Newspaper Page Text
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-THE WEST GEORGIAN, Wednesday, September 27,1989
The Staff Box
Gary Leftwich
Stewart Wieck
Karen D. Allen
Carri Tigges
Kyle Dixon
Tania Appling
Glenn D. Novak
Letter
Bookstore Bandits?
Dear Editor
I am a senior here at West
Georgia and am tired of being
ripped off by our bookstores. This
summer I purchased a book from
Braves Bookstore for 56 dollars.
When I returned to sell it back,
at the end of the same quarter,
they offered me five dollars. It is
my feeling that if the bookstore
A New West Georgian
By Stewart Wieck
The West Georgian, the college
newspaper of this campus, varies
in quality like any other product.
The ebbs and tides in quality are
the result of several factors, in
cluding the dedication of the staff
and writers and the degree of
support from the college itself.
And to be honest, the editors feel
that this paper has been suffer
ing for far too long.
The product which you are
reading now, and will have the
opportunity to read every Wed
nesday during fall, winter, and
spring quarters, is the result of a
lot of behind the scenes effort. In
general/ The West Georgian is
produced in the same fashion as
any large newspaper. Adver
tisements must be sold to ge
nerate revenue so the paper can
be printed. Articles must be as
signed, written, edited and
typed. Photographs must be ta
ken, developed, and resized to fit
the allotted space. A variety of
other, administrative, tasks are
necessary as well.
The organization of all this
takes time and careful planning
if it is to work successfully. The
time necessary for such organi
zation is the comodity toughest
to find. The students behind this
college paper (that is, by the way,
“college paper,” not “student
paper”) have classes like the rest
of the students on campus. Addi
tional responsibilities vary from
student to student but include
such things as jobs or fratmities
and sororities.
Among the things that are
within the power of the present
editors to affect or change, organ
ization can stand the most im
NEWS ON EDUCATION
Some Helpful Tips On Paying For College
The cost of college tuition con
tinues to skyrocket. Some of the na
tion’s top universities are charging
more than $85,000 for a four-year
education. Landing financial aid is
becoming more of a necessity than
an option. Here are some simple
tips on how to obtain money for a
good education.
1. Contact your college financial
aid office for a list of financial op
tions. There are also credible com
panies, like College Financial Plan
ning Service (CFPS), who provide
lists of available grants, loans and
scholarships for a small fee.
2. Analyze your financial situa
tion honestly and apply for as many
programs as you are eligible. Fill
out the forms accurately.
3. After selecting a good financial
aid package, negotiate improve
ments with your college financial
advisor. Also thoroughly investi
gate alternative means for more
support.
College Financial Planning Ser
vice has a data bane of more than
180,000 listings of scholarships,
fellowships, grants and loans. It of
fers information about donations
from corporations, memorials, ti usts,
foundations, religious groups and
other philanthropic organizations.
To enter the program, a student
Editor
Managing Editor
News Editor
Photo Editor
Sports Editor
Leisure Editor
Advisor
sells a book to us they should buy
it back from us the same quarter
for a decent price.
The bookstores are making a
killing, and it is at the students
of West Georgia College expense.
Tired of being cheated by WGC
bookstores,
Terrell Roark
provement. Some cosmetic
changes have already been insti
tuted. The structure of the staff
has been slightly altered and the
duties of each of the positions
clearly defined. The office has
been reorganized to accomodate
the new computer system which
is in use. In general, this paper
will soon be running as efficien
tly as any large, real-world
newspaper.
But other facets of this paper
will become obvious to you as the
year progresses. Unlike other
programs and organizations on
campus, The West Georgian is
not subject to your, the students’,
approval. This paper is not an in
strument here to serve you. In
stead, this paper will inform you
and, hopefully, cause you to seri
ously consider some controver
sial subjects and your stand on
these subjects.
The news articles in this paper
will let you know what is happen
ing around the campus. You
should read this information to
keep up-to-date on your imme
diate surroundings. But the opin
ion page, this page, is where the
trouble may begin. The editors
and staff of this paper will pre
sent some ideas with which you
may or may not agree. Given the
choice, I hope you disagree with
everything that I may write on
this page for future issues of the
paper. And if you do disagree,
you have recourse: write a letter
to the editor. These letters are
often printed on this page. A
warning though, just as you were
determined enough to write your
letter, don’t expect anyone on the
staff to buckle under the pres
sure of your own opinion.
Many opportunities for financial
aid exist, but you have to be aware
of how to get them.
can call 1-800-346-6401 to request
a “student data form.” It must be
completed and sent to CFPS with
$45 for the research fee. In about
two weeks, the student will get a
personalized computer print-out of
financial aid resources that matches
his or her background.
Many scholarships are based on
academic interests, career plans,
family heritage and place of resi
dence. There are also many unique
sources such as money for students
who have been golf caddies or news
paper carriers.
In the words of one financial aid
expert, unique opportunities for
monetary support do exist, you just
have to be creative and resourceful
in finding them.
Opinions
Protecting the Freedom of Speech
By Gary Leftwich
Looking back over the summer
of remarks, both positive and ne
gative, regarding the recent Su
preme Court decision giving
First Amendment protection to
the burning of the American flag,
I am struck by the larger ramifi
cations of the ideas and opinions
I have heard and feel it necessaiy
to address the issue through a
column.
Afterall, if those who so
strongly opposed the Court’s de
cision have their way, my fellow
journalists and I may not always
have the choice to voice such
opinions.
During the research I did for
an article this summer for the
Newnan Times-Herald on the
local reaction to the decision, I
talked with many people who
voiced very strong feelings
against the Court’s ruling.
Most of them questioned how
the Supreme Court, the very
protector of freedom and justice,
could reach such an erroneous
conclusion about the lawfulness
of flagbuming. They asked how
desecrating the symbol for which
so many people have fought and
died for can be protected as
HPLGL M£OYf ~i
WPOq T HwwMm i
Editorials a Source of Knowledge
By Joe Cumming
Welcome all—students and
-comers and come
backers. And staffers who never
left. Welcome to anew school
wear!
This is our season. In the
American dream, fall belongs to
' he college campus. The imagery
\3 everlasting: football, crisp air,
sporty scarfs and sweaters
matching the russets and gold
leaves; bright talk and jostling
laughter, books and classrooms.
It is also traditional in the wel
come-back issue of the campus
newspaper to offer tips to stu
dents on such things as where to
get the biggest pizza or who sells
take-out coffee after midnight.
But in this column, I want to
offer to all students just one
monumental discovery--
something I have recently de
cided is the Best Bargain in the
West. Yes, that's West as in
Western Civilization. We’re talk
ing big picture here.
The bargain is this: the op ed
page of the daily newspaper.
The what!?
“Op ed” is short for “the page
opposite the editorial page;” I
would also include the editorial
page in the bargain. In the At
lanta Constitution and Journal
these two facing pages are lo
cated inside the back page of the
“A” section. A paper costs 25
cents. (Unless you want to get in
on the special six-week delivery
deal we use in the Humanities
Building which brings the cost
The West Georgian invites letters to the
editor guest columns, news stories, or press
releases. We request that all items submitted
bear the signature, printed name, address and
phone number of the author(s). The editorial
staff reserves the right to edit or abridge any
submission, or refuse to print submissions due to
space limitations or content.
Please submit your material to The West
Georgian , Ground Floor, Student Center. *
protest or expression of art. It’s
burning the very symbol of our
freedom, they say.
The trouble with this opinion
is that it does not take into ac
count the actual reason why the
Supreme Court ruled as it did. It
does not provide for the idea that
the Court in protecting flagburn
ing was also protecting one of the
freedoms that our flag flies so
majestically for, the freedom of
speech.
Before you scream at the top of
your lungs like so many others
have that flagbuming is not even
remotely related to free speech, I
want you to think carefully.
Flagbuming can indeed be a sign
of protest and what is the pur
pose of protest other than simply
making a statement?
Most of those who bum a flag
do not do so to hurt other people
or because they want to over
throw the government and run
rampant in complete anarchy.
They do it simply to make their
voices heard by those who won’t
listen otherwise. And that folks
is free speech.
To me, the right to bum the
flag is just as strong and in need
down to 17 cents.) Of course,
newspaper can be read free in
the library.
Those two pages give the
reader—in editorials, columns,
and letters-enough of the latest
news, opinion and rumor for him
or her to be in-the-know. And, as
anyone in the working world will
tell you, being in-the-know ranks
slightly above dressing for suc
cess. A knowing look in the eye
conveys confidence more pro
foundly than a slick-page outfit.
But it is the signed columns on
the op ed page, complete with
mug a shot of the author, that
are the bytes that bite back. They
often read like little pieces of lit
erature, tightly written jewels of
up-to-date insights from true in
siders.
“The geese are overhead, flying
south in V-formations as crisp as
a sharpened pencil,” began a re
cent column by Boston’s Ellen
Goodman, “We watched them
from the porch in a Maine light
transformed by September clar
ity. Now we follow their lead,
proceeding on our own annual
migration.”
The column went on to ponder
Hie quickening-almost sicken
ing-change of pace from idle va
cation to school and work, and
how it is the fear of falling back
in life’s struggle that drives us to
over-achieve. “We fight these
anxieties in ourselves by making
a virtue out of necessity: hard
work. We fight it in our children
by driving out daydreams with
discipline. Our own days speed
THE WEST GEORGIAN
of protection as my right to write
this column. If the government is
given the ability to deny the first,
the precedence is set giving it the
ability to deny the second.
For the record I would like it
known that I seriously doubt
that I will ever, and even more
seriously hope that I will never,
be in a position where burning
the flag is the only way to make
my voice heard. I am indeed
proud of Old Glory and was hon
ored to fly her this past July 4th.
I was also saddened by the very
low number of people who joined
me in that honor.
In addition, I am deeply indeb
ted to those who have fought so
bravely to keep the flag flying
free. Their sacrifice has provided
you and I the opportunity to voice
our opinions without fear of re
tribution and the Supreme Court
in its decision has simply acted to
make sure this sacrifice was not
in vain.
Again, I hope I am never in a
situation where flagbuming is
my only alternative to oppres
sion. I tremble at the thought of
being forced to touch a match to
up and we teach, even compel,
our children to keep up.”
These op ed pundits are the
people who put buzz words into
circulation, (“knee-jerk”), coin
metaphors that stick and become
part of the language (cold war").
Columnist William Safire—who
came up with “One small step for
man, one giant step for mankind”
when he worked for President
Nixon and who has written a wi
tty book on writing-has the ere-,
dentials to invent a word if it
needs inventing. And he did just
that, presto, right before our eyes
in a column earlier this month.
“Oppostablishment.” It refers to
politicians who say “no” to any
suggestion the rival party pro
poses, regardless of its merit.
“Let me not knock contrarian
ism, whose flag I so often fly,” he
wrote. “It provides a counter
weight to Caesarism and is
needed in the braking of the
president.”
“But in reaction to George
Bush’s program to reduce the
narcotics traffic, I detect a lock
step knee-jerk-the telltale sign
of Oppostablishment on automa
tic pilot, mindlessly assuming
criticism is always constructive.”
Now some students may not
catch on at once to “flying the
flag of contrarianißm,” to “Cae
sarism,” “lock step” or “knee
jerk.” But any college student
should be able to figure out or
find out what they mean. And all
college students should hunger
to know what they mean if not
how to use them. The beat way to
Antonette Smith
Alvia McCurry
Doy Thomas
Suzy Montatto
the wonderful red, white and
blue and don’t think I could ever
do so. It is comforting to know,
however, that if such a situation
arises, I can act confidently ac
cording to my own conscience
without the fear of possible nega
tive consequences.
A colleague of mine at the
Times-Herald hit the proverbial
nail on the head when she said
that those who so vehemently
oppose the Supreme Court’s de
cision are putting the symbol
above the ideal. In order for our
honorable flag to mean anything
at all, it cannot surpass the prin
ciples for which it stands. With
out freedom, the flag means
nothing at all. This includes
freedom of speech.
My concern is not whether we
should be able to bum the flag (I
have already shown my oppo
sition to the act). My concern is
that if we allow the government
to deny one freedom, it will be
come easier and easier for it to
deny other, more crucial free
doms. Then the flag will face true
desecration in flying with a lim
ited purpose.
learn many of these kinds of
lively words is to read them, see
how they are used, get the feeling
of what they mean and write
your own definition.
For example, a recent column
by Atlanta Constitution staff
columnist Cynthia Tucker bore
the headline “Atlanta’s Tran
sition to Ethnic Pluralism Sets
Example for New South!” A stu
dent reading that headline who
didn’t understand what “plural
ism” meant could learn from
reading the column and using
simple deduction.
So, for a college student trying
to learn the language and layout
of the real world, reading the op
ed page should be considered an
obligatory daily dip into the life
of our times. Or at least a learn
ing exercise for a greedy mind.
Time spent thus, would indeed
yield* bargain.
Yet a deeper response lurks in
the hushed realm of the possible.
If, from this self-realized learn
ing, a light clicked on in a stu
dent’s head that suddenly
showed how all college courses
are, in truth, in the business of
offering up the exotic backstage
secrets of the real world, study
ing would never again be a grind.
It would be more like feeding a
hunger; school work would be
come a burning compulsion to do
more than the teacher assigned,
to learn more than the textbook
offered.
This would not be a mere bar
gain. It would be the gift of a life
time.
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