Thursday, April 18, 1996 `Letters to th e E ditor Inaccurate article Dear Editor, I am writing in response to the article in last week's Collegian concerning SGA elections. I would first like to say that I am upset that I was not given an opportunity to respond BEFORE you printed the outrageously - inaccurate article. Former JRC President and this year's losing vice-president candidate Brett Kocijan claimed his was the only petition turned in on time and that SGA extended the deadline to accommodate the other ticket. This is wrong plain and simple. The deadline was changed before that deadline had been reached. At the time the deadline was extended there were no petitions filed for SGA President and VP. Suppo Dear Editor of the Collegian I want to express my support for the quote made by Brett Kocijan in the last Collegian paper. I know Brett, and strongly believe he is not a racist for his comment (even though I have heard this statement made around campus). If students would take the time to look at the budgets, they would find that Cry baby of the year award Dear Editor, Since the Honors and Awards Ceremony is quickly approaching, I thought it only fitting to add one more category: The Cry Baby of the Year Award. Who would be this year's lucky recipient, you ask? Why, none other than Bret Kocijan for his comments concerning the recent SGA election. First, he goes on a tirade (in military time, no less) about the various confusions of times and dates. Okay, maybe this is true. I have no idea. But then he goes on to say that "this campus too anti-fraternity and too pro inority," citing this as the reason he lost Future beckons by Heather McMahon Cdlegain Staff Education in America is at a critical crossroad. On the one hand, in the past decade parents, educators; legislators, and business and community leaders have worked hard to create a consensus on how to improve American education. The result of *these efforts is the Goals 2000: Education American Act, passed by Congress and signed into law by President Clinton. On the other hand technology in American life has exploded in the 199b's. The adventurers who set out for the New World were able to smell land long before they caught sight of it. Like those sailors, today's leaders have to be able to Mike Woycheck, fraternal brother 01 both members of Brett's ticket, volunteered to pass that info on. Secondly, Brett said the petition was in by 5:30, which would have been late if the deadline was not moved. The deadline was 5:00. The candidates night in question was not in the petition announcement so his allegation of an incorrect time is once again wrong. It was however in the Collegian with the correct time the week before. All of these details were discussed at SGA meetings and reported in the Collegian's SGA Report. I would hope that someone running for the leadership of SGA would attend a meeting once in a while or at least mad the report. for Koc minority groups receive a larger part than any other organization. Also, I was an orientation leader last year, and minority groups were allowed to move in earlier than all other students t o "break barriers." But even more so, I agree that this campus is strongly anti-Greek. I also heard John Merkel express these same feelings about how the the election. All I can say is WHAT?!!! Did Kocijan happen to notice the fact that John Butler, the SGA president elect is not a minority and is (get this) a Delta Chi brother as well? Besides, it's not as if he was defeated by an embarrassing amount-- he only lost be three votes which clearly indicates that no, the whole campus did not just see a minority's name on the ballad and rush out to vote for her. The very idea is absurd. In fact, in light of his comments, I'd say the tally was a little too close for comfort. I understand that Kocijan is upset over think long term and see beyond the horizon. I believe that the future beckons America. It promises rewarding jobs and raising standards of living for every American. These are possible if our schools are provided with the technology to adjust to new circumstances arid changing times. The wealth built by our fore fathers form coal, steel, oil, concrete can be built tomorrow from silicon chips, integrated circuits, digitals, computers, and raw intelligence. In a larger sense, all arc possible because Americans have always understood that the future is not something that simply arrives but something that is created by the actions that we take today to secure tomorrow. Opinion Apparently I expect too much. Lastly I would like to ask how he came to the conclusion that I or the campus is anti-greek or pro-minority? The winner was a member of a greek organization also. Instead of bellyaching about his loss, perhaps Brett should consider that he just didn't work hard enough for it. That's nothing new for Brett who oversaw the collapse of JRC last year as it's President. Maybe you just lost Brett. Not because I tried to swing the election but because you didn't. Steve Landon Chair, SGA Elections Committee administration feels about Greeks after one of the meetings. Kocijan is not racist, but expressing how others are racist towards groups to which he is a member. Jason Anderegg 4th semester Communications Major losing the election, but his comments not only made him sound like a sore loser, but that he was more upset about losing to • minority than about losing the election itself. If he was the leader this campus needed, he would have put his disappointment aside and supported whoever won in their efforts to improve SGA. But I guess he was . too busy looking at the color of Kim Epps' skin to realize he lost the election fair and square. Well, Bret-- if it consoles you at all, you won my vote for the Cry Baby of the Year Award-- hands down. If our schools am neglected and technology is not an option then global competitors will certainly open the door first and reap the rewards. All new technology must take root right here in our schools. For it. is the nations schools, with their 49 million students, and 2.5 million teachers that the country's future is conceived, created, and secured. And it is in the schools that the U.S. will obtain the greatest returns on its investments in technology. It is time, once again, for Americans to smell the future. That future, and all of its promises and possibilities, continues to beckon. Crystal D. Velasquez 06 English from FRIENDS on page 6 which way your kiss is leading. Did you feel something when it happened? Did you feel nothing? Did you feel like you wanted to chug a bottle of Scope and forget the entire incident? The important thing is, that you am honest with your friend and discuss the incident -- the worst thing to do is ignore it. If your friend is true, everything is going to work out all right Letter Policy The Collegian encourages Letters to the Editor on current issues, content and University happenings. Letters must be signed and may be edited for length. The Collegian reserves the ri•ht to refuse letters. More trouble by Jason Simmons Collegian Staff Oy vey, more trouble going on in the middle east between Israel and Lebanon. The Arab Jewish nations fight like children. Both sides think they are right. They fight for political and religious reasons. Each claims Palestine as holy land. For the Jews it is the Promised Land give to them by god. For the Arabs the Jews were kicked out of Palestine almost two thousand years ago and the land now belongs to Arabs; Jerusalem is also the third holiest Islamic city which is under Israeli control. Many fight, terrorize and die needlessly for their religion. God is on "their" side; god is on everyone's side. The Hezbollah and the Israeli army am the two pawns at odds this time around. Israel is taking matters into their own hands by conducting raids against the Hezbollah terrorist organization. Almost one half a million Lebanese citizens ale withdrawing from southern Lebanon because of Israeli warnings that it intends to raid Hezbollah locations in the area. The ultimate purpose of this move is for Israel to pressure Syria and Lebanon to take measures against the Hezbollah themselves. Unfortunately, this is one of the many conflicts that will kill civilians and children due to great disregard from governments and those few deviants who claim to be religious. The Israeli government claims this act in self defense, to end harassment of its troops, but in this "self defense" the innocent will be killed. The Jews and Arabs who actually follow the doctrines of their religion are the ones who do not kill each other. Those who take their beliefs and assume therefore they can murder who they wish become the pawns of political struggles culminating in raids and wars. Each terrorist attack gives one side the excuse to attack the other. Each side thinks they will win... This conflict will not be the last one in the Middle East. More will follow, more will die, and more will grow up to fight. Throughout history, wherever ethnic populations were mixed, there was fighting, and often there was war. As long as ethnic populations exist, they will fight with each other, for ethnocentrism is the doctrine of national pride. These populations will always war with each other, for as a rule, history will repeat itself. Page
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