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TheAppalachianOnline.com March 29, 2012 • 7
The Appalachian | TheAppalachianOnline.com
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JUSTIN HERBERGER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Letters
Other tickets respond to endorsement of Cox/Barnes Freemyer/Lee
MEGHAN FRICK
HANNAH POMPHREY ASSOCIATE EDITOR, ONLINE OPERATIONS
ASSOCIATE EDITOR, EDITORIAL CONTENT
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Quote Of The Day
During this SGA election some questions have been raised concerning the feasibility of Bobby and mine’s platform. Some of our goals have been called too broad, too ambitious, too idealistic, etc. This is something I would like to address. Yes, we do have some very ambitious goals which we would like to see accomplished. However, I believe as a leader and as a community it is important to have ambitious goals. Bobby and I will only be here for one more year and the youngest students on campus will generally be here for only three to four more years. However, Appalachian will remain long after we have all left. A few years ago, I’m sure many believed SGA creating a free public transportation system that serves the university and the entire town of Boone was unfeasible. Today, almost all of us use the AppalCart on a daily basis. Certainly we have far reaching platform goals, some which may be years before implemented and some which may never be, but it is important to begin the conversation on these ideas now because if we do not then they cannot ever be accomplished. Not all our platform goals will take so long to implement - there are many which can and will be accomplished within the next year. I say these things can and will be accomplished
Hatley/Hanna
next year because as far as being qualified to accomplish our goals, Bobby and I are the best candidates. No, neither one us sits on the current administration’s cabinet, but we have worked within SGA writing legislation and pursuing change on campus for three years. We have both worked on a number of different committees and held numerous leadership positions within SGA over these years. Between us, we have written legislation ranging from the return of 24/5 library hours to Appalachian’s support for the Teaching Fellows scholarship. We know how to accomplish our goals because we’ve been doing it for the past three years. It is our own fault for not making the student body more aware of our qualifications for these positions. Throughout this experience, we have tried to make the election more about students than our own personal resumes. I will close with this: I am happy to see such interest in student government and I hope it will continue to grow. SGA truly is where our voice as students can be heard. I hope everyone will vote, whether for Bobby and I or not. It is important to have a say in how our campus is run. And if our goals seem too lofty and Bobby and I reach too high, all I can say is that it is the only direction we know to reach. Evan Freemyer SGA Presidential Candidate
I am writing this before any announcement was made regarding which ticket won the election. I read The Appalachian on Tuesday and I had a very different opinion about which ticket should represent the student body this upcoming year. I feel that this year is a very special year because of the quality of the candidates. I respect all my opponents because they are all great men. However, I feel my ticket offers something much different. My entire staff is made up of passionate student leaders that want something better for this university. My running mate, Chelsey Hanna, is not a product of the Student Government Association. She was inspired to run for Student Body Vice-President because she wanted to use her skills that she developed by being the President of Net Impact to make the Student Government Association more sustainable. Even though I have been in the student senate for a while now, that is not the focal point that the students like about my commitment. I have spent many years in the private sector working as a leader at Bojangles. I started as a little ole cashier and moved up the ladder in a short time span. I used my passion for excellence to develop a better work environment for the employees while improving the drive time for the customers. However, I had to take a
leave of absence because the next phase of my life was to come to Appalachian State University. Shortly after I arrived, I joined the Student Government Association to better serve the students. I felt that I could make a difference by working day in and day out to serve the student body. Somewhere along the way, I decided that the best way for me to do what my constituents want was to become Student Body President. There is no question that those of you who know me understand how passionate I am about serving the student body. It all started my freshman year and, hopefully, the journey will continue in the way I feel it should now. The platform that has been a product of the student body is something that I will never stop fighting for while on campus. A lot of students, for some reason, cannot stand the Student Government Association. The near-universal reason for this is because they feel they cannot trust the Student Government. In our platform, we have outlined a plan to help alleviate this problem. We have so many other important issues in our platform, including student safety, sustainability, and working with the community to best serve this university in full capacity. Please remember to vote wisely and enjoy your weekend. Steven Hatley Former SGA Presidential Candidate
Editorial Cartoon
“The way we set things up in the last week, I was getting endorsements left and right. I had at least 1,100 but I only received 291 votes.”
I’m not sure whether to feel uncomfortable or not . . . What is this world coming to?!?!
Steven Hatley,
whose campaign for SGA President ended Wednesday
Letter
College Democrats had a better argument than they utilized
The performance of both sides in the debate between the College Democrats and Republicans March 27 was impressive. However, the question was submitted by a Republican, “How is it constitutional to force citizens to buy health insurance?” The Dems at Appalachian (and across the country) failed to give the response they ought to be shouting from every street corner in America: “Don’t ask me! It was your idea!” The individual mandate which requires citizens to “take personal responsibility” by purchasing health insurance is not and never has been a liberal concept. Since the Clintons’ attempt at healthcare reform, this invention of Republicans like Gingrich and Romney has been the chief conservative healthcare reform alternative. That is, until Obama compromised and adopted it as the best plan to bring down healthcare costs he could reasonably get the votes for. Obama’s involvement makes anything less exciting to the GOP - even killing Osama bin Laden. As they champion the repeal of their own of their own idea in the Supreme Court, it’s clearer than ever that the party of the rich just doesn’t give a damn about fixing a system which - for them - ain’t broke. How ironic, hypocritical and revealing that they nominate Mitt “Romneycare” as they cry socialism at their own decidedly capitalist solution - while the insured pay through the nose to provide free healthcare to any poor soul who shows up at the ER. Jeremiah Miller Junior communication studies major
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Correction
In our candidate endorsement in the March 27 issue, we reported that Steven Hatley started his first senate term in fall 2011. Hatley has been an SGA senator since January 2011. The Appalachian regrets the error.
Aaron Fairbanks | Editorial Cartoonist
Staff Opinion
In a culture that assaults women, slut walks and other means of activism are necessary
Meghan Frick
Hannah Pomphrey
There’s no such thing as a slut. “Slut” is nothing more than a social construct, and a meaningless one at that. No one should be defined, and no one deserves to be vilified, on the basis of their sexual activity. Or the clothes they choose to wear. Or the places where they spend time, or the people they spend time with. That’s what we believe and that’s why we’re incredibly proud of the men and women who organized and participated in Appalachian State University’s first Slut Walk Wednesday. The Slut Walk movement has spread across the
country in recent months. It represents an idea that has been frustratingly slow to catch on in the United States: that rape victims are not responsible for rape. It doesn’t matter what clothes they’re wearing, how intoxicated they are, or how they’ve behaved. Rapists are responsible for rape. Please hear us on that: rapists are responsible for rape. We believe in the Slut Walk movement because we want to live in a world where that’s not a controversial statement. We want to live in a world where “let’s teach some self-defense classes” is not the first
response when a sexual assault takes place. We want to live in a world where women are safe anywhere, around anyone, wearing any outfit - a world where men are taught that it’s absolutely, always unacceptable to have sex with someone who has not consented. Unfortunately, that’s not even on the radar for most college students. The idea that it’s okay to refer to someone as a slut, that a woman is best judged on her number of past sexual partners rather than the content of her character, is extremely prevalent. The idea that perpetrators are responsible for rape and that women aren’t tempting or luring them into assaults? Not so common. We’ve heard some comments around campus from people who agree that slutshaming and victim-blaming are legitimate issues, but don’t think Slut Walks are the right way to address
them. With all due respect, you’re wrong. Usually, neither of us are the type to believe “raising awareness” is an appropriate end goal. But in this case, that’s exactly what needs to happen. Awareness needs to be raised, conversations need to start and our society needs to change. Unfortunately, one Slut Walk in Boone, North Carolina didn’t suddenly change the game. Women who do exactly what they’re entitled to do - go out, wear what they want, do what they want, be what they want - are still subject to judgment and violence. That’s not acceptable. And that’s why we need to continue building a society where women are safe no matter how they choose to spend their time.
Frick is the associate editor for editorial content. Pomphrey is the associate editor for online operations.