Boise State UniversityScholarWorks

Student Newspapers (UP 4.15) University Documents

2-15-1988

University News, February 15Students of Boise State University

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111f:! ...tJniversilll\f.ew5-. Boise State University . February 15, 1988

May go intoellect lall-1988

Maste~'s program'may be..:,ellamedby Ilonnle DibbleThe University News

One of BSU's Master's degreescould be renamed which wouldbetter servemore students, accor- 'ding to Dr. Charles Davis, chair-man of the English Department.Presently, English is one emphasisavailable in the Master of Arts iiiEducation degree, and teachercertification is necessary to corn-plete the degree.A new Master of Arts in

English degree would retain thesame requirements while allowingmore people to use the program, -Davis said.The current Master's program

was initiated in 1974, Davis said,when 'the colleges of Educationand of Arts and Sciencedeveloped the Master of Arts inEducation as an interdisciplinarydegree: "That program served us" well," he said.

Davis said the program wiIIre-.main committed to area teachers.

The degree can still be shaped tomeet the needs of an educationmajor. However, teacher certifica-tion will not be required for'English majors. ,The College of Education sup-

ports the degree change, he said.The proposal is ready to go to

the State Board of Education forapproval, and Davis said hehoped the change would go intoeffect for the fall of 1988.Catalog changes would not oc-

cur until the following year.Some students have begun

graduate studies in English in theanticipation of this degree, Davissaid. .BSU serves a "uniquely BSU

population" he said, referring tothe non-traditional students,"people who had a degree yearsago," and want to continue theireducation without leaving thearea. He said that most graduatecourses are offered at night "justto serve that population."

, .I

I won't go:Jan Pavlic sits defiant.Iy inlier car whileparking control andcampus security per-"sonel try to mediate aparking dispute. Pavlicsuceeded in preventingher car from beingtowed, but she had topay the parking ticketand the, towing callcharges,

Students support candidates,. ..,', '..organize 'campus campaignsby SIeve F. LyonThe University News

Although the Republican andDemocratic national conventions arcmonths down the road, BSU students 'are gearing up their politicalorganizations to support their partiesand candidates.BSU has both Democratic and

Republican clubs.At this point in time-still early in

the candidate-selection process-theBSU College Republicans'arc not do-ing any campaigning for individualpresidential or staie Republican can-didates, club president Sonya Walkersaid. The club will not endorse aRepublican presidential candidateuntil one is chosen at the nationalconvention.Instead, the club is scheduled to

bring in Republican candidates tospeak, starting with a representativefrom Sen. Robert Dole's campaignwho wiII address the club Feb. 16 in March ,8. Democratic'. countythe Student Union Lookout Roomat delegates will be chosen at the3 p.rn, caucus, and these. delegates 'willThe College Republicans meet represent the county at the state con-

every other Thesday in the Student venrionin Pocatello.Union at 3:15 p.rn, The club was formerly called theKaren Scheffer, president of the College Young Democrats, 'but that

BSU College Democrats, said at this organization failed to maintain itspoint everyone iii the Clubis supper- club status at BStJ. A constitutiontingtheir favorite presidential can- was written for the new club overdidate, from Gephardt to Jackson to Christmas break, Scheffer said, andDukakis. club members are hoping to have theScheffer said that club plans in- charter approved soon.

elude involement with the ActaCoun- Other club plans include bringingty Democratic Caucus, which is in speakers. Rep.Richard Stallings isscheduled to take place at BSU on scheduled to address the group this

Done by semester's endCourt project will soon beginby Jim Chivers .' . the circle drive next to the towerswith Waddell said that the placement ofThe University News the other near the stadium. He said .the volleyball courts had been..

that putting the basketball courts in carefully planned to not interferepaved areas will reduce construction with university expansion plans; Ofcosts. , those plans, Waddell said, the plan toThe two volleyball courts will be enclose the tennis courts created the

located north of the tennis courts by greatest problem.the Pavilion, he said. Students will be .. BSU President .John Keiser ap-able to check out equipment from the proved the plans and matchedPavilion office and possibly from the ASBSU's$8,500 for the, courts,Outdoor Recreation Center in tIie allowing construction to begin.Wad-Student Union. The courts will be dell said.. 'available. for open. play during theday.

Construction of new volleyballandbasketball courts is planned to begin'soon, according to ASBSUPrcSidentPerry Waddell. Waddell said that thenew courts are expected to be com-. pleted before the end of the semester,adding that the .courts and relatedequipment will cost approximately$17,000.Waddell said .that one of the

basketball courts will be located in

spring. A voter registration day alsohas been planned by the group"The College Democrats meet every

other Tuesday at 3 p.m.Another student group is suppor-

ting Gary Hart in hispresidental bid.Students for Hart plans include han-ding outinformation to students overthe next few weeks regarding thecounty's Democratic caucus. Thegroup also will have position papers,buttons, stickers and posters in sup-port of the Democratic candidateavailable for students, according toplans announced last week.

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OplnlonKeiser's 'VanlsmngMajority'Weare concerned. Injhe latest issue of BSU's FOCUS magazine, university presi-

dent John Keiser wrote an essay,' "The; 'VanishingMajority, " which says that asAmericans we all should adoptnationalgoals in order.topromore a unifiedma-jority; his view of the intention of the Constitution' and the Declaration of In-, dependence. He believesthat the country has dissolved into "self-consciousgroups,"which have crippled Americans to the point where they are incapable of determin-ing right from wrong, This, according to Keiser,isbecausewe have adopted a cultural,relativist position, and since many different groups perceive of what is correct orincorrect in different ways, we are incapable of making critical decisions.With his call to return to the' original intent of the founders of the country,

however, he fails to recognize that the people of the United States have 'rarely hada "common ground for unity." The mere fact that people are educated in a varietyof views,where one is not portrayed as being more correct than another, does notmean that wethrow up .ourarms in defeat; rather, it means, that individuals willbe forced to reason their views, that they will have to think, as opposed" to beingspoon fed some notion of correctness. ' ,Keiser's view is that having to "substitute so-called 'values' and 'committment,'

subject to negotiation, for what was once phrased in terms of good and evil," makesit impossible to "set priorities or make critical judgments." This is simply incor-rect. There is no call for decision, thought or insight in the system of absolutescalled for by Keiser.One need not think in his world, only agree with the "inform-ed majority, within a university framework, if truly just decisions on them are tobereached." If this was the case, why bother even coming tothe university? Afterall, we could just have the majority opinion printed in.a majority newspaper inorder to know what is correct. However, we must question if this really was theintent of the founders of this country, or of our western' philosophy.The foundation of western thought is reason. This is central to virtually every

major work dealing with what it is to be a human living ina universe, howeverconceived.Wanting to know is the best reason to study anything, whether at a univer-. sity or not. The emergent view from this process is unique. It stems from the in-dividual, and need not be related to the viewsof the majority. The conflicting viewsrepresented by the coalescing of individuals in a society are the strength and foun-dation of democracy, which definately reflects the viewsof this country's founders.When only an unquestioning majority has the 'power to contribute in a society,oppression results. The open debate over fundamental ideas is healthy, and theknowledge and understanding which are produced are of inestimable value.

If democracy is to work,'it requires much of its citizens. They must think andbe able to express their conclusions. The founders of this country were concernedwith this notion Of conflicting ideas; that is