Youth call for political involvement

Student leaders and political organizations discuss past, future of young people
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EDITORIAL: Let activism reign, pins and political posters or not

It’s October 2008 and with little time left until Election Day, the hotly competitive campaign season is at a fever pitch.
Take a moment to recall the visitors to our campus: politicians, celebrities and family of the frontrunner presidential candidates – gracing UNLV with an air of political significance and “rallying the troops,” as it were.

Slogans – you remember all of them: “Hope,” “Country First,” “Ron Paul Revolution,” “Liberty for America” and the rest – are splattered throughout the campus, on pins, on posters, on stickers, on the backs of laptops or the fronts of t-shirts.

Some students tackle the none-too-simple task of voter registration throughout campus, while others man tables, tents or booths to promote their political party’s cause, or perhaps promote their stance on a particularly close-to-heart issue… and let’s not forget the entertaining and informative happenings put together by students or outside political organizations at Pida Plaza or the North Field.

Now it’s October 2009 and things are much quieter on the political front. Clearly, 2009 isn’t a year of several major elections on the local and national levels, in addition to the presidential election, but that doesn’t mean the lessons of last year’s activism should be forgotten.

After all, the voices of young voters and student voters gained newfound significance last year, largely due to the efforts of individuals like those at UNLV – these voices must continue to be heard, even when the fanfare and hype of the election campaign has long ago died down.

There are still matters to take a role in.

The debate surrounding health care reform, the handling of the H1N1 emergency and the war in Afghanistan top the national headlines almost daily. Topics like the federal government’s handling of the economy, immigration and clean energy reform are not far from those top stories and are just as relevant – and you, via your elected officials, have a say in the matter.

The ever-present College Republicans and Young Democrats on campus, who largely contributed to the political atmosphere in 2008, carry on the dialogue this year, as well.

Meanwhile, student groups like the Sierra Student Coalition, which helped draw a crowd to a climate control rally at the Las Vegas City Hall last week, or the United Coalition for Im/migrant Rights, who are hosting an on-campus conference throughout next weekend, carry on, or likely even surpass, the spirit of campus activism that was seen last year.

And it’s not just the larger student groups that are getting their voices heard. Our own Opinion section gets twice as many views as any other section on our Web site – and absolutely dwarfs the others in terms of comment count. If this activity reflects the political awareness and activism of this campus, we must be honest: we like it.

There aren’t many posters and pins this year and there aren’t suspiciously unfamiliar “UNLV students” on campus promoting the candidate they work for, but it would be unfair to say that the spirit of the 2008 elections has died completely.

And if you aren’t in it already, you should certainly join in.

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EDITORIAL: CSUN: Keep funding student orgs

CSUN’s approval of $2,000 toward expanding the Rebel Recycling Program into Thomas & Mack is the latest in a series of actions over the last several Senate meetings that show they have been choosing wisely in funding programs that benefit the long-term wellbeing of the university.

Our Sept. 24 editorial voiced our support for the textbook reserve program, which was later approved at the Sept. 28 Senate meeting, and called for CSUN to prioritize similar academically beneficial programs. At this meeting, CSUN also doubled the funds available for emergency aid.

There’s another area CSUN should consider reworking its funding process for: student organizations and organization-led programs.

Some of the most memorable programs on this campus – ones that have had a substantial impact on the entire university community – have been put on by student organizations.

Incumbent senators and those running for the first time must make note of the impact these students have on our campus when planning for the upcoming Senate session.

This semester alone, we’ve already seen how these programs benefit the academic community at UNLV.

The National Society of Black Engineers hosted their New Beginnings Mixer at the start of the school year, inviting student organizations to showcase their contributions to diversity and inclusion. They welcomed a motivational speaker and welcomed students from every corner of campus to celebrate a fresh start.

The Student Organization of Addiction Professionals has been giving UNLV’s name significance in their field, hosting events that promoted awareness of ways to prevent addiction, including among college students.

And more exciting and meaningful events are coming up:
The Phi Beta Sigma fraternity held a gay marriage forum, in which they welcomed debate and academic discussion of this hot social and political topic, with a view toward building an active campus community. Phi Beta Sigma will host a forum on views and significance of Jesus in different faiths, at 7 p.m. on Oct. 15 in Student Union Room 224.

Colleges against Cancer is being revitalized at UNLV. Their first event will be held Oct. 27 and 28 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., tentatively on the North Field sidewalk. The event will be aimed at helping students learn what to look for in order to catch breast cancer early. In addition to supporting research, the organization works to implement the goals of the American Cancer Society at UNLV, through advocacy, cancer education, the Relay for Life and survivorship – a benefit to society at large.

The Sierra Student Coalition is supporting UNLV’s sustainability research initiative. On Oct. 22 at the North Field, the group will host an  event from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. featuring everything from solar-powered documentaries to an Earthstyles Lounge, designed to teach people about sustainable lifestyle choices. The organization is also making the efforts of UNLV students known at the community level – on Oct. 23, they will sponsor a rally at the Las Vegas City Hall – to raise awareness of the very same climate change issue.

There is no better way to help students than by giving them the resources they need to make their own ideas and passions come to life. We support CSUN’s choices to fund student organizations and, encouraged by the remarkable show of diligence and vision we have seen from student organizations already this year, we hope the undergraduate student government will continue to stress its ideological and financial focus on these crucial aspects for student life.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The original version of this article misstated the dates of the Sierra Student Coalition’s event. This version corrects the error and adds the date of an additional rally they are hosting.

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BULLPEN BUZZ:
Pledging our hearts and paying our dues

Going through the recruitment process this weekend, we’ve met all kinds of people. What began as a series of casual icebreakers and interactions with each chapter, escalated into a dramatic, emotional and fun-filled three days.

Ladies in recruitment spent nearly two days conversing – at times screaming over chatter and music – with prospective chapter members, trying to see who they felt a connection with. After talking to a countless amount of women, we eventually found which groups we connected with most.

But not without asking and answering a lot of general questions first. Though we feel at home in our chapters now, we felt the initial conversations we had with other groups lacked substance. Can you really do your personality justice in 15 minutes? No. But you can’t deny that you belong to a certain group when the conversation comes naturally and the people you’re surrounded by show genuine interest.

Recruitment was OK, but then came Bid Day – the day you find out your Grecian destiny. The second you walk into the room, a gamut of emotions hit you. Feelings of anxiety, hope and excitement filled the room.

The recruitment process had its share of dark moments. Broken-hearted prospective new members who were not invited back – because recruitment is a mutual process – cried, stormed out of the room or quit the process altogether.

What was the light at the end of this tunnel? Possibly finding a group with whom you could spend your college days, create lifelong friendships and contribute to – all while becoming a part of – a community.

It’s bad enough that some degrade UNLV for being a commuter school. What’s worse is they bad-mouth the organizations that unite students and detach them from the apathetic commuter student persona. Let us, newly recruited Greek Life members, tell you about our once cynical views and how we’ve found out that the two most common stereotypes are now just Greek to us – we’ve changed our minds.

You pay for your friends now.
Honestly, going Greek isn’t cheap. But when you consider what your money goes toward, dues are more of an investment in your college experience. One of the efforts dues go to includes donating time and money to philanthropies. If the warm, fuzzy feeling you get after helping fund autism research or volunteering at a shelter isn’t enough of a return on investment for you, the credentials on your college résumé should be.

For those who feel tuition alone is a significant financial burden, dues for a social organization may seem overwhelming. Consequently, several chapters award scholarships to members in need.

Fees also go toward travel expenses. In fact, the average cost of semester dues would equate to one weekend getaway’s airfare and hotel fees.

Clothing and letters are also a commodity included with dues. These letters, like a sports jersey, instill pride in the members.

And there’s quite a bit to be proud of. In case a member becomes ill and struggles to pay for medical fees, chapters are known to assist with expenses. Everyone would help a friend in need, so knowing a hundred of yours would do the same is pretty comforting.

Your grades are going to fall because all you do is party and sleep around.
Greek Life is notorious for being social. What people don’t know is, chapters strive for academic success. Members with low GPAs are required to attend a set amount of proctored study hours and some organizations have a position dedicated to helping members raise their GPAs. Many activities and events are even restricted to those who do not meet the minimum GPA requirement.

The Greek community wants to bring out the best in you. Organizations take pride in being the one with the highest GPA or champions of the Rebel Cup. Whether academic or athletic, the competition between organizations – and at times within the organization itself – pushes it’s members to their maximum potential.

The less glamorous, technical side may never surface on an episode of Greek, but realize they exist. These organizations could not survive if everyone who joined never made it to graduation day.

Everything you hear about Greek Life is like a body shot. You’ve gotta take it with more than just a grain of salt.

Bullpen Buzz is an occasional column in which members of our editorial staff sound off on timely topics.

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Greekfest offers a way for students to interact with others on campus

Fraternity & Sorority Life, part of the newly formed Office of Civic Engagement and Diversity, sponsored Greekfest Tuesday evening to give new and returning students the chance to catch up with old friends and meet new people.

For many, the reason for attending was simply that.

“I’m a freshman… I want to meet new people,” said Chynna Reed, a new student from Wyoming. “All of my parents and grandparents were involved in fraternities and sororities. It’s a tradition.”

“[Greekfest] is a precursor to Premier [UNLV],” said Carrie Sullivan, senator for the college of urban affairs. “Its purpose is [for fraternities and sororities] to introduce who and what they are in an informal setting, different than tabling.”

The event included free prizes, live music and live dancers. The Catholic Newman Center Band performed covers of popular songs from The Fray’s “You Found Me” to The Beatles’ “Let It Be.”

Raffle drawings awarded prizes ranging from free movie tickets to Starbucks and iTunes gift cards donated by campus fraternities and sororities. Free test preparation from Kaplan was the grand prize, valued at more than $2,000.

Jordan Fischette, program assistant for Fraternity & Sorority Life, explained that the event was not solely intended to advertise Greek life on campus.

“Honestly, the whole point is [for all students] to have fun and meet new people,” Fischette said. “We’re not trying to shove fraternities and sororities down anyone’s throats.”

Greekfest brought new traditions to UNLV this year and was unique compared to other welcome events held in the past.

“In the past, we’ve always done a welcome event,” said Jeanine Menolascino, graduate assistant for Fraternity & Sorority Life. “Last year we held an ice cream social.

This year we wanted to do something different, so we decided to provide live entertainment.”

UNLV houses 18 fraternities and 11 sororities. More information will available at booths around campus in coming weeks.

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