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THE DAILY COLLEGIAN Monday, September 15,1997 Opinion Telephone: (209) 278-5732 Outrageous sales hype 101 By Eric Peters WASHINGTON—Ask a hand¬ ful of college students hanging out at the student union whether they're having fun being away from home for the first time, enjoying their first real experience of adult indepen¬ dence, and the answer you're likely to get is a resounding x'you bet!" But docs that make these kids "party animals" wasting their par¬ ents' money on beer and baccha¬ nal i a? The Princeton Review seems to think so. By naming a college or univer¬ sity "Top Party School." the New York-based company that publishes guides for college-bound high school seniors, makes an annual ritual of smearing entire student bodies based on dubious surveys of as few as 100 students. This year's "winffer" is West Virginia University, an institution already thoroughly abused because it's often perceived as being in the heart of Appalachia and a bit back- woodsy. The tired redneck jokes notwithstanding. West Virginia's historic Morgantown campus is hardly a den of sodden drunks or uncultured yahoos, for that matter. In fact, the school ranks sixth among all public slate universities in numbers of Rhodes Scholars, and it consistently has produced some of the nation's top doctors, journal¬ ists, engineers and business leaders. Current president David Hardesty is one of its more than two dozen Rhodes Scholars. Unfortunately for West Virginia and other universities tarred by the Princeton Review's "party school" designation, there's no place they can go to get their reputation back. One reason: the Review surveyors visit individual campuses, on aver¬ age, about once every three years. And when they do, their surveys consist of brief interviews that seem almost designed to confer a 'Top Party School" designation. The West Virginia survey, for example, was a result of interviews with fewer than 150 students (culled from a student body of 22.000) in the Mountainlair Student Union immediately before a big football game. If you wanted to get a distorted view of college life at any college this would be the ideal way. What would you expect a student at Michigan or Stanford or Notre Dame to say about the quality of partying on campus before the kick- off of any big football weekend? It docs seem a bit of a stretch to seek objective responses to ques¬ tions about a university's reputation for partying in the midst of the hype that accompanies Pigskin Madness. Even the study's authors won't ar¬ gue the point. "Wc are not out to do a scien¬ tific survey." admitsEd Custard, lead author of the Princeton survey. Of course not. They're out to create a promotional gimmick that hypes sales of the Princeton Review even if it means tarnishing the repu¬ tation of a school like West Virginia that has turned out 25 Rhodes Scholars and has a job placement rate for graduates well above 90 percent. "The interviews look place at a time that's inconsistent with the rest of the school year," noted WVU student body president Rachel Welsh, who won election in a land¬ slide on a—get this—non-drinking platform.' "Why don't they talk to students in front of the engineering or biol¬ ogy buildings?" wondered Florida State University spokesman Franklin Murphy, whose Tallahas¬ see campus was spanked with the "Top Party School" paddle by the Review's surveyors last year. FSU Please see HYPE page 4. Guest Columnist Congressman targets crime Reducing crime is one of our nation's top concerns. Law enforce¬ ment related issues have and always will be one of my top priorities. The outstanding efforts of local law enforcement officials have been instrumental in the reduction of crime in the San Joaquin Valley. Working in conjunction with local law enforcement officials, such as Fresno Police Chief Ed Winches¬ ter, Tulare Sheriff Bill Wittman and Fresno Sheriff"Steve Magarian, vio¬ lent crimes arc on the decline in the valley. Assisting our very capable District Attorneys Ed Hunt and Philip Cline is an effective way to combat crime locally. Local control and decision making by district at- - torncys, sheriffs, and police chiefs works best when confronting the violent crime problem. With Juvenile crime on the rise in America, action must be taken now. Teenagers account for the larg¬ est portion of violent crime in America and offenders under the age of 18.commit more than one- fifth of those crimes. In 1995, indi¬ viduals under the age of 18 were responsible for almost 2 million violent crimes. I supported the Ju¬ venile Crime Control Act of 1997 passed by the House Majority. This bill will strengthen federal laws By George Radanovich governing the prosecution of juve¬ niles in the federal court system and authorize $1.5 bjllion over three years to address rising juvenile crime rates. The bill will also cre¬ ate a $500 million per year block grant to fund programs that restore the effectiveness of slate and local juvenile justice systems. Addition¬ ally, this bill will direct the Attor¬ ney General to establish an armed violent youth apprehension pro¬ gram and allow 14-year or older juveniles who commit a violent fed¬ eral felony or drug offense to be prosecuted as adults. Juvenile crime is not the only foci* of the 105lh Congress. I voted for The Drug-induced Rape Preven¬ tion and Punishment Act of 1996 which was sponsored by House Republicans and signed into law by President Clinton. It strengthens the penalties for those criminals who use drugs to commit rape or other violent crimes. These increased penalties send a strong signal to young men to think twice before using these drugs as a weapon against women. It is my belief that crime control works most effectively when handled al the local level. The Omnibus Appropriations Act of 1997 provides $523 million for the Local Law Enforcement Block Grants (LLEBOfProgram. I sup¬ ported this program which provides direct funding to state and local government to reduce crime and improve public safety. Under the program, the Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Assistance awards funds directly to both local jurisdictions and states. The House majority has acted to protect the rights of victims by pass¬ ing victim's restitution legislation. The bill establishes compliance Please see CONGRESS page 5. Daily Collegian California State University, Fresno Business Manager Ginger Terstegen Copy Editors Cheramie Taylor Production Manager Robert Bilvado Editor in Chief Derek Walter Managing Editor Luis Hernandez Assignment Editor David Childers Ad Manager Judy Yhnell Photo Editor Ryan Weber Web Production Jason Maggini Staff Writers: Ezra Dancui, Jamie Brown, Timothy Bragg, Jeff Criesi. Nakisha Dickens, Cherie Arambel, Yvonne Martinez Sports Writers: Allison Barncti, Gary Chapla, Kyoko Hoshino. John Sanders Columnists: Hakim Allen, Manuel Annear, Joel Eancs. Larry Farnsworth Ad Reps: * Amy Yhnell Circulation: Sam Robles The Daily Collegian is pub¬ lished Five times a week for and by the students of California State University, Fresno. Opinions expressed in the Collegian are not necessarily those of the entire Daily Colle¬ gian staff. The editors reserve the right to edit letters forJength and clarity. To be considered for publication, letters must be typed and should not exceed 250 words. Telephone Directory: Editor: (209)278-5732 News: (209)278-2486 Sports: . (209)278-5733 Advertising: (209)278-5731 FAX: (209)278-2679 Email us at: collegian@csufresno.edu
Object Description
Title | 1997_09 The Daily Collegian September 1997 |
Alternative Title | Daily Collegian (California State University, Fresno) |
Publisher | Associated Students of Fresno State, Fresno, Calif. |
Publication Date | 1997 |
Description | Daily (except weedends) during the school year. Microfilm. Palo Alto, Calif.: BMI Library Microfilms, 1986- microfilm reels; 35 mm. Vol.1, no.1 (Feb 8, 1922)- |
Subject | California State University, Fresno -- Periodicals. |
Contributors | Associated Students of Fresno State. |
Coverage | Vol.1 no.1 (Feb 8, 1922)- to present |
Format | Microfilm reels, 35 mm. |
Technical Information | Scanned at 600 dpi; TIFF; Microfilm ScanPro 2000 "E-image data" |
Language | eng |
Description
Title | September 15, 1997, Page 2 |
Alternative Title | Daily Collegian (California State University, Fresno) |
Publisher | Associated Students of Fresno State, Fresno, Calif. |
Publication Date | 1997 |
Description | Daily (except weedends) during the school year. Microfilm. Palo Alto, Calif.: BMI Library Microfilms, 1986- microfilm reels; 35 mm. Vol.1, no.1 (Feb 8, 1922)- |
Subject | California State University, Fresno -- Periodicals. |
Contributors | Associated Students of Fresno State. |
Coverage | Vol.1 no.1 (Feb 8, 1922)- to present |
Format | Microfilm reels, 35 mm. |
Technical Information | Scanned at 600 dpi; TIFF; Microfilm ScanPro 2000 "E-image data" |
Language | eng |
Full-Text-Search | THE DAILY COLLEGIAN Monday, September 15,1997 Opinion Telephone: (209) 278-5732 Outrageous sales hype 101 By Eric Peters WASHINGTON—Ask a hand¬ ful of college students hanging out at the student union whether they're having fun being away from home for the first time, enjoying their first real experience of adult indepen¬ dence, and the answer you're likely to get is a resounding x'you bet!" But docs that make these kids "party animals" wasting their par¬ ents' money on beer and baccha¬ nal i a? The Princeton Review seems to think so. By naming a college or univer¬ sity "Top Party School." the New York-based company that publishes guides for college-bound high school seniors, makes an annual ritual of smearing entire student bodies based on dubious surveys of as few as 100 students. This year's "winffer" is West Virginia University, an institution already thoroughly abused because it's often perceived as being in the heart of Appalachia and a bit back- woodsy. The tired redneck jokes notwithstanding. West Virginia's historic Morgantown campus is hardly a den of sodden drunks or uncultured yahoos, for that matter. In fact, the school ranks sixth among all public slate universities in numbers of Rhodes Scholars, and it consistently has produced some of the nation's top doctors, journal¬ ists, engineers and business leaders. Current president David Hardesty is one of its more than two dozen Rhodes Scholars. Unfortunately for West Virginia and other universities tarred by the Princeton Review's "party school" designation, there's no place they can go to get their reputation back. One reason: the Review surveyors visit individual campuses, on aver¬ age, about once every three years. And when they do, their surveys consist of brief interviews that seem almost designed to confer a 'Top Party School" designation. The West Virginia survey, for example, was a result of interviews with fewer than 150 students (culled from a student body of 22.000) in the Mountainlair Student Union immediately before a big football game. If you wanted to get a distorted view of college life at any college this would be the ideal way. What would you expect a student at Michigan or Stanford or Notre Dame to say about the quality of partying on campus before the kick- off of any big football weekend? It docs seem a bit of a stretch to seek objective responses to ques¬ tions about a university's reputation for partying in the midst of the hype that accompanies Pigskin Madness. Even the study's authors won't ar¬ gue the point. "Wc are not out to do a scien¬ tific survey." admitsEd Custard, lead author of the Princeton survey. Of course not. They're out to create a promotional gimmick that hypes sales of the Princeton Review even if it means tarnishing the repu¬ tation of a school like West Virginia that has turned out 25 Rhodes Scholars and has a job placement rate for graduates well above 90 percent. "The interviews look place at a time that's inconsistent with the rest of the school year," noted WVU student body president Rachel Welsh, who won election in a land¬ slide on a—get this—non-drinking platform.' "Why don't they talk to students in front of the engineering or biol¬ ogy buildings?" wondered Florida State University spokesman Franklin Murphy, whose Tallahas¬ see campus was spanked with the "Top Party School" paddle by the Review's surveyors last year. FSU Please see HYPE page 4. Guest Columnist Congressman targets crime Reducing crime is one of our nation's top concerns. Law enforce¬ ment related issues have and always will be one of my top priorities. The outstanding efforts of local law enforcement officials have been instrumental in the reduction of crime in the San Joaquin Valley. Working in conjunction with local law enforcement officials, such as Fresno Police Chief Ed Winches¬ ter, Tulare Sheriff Bill Wittman and Fresno Sheriff"Steve Magarian, vio¬ lent crimes arc on the decline in the valley. Assisting our very capable District Attorneys Ed Hunt and Philip Cline is an effective way to combat crime locally. Local control and decision making by district at- - torncys, sheriffs, and police chiefs works best when confronting the violent crime problem. With Juvenile crime on the rise in America, action must be taken now. Teenagers account for the larg¬ est portion of violent crime in America and offenders under the age of 18.commit more than one- fifth of those crimes. In 1995, indi¬ viduals under the age of 18 were responsible for almost 2 million violent crimes. I supported the Ju¬ venile Crime Control Act of 1997 passed by the House Majority. This bill will strengthen federal laws By George Radanovich governing the prosecution of juve¬ niles in the federal court system and authorize $1.5 bjllion over three years to address rising juvenile crime rates. The bill will also cre¬ ate a $500 million per year block grant to fund programs that restore the effectiveness of slate and local juvenile justice systems. Addition¬ ally, this bill will direct the Attor¬ ney General to establish an armed violent youth apprehension pro¬ gram and allow 14-year or older juveniles who commit a violent fed¬ eral felony or drug offense to be prosecuted as adults. Juvenile crime is not the only foci* of the 105lh Congress. I voted for The Drug-induced Rape Preven¬ tion and Punishment Act of 1996 which was sponsored by House Republicans and signed into law by President Clinton. It strengthens the penalties for those criminals who use drugs to commit rape or other violent crimes. These increased penalties send a strong signal to young men to think twice before using these drugs as a weapon against women. It is my belief that crime control works most effectively when handled al the local level. The Omnibus Appropriations Act of 1997 provides $523 million for the Local Law Enforcement Block Grants (LLEBOfProgram. I sup¬ ported this program which provides direct funding to state and local government to reduce crime and improve public safety. Under the program, the Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Assistance awards funds directly to both local jurisdictions and states. The House majority has acted to protect the rights of victims by pass¬ ing victim's restitution legislation. The bill establishes compliance Please see CONGRESS page 5. Daily Collegian California State University, Fresno Business Manager Ginger Terstegen Copy Editors Cheramie Taylor Production Manager Robert Bilvado Editor in Chief Derek Walter Managing Editor Luis Hernandez Assignment Editor David Childers Ad Manager Judy Yhnell Photo Editor Ryan Weber Web Production Jason Maggini Staff Writers: Ezra Dancui, Jamie Brown, Timothy Bragg, Jeff Criesi. Nakisha Dickens, Cherie Arambel, Yvonne Martinez Sports Writers: Allison Barncti, Gary Chapla, Kyoko Hoshino. John Sanders Columnists: Hakim Allen, Manuel Annear, Joel Eancs. Larry Farnsworth Ad Reps: * Amy Yhnell Circulation: Sam Robles The Daily Collegian is pub¬ lished Five times a week for and by the students of California State University, Fresno. Opinions expressed in the Collegian are not necessarily those of the entire Daily Colle¬ gian staff. The editors reserve the right to edit letters forJength and clarity. To be considered for publication, letters must be typed and should not exceed 250 words. Telephone Directory: Editor: (209)278-5732 News: (209)278-2486 Sports: . (209)278-5733 Advertising: (209)278-5731 FAX: (209)278-2679 Email us at: collegian@csufresno.edu |