In Sports, page 8 IDELINES. Si nuuic iciiiiciice oidie *_/inver. Evans, 3rd place, police management, (2024)

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MONDAY DECEMBER 3,2001 /^ 44 -^ S- 64 Lady Raiders beat Ole Miss INSIDE: Janitors need to make more money Middle Tennessee State University Comic breaks the mold of funny An editorially independent newspaper Si nuuic iciiiiciice oidie *_/inver IDELINES Criminal justice fraternity wins honors Seniors bring home 10 awards in firearms, corrections and more agility. Officers run for fallen sisters, brothers in New York City Money raised will benefit families of rescue workers MTSU expands contract with Aramark to cover 800,000 square feet of campus Custodians have been shifted to different buildings, not fired; recruitment, money cited as reasons ONLINE How do you cope with stress around the holidays and finals? MURFREESBORO, TENNESSEE www.mtsusidelines.com School vouchers still debated See Vouchers, 3 POLITICAL UPHEAVAL From the left Affirmative action needed for equality By Angela White Staff Columnist Once upon a time in a land tar far away, there existed a society where no one was ever judged, ridiculed, hated or discriminated against based on skin color. In this land of equal opportunity, every- one had the same chance to provide the best possible life for themselves and their loved ones. There was never talk of making up for past wrongs, for there was nothing in the society's history to repair. This fairy tale ain't America, tolks. The majority of powerful people in this country (white men) view anything that knocks them off their social pedestals as inherently unfair and therefore not equal. Equality to them is not a give-and- take process - the privileged are rarely willing to give up their favored status to help the disadvantaged. Thus arguments against equality-seeking programs like affirmative action arise, formulated with nei- ther history nor fact in mind. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, white men hold 95 percent of senior management jobs. In 1993, minority men were half as likely as their white counterparts to be employed in managerial positions. The Census Bureau reports that women earn approximately 73 percent of a man's salary for the same work. While that gap narrows as quality of education and employment increase, it never com- pletely disappears. Furthermore, the discrepancy is most prevalent in lower-waged positions, which are more likely to be held by minority women. In 2000, black women earned a weekly median salary of $458, while white men earned $717. Hispanic women earned only $373. Equality has yet to be achieved, even with the use of affirmative action. Yet conservatives insist the need has passed for leveling the playing field. Some argue that affirmative action is not only harmful but insulting to minorities who neither need nor wish for such advantages. Reality, however, appears to contradict these claims. The American Civil Liberties Union reports a study by The National Conference, an employment diversity organization, in which 63 percent of whites surveyed believed that African Americans already enjoy equal opportunity. Eighty percent of African Americans surveyed disagreed. In addition, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People supports affirmative action - the organization protested the nominations of both |ohn Ashcrofl as attorney general and Linda Chaw/ as secretary of labor due to, among numerous other factors, their extensive anti-affir- mative action records. "We agree with the university that affirmative action is critical to enhancing educational opportu- nity" Kweisi Mfume, president of NAACP, said in March in response to the University of Michigan's appeal of a court decision striking down its affirmative action program. Educational institutions use perhaps the most controversial affirmative action policies. Many uni- versities require lower testing and grade standards for minorities in order to place a representative sample of the population into their incoming classes. The question that should be asked is not why people who are considered "unworthy" and "inca- pable" of a reputable education because of their academic numbers are allowed into universities based solely on their race, but why these students make such low numbers in disproportionate percentages. Standardized tests constantly face criticism due to their cultural biases that give middle- and upper- class white students an unfair advantage. In addition, well-funded public schools, which tend to be located in areas where property taxes are abundant (wealthy white neighborhoods), offer test prepa- ration courses that are not offered to less-funded schools. Wealthy public schools also are more likely to offer advanced placement courses, which can both boost a student's GPA and make the student more desirable to universities during the admissions process. From the right Affirmative action hurts, not helps Staff Columnist Affirmative action may have put hundreds of minorities in American colleges and universities, but at what cost? Have the benefits of preferential treatment in admissions actually bettered the lives of minorities at large? No - the idea of affirmative action may have been good 30 years ago, but it has no place in today's society. A Gallup poll asked if preferential treatment of minorities was acceptable if it led to increased opportunities for historically neglected groups. More than 70 percent said no, and 66 percent of African Americans said no. If a majority of the people a certain policy is supposed to help do not want it, then why is it still on the books? The problem is that programs that cater to one group are politically divisive and spawn emotion- driven, name-calling shouting matches. Democrats love their programs, but this dedication to out- dated relics of public policy blinds them to the reality of current conditions. Their focus should be people - not their programs and careers. A study at the University of California-Berkley before affirmative action was banned in California shows just a hint of the problems affirmative action has created. The university admitted 317 African Americans with an average SAT score of 952 compared to the school's average of 1,200. Can you imagine being accepted to a school you weren't prepared for just because of your race? Just more than 70 percent of those students flunked out of school. These students' self-esteem has been permanently damaged, and their academic record is forever tainted. This could have been avoid- ed if the university had denied them entry and the students had gone on to a university more to their academic abilities. The best way to avoid this is to simply take the race question off the application. A colorblind soci- ety is what we are all striving for. But until race questions are taken off all applications for public uni- versities, federal grants and loans and jobs, we are still judging people by the color of their skin instead of the content of their character. Many universities lower the standards for minorities in an effort to raise diversity in their class- rooms. This is the most insulting thing anyone could do to minorities. The message these schools are sending to minorities is: "You're not ever going to meet our standards, so we're going to lower the bar for you." These administrators don't think minorities can make the grade. Every minority's response should be a dignified middle finger and a smile. During the Berlin Olympics in Nazi Germany, Jesse Owens did not get a head start. He went out there and beat the Nazis at their own game by their rules on their turf. This example of outperform- ing should be the model for the civil rights struggles of today. 1 iberal Democrats think they can solve racial problems through condescending speeches and gov- ernment handouts. All this does is make minorities dependent on them for privileges, which in turn increases the power of liberal politicians. Do you honestly believe 93 percent of African Americans are liberals? That is the percentage of African Americans who voted for Al Gore. Even though Bush's issues of school choice, faith-based ini- tiatives and Social Security reform poll incredibly well with African Americans, hardly any of them voted for him. The problem is programs like affirmative action create dependency. Dependency takes away digni- ty. Dignity and vision are the keys to progress. It is time civil rights leaders renew the fight for individual empowerment instead of calling Republicans bigots and defending condescending liberals. Diversity is not achieved by creating a colorful classroom. It is achieved by surrounding yourself with colorful minds. Visit Sidelines on the Web www.mtsusidelines.com Have you ever wondered what it's like being Santa Claus? Here's your chance to find out, The SGA Senate is sponsoring a aoy nvt for the Salvation Army Donations of new, unwrapped toys can be taken to the SGA office, KUC 208, between now and December 7. Upheaval: Drops in minority college admission leads to 'two-tier' educational system Vouchers: Gordon says U.S. should improve education IP PARKING LOT CLOSING FOR \ SPECIAL EVENT DECEMBER 4 \ I I I i i MTSU Crime Stoppers is offering cash rewards for information that leads to the arrest of the person or persons involved in the following crimes: Four Peck Hall snack food vending machines were vandalized sometime between 10:15 p.m. Nov. 22 and 6:55 p.m. Saturday Nov. 24. In each case, food was removed from the bottom two rows of the machine. The machine on the east side of the building had its glass broken out. The same four machines also were burglarized sometime between 7 p.m. Oct. 19 and 7 p.m. Oct. 20. Food was removed from the bottom two rows that time as well. If your infor- mation leads to an arrest, you will be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000. At approximately 1:30 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 17, part of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon homecoming float topper, which was next to the SAE dumpster, was set on fire. The wood fencing surrounding the dumpster also was damaged by the fire. Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest of the person or persons responsible for this crime. Computer equipment, books, software and furniture were taken from the Midgett Business Building sometime between 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 21, and 8 a.m. Monday, Nov. 26. Some of the items stolen include a microwave, a Macintosh G-4 computer and a Power Macintosh 6500 computer. Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information that leads to the arrest of the person or persons responsible for this crime. On Tuesday, Nov. 27 between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., a green cart was stolen from the bed of a 2000 Chevrolet pickup truck parked behind Smith Hall. The cart has "Simplex" printed on the side. Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information that leads to the arrest of the person or persons responsible for this crime. A 1993 two-door red Jeep Wrangler parked in the Baird Lane parking lot was broken into sometime between 11 p.m. Nov. 26 and 1:45 p.m. the next day. After breaking the driver's side window, the thieves removed the stereo from the dashboard. However, the stereo was left behind, leading officials to believe the thieves were scared off. Crime Stoppers is offering up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest of the responsible parties. Contact MTSU Crime Stoppers at 893-7867 (STOP) between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. This is my brother Omar. He had a hole in his tummy. Madness A bullet hit him. I saw red grass. A gun was in the garage. I didn't mean to shoot daddy's gun. I didn't mean to shoot daddy's gun. An unlocked gun could be tin- death of your family. Please lock up your gun. UTIOUJ.CIUU PlnKHTIOI C9I1CIL Deep Discounts all over the store! Save up to 40% Great Christmas Gifts and unbelievably low prices! DECEMBER 8, 2001 After the MT basketball game until midnight! Blue Raider Book & Supply 1321 Greenland Drive 890-7231 OPINIONS Editorial Janitors need to make more money Recently, MTSU announced that Aramark, which provides dining and lim- ited janitorial services for the university, will expand its janitorial service to include 800,000 square feet of the 2.5 million on campus. David Gray, MTSU's director of facili- ties, said the university will save 20 percent by contracting custodial work to Aramark. Before one starts espousing on the won- ders of capitalism, however, it should be noted that janitors at MTSU start at a state-mandated pay rate of $11,000 a war, which is $3,000 below the federally estab- lished and generally accepted poverty line. This pay rate is simply not enough for the work these people do. Custodians clean up after thousands of students, faculty, staff and visitors every day. They deal with slobs who leave trash and various bodily excretions on the floor and various "smells" that linger in certain campus buildings. In an institution of higher learning, whore '.he emphasis is on acquiring knowledge and money, why are the people who keep the university working in a clean, sanitary fashion paid as it their work is meaningless? All of us realize the tight financial situa- tion our state and, in turn, our university, is in, but is there money left to be saved? Where can 20 percent be cut from a bud- get that barely satisfies federal regulations? By setting the pay at such a low level, custodian turnover is very high. Recruitment was cited as a reason for expanding privatization. While the state does provide a high level of benefits, one cannot charge groceries to their dental insurance policy. If the state wishes to display compas- sion and compete with the private job market (as well as other states), it should pay its hardest workers what they are worth. Correction SIDELINES J.R. Lind student newspaper of Middle Tennessee State University and is published Monday, Wednesday and Thursday during the fall and spring semesters and every Wednesday during June and July. The opinions expressed herein are those of the individual writers and not necessarily of Sidelines or MTSU. The originality crisis of the Pepsi generation Banging on My Drum The phallacy of artistic expression Civil liberties must be preserved at all cost Letter to the Editor Per-hour tuition result of tax loophole Did your public high school use shady zoning practices and illegal recruiting to build a football dynasty? Tell us. [emailprotected] Get mo Extended Store Hours During finals Week Monday 12/10 Thursday 12/13 8:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. Friday 12/14 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Saturday 12/15 (Graduation Day) 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Donate a canned food item for the Salvation Army during finals week and get an additional $1 on your buyback Save 5% put your Books On Hold For Spring 2002 by December 7, 2001 www.blucraiderbookstore.coni Register to win a $250 Book Scholarship ^*%' FEATURES From comedian to recording artist, Carla Rhodes gains fame and success with her diverse talents email. Ipa2d@mtsu. BcfB, WHAT W **T . _ WNESSEOWK A ACPI T LOW H8 Btr#»A»! »S FIRST FUMWS m wx MWW THE CoBfcfl ANO TtfF NrtEOT OF coiiEtf HAS rmun EVAFMXRD. ,r-^ %y ~* ;ss 4? JW HftlfcYGR, *V M6CT SEtfBl^, HE'LL BE RfcHBrtED WD ENTWSiASnc H*K\\ SOT *uee EKMfcrt, Bf THE END OF ir,H6U BE TfcUPfcW© AU**G JltfT te H£ ^ NoW! THIS CVCIE VJiu, <& ON Te> Six V€Pfcs! MoU \f Voo'll £*cos£ ME, i rt£EP To GET Btttf To COUSINS AC0&&- »^| % GtM> M BfflWAS*! of MlAMgp 1» IAWS IKMDOTMAINCS Jo os LAST weft? hear Amtt: No excuse for violence Dear Annie, My boyfriend just bought a new CD burner and some new clothes. His roommate's dog destroyed all of it. My boyfriend works really hard for his money, so he was really pissed all his stuff was ruined. And he beat the dog ... bad. Like the dog isn't walking right anymore. The dog isn't very big either - he probably weighs about 40 pounds. His roommate is out of town and nobody has taken the dog to the vet yet. Anyway, this really frightened me that he could lose his temper like this. He has never lost his temper around me or anything, so it was a complete shock. But now I am starting to wonder that, if he can viciously beat a dog, could I make him angry enough to beat me? See, I don't have to work, and he said I would understand if I had worked for that money and some dog had destroyed my stuff. I just don't know what to think about all of this. We've been going out for five months and we haven't had any big problems until now. Do you think this is a sign? What should I do? - Scared Dear Scared, I think this is a big red stop sign. This is a sign of your boyfriends true character. I am an animal lover. I have two dogs of my own, so your question really hit me in the heart. It's wrong for someone to beat a defenseless dog. It probably didn't even know the reason for being beaten. Sure, he has a right to be mad. But I would think he would get mad at his roommate and make him pay to replace his stuff. What purpose did it serve to beat the dog? It didn't bring his stuff back. You have a right to be concerned. Sometimes we see a "red flag" in our relationships, and we know something just doesn't sit right deep inside. We can choose to address our feelings or talk ourselves out of how we really feel. Don't let the lame excuse: "You don't understand because you don't know the value of a dollar," cancel out your true feelings. While we are on the subject... what an awful thing to say to someone. What is his problem? Could he be jealous that you don't have to work? There is no excuse for violence. I believe you know what you should do. just because you haven't had any problems until now does- n't mean this event should be dismissed. Please send your questions to [emailprotected] Dance Club brings diversity to the stage By Jessie Miraldi Staff Writer Enlarged shadows danced on the walls of Tucker Theatre this weekend, giving ihe audience the feeling that it was surround- ed by dancers, making it a part of the show. Friday and Saturday night, the MTSU Performing Arts Company performed its dance recital, which they host every semester. The show featured 22 dances, all of which differed in style. The opening number was "P.J.'s to Pop Stars," which fea- tured the song "A.M. to P.M.," by Christina Millian. The dancers consisted ot two groups of people in P.J.'s and club clothes and was a hip-hop style. The show also contained slower lyrical numbers, such as "Dancing in the Rain," which featured a group of dancers twirling with purple sashes to Prince's "Purple Rain." Funny, lighthearted dances were also a big part of the recital. One dance, "The Big Comfy Robot Couch," featured per- formers in aluminum foil frol- icking about the stage like robots. The colorful dance piece, "Rasta Flavor," included a mix of different reggae and rasta beats. Another lighthearted dance was the impressive .ill guy number "Mixed Flavors," which was a group ot break dancers all competing for the most impressive moves. This received a standing ovation at the end. The show opened and closed with a company number, which consisted of all the members ol MTSU's Dance Club. A majority of the performers in the recital are members ol every Tuesday night in the Murphy ' enter. "Dance Club is a place to go. where no matter how you feel, you can dance it, said Dance Club member Amanda Virgillito. "If you're happy, sad or angry, just dance it." The members of I >ance Club come from all different back- grounds and have different lev- els of experience. Some have no traditional dance background while others have a lot. "I danced all through middle and high school," Virgillito said, "but I've never been as passion- ate about dance as 1 am now." Melissa Shahgoli, a member of Dance Club for three semes- ters now, has been dancing her whole life, but she has never taken formal dance classes. "Dance Club is my second home," she said. Shahgoli was one ot the cho- reographers for the dance titled Mow Ya Luv That," featuring hip-hop music from Daryl lay and Missy Elliot. "Ii was hard at first because you have to come up with ves that nobody else has," I reshman Melissa Oakey is a new member of Dance Club this semester. "A friend of mine was choreographing a dance and asked me to come to Dance Club, and I got hooked," she said. (l.ikcy was m five different dances tor the show, each con- taining a different style. "I've always liked to do a variety of "All of the members o! Dance (dub are so diverse in their educational goals and their lives," said Angela Armstrong, faculty coordinator of Dance Club. "Dance Club is an important part of them, and you can see it when they per- form." The members of Dance Club worked very hard on the show, themed "United We Dance." "We use dance as an outlet," said Virgillito. "Despite all that is happening in our country and all of the diversity amongst ourselves, we pull together and we dance." (Above) Students perform "Ballet in Three Parts," which was choreographed by Anne Colle and dancers, during this weekend's recital. (Below) Angela Armstrong, director of the MTSU Performing Arts Company, talks with students on final questions and instruc- tions behind the stage at Tucker Theatre before their performance \\ '// rfJXk % Deadline Friday, December 14,2001 4:00pm KUC126 SPORTS Blue Raiders lose game at Radford The Middle Tennessee men's basketball team lost to Radford 72-53 Saturday afternoon in Radford, Va., to drop its record to 3-2. The Blue Raiders fell behind early in the game, trailing by 9 with 8:09 left in the first half. MT cut the lead to 3. RU pushed its lead to 33-23 at the half. MT came out of the locker room and cut the lead to 8 on two William Pippen free throws at 18:32. RU used the next three minutes to increase its lead to 15 and take the win. The Blue Raiders shot 32.8 percent from the field for the game. MT was 4-of-16 from three-point range. "We turned the ball over some, but that's not the issue here," head coach Randy Wiel said. "We're sputtering on offense, and we need to get out of it. We need to have a combi- nation of the inside and outside game and right now both parts are sputtering." Tommy Gunn led the Blue Raider offense with 12 points. Gunn has scored in double fig- ures in six straight games. Iiro Tenngren set a career high with 12 rebounds. Tenngren is the first Blue Raider to reach double figures in rebounds this season. Andrey Savtchenko led four Highlanders in double figures with a game-high 19 points and 11 rebounds. Raymond Arrington finished with 14 points. Correy Watkins added 11 points, 9 rebounds and 3 steals. Mike Hornbuckle had 10 points. MT's road losing streak is now at 12 games. The Blue Raiders will return to Murphy Center tomorrow night for a 7 p.m. tipoff against Rice. Lady Raiders score upset over Ole Miss Almost perfect free-throw shooting leads to victory Jamie Thomatis and loanne Aluka combined for 47 points and 15 rebounds as the Middle Tennessee women's basketball team beat Ole Miss 74-64 Saturday ifternoon at Murphy ( enter. The Lad) Rebels (4-2) built up a 13 point lead with 50 per- cent shooting at the 12:00 mark in the first half. The lady Raiders (3-2) went on a 17-2 run over the next seven minutes to take a 2-poinl lead with just under five min- utes left in the half. "I thought we started out pretty well, and then Ole Miss opened things up," head coach Stephany Smith said. "At half- time, I told our team we were in a good position and to just come out and play our game in the second half. We started play- ing scared about the middle of the second half, but 1 am proud of how our team responded." Ole Miss held a 37-34 lead at halftime despite 13 first-half turnovers. MT responded with a 14-3 run to go ahead 48-40 at 15:00. The Lady Rebels answered with its own 9-0 run. Paula Penttila ended the Lady Raider scoring drought with a three at the 12:12 mark. The lead changed nine times over the next 5:39 of the game, with neither team gaining more than a 2-point advantage. Jessica Schlueter scored her only points of the game at 6:51 to Aluka reaches 1,000 Staff Writer Jamie Thomatis and Joanne Aluka were double trouble for Ole Miss Saturday. During Saturday's big 74-64 victory over Ole Miss, Lady Raider Aluka became a new member of Middle Tennessee's 1,000 point club. The points came with 5:43 left in the first half and made the score 26-23 in favor of Ole Miss. She scored a season high 16 points in the victo- ry. She passed Kelly Chastain for 15th place on the all-time scoring list. Aluka now has 1,006 points for her career. At the same time, Thomatis scored 31 points and had 10 rebounds. She was perfect from the foul line going 10-10. That included hit- ting eight of them in the last 3:34 of the game to finish off the Rebels. Softball prepares for future with first recruiting class under new head coach The Middle Tennessee soft- ball team signed three players to national letters of intent Thursday. The class is the fist recruiting class for head coach Cindy Connelley. She signed two pitchers and a designated hitter. Tiffany Childress and Jen Dorais will fill the pitching roles. MT loses sen- ior pitchers Jennifer Martinez, Stayc Preator and Amanda Kendall after this season. Childress is the first athlete from the state of Tennessee to be signed to a softball scholar- ship at MT since 1997. She pitched for Columbia Central and led her team to a second place finish in the 3-A State Championship in 2001. Dorais will play mostly as a utility player for the Lady Raiders. She can pitch and play middle infield and outfield. "Tiffany is a quality person and player who studies and loves the game," Connelley said. "Jen is the consummate utility player." Megan Cherinka is transfer- ring from Sierra Junior College and will play in January. Cherinka is a designated hitter who can also play first and sec- ond base. "Megan is the instant impact player we were looking for," Connelley said. The Lady Raiders kick off their season Feb. 15 playing Troy State in the Mardi Gras Classic in Monroe, La. Blue Raiders sign state's top prospect The Middle Tennessee men's golf team signed Tennessee's top prospect to a national letter of intent Thursday. Josh Nelms signed with the Blue Raiders during the early signing period and will begin competition next fall. "Josh was our number one target," Moore said. "He is big and strong and should con- tribute to our program right away." Nelms helped lead Baylor High School in Chattanooga, Tenn., to four straight state championships. He won the "Wally" in Nashville and later the Craig Rudolph Memorial in Clarksville, Tenn., last summer. Nelms finished second in the region and third in the Division 11 state this fall. He was also third in the region as a sopho- more and junior. Nelms fin- ished runner-up in the Tennessee Junior and the City Junior Tournament. He won the Chattanooga Junior Classic. "I think Josh's best event was a sixth place finish last summer in the Tennessee Amateur Championship at the Golf Club of Tennessee," Moore said. "Two of the players who beat him were nationally ranked men's amateur players, while 20 of the players he did beat were collegiate golfers." Nelms' father is the Central High School basketball and golf coach. His uncle is a former Tennessee Open Champion and a Creeks Bend pro. 1 TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY SATURDAY FAQs
(1)

MONDAY

DECEMBER

3,2001

/^

44 -^ S- 64

Sunny

Lady

Raiders beat

Ole Miss

In Sports, page 8

INSIDE:

Janitors need to make more money

Middle Tennessee State University

Comic breaks

the mold

of funny

In Features, page 6

An editorially

independent

newspaper

Si nuuic iciiiiciice oidie *_/inver

IDELINES

Volume 76 No. 105

Criminal justice fraternity wins honors

Seniors bring home 10 awards in

firearms, corrections and more

By LaQunda Partee Contributor

Delta Omicron Alpha, the criminal justice fraternity .it MTSU, went to regional compe- tition Nov. 15-18 and brought back 10 awards.

Seniors Kyle Evans, Robyn

Burns and Cameran Reed com- peted against more than loo students from 13 stales.

"The competition gave an opportunity tor professionals to come together lor a little fun," said Burns, president ot Helta Omicron Alpha.

The competition was held in

Greeneville, S.C. Students com- peted in events involving crime scenes, firearms and physical

agility.

lo compete, students had to have their own weapon, have studied a safety course and completed 70 credit hours.

Reed also won an all expense paid trip to the nation- al competition in Cheyenne, Wyo., to be held March 17-23.

The awards were as follows:

Evans, 3rd place, police man- agement, 2nd place, firearms team; Burns, 1st place, correc- tions, 2nd place, juvenile, 2nd place, firearms team; Reed, 1st place, overall academic, 2nd place, corrections, 2nd place, firearms team, 3rd place, juve- nile, 3rd place, physical agility.

Delta Omicron Alpha is a professional fraternity for stu- dents who major or minor in criminal justice.

The organization provides an outlet for criminal justice majors to consult and meet pro- fessionals in the field.

Applicants must have a 2.5 GPA and no felonies on their records.

Dues are S40 each academic year. ♦

Officers run for fallen sisters,

brothers in New York City

Photos by Amy Jones | Staff

(Above) Volunteers and employees of MTSU Public Safety wait at the water table for runners and walkers during Thursday's Enduring Freedom Run.

(Right) Public Safety secretary Margie Hardin runs a lap to raise money for the fam- ilies of the officers killed in New York City Sept. 11.

Money raised will benefit

families of rescue workers

By Victoria Cumbow Staff Writer

MTSU's police officers broke out their running shoes Thursday to raise money for the families of New York City relief workers who died as a result of the events of Sept. 11.

For the past few weeks, par- ticipants have been collecting money from sponsors for the Enduring Freedom Run.

A total of 10 police officers and department personnel participated in the event and ran or walked a total of 257 laps.

"We ran in hour shifts," said Officer Tony Taylor, who came up with the idea lor the run.

"I ran the whole hour for a total of 38 laps. It was a little hard, but I just figured, if those officers can go out and give the ultimate sacrifice, then I can endure a little bit ot pain.

"I was in the Cult War and Somalia, so (the attacks) hit me pretty hard," he said.

"I felt I needed to do some- thing. I felt that if this money

can help one person out, then we've done something."

All the money collected will go directly to a fund for the fallen officers' and port authority officials' families.

"We decided as an office that the money collected need ed to go directl) to the families of the officers killed,' said Margie Hardin, secretary tor Public Safety. Donations were made either through a flat donation or a donation per

lap.

Chief Jack Drugmand admitted to being sore.

"I usually exercise roughly about three miles a day," he said, "but I almost doubled that on Thursday. I'm sore."

Although the total still is not known, the department hopes lor at least $1,000.

t ash or check donations can be made through Friday to

MTSU Box 141. ♦

MTSU expands contract with Aramark

to cover 800,000 square feet of campus

Custodians have been shifted to

different buildings, not fired;

recruitment, money cited as reasons

By Angelica Journagin Staff Writer

Recruitment problems and the need to save money have prompted MTSU to expand Aramark's custodial contract.

Aramark, which has provid- ed food services to MTSU for the past 30 years, now is respon- sible for providing custodial services to 800,000 of the 2.5 million square feet of MTSU's

campus.

This is an increase of 300,000 square feet that Aramark had been responsible for from a pre- vious contract.

According to David Gray, MTSU director of facilities, it will cost MTSU 20 percent less to contract out to Aramark than it would if MTSU provided the services themselves.

Money was not the only rea- son for MTSU outsource part of

campus.

"We've had a very hard time trying to find level one custodi- ans," Gray said. "Part of the problem is that we simply can't pay them enough."

Tennessee sets the pay scale for the custodians. Currently, entry level custodians make a little more than $11,000 a year, which is about $3,000 less than the national poverty line.

This year MTSU received $280,000 from the state to make improvements and fix problems with the campus. Cray went on to say he is not expecting an increase of funds from the state in the near future.

"If the state isn't going to give us money to fix our prob- lems then I don't think they are going to give us money for a raise" for custodial workers. Gray said.

Custodians who worked in the newly controlled Aramark buildings have been moved to another shift or different build- ing.

Gray said he currently has no plans to fire workers.

This has not stopped custo- dians from worrying that they will lose their job.

"I feel, eventually, we will be without a job," said a custodial monitor at MTSU who pre-

ferred to stay anonymous. "|Aramark] is taking all of the buildings. Soon there will be no other place for us to go."

While many of the custodial workers are forced to have a sec- ond job, she said she had not heard of anyone planning to take a job with Aramark.

"We don't stay here tor the money," she said. "We're state employees so we have good benefits. Aramark doesn't offer benefits."

Aramark could not be reached for comment. ♦

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ONLINE

How do you cope with

stress around the holidays

and finals?

In Opinions, page 4

MURFREESBORO,

TENNESSEE

www.mtsusidelines.com

School

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still

debated

By Kelly Smith Contributor

The issue of school vouch- ers may seem unimportant to most college students, but to students with children, it holds more significance.

For the past couple years, the implementation of vouch- er programs within the K-12 school system has been a hody debated national issue.

A voucher is a document that may be used by parents to pay for their child to attend an out-of-district school, either private or public.

The voucher proposal offers about $2,500 for parents to use toward either tuition for a pri- vate school or other accommo- dations, such as transporta- tion, if the transfer is to a pub- lic school.

"Although the voucher sys- tem appeared very promising, the actual implementation of a voucher program would only reach a small percentage of the school-age children across the nation," said Dorothy Craig, assistant professor of educa- tional leadership.

In addition, because the program offers $2,500, many parents cannot afford to match the money needed to send their children to private schools.

Another problem with the voucher program is the lack of knowledge some parents have of other schools, creating diffi- culties in deciding where to move their children, Craig said.

Carla Jackson, an MTSU student and parent, said she feels parents who are propo- nents of the voucher program want the option of moving their children to schools that offer a better education and have better resources.

With the voucher program money, parents are at least given the freedom to choose, she added.

"I would appreciate a pro- gram that allows me to have a voice in where I send my child to school," Jackson said.

On the other hand, oppo- nents of the voucher program argue that, at best, vouchers would help only a lucky few children, while keeping the rest in a school with depleted resources.

"(We) need to fix what problems are already in these schools, like better resources and meeting the needs of diversity," Craig said.

Cindy London, a Murfreesboro resident and mother of an 11-year-old, said she feels the voucher program would create segregation.

"When I was my son's age, we started bringing in children from different districts in order to create diversity," she said.

Hence, the voucher pro- gram would "bring back the segregation problems that schools have tried to elimi- nate," she added.

Congressman Bart Gordon, D-Murfreesboro, said he feels children are our most pre- cious resource and a quality

See Vouchers, 3

(2)

2 ♦ Monday, December 3, 2001 ♦ SIDELINES

POLITICAL UPHEAVAL

From the left

Affirmative action needed for equality

By Angela White

Staff Columnist

Once upon a time in a land tar far away, there existed a society where no one was ever judged,

ridiculed, hated or discriminated against based on skin color. In this land of equal opportunity, every-

one had the same chance to provide the best possible life for themselves and their loved ones. There

was never talk of making up for past wrongs, for there was nothing in the society's history to repair.

This fairy tale ain't America, tolks.

The majority of powerful people in this country (white men) view anything that knocks them off

their social pedestals as inherently unfair and therefore not equal. Equality to them is not a give-and-

take process - the privileged are rarely willing to give up their favored status to help the disadvantaged.

Thus arguments against equality-seeking programs like affirmative action arise, formulated with nei-

ther history nor fact in mind.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, white men hold 95 percent of senior management jobs.

In 1993, minority men were half as likely as their white counterparts to be employed in managerial

positions.

The Census Bureau reports that women earn approximately 73 percent of a man's salary for the

same work. While that gap narrows as quality of education and employment increase, it never com-

pletely disappears. Furthermore, the discrepancy is most prevalent in lower-waged positions, which

are more likely to be held by minority women. In 2000, black women earned a weekly median salary

of $458, while white men earned $717. Hispanic women earned only $373.

Equality has yet to be achieved, even with the use of affirmative action. Yet conservatives insist the

need has passed for leveling the playing field. Some argue that affirmative action is not only harmful

but insulting to minorities who neither need nor wish for such advantages. Reality, however, appears

to contradict these claims.

The American Civil Liberties Union reports a study by The National Conference, an employment

diversity organization, in which 63 percent of whites surveyed believed that African Americans already

enjoy equal opportunity. Eighty percent of African Americans surveyed disagreed.

In addition, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People supports affirmative

action - the organization protested the nominations of both |ohn Ashcrofl as attorney general and

Linda Chaw/ as secretary of labor due to, among numerous other factors, their extensive anti-affir-

mative action records.

"We agree with the university that affirmative action is critical to enhancing educational opportu-

nity" Kweisi Mfume, president of NAACP, said in March in response to the University of Michigan's

appeal of a court decision striking down its affirmative action program.

Educational institutions use perhaps the most controversial affirmative action policies. Many uni-

versities require lower testing and grade standards for minorities in order to place a representative

sample of the population into their incoming classes.

The question that should be asked is not why people who are considered "unworthy" and "inca-

pable" of a reputable education because of their academic numbers are allowed into universities based

solely on their race, but why these students make such low numbers in disproportionate percentages.

Standardized tests constantly face criticism due to their cultural biases that give middle- and upper-

class white students an unfair advantage. In addition, well-funded public schools, which tend to be

located in areas where property taxes are abundant (wealthy white neighborhoods), offer test prepa-

ration courses that are not offered to less-funded schools. Wealthy public schools also are more likely

to offer advanced placement courses, which can both boost a student's GPA and make the student

more desirable to universities during the admissions process.

See Upheaval. 3

From the right

Affirmative action hurts, not helps

By Jeremy Davis

Staff Columnist

Affirmative action may have put hundreds of minorities in American colleges and universities, but

at what cost? Have the benefits of preferential treatment in admissions actually bettered the lives of

minorities at large?

No - the idea of affirmative action may have been good 30 years ago, but it has no place in today's

society.

A Gallup poll asked if preferential treatment of minorities was acceptable if it led to increased

opportunities for historically neglected groups. More than 70 percent said no, and 66 percent of

African Americans said no. If a majority of the people a certain policy is supposed to help do not want

it, then why is it still on the books?

The problem is that programs that cater to one group are politically divisive and spawn emotion-

driven, name-calling shouting matches. Democrats love their programs, but this dedication to out-

dated relics of public policy blinds them to the reality of current conditions. Their focus should be

people - not their programs and careers.

A study at the University of California-Berkley before affirmative action was banned in California

shows just a hint of the problems affirmative action has created. The university admitted 317 African

Americans with an average SAT score of 952 compared to the school's average of 1,200.

Can you imagine being accepted to a school you weren't prepared for just because of your race?

Just more than 70 percent of those students flunked out of school. These students' self-esteem has

been permanently damaged, and their academic record is forever tainted. This could have been avoid-

ed if the university had denied them entry and the students had gone on to a university more to their

academic abilities.

The best way to avoid this is to simply take the race question off the application. A colorblind soci-

ety is what we are all striving for. But until race questions are taken off all applications for public uni-

versities, federal grants and loans and jobs, we are still judging people by the color of their skin instead

of the content of their character.

Many universities lower the standards for minorities in an effort to raise diversity in their class-

rooms. This is the most insulting thing anyone could do to minorities. The message these schools are

sending to minorities is: "You're not ever going to meet our standards, so we're going to lower the bar

for you." These administrators don't think minorities can make the grade.

Every minority's response should be a dignified middle finger and a smile.

During the Berlin Olympics in Nazi Germany, Jesse Owens did not get a head start. He went out

there and beat the Nazis at their own game by their rules on their turf. This example of outperform-

ing should be the model for the civil rights struggles of today.

1 iberal Democrats think they can solve racial problems through condescending speeches and gov-

ernment handouts. All this does is make minorities dependent on them for privileges, which in turn

increases the power of liberal politicians.

Do you honestly believe 93 percent of African Americans are liberals? That is the percentage of

African Americans who voted for Al Gore. Even though Bush's issues of school choice, faith-based ini-

tiatives and Social Security reform poll incredibly well with African Americans, hardly any of them

voted for him.

The problem is programs like affirmative action create dependency. Dependency takes away digni-

ty. Dignity and vision are the keys to progress.

It is time civil rights leaders renew the fight for individual empowerment instead of calling

Republicans bigots and defending condescending liberals.

Diversity is not achieved by creating a colorful classroom. It is achieved by surrounding yourself

with colorful minds.

Visit Sidelines on the Web

www.mtsusidelines.com

Have you ever wondered what it's

like being Santa Claus?

Here's your chance to find out,

The SGA Senate

is sponsoring a

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Donations of new,

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(3)

SIDELINES ♦ Monday. December 3. 2001 ♦ 3

Upheaval: Drops in minority college admission leads to 'two-tier' educational system

Continued from 2

In 1996, the U.S. Court of Appeals struck down the University of Texas* affirmative action policy in Hopwood vs. University of Texas School of Law, resulting in an 88 percent drop in African American stu- dents admitted and a 64 percent drop in Latino admissions in the first year alone. Affirmative action also took a hit with

California's Proposition 209, which resulted in a 72 percent drop in African-American admissions and a 35 percent drop in Latino admissions to

Berkley and UCLA.

Such drastic drops are lead- ing to the further creation of "two-tier" educational systems. Students who can make the numbers are admitted to more prestigious state institutions, while minorities who are unable

to compete due to the quality of their "equal" education are forced to attend universities that are "better suited" for their "academic abilities." Thus uni- versities become racially segre- gated, with those housing minority students offering a poorer quality of education as well as fewer career prospects. Sound familiar?

Affirmative action is not about quotas. In fact, quotas are

Vouchers: Gordon says U.S.

should improve education

Continued from I

education is critical to meeting the challenges of today's increasingly competitive world. However, we should not take resources from our public schools in the process, he insist ed.

"(The taking of resources from public schools) is why 1 oppose school vouchers," he said.

Gordon said he believes that when organizations accept money from the government, they open themselves to govern- ment regulation, which is the reason many parents leave the public school system.

"Regulation could be in the form of accreditation of schools and teachers, national standards and curriculum," he added.

Consequently, Gordon said. the nation needs to spend time and public tax dollars on improving the education sys tern, and school vouchers would only divert America's already limited resources away from schools that are suffering, and in some cases, failing.

Only three states, Wisconsin, Florida and Ohio, currently use the voucher system, but those states remain tangled in court challenges.

Tennessee currently has not taken a side on the issue. ♦

IP

PARKING LOT CLOSING FOR

\

SPECIAL EVENT DECEMBER 4

On Tuesday, December 4, 2001, the parking lot located at the intersection of

Blue Raider Drive and Baird Lane (across from Project HELP) will be closed from 12:00 noon to 9:30 p.m. for all vehicles due to a special event for the opening of the new Center for Dyslexia.

AH vehicles that are parked in this lot after 12:00 noon will be lowed al

the owner's expense.

Suggested arras for stuoVnt parking arc the designated Green Permit Parking

arvd close to Development House and St. Mark's UM Churt h (located off

Main Street), the gravel lot located close to the Re< reation Center, and the Tennessee livestock Center off (Jreenland Drive.

The Raider Xprcss operates from 7:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Mon. - Thurs., and

from 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Friday lo transport sludents, faculty, staff, and visitors throughout the campus.

\

for questions, please contact Parking and Transportation Services at

898-2850. Your cooperation regarding this lot closing is apprec iated. Ji

illegal. Affirmative action allows race, gender, sexual orientation, religion and disability to be considered in the creation of diverse educational and employment environments.

Conservatives hardly com- plain when preferences arc shown for children of alumni, family legacy, veteran status or blood relation to management. One's geographic region is even used as a factor in the admis-

sions procedures of some uni- versities. Many factors besides numbers are used to determine who is admitted or hired.

Affirmative action not only helps to make up for historical atrocities but also provides for an interesting and diverse envi- ronment that better facilitates both the learning and labor processes.

Conservatives do not expect minorities to succeed by per-

forming at the same level as they. Instead, they want to "raise the bar," not to the height of their own, but higher. Minorities must prove them- selves to conservatives in order to be considered worthy, despite the poor circumstances they may have faced. The privileged's abilities, however, are assumed to exist without such tests. Perhaps this is why minorities vote the way they do. ♦

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MTSU Crime Stoppers is offering cash rewards for information that leads to

the arrest of the person or persons involved in the following crimes:

Four Peck Hall snack food vending machines were vandalized sometime

between 10:15 p.m. Nov. 22 and 6:55 p.m. Saturday Nov. 24. In each case, food

was removed from the bottom two rows of the machine. The machine on the

east side of the building had its glass broken out. The same four machines

also were burglarized sometime between 7 p.m. Oct. 19 and 7 p.m. Oct. 20.

Food was removed from the bottom two rows that time as well. If your infor-

mation leads to an arrest, you will be eligible for a cash reward of up to

$1,000.

At approximately 1:30 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 17, part of the Sigma Alpha

Epsilon homecoming float topper, which was next to the SAE dumpster, was

set on fire. The wood fencing surrounding the dumpster also was damaged

by the fire. Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward of up to $1,000 for

information leading to the arrest of the person or persons responsible for

this crime.

Computer equipment, books, software and furniture were taken from the

Midgett Business Building sometime between 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 21,

and 8 a.m. Monday, Nov. 26. Some of the items stolen include a microwave,

a Macintosh G-4 computer and a Power Macintosh 6500 computer. Crime

Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information that leads to

the arrest of the person or persons responsible for this crime.

On Tuesday, Nov. 27 between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., a green

cart was stolen from the bed of a 2000 Chevrolet pickup truck parked

behind Smith Hall. The cart has "Simplex" printed on the side. Crime

Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information that leads to

the arrest of the person or persons responsible for this crime.

A 1993 two-door red Jeep Wrangler parked in the Baird Lane parking lot

was broken into sometime between 11 p.m. Nov. 26 and 1:45 p.m. the next

day. After breaking the driver's side window, the thieves removed the stereo

from the dashboard. However, the stereo was left behind, leading officials to

believe the thieves were scared off. Crime Stoppers is offering up to $1,000

for information leading to the arrest of the responsible parties.

Contact MTSU Crime Stoppers at 893-7867 (STOP) between the hours of 8

a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

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This is my brother Omar.

He had a hole in his tummy.

Madness

A bullet hit him.

I saw red grass.

A gun was in the garage.

I didn't mean to shoot daddy's gun.

I didn't mean to shoot daddy's gun.

An unlocked gun could be tin- death of your family.

Please lock up your gun.

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(4)

OPINIONS

SIDELINES ♦ 4 Monday, December 2,2001 Murfreesboro.Tenn.

Editorial

Janitors need to

make more money

Recently, MTSU announced that

Aramark, which provides dining and lim-

ited janitorial services for the university,

will expand its janitorial service to include

800,000 square feet of the 2.5 million on

campus.

David Gray, MTSU's director of facili-

ties, said the university will save 20 percent

by contracting custodial work to Aramark.

Before one starts espousing on the won-

ders of capitalism, however, it should be

noted that janitors at MTSU start at a

state-mandated pay rate of $11,000 a war,

which is $3,000 below the federally estab-

lished and generally accepted poverty line.

This pay rate is simply not enough for

the work these people do.

Custodians clean up after thousands of

students, faculty, staff and visitors every

day. They deal with slobs who leave trash

and various bodily excretions on the floor

and various "smells" that linger in certain

campus buildings.

In an institution of higher learning,

whore '.he emphasis is on acquiring

knowledge and money, why are the people

who keep the university working in a

clean, sanitary fashion paid as it their

work is meaningless?

All of us realize the tight financial situa-

tion our state and, in turn, our university,

is in, but is there money left to be saved?

Where can 20 percent be cut from a bud-

get that barely satisfies federal regulations?

By setting the pay at such a low level,

custodian turnover is very high.

Recruitment was cited as a reason for

expanding privatization.

While the state does provide a high level

of benefits, one cannot charge groceries to

their dental insurance policy.

If the state wishes to display compas-

sion and compete with the private job

market (as well as other states), it should

pay its hardest workers what they are

worth.

Correction

In the Nov. 29 issue of Sidelines, Stephanie Saujon was not given credit for writing "An exhibit of life."

Sidelines regrets the error.

SIDELINES

P.O. BOX 42 Murfreesboro.TN 37132 Editorial: 898-2337 Advertising: 898-2533 Fax: 904-8487 www.mtsusidelines.com Editor in Chief Managing Editor News Editor

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Assistant Advertising Manager Advertising Representatives Pam Hudgens* Rebecca Pickering* Lindsey Turner* Jason Cox* Patrick W.Chinnery* Charlene Callier Leslie Fike Shawn Whitsell Colleen Cox Matthew H. Starling Angela White

J.R. Lind

John-Paul Land Pam Hudgens Patrick W. Chinnery Nick Fowler Paul Sternberg Suzanne Franklin Patience Cohee Classified Advertising Student Publications Director Erin Pauls Jamil Moore Kristopher Jones Jenny Tenpenny Crouch

'denotes member of editorial board

Sidelines is the editorially-independent, non-profit

student newspaper of Middle Tennessee State University

and is published Monday, Wednesday and Thursday

during the fall and spring semesters and every

Wednesday during June and July. The opinions

expressed herein are those of the individual writers

and not necessarily of Sidelines or MTSU.

The originality crisis of the Pepsi generation

Banging on My Drum

Cody De Vos

Staff Columnist

Every so often, I sit down to write the Great American Novel. As a rule, I get about a paragraph into my masterpiece before I realize that everything I'm preparing to say has been said before, and more eloquently at that.

The good news: Our generation has been more exposed to, and had more access to, books, movies, television and music than many of our parents.

The bad news: We seem to he running on borrowed emotions, looking at our memories through cine- matic lenses and littering every earnest conversation with pop culture similes.

Too' often, the best guide we have for expressing our feelings or making deci- sions is what we've seen in the movies or read in a book.

For example: "Since I got to college, the spirit of Holden Caulfield has almost constantly been with me." However true, this statement poses a dou- ble quandary - are my feel- ings of dissatisfaction with all the "phony" people I've met one hundred percent genuine, or are they spiced with sentiments I picked up from The Catcher in the

Rye7. And what motivation

should 1 have for commit- ting these youthful long- ings to paper when J.D. Salinger mastered the art long before I was even born?

Mike Dirnt of Green 1 )ay once said he got all his religious beliefs from Star

Wars. When asked about

my own religious beliefs, the best way I know how to

respond is to prepare a statement peppered with quotes from various books, movies and inter- views.

As legitimate and per- sonal as my own beliefs are to me, I am painfully aware that every nagging ques- tion 1 have has already been asked, and every con- clusion I arrive at has already been written by somebody somewhere, and that I am incapable of any- thing more than agreeing or disagreeing with them.

Post Gen-X media- addicted quasi-intellectu- als such as myself have a song for every occasion, a book for every theme and a movie allusion for every experience. My ideal of human perfection is Dostoevsky's Prince Myshkin. My AOL screen name is the title of a Misfits song. My best friend and 1 are "like Samwise and Frodo," and my farewell to a friend who

recently moved overseas included lyrics from Bob Dylan's "Forever Young."

And this crippling sense that I can never feel a sen sation that hasn't already been felt for me? The last time I mentioned it to someone, they asked me if I'd read Dave Eggers' A

Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius. The

entire novel addresses what I chose to write this article about. Dammit.

I take a certain measure of comfort in knowing that mankind is universally fac- ing the same questions and emotions that I am, and art is a creative reflection of life. I just wish I could face life with less art under my belt.

I've recently entertained the notion that if 1 were to stop reading books and watching movies, I'd acquire an untainted, or at least seemingly original, life experience. But even then, if I were to ever try to

write an autobiography, I'd stumble into the pratfalls ot unoriginality. Love, hate, addiction, longing, spiritual search- ing ... they've all been cov- ered more than adequately lor me.

Alter a grieving soldier ritualistically slaughters a baby water buffalo in Tim O'Brien's How to Tell a

line War Story, one soldier

says to another, "Well, that's Nam. ... Over here, man, every sin's real fresh and original."

While I don't want to go to Vietnam or any other war zone, I'm jealous of anybody who's found a place where a sin, a virtue, a passion or a vice can be fresh and original. I myself am still looking.

Even my despair-ridden conclusion borrows a quote from George A. Romero's zombie movie classic, Dawn of the Dead: "It's all done, man. It's all been done." ♦

The phallacy of artistic expression

By Gabriel Carerra

The Informer (17. Hartford

L WIRL-On Veterans I »ay weekend, Robert Rowan was ticketed for "misdemeanor criminal tampering" after going into the Boulder Public Library in Colorado and taking 21 ceramic penises, which were part of a public art display and placing them in the garbage. The faux severed penises were strung on a clothesline under the title "Hanging 'Em Out to Dry."

Later that day he phoned a local radio sta- tion and confessed his crime. Rowan was trou- bled that his 5-year-old daughter might see what he calls an "anti-male" and "pornographic" exhibit while using the public library. Rowan left a note stating, "El Dildo Bandito was here" and hung an American flag in their place.

The Boulder library is the same one that recently refused to display a 10-foot American flag in its

entrance in the wake of Sept. 11 because some patrons might be "offend- ed."

A smaller Hag was even tually draped in the wake of controversy.

The penises were hung at the Boulder library to support the Boulder County Safe House, a woman's domestic vio- lence center. The library labels Rowan's actions as "intolerance" and "censor- ship," but Rowan states that this constitutes politi- cal expression being host- ed at taxpayers' expense.

"If they had put this up at a private art gallery, that would have been fine. That way people could pay and see this stuff," Rowan said. "In a private gallery, the exhibit would be a free- dom of speech issue rather than the abuse and improper use of tax dollars to promote a political view."

Many in the communi- ty believe the main prob- lem is that a public institu- tion is supporting one side of a hot political debate and disenfranchising the

other. Rowan believes the art exhibit and the Boulder County Safehouse do not merely educate the public about domestic violence; they are advancing an anti- male agenda.

Rowan eiteel that according to the U.S. Department of lustice's 1998 National Violence Against Women Survey, about 1.5 million women and more than 800,000 men are abused by an inti- mate partner every year. However, a flood of new research indicates that the rates of domestic violence for men and women are roughly equal and suggests that the incidence of bat- tered "husbands" is almost certainly under-reported due to the social stigma attached to male victims of domestic violence.

Yet the library's domes- tic violence exhibit por- trays men as the perpetra- tors - never the victims. The display included a sign reading "Abuse by hus- bands and partners was ... the leading cause of injuries to women." Another sign at the exhibit

read, "In approximately 60 percent of the cases where the woman is being abused, so are the chil- dren."

Rowan added that nowhere is it stated that women commit most of the child abuse and child murders in America.

Susanne Walker is the artist who created the dis- play and said she cannot understand why the dis- senters are against her dis- play. She is willing to meet with the dissenters . to answer their objections.

Rowan said he felt he could not "debate [penis- es| hanging in the public library."

The editor of leminist.com, Wendy McF.lroy, defends Rowan's civil disobedience. She writes that the "Hanging 'Em Out to Dry" exhibit provides the same sort of "awareness" as does an a priori indictment of all boys as wife beaters.

It is hate speech direct- ed at a category ot human beings.

If you doubt this, imag- ine a display of black

penises strung up. It would be condemned as racist in an instant. Why is it less hate speech to expand the category from "black men" to "all men?"

It is not merely that vic- timized men are being ignored. Hatred is directed toward all men as a result of the brutality of a statis- tical few.

Rowan said he intends to make a test case of this incident, and he has the eager support of a bur- geoning men's movement. The two newest chat rooms at the prominent Web site www.mensac- tivism.org have revolved around "El Dildo Bandito" and how best to assist him. The participants draw a hard line between public- supported hate speech and privately funded opinion.

Tax-funded hatred must be eliminated; pri- vate expression must be tolerated under the First Amendment.

The penises are cur- rently in police custody, but if hung again, Rowan said he vows to take them down. ♦

Civil liberties must be preserved at all cost

By Alissa Miller

Campus Times (U. Rochester)

U-WIRE - Inter arma silent leges. This ancient

phrase presents the fright- eningly accurate attitude of much of the U.S. gov- ernment right now towards issues of civil lib- erty, "In times of war the law is silent."

Stop and think about this for a moment.

We are fighting a war to help bring freedom to the people of Afghanistan, and then possibly to other peo- ple oppressed by terrorism supporting governments. Officials are praising the

freedom of Muslim women to now go beyond the burkah if they chose.

We are America, the land of the free, and it is our solemn duty to prose- lytize to the world.

If our culture and our freedom are so precious to us that we protect them halfway around the world in foreign countries with the lives of our soldiers, why is our government not protecting those same rights here?

George Bush was sworn to protect the Constitution as the supreme law of the land. His executive order to try all non-citizens accused of terrorist activi-

ties in secret military tri- bunals, however, is a far cry from preserving the Constitution. It is directly opposing the established interpretation.

If the executive order was the only violation of civil liberties, the Constitutional safeguards would protect the public. Unfortunately, the execu- tive is not the only branch that has failed to think before acting.

Congressmen have noted that the passing of the anti-terrorism and relief USAPATRIOT bill is a mocker> of the rules of the institution, the sacred traditions of debate and

deliberation were blatantly ignored, in exchange for a quick-tempered and pas sionate decision.

Granted, Congress is supposed to reflect the wishes of the public, and there is no doubt that a majority of the public is screaming for a swift and decisive reaction to the epidemic of terrorism within U.S. borders.

However, the reason why the Constitution is not a proponent of direct democracy is to prevent this type ot public passion from ruling when it is against the public's better interest

With the executive and

legislative branches both acting in haste, the only brakes left on the way down the slippery slope are the Supreme Court and the people. With Chief lustice William Rehnquist at the helm, it is unlikely that the unconstitutionali- ty of any government action will ever be even brought to judgment dur- ing a time of war.

I deeply hope, in the lace of a government that is usurping its responsibil- ities to freedom, that the people realize how vital it is that we protect our liber- ties not only on distant continents, but right here at home.#

Letter to the Editor

Per-hour tuition result of tax loophole

To the Editor:

Well, it looks like we get to pay the price again for our legisla- ture's refusal to solve the state's budget crisis. Now those of us who work hard and take a decent load of hours will have to pay more, since the Tennessee Board of Regents will start charging us by the hour. Of course, this is because.of our state's inability to solve its budget problem. The problem is the same legislature's who oppose an income tax are giving their big money donors tax breaks they should not get.

The problem comes with the state's LLC exemptions. These exemptions are suppose to go to small businesses, so they do not have to pay the business taxes the state charges. But big corpora- tions like Kroger, Wal-Mart and others are using them. The same legislatures that oppose an income tax are against closing this loop- hole.

The state should close these exemptions to make sure higher education does not suffer further.

Thomas Hoffman

Did your public high

school use shady

zoning practices and

illegal recruiting to

build a football

dynasty? Tell us.

[emailprotected]

(5)

SIDELINES ♦ Monday, December 3. 2001 ♦ 5

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(6)

FEATURES

6 ♦ SIDELINES Monday, December 3,2001 Murfreesboro.Tenn.

From comedian to recording artist, Carla Rhodes

gains fame and success with her diverse talents

Photo provided

Rhodes poses with her foam-like puppet that resembles the famous rock 'n' roller Mick Jagger.

By Alicia Pickett Staff Writer

Eccentric red-headed and world famous. MTSl sophomore Carla Rhodes promotes a brasher style of humor and now has a CD

to prove it.

"(My songs) just pop into my head," Rhodes says.

'Juicy and white/ Chicken oh I love you/ chicken oh I eat you/... cluck. Cluck, CLUCK!!' is the chorus of one of Rhodes' insanity- induced songs, fashionably labeled "Chicken" for obvious reasons.

A stand-up comedian and ventriloquist, 19-year-old Rhodes could easily be labeled a pro in the comedy business.

She has been profiled in numerous London newspapers, profiled in the New York Times and documented in her own TLC presenta- tion.

By using foam-like puppets that have uncanny resemblances to rockers David Bowie, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, Rhodes has taken her corned) act on the road, from Nashville's hot spots to London's comedy pubs.

"I think the crowd likes (my act) because it's so different, (because) I'm so different," Rhodes comments.

Now, with fame and success in the United States and abroad, she has decided to put some of her comical stunts on record.

'"I Love Animals' is about eating your pets," Rhodes says. Beginning at age nine, Rhodes' obsession tor a "different sort of wit" was ignited by comic geniuses such as Sherrie Lewis, Lamb Chop and the Marx Brothers.

'Their (joke) timing was so clever," she comments.

Rhodes' brilliant humor and curious drive to try new things in her act is displayed on her album.

"There's something inside of me that jusl won't let me quit," Rhodes says.

The first track off Rhodes' sell-titled Volume Six album is too

Photos Provided

(Above) Carla Rhodes has recently released her latest album titled Carla Golden Hits Volume 6.

(Right) On stage, Rhodes performs with one of her rock star puppets, Keith Richards.

Photo provided

Rhodes performs in a pub in Liverpool, England.

nutty for words, which makes it so appealing to the younger, hipper generation of college kids.

I wrote ('I Love Animals') while going down 1-24," Rhodes says. Her zany comedy of turning the normalities of life into gut- busting humor is edgy enough for the Bob and Tom syndicated radio show to give it tough ratings.

"(The Bob and Tom Show said) my CD was too odd and twist- ed," Rhodes says.

"Odd and twisted" adjectives are compliments to this wild and crazy comedian.

'I Love Animals' was number two on Dr. Demento's National Syndicated Radio (Show)," Rhodes says.

Songs ranging from "Scrubbing Bubbles," which makes a clever play on sniffing household products for fun, to "Lust For Lint," which speaks for itself, are daring techniques of a different sort as an approach to comedy. Too risque in some opinions, Volume Six takes a common place discussion and pulls it through the ringer until it oozes funny.

Even though this home-grown Indiana red-headed comedian has seen the world and played most of its gigs, Rhodes' humility would astound most people.

"Anybody can do it," Rhodes says.

Having a tenacious attitude that just won't stop got her a record deal by just walking in the door.

"I went in to the studio, and he found out about my act of stand- up corned} and ventriloquism. I played him a few songs," Rhodes says.

She says that inspiring entertainers will get a lot of rejection in this business, but when someone recognizes their work just once, it's all worth it.

Rhodes' Volume Six CD can be purchased for S10 at www.car- larhodes.net. ♦

email. Ipa2d@mtsu.

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(7)

SIDELINES ♦ Monday, December 3,2001 ♦ 7

^■^

hear Amtt: No excuse for violence

Dear Annie,

My boyfriend just bought a new CD burner and some new clothes. His roommate's dog

destroyed all of it. My boyfriend works really hard for his money, so he was really pissed all his

stuff was ruined. And he beat the dog ... bad. Like the dog isn't walking right anymore. The dog

isn't very big either - he probably weighs about 40 pounds. His roommate is out of town and

nobody has taken the dog to the vet yet. Anyway, this really frightened me that he could lose his

temper like this. He has never lost his temper around me or anything, so it was a complete shock.

But now I am starting to wonder that, if he can viciously beat a dog, could I make him angry

enough to beat me? See, I don't have to work, and he said I would understand if I had worked for

that money and some dog had destroyed my stuff. I just don't know what to think about all of this.

We've been going out for five months and we haven't had any big problems until now. Do you

think this is a sign? What should I do? - Scared

Dear Scared,

I think this is a big red stop sign.

This is a sign of your boyfriends true character. I am an animal lover. I have two dogs of my own, so

your question really hit me in the heart. It's wrong for someone to beat a defenseless dog. It probably

didn't even know the reason for being beaten. Sure, he has a right to be mad. But I would think he would

get mad at his roommate and make him pay to replace his stuff. What purpose did it serve to beat the

dog? It didn't bring his stuff back.

You have a right to be concerned. Sometimes we see a "red flag" in our relationships, and we know

something just doesn't sit right deep inside. We can choose to address our feelings or talk ourselves out

of how we really feel. Don't let the lame excuse: "You don't understand because you don't know the value

of a dollar," cancel out your true feelings. While we are on the subject... what an awful thing to say to

someone. What is his problem? Could he be jealous that you don't have to work? There is no excuse for

violence.

I believe you know what you should do. just because you haven't had any problems until now does-

n't mean this event should be dismissed.

Please send your questions to [emailprotected]

Dance Club brings

diversity to the stage

By Jessie Miraldi

Staff Writer

Enlarged shadows danced on

the walls of Tucker Theatre this

weekend, giving ihe audience

the feeling that it was surround-

ed by dancers, making it a part

of the show.

Friday and Saturday night,

the MTSU Performing Arts

Company performed its dance

recital, which they host every

semester. The show featured 22

dances, all of which differed in

style.

The opening number was

"P.J.'s to Pop Stars," which fea-

tured the song "A.M. to P.M.,"

by Christina Millian. The

dancers consisted ot two groups

of people in P.J.'s and club

clothes and was a hip-hop style.

The show also contained

slower lyrical numbers, such as

"Dancing in the Rain," which

featured a group of dancers

twirling with purple sashes to

Prince's "Purple Rain."

Funny, lighthearted dances

were also a big part of the

recital.

One dance, "The Big Comfy

Robot Couch," featured per-

formers in aluminum foil frol-

icking about the stage like

robots.

The colorful dance piece,

"Rasta Flavor," included a mix

of different reggae and rasta

beats. Another lighthearted

dance was the impressive .ill

guy number "Mixed Flavors,"

which was a group ot break

dancers all competing for the

most impressive moves. This

received a standing ovation at

the end.

The show opened and closed

with a company number, which

consisted of all the members ol

MTSU's Dance Club.

A majority of the performers

in the recital are members ol

the Dance Club, which meets

every Tuesday night in the

Murphy ' enter.

"Dance Club is a place to go.

where no matter how you feel,

you can dance it, said Dance

Club member Amanda

Virgillito. "If you're happy, sad

or angry, just dance it."

The members of I >ance Club

come from all different back-

grounds and have different lev-

els of experience. Some have no

traditional dance background

while others have a lot.

"I danced all through middle

and high school," Virgillito said,

"but I've never been as passion-

ate about dance as 1 am now."

Melissa Shahgoli, a member

of Dance Club for three semes-

ters now, has been dancing her

whole life, but she has never

taken formal dance classes.

"Dance Club is my second

home," she said.

Shahgoli was one ot the cho-

reographers for the dance titled

Mow Ya Luv That," featuring

hip-hop music from Daryl lay

and Missy Elliot.

"Ii was hard at first because

you have to come up with

ves that nobody else has,"

she said, "but we got it togeth- er."

I reshman Melissa Oakey is a

new member of Dance Club

this semester. "A friend of mine

was choreographing a dance

and asked me to come to Dance

Club, and I got hooked," she

said. (l.ikcy was m five different

dances tor the show, each con-

taining a different style. "I've

always liked to do a variety of

dances," she said.

"All of the members o!

Dance (dub are so diverse in

their educational goals and

their lives," said Angela

Armstrong, faculty coordinator

of Dance Club. "Dance Club is

an important part of them, and

you can see it when they per-

form."

The members of Dance Club

worked very hard on the show,

themed "United We Dance."

"We use dance as an outlet,"

said Virgillito. "Despite all that

is happening in our country

and all of the diversity amongst

ourselves, we pull together and

we dance."

Photos by Charlene Callier | Staff

(Above) Students perform "Ballet in Three Parts," which was choreographed by Anne

Colle and dancers, during this weekend's recital. (Below) Angela Armstrong, director of

the MTSU Performing Arts Company, talks with students on final questions and instruc-

tions behind the stage at Tucker Theatre before their performance

\\ '//

rfJXk

ONLY YOU CAN PREVENT FOREST FIRES. www.imokeybeat.com

%

Deadline

Friday, December 14,2001

4:00pm KUC126

(8)

SPORTS

SIDELINES ♦ 8 Photo by Amy Jones Staff John Humphrey ponders whether to take on the IUPUI defender with the dribble or to take the jump shot.

Monday, December 3,2001 Murfreesboro.Tenn.

Blue Raiders lose game at Radford

Staff Reports

The Middle Tennessee men's

basketball team lost to Radford

72-53 Saturday afternoon in

Radford, Va., to drop its record

to 3-2.

The Blue Raiders fell behind

early in the game, trailing by 9

with 8:09 left in the first half.

MT cut the lead to 3. RU pushed

its lead to 33-23 at the half.

MT came out of the locker

room and cut the lead to 8 on

two William Pippen free throws

at 18:32. RU used the next three

minutes to increase its lead to

15 and take the win.

The Blue Raiders shot 32.8

percent from the field for the

game. MT was 4-of-16 from

three-point range.

"We turned the ball over

some, but that's not the issue

here," head coach Randy Wiel

said. "We're sputtering on

offense, and we need to get out

of it. We need to have a combi-

nation of the inside and outside

game and right now both parts

are sputtering."

Tommy Gunn led the Blue

Raider offense with 12 points.

Gunn has scored in double fig-

ures in six straight games.

Iiro Tenngren set a career

high with 12 rebounds.

Tenngren is the first Blue Raider

to reach double figures in

rebounds this season.

Andrey Savtchenko led four

Highlanders in double figures

with a game-high 19 points and

11 rebounds. Raymond

Arrington finished with 14

points. Correy Watkins added

11 points, 9 rebounds and 3

steals. Mike Hornbuckle had 10

points.

MT's road losing streak is

now at 12 games.

The Blue Raiders will return

to Murphy Center tomorrow

night for a 7 p.m. tipoff against

Rice.

Lady Raiders score upset over Ole Miss

Almost perfect free-throw

shooting leads to victory

Staff Reports

Jamie Thomatis and loanne

Aluka combined for 47 points

and 15 rebounds as the Middle

Tennessee women's basketball

team beat Ole Miss 74-64

Saturday ifternoon at Murphy

( enter.

The Lad) Rebels (4-2) built

up a 13 point lead with 50 per-

cent shooting at the 12:00 mark

in the first half.

The lady Raiders (3-2) went

on a 17-2 run over the next

seven minutes to take a 2-poinl

lead with just under five min-

utes left in the half.

"I thought we started out

pretty well, and then Ole Miss

opened things up," head coach

Stephany Smith said. "At half-

time, I told our team we were in

a good position and to just

come out and play our game in

the second half. We started play-

ing scared about the middle of

the second half, but 1 am proud

of how our team responded."

Ole Miss held a 37-34 lead at

halftime despite 13 first-half

turnovers. MT responded with

a 14-3 run to go ahead 48-40 at

15:00. The Lady Rebels

answered with its own 9-0 run.

Paula Penttila ended the Lady

Raider scoring drought with a

three at the 12:12 mark.

The lead changed nine times

over the next 5:39 of the game,

with neither team gaining more

than a 2-point advantage.

Jessica Schlueter scored her only

points of the game at 6:51 to

See Basketball, 9

Photo by Amy Jones | Staff

Jessica McClure drives as the Ole Miss defender tries to regain position in Saturday's 10 point victory.

Aluka reaches 1,000

By David Hunter

Staff Writer

Jamie Thomatis and Joanne Aluka were double

trouble for Ole Miss Saturday.

During Saturday's big 74-64 victory over Ole

Miss, Lady Raider Aluka became a new member of

Middle Tennessee's 1,000 point club. The points

came with 5:43 left in the first half and made the

score 26-23 in favor of Ole Miss.

She scored a season high 16 points in the victo-

ry. She passed Kelly Chastain for 15th place on the

all-time scoring list. Aluka now has 1,006 points

for her career. At the same time, Thomatis scored

31 points and had 10 rebounds. She was perfect

from the foul line going 10-10. That included hit-

ting eight of them in the last 3:34 of the game to

finish off the Rebels.

See Aluka, 9

Photo by Amy (ones | Staff

(Above) Jamie Thomatis shoots for two of her game-high 31 points. (Right) Joanne Aluka soars past an Ole Miss defender.

Softball prepares for future with first

recruiting class under new head coach

Staff Reports

The Middle Tennessee soft-

ball team signed three players to

national letters of intent

Thursday.

The class is the fist recruiting

class for head coach Cindy

Connelley.

She signed two pitchers and

a designated hitter. Tiffany

Childress and Jen Dorais will fill

the pitching roles. MT loses sen-

ior pitchers Jennifer Martinez,

Stayc Preator and Amanda

Kendall after this season.

Childress is the first athlete

from the state of Tennessee to

be signed to a softball scholar-

ship at MT since 1997. She

pitched for Columbia Central

and led her team to a second

place finish in the 3-A State

Championship in 2001.

Dorais will play mostly as a

utility player for the Lady

Raiders. She can pitch and play

middle infield and outfield.

"Tiffany is a quality person

and player who studies and

loves the game," Connelley said.

"Jen is the consummate utility

player."

Megan Cherinka is transfer-

ring from Sierra Junior College

and will play in January.

Cherinka is a designated hitter

who can also play first and sec-

ond base.

"Megan is the instant impact

player we were looking for,"

Connelley said.

die Photo

Amanda Kendall is one of three pitchers for MT.

The Lady Raiders kick off

their season Feb. 15 playing

Troy State in the Mardi Gras

Classic in Monroe, La.

Blue Raiders sign

state's top prospect

Staff Reports

The Middle Tennessee men's

golf team signed Tennessee's top

prospect to a national letter of

intent Thursday.

Josh Nelms signed with the

Blue Raiders during the early

signing period and will begin

competition next fall.

"Josh was our number one

target," Moore said. "He is big

and strong and should con-

tribute to our program right

away."

Nelms helped lead Baylor

High School in Chattanooga,

Tenn., to four straight state

championships. He won the

"Wally" in Nashville and later

the Craig Rudolph Memorial in

Clarksville, Tenn., last summer.

Nelms finished second in the

region and third in the Division

11 state this fall. He was also

third in the region as a sopho-

more and junior. Nelms fin-

ished runner-up in the

Tennessee Junior and the City

Junior Tournament. He won the

Chattanooga Junior Classic.

"I think Josh's best event was

a sixth place finish last summer

in the Tennessee Amateur

Championship at the Golf Club

of Tennessee," Moore said.

"Two of the players who beat

him were nationally ranked

men's amateur players, while 20

of the players he did beat were

collegiate golfers."

Nelms' father is the Central

High School basketball and golf

coach. His uncle is a former

Tennessee Open Champion and

a Creeks Bend pro.

1

TUESDAY

Men's Basketball

Blue Raiders vs. Rice Murphy Center 7 p.m.

WEDNESDAY

I Women's Basketball Lady Raiders vs. University of Tennessee-Martin Murphy Center 7 p.m.

THURSDAY

Men's Basketball

Blue Raiders at University of Tennessee-Martin Martin, Tenn. 7 p.m.

SATURDAY

Men's Basketball Blue Raiders vs. Tennessee State Murphy Center 7 p.m. ■ Track Indoor Meet 11:30 a.m.

In Sports, page 8 IDELINES. Si nuuic iciiiiciice oidie *_/inver. Evans, 3rd place, police management, (2024)

FAQs

Who is considered the backbone of the police department? ›

The Patrol Division is often referred to as the backbone of any police department. The Patrol Division is the the largest division, and most visible symbol of law enforcement, within the Police Department.

What is the name of the contemporary policing concept that actively involves the community in a working partnership with the police to control and reduce crime? ›

- Community policing - combines elements of traditional and professional policing with an emphasis on community partnerships, prevention and collaborative problem solving to reduce crime, the fear of crime, and improve the quality of life.

What is the community policing movement attempting to accomplish? ›

to reduce the overall crime rate. to improve neighborhood conditions. to restore and develop the citizen role as coproducers of police services. to improve satisfaction with police services by reducing the response time to calls for service.

What are the four major duties of the police and how do they accomplish these tasks? ›

The primary duties of a police officer include protecting the public, maintaining law and order, and preventing and detecting crime. They accomplish these duties by patrolling designated areas, responding to emergency and non-emergency calls, conducting investigations, making arrests, and issuing citations or warnings.

What is the most valuable resource to a police department? ›

Since then, the OSWG has raised awareness, increased knowledge, and encouraged law enforcement agencies to adopt practices that recognize that the most valuable resource a law enforcement agency has is the men and women who put their lives on the line each and every day in the name of protecting and serving their ...

Are cops part of the legal system? ›

The term encompasses police, Courts and corrections. These three components of the criminal Justice system may operate independently of each other or collectively through the use of record sharing and cooperation.

What are the 4 types of community policing? ›

There are four elements in community policing that make it useful and proactive. These are the philosophical, strategic, tactical, and organizational dimensions.

What are the benefits of the Sara model? ›

The SARA model is a widely used and effective method to help understand the underlying causes of problems, to identify solutions and to assess the effectiveness of responses. The model above has been part of policing for over 30 years.

What is the Sara mnemonic? ›

Problem-solving policing uses the SARA (scanning, analysis, response, assessment) model of problem solving.

Does community policing reduce crime? ›

Community policing can improve public safety in a range of ways. For example, it can provide community members with information on steps they can take to help prevent crime. Community policing can also provide law enforcement with specific information that can directly relate to strengthening public safety.

What is the most important goal of community policing? ›

Community policing is, in essence, a collaboration between the police and the community that identifies and solves community problems. With the police no longer the sole guardians of law and order, all members of the community become active allies in the effort to enhance the safety and quality of neighborhoods.

What is community policing in your own words? ›

Community policing emphasizes proactive problem solving in a systematic and routine fashion. Rather than responding to crime only after it occurs, community policing encourages agencies to proactively develop solutions to the immediate underlying conditions contributing to public safety problems.

What percent of cops are female? ›

In 2021, 60.3 percent of full-time civilian law enforcement employees in the United States were female. Only 13.3 percent of full-time law enforcement officers were female, while 86.7 percent of law enforcement officers were male.

What does the 6 letter police mean? ›

Polite Obedient Loyal Intelligent Courageous and Efficient.

What is the most important responsibility of the police? ›

The most important thing about a police officer is to serve and protect the community. They need to use their training and experience to assess dangerous situations, enforce laws, and provide support to victims and those in need.

Who are considered the backbone of a police department quizlet? ›

Patrol: The Backbone of Policing.

Which employees are considered the backbone of a typical police department? ›

Answer and Explanation: Police officers are themselves the backbone of any police department. Without them, law enforcement would not exist at a local or state level. However, there are also a number of other people who make a police station run smoothly, including support personnel such as secretaries and janitors.

What is considered the backbone of the police department this means that this aspect of the police department makes up a majority of the department's personnel? ›

Patrol. Patrol is often called the "backbone" of the police department, and for good reason. Patrol consumes most of the average police department's resources.

Which of the following is considered the backbone of American policing? ›

Patrol is considered to be the backbone of a police agency because they are the first responders for police service calls.

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