vote for.
n j pp
Am
NEWS: 433-3002
News Editor: Brian McDearmon
Associate News Editor: Audrey Goodson
Sports Editor: Jamie Cwalinski
Variety Editor: Shanna Ward
First & Goal Editor: Peter Steinbauer
Out & About Editor: Matthew Grayson
Photography Editor: Andy McFee
Chief Photographer: Scott Childs
Chief Copy Editor: Jessica McClean
Design Editor: Andrea Askew
Online Editor: Thomas Houston
Recruitment Editor: Lindsey Peacock
Graphic Artist: Randy Glance
Editorial Assistant: Katherine Tippins
Editorial Adviser: Ed Morales
News Staff Writers: Nita Cousins, Brian Hughes, Joe
Mason, Sara Pauff, Kelly Proctor, Aubrey Smith
Sports Staff Writers: Matthew Borenstein, Alex Byington,
Tyler Estep, Megan Harrison, Phillip Kisubika, Sam Steinberg
Variety Staff Writers: Sejal Bhima, Krista Derbecker,
Michelle Floyd, Miles Moffit, Emily Samuels, Kelly Skinner,
PT Umphress, Rachel Webster
Photographers: Heather Finley, Danielle Hutlas, Caroline
Kilgore, Tom O’Connor, Colin Smith
Design Desk: Lauren Albrecht, Rachel Boyd, Marie Busch,
Nick Ciarochi, Katy De Luca, Nate Evick, Rachel Forbes,
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Stringers: Rusty Bailey, Ashley Beebe, Phillip Blume, Ann
Cantrell, Lawrence Conneff, Carolyn Crist, Marshall Duncan,
Robinns Exume, Amy Farley, Laura Galbraith, Alexis
Garrabo, Katie Golden, Christina Graff, Charles Griffin,
Christopher Homer, Elizabeth Humma, Danielle Hutlas,
Megan Kojima, Whitney Kessler, Sarah King, Elyse Koenig,
Lauren Leighton, Jessica Levine, Abbi Libers, Adam Upper,
Jessica Luton, Shaina Mangino,Pearman Parker, Abby Peck,
Joel Penn, Allie Petit, Scott Reid, Mandy Rodgers, Sonia
Sharan, Alexandra Walker, Josh Weiss, Alec Wooden
Copy Desk: Brooks Becker, Alicia Choi, Colin Dunlop, Tiago
Moura, Shannon Otto, Elisabeth Parrish, Chelsea Piper, Amy
Winnett
ADVERTISING: 433-3001
Student Advertising Manager: Natalie Lawrence
Account Executives: Anne Marie Aycock, Jacob Berton,
Tyler English, Irena Chernova, Laura-Leigh Gillis,
Char-Lynn Griego, Rachel Hickson, Meredith McKinney,
Lindsay Nichols, Amanda Ryan
Advertising Assistant: Jennifer Mendel
Student Classified Manager: Liz Cunningham, Candace
Miller
Advertising Director: Rick Chapman
Web Developer: Nikita Smeshko
Production Staff: Natalie Boyd, Julie Leung, Brett Turner,
Rebekah Twiss
Production Manager: Sam Pittard
Office Manager: Mary Straub
Assistant Office Manager: Mary Cranford
Receptionist: Kimberly Drew
Publisher: Harry Montevideo
The Red & Black is published Monday through Friday fall and
spring semesters and each Thursday summer semester, except
holidays and exam periods, by The Red & Black Publishing
Company Inc., a non-profit campus newspaper not affiliated with
the University of Georgia. Postal address: 540 Baxter St. Athens
GA, 30605. Fax 433-3033. Subscription rate: $195 per year.
Opinions expressed in The Red & Black other than unsigned editorials are the opinions of the writers of signed columns and not nec
essarily those of The Red and Black Publishing Company Inc. All rights reserved. Reprints by permission of the editors.
Editorial board members include David Pittman, Lyndsay Hoban and Lauren Morgan.
Reaching Us
Phone (706) 483-3002 | Fax (706) 433-3033
opinions@randb.com | www.redandblack.com
540 Baxter St., Athens, Ga,, 30605
Letters should include name, year m school, hometown, phone
number, major or job title or other appropriate identification.
Letters should be no more than 150 words. All letters are
subject to editing for length, style and libelous material.
An independent student newspaper serving the University of Georgia community
ESTABLISHED 1 893, INDEPENDENT 1980
Dawg Breath
A weekly poll of students' opinions
Are you voting in the elections? Why?
“No. I’m not really into politics that
much. ”
“No. Honestly. I haven’t kept up
with the campaign. ”
Brittany Walters
Sophomore
Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Zach Goulet
Sophomore
Canton
“No. I’m not registered here in
Athens, so I’m not sure of my
options. ”
Catherine Lothspeich
Sophomore
Columbus
“Yes - in Jackson county, I still live
in Jefferson, it’s only 30 minutes
away. I’ll probably vote
Libertarian. ”
Courtney Broadwell
Sophomore
Jefferson
“No. Students probably don’t know
... they’re not very familiar with
what’s going on. ”
Alicea Glover
Freshman
Kennesaw
“No. I’m not 100 percent sure of the
local issues. I am concerned with
national issues. The war I support,
stem cell research I support. ”
Mike Naghashineh
Freshman
Marietta
Parties and alcohol can get along
C ontrary to popular
belief, I am not the
wanton alcoholic my
articles may lead some of
you to believe I am.
I can’t say I agree with
zero tolerance policies, the
war on drugs or our nation’s
minimum drinking age and
the often outrageous pun
ishments placed on those
who drink before they’re 21.
However, I see a much
bigger problem, which per
haps is the result of a chill
ing effect brought on by the
aforementioned list of non
violent, victimless crime leg
islation.
The bigger problem is
poor parenting.
So many kids come to
college dangerously naive
because their ultra-conser
vative, over-protective mom
mies and daddies never let
them off the leash to experi
ment, try new things or
(gasp) learn to be adults
before going off to live on
their own. God forbid their
precious little babies get
hurt or make mistakes and
have to learn the hard way,
firsthand.
Far too many kids (not
idiots mind you, because
they did, after all, make it
into this fine university)
start their freshman year
more concerned with enjoy
ing their newfound freedom
(read: alcohol/downtown)
than with academics.
This problem can persist
for as long as four to six
years until true, adult matu
rity is required for success
post-graduation.
However, let’s be clear
and not kid ourselves.
Academic excellence and
the enjoyment of alcohol are
not necessarily mutually
exclusive. Moreover, last
time I checked, moderation
was one of our pillar values.
It’s not healthy, physically
PT Umphress
“That said, my gripe
lies not with drinking
itself, but with those
who drink beyond their
limits (often because
they’re not experienced
to know it) and end up
creating a negative
stigma for all drinkers. ”
or socially, to drink too
much or to study too much,
and it’s not just possible to
find a suitable balance but
advisable.
Millions of college gradu
ates with stellar GPAs, post
grad success and fond
(though occasionally hazy)
memories of college can
attest to this.
That said, my gripe lies
not with the drinking itself,
but with those who drink
beyond their limits (often
because they’re not experi
enced enough to know it)
and end up creating a nega
tive stigma for all drinkers.
Honestly folks, it’s really
not that hard not to get
arrested downtown, but
people continue to make
themselves easy targets for
the police via public urina
tion or vomiting, loud and
obnoxious behavior and
worst of all, fights.
If you fall into one of
these categories, do all of us
a favor and either learn your
limit or find a more suitable
pastime — perhaps some
thing that doesn’t turn you
into Mr. or Ms. Hyde.
You’re the person who
ruins parties, makes a mess,
gets the police called, starts
drama and ultimately
undercuts the very point of
drinking in the first place —
to kick back and have a
good time.
Every time I go down
town, I see these guys (and
yes, sometimes girls) who
get a few drinks in them,
start raging over some
minor crap and suddenly
feel invincible enough to
take on anyone who dis
agrees with them.
Because I’ve seen it hap
pen and think it needs to be
addressed, picking fights
with bouncers because they
wouldn’t let you or a friend
into their bar is never —
repeat, never — a good idea.
In case you’re unclear on
the legalities, a bar is a pri
vate business, and as such,
it has the right to refuse
business to anybody they
want on any discriminatory
basis (as politically incorrect
or “unfair” it may be).
So as a new twist on the
Voltaire saying, I may not
agree with the way a bar dis
criminates on who they do
and don’t let in, but I’ll
defend to the death their
right to do it.
In regards to people who
can’t seem to be cool and
behave maturely when they
drink, maybe you should go
home for a weekend and ask
mom and dad to finally
crack open the taboo box
and teach you a few things
about being an adult.
— PT Umphress was not
intoxicated while writing
this editorial
Paul Rehm
▲
I’m going to
Hell, who’s
coming too?
I am going to hell. No,
not for making fun of
the well-intentioned
idiots at Dance Marathon
(by the way fellas, the
UNIV department offers
some quality programs
and classes on reading
comprehension).
Nor is it for saying
things like “my middle
school crush made my
balls drop like Martrez
Milner.”
Instead, I came to this
conclusion by heeding the
wise, wise words of the
group I’m calling
“Cowboys for Jesus” who
graced our collective pres
ence in the Tate Center
plaza yesterday.
These “Brokeback
Mountain” rejects essen
tially proposed that all
Christian churches are
leading their members (at
least a little bit) away
from the primary princi
ples of the religion pre
sumably because of the
necessity for a church to
look out for its own needs.
They might have had
some other points, but I
ceremoniously trashed
their flyer way before I
ever thought I’d need to
read it to sound like less
of a jerk in my column.
Now, I could take the
standard opinions page
route and use their own
advice against them by
excitedly bringing up tons
of Bible verses that estab
lish the need for a Church
or just church or at very
least a place for people to
get baptized.
But, well, that’s pretty
boring and pretty much
their entire target demo
graphic already knows
this and subsequently
(hopefully) got a hearty
chuckle at their expense.
Even the non-
Christians were probably
inconvenienced (or per
haps humored) by their
methods.
Instead, the cynical
side of me really likes the
idea that those who go to
Church go to hell.
It’s hilarious.
I mean that’s really,
really fantastic logic,
right? Let’s see how we
can apply the logic of the
Cowboys for Jesus to
other groups of people.
Did you save that
puppy from the pound?
Sorry, I’m afraid you’re
going to hell. Little Rover
will cost you lots of
money and will try his
best to live a completely
sexual and heathen
lifestyle. This is your fault.
Did I just see you pray
ing in public? Your priest
taught you that prayer,
didn’t he? How typical.
He gets you to pray out
side of your church serv
ice so that he has more
time to steal your money
and fill your brain with
satanism. When you get
down there, send Lucifer
my best and tell him how
sorry I am that he and I
will never get to meet.
You mean to say you
told your wife that you’d
like to be the Jim Henson
to her Kermit? (Think
about it). She didn’t slap
you and you say the inspi
ration for this statement
came from Exodus 8?
Welcome aboard, brother!
It’s nice to see Jesus’
message alive and well.
Why did you buy your
dad those fancy sunglass
es he’s wanted for a
while? Don’t you know
he’ll be using them to go
outside and have fun?
Shouldn’t Dad be inside
reading the gospels? We
both know Dad’s not
reading the gospels with
his sunglasses on. You
may want to ask for the
sunglasses back in hopes
that they will shield your
eyes from the fiery flames
of hell, where you’ll be
spending all of eternity.
— Paul Rehm is a
columnist for
The Red & Black
Editor’s Note — to read
today’s Mailbox, check
out www.randb.com.