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2 | September 29, 2010

Opinion The Rambler | www.therambler.org

Dream Act legislation defeat unfortunate


grants brought to would reward and encourage cal core. These issues deserve
this country under
the age of 16, after “This is unfortunate for the Dream Act, good citizenship.
This isn’t to say that the
a platform and desperately
need debating more frequent-
Chuck Fain they serve in the a bill that seems to garner support on other issues are not as impor- ly in our country.
Arts & entertainment editor
cmfain@mail.txwes.edu
military or com-
plete two years of both sides of the political aisle.” tant or that they don’t deserve
their time on the Senate floor.
Regardless of your stance
on immigration, your politi-
college. doomed legislation. other controversial causes. On the contrary, I am person- cal or religious affiliation or
The bill died in The Dream Act was at- The repeal of the “don’t ask, ally in support of everything your ethnicity, it should be
the Senate after a tached to the Defense Autho- don’t tell” policy, which would in and attached to the Defense apparent that the Dream Act
Republican filibuster, though rization Bill, which sets policy allow homosexual men and Bill. I do not however, repre- is a worthy cause.
Recently, many of our it wasn’t only Republicans for the defense department women to serve openly in the sent the majority. My political The bill doesn’t grant am-
friends have suffered an in- who stifled the bill. There was and has passed through the military, as well as legislation views lean to the left, perhaps nesty to anyone who has ever
justice in this country due to support and opposition for Senate without issue for the lifting the ban on abortions in nauseatingly so, and there are crossed our border, nor is it a
partisan politics. the bill from both ends of the past 48 years. Proponents of military hospitals overseas was many out there who do not form of welfare. The Dream
The injustice in question political spectrum. The fail- the Dream Act relied on the also added to the Defense Bill. share my world view. Act simply helps those who
pertains to the postponement ure of the legislation to pass impressive track record of the This is unfortunate for the Issues such as the rights of didn’t choose to come here,
of the Dream Act. If passed, was not the content of the Defense Bill to push this leg- Dream Act, a bill that seems homosexuals and abortion but who have contributed to
this act would grant citizen- Dream Act itself, but the fact islation through the Senate to garner support on both are hot-button issues that po- the betterment of this country
ship to the children of immi- that it was connected to other – unfortunately, so did a few sides of the political aisle and larize people to their politi- once here.

Mobile technology adds element of risk to real life


So many people are talking a little too deep into the virtual re- developed a false sense of impor- in terms of hours browsed. There is
and texting while driving. There ality we have created. tance. Whatever the cause, this be- a place for such pursuits, but what I
Barry Grubbs is no point arguing whether or It makes me nervous when I see havior could be hazardous to our have noticed is that many people are
Opinion editor not it’s dangerous. Is it possible a mother pushing a shopping cart youth. happy to mentally immerse them-
bgrubbs@mail.txwes.edu that any message we need to across a busy parking lot with three Dr. Ken Haller of Cardinal Glen- selves in the virtual world while
send is so important that it can- toddlers trailing behind her. While non Children’s Medical Center in driving, studying or just about any
not wait until we arrive at our she taps away on her Smartphone, St. Louis, said excessive texting can other place they happen to be.
destination? she may not pay close enough atten- trigger areas of the brain that can Social media and the buzz
Most of us have seen the Matrix film I see students texting furiously in tion to her children to prevent them lead to addiction. There is plenty of of texting and instant messag-
trilogy by now. The idea of people liv- class, as if the nature of their cor- from being hit by a vehicle. ongoing research on the issue, but ing have slowly drawn teens and
ing in a false reality was a little creepy. respondence is the most important I guess the question is whether we most of what we have learned so far adults away from real-life rela-
It was a great science fiction concept thing in their lives. Everywhere I are satisfied with the events of our is not very positive. tionships and into a virtual world
and a special effects masterpiece. look, I see teens and adults pushing natural life to stay engaged for more Sexting is a hot topic lately. I don’t of superficiality.
As I look around these days, I no- the natural world aside to make room than a few minutes without the dis- need to explain what it is, but I think I’m sure this is a natural progres-
tice a lot of people living in a sort of for e-mail, texting and tweeting. traction of our virtual world. it says a lot about where technology sion in our cultural development. It
replacement reality. What I mean is; I understand the importance of Have we become so bored that we can take us as a society. would, however, be a shame to lose
many of us seem to be preoccupied staying in touch, but if we can’t be cannot even sit through a movie at The amount of time spent on so- the real-life personal touch rela-
with the virtual world we enter via out of touch long enough to take the theater without checking our cial media lately is staggering. Re- tionships that once allowed people
the Internet and personal wireless a history class or drive our kids to messages? cent statistics put Facebook at the to talk face-to-face, instead of with
devices. soccer practice, we might be going It could be argued that we have top of the list of most used websites, their fingertips.

Letters to the editor


Mr. Resendez: To members of Student Government
Association,
This letter is in response to an article, with the option to buy more at a future date.
“SGA to use iPads to reduce waste,” found in With only seven iPads the cost significantly As an alumnus of Texas Wesleyan Universi- them e-mail members with sufficient notes
the Sept.22 issue of The Rambler. The article drops. Couple that with the discount offered ty and a former member of the Student Gov- just in case some members did not get all
in question left out many important details. by Apple, and the cost dwindles even more. ernment Association, I ask that you take into the details from the meeting. If it is abso-
This letter will hopefully address these. The article also addresses the subject of consideration my concern over the recent lutely necessary to buy members something
The article opens proclaiming that the “The SGA funding. If the SGA does not spend ev- plans to purchase iPads for all SGA members. to aid with note-taking, may I suggest a mini
SGA members are planning …to pass a bill ery dollar in any given semester the remain- Let me applaud you for your efforts to take Netbook laptop? Those can be as little as
concerning the use of iPads…” This statement ing money is carried over into the next. In this active part in the green movement, but please $100 and will therefore be considerably less
leaves the reader with the notion that the Stu- case, the SGA does have a substantial amount reconsider this unnecessary expenditure. than buying an iPad for each member.
dent Government has already decided it will of money, from preceding years, that have Although members of SGA should be re- Let me remind the members of SGA that
buy itself iPads. This could not be further “rolled over” into this semester. The $23,000 warded for their work on campus, this spe- the organization is there to benefit all of the
from the truth. Every piece of legislation is figure quoted fails to take into account any of cific use of SGA funds will come at a much students of the university. It is difficult to see
debated thoroughly by every member of the these additional monies. larger cost than you perhaps bargained for. how the planned expenditure will benefit all
government. Nothing is guaranteed to pass. Also, the article only quoted students who Already, the angry voices of current students students, so please focus on more important
Next, the article informs the reader that the are not in favor of the possible legislation; a have been heard on the Internet and perhaps tasks at hand. Some people have already men-
SGA plans to purchase “15-20 iPads.” The ar- fact that I find disturbing. I would have ex- in person. I would hope that you would not tioned that SGA could perhaps start a small
ticle fails to mention that the iPad legislation, pected a more balanced view of the topic. ignore the voices of your constituents, as it scholarship or try to see about getting an el-
if passed, would be a two-year plan; the first Lastly, the program that would allow un- will look bad on your organization. While evator placed in O.C. Hall. While some ideas
year being a trial year. In this academic year, a derprivileged students access to laptops only you undoubtedly do not mean to appear self- may seem unrealistic, it would do well to lis-
maximum of seven iPads would be purchased. garners a total of five words in the entire ar- ish by spending money on your members, the ten to students’ concerns and attempt to get
At the end of this year, the SGA would then ticle. The iPad and laptop purchases will be rest of the student body has trouble seeing the them taken care of or let students know why
evaluate its use of the iPad. At that time, if the made through the same piece of legislation. selflessness in this recent development. those concerns are out of SGA’s hands. It is
program is deemed a success, then it would I do appreciate the work that The Rambler Let me also point out that while iPads much better than letting them think that you
be left to next year’s SGA to make additional does on behalf of the student body. It is my could save paper, there is no need to spend have not taken their ideas into consideration.
iPad purchases. If the program is deemed un- hope in the future though, that all relevant money on this particular gadget. The iPad is I still support the SGA for what it stands
successful, then no additional iPads would be information would be included in any and all fairly new and expensive, and I am sure you for, and I wish the organization the best of
purchased; a very important detail. articles. are aware that it does more than allow people luck. Continue to make changes on campus,
The article continues, “At $499 a piece, the to take notes. The downloadable applications but take care not to turn a deaf ear to those
combined cost for 15-20 iPads ranges from Sincerely, are unnecessary for your current needs, and I who seek help from you. Bless you all.
$7,485 to $9,980 without tax.” Yes this would would like to suggest other alternatives.
be the cost if the SGA was purchasing that Heath A. Scott Most of your members likely have lap- Sincerely,
many iPads. As stated above, the SGA will only President, Student Government Association tops, so may I suggest that they bring those
purchase up to seven iPads for this academic to meetings instead, if all they want to do Claudia Rojero
year, is conserve paper? I am sure that the sec-
retary is excellent at taking notes, so have

How does personal wireless technology


The Rambler impact your daily life?
Founded in 1917 as The Handout
Publisher: Lamar Smith

Jonathan Resendez, editor-in-chief Letters to the editor: The Rambler, a weekly


Barry Grubbs, opinion editor publication, welcomes all letters. All submis-
Eliana Mijangos, sports editor sions must have a full printed name, phone
Chuck Fain, arts & entertainment editor number and signature. While every consider-
Dwight Conerway, college life editor ation is made to publish letters, publication is
Meisa Keivani Najafabadi, photo editor limited by time and space.
Erica Estrada, graphic designer/cartoonist The editors reserve the right to edit all submis- Aaron Broyles, Joey Fortney, Kathy Nguyen,
Wendy Moore, faculty adviser sions for space, grammar, clarity and style. junior theater arts senior music junior biology
Dr. Kay Colley, faculty liaison Letters to the editor may be subject to response “It beats hauling around a “It allows me to pay bills “It allows me to share notes
from editors and students on the opinion page. heavy computer bag and stay updated on with my friends and com-
Member of the Texas Intercollegiate Press As- everywhere I go.” things wherever I am.” municate more efficiently.”
sociation, Associated Collegiate Press, Student “We are not afraid to follow the truth ...
Press Law Center, College Media Advisers and wherever it may lead.”
College Newspaper Business and Advertising — Thomas Jefferson
Managers.

Opinions expressed in The Rambler are those of


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the individual authors only and do not neces-
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R ambler Contribution twurambler@yahoo.com Melissa Gibson, Natalie Gillespie,
Please send all news briefs to twurambler@ To contact T he R ambler junior political science junior paralegal studies
yahoo.com. Submissions due by noon Friday to (817) 531-7552 “It’s a double edged sword. “My life really revolves around
see brief in the following week’s issue. Advertising Inquiries: Technology is great but so my phone.”
(817) 532-7582 dangerous at the same time.”

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