VIEWPOINTS

Final Fall Semester different than Imagined
Cassie Daley | Staff Reporter

The week before I returned to MSU to begin my final fall semester, I had the pleasure of joining my dad in helping my aunt and uncle move into their newly built retirement home on a Lake in Virginia. We carefully positioned the boxes on their flawless hardwood floors, careful not to scratch the fresh paint or damage any of their new furniture.
As I stood awfully, admiring their bigger-than-some-of my-past-apartments garage, inhabited by their new Lexus SUV and Volvo, I realized that I was not dwelling in the lap of luxury; I was actually witnessing the byproducts of achievement. While I struggle through my last year at college, preparing to trudge through the trenches of the job market; they are living proof of a finish line and the forth coming rewards to this race we call further education.
After a job well done the four of us animatedly conversed, each occupying a different stage in life and different life experiences. Our conversation reminded me of a quote I heard a long time ago, quite possibly by my ingenious mother: “No one achieves anything by themselves.”
The one thing all four of us had in common, were stories of people, and experiences that we have to thank for whom and where we are in life.

I always thought that my last year of college would consist of constant forward motion. Strangely enough, I find myself continually looking backward nostalgically at the small stepping stones and quiet memories that have landed me here.
The biggest stepping stone in my life is, beyond the shadow of a doubt, my parents. I know that I never could have made it this far without them. There have actually been times that I was convinced that my graduating college would make them happier than it would make me.
I could always envision my mother’s face in the crowd, eyes misted with tears, and my dad standing tall behind her, his eyes fixed steadily on me.
Once the ceremony was over I could imagine my mother hopping up and down like a puppy anxiously waiting to hug me until I reach the brink of passing out due to a lack of air flow. My dad would wait his turn, as he has learned to do. He’d look me in the eyes for a couple of poignant seconds before pulling me toward him and wrapping his arms around me.
There are a couple things about this vision I have always had, which will not happen. First, my graduation will make no one happier, than it will make me.
The second, sadly, will be that my mother will not physically attend.
Last semester although, I never stepped into a classroom, I had the most intense educational experience of my life thus far. I said goodbye to my very best friend, my biggest inspiration and probably my biggest fan: my mother.
Six months later, though I stepped on to the same campus, everything felt different.
My graduation will be a bitter sweet experience. My mother will not be misty eyed in the crowd; however, I know in my heart she will see me walk the stage. And though, he won’t have to wait his turn, something tells me that my daddy’s hug will be a feeling I will carry with me for the rest of my life.
I am looking forward to this year of college, more than I have ever looked forward to school before. I think that’s called masochism, isn’t it? I want wish everyone a good, safe, and happy year.
And mom, if you have access to the Wichitan in heaven (surely they have high-speed internet up there by now!) this year’s for you.

Staff Editorial: Goodbye to the Indians

In the 1960s, the use of the Indian mascot for Midwestern State University was respected and blessed by the Kiowa tribe of Oklahoma.
Now, because of recent protests against using humans (Native Americans, specifically) as mascots, we are being forced to change this time-honored tradition in order to be more politically correct.
Political correctness has its place, but that place is not here, for this purpose.
But if we’re going to avoid insulting anyone in any way, we should do it right.
Let’s avoid making PETA mad by staying away from any animal mascots that could be portrayed as vicious. So no panthers, lions, coyotes or bears.
We shouldn’t choose any sort of weapon, because that could promote violence. Therefore, we will not be the MSU Arrows, Tomahawks or pistols.
It is this newspaper’s opinion that if we cannot choose a mascot out of respect for that group of people, animals or things, we should choose something completely inoffensive that cannot be portrayed as violent under any circumstances.
We have recently discovered a litter of kittens living under the Liberal Arts building. This inspired our idea for the perfect mascot – something cuddly and nonviolent, commanding no respect from opponents, offending no one – from here on out, let us be known as the MSU Kittens.
The decision for a new mascot will be voted on by the student body in coming months. To make other suggestions, contact Keith Lamb at 397-4291, or student representative Will Morefield at 397-4707.


Less than Impressed with Government Responses
Christian McPhate | Staff Reporter

There is a vicious contagion within our nation’s governmental structure, an infection that begins at the lowest level of government and twists its diseased head up through the highest levels of government; it is an infection of incompetence and we have unknowingly (through non-action/non-involvement) helped perpetuate this problem. This incompetence reared its ugly head for the country to see with the disaster in New Orleans (actually, this infection first spewed forth with the war in Iraq; however, one must sift through the endless piles of sensationalism perpetuated by the media to find it). This incompetence buries itself within the politicians that we have elected to run our local, state, and federal governments.  On the local level, this incompetence lies within the Mayor of New Orleans and the unjustifiable indecisiveness on issuing a mandatory evacuation; it took a call from President Bush before the Mayor finally issued the mandatory evacuation of New Orleans. The mandatory evacuation went into effect twenty hours before the storm hit, not nearly enough time to evacuate a city the size of New Orleans. In addition, there was no evacuation plan implemented even though New Orleans had one in place. For instance, there were rows of school buses that were not used to help evacuate the poor and disabled, the lack of food and water at the designated shelters, and the lack of perperation with emergency services.  On the state level, the incompetence revealed itself with the State government’s ineffective response on the impending disaster approaching New Orleans. The Governor’s office understood the level of inadequateness with the city’s levee system; they have been requesting Federal aid to repair the levee system for years. And yet, the Governor’s office hesitated when it came to the deployment of the Louisiana National Guard.    The Federal government continues to promote this “we will not fail” attitude on the rebuilding of Iraq. And yet, the government’s taken a “we will fail” attitude toward the problems within our own country. The city of New Orleans is built below sea level. The Army Corps of Engineers, caretakers of our nation’s bridges, dams, and levee systems, installed a system of levees to hold back the flood waters. However, the city’s levees were in dire need of repair (thirty years of water erosion has that effect). The levees went from handling a category four hurricane to barely being able to handle a category three storm. A joint financial venture between the Federal and State government provides the funds to repair the levee system. The Governor’s office requested help earlier this year from the Federal Government to accomplish this repair. President Bush’s response to this request by the State  of Louisiana, despite the numerous experts view on the inadequateness of the levee system to protect the city of New Orleans from flooding, slicing the Army Corps of Engineers funding. In fact, President Bush’s 2006 proposal slashes the funding by $71.2 million the largest single-year loss ever for the New Orleans district of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Of course, the government admitted that the “ball was dropped” and President Bush promises to give it his full investigation (the broom is out and the rug‘s slowly rising up). Furthermore, the Democrats announced that they will also be doing their own investigation into the incompetence behind the dropping of the ball; it is scary to think that these same infected politicians are handling the rebuilding of Iraq.   Hurricane Katrina caused unimaginable devastation; however, some of the devastation possibly could have been averted if not for the incompetence of our elected officials. We, as college students, are responsible for the future of this great country; it is up to us to become more involved in elections at the local, state, and federal level. We need to start paying special attention to the backgrounds, beliefs, and track records of the politicians running for government. We need to become more involved in the future of this country. We need to get away from this “Lasse Farre attitude.” Only through research, knowledge and non-violent proactive participation will we alleviate this disease of incompetence that infects our great nation’s government.