Arbiter, April 2 Students of Boise State University
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Boise State University ScholarWorks Student Newspapers (UP 4.15) University Documents 4-2-1997 Arbiter, April 2 Students of Boise State University Although this file was scanned from the highest-quality microfilm held by Boise State University, it reveals the limitations of the source microfilm. It is possible to perform a text search of much of this material; however, there are sections where the source microfilm was too faint or unreadable to allow for text scanning. For assistance with this collection of student newspapers, please contact Special Collections and Archives at [email protected]. \ ! II I Ii I I I I i I~ 2 INSIDE ~------~-~----- -:-- WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4 1997THE ARBITER o·rn····/;· I~Ol!lJ~ censorship. The closing argument "The government cannot use its power and authority to enforce its opinions," Reed stated. -----~Qpinion by Kelly MilUngton The latest argument has been that student gov- Opinion Editor ernment can control content because 40 percent of Comets; Do they make you nutts? The Arbiter's budget is supported by student fees. An interesting thing, free speech. I recently That, said Reed during the free speech session, is attended the annual College Media Convention in "bull." We students pay ourselves in part to publish New York, and discovered BSU is one among the paper, but those fees do not allow any form of many campuses struggling to sort out free speech government to control content. Why? Because uni- - .... _MIlIJ·.~I1Bii2';'C;··.News issues, Recent events concerning the ASBSU versity officials are paid by the state. Recall that Finaout/a/)()lJtthe master plan. Senate and Resolution #21-which was finally government cannot legally censor. This applies to killed-prompt me to share the constitutional student government as well because it is a local details applying to free speech and the public uni- branch of government. Publications are protected versity. by the First Amendment which means no branch of John David Reed of Eastern Illinois University, the government-federal, state or local--ean cen- ...... I1•••• I:"'.-"Nw581;~s~i," OOD who spoke on "First Amendment Rights-Why sor The Arbiter. Trysky diving for $175. College Press is Free," began with the clarification When it comes down to it, the editor decides the that speech and action are two separate entities. newspaper's content. No amount of ASBSU~spon- Action can be punished, speech cannot. sored resolutions can reverse the decisions of the That concept, in relation to The Arbiter and con- many court cases settled in favor of student news- troversy over columnist Damon Hunzeker, takes an papers. In fact, any government branch attempting interesting twist. If Hunzeker had sought out black to shut down a publication will find itself ...........I~OJenanny students, shoved his finger in their faces and said embroiled in a nasty court case, and will almost Thank you, thank very much Dread Ebonies was a bunch of crap, he would be pun- certainly lose. Zeppeiinl' ished. However, mere expression of an opinion is . However, just because the Constitution protects protected by the First Amendment. The Arbiter's right to free speech does not mean we A public university is a slate agency. Under the staff members are entitled to deliberately and habit- First and 14th Amendments the university-c-or any ually offend. Responsibility and sensitivity need to other branch of government-pannot control con- playa role in publications, but there will always be 1\:2'; Sportstent. Government, including student government, stories or opinions that offend readers. The biggest Gymnasts make history! cannot tell student newspapers what can or cannot mistake in life is to try to please everyone. How be published because the Constitution prohibits true. The Arbiter is the officioI student newspaper of Boise State University. Its mission is to provide a forum for the discussion of issues impacting the campus and the community. The Arbiter's budget consists of fees paid by stu- dents of BSUand advertising sales. The paper is distributed to the campus and community on Wednesdays during, /1 BITER the school year. The first copy is free. Additional copies cost $1 each, payable at The Arbiter offices. 1910 University Drive, Boise,Idaho 83725 Editor in Chief Kate Neilly Bell Business Manager Chris Adorns News Editor Asencion Phone - (208) 345-8204 Fax - (208) 385-3198 Ramirez Hootenanny Editor Josh Costen Sports' Editor Amy Butler E-mail- [email protected] Health/Beauty /Fashion Editor Ariel Spaeth Out of Doors Editor Clint Miller Opinion Editor Kelly Millington Online Editor Mike Moore Art Director Jonathon H. Smith Photo Sports: [email protected] Editor Kara Brown Ad Designer Brenda Zipfel Advertising Manager Matt Pottenger Local News: [email protected] Advertising Sales Sean R Murphy Staff Writers Erin Burden, Jarod J. Dick, Mary Doherty, Morthew Haynes, Erica Hill, Mark Holladay, Seth JaqUith, Dan Robbins, Mark Taylor Columnists .letters to the Editor:[email protected] Melissa Albert, Damon Hunzeker, Jennifer Ledford Photographers Ronny J. Grooms, Rick Arts and Entertainment: [email protected] Kosarich, Jonathon Smith Cartoonist Eric Ellis Compl.!ter Systems Administrator Mark Holladay Circulation Enric Figueras, Uuis Figueras Reception Yvette Bryant Editorial Adviser Peter Wollheim Business Adviser William Hart The Arbiter staff did not produce the traditional April Fools section this year. In past years we've included in our first April issue stories that are completely made up. But I decided it is 4\.rbit~~aracti\ja too dangerous. Last year, I was eating at Flying Pie on Broadway Avenue and overheard For back issues visit us at: two students talking as they read the April Fools section of The Arbiter-which repeatedly http://m.idbsu.edu/ orbiter states the articles are fictitious. One of the men said, "No wayl They're bUilding a casino on campus?! They can't do that!!!" And two years ago, a student wrote in to inform us we had misspelled someone's name in one of our made-up April Fools stories. Rest assured. There is no April Fools section this year.-KB ________________________ OPINION3 THEARBITER WEDNESDAY,APRIL2, 1997 Comets - They bring out the tiger in you! by Kelly Millington the woman has not been shot and is hardly keeping her answer eternal questions, count me out. I'm still stupe- Opinion Editor brains from escaping. Instead, they discover she had fied over the reasoning that leads 39 people to believe purchased a tube of freezer dough-you know, of the they will physically ascend to the "Next Level" by poi- Pillsbury ilk: When she walked outside the store, she felt soning themselves to board the savior UFO. Not only I have to marvel at the stupidity of the human race, so hot she held the unopened tube to her forehead. It did they ready their own bodies, but they packed their "transporters" that we are. Before I start in on the exploded onto the side of her head, and she automatical- bags, storing them at the foot of each bed, and left U.S. Heaven's Gate cult, let me relay a true accorrnt from the ly assumed she'd been shot. currency in their pants pockets. What good, pray Deep South, since it all has to do with Hale-Bopp any- tell, will quarters and dollar bills be on another way. Query: Where was the blood planet? And as for suitcases of clothing, and where was the shock It's a hot day in small town Arkansas; hot, who's to say these aliens don't wear togas, resulting from astronomers say, because Hale-Bopp is nearing the earth or anything at all? injury? and disrupting weather pallerns. A lady shopping at the Somebody I'm sort of side-tackling a serious issue local grocery reluctantly makes her way into the sun and must have here. I just can't figure out how people can heat. She suddenly stops as she spies a woman in a near- taken give their minds and bodies to another human by car clutching her hand to her head, white goop oozing her being in hopes of salvation and a peaceful eternity. between her fingers. Why do they? According to experts I've heard or read, a The lady coming fromthe grocery runs to the woman cult leader preys upon peoples' insecurities, promising in the car, who cries that she's been shot in the head. wealth, peace and salvation and whatever else he (or "I was standing here and heard a loud pop," she says brains, she) can use to suck followers in for the small fee of a anxiously. "I know I've been shot-I'm holding my and I say it new Saturn coupe (sarcasm mine). Here's my input to . brains in." was the aliens in the anyone considering cults or some other risky venture: If The shopping lady runs to a pay phone and calls for UFO "tucked behind the it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. emergency personnel. She returns to the woman in the comet Hale-Bopp." . Now, in spite of my attempt to seriously rationalize car to comfort the hapless victim until the ambulance Which leads to my next query on the evolution of death by Phenobarbital and vodka, I gotta say eternity arrives. thinking capabilities in humans. If we're evolving into a looks more attractive when you're assaulted by the But, upon inspection, emergency personnel determine race that needs weirder and more unscientific beliefs to Pillsbury dough boy. because endorsement provides the very benefit being discriminatorily held back. BSU sits in a very tight spot: it must either endorse religious groups or discriminate against them because it has set a precedent of endorsing any club that applies and qualifies.