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Opinion2 | WEDNESDAY| JANUARY 26, 2011theBaylor Lariat www.baylorlariat.com

Opinion

he Baylor Lariatwelcomes reader

viewpoints throughletters to the editorand guest columns.Opinions expressedin the Lariat are notnecessarily those o

the Baylor admin-istration, the BaylorBoard o Regents or

the StudentPublications Board.

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Editor in chiefNick Dean*

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A

recent study o surveyresponses, transcript in-ormation and data romthe Collegiate LearningAssessment concluded

that 45 percent o students tested aer theirsecond year in college showed no improve-ment in their development o higher-ordercognitive skills.

Tis nding is the basis o the soon-to-be-released book, Academically Adri:Limited Learning on College Campuses.Te book is a compilation o the ndingso researchers who ollowed 2,300 under-graduates through our years o college at 24unidentied higher education institutionsto measure the progress o the undergradu-ates critical thinking and analytic reasoningskills.

Dr. Richard Arum, a proessor o sociol-ogy and education at New York Universityand director o the Education ResearchProgram o the Social Science ResearchCouncil, and Dr. Josipa Roksa, an assistant

proessor o sociology at the University oVirginia, are both authors o the book set tobe published by the University o ChicagoPress this month.

A portion o the experts book waspublished on the Chronicle o HigherEducation website, in which the two discussthe book, the data and why college studentsarent improving.

Te debate on the costs o higher educa-tion and how the system can be improvedhas been a heated topic or years. Fromstudents too ocused on their social lives toproessors ocused on individual research,the authors have ound that the very peoplewithin the higher education system arentocused on a remedy to the problems. Evenworse, Arum and Roksa say that some maynot even notice the problems, writing thatcollege students dene andunderstand their college experiences asbeing ocused more on social than on aca-demic development.

But a developed social aptitude certainly

has its perks and should not be consideredthe sole reason students are not learning.

Students leave college with strongriendships and lasting memories. Teyhave learned to depend on others, to value

riendship and to live independently.However, when they leave college they

dont entertain the thought that their cogni-

tive skills may have never developed.It is ar easier or sel-reective people to

view their social progress. A persons intel-lectual progress, however, is a much moredicult aspect to examine.

It is ridiculous to say that all studentsonly come to college or the social growth.Perhaps students believe they have intel-lectually grown rom college when in act,because o the ease o college courses, theyhave not.

Te workload o college courses has adramatic efect on the amount a studentimproves. Te study proves that studentswhose classes reect high expectations(more than 40 pages o reading a week andmore than 20 pages o writing a semester)developed their cognitive skills more than

other students. Tereore, those teacherswho underestimate the work ethic o thecurrent student population may be helpingthe nal grades o their course but they arein no way improving the overall education

o students.It is clear that several actors are con-

tributing to the stunted academic growth inhigher education. However, it all boils downto the truth that there isnt enough peoplewho care to work toward a solution.

Students in general seek to enjoy thebenets o a ull collegiate experience thatis ocused as much on social lie as on aca-demic pursuits, while earning high marks intheir courses with relatively little invest-ment o efort. Proessors are eager to ndtime to concentrate on their scholarshipand proessional interests. Administratorshave been asked to ocus largely on externalinstitutional rankings and the nancialbottom line. Government unding agenciesare primarily interested in the developmento new scientic knowledge. In short, the

system works. No actors in the system areprimarily interested in undergraduates aca-demic growth, although many are interestedin student retention and persistence.

Te problem lies here: No one is ocus-ing directly on the quality o our education not students, proessors, administra-tors or aculty. How can we, as a nationthat once stood as the archetype o highereducation success, continue to allow moneyand politics to steal rom uture generationswell being? Tis research has pinpointedthe glaring aws o higher education and issure to spark much discussion and hope-ully change. However, many aspects othe current academic realm go untouchedin this study, such as the major role digitaltechnology has played on our generationsdevelopment. Despite our simultaneousgrowth with the digital world, numerousproessors reuse to incorporate any orm otechnology into their courses. It is absurdto think that teaching styles should neverchange. In act, the easiest way to attempt to

remedy this problem o no-growth learn-ing is to ask those who have committedtheir lives to educating collegiate scholarsto tap into their classes and discover whatis and is not working. It seems as i some

proessors expect all students to conormto their generations methods rather thandiscerning the appropriate way to teach orthe new generations.

As we become more dependent ontechnology, courses should not continue toreuse the integration o technology. How-ever, simply accommodating or technologywill not solve our problems either. I digitaltextbooks are supposed to be ofset the costo high education, then will an increasedreading load truly benet? Tereore, col-leges should ocus on the ability to ullyteach a course rather than the ability to oferthe course at a lower cost. Until the realmo higher education has decided to embracetechnology, this balancing o pros and conswill drone on.

Te collegiate balance is severely of-

kilter. Tere are so many problems to xand several theoretical remedies. Whatsmissing is action. What was once a highlyecient system that churned out brightyoung minds and innovative ideas is nownearing mass chaos. However, as Arum andRaksa say in their book, we cant classiythis problem as a crisis because no oneseems to be treating it as such. Tat is, manypeople are sitting idle. Administrators arestill bringing in money, students are enjoy-ing their college years and proessors arestill ocusing on personal research. Until thehigher education constituency bans togeth-er and resolves to x our broken system, wemay be headed downhill to a ate that is,at best, mediocre and, at worst, a ailure. Itshouldnt take ailure to get us motivated.

It should take the act that some studentsare leaving institutions that proclaim amission o education without showing anyimprovement. Tat is ailure. And it shouldbe unacceptable. We need passion. We needdrive. We need a new mindset.

Higher costs, lesslearning and increasedapathy those are the

afictions of higher

education. Scholars have

begun to delve into these

problems and the ndings

are astounding. Yet still, the

people within academiaarent reacting because

money is still owing in and

college is still enjoyable.

We have to alter the system

and we should start now.

>> Students who study by themselves for more

hours each week gain more knowledge while

those who spend more time studying in peergroups see diminishing gains.

>> Students whose classes reect high

expectations (more than 40 pages of reading a

week and more than 20 pages of writing a

semester) gained more than other students.

Source: Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses.

of students did not demonstrate any

signicant improvement in learning

during the rst two years of college.


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Opinion2 | TUESDAY| FEBRUARY 22, 2011theBaylor Lariat www.baylorlariat.com

Opinion






























DeliverySarah Kroll


* denotes member

of the editorial

board

House Bill 750, a pieceo state legislation thatwould require publicuniversities to allow

license holders to bring concealedhandguns on campus, now has 81 othe 150 House representatives listed asco-authors. Te senatorial equivalenthas 14 o the 31 senators on board.

Te bills include a clause that allowsprivate universities aer consulting

students, aculty and sta to adoptrules, regulations, or other provi-sions prohibiting license holders romcarrying handguns on premises thatare owned or operated by the institu-tion and located on the campus o theinstitution.

Simply because Baylor would beallowed to opt out o the bill, however,doesnt necessarily mean it should.Tough President Ken Starr alongwith several ocials in the governmentrelations oce have made publictheir disdain or the on-campus carry-ing o concealed weapons, there is stillan opportunity or the members o thisuniversity to come to a decision aercivil, legitimate and copious discussion.

Tere are certainly two sides to thisdebate. Tose in avor argue that anystudent that goes through the processto obtain a concealed handgun license(CHL) should rightully be allowed tocarry on campus.

Many campus carry supporters alsoconcede that the exception clause orprivate universities is necessary.

On the other hand, others say al-lowing on campus carry would greatlycompromise security and create anunsae environment. From haphazardshootings to the idea o college lie be-ing mixed with guns, concealed carryopponents simply think the whole issaer without gun carriers.

Guns are symbols that hold one othe most volatile stigmas in American

society and, because o that, we seemisnomers and ill-inormed argumentsconvoluting the already hazy conversa-tions.

For instance, many against campuscarry think the class that is required

to get a CHL is simply about shoot-ing. According to the exas ConcealedHandgun Association, the class is 10 to15 hours and includes a written exami-nation and a shooting practice.

Te associations website states thewritten exam covers law, nonviolentconfict resolution, and handgun useand storage and a passing grade is 70percent or higher.

But it isnt just about a written tes t

and a shooting range practice. ForCHL approval in the State o exas, onemust also:

Be 21 years old Have a clean criminal hi story,

including military service and recent juvenile records

Not be under a protective order Not be chemically dependent Not be of unsound mind Not be delinquent in paying nes,

ees, child support, etc. Be eligible to purchase a handgun

by completing the National InstantCriminal Background Check

With that, we wonder what couldbe in support o not allowing thosethat satisy all o the aorementionedrequirements to carry on campus?

What seems to be the most preva-lent point rom the opposite side is thatallowing college students to carry gunson campus and into classrooms hasinherent risks.

Many opposing campus carry arguethat the college experience is not theproper place or CHL holders. Tey as-sociate college with environments thatconsistently include substances thatimpair your judgment.

As a case s tudy, Baylor is an outlier a Christian, private school with only15,000 undergraduates. Te aver-age age of the undergraduates is 20.5years o age and with all other schools(seminary, law, etc.) the average ageincreases to 21.9.

e average junior is 21.0 years ofage and the average senior is 22.3. elongstanding CHL age requirementrules out the average lowerclassmanrom considering a CHL. O the up-perclassmen that could get a CHL, it is

practically unpredictable to gauge justhow many would actually go throughthe CHL process.

Texas saw 123, 325 applications forCHLs from September 2009 to August

2010. Twenty-one-year-old applicantsmade up 1.61 percent o the applica-tions, or a mere 1,990, and 22-year-oldsaccounted for 1.36 percent, or 1,672, ofthe applications.

at means that of all the 21-year-olds in the entire state, only 1,990 ofthem applied for CHLs. Initially, Baylorwould not see a large number o CHLholding students.

Te unknown, however, is whetherthe proposed legislation wouldsignicantly increase the number ofCHL holding college enrollees. Tat is,perhaps the small number of 21-and22- year-olds is caused by the anti-gunpolicies at state universities. Its a ratheruncertain correlation.

Either way, those in avor o on-campus carry eel their rights are beingsuppressed.

Te Young Conservatives o exasand the exas College Republicanshave jointly announced that the

organizations both consider campuscarry the top priority of the 2011 TexasLegislature.

As previously stated, the dangerousconnotation that comes along withthe word gun pushes many to a quickjudgment.

Te acts, though, point to the ideathat this topic is one that needs to becarefully considered. In fact, if HB750 does pass, private universities

would be required to consult with stu-dents, aculty and sta beore decidingon weapons policies.

It is a clause that Baylor shouldtake seriously. We are grateul that theproposed legislation would give ouradministrators the authority to choose,and the best way to come to a decisionthat best suits Baylor is to get our am-ily talking.

Each distinct population withinBaylor rom aculty to students will be aected dierently by theadministrations choice. Tis is an issuethat should not be decided until op-posing sides o the issue are brought tothe attention o Baylor ocials.

We hope the decision isntalready made by the ad-ministration (thoughit seems that way).

We wantmembers o theBaylor commu-nity to use theopportunity tolobby or theirside construc-tively.

Tis is such ahot-button issuethat civil engage-ment o both sidesmay clear the air, bustthe rumors and actuallyproduce progress. If we are never giventhe opportunity speak, then well sit

idle and learn nothing.Civil discourse is a rarity in oursociety, but embedded in this contro-versial issue is a chance or Baylor topromote it.

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he ability to go to amuseum and enjoythe exhibits, beingable to walk into anemergency room and

explain an illness or injury, going toa movie or pleasure, the saety net oan emergency phone in an elevator

these are all things most people areable to do with ease, and oen take orgranted.

But or members o the deacommunity, these activities representobstacles that can be dicult to over-come, especially when the communitylacks the resources to compensate.

Te lack o equal opportunitiesor dea people in Waco was rstbrought to the Lariats attention inJanuary when we learned the MaybornMuseum Complex did not oer ac-commodations or dea visitors. Whenvisiting the museum, the dea cannotully appreciate the exhibits becausemuch o the inormation is in the ac-companying audio.

Aer researching, the Lariatstumbled across many other ways thedea community is lacking equality atBaylor and in Waco excluding themrom daily pleasures and orcing themto ace hardships.

Te stress o having to take a tripto the emergency room, which is greatin and o itsel, is only amplied whenit is dicult to communicate. Teinability to describe symptoms or askquestions increases the likelihood ormiscommunication.

Te Waco movie theaters dont o-er show times with closed captioning,making it impossible or a dea personto go to a movie with amily or riendsand understand it. Te concern thatan elevator could break down becomes

a real issue or a dea person who can-not communicate there is a problemwithout the proper technology.

Even more than being le out othe community or perhaps becauseo it the dea are misunderstoodand the culture is underappreciated.Te act that American Sign Lan-guage (ASL) cannot count toward thelanguage credit at Baylor is a primeexample.

Even though ASL is a language dis-tinct rom English, the College o Artsand Sciences does not allow ASL tocount or the oreign language creditbecause, according to associate dean ohumanities and proessor o SpanishDr. Frieda Blackwell, Baylor expectsstudents to be able to participate glob-ally and wants students to learn aboutanother culture.

Tis reasoning is seriously fawed.First, ASL is a oreign language,

and is even recognized as such byuniversities around the countr y.

Even though there has not beena truly reliable survey done on thenumber o people in the United Stateswho speak ASL as their rst language

(another testament to how this cultureis not represented), estimates are atabout 2 million people, according toB. Scheck, the author o the OxordHandbook o Dea Studies, Language,and Education.

ASL should not be disqualied asa oreign language simply because itwas developed in the United Statesand Canada or many reasons. Otherlanguages that originated in America,such as the Native American lan-guages, are still considered oreign.ASL has its own grammatical system,a writing system and has its roots inFrench Sign Language. ASL is not asimplied version o English, but anindependent, complex language.

ASL is also used in the Philippines,

Malaysia, Singapore, the DominicanRepublic, El Salvador, Haiti, PuertoRico, Cte dIvoire, Burkina Faso,

Ghana, ogo, Benin, Nigeria, Chad,Gabon, Democratic Republic o theCongo, Central Arican Republic,Mauritania, Kenya, Madagascar andZimbabwe.

Dea culture is also distinct romany other culture.

Dea people have an identity sepa-

rate rom mainstream American cul-ture and oen identiy with being deaover being an American. Tey havetheir own literature, their own tradi-tions. Tey have a dierent perspec-tive on activities and lie, especiallybecause their world is so visual. Deaculture has its own distinctive historyand dea arts.

As or wanting to students to beable communicate globally, valuingthe ability to communicate with or-eigners over an ability to communicatewith other Americans is a tragic mis-placement o what is important. Tispolicy sends the message to the deacommunity that Baylor, and manyother colleges and schools, believes

it is more important to communicatewith oreigners than ellow Ameri-cans. It sends the message to studentsthat ASL is not an important language,that it is not worth learning, and thatthe dea community is not worthy otrying to understand.

In addition, the majority ostudents who simply complete theirrequisite our semesters o a oreignlanguage are only learning enoughto stumble through a very basicconversation. And, unless they tookSpanish, they wont be exposed to thislanguage on a regular basis. Most ostudents will lose even their elementalknowledge in a matter o a year ortwo, and will probably never use itagain in their lie.

However, i students were tocomplete our semesters o ASL as aoreign language credit, they could

easily make use o their capabilitiesand in every area o the United States.Even the elemental understanding oASL students would receive in oursemesters o classes would be enoughto communicate with an entire groupo our society that is greatly le out odaily communication.

Tat is not to say that progress isnot in the making. Since the Lariatsinvestigation began, Dr. Ellie Caston,director o the Mayborn Museum,has been in contact with Dr. LewisLummer, lecturer o communicationsciences and disorders at Baylor, tond resources or the dea and makethe Mayborn more accessible.

Te Starplex Galaxy 16 movietheater in Waco told the Lariat it islooking into opportunities to make thetheater more open to the dea com-munity.

Providence Hospital in Waco hastaken steps to communicate withdea members o the communityby hiring an independent certied

language interpreting service to assistwhen needed. However, in emergencysituations the hospital sta alls backto communicating with basic handmotions, as it does not have a certiedtranslator on sta.

It is clear that there is not enoughavailable in Waco or the dea commu-nity, either on or o Baylors campus.Te lack o understanding o deaculture, the lack o a desire to ensuredea people are included in societyand the inadequate resources availableare all shocking problems that needto be addressed. Leaders in the Wacocommunity need to make an activeeort to incorporate the dea commu-nity. Baylor needs to take a stand onthe importance o ASL. And individ-

ual members o society need make aneort to understand and interact withdea culture.

Opinion| FRIDAY| FEBRUARY 18, 2011theBaylor Lariat www.baylorlariat.com

Opinion




















Staff writerAriadne Aberin











DeliverySarah Kroll


* denotes member

of the editorial

board

Its time for a


4/6

Opinion2 | FRIDAY | SEPTEMBER 3, 2010theBaylor Lariat www.baylorlariat.com

Opinion


viewpoints throughletters to the editorand guest columns.Opinions expressedin the Lariat are not

necessarily those othe Baylor admin-istration, the BaylorBoard o Regents or



Editor in chiefNick Dean

City editorCaty Hirst

News editor

James ByersAssistant city editorOlga Ball


A&E editorJenna DeWitt

Sports editorChris Derrett

Photo editor

Daniel CerneroWeb editorJonathan Angel

Multimedia producerKavitha Muthukrishnan



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Sara TirritoStaff writerJade Mardirosian

Staff writerCarmen Galvan

Staff writerMeghan Hendrickson


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Rachel RoachPhotographerNick Berryman




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Trent CryerAd SalespersonCourtney Whitehead

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DeliveryJohn Harvey

Delivery

Sarah Kroll

It seems like Rick Perry doesnt take the public part

o his job as governor very seriously. Despite a

contender ghting tooth and nail to take his job,

Perry is reusing to attend a gubernatorial debate

planned by ve major newspapers in exas. Perry and his

Democratic opponent Bill White, have been invited to a

public debate set or 7 p.m. on Oct. 19. On Aug. 27 White

said he would attend.

Perry told exas papers he reuses to attend the debate

until White releases his tax returns or the years he served

as assistant secretary o energy in the 90s.

Perry currently leads White in the polls. Many specu-

late Perry only has something to lose by debating. We

think the only people who lose rom not having a debate

are the people charged with elect ing the exas governor

exans.

Perrys reusal is not only distasteul and tactless it

is also depriving voters o the ability to make a well-

inormed and intentional vote in November.

Politics may be a game o looking good in the public

eye, but surely Perry doesnt think exans take his well-

produced advertisements and 30-second sound bites at

ace value. exans are looking or real answers and or a

governor that can stand his ground when discussing the

issues acing the Lone Star State.

Perry wants Whites tax returns. So do we. But we dont

want to lose an opportunity to hear the two gubernatorial

candidates speak because we arent sure how much one o

them made a decade ago. Te act that White still reuses

to release those tax returns is a valid point or Perry to

bring up in a public orum like a debate.

Perry has no right to commandeer the debate as a part

o his political campaign, which is exactly what he is do-

ing by providing an ultimatum.

In act, Perrys seemingly altruistic claim or more

inormation about White works as an antithesis to his

current campaign strategy reusing to talk to any state

newspapers editorial board.

Newspapers are charged with the responsibility toinorm the public. Te candidates are not obligated to talk

to editorial boards. However, the two are answerable to all

exans and a public debate provides an inormative, clear

and healthy atmosphere or communication between the

people o exas and the candidates.

Perry has yet to show any orm o transparency in his

campaign though he is asking or it rom White. We are

asking or transparency rom both. Te candidates should

recognize the importance o this debate and the signi-

cance debates have in the eyes o the public.

According to the Austin American-Statesman, the last

time there was not a exas gubernatorial debate during an

election year was two decades ago when Democrat Ann

Richards beat Republican Clayton Williams.

A debate is meant to inorm the people Perry works

or and those or which White wants to work.

Te ve newspapers have downplayed the efect Perrysabsence will have on the debate. Te conclusion o the

invitation to the two candidates read: Te event is not

contingent on both candidates participation, however.

I only one candidate shows up or the debate, we will

discuss issues with him alone or the entire hour.

Whether Perry shows up is sti ll unknown. But one

thing is or sure the public will be there.

Will he show?White is going. Perry says he isnt.

We say he owes the public this debate.

Today, The Lariat joins nine other Texas universities in calling on Gov. Rick Perry to attend the Oct. 19 gubernatorial debate in Austin.The student bodies of the institutions total 250,000 students. The following collegiate papers participated:

The Daily Texan (UT-Austin); Daily Campus (Southern Methodist University); The Pan American (UT-Pan American); The University Star (Texas State); Daily Skiff

(Texas Christian University); The Collegian (UT- Brownsville); Accent (Austin Community College); Daily Toreador (Texas Tech); The Shorthorn (UT-Arlington)

Links to all the editorials can be found on The Lariats website: www.baylorlariat.com

PhotoIllu

stration|

ByDaniel

Cernero&

NickDea

n


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Opinion2 | WEDNESDAY| FEBRUARY 9, 2011theBaylor Lariat www.baylorlariat.com

he global mediahas turned all eyesupon the upheavalo Egypts govern-ment in recentweeks. Te protesters

that brought the country to its kneesare pleading or the removal o HosniMubarak, Egypts president or the past30 years.

Playing an integral role in the dev-lopment o what can rightly be catego-rized as a revolution or democracy, themedia has been captivating and garner-ing interest rom a global audience withits inormative, accurate coverage o theevents as they unold.

Aer the articles were fled and theacts were out, the editorial pages onews outlets around the world took upthe protesters fght arguing that sucha widespread, intense ervor or democ-racy warrants much change.

But these epic protests did notalways garner so much support in thepolitical realm. In act, President BarackObama initially shared a similar reac-tion to the Egyptian revolts as someArab leaders silence.

Te Obama administrations silence

can be easily construed as a move toback Israels interests and maintain anAmerican ally in the Middle East. It wasa choice that allowed political interest totrump democracy.

In act, the administration releasedquiet support o the Mubarak regimewhen Secretary o State Hillary Clintonwent so ar as to say: Our assessment isthat the Egyptian government is stableand is looking or ways to respond tothe legitimate needs and interests o theEgyptian people.

With the entire world watching, theUnited States chose to remain silentabout a corrupt, oppressive regime oversupporting a peoples cries or democ-racy.

However, the political rhetoric

changed dramatically when the worldsmedia began to highlight our leadershypocrisies or the entire world to see.

A Jan. 28 editorial by the New Yorkimes clearly outlined the internalstruggle the United States governmentwas having with the Egypt situation.

Egypt, with Mr. Mubarak in charge,is an American ally and a recipient onearly $1.5 billion in aid annually. It isthe biggest country in the Arab worldand was the frst to make peace withIsrael. All o which leaves Washing-ton in a quandary, trying to balancenational security concerns and its moralresponsibility to stand with those whohave the courage to oppose authoritar-ian r ulers.

Te editorial ended with an exhorta-

tion or Obama to cut the ederal aidmoney or Egypt i Mubarak continuesto escalate the fght against the protest-ers.

Al Jazeera-English echoed the samesentiments even more vehemently inits opinion section. Its Feb. 1 editorialcompared the U.S. support o the 2009Iranian protests to the U.S. support orthe Egypt uprisings, and ound disturb-ing disparities in the stories.

Te American government wasmuch more willing to express supportor Iranian protesters fghting or thesame causes we have now seen Egyp-tians rally or liberty and democracy.

During the Iranian uprisings protest-ers were fghting an oppressive regimewith a corrupt voting system. Innocentpeople were arrested, beaten, intimi-dated and killed.

Journalists were arrested and beatenand communications were hamperedwhen President Mahmoud Ahmadine-jad tried to have major social networksshutdown.

Obama immediately came out andopenly condemned Ahmadinejad oIran and ought to keep witter andFacebook open or Iranians. He went soar as to apply pressure to witter andFacebook to avoid a scheduled mainte-nance shutdown to aid the protesters.

Fast-orward two years. Egyptianprotesters fghting an oppressive regimewith a corrupt voting system are ar-rested, beaten, killed.

Journalists are arrested and beatenand communications are hampered as Mubarak not only shuts down Face-book and witter, but nearly the entireInternet structure o Egypt.

Tis time, Obama hesitated.In these remarkably similar situa-

tions, the Obama administrations reac-tions were remarkably dissimilar. Whatother correlation can be made than thatthe administration has some hesitationin angering current allies? I we are acountry that has backed other revolu-tions fghting or democracy, then wemust stay true to that resolve or else we

mar our reputation and engage in severe

hypocrisy.In another editorial, Te New Yorkimes shed light on the Egyptian pro-testers, giving voice to the concerns thatObama was acting too slowly in cuttinghis ties with Mubarak. Te imesargued that while a cautious attitudeis commendable, this was the time orAmerica to stand strong or democracy.

Across a broad spectrum o outlets,rom witter to blogs, people assailedAmerica as a hypocrite talking thetalk o democracy but not walking thewalk.

Aer days o assault rom the worldmedia, proessional news outlets andblogs alike, the Obama administrationfnally decided to take a stand.

On Feb. 1 Obama asked Mubarak

not to run or reelection. Mubarakdecided not to seek re-election, butprotesters still werent happy. Editorialsaer Obamas initi al request to Mubarakdemanded a stronger response rom thecountrys fgurehead.

On Feb. 3, Obama answered witha more orceul request: Step back,Mubarak, and allow Vice PresidentOmar Suleiman to lead the governmentreorm in Egypt.

And most recently, when Sulei-man expressed that Egypt wasnt readyor a democracy, the White Houseannounced that Suleimans views wereunacceptable.

Te administration has pushed oramendments to the Egyptian Constitu-tion, legalization o political parties and

more ree government opponents andmembers o the media rom prisons.

Te determined Egyptian protestersshould be admired or their courage inthe ace o arrests, physical abuse andeven death. Tey should be admired orstarting the protests and continuing tosee them through.

But the worlds media, in publishingnews articles and editorials about theevent, should also be lauded. Tis willstand as a testament to the power o theeditorial page, a time when the nationalconsensus was orceully presented toAmericas president.

A time when newspaper editorialboards reused to allow what Americastands or to be ignored.

Te leaders o modern journalism a cra amously quoted as mightier thanthe sword helped the people o Egyptand they saved ace or America.

Members o the media have beenvictims o intimidation and physicalabuse, ranging rom beatings to destruc-tion and the o equipment. Reportersrom the United Kingdoms Guardianto Qatars Al Jazeera have been arrestedand physically attacked by Mubarakspolice. Yet they still keep writing andphotographing.

By providing accurate coverageo the protests, arrests and violence,journalists have allowed the masses tounderstand what is going on in the larg-est Middle Eastern country.

Te media chose to continue ollow-

ing the story in the ace o grave danger,and in doing so ensured that Egyptwould gain interest in their cause andpossible support rom the citizens o theworld and, eventually, the United States.

Opinion






























DeliverySarah Kroll


* denotes member

of the editorial

board

The

powerofthis

page

How the newspeopleof our time went to

Egypt, researched thesituation, informedthe world and thenfought for democracy

Te leaders omodern journalism a craamously quoted asmightier than thesword helpedthe people o Egyptand they saved aceor America.

>> Bloggers and lawyers told CPJ that

authorities detained Abdel Karim Sulei-

manknown online as Karim Amer at

some point in the early morning hours in

Cairo Monday. Amer completed a four-year

prison sentence on charges of insulting

Islam and President Hosni Mubarak in late

2010.

>> Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

reporters Robert Tait and Abdelilah Nuaimi,

both British citizens, were released on Sun-

day and left Egypt, according to a statement

released by the U.S. government-funded

radio station. The journalists were detained

on February 4. Tait was reported as sayingthat whatever ofcial statements you might

hear about the situation of detained journal-

ists, we were not treated well.

>> Liam Stack, who has

been stringing for the New

York Times, was also briey

detained on Sunday and tweet-

ed that authorities conscated

his camera.

>> On Friday, Amira

Ahmed, business editor at The

Daily News Egypt, was at-

tacked by a pro-Mubarak mob,

according to news reports. It

was terrifying, Ahmed told

the Guardian. They were

chanting: Weve found the

foreigners, dont let them go,

and calling us traitors andspies. When I pointed out to

them that I was Egyptian, they

responded: Your Egypt isnt

the same as ours.

>> Journalists Souad

Mekhennet and Nicholas

Kulish, who were detained

on Thursday and released 24

hours later, wrote in the New

York Times about intimidation

and mistreatment by the plain-

clothes ofcers who held them.

We felt powerless uncertain

about where and how long we

would be held. But the worst

part had nothing to do with our

treatment. It was seeing and

in particular hearing through

the walls of this dreadful facility

the abuse of Egyptians at

the hands of their own govern-ment.

Source: Committee to Protect Journalists

Journalists and Egyptian government clashes


6/6

Opinion2 | WEDNESDAY| APRIL 20, 2011theBaylor Lariat www.baylorlariat.com

Opinion

he Baylor Lariatwelcomes reader view-points through lettersto the editor and guest

columns. Opinionsexpressed in the Lariat

are not necessarily those

o the Baylor admin-istration, the BaylorBoard o Regents or



























DeliverySarah Kroll


* denotes member

of the editorial

board

ime and time again editorialpages, news stories and press con-

erences have started out with somemention o the states lack-luster -nancial situation and the inevitabil-ity o reining in spending.

State legislators are taking blindhacks at small programs and intheir path is the exas EqualizationGrant, an initiative that provides

unds to rst-generation and minor-ity students or their college tuition.

Te proposal cuts the total allot-

ment o EG unds by 41.5 percent.For Fiscal Year 2011, the statespent $102 million on the EG. Othat, Baylor was awarded $12.3 mil-lion. Te cut would eliminate more

than $42 million rom that budget,a slash that would aect 3,200 cur-rent Baylor students and, eventually,private higher education across the

state.Fify-two percent o Baylor stu-

dents awarded the EG identiythemselves as minorities. I unds

are cut, private schools will see adecrease in the number o studentsnancially able to attend despitetheir academic capabilities.

Nearly 700 o the 3,200 Baylorstudents that have capitalized on theEG have no way o paying or col-lege aside rom nancial aid. In act,it can be assumed that with the EG

cut almost in hal, some students willno longer be able to attend Baylor.

More than 38 percent o all EGrecipients have no capacity to pay

a portion o their college costs meaning those individuals have anestimated amily contribution below

$1,000.It is not logical to cut the EG, a

program that actually saves the statemoney. It costs the state $4,175 moreor a public university student than

or a private university student.axpayers would have paid more

than $232 million in scal year 2009had EG recipients enrolled in pub-

lic universities.Tereore, i the state were to cut

the EG, more students would nothave the option o attending a pri-

vate university and would insteadrely more heavily on the state orpublic education support.

Private universities like Baylor

look to extend scholarships to eacho its attendees.

According to the Indepen-dent Colleges and Universities oexas Inc., its member institutions

provided more than $506 million innon-governmental nancial assis-tance to students. Tats nearly vetimes the amount awarded by the

EG.At Baylor specically, students

that are accepted are awarded a

scholarship based on their rank-ing and test scores. Tere arealso numerous other scholarshipopportunities aorded to Baylor stu-dents.

Baylor has increased its scholar-ship endeavors, most recently withthe Presidents Scholarship Initiativeset to raise $100 million or students.

I the EG is cut, however, pri-vate universities and the state suera major setback.

Te unds raised by the schools

or scholarships have to cover moreo the students costs in order to re-tain the students and the state has todish out more money or each stu-

dent that wont be able to aord aprivate school without the EG.

Te proposed cut is to aprogram whose budget accounts orless than one-tenth o 1 percent o the

entire state budget. Tat amounts toless than 1 percent o the total highereducation budget in exas.

Students are given the chance to

earn a degree rom a private institu-tion. Private universities are able togive more scholarship money to stu-

dents.exas taxpayers are able to pay

less or a student to earn a degree a degree that prepares them or theworkorce and, in turn, benets the

exas economy.In these dire times, the state Leg-

islature is hunting or cuts. Te EGhas allen prey to o-the-mark scal-

pels and we, as a Baylor amily, haveto step up and ght or this program.

President Ken Starr has launcheda website Baylor.edu/saveteg

dedicated to inorming peopleo the value o the EG. Much o theinormation provided here is oundat that site.

He has asked or Baylor ac-ulty, sta, students and alumni tocontact their state representativesand tell them what the EG has doneor Baylor, exas and themselves. We

advise readers to do the same.For almost 40 years, exas

Equalization Grants have helpedexans across the state break ree

rom the nancial burdens o attend-ing private universities like Baylor.

At the suggestion o Starr, or

the concern o ellow studentsand or the protection o Baylor,exans should use their right as arepresented body to make their voices heard. Only through

vocalizing the importance o this is-sue can the outcome be changed.

As students, who are most a-ected, we have a responsibility to

protect institutions like Baylor thathave helped us so much. Standup or the EG, students; uturestudents like us depend on us to.

Editorial

TEGProtectthe

Why it matters so muchand ghting for it costs us so little

Backed with facts

86%of TEG students areundergraduates $232 million what taxpayers would have paid

in FY2009 if TEG recipients

enrolled in public universities instead

$102 millionthe total budget for the TEGin FY2011, just one-tenth of

1 percent of the statesentire budget

Taxpayers pay

55 percentlessper student enrolled in aprivate institution

Baylor has

THE MOSTTEG recepients out of

all private institutions

in Texas

Source: Independent Colleges andUniversities of Texas Inc.

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