1997_03 The Daily Collegian March 1997

              News
THE DAILY
COLLEGIAN
Tuesday, March 4, 1997
Student of tl>e Week: AFROTC cadet dreams to fly
By Ruthie Longley Alekseyev
The Daily Collegian
For most students, preparing to
graduate involves searching for a
job and hoping for work that pays
enough to cover student loans.
Steve Cochran, a civil engineer¬
ing major, is far ahead of the game
in that area. With most of the spring
semester remaining, he has a pilot
training slot reserved in the Air
Force.
"I've always wanted to be a pi¬
lot, even when I was a little kid,"
Cochran said. "My dad took me to
my first, air
show when I
was eight and
I love the
sound, the
sights, and I
really love to
go fast."
In addition
to the time
dedicated to
Air Force
ROTC and engineering classes.
Cochran is also a member of Sigma
Phi Epsilon. and the AFROTC fra¬
ternal organization Arnold Air.
Steve Cochran
He also volunteers his time at
Poverello House, University Hope
and Walktoberfest.
Last year, he held the position
of Sigma Phi Epsilon vice president
of programming, where he super¬
vised the social chair, the intramu¬
ral chair, and the philanthropic
chair.
"Fraternities are definitely more
than just a party." Cochran said.
"You usually only hear of the bad
stuff that they do. But we do tf lot
of philanthropy, too. Last semester
we raised over $3,000 for the
American Heart Association in a
telethon.
"When something bad happens,
it seems to make the front page and
everyone is analyzing what \t
wrong with the Greek system. They
don't want to hear about all the
good things we do."
Although Cochran has long as¬
pired to be a pilot, he doesn't have
his private pilot license. Instead, he
often goes flying with his room¬
mate.
Pilot slots are not decided on
prior flying experience, and they are
fairly difficult to get.
"Getting into this (pilot) is re¬
ally competitive." Cochran said.
"There are more slots now, it isn't
as hard as it used to be. There are
more and more slots opening up."
With his time in college coming
to an end. Cochran is looking at the
past and gathering memories —but
he's also looking forward to his fu¬
ture.
Editor's note— This is the sec¬
ond story in a semester long series
on outstanding students. If your
department would like to nominate
a student please call Ruthie Longley
Alekseyev at 278-2486
Now for something entirely different,. The new keg party
By J. Eric Fryman
The Florida State View
TALLAHASSEE. Fla. — At
Florida State University, two stu¬
dents representing "The Keg Party"
are running for student body presi¬
dent and vice president.
Senior Brandon Kellncr and jun¬
ior Michael Timmins say they were
inspired to run for the offices be¬
cause they wanted to solve a Florida
State problem.
"Brandon and I were sitting
around one day ... thinking about
our football games and how most
students leave during halftime."
Timmins said.
To curb this problem. Kellner
and Timmins recommend that beer
be sold at the stadium. "It would
make people stay," Timmins said
Timmins and Kellner believe
that the profit the beer sales would
generate could be used to improve
campus safety — expanding the
blue fight trail, operating more
drunk buses or hiring security
guards to patrol campus.       %
Another idea that Kellner and
Timmins are interested in is orga¬
nizing a large concert to take place
during the spring.
"There is nothing to look for¬
ward to in the spring semester."
Timmins said.
The Keg Party proposes having
a large concert featuring nationally-
known bands such as the Dave
Matthews Band and 311 as well as
local bands.
The Party would like to have the
concert free to Florida State stu¬
dents and charge approximately
$20 to the general public.
"Through concession profits and
tickets, we should make enough
money to pay the bands, electricity
and still have some money left
over." Timmins said "This is some¬
thing that we could do every year."
The Keg Party claims that their
ideas actually would improve
FSU's party-school reputation.
"The popularity of FSU around
the country would increase and
more people would apply."
Timmins said. "The school could
then choose better students and
raise its admission standards giving
F-SL' a better overall academic repu¬
tation."
Other issues the party wants to
address are giving students more
access to football tickets and in¬
creasing parking on campus.
And what's not to like about the
Keg Party's mission?m
What we are trying to do is
have tun. make the campus safer
and try to make our school more
prestigious." Timmins said
Eanes
Continued from page 2.
governor, so the man one step from the
governor's job is often the man he would
least like to see get the job. The legisla¬
tive, seats are the same number today —
40 in the Senate and 80 in the Assembly
—■ as they were in 1850.
While the*federal Constitution provides
only for-the Supreme Court, leaving the
other federal courts to be established by
statute. California's sets up the entire court
system, level by level and circuit by cir¬
cuit, meaning that a constitutional amend¬
ment is needed to change any of them.
These kinds of provisions have kept much
of California's government in the 19th
century.
No revision of the Constitution has
been conducted in more than 30 years.
Given the current environment in Sacra¬
mento, a revision of the Constitution is
very unlikely. A citizen's commission con¬
ducted a review a year ago. but its report
is collecting dust.
The federal Constitution has shown
how a fundamental law can propel a na¬
tion forward. California's threatens to
show how a fundamental law can hold a
state back.
Poem stirs controversy at University of Houston
By Tera Roberson
The Daily Cougan
The University of Houston
HOUSTON — In response to a series of
controversial memos sent by University of
Houston history graduate student Fabian
Vaksman, President Glenn Goerke and Pro¬
vost Jo"hn P. Ivancevich took advantage of
their First Amendment rights by issuing a
memo of their own.
Vaksman. who wrote an epic poem titled
"RRacist" (in which the lead character's mur¬
der victims seem to bear a resemblance to
Uf^facuity members) as well as a series of
memos that sreferred to African-American
studies programs as "animal research," said
that his writings are a reply to UH's unwill¬
ingness to fund his Russian history research.
The Goerke-Ivancevich memo, addressed
to "the UH community," states:
"We are equally concerned about protect¬
ing the right of every individual to free speech
and one's constitutional right to express opin¬
ions, no matter how repulsive those opinions
are. Should Fabian Vaksman or any other in¬
dividual member of the university violate ex¬
isting policies or laws, this administration
will quickly and directly take the appropri¬
ate action."
Ted Stanton, UH professor of communi¬
cation, said. "The Supreme Court stresses re¬
peatedly that any regulation or li.nit on
speech must be drawn Very narrowly and
carefully, so as to do the least possible harm
to the First Amendment."
The disruptive activities code of the Stu¬
dent Handbook has clearly set boundaries, it
also says that those boundaries may not be
"construed to infringe on any right of free
speech or expression guaranteed by the Con¬
stitution of the United States or of this state."
Law Professor Laura Orcn said, "Some¬
times it's difficult to determine what the line
is between protected and unprotected speech
There are certain categories that are clearly
unprotected. That includes obscenity, fight¬
ing words, and clear and present danger. In
other forms of speech that don't fit. (protec¬
tion) may be more difficult to determine."
Vaksman admitted to hiding behind the
Constitution.
"This is my shield," he said. "Eauh time
that I petition a public institution. I am pro¬
tected by the Constitution tor whatever I per¬
ceive to be a legitimate grievance This in¬
stitution has no right to create so much as the
appearance of retaliation."
Since the memo contends Vaksman has
not violated any existing laws or policies.
there is little that the university can do to
deal with him. However, some solutions
have been offered to counteract his ac¬
tions.
"(UH administrators) can let him know
that they find his speech reprehensible.
They have the right to fight speech with
speech." Oren said.
With that in mind, members of the So¬
ciety of History Students are holding a
press conference today at noon in the
University Center's Tejas Room to ask the
administration for Vaksman's dismissal
from the university on the grounds that
he has been unproductive in the comple¬
tion of his dissertation.
The group said it plans to denounce the
memos Vaksman has been sending and ask
the university to not extend his disserta¬
tion deadline again.
Ivancevich had extended that deadline
for two sears, making Vaksman's required
date of completion the last day of the Fall
1998 semester >
Vaksman called the press"Vonference
"totally un-American and unconstitu¬
tional What they demand from the admin¬
istration is to violate the Constitution
They are asking the administration to spit
on the First Amendment."
Pop
Continued from page 3.
Jesus, a subject that is touched on
more than once in the album.
In a way that it seems only U2
can do it, Bono can put together an
entire track on God and not sound
a bit like Amy Grant or DC. Talk.
And while the music distracts, the
words permiate.
That, in actuality, is still the
overriding impression that "Pop"
leaves. In a musical generation that
is often criticized for. the lack of
truly priginal and long-standing art¬
ists. U2 offers a possibility.
Who knows what, if any. of the
Jbands that have won our affection
and hard-earned dollars will emerge
as an icon as the years pass. Will
the music of choice for our genera¬
tion stand the perils of time and
changing tastes, ala the Doors or
Led Zeppelin, or simply disappear
everywhere but in our memories?
Most bands have done little to
indicate that they will ever be any¬
thing more significant than a fad
With "Pop." U2 proves that as tastes
change slightly and the music that
is produced becomes uniform and
monotonous - the boys from Dublin
will still almost certainly be there.
Dismiss it as pure stability - the
band has never changed personnel
in a stunning 19 year's together - or
herald the band's ability to satisfy
a mostly fickle audience
Rhythm or no rhythm. "Pop" is
as impressive as it is atypical. Ulti¬
mately, critics and the like yearn for
evolution in music. A band is ex¬
pected to do more than what defines
them, expected to reach out and
show its versatility.
"Pop" is over 60 minutes of just
that - versatility. For 19 years. U2
has done it, and now is no excep¬
tion It may not be "The Joshua
Tree." but it doesn't need to be It's
"Pop." an album full of good mu¬
sic and its own identity. »
And it's U2 doing what they do
best: creating more than just singles
to bide the time before the next tour
Creating music - something that
should not be taken for granted