argonaut.online.opinion

university of idaho argonaut ://301 student union. moscow, id 83843 ://885.7845 ://argonaut@uidaho.edu
opinion editor ://jade janes

|august.28.01

opinion1.Three in a Row? Poor WSU. I know it has to be hard coming up with excuses year after year as to why you can't beat the Vandals in football. Yes, gravity is a fact. But the Sky isn't always blue, Mr. Keene. And if I remember right, the sky was pretty blue when we beat you last year, or was that the year before? Regardless, Vandal strength over WSU should be a pretty simple understanding by now. Change is good. Stagnation is often boring. And just like the weather, seasons change- in football, that is. You'll just have to get used to it for a while. After all, even you Mr. Keene must surely like a cool breeze now and then during the hot summer months. Therefore, I confidently agree to the terms of the bet we discussed, and to the additions noted in your challenge sent through the Argonaut. You see, I love the Vandals so much, that even in the unforeseen event that we lose, and my biggest nightmare should come to life- You would see me walk (as I would expect you to do) 8 miles to Pullman sporting cougar gear, crimson and gray hair, crying every step of the way with pride for where my heart truly lies- on my way to praise the Cougars for finally stepping up to the plate in the battle of the Palouse. But the change of the seasons now favors the Vandals, and I have a feeling the Cougars are going to walk home with their tails dragging on the ground, again. Still, I extend my best wishes. Good luck Cougars, and go Vandals!

Sincerely, Leah Clark-Thomas ASUI President

opinion2.Chris Chancellor Fights Back Everyone supposedly has 15 minutes of fame. I was hoping for some positive recognition, maybe a Pulitzer Prize or a feature spot on the nightly news. Instead, I ended up with 15 minutes of infamy. In case you missed the paragon of journalistic excellence that is the University of Idaho Argonaut (extreme sarcasm), it featured an oversized mug of me, along with a column by editor David Browning on page A9. Of course, I knew that Browning Ñ like his predecessors Ñ was going to write a column challenging me to a bet on the WSU vs. Idaho football game on Thursday night. Previous bets have been rather friendly, such as the loser would bleach his or her hair. But I knew this year would be different. Why? While most of us were busy with jobs and internships, Browning and his staff were pondering what challenge they could present me (in laymanÕs terms, that means they have no lives). After months of thinking, Browning finally was able to sit down and write his column taking shots at WSU fraternities, the football team, former Evergreen editor Candace Baltz, and of course, yours truly. HereÕs his proposal: A) This yearÕs loser will shave his head to the scalp, and will then have a henna tattoo of the opposing schoolÕs mascot placed on his head. Shaving the head is a given, but the tattoo proposal is lame. A tattoo would just give Browning a reason to pass himself off as a Cougar after the Vandals lose. Instead of the tattoo, letÕs go back to the roots of this tradition Ñ the loser walks from his campus to the winnerÕs campus. B) The loser must get some body part above the neck pierced. Not really creative, but IÕll go with it. C) The loser must run a 2-by-5 house ad in his publication with his picture and the caption Ñ in at least 72-point type Ñ "I am a big fat loser." How about having the loser place an ad in both papers, so everyone can enjoy it? The Daily Evergreen staff will be happy to dedicate the space for you, Browning. Before finishing BrowningÕs column, I decided to check out the Vandals football team. As I scrolled through their roster, I noticed a few names were missing from the squads that defeated WSU the last two years. Willie Alderson. Bryson Gardner. Chris Nofoaiga. Ryan Prestimonico. Mao Tosi. Jeffrey Townsley. (i.e. your team!). Oh yeah, I forgot how good the Vandals were with some of those players last year. That 5-6 record as a member of the Big West conference Ñ impressive. And since Browning mentioned the CougarsÕ 51-3 loss in the Apple Cup, maybe I should remind him about the Potato War, or whatever itÕs called (does anyone really care?). ThatÕs right: Boise State 66, Idaho 24. Since we last met, the Cougars also have developed an offensive line and a running game, led by senior David Minnich, who WSU Coach Mike Price said "is as good a running back weÕve had since Steve Broussard." ThatÕs pretty good company considering Kevin Brown and Shaumbe Wright-Fair have been through here since that time. It will be fun watching "Wil Beck and the scout team" trying to stop him. And thatÕs without mentioning your offense. Good luck to John Welsh throwing against the best secondary in the Pac-10. You better pray that Anthony Tenner is healthy, because the only way the Vandals are going to gain yards is with the running game. So, David Browning, I give you credit for standing by your team. Too bad youÕre alone! I also am inviting fraternity members and other students on campus to join in. IÕm sure they will Ñ itÕs called "Cougar Pride" (go ahead and look it up, Browning). Get ready to enjoy infamy, Browning. It will be a lot longer than 15 minutes.

opinion3.Parking Problems? Where? On the first day of classes while instructors were handing out syllabi and students were handing over ID numbers, members of the auxiliary services committee were handing out almost 200 warning tickets to illegally parked vehicles on campus. The problem, put simply, is a lack of parking spaces. The solution, if such a thing exists, would not be as plainly stated. Official figures show that more parking spaces are available this year. Most of this increase is indicative of transforming previously free lots to permit lots. The actual parking capacity of the campus has not significantly increased; rather, more opportunities to pay for parking privileges have been created. Dan Schoenberg, director of UI Auxiliary Services, says more parking spaces are in the works. Plans to improve the Lot 57 (West Kibbie Dome) were scrapped in order to allow construction of a new lot near Guy Wick's Field. New on-campus housing planned for Fall 2004 will include 200 underground parking spaces. This provides long-term help, but is of little comfort to those in need of a parking space 10 minutes ago. There are no easy answers, and likely there will never be a system that can completely satisfy every group represented at UI. However, there are ways to make the current system more bearable. By using alternative means of transportation, the off-campus community can avoid the parking headache and ease the inevitable congestion. Students can walk or bike to classes. Commenting through the appropriate channels is the best way for the entire parking community to see changes in the current program, Schoenberg said. Students can give feedback to their ASUI representative, and staff can speak through a staff affairs committee member. Everyone is welcome to comment online at www.dfa.uidaho.edu/parkingforum. Schoenberg's office received close to 700 e-mails last week, and responded to as many concerns or complaints as possible. That does not mean the concerns were resolved, he says, but it does prove everyone is being heard. Those speaking out often seem to have a solution, but a solution for one group often further imposes another group. Greeks need more space, so give them access to overnight lots. Problem solved - for the Greeks. But this takes away spots from the off-campus community. Parking for the on-campus community will never be fair simply due to geography. For example, houses close to large lots have an advantage over houses only close to street parking. No plan will ever make everyone happy. There will not always be a space available in the most convenient lot, and virtually no one will find front-row parking. But while the current system may have bugs, a little time, patience and open-lines of communication can make all the difference. JJ

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