Was it a snub?

Saturday at USD’s graduation ceremony (121st Spring Commencement Exercises), former Senator, and hot-in-the-news, George McGovern was on hand to receive an honorary doctorate. On the program it listed that President Abbott was to give McGovern the accolade, but he didn’t, Acting Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Matthew Moen did the honor.

Given the recent big news that McGovern switched his support from Clinton to Obama, did Abbott snub McGovern because he’s in Clinton’s camp?

Caution: Obligatory graduation post ahead

DAVID WHITESOCK — Almost there, well, not me specifically, I have another full year, but for many of you, this it and Saturday is the BIG day. Or is it?

We all have our separate paths which we’ve traveled to get to graduation day. Some of our stories are typical rural Midwestern middle-class graduation stories — mom, dad, 2.2 kids and 2.2 cars and a mound of federal financial aid. For others, our path has been rocky, or adventuresome. There are single mothers working part-time, taking 12 credits a semester trying to get that degree to give a better life to their young child — and themselves. There’s that guy who loved partying at the “frat” too much the first time around in college and had to work construction for 10 years before deciding he was tired of that work and wanted something different. Or, how about that gal you know who often takes a semester off to work because she can’t get a loan for school so she has to work and save to pay for the whole tuition right then and there. It took her 6 years, but she’s going to graduate on Saturday and it is going to be one heck of a day for her and anyone else around her who appreciates the accomplishment.

Accomplishment. Graduating college, no matter how smart you are or how you did it, is an accomplishment. It’s really easy to break out the broad brush and say that there too many who will graduate on Saturday and it will just be another day. Mom and dad paid for their tuition, their rent, pizza and beer, and whatever else was needed to get through this four-year hell, and for them, all that matters is that their dad has a connection for a job and that he’s throwing a kegger for a reception party that night. Others though, will have deep gratitude for the work their parents did to make sure they could get the education and hurray for you.

As a self-admitted people-watching addict, I tend to hear all kinds of conversations. I do nothing with these conversations except store them in my cranium somewhere for retrieval when I decide to write my memoirs some day. Interestingly though, I’ve heard too many conversations from people who are annoyed by the fact that they will have to sit for 3+ hours on Saturday, in an ugly bright red robe just so they can shake President Abbott’s hand and get a fake diploma — “all for what?” they say.

Many say they have complained to their parents that it’s not worth the long drive; they’ll mail the diploma, and we can have a party then. Others I’ve heard claim that getting the undergrad degree is not that big of a deal, that when they get that masters, that J.D., or that M.D.; now that will be worth it. Yes, that will, but for the time being, you don’t have that degree, and who says you’re actually going to finish the next 2 to 3 years — grad school is hard, and many get weeded out of programs. Good luck, you’ll need it.

Regardless of what anyone thinks, graduation day is a BIG day. Forget all the bluster that you are going to change the world and humanity is better off because you spent (or borrowed) tens of thousands of dollars for a quality higher education. No, the real story on Saturday will be about perseverance and character. Who’s overcome what obstacles to get to this day? How will that affect them and what they do in the future? For many families still, you just might be the first in your family to get a college degree. How incredible of a thought is that? Despite all the turmoil in the world and difficulties in our own backyard, you went to college, hopefully learned all you could about everything you could, and now you are ready to contribute to yourself and your community.

We all walk down different paths. But for one day, many of you will converge on the same path of accomplishing something that still too many in the United States don’t have the fortune to get or too many take for granted. Go, walk across that stage, it might be annoying to you, and damn it all if the batteries on your iPod go dead; but just know that there are friends and relatives sitting way up there in the stands of the Dome, proud as hell of you. Some of us made that rough journey already and others of us are still on it, but we all say, “Way to go, kid!”

The opinionated way of The Volante

DAVID WHITESOCK — I find it interesting that when the issue of of abortion is ever discussed in the media, especially newspapers, the paper is oftentimes put at fault for bringing it up. Mostly this angst comes from people who don’t feel the overall tone or direction of the conversation is in their favor, but that is neither here nor there.

If you are looking at pointing fingers for why this issue is “back in the news” look at the groups of people who continue to bring up referendums in South Dakota to either ban abortion outright, or to revise the current law on the books. Within the last week a new referendum was introduced and will most likely be on the ballot in November for the people to vote on — again!

Don’t blame the opinion section of The Volante for discussing the issue, it is certainly relevant. Come next semester, you’re likely to see more of it.

Lastly, in defense of all opinion editors before me, and those to follow, the opinion section is at the mercy of which writers show up. This year, the majority of writers tended to lean a little more to the right and the ones that did lean to the left chose not to write partisan political columns. From day one, and I told Angie this when I took over for her, I would not dictate to any of the writers what they could and could not write about. I urged them to consider that what they chose to opine on was first to be relevant to this community, then to move regionally, then nationally, and finally internationally, if they wanted. For the most part we lived up to that billing and I commend all the opinion writers this semester for that.

The First Amendment is a wonderful thing, and if The Volante Opinion section did anything this last semester it was to fully use that right. This time it’s abortion. Next it will be the death penalty, as South Dakota is going to kill someone again this summer. I will be in Verm and doing work for The Volante over the summer, and you bet your Bill of Rights that I will be giving my opinion on that topic.

For the most part I have enjoyed my U. experience, but if there is one thing that has disconcerted me the most about this campus, it is the sheer lack of individuals willing to join the conversation, any conversation. There will be an Iraq War protest tomorrow outside I.D. Weeks — WOW, on the last regular day of classes. Nice timing. Pardon my French, but where the fuck were you people all semester long? Or even those who favor the war? Where were you? Where’s the lively debate that is supposed to exist on college campuses? I know this is not the 1960’s, but if you take a look around, we have a disastrous war (as if there is any other kind), rising gas prices, and an increasing food demand in the world — not to mention Hyperion in our back yard — looks familiar if you know anything about 60’s and 70’s history.

I’ll say it again, if you don’t like the opinions in The Volante, then join the staff. The opinion section does strive very hard to be “the student’s voice,” but we cannot satisfy everyone all the time.

This isn’t high school people

Lauren Hollister - I was privileged to miss out on this little bit of drama earlier today otherwise I probably would have gone into some sort of flaming rage.  Band in itself is full of drama, I don’t think it’s unique to any other club or organization as far as the amount it has, but being in it exposes me to it just about every day.  And looking back on it, this whole situation is absolutely ridiculous.  But anyway, it basically happened like this.  Some guy takes some other girl’s music stand.  When she asks for it back he pulls “seniority” by saying that since he’s a senior and she’s a freshman he gets first choice of stands.  I guess it must be really difficult to walk the extra 5 or so feet to go grab one off the wrack, especially for someone as dignified and wise as this so-called “senior”.  The girl, incredibly, was the mature one in this situation and didn’t try to pursue any sort of argument, nor did she do anything like shoving his stuff off her stand and taking it back (which I probably would’ve done).  But seriously, who does that?  Who actually pulls seniority in college of all places?  As if high isn’t ridiculous enough, you have to bring stupid high school attitudes and traditions to college.  What’s even worse is it’s some guy in his 4th year of college, it’s not like he’s some freshman just out of high school, trying to pull seniority on a person just because she hasn’t been in college as long.  Who does that?  We might as well bring back all the high school hazing stunts if we’re going to start pulling seniority on freshmen and sophomores just because we are too lazy to do something ourselves.  Whatever, it just bugs the hell out of me that people actually behave this way still.  Grow up!

The abortion debate…

DAVID WHITESOCK — Because I have been called out, more than once, in the comments section of Brian Broekemeier’s column, “Please, have the kid, we’ll deal with it,” I thought it appropriate to explain why I decided to let the column run as it was submitted to me.

There seems to be an odd assumption that when someone; columnist, blogger, whomever, writes about abortion, that something new will be said or that everyone will just agree and that as that. Obviously this is never the case, so when writers do decide to stand upon this third rail, they play it safe, usually discussing policy positions or the latest in legal nuances from state to state.

Yawn. (except for the legal nuances… I’m a nerd)

Brian told me he was writing something up about abortion, and immediately I said “great!” From what I know of Brian’s writing to this point, it happens to be sarcastic, witty, and oftentimes satirical. This piece isn’t a direct satire, but it is witty and certainly sarcastic.

What he believes on the issue is irrelevant. I do not know his position on abortion, and frankly, I don’t care. What I do know, is that when I finished reading the piece, the only thought in my mind was, “huh, why isn’t there more talk about responsibility?”

We tend to merely discuss this issue down a woman’s right to chose or a religiously wrong line. Sure, those are the two sides, but let’s put religion aside and simply examine what is morality. You do not need to be of faith or subscribe to any such religion to be a moral person. As humans, we have set natural moral laws. These laws are basic. Don’t kill. Don’t steal. And, of course, there is the golden rule of treat others how you wish to be treated. Follow these fundamental rules and civilization could be good.

What has happened along the way, however, is we have confused liberty and freedom with a right to do whatever we want — this is so remarkably contrary to the idea of personal freedom, it is laughable. If you are a moral individual and you believe fully in your heart the tenets of liberty, than aborting an unborn child (regardless of the stage of birth) is absolutely wrong.

(Consider that this commentary is coming from a Libertarian!)

We all have an unalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness — this begins at the very beginning, does it not? Pro-choicers extend their philosophy based on these words scripted in the Declaration of Independence, but I guarantee if you asked Jefferson, Madison, or Franklin (Locke, Bacon, Hobbes from years before too) their thoughts on this matter, they would suggest that you have bastardized their meaning of freedom and liberty.

Last night while at the Political Science Awards Banquet, Matt Michaels, former South Dakota House of Representatives Speaker, gave a keynote address on public service, but more so on service to others. He said a number of times that governments cannot hug you, kiss you, wipe away your tears or even solve your problems. People do these things. Yet, this is what we have attempted to have our governments do, from the local level all they way up to the federal level.

You want the government to take care of you when you make a mistake. Well, that thinking is the mistake. You err, and you must deal with it. Government is merely a means for securing the very basic and fundamental rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Government is there to secure life.

If you, and the individual you tango with, make a mistake and a pregnancy ensues, then it is not government which is meant to solve this issue for you — it is you, your partner, your family, and your community (i.e., church, neighborhood, etc.).

The debate which has been taking place in South Dakota for the last few years has been about the exceptions to the abortion law — those exceptions being rape, incest, and harm to the mother’s life. All of these instances of protection are proper and constitutional, not to mention morally correct. This is government acting within the natural law bounds set forth by Jefferson in the Declaration and carried out through the Constitution.

We have the freedom to do what we will to our bodies, consume alcohol or drugs, eat 18 cheeseburgers, pierce our unmentionables, whatever, but morally, the taking of our life or the taking of a life inside of us, is inhuman on every level — not just a religious one.

I let Brian’s column run because this is the debate I hoped would be had. I hoped a debate about morals and responsibility would come of it. We all have a responsibility for our own actions. If a man decides that he is going to not live up to his end of the bargain, then those around the woman need to step up and help her out — not some uncaring and unfeeling government program — but actual people who can hug and cry. As much as Hillary Clinton’s “It Takes a Village” phrase makes me want to projectile vomit, when the shit hits the fan with our family and friends, the village better step up to the plate, because that is how it is done, that is how we move forward, and that is how we know that when it is us who needs help, it will be there.

What’s that sound?

DAVID WHITESOCK — Flip-flops. The unbelievably annoying sound of spring is back. Yes, the click-clack of flip-flops are everywhere, despite the temperature still in the 30’s and 40’s, droves of Margaritaville wannabes see sun and automatically assume warmth and therefore break out the flip-flops.

It is not only the clip-clop that irritates my core, but the fact that no one any longer has the ability to lift their feet, which adds to the barrage of noise that penetrates my being.

Only 4 more weeks left… I can stay sane, can’t I?

Who embodies the spirit of the U?

DAVID WHITESOCK — Over the last day or so, I have been thinking long and hard about two things: Student Government Association at USD and the murder of University of North Carolina Student Body President Eve Carson.

The murder of the 22-year-old college student at UNC is incredibly tragic and also eye-opening for a number of reasons. After reading the stories and watching the video and slideshows, learning about this person’s thirst for life, it makes you contemplate what you are doing with your own life. Are you making the best out of what you have at your disposal? Are you living your life not just to satiate your own needs, but to help make the lives of others around you better? Hopefully these are questions we all contemplate daily, not just when tragedy strikes, but we all know that is far from true.

However, what really has me thinking are the stories I’ve read about Eve Carson’s enthusiasm for UNC and how she carried the love for that university into all of her activities, especially in her role as Student Body President. All the stories talk about the “Carolina Way,” and how Carson always asked with each decision, “Is this the Carolina Way?” Never did it seem (from what I have read) that she had a personal agenda as SBP or made decisions based on a strictly political agenda. Not only is this unique in the political arena, it’s highly unique in a college political setting.

And so, considering the current state of our embattled Student Government Association in the context of the passion which Eve Carson had for her student government, I ask the question: Who here has that passion and embodies the spirit of the U?

There is no doubt that Jay Chicoine, Terry Liggens and Alyssa Floyd have passion and love this university, however, their stewardship of the organization, with the exception of Ms. Floyd, leaves much to be desired. Both Liggens and Chicoine were impeached. Regardless of the motives of the Student Senate or the alleged or proved violations, the fact that two impeachments in a row took place is abhorrant. We, as a student body, should not tolerate this.

Now, we have an election for a new Student Body President and it isn’t even a contest … with just one candidate. The phrase uttered repeatedly regarding this debacle has been: “What a joke!” SGA has become a punchline; unfortunately, the jokes just keep coming.

There are suggestions to scrap SGA. Some say we do not need the organization. Considering the disconnect which already exists between the administration and the student body, not having an organization to represent our interests would be foolhardy. Students need SGA. We need to reclaim this organization as ours and accept the fact that it is a professional organization with major responsibilities and influence on both the student body and the administration.

There are many at USD who love their experience here. They are making the most of it and when it is all said and done, will be remarkable ambassadors for the U. Maren Colon was one of these individuals involved in SGA, but we all know what happened there. However, what this campus is missing from it’s most visible leadership position is someone with an exuberance and enthusiasm for this university which is second to none (except President Abbott). This does not mean that what we need is a mere cheerleader. Unfortunately, that criticism is beset upon the overly fervent student government hopefuls.

We do not need someone who has a political agenda either. Terry Liggens went into his administration with one thing in mind — U.Bounce. Sorry, but the next president better not mention that phrase — ever.

What we need is a student whose sole mission is to embody the spirit of USD and take that spirit into everything they do — including SGA. They need to return SGA into the professional organization it once was — that means dressing professionally. We need a representative who will ask the question: “Will what we do be the best for all students AND for the university as a whole?”

Who has this spirit and who wants to take it to the students? As much as I’ve refrained to this point from making the connection, what we need is a Barak Obama — someone with that type of charisma and unfettered hope who will visit with as many students as possible — even those that “don’t care,” and get them involved in the process. If no major projects are accomplished over the course of this person’s administration, but the organization is returned to one of civility, professionalism and respect, then maybe SGA will no longer be a punchline, but a place for solutions and inspiration.

The disconnect

DAVID WHITESOCK — Today, the Editorial Board issued a video editorial about the comments which are appearing on VolanteOnline.com. As was said in the video, these comments have been irresponsible and out-right rude. More and more over the last few weeks, the comments have taken a strong trend downwards. The majority of comments are made by a minority of USD students, but unfortunately, these individuals are painting a picture of the student body as one who is apparently not learning anything because the grammar is atrocious; a student body who thrives on pettiness; and a student body who does not know how to engage in civil debate.

There are many students on this campus who do not involve themselves in the debate on this campus because of the level of discourse is so childish. Again, unfortunate, because the problems of this campus continue to be problems due to the fact that individuals who may have valuable input do not offer it.

We wonder why there is such a disconnect between the administration and the student body. Think about it… if the perception to the world is that our student body only engages in petty, childish debate, then why as an administrator would I take the student body as a whole seriously? Many think that just because we are the students, the ones paying the tuition, that we deserve unconditional respect from the administration. Sorry, it does not work this way. We have to earn the administration’s respect and trust. But when SGA has two straight presidents impeached and cannot even put up two candidates for this current election, should the administration really take us seriously if we cannot elect a mandated representative?

There are so many problems on this campus that effect the student body, but when the student body is in utter disarray, who can anything get done?

Re: Recycling

DAVID WHITESOCK — Lauren makes some great points about our carbon footprint and how it should not be a political issue regarding the idea of leaving the world in better shape then how we found it. This should be a mentality of all humans. A large portion of what is produced on this planet is plastics, and due to convenience, most take for granted this technological advancement. However, the increased use of plastics IS having an impact on our environment.

What should be more forcefully stressed is the notion that Aramark is using a non-recyclable plastic. This is a monster corporation who has a monopoly on food service at USD. It would not think it would be too much of the U. administration to urge Aramark to make a quick change in this area. USD could find another food service provider in a heartbeat; someone willing to be more environmentally friendly; and maybe someone willing to offer better food choices.

We as a student body should demand this of the administration. Aramark, much like the administration, has ’selective hearing syndrome.’ If more than a handful of students took a stand, the suits would be forced to turn up their hearing aides.

Recycling

LAUREN HOLLISTER — You know with Earth Day coming up I’ve been thinking a lot about how USD has tried to change its policies regarding recycling over the past couple years. Students have taken the initiative and have created recycling centers in all the dorms, which amazingly, a majority of students actually take advantage of. And yet, with all the efforts being made towards becoming a more “green” campus, I was amazed to find out this little tidbit of information the other day.

You know those little plastic containers that Aramark food comes in, like for the salads and cakes and so on? Yeah, those can’t be recycled. They aren’t the right type of plastic. You just have to throw them away so they can go sit and not rot in a dump for years and years and years.

If USD was really serious and actually interested in creating a more environmentally friendly campus then why not ask Aramark to change the packaging of their food products? That way students can recycle their plastics rather than just create more waste by throwing them away.

I know a person who just recently went on a trip to a university somewhere in Canada. Apparently this school has become ‘carbon neutral’. This means that they don’t produce any excess carbon through electricity, garbage, etc. If one university can do, one that’s a whole lot bigger than ours by the way, then why can’t USD? It sounds like it was easy for them to do and inexpensive as well. With global warming looming over our heads every day I don’t see why USD can’t do more than just creating a few recycling centers in the dorms and instead start taking the first steps toward creating a more carbon neutral campus.