meliorist me 41, Issue 25 University of Lethbridge student newspaper • Pissing off the establishment since 1967 • www.theme.iorist.ca • .•HT'IIMMI 2 March 27, 2008 Editorial the meliorist mel • io • rism (mttl't rtf*m, mt'li «.), n. the doctrine that the world tends to become better or may be made better by human effort An autonomous body, separate from tho U of L Student*' Union SU-166, 440! University Drive West, Lethbridge, AB T1K3M4 Phono: 329-2334 www.themeliorist.«a The Meliorist is the student newspaper of the University of Lethbridge, published most Thursdays throughout the academic year b" The Meliorist Publishing Society, an autonomous incorporated body. Please address all correspondence to The Meliorist, 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, Alberta, T1K 3M4, or drop it off at room SU-166. Deadline for submissions is Sunday at noon. The Meliorist appreciates and encourages the writing of thoughtful, concise, timely letters. However, The Meliorist will only consider for publication those letters which are signed by the author. Special arrangements may be made for those wishing anonymity, but absolutely no pseudonyms. Letters should contain the authors legible name, address, telephone number and student identification number The address, ID. and phone number will not be published. The Meliorist reserves the right to edit submissions and will not print libelous material. Letters may be edited for brevity, clarity and legality. Editor-in-Chief Chris Hibbard [email protected] Business Manager Our pet monster Darren Ready [email protected] The TLF page: good, bad, and just plain ugly Advertising Manager Lauren Isherwood [email protected] I have personally intervened on a Yet anonymity allows for just such as well, I might add), we let down Editorial by Chris Hibbard few occasions, assisting one TLF written 'rocks' to be thrown in any our guard and often say anything to Production Manager Editor-in-Chief author in 'hooking' up with another, direction. It allows us to shirk our anyone - just because we feel like Sarah Fulcher helping one young lady find places humanity, morality, pity and mercy, it. [email protected] I've been employed at The in town to sing karaoke, and all things we typically claim to hold Some ofthe TLF postings we receive Meliorist for four years now, since reassuring one 'poet' that his real so dear. While I am an optimist who leave little to the imagination: News Editor Keith McLaughlin identity is safe with me. believes that humans are inherently relating who slept with whom, who my very first semester at this lovely n.editor@themel iorist.ca institution. During that time, many Which brings me to my next point. good, I know that anonymity struck out at the bar, and who talks things have changed around here, The TLF page also irks me to no generally brings out the worst in us. too much in class. Unfortunately, Entertainment Editor ranging, from new computers to an end, partly due to the fact that it is Protected by anonymity, we are these sorts of comments seem to Amy Dewar improved look and layout. In these the most popular page in the paper, not subject to law, geographical perpetuate themselves, and the TLF [email protected] four years however, I've noticed thereby forsaking the work of a restrictions and have absolutely no page becomes a little society in and of Sports Editor that some things never really seem whole editorial team, and partly due obligation to show respect to others itself; one composed of inside jokes, Kris Kantrud to change. to its anonymous nature. by acknowledging both sides of cultural clashes, heated debates and [email protected] Students remain fairly apathetic, Submitting a TLF to the paper is an argument. When we know our philosophical musings. It reminds rarely contributing and typically as simple as the click of a button identity is protected, we feel free to me sometimes of dandelions on the Features Editor only when angry about something. and you don't even need to be a exploit anyone or anything that we lawn - one week we'll see one little Martine Menard Advertisers tend to buy more ad student to do so. We don't require deem weak or flawed. weed pop up (i.e. a one-liner bashing [email protected] space during the months of October, you to submit your names or phone For better or worse, anonymity someone who smells funny), and the November, February and March. numbers, and the only way we know frees us from our inhibitions, Photo Editor next week there are four more pesky Rod Leland who you are is if you send your TLF We're rarely taken seriously, yet encouraging us to write things that plants and they're all about body [email protected] for some students we are their only via your uleth email account. we would never think of saying to odour and bathroom hygiene. source of Lethbridge news. The main Ill admit that sometimes we censor someone on the phone, let alone To be honest, I really don't know Copy Editor thing that never changes though, is the section. I feel that we have to, in person, thereby shrugging off what to think of the TLF section Melanie Gattiker the presence of a single page in the not just for legal reasons, but ethical taboos and crossing invisible lines of - even after all these years. It's our [email protected] middle of the paper that gets read ones as well. We'll remove TLFs that politeness in the process. Anonymity little pet monster. If The Meliorist Distribution Manager thoroughly every week - unlike most are particularly libelous and cruel to assures us that our inner thoughts is going to get into trouble on any are safe to be exposed, and that our Allan Hall other pages, to my chagrin. I am one individual, i.e. hate mail and given week, the TLFs are likely at [email protected] referring, of course, to Three Lines death threats. We'll refuse to run questions or confessions will not be the root of the trouble. Come to Free - a page that many readers TLFs that are simply racist, sexist, used against us. think of it, this very thing happened Production Assistant turn to first, sometimes never going discriminatory or homophobic. One part of me thinks that it is a last week, and now, thanks to Cameron Dixon any further. We'll sometimes choose not to good thing to have this little spot one of you readers venting your p.assistant! ©themeliorist.ca I have very mixed feelings about publish TLFs that promote one in our paper that students can frustrations and me not taking a the TLF section of this paper. I political party's agenda to the use. It is truly cathartic to get our close enough look at your words, I Production Assistant / Creative Designer appreciate it as a forum for students exclusion of all others. Likewise, feelings out through expression am in serious damage control mode. we try not to affiliate ourselves with Katherine Friesen to vent, communicate, joke around, once in a while, especially without But I digress. [email protected] flirt and briefly speak their minds. any one religious group. But other any serious controls, protocols, or So is anonymity the protector of For these reasons, I consider the than that, this strange, humorous hoops of political correctness to both privacy and self-expression? Or Webmaster page to be invaluable. Provided that and sometimes borderline offensive jump through. is it merely the antithesis of genuine Chris Morris students continue to peruse it and forum creates itself - thanks to However, there is a small minority discourse and communication? [email protected] you students who choose to write submit their own little thoughts, of people who use anonymity as an When I take a step back from in under the promised shroud of Printing I don't foresee the TLF page ever excuse for bullying, harassment, the whole notion, I see the use of anonymity. Southern Alberta Newspaper Group disappearing. disclosure of other people's anonymous sources as common This year alone, I've observed how embarrassing secrets or dirty practice in the journalism business. Cover Photo the TLFs have allowed the student This anonymity is not really laundry and so on. I find this to Hell, as far as a literary tradition by Rod Leland body to express their rage about something we can claim as a right be both mildly unsettling and is concerned, anonymity stems all the results of the last provincial as students, Canadians, North somewhat ironic. the way back to the Bible - a book Contributors: election and as campus clubs and Americans, or humans. We may Our society now has two very which, if I'm not mistaken, contains Aditya Chhikara organizations have promoted their claim to have rights to privacy, different standards for trust and some virtuous direction about Jenn Prosser fundraisers or political agendas. freedom of speech and freedom of communication. In the real world, 'doing unto others'. I'm not really an Pattie Dwyer I've allowed classified ads to appear expression, but I don't think we can we tend to be skeptical of others, expert by any means, but something Garret Ford (disguised as TLFs), with the hopes claim the same about bombarding preferring to stay reserved, shy, and tells me this golden rule doesn't stop Kendall Yamagishi that maybe some student can sell his others with our opinions without not call attention to ourselves.