Senate swan song

Passage of eight bills in single vote shows why students view SGA in cynical light

Only a fraction of the Appalachian State University student body took the time to vote in this year's Student Government Association election.

In an April 5 editorial we expressed our concern about the turnout by suggesting the 8,812 students who failed to vote were not aware of the election because they were walking around wearing blindfolds.

While this sentiment was intentionally farfetched, the recent actions of the SGA Senate reveal why some students view SGA in an ultra-cynical manner.

At its final meeting last week, the body passed eight pieces of legislation bundled together as part of one massive end-of-the year logjam vote.

Normal SGA procedures call for separate votes on each piece of legislation brought before the Senate. The logjam vote comes at the end of what was a rather uneventful and unproductive year for SGA.

We feel passing eight pieces of legislation without any floor debate as part of one overloaded vote is nothing short of irresponsible.

The senators were elected to vote on meaningful legislation in a manner that will ensure the results of each bill will be advantageous to students.

By not allowing members of the body to openly debate the eight bills separately, there was no way questionable sections could be pointed out, something that could have changed any senator's respective vote on one -- or all -- of the bills.

After the lengthy debate the body engaged in before the final vote on the resolution of support to repeal Section 484 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, it appeared the members and leaders of the Senate were indeed passionate, responsible representatives interested in seeing that the best interests of their constituents were served.

In the wake of last week's logjam vote, we now feel that is far from true.

The events of last Tuesday evening illustrate why some students choose to ignore SGA all together. We see how some could fail to take seriously a body which fails to carry out its duties in a professional manner.

With the current SGA administration slated to hand the reigns to the newly elected duo of Xan Harrington and Amanda Privette later this week, we hope the incoming administration and Senate will not follow the recent irresponsible example displayed by this outgoing Senate.

Under-oath liars signal corrupt legal system

Sean Oakley

Sitting in court listening to false accusations and testimonies Friday, I had a revelation of a sort.

See, I thought about this incredible faith our society holds in everything and realized it was a problem.

Foremost on my mind is this ill-founded faith we have for our legal system.

I'm not saying that the legal system is corrupt, rather that people in general are corrupt.

An oath really means nothing to your average present-day person. Somehow this jewel we call "democracy" has been turned into a tool manipulated by corrupt people who wish to use it for their own personal benefit.

I watched two people take an oath and then flat-out lie.

How do I know? Because I was present at the event which they were testifying about.

Unless I am suffering from a case of amnesia, they were not simply exaggerating the event but rather creating some fiction novel of their own.

I acknowledge that everyone lies to some extent, but it takes a person completely devoid of any morals to lie under oath when someone's future life is at stake.

It all became suddenly ironic to me.

For years I have heard people, including myself, complain about how "unfair and corrupt" the system was and I finally understood that it was our own fault.

Our legal system is still what our forefathers intended: a government for the people by the people.

Yet somehow we came from a tyrannically controlled colony to a country that abuses the very system that awarded us our most prized possession: freedom.

I'm not saying that police officers or the legal system are perfect.

What I'm saying is that the legal system is owned and operated by humans and we are far from flawless.

Money corrupts everything in our world, unless we refuse to allow it to.

I wonder what the price tag is on personal morals.

Yet most of us would rather complain and blame the minority of police officers who do break the law, than admit that this system is as much ours as theirs and that we too hold a responsibility to uphold it.

If what we honor in this country is justice, then why are there so many ambulance chasers and lawsuit hungry people who think that another person's accident is their opportunity at financial freedom.

There would be no ambulance chasers if we did not hire them.

It all hit me Friday, watching two people abuse the system.

These two people had a chance to do their own part in upholding the justice of our system and instead they choose to manipulate it to their own ends.

I'm sure one day they will ignorantly complain about how many flaws are in the system without even realizing that they are complaining about themselves.

Six or so reasons writers should think first

Kara Hodge

After reading Craig Cox's commentary ("Six and a half reasons why I love women," 4/26) it really made me realize why I love men.

Yes, men and women are different, but those differences in a man are what blow my skirt up.

There is a true essence of a man that is grossly distinct.

When a man stumbles into a room he has a distinct odor, a disheveled appearance and a demeanor that tells me he has been to too many bars that night.

You can tell a lot about a man from his eyes.

When a man looks at me, for a moment I realize he is either hungry or is looking at my boobs.

A man looks through a woman with piercing eyes that ask, "Is there a hotter chick behind that one?"

"The Look" as it is referred to, can't tell a thing about a man, except maybe that he is confused or is trying to interpret why I'm looking at him in the first place.

Spending time with a man is like frostbite to the soul.

When I am with a man, one on one, it is like the rest of the world comes into focus, making me realize that I could be talking to someone who isn't discussing beer, sex and the NFL draft.

There are a few things that I can only do with a man, like play "Streetfighter" until all hours of the morning, change the oil in my car and eat a romantic dinner at Taco Bell.

A man's bed head and morning breath really get my day off to a good start.

A man smells ... well, like what he last ate usually.

Traveling across campus without smelling sweat, B.O. or chewing tobacco would really make my day.

A man's hair ... I won't get into that.

Dancing with a man is an experience I like to avoid at all costs.

To have a man hold me in arm, step on my feet and knock me in the head with his elbows is to know what wrestling is all about.

A man reveals nothing with his clothing except that he doesn't have clean underwear again this week.

The crack of a man's behind gives the baggy pants he is wearing a new meaning to the word "commando."

Men have the ability to make women say things like "Go away!" "I said NO!" and "Maybe being a nun wouldn't be so bad after all."

The most frustrating days of my life were the product of the feelings I had for a man.

The feelings men create within women captivate them until the man refers to her as "my old lady" and screams at her to fix his chicken potpie.

To understand a man is impossible.

Writer's Note:

This is a parody and not a real opinion. I really do appreciate and like men, especially the one I'm dating.

Indeed, men throughout time have written about women loved and lost, and the effect it has had on them.

Unfortunately, Cox decided to write about women in a way that made me think he was trying to win one with his commentary.

His opinion would have been better suited for the want ads.