— STAFF EDITORIALS —
The U.S. government could learn something from SGA
It’s not often that the Newswire wishes that American government would imitate Student Government, instead of the other way around. In fact, now is probably the first time that such a thought ever entered our minds.
But in these economic hard times, it’s tough for us to imagine the university’s budget problems working out better, faster.
It would behoove our real elected officials to take a page out of SGA’s book: identify an upcoming problem, recognize the necessity to tighten the belt and act.
Maybe the administration did require SGA to cut its budget. And maybe this was met with resistance. But in the end, the problem was solved, and not just kicked down the road for future students to deal with.
The challenge now is to keep the weight off. This year’s executives have shown leadership in trimming excess where they needed to, and it is up to them not to fall into the traps that claimed their predecessors.
Last year’s executives weighed down this year’s budget with pay-raises, placards, mid-year gifts of self-appreciation and pet projects that never reached fruition.
These current executives showed restraint and concern for the students they represent in making all of their budget reductions internal. We don’t think that those traits should be so rare in our leaders.
Watch it on Sept. 26 at 9p.m.
That’s right: This week—this very week!—is the first presidential debate of the 2008 election year. You hardly need us (or those guys who want to register everyone and their grandmother to vote) to tell you how monumental, historic and exciting this election is. But we’ll at least implore you to watch, because it’s bound to be a thrilling debate.
Luckily, Xavier has made it easy for you: On Friday, Sept. 26, the College Democrats and College Republicans are hosting a viewing party in the 1st floor lounge of the Commons Apartments. The debate begins at 9 p.m., so they encourage students to arrive early to grab good seats.
Of course, after this Friday there are still two more upcoming presidential
debates: one on Thursday, Oct. 2, and one Tuesday, Oct. 7. College Democrats
and College Republicans will also be hosting viewing parties for these debates,
which will be held in the atrium of the Gallagher Student Center.
However, if you decide to miss out on the club-sponsored fun, you can still enjoy the debates. Pull up some friends, maybe a bit of homework and some popcorn, or even watch it on the TVs in the O’Connor Sports Center during your evening workout. Multi-tasking has long been second nature to us college students, so this should be easy.
Whichever way you watch, make sure you do watch. It’s bound to be exciting—or at the very least, should ignite some fiesty debating of your own.
Remember, small jobs pay big
Madeline LaFave
Features Editor
I hope your resumé was polished for Tuesday’s career fair.
I hope it had no grammatical errors, and really showed your true self and how good you can look on paper.
As long as your work history includes the position of ‘internship,’ you’re golden, right?
It doesn’t matter what you’re actually doing or learning from the job, just as long as you get one of those internship things that everyone is talking about.
Well, I suppose some may agree, but I am reminded of a recent article that caught my eye from USAtoday.com.
It was called, “CEOs value lessons from teen jobs.”
This article stated that an astonishingly low 50 percent of 16-19 year olds searched for or worked jobs this past summer. FIFTY PERCENT!
That means half of all near-adults didn’t even try to find a job. Maybe no internships were available. Maybe our generation is relying too much on mommy-daddy cash or maybe, just maybe, we are too obsessed with what looks good on paper and didn’t want a seemingly menial title.
Yes, it is important to have a little bit of experience in the field in which you are studying prior to making it a career, but I do not see the need to begin these sort of jobs in high school.
When else will you get the chance to wait tables or lifeguard in the sun all day?
Think back to your first job. Maybe it was working the french fry booth at the fair or helping old Mr. Neighbor Man bag leaves, or maybe you waited a bit longer to start work and began as a hostess or bus boy at the restaurant down the street.
Now think about what you learned from these jobs—the value of a dollar, the life lessons from the elderly, the appreciation for manual labor—and compare these to that brief-but-seemingly-endless data entry job you may have had.
See my point? Chris Kearney, SPX (a Fortune 500 global company) CEO, gave some great advice saying: “Approach every job as if it’s the most important thing you will ever do. If you are committed, you will be successful.”
So Xavier, work hard, create a good resumé and always look to improve your skills, but never forget the jobs that may not have been resumé-builders, but definitely built character.
Budget cut hurts all affected by SGA’s 1 percent
Niel Heckman
Guest Columnist and SGA Senator
Due to a deficit in the university budget, many of Xavier’s leading organizations that receive funding from student tuition have been asked that a portion of their money be returned to the university to cover a less-than-expected amount of tuition money.
The university has asked the William’s College of Business, The College of Arts and Science, Student Life and Leadership and several other departments, including the Student Government Association, to give back some of the money they were previously allotted.
You’ve probably heard of SGA, maybe even voted for one or two of your friends when they ran for an executive or senate position. But other than that, you may not be quite sure what Student Government does.
SGA controls 1 percent of student tuition.
So, hypothetically speaking, if the tuition cost for students was $100, SGA would get $1 from each student to essentially give back to students to help make their time at Xavier more enjoyable.
The university does not feel that SGA deserves that 1 percent of student tuition.
Recently, the administration is after our 1 percent of student tuition.
If you’re thinking that 1 percent isn’t enough to do anything with, let me lay it out for you.
If you’ve ever taken the shuttle at 1 o’clock in the morning to get back to campus safely, you’re using that 1 percent.
If you participate in A Xavier Christmas or Shanytown, you’re using that 1 percent.
If you’re a part of Xtreme Fans, the Student Nursing Organization, Interfaith Club, Dance Marathon, College Republicans or Democrats or any other number of clubs, you’re using that 1 percent.
After a little research, SGA looked at what the university expected the amount of money would be from student tuition, versus what it actually was.
When the SGA executives talked to the Financial Department, we were told that SGA would need to give up $6,737 to cover 1 percent of the deficit.
However, the administration originally asked SGA for $45,000 from our original 1 percent.
After negotiation, the administration asked SGA for $20,000.
Both of these numbers are obviously higher than the $6,737 SGA should have been asked for according to the budget percentage.
Ultimately, we found $10,000 in our budget to cut and give back to the university. It wasn’t easy, and the people involved with it worked countless hours.
However, it was done in such a way that the students who utilize our 1 percent of tuition will not feel the pull.
If the University starts giving SGA less than 1 percent, all students affected by SGA will feel the strain.
As a senator, I believe we deserve control of this 1 percent because the Xavier students and community deserve to have their tuition money in the hands of other Xavier students who will make the university much more enjoyable.
Neil Heckman is a sophomore senator in the Student Government Association.
— LETTERS TO THE EDITOR—
Caf Meals
I recently went to the caf with my friend and was sorely disappointed. After living in the dorms for two years and paying outlandish amounts of money for a Carte Blanche meal plan, I was looking forward to living off campus and saving some money. However, since I am still on campus every day for most of the day, I decided to get a 10-meal-a-week plan.
Now, I usually come close to using 10 meals per week, but I’ve never actually used all of them. So, naturally, when my friend who doesn’t have a meal plan wanted to go to the caf with me for dinner, I said, “Sure! I’ll swipe for you.”
It wasn’t that easy; I politely handed the cafeteria worker my card only to be told that you can only swipe once per dining period with a “weekly” plan. So, nine precious dollars came off my X-Cash in order for my friend to eat.
As ridiculous as the price was for a meal, I was more angered that I am not allowed to choose how I spend MY 10 meals a week. What does it matter if I eat at the caf 10 times by myself or eight times by myself and swipe for a friend twice? It’s not like Dining Services is getting a raw deal.
hey already know how much money they’re getting off of me this semester. They need to stop being greedy and start letting the students have a say in how we use our meals.
Monica Laco | '10
(Editor’s note: Ms. Laco is a paid employee of the Newswire.)
More on 9/11
The editorial about the 9/11 memorial set up by the Xavier University College Republicans (Sept. 10) is perhaps the most angering article I’ve ever read in the Newswire. It says a great deal that whoever wrote the editorial didn’t even have the guts to put their name on the byline. He or she knew all too well that many people across campus would be angered by the article.
I’d like to first point out that 9/11 IS an official holiday. It’s called Patriot Day. But you know, people who disagree with the memorial probably aren’t very patriotic in the first place.
How is it right to call out the XUCR for their memorial when Student Government Association also had a memorial? Is it ethical to call out one group for their efforts to remember a terrible tragedy and not another?
I not only think that the CR flag memorial is incredibly creative, it serves to respect the memory of all of those people who were killed on that fateful day. They deserve to have their lives remembered for the sacrifice they made for this country.
Gutlessly writing an editorial condemning a great patriotic act is exhibiting exactly what the “author” is complaining about.
Publish this letter with my name. I’m no spineless coward. I’ll
take what anyone throws at me as a result of this letter. God bless America,
and God bless patriotism!
Michelle Theret | ‘11
(Editor’s note: Editorials are always unsigned but never anonymous;
the author is always the Newswire.)
CR’s response
Tact is something that a mother usually teaches her children starting at a very early age. She explains that there is a time and a place to say what one really thinks and really feels. In a place such as this paper and this editorial column many feelings can be expressed and that’s a beautiful thing. Having said that, we feel that comparing 9/11 to sweeps week is an abomination.
(Editor’s note: Likely directed at the Newswire’s use of “must see” in an editorial in the Sept. 10 issue, a phrase lifted from a press release from Xavier University and the Xavier University College Republicans.)
The memorial put on every year on the academic mall is something that is not a political event in any way. It is a subtle, yet tangible reminder that 9/11 is a real part of our history and a way for our club to honor those who passed seven years ago. In no way do College Republicans use this event as a way to promote the club, nor do we place our name on the display. We do it not because we think students have forgotten and certainly not because we view it as a cause for celebration, but rather because it is our way of contributing to our nation’s mourning on this day.
The editorial also concluded that our campus is not patriotic enough and we couldn’t disagree more. Our display serves to honor the patriotic feelings held by the larger portion of campus and helps others realize the magnitude of our feelings.
It seems that with every year that passes the memory of 9/11 fades, which is proven by the coverage by the media from 2002 as compared to the coverage of ceremonies today. It is even further proven by the Newswire’s inability to place priority on honor versus partisan politics.
Tact separates us from those less civilized than ourselves. It allows us to
place priority on a memorial versus any personal agenda that any of us may have.
XU College Republicans
Reaching out
We appreciate your coverage of the work of the Sustainability Committee that appeared last week. We also wanted to emphasize that a significant part of our committee’s work over this academic year is to reach out to the community and to seek input and ideas from as many areas as possible. We are at the beginning stages of this process and look forward to working with you toward this common goal.
In the meantime, if you have ideas or input for our work, please contact Brett Simmons (simmonsb@xavier.edu), Dave Lococo (lococod@xavier.edu), Sam Thomeczek (thomeczeks@xavier.edu) or Kathleen Smythe (smythe@xavier.edu).
Kathleen Smythe | Professor of History
Katherine Monasterio
Op-Ed Editor
Submit a Letter to the Editor
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