VOL 81 ISSUE 47WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2011

WWW.WSUSIGNPOST.COM

AT A GLANCE.... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2EDITORIAL.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3F E AT U R E S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4SPORTS.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6CLASSIFIEDS.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

THE

Remembering Larry H. Miller

See Gen page 5 See Health page 5

WSU club talks up studying

’Cats discuss health reform’s impact

By Vicky Akpancorrespondent I The Signpost

The Weber State University Alumni Center hosted Doug Robinson, the co-author of Larry H. Miller’s autobiography, Driven, as he spoke on Monday night. Robinson recalled the experiences he had with Miller while writing the book.

Deseret News columnist Doug Robinson, author of former Jazz owner’s biography, recalls his experience

By Eric Jensenmanaging editor I The Signpost

PHOTO BY XAVIER SMITH | THE SIGNPOST

Seven months before his death, Larry H. Miller hired Deseret News columnist Doug Robinson to help him write his memoirs. In a speech delivered at the Lindquist Alumni Center on Weber State University’s campus Monday, Robinson shared his experiences working closely with Miller in the final months and weeks of his life.

Robinson said he began work on the book after one of many medical hardships Miller faced during his final years. As his health declined, Miller knew he wouldn’t live to see the book printed, but wanted to ensure work on the book would continue.

“The last thing he said to me, really,” Robinson said, “was ‘finish the book.’”

After months of research and writing, Miller’s autobiography was posthumously published under the title Driven.

Robinson told those in attendance that Miller’s motivation to write about his life was a hope that his experiences would help others in their own lives. Robinson said that since Driven’s publication, countless readers have told him the book had a major impact on their lives.

“I’ve had so many grown men stop me and tell me it made (them) cry,” Robinson said. “It’s safe to say Utah is a very different place because of Larry

As part of the American Democracy Project, Weber State University will host a panel of experts to discuss health care reform as part of Deliberative Democracy Day on March 9.

Each year the event aims to raise student awareness on a different topic.

“We’re looking particularly at how the new health care law is going to affect students,” said Kathryn MacKay, one of the directors of the American Democracy Project at WSU. “We’re hoping that students become more aware of health care as public policy.”

The panel will include Richard Dahlkemper, a former hospital administrator and current associate professor at WSU; Dr. Shawn D. McQuilkin, physician and director of WSU’s student health center; Helly Vaun, reform initiatives director; and Dianne Abel, director of the WSU Counseling and Psychological Services Center.

Student facilitators will present scenarios to small focus groups in order to generate questions that will be presented to the panel.

“I just am hoping to learn more about health care myself and where my future in health care is headed,” said Annie Odendahl, one of the student facilitators. “I’m hoping to be able to help other students have a broader knowledge of health care for the future.”

Susan Hafen, a communication professor at WSU, ran a short training session for the focus group facilitators.

“In order to generate the questions, they also want to hear what people’s opinions and experiences are,” she said. “People are more likely to ask questions if they can see how this relates to their own experiences and how it relates to some opinions they may have about health care in general.”

Hafen said she believes that student facilitators are more effective than professionals because students are more

The Weber State University First Gen Club hosted its fifth open-forum panel at the Fireplace Lounge in the Shepherd Union Building on Monday. The topic of discussion was family responsibilities.

Panel members included Bonnie Loomis, president of the First Gen Club and social work senior; Carol Merrill, director of the Woman’s Center; and Debbie Cragun, coordinator for the Nontraditional Student Center. The event was hosted by Donalyn Sessions, the education adviser for Student Support Services.

The first topic discussed was finding time to study.

“Finding time to study is not easy,” Merrill said. “However, it is important to take a few minutes for yourself first, because if you don’t, then you will not fully invest in your homework. Taking a 10-minute break will allow you to be more refreshed.”

The panel continued by discussing good study habits and the benefits of investing time into one’s studies.

“Not going out every weekend and sometimes leaving the house a little bit dirty will benefit you in the future,” Cragun said. “Once you graduate with that degree, all

By Brian Gilessr. news reporter I The Signpost

See Robinson page 5

PHOTOS BY GINA BARKER | THE SIGNPOST

Andy Heaton, a junior on the WSU Track Team, gets his leg checked for a possible stress facture by Dr. Shawn D. McQuilkin at the free student clinic.

American Democracy Project promotes health awareness

The many preparations

of spring... page 4

Panel discusses ways to succeed in school, finding a career to love

likely to get people to express their opinions.“When they’re students, then sometimes

older adults are more likely to speak up and say what they think,” she said. “Number one, they’re helping the students out because they were in a class to do this, and number two, they’re not intimidated like they might be from a professional.”

MacKay said the topic for Deliberative Democracy Day is always chosen by the student senate.

“(The question is) what are they interested in that does have policy issues that the state government or the national government is making laws around,” she said.

Despite the heavy time commitment, past events have had strong showings for at least part of the events.

“My biggest thing is that because it’s such a time commitment to come from 11:30 to 3:00, that at least students will come to that panel,” said Javier Chavez, one of the American Democracy Project representatives.

Chavez, a BIS major, will also serve as one of the student facilitators. “I went last year to just the panel, and I tell you, even though I wasn’t a part of that small group discussion, just hearing

Wildcats’ softball season starts out

on a sour note ... page 6

THE SIGNPOST WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 20112

Across

1 One with a degree5 Double reed instru-ment9 Bit of campaign nasti-ness14 Assistant15 Course of action16 Croatian-born physi-cist Nikola17 *1968 sci-fi classic remade in 200120 Jewish21 Rotten22 Conference includ-ing Duke and UNC23 *Chili competitions28 Liver secretion30 “What’s up, __?”31 Clean the floor32 Was victorious33 Dissertations36 It can be airtight or waterproof37 Fishing pole38 Rank that goes with the first parts of the an-swers to starred clues40 Support garment41 Slightly43 Jump (on) suddenly44 Tennis call45 Keg party attire47 Band-Aid and Bar-bie, e.g.: Abbr.48 Like much wine and cheese50 *Reason for rhino-plasty52 Rover’s warning53 Corn unit54 Inexpensive brand58 *1980 Disney com-edy about an all-night puzzle-solving race63 Overindulge, as kids64 Wrinkle remover65 Fight for air66 Wedding dresses67 Fey of “30 Rock”

68 School attended by many princes and prime ministers

Down

1 Spaces2 Annoy3 TV Batman West4 “I did not!” is one5 __ nerve6 Voting group7 Palooka8 Tolkien’s Treebeard, for one9 Texas Roadhouse fare10 Grassy fields11 Sixth sense, briefly12 Pub pick13 Dorm supervisors: Abbr.18 “And so on and so forth,” for short19 “True Blood” airer23 Party disguise24 Indian and Arctic25 Lacking strength26 Dreaded27 Bug-hitting-windshield

sound28 Owie29 Spectrum color be-tween blue and violet30 Train stations32 Ire34 Occurrence35 Start of a guard dog command39 Approached42 Deceived46 Slow mollusks49 Farm51 Nonprofit’s URL ending52 The Gold Coast, since 195754 “Let’s roll!”55 __ moss56 “This __ silly!”57 “Monday Night Football” channel58 Chinese food ad-ditive59 Wall St. debut60 Wall Street index, with “the”61 Smack62 Prefix with athlete

CrosswordAries (March 21-April 19)

There’s a time to be nurtur-ing with your friends, and a time to be alone and focus on yourself. You can have both. Trust your instincts.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Express the love you have for your community. It’s a good time to plan a neigh-borhood garden exchange

or block party. Embrace change: It brings you luck.

Gemini (May 21-June 21) Love is triumphant again. It’s time for an expedition

to a faraway land, or to your artistic side. Paint,

draw, play with colors, even if unsure. Explore.

Cancer (June 22-July 22) Be thankful for what

you’ve got. The end of one idea can represent

the birth of another. Clear your thoughts with

some quiet time. It all works out.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) Accepting other people’s

differences allows for amaz-ing partnership. There’s

always something to learn. Pay attention to your sur-

roundings to chart the terrain.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Today is an 8 — Love is the game and the prize. Work also holds both the game

and the prize. Learn to bal-ance both today. Friends are impressed by this and

admire you.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)Today is a 7 — Check in with a favorite friend or sibling. Try a new art or practice today: abstract

painting, veggie roasting, karate kicking — the pos-

sibilities are endless.

WSU WildcastScorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

Follow Mom’s advice to win. Home is where the heart

is, especially today. Pay at-tention to the ghosts of the past, then make your own

decision.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

Demand the facts and get them, to figure out what’s next. Work on that novel, poem or letter that you’ve

been waiting to write. You’ve got the words.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Money comes easily. Nev-

ertheless, get even more efficient. A penny saved

is better than two earned; It’s easier and faster. Don’t

forget to rest.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) You’re irresistible. Kindness gives you an inner glow. You can do anything you want. What do you want for other people? What do you want

for yourself?

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)The day can be more chal-lenging than you wanted it to be. Stick to it. You’re re-

warded with sweet satisfac-tion and experience points.

SudokuComplete the

grid so each row, column

and 3-by-3 box (in bold bor-

ders) contains every digit

1 to 9

See Solutions page 7

Campus CalendarWEDNESDAY

MARCH 2Constitutional Rights

Weber State Univer-sity’s American Democ-

racy Project will host “Constitutional Rights in the Balance: Challenging Ogden’s Gang Injunction” at 10:30 a.m. in the Shep-herd Union Ballroom A. For more information, call 801-626-6695.

Test-Taking Skills

WSU’s Davis campus will present “Recipe for Suc-cess: Improve Your Test-Taking Skills” at 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the WSU Davis Room 117. The event is free. For more informa-tion, call 801-395-3514.

Bonneville Chamber Music Festival

The WSU Depart-ment of Performing Arts

will host the Bonneville Chamber Music Festival Concert at 7:30 p.m. in Val A. Browning Center Allred Theater. The event is free. For more informa-tion, call 1-800-WSU-TIKS.

Spanish Film Series

WSU’s Spanish Film series will present Airbag, at 7 p.m. in the Shepherd Union Wildcat Theater. The event is free. For more information, call 801-626-6193.

VOTE

through your weber portal

this week

THE SIGNPOSTWEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2011 3

THEEditor in Chief Gina Barker 626-7121Managing Editor Eric Jensen 626-7614News Editor 626-7655Sports Editor Craig Halbasch 626-7983

Business Editor

ShayLynne Clark

626-7621

Features Editor 626-7624A&E Editor Andrew Cho�el 626-7105Copy Editor Stephanie Presley 626-7659Adviser Shane Farver 626-7526Ads Manager Shelley Hart 626-6359

The Signpost is a student publication, written, edited and drafted by Weber State University students. Student fees fund the printing of this publication. Options or positions voiced are not necessarily endorsed by the university.

The Signpost reserves the right to edit for reasons of space and libel and also reserves the right to refuse to print any letter. Letters should not exceed 350 words. Letters should be submitted online to thesignpost@weber.edu and read Letter to the Editor in the subject box.

Emily Hulse

Sara Baldwin

Even HIV is potentially curableThe Signpost Viewpoint

Comment on this column at wsusignpost.com.

Common SenseDon’t touch the sales tax

Gina Barker•

Signpost columnist

Comment on this column at wsusignpost.com.

Human immunodefi ciency virus took the spotlight in the ’80s as the plague of the new age. HIV can lead to acquired immune defi ciency syndrome, or AIDS. HIV damages a person’s body by destroying specifi c blood cells, called CD4 + T cells, which are crucial to helping the body fi ght diseases. The Center for Disease Control estimates that more than 1 million people are living with HIV in the United States, and that 21 percent — or 1 in 5 — of the people infected are unaware of their infection.

In 2007, an HIV-infected German patient underwent stem cell transplantation with a graft containing CCR5 32/32, an allele that is naturally resistant

to infection to the CCR5-tropic strains of HIV, the most common strains of HIV, with which the patient was infected. It is important to note that this mutation is only seen in about 1 in every million people, making it a pretty rare fi nd.

This patient underwent the stem cell transplantation because he had experienced a relapse of acute myeloid leukemia, and scientists saw an opportunity to try and eradicate, or at least decrease, the patient’s viral load. When the patient received the stem cell transplantation, antiretroviral therapy was discontinued.

Thirteen months later, the patient had a second relapse

and then received a second stem cell transplant from the same donor. Miraculously, three and a half years after the discontinuation of the antiretroviral therapy, the patient remains without any evidence of an HIV infection. It is with cautious optimism that scientists are saying HIV has been cured.

The theory that these scientists and doctors were operating on was that if all of the infected cells could be wiped out, HIV could be cured. This “cured” patient received intense chemotherapy and radiation in addition to stem cell transplantation. This patient was not only

infected with a CCR5-tropic strain, but was infected with another strain of HIV as well — scientists are hoping that the chemotherapy and radiation wiped out that second form of HIV, and, as of now, neither strands of HIV have been found. Although neither strain has been found, rebound with the second strain of HIV is still a real possibility for this patient.

Many people are now asking if this treatment is viable for others infected with CCR5-tropic strains of HIV. The answer, at this point, is unanimously “no.” This specifi c treatment carries a 30 percent risk of death. This patient

was also young (his age not made more specifi c for privacy reasons), which scientists said helped him survive such a risky treatment regimen.

Although this treatment isn’t for usage in a mass-treatment sort of way, it gives patients and scientists alike hope that gene therapy will be a viable choice in the very near future to treat what was once called the untreatable disease.

It is important for everyone in the scientifi c community to never use the word “incurable.” This giant step forward in the treatment and understanding of HIV just goes to show that nothing is impossible, even when the disease at hand seems daunting.

For some families, grocery shopping is a balancing act between finding sales and carefully selecting one item over the other. Today we buy milk, not eggs. For Utahns who struggle to make ends meet, that grocery-limbo decision could get much more difficult as a new sales tax bill makes its way further and further into the Utah legislature.

The sales tax proposed would be a flat rate of 4.35 percent on all goods. It would lower the overall sales tax from 4.75 to 4.35 percent, making up for the overall shortfall with an increase aimed at food sales. The controversy is that the bill would bump taxes on food from the current 1.75 percent to that flat rate of 4.35 percent.

At first, the new tax might look like a fair system. Everything you buy has a tax on it, and the more you buy, the more you pay. Maybe if you’re talking about people who buy a lot of new cars, this logic makes sense. It’s when you look at total income and how much money from sales tax takes away that the numbers begin to look disproportionate. Most low-income families spend a huge

part of their monthly budget on food, and a $240 grocery bill hits an income of $20,000 a lot harder than an income of $150,000.

Utah’s sales tax increases the cost of food, while handing out exceptions for purchases like a new car or jewelry or furniture. Not only would more expensive purchases typically made by those with higher income receive a pass from the flat-rate sales tax proposed, but Utah also ranks as one of the lowest in the nation for property taxes. What this means is that Utahns who have the money to buy homes and land have a break, despite having the money to invest in these types of large purchases.

Flat taxes give the wealthiest a break, but money still has to come from somewhere. That money comes from the people who make less. This bill tips the scales, asking lower-income families to give up more, while high-income families are barely impacted. Raising the sales tax and lowering property and income tax has one very successful side effect: It targets the poor by over-burdening them with having to pay more than their fair share.

In a way, this bill is its own mini-flat tax. While the bill isn’t comprehensive, it affects a major aspect of people’s lives, shifting the tax burden from the rich to the poor on a product

everyone buys. Utah is in the minority

when it comes to its policy on sales tax and groceries. Of the 45 states that have sales taxes (that’s right, five states have no form of a sales tax), Utah is one of 14 that do not allow exemptions for food. When former governor John Huntsman pushed the Utah legislature to reduce taxes on food in 2008 from 4.75 percent to 1.75 percent, he took the state in a direction that considered the less fortunate.

As one of the few states that can boast a relatively stable budget in an economic climate that has other states are in financial ruin, Utah shouldn’t be making life harder for those already at a disadvantage. Instead of increasing taxes on food, what lawmakers should be asking themselves is who would be shouldering the most if the sales tax changed.

So, next time you find yourself in a supermarket ready to spring for a delicious frozen pizza, you might find a surprising total at checkout. Call your state House representative and voice your opinion before the final votes are cast and Utah goes back to having one of the highest taxes on food in the country.

THE SIGNPOST WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 20114Features

“When we were freshmen, we wondered how long it would take.”

­—­Kenneth­MorrisWSU graduating senior

Spring is slowly coming and, with its arrival, Weber State University students are preparing to clean.

Spring cleaning, as it is commonly known, is the yearly tradition of heavily cleaning a living space and organizing the mess created during the dormant winter months.

March is considered by many to be the best time for spring cleaning because of the weather — just warm enough to air a space out, and just cold enough to keep insects at bay.

“I absolutely hate messes and things being dirty,” said Brandon Pappas, a WSU freshman. “I just want to scream when I find something I haven’t cleaned yet!”

The spaces covered by big items,

Graduation preparation

Weber State University seniors prepare for graduation and meet with advisers for last time

like beds and sofas, can be neglected for long periods of time, causing dust mites, bacteria and, in some cases, bed bugs to fester. Spiders tend to live in the dark spaces covered by these items as well.

Spring cleaning is often when vacuum cleaners are most used, because of their many tools that enable cleaning corners of a room or the crannies in the sofa.

Vacuums are also often used to help control the flea population when pets are in the home.

Spring cleaning also signals the beginning of the garage sale season.

Items that are no longer needed are often sold at garage sales to free up room while making a bit of extra cash.

Some items can also be sold online at places like KSL.com and Craigslist. Furniture, clothing and various other items that cannot be sold can

be donated to places like Deseret Industries.

Cleaning can relieve stress and be a beneficial workout. The website WebMD.com suggests integrating 30 minutes of cleaning into a normal workout routine to boost calorie-burn.

“Old-school” ways of cleaning, such as scrubbing a floor on hands and knees, also helps burn calories. General cleaning can burn up to 128 calories.

The task of organizing and cleaning is often a boring one, but adding fun elements to the routine is recommended by many experts to boost the ‘fun’ factor.

As with a workout, listening to fast-paced music can help to speed up cleaning and make it tolerable.

“Spring cleaning is a necessary evil,” said Anastasia Wood, a WSU senior, “(but) sometimes fun, because you find stuff you totally forgot you had.”

By Deric­San­Juancorrespondent I The Signpost

WSU­ seniors­ must­ complete­ 120­credit­hours­for­a­bachelor’s­degree,­approximately­40­of­which­are­gen-eral­education­credits.­It­is­an­aver-age­ five-year­ road­ to­ reach­ gradu-ation­ for­ most­ students.­ The­ cost­is­ approximately­$17,240­ for­eight­semesters­at­WSU.

SOURCE: WEBER.EDU/GRADUATION­

Warm weather leads to spring cleaningThe brighter side to spring cleaning: exercise, money, music and friends

By Brittany­Thornhillcorrespondent I The Signpost

SOURCE: BRITTANY­THORNHILL

WSU­student­Jeff­Hein­at­a­Syracuse­Smith’s­on­Tuesday.­The­store­had­a­top-to-bottom­spring­cleaning­for­inspection.

The time is drawing near for college seniors across the country to prepare. A life-changing accomplishment will be bestowed upon students who have successfully navigated the trials and tribulations of undergraduate higher education — a bachelor’s degree.

While this time is undoubtedly exciting for seniors nationwide, several items need to be attended to before commencement.

Seniors at Weber State University are required to apply for graduation via the Graduation Office. The deadline for spring semester 2011 was Feb. 11.

This deadline was put in place to ensure the appearance of the student’s name in the April commencement program; however, aspiring graduates may still apply for graduation until further notice.

WSU students must also schedule an appointment with their major or minor adviser.

It is recommended that the prospective graduate contact his or her adviser well in advance and inform

the adviser of the intent of graduation clearance.

“Talk to your adviser as soon as possible and monitor your Cattracks and WSU e-mail,” said WSU communications adviser Mukhbir Singh.

Upon meeting with an advisor, electronic clearances will be submitted through Cattracks.

Clearances must be approved before a degree can be awarded and can also be viewed in the notes section at the bottom of the Cattracks degree evaluation.

The next step is to complete the graduation application located at http:www.weber.edu/graduation/applications.html.

The graduate-to-be should then take the completed application to the WSU Cashier’s Office, Student Success Center Room 209, and pay the $30 application fee.

The final step is to submit the

application to the Registrar’s Office, which is also located in Room 209 of the Student Success Center.

It should be noted that failure to follow these instructions and obtain the necessary clearances could delay the degree-awarding process.

Beginning March 1, all potential graduates will have access to WSU graduation announcements.

A n n o u n c e m e n t s and all applicable information will be located at the bookstore and can be pre-ordered and customized at http://bookstore.weber.edu.

Students at WSU said they were nostalgic about the past and hopeful about the future when discussing their time at the university.

“When we were freshmen, we wondered how long it would take,” said WSU senior Kenneth Morris.

“Now we’re seven weeks away from realizing our dream as college

See Graduation page 8

Alternative Spring Break An opportunity to travel and serve others

Mary-Kate­MetzgerSignpost

features reporter

Traditionally, Spring Break has been regarded as a week in which college students are free to run wild, disregard authority, and more or less throw away their time.

However, there are many other op-tions available for students opting to change this downtrodden image of Spring Break.

Weber State University offers a fan-tastic program known as Alternative Spring Break. In this program, students embark on a journey to a different area of the U.S. and partner up with Habi-tat for Humanity and other service-ori-ented organizations, offering their time and efforts to outlying communities.

At the same time, the week is filled with fun and activities, as well as new friendships — and maybe the occasion-al unexpected adventure.

As a student who took part in ASB last year, I am an advocate of the pro-gram and would encourage anyone my age to consider joining this year’s group as they head for San Francisco, Calif.

The week is filled with hard work; one can expect to labor — and sweat — on a house worksite for an entire morn-ing and the good part of an afternoon.

But last year, even though much of the time was spent working, it never felt like work to me, because I worked alongside a great group of diverse stu-dents — most of whom I still keep in touch with today. Derek and Michelle Warner are two students with whom I still have almost daily contact. The now-married couple — who celebrated their engagement on the group’s trip to Ventura County last year — both work within the Alternative Spring Break program.

Michelle, who had been a participant in the program in the spring of 2009, developed a deep interest in ASB, and took over directing the program the fol-lowing year.

When asked what inspired her to take the responsibility of the program, she replied, “The dedication of the oth-er students. If you’re willing to give up your week to serve someone else and

See Spring­Break page 8

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THE SIGNPOSTWEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2011 5

Healthcontinued from front Gen continued from frontRobinsoncontinued from front

H. Miller.”During his youth, Miller

struggled with his education. Robinson said Miller had extraordinary talents, but his grades were far from reflective of his intellectual abilities.

“He was gifted,” Robinson said, “but he was kind of struggling to find what to do with his gifts. He had a 1.7 GPA at West High School, but he was a national merit scholar. We know he was bright, but he just couldn’t pay attention.”

Robinson said Miller’s

success began in 1979. While working in an auto dealership, Miller had what Robinson described as an “epiphany.” At nearly 27 years old, he had no college education and no special training, but he had the responsibility of raising a family. He knew that, in order to excel in the auto parts industry, he needed to set himself apart from the competition. Miller resolved to work harder and perform better than any other person in the field.

His fierce competitive

of that time you invested into studying will come back to you.”

The importance of finding time to spend on campus was the next topic up for discussion.

“Make school your social environment,” Cragun said. “Joining committees, groups and clubs can help you find your voice not only in your academic life, but also in your professional life.”

Loomis said that it is not only important to join groups on campus; it is also very important to make connections.

“You never know what kind of connections someone has on campus,” Loomis said. “Getting involved in groups could potentially be a career-starter. The connections that you can make through this social network are amazing.”

To close the discussion, Merrill emphasized the importance of students finding a career that they love rather than a lucrative one.

“It’s important to do something that you love,” Merrill said. “Find out what is important to you and what you really enjoy doing. Never try to mold yourself into a career because money may happen to be there. If you follow what you love, the money will come.”

Merrill and Cragun said they weren’t just there to provide a voice for the panel; they were there to let everyone know there is additional help for people in the Women’s Center and the Nontraditional Student Center.

“The Women’s Center provides mentorship, internships in the office, connects students to resources that they may be looking for, provides scholarships and, most importantly, it offers a safe environment for people to come in and get help,” Merrill said.

Help for things like applying for financial aid and registering for classes is available at the Nontraditional Student Center for the students who qualify under that category.

“The Nontrad Student Center provides students with peer mentors that are junior and seniors that can help you apply for financial aid, register for classes and much more,” Cragun said. “We have created a family environment for students to feel comfortable when they come into our office. We also provide a day care center that is charged on an hourly rate, if you couldn’t find a babysitter during your class time. Just know that Nontrad Center is here if you don’t know where else to go.”

The First Gen Club was founded last year, organized by students whose parents have not completed their bachelor’s degree. Its mission as stated is to provide information on campus services, service opportunities, social activities and leadership experience that will help students complete bachelor’s degrees.

Comment on this story at wsusignpost.com.

experts talk about it, and me being more informed because of that, was so helpful for me.”

The facilitators said they also hope that through the event, students are made more aware of the health care services offered on campus.

“If you just come for that one hour for the panel,” Chavez said, “if you just come for that, then basically you’re going to leave that panel discussion much more informed about this topic.”

Comment on this story at wsusignpost.com.

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nature dictated much of Miller’s behavior. Robinson said that when one of Miller’s auto dealerships’ sales surpassed another dealership in Denver, he jumped at the chance to illustrate his superiority.

“He had a tombstone made and inscribed on it the name of the dealership,” Robinson said. “They delivered it in a hearse with flowers to this place just to rub their faces in it.”

Robinson also discussed situations in which Miller was criticized for his actions and beliefs. In one well-known episode, Miller decided not to show the movie Brokeback Mountain in his theaters. The move drew outrage from Utah’s gay community, and Miller came under intense ridicule. In an effort to ease the tension, Miller agreed to meet with members and supporters of the gay community to listen to their complaints.

“He very tearfully told them that he was sorry to hear the things they went through in their lives,” Robinson said. “Even though he had different beliefs, he didn’t want to subject them to any ridicule. It was really a lesson on how to listen to people, and how to handle disagreements. It would be nice if everyone was like that.”

In his most famous move, Miller brought the New Orleans Jazz to Salt Lake City. Robinson said when the team first came to Utah, Miller would attend and participate in practices in an effort to learn what it’s like to be a professional basketball player.

Miller was so convinced of the importance of the Jazz that he purchased the team in spite of tremendous personal risk.

“He was looking for a buyer,” Robinson said, “because he didn’t want to buy (the Jazz). He bought them because no one else would, and he thought the community needed them. Nobody else wanted to buy them because it was too risky. This business had lost money for 11 years and had never had a profitable season.”

His instincts paid off, though, and the Jazz became a profitable organization. At the end of his life, Miller had proven his ability to make even the most unlikely businesses profitable.

At the time of his death, Miller’s companies averaged $3.2 billion in annual sales.

The WSU History Department, Historical Society and Alumni Association sponsored Robinson’s visit.

At the conclusion of Robinson’s speech, WSU history professor Gene Sessions voiced his pleasure with Robinson’s performance.

“I don’t remember when we’ve had a great meeting like this one,” Sessions said. “Someone asked why (Miller had chosen) Doug. He’s won more than 100 regional and national awards for his writing. Larry was a great judge of character and a great judge of talent, and everyone that has read (Driven) knows that Doug is a great talent.”

THE SIGNPOST WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 20116

By Kelsey Podlesneycorrespondent I The Signpost

Both track teams place fourth at indoor track and field championship meet

Track teams fi nish fourth Wildcats hit the links in tourney

’Cats go winless in fi rst tournament

The Weber State University Men’s and Women’s Track Teams both fi nished in fourth place at the Big Sky Conference Tournament last weekend in Pocatello, Idaho.

The men’s team was hurt by injuries over the weekend. Mike Phillips, who won the 200-meter sprint in the last three meets, pulled his hamstring in the last three meters of Friday’s preliminary heat.

WSU Head Coach Dan Walker expressed his sympathies for Phillips, who was also a

star receiver on the football team.“My heart and soul go out to Mike,”

Walker said. “He’s worked so hard this winter to get into track shape and had a great season, but those things happen and you deal with it.”

Ryan Avery also went down with an injury on Saturday, after running a career-best 6.82 seconds in the 60-meter sprint on Friday. Avery’s mark on Friday was the second-fastest time in WSU history. In the fi nals on Saturday, Avery was in second place when he broke a bone in his foot with just fi ve meters to go in the race. He fi nished in eighth place.

No one from the men’s team took fi rst place at the conference tournament. Matt White was the highest-placing athlete for WSU at the meet; he took second place in the 200-meter sprint. White fi nished with a time of 21.51 seconds, which is the second-best mark in WSU history. Walker said he was impressed with White’s improvement this year.

“Matt White’s time in the 200 meters was awesome,” he said. “He has improved every meet.”

Walker said John Coyle fi nished third in the mile and earned All-Conference honors with a time of 4:11.49. Jonevan DiSimone took third place in the 60-meter hurdles, and Zach Parry took third in the 35-pound weight throw.

WSU’s Camille Lott and Amanda Alston run during a meet this season. Alston and Lott were members of the WSU 4x400 relay team that finished in first place at the Big Sky Conference Tournament last weekend in Pocatello, Idaho.

SOURCE: PAUL PILKINGTON

The Weber State University Men’s Golf Team “teed it up” for the fi rst time of the spring season in Palm Desert, Calif., in the Wyoming Desert Intercollegiate Tournament hosted by the University of Wyoming this past weekend, and fi nished 13th out of 20 teams.

Texas A&M University came away as the tournament champions, fi ring scores of 294, 293 and 292 for a three-day total of 879. Individually, Scott Travers from Santa Clara University was the champion, carding rounds of 74, 70 and a 69.

WSU beat the host team, UW, by four strokes and fi nished with a 54-hole total score of 927. The ’Cats were all relatively close in individual scores, with senior Nick Despain of Farr West leading the way with a three-day total of 231. One shot behind him was junior Alex Sutton from Layton, who shot a 232.

Sutton said he was pleased with his two opening-round scores of 74 and 75, but that he felt like the conditions of the course got to him on the fi nal day.

“I feel like the weather got the best of me the fi nal round,” Sutton said. “I could have played signifi cantly better.”

The team said the weather conditions were not what they had envisioned, which factored into how diffi cult the course was to play. Instead of sunshine, the team was dealt a mixture of rain, wind and cold temperatures.

Senior Kurt Owen of Woods Cross fi nished with a 233, and fellow senior Keaton Woodland of North Ogden shot a 237 for the Wildcats. Sophomore Casey Halliday rounded out the squad’s scores with a three-day total of 238.

The tournament was played at the Classic Club, which was home to the 2006, 2007 and 2008 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic (a PGA tour event) and had a stretched-out yardage of 7,305.

Joe Jensen, UW director of golf and tournament director, said the course was

See Golf page 7

By Nathan Davisasst. sports editor I The Signpost

WSU pitcher Britinie Hardine pitches the ball during a game last year. The Wildcats opened their season last weekend in Sacramento, Calif.

By Corie Holmesasst. news editor I The Signpost

WSU goes 0-3, loses in close contests

PHOTO BY BRYAN BUTTERFIELD | THE SIGNPOST

Golf team places 13th in fi rst tournament of spring

See Championship page 7

See Position page 7

The Weber State Universitys Softball Team went down swinging in their opening weekend. After a rainout game on Friday, the team lost to Sacramento State University, St. Mary’s College of California and California State University Bakersfi eld.

Although they came home without a victory, the team said they still felt like they performed well for their fi rst weekend.

“The other teams have already played, and this was our fi rst chance,” said WSU pitcher Sarah Clark. “I thought we did well for our fi rst showing. We were close all three games.”

Weather conditions proved to be a problem for WSU the entire weekend. Snowstorms through Nevada made it tough for traveling. The storms extended the team’s bus ride by fi ve hours.

Another trial that came from weather conditions is that the fi rst scheduled game against SMCC was rained out.

“We were so geared up to play on Friday, and we basically had to hang out,” Head Coach Tina Johnson said. “We did some fun stuff, but the girls wanted to play.”

On Saturday, the team opened to SSU. The Wildcats jumped out with

an early lead in the second inning, 2-1. They dropped behind in the sixth inning and were not able to make up the errors that allowed the Hornets to claim the 5-2 victory.

“We did really well,” Johnson

said. “Our pitching was strong and our offense was good for our fi rst game. We were actually up 2-1 and ended up losing the lead in the sixth inning and weren’t able to score. We threatened them but

weren’t able to score in the seventh inning. Overall, that game was a great game. It was an awesome fi rst game for us, considering it was the fi rst time we have been on the fi eld as a team in a long time.”

They then battled SMCC on Sunday, losing 5-2. The Wildcats came out slow, allowing fi ve runs in the second inning. The early lead forced the Wildcats into a hole they could not pull themselves out of.

“We defi nitely need to hit the ball and score our runners better,” Clark said. “We needed a few more hits to drive in the winning runs.”

The CSUB game was more promising for the ’Cats. Falling behind 4-0 in the third inning, WSU fought back, tying the game in the bottom of the fourth inning. Errors led WSU to another loss at 9-7.

Johnson said she believes they need to work on their offense and be confi dent more than anything else.

“We got to hit the ball,” Johnson said. “We need to be more selective. We did a good job of bouncing back. We got to have a little bit better discipline. We can’t swing at pitches that are not strikes. We need to have confi dence that we can be two-strike hitters and get pitches to hit.”

The team will play in Honolulu, Hawaii, this upcoming weekend. Their fi rst home game will be March 22.

Pertinent Position

Eric Jensen•

Signpost columnist

Craig Halbasch, my fellow sports columnist here at The Signpost, is a New York Mets fan. I don’t know why he’s a Mets fan. I’ve tried over and over again to see things from his point of view and understand why anyone in their right mind would choose to root for the “other” New York team.

Maybe Craig just likes to be different. Maybe he’s simply decided that he’s going to embrace a losing attitude for the rest of his life. Or, maybe, he’s a better sports fan than many others who claim the “fan” title.

What does it mean to be a fan? It depends on how you approach the lifestyle.

I’m pretty fortunate when it comes to “fandom.” My favorite baseball team is the Yankees. Yeah, they’ve won 27 World Series titles. My favorite football team, the Packers, just won the Super Bowl. My favorite basketball team is, well, the Jazz. That’s another story completely.

While some people cheer for teams that have regular success, some people are fans of teams that will never win a championship. However, they resolutely suffer

Comment on this story at wsusignpost.com.

THE SIGNPOSTWEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2011 7

Baseball kicks off

The Weber State University Baseball Club started their 2011 season last weekend in the Mesquite Tournament. The Wildcats went 2-1 in the tournament; they lost to the University of Wyoming and The University of California, Santa Barbara. The Wildcats pulled out a win against Eastern Washington University.

The Wildcats, who were ranked sixth in the preseason National Club Baseball Association, started out their season against UW on Friday. WSU was looking to come out strong against the Cowboys, but fell 2-1 in a close game against UW.

The next game for WSU was against the UCSB Gouchos. The Gouchos were coming into the game undefeated, with wins against Snow College and Utah State University. The Wildcats weren’t able to compete against the tough UCSB team and were blown out 15-2. UCBS’ pitching

held the ’Cats to only two runs.

In the fi nal game of the tournament, WSU took on the EWU Eagles. The Wildcats came out strong and were looking to improve from their last game. The team looked to make some changes and get back on track. WSU came out fi ring and put up 13 runs over EWU, winning 13-10.

After the two losses, the Wildcats put in Anthony Rojas at shortstop. Rojas was strong on defense for WSU in the game against the Eagles. He made multiple clutch plays and was crucial in preventing the Eagles from taking the lead.

Over the weekend, the Wildcats saw good pitching from Bo Jensen, and Chans Porter batted well, helping the WSU offense.

Following this tournament, the Wildcats will now prepare for the start of conference play. WSU is a member of the National Pacifi c Region Conference, which is made up of schools from Utah, Idaho and Montana. They will have a three-game series against USU starting March 18 in Logan.

Baseball Club Vice President Scooter Cisneros

said that he has high hopes for this season and that the team is looking to qualify for the national tournament in June.

“We hope to get ranked fi fth in the national poll,” Cisneros said. “We are hoping to go to the nationals this year.”

The WSU baseball home games will be in the Lindquist Field in Ogden. Cisneros said that he is hoping to see an increase in attendance at WSU home games, that more students will come support the team.

“We are hoping students come with their families and friends to support our team,” Cisneros said. “We are going to have a good start of season this year.”

WSU infi elder Colton Stokes is also hopeful that the Wildcats can recover and have a good season. He also said he has hopes of WSU qualifying for the national tournament.

“The team is looking very good,” Stokes said. “I think we should have a great year.”

The Wildcats will play their fi rst home game on March 25. They will have a three-game home stand against the University of Utah at Lindquist Field.

By Hector Valenciacorrespondent I The Signpost

WSU Baseball Club goes 1-2 in Nevada

Comment on this story at wsusignpost.com.

Track continued from page 6Golf continued from page 6

Position continued from page 6

Comment on this story at wsusignpost.com.

designed for the tournament like it was for many of the prior PGA events held there.

“The golf course was set up like it would be for a PGA Tour event, with the pin positions tucked in some diffi cult spots in the fi nal round,” Jensen said.

Sutton said the team has been preparing for the spring season by competing in tournaments during the offseason. He added that the preparation should help the team be successful in the conference tournament.

“Our team has been working very hard in the offseason by playing in tournaments in St. George,

trying to prepare ourselves for the competition we will be facing in our tournaments this spring,” Sutton said. “I feel if we all can put some good rounds together that we will have a good showing at our conference tournament.”

WSU is a member of the America Sky Golf Conference, which consists of schools from across the country that wouldn’t have a conference to compete in otherwise. The conference tournament this year will be held at the Troon North Golf Course in Scottsdale, Ariz. Sutton said the course is a fantastic place to golf

and should make for a great tournament.

The ’Cats are coached by Dave Kearl, who is entering his 11th season as head coach. Kearl is coaching a young team with just two seniors on the roster, Despain and Woodland, and two juniors, Sutton and junior college transfer Tommy Wingert. All but 10 out of the 11 men on the roster are from Utah.

The next match for the men will be March 7–8 in Long Beach, Calif.

Comment on this story at wsusignpost.com.

The women’s team fared slightly better in the tournament than the men’s team. The 4x400-meter relay team took home the only fi rst-place fi nish for WSU over the weekend. Amanda Alston, Jerica Wilson, Floreece Williams and Camille Lott were the members of the 4x400-meter team. They fi nished with a time of 3:44.90.

Alston and Lott also placed in the 400-meter sprint. Alston took second place with a time of 55.75, and Lott came in third, fi nishing with a time of 56.28. Women’s Head Coach Jim Blaisdell said he was pleased

with Alston’s performance over the weekend.

“I thought Amanda Alston had a tremendous meet,” Blaisdell said. “She posted the 10th-fastest indoor 400- meter time in school history, and that’s been a very strong event for us throughout the years. Our time in the 4x4 relay is the fourth-best in school history as well.”

Amber Henry also placed for the Wildcats in the meet. She took third in the mile run with a time of 4:51.59. She also took second place in the 3,000-meter race. Natalie Haws was right behind Henry, fi nishing in third place.

Blaisdell said that he felt his team did well, and was pleased with their performance since they are a young team.

“I am pleased with our performance from such a young team,” Blaisdell said. “We didn’t have a lot of depth, but we did about everything we could, and I was happy with our efforts.”

This marks the end of the indoor track season. The team will now prepare for the start of the outdoor track and fi eld season, which begins on March 25.

WSU pitcher Kayleb Kester pitches in a game last season. The baseball team began its season this weekend in Nevada and went 1-2 over the weekend.

PHOTO BY BRYAN BUTTERFIELD | THE SIGNPOST

through losing season after losing season in hopes of a miracle.

The bottom line is this: Being a loyal fan to any sports team can be one of the most frustrating, disheartening, aggravating and rewarding experiences in a person’s life.

As far as I can tell, there are three kinds of fans in the world. There are bandwagon fans, fair-weather fans and true fans.

The bandwagon fan is a growing menace in the sporting community. On Monday night, the Jazz hosted the Boston Celtics. The Energy Solutions Arena was fi lled with noisy fans, many of whom were sporting green Celtics attire. Boston has become one of the league’s favorite teams almost overnight. Several years ago, the Celtics were awful. They had one of the worst records in the NBA, and no one cheered for them. Suddenly, after acquiring Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, the Celtics won a championship, and popularity.

So where were all these

“fans” when Boston was horrible? They weren’t even Boston fans. They decided to become Boston fans when it was suddenly trendy, and that is not the mark of a true fan.

Fair-weather fans are just as bad. They’ll stand and cheer for their team all day and all night, as long as their team is playing well. They’ll gather at the water cooler and argue the strength of their team’s pitching rotation and batting lineup. On the weekends they’ll wear the team’s cap and add their commentary to the Twitter-sphere.

What happens when their team isn’t doing well, though? The caps gather dust at the bottoms of closets. Voices are lowered, and team loyalty is admitted only when forced. Fair-weather fans aren’t fans at all.

Craig is a true fan. Even when his team is in the middle of (yet another) losing season, he’ll wear a Mets T-shirt with pride. True fans will stick with their team through any adversity. If a winning season is absolutely impossible, true fans

withstand the ridicule and insults year-round.

Another columnist here, Nathan Davis, decided to announce that his favorite sport was soccer. The harassment has been raining down on him ever since. Nathan knows what it is to be a true fan.

I remember watching in horror as Michael Jordan, fl u and all, dashed my hopes of the Jazz hoisting a championship trophy. I’ve seen Jerry Sloan retire and Deron Williams get traded. I know that the odds of the Jazz making the playoffs are slim, but I’ll still watch. If anyone wants to argue the merits of Devin Harris’ ability to run the Jazz offense, I’ll defend him until I lose my voice.

It’s not easy being a true fan, but it’s worth it. Every season brings new hope and renewed excitement. And sometimes, when your team wins, you remember why you became a fan in the fi rst place.

Really, though, Craig should be a Yankees fan.

Comment on this column at wsusignpost.com.

THE SIGNPOST WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2011 8

Spring Break continued from page 4

Grads continued from page 4

graduates.” The 137th graduation

commencement will be held at the Dee Events Center, adjacent to the main campus.

Information can be found at http:www.weber.edu/commencement.

Many WSU students said that the graduation ceremony is a time for reflection and gratitude.

“When we graduate,” said WSU senior Mary Watson, “it will mark the beginning, not the end, and we will cherish every friendship made and every obstacle conquered here at WSU.”

Comment on this story at wsusignpost.com.

SOURCE: AMANDA COTTRELL

WSU student and Alternative Spring Break participant Amanda Cottrell at the Habi-tat for Humanity worksite. Students worked on a low-income family’s home.

WSU student and Alternative Spring Break participant Crystal Hardman at Santa Monica Pier. Students had the opportunity to sight-see and visit local attractions on days they didn’t volunteer.

pay for it, it shows that you have character. And you’re all there for the same purpose and the same reason, and so you just make 30 of your best friends in one week, and those are friends that you have for the rest of your college years and be-yond.”

This year, Derek has taken on the same role that Michelle had last year, and has worked tire-lessly for the upcoming trip in order to make it a success.

One aspect of ASB that is tricky to maneuver is the selection of appli-cants for the program. Currently, the program limits the trip to 30 stu-dents; this definitely makes it difficult to sift through a vast array of potential candidates.

“It’s definitely a pro-cess,” Derek said. “We get the applications without the person’s name on it, and so all we’re really going off of is are they a team player, and do they work well with others? Are they willing to just jump right into a situation and be able to adapt to some-thing different and new?”

Adapting was definite-

ly an important skill to have on the ASB trip last year. From the very begin-ning of the trip, our group was destined for obstacles and hurdles of every kind.

We left the university at 6 a.m., and had gotten no further than the Fresh Market on Harrison Bou-levard when our bus sank into a mini-swamp, and every one of us filed out to help get the vehicle back on the road again.

Getting stuck in the mud wasn’t the only ac-tivity our bus had in store for us. Along the way, it stopped running com-pletely, and we found our-selves stranded in a small town in California.

Fortunately, a member of our group knew a fam-ily nearby, and all 30 of us spent the night camped out on their tile floors. “Close quarters” is an un-derstatement.

Despite the difficulties along the way, the trip it-self was fantastic, and the community I experienced with the other students was priceless.

I look forward to ASB’s adventures this year, and outside of working, they have many activities planned.

“One of our days off will be letting the kids go to San Francisco and hopefully letting them get tickets to ride around on the trolleys,” Derek said, “and in the evenings, we have the Jelly Belly factory — we’re going to go there and see how they make jelly beans.”

Another activity planned is a visit to San Francisco’s Chinatown, where the group will also visit a fortune cookie fac-tory.

In addition, the stu-dents will be staying in a sheik temple, where no meat is allowed on the premises. In order to combat this lack of meat, a beachside barbecue is planned for one of the evening dinners.

The Warners expressed high hopes for this year’s Spring Break trip.

“I’m excited about the worksite we’ll be working on,” Michelle said, “like hanging windows, sheet-rocking, putting insula-tion in the walls — I’m excited for that kind of work.”

Comment on this story at wsusignpost.com.

SOURCE: AMANDA COTTRELL

ISTANBUL (AP) — Huge throngs of mourners con-verged on a mosque Tuesday for the funeral of a former prime minister who laid the roots of political Islam in modern Turkey and inspired the current government in its struggle against military-backed secular circles.

The coffi n of Necmet-tin Erbakan, draped in a green, Islamic shroud, was surrounded by crowds that sought to touch it, and trib-utes to this pious fi gure, who died Sunday of heart failure at the age of 84, poured in from around the country and the world. The Palestin-ian militant group Hamas expressed sorrow, and Tur-key’s prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, cut short a European trip to attend the funeral.

“God is Great!” the mourners chanted at the Ottoman-era Fatih mosque in Istanbul, which was fi rst built in the 15th century and rebuilt several times af-ter earthquake damage. As many as 200,000 attended, though police did not pro-vide a crowd estimate.

Attendants included men with Islamic cloaks and tur-bans as well as academi-cians, Cabinet ministers and even a few military offi cers in khaki uniforms. Erbakan’s demise was announced from minarets of around 3,000 mosques in Istanbul — a practice usually limited to the mosque where prayers are being held.

Erbakan, a jovial, stocky fi gure who sported bright Versace ties, served only a year as prime minister be-fore being pressured by the fi ercely secular military to step down in 1997, but he never dropped his interest in politics despite deteriorat-ing health. Aides said he was working on a possible elec-tion alliance between his Fe-licity Party and other small pro-Islamic parties before his death.

His wit endeared him even to political opponents. He was affectionately known as “Hodja,” or “Teacher,” by his followers and former members of his banned Wel-fare Party, including Erdo-gan, President Abdullah Gul and other proteges.

Erbakan won election in 1995 on a campaign to build closer ties with the Is-lamic world, and visited Iran and Libya. His meeting with Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi , now besieged by rebels, turned into a diplo-matic disaster when Gadhafi criticized Turkey for cracking down on autonomy-seeking Kurdish rebels and having close ties with the West.

A shocked Erbakan said: “We don’t have a Kurdish problem, we have a terror-ism problem,” to save face in front of dozens of Turkish journalists accompanying him to Libya.

Erdogan, whose ruling Justice and Development Party had spun off from Erbakan’s outlawed move-ment, returned from a trip to Germany for the funeral, canceling a stop in Brussels.

Hamas Prime Minister Is-mail Haniyeh expressed the “deep sorrow” of Palestin-ians in a message to Turkish leaders, and said Erbakan was an “important fi gure.”

Erdogan’s Justice and De-velopment Party, now in its second term, is the front-

runner ahead of national elections in June. While in-spired by Erbakan’s overtly Islamic doctrine, Erdogan’s government chose a more moderate path. It has cam-paigned for membership in the European Union and pledged allegiance to the secular constitution, despite the suspicions of opponents that it is plotting to impose Islam on society.

In doing so, it kept an un-easy peace with the powerful secular establishment in its critical early years in power, though the government, buoyed by strong electoral results, later took robust ac-tion to dismantle the politi-cal clout of the military.

Erdogan has burnished his Islamic credentials by his backing of Palestinians against Israel, once a strate-gic military ally, and seeking stronger alliances with Iran and other Muslim coun-tries, to some consternation among Turkey’s Western al-lies.

In the Erbakan era in the 1990s, the Turkish military signed agreements with Is-rael that allowed Israeli pilots to train in Turkish air space and its military to hold joint drills with the Turkish navy in the Mediterranean. But Israel’s deadly raid on a Ga-za-bound Turkish aid ship that left nine Turks dead last year signaled how far the re-lationship between the two countries has deteriorated.

As prime minister, Er-bakan also drew the wrath of the military, the self-ap-pointed guardian of Turkey’s secular traditions, with his moves to allow female civil servants to wear Islamic at-tire at work and to rearrange working hours to fi t fasting times in the holy month of Ramadan. He resigned in June 1997 to appease the military, which has staged three coups since 1960.

Turkey funeral for Islamic leader

9 THE SIGNPOSTWEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2011

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Solutions

Yemen pres. blames U.S.By Ahmed Al-hajwriter I Associated Press

SANAA, Yemen (AP) — Yemen’s embattled presi-dent on Tuesday accused the U.S., his closest ally, of instigating the mounting protests against him, but the gambit failed to slow the momentum for his ouster.

Hundreds of thousands rallied in cities across Ye-men against the govern-ment of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, in the larg-est of the protests of the past month, including one addressed by an influential firebrand cleric, a former ally of Saleh, whom the U.S. has linked to al-Qaida.

“Go on until you achieve your demands,” Sheik Ab-dul-Majid al-Zindani told tens of thousands of dem-onstrators in the capital of Sanaa. A former U.S. am-bassador to Yemen called al-Zindani’s decision to turn against President Ali Abdullah Saleh a major setback for the president.

Some warned that the current political turmoil and possible collapse of Saleh’s regime could give a further opening to Yemen’s offshoot of the global ter-ror network, al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula.

James Jones, former White House National Se-curity Advisor, warned a Washington conference that Yemen’s crisis “could deepen the current vac-uum of power in Yemen on which al Qaida has thrived.”

The Yemen-based al-Qaida in the Arabian Pen-insula, believed to have been involved in the at-tempted 2009 bombing of an American airliner, is seen as particularly active and threatening to the U.S.

Saleh has been a weak but important U.S. ally in the fight against al-Qaida, accepting tens of millions of dollars in U.S. military and other aid and allowing American drone strikes on al-Qaida targets.

Garry Reid, deputy as-sistant U.S. Secretary of Defense for Special Opera-

tions and Combating Ter-rorism, told the Bipartisan Policy Center, a Washing-ton think tank, that the Saleh government was “the best partner we’re going to have ... and hopefully it will survive because I certainly would have to start over again in what we’ve tried to build.”

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton visited Ye-men in January and urged Saleh to do more.

However, on Tuesday, Saleh seemed to be turning on Washington. In a speech to about 500 students and lecturers at Sanaa Univer-sity, he claimed the U.S., along with Israel, is behind the protest movement.

“I am going to reveal a secret,” he said. “There is an operations room in Tel Aviv with the aim of de-stabilizing the Arab world. The operations room is in Tel Aviv and run by the White House.”

Saleh also alleged that opposition figures meet regularly with the U.S. am-bassador in Sanaa. “Re-grettably those (opposition figures) are sitting day and night with the American ambassador where they hand him reports and he gives them instructions,” Saleh said.

The Obama administra-tion rejected these claims. White House spokesman Jay Carney called on Saleh to focus on implementing the political reforms de-manded by his people in-stead of “scapegoating.”

Saleh’s relationship with the U.S. has been ambiva-lent, and he has at times attempted to play down his military alliance with Washington. Anti-U.S. sentiment remains strong in Yemen, as elsewhere in the region, and Saleh’s comments appeared to be an attempt to discredit the protesters by suggesting they are serving foreign in-terests.

“Part of this is putting blame on others, part of it is trying to manage the situation,” said Christo-pher Boucek, an analyst at the Carnegie Endowment

for International Peace, a U.S. think tank. “He (Saleh) does not want to feed into grievances that gave rise to the opposition against him, such as being too close to the U.S.”

Thomas Krajeski, senior vice president of the U.S. National Defense Univer-sity and former U.S. am-bassador to Yemen, gave the Saleh regime a 50-50 chance of surviving the current crisis and he said it’s not clear who is likely to succeed him. “We just don’t know what comes next,” Krajeski told a con-ference at Washington’s Bi-partisan Policy Center.

But Krajeski predicted that Yemen’s tribes would quickly step in to establish a new government rather than let the country be-come what he called “an ungoverned mess,” like So-malia.

Jonathan Ruhe, a policy analyst for the Bipartisan Policy Center, said: “It’s kind of hard to imagine a post-Saleh world. If he should fall, the future is wide open.”

In another attempt to silence critics, Saleh fired five of the country’s 22 pro-vincial governors Tuesday, including three who had spoken out against the government’s at times vio-lent crackdown on demon-strators.

In London, Britain’s For-eign Office summoned a senior Yemeni diplomat to express “deep concern” over the deaths of protest-ers at rallies. “The govern-ment of Yemen should listen to the legitimate grievances of the Yemeni people,” the Foreign Office said.

The momentum against the president, who refuses to step down until elec-tions in 2013, has kept growing since protests erupted a month ago — in-spired by successful upris-ings in Egypt and Tunisia. He has lost the support of key tribal chiefs and on Tuesday, opposition par-ties called their support-ers into the streets for the first time. Crowds of tens of thousands each were re-ported in five areas of the country, including in Sa-naa.

Saleh’s government is widely seen as corrupt, with relatives of the presi-dent holding key positions in government and busi-ness. Grievances about the growing disparity between Yemen’s poor — nearly half the population of some 23 million — and a small ruling clique have helped drive the protests. Yemen is the Arab world’s poorest country.

In the port city of Aden, the scene of deadly clashes between police and dem-onstrators last week, thou-sands rallied Tuesday to express their anger. “We are demonstrating and calling for the downfall of the re-gime because Aden, under Saleh, has turned into a village,” said Faiza al-Shar-bary, a 45-year-old teacher. “At one time, it was one of the best cities. Therefore this regime has to leave.”

In Sanaa, tens of thou-sands gathered outside the university, the heart of the protests.

THE SIGNPOST WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 201110

Bill would cap spending

Wilderness policy upsets UTWestern Republicans’ outcry over Obama’s new wilderness policyBy Matthew Dalywriter I Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican governors and members of Con-gress vowed Tuesday to fight an Obama admin-istration plan to make millions of acres of unde-veloped land in the West eligible for federal wil-derness protection.

The GOP officials said the plan would circum-vent Congress’s author-ity and could be used to declare a vast swath of public land off-limits to oil-and-gas drilling.

Rep. Denny Rehberg, R-Mont., said the policy threatens the economy in rural Western states and accused the Obama ad-

ministration of waging a “war on the West.”

Idaho Gov. Butch Otter called the plan “a drastic change in public policy for public lands that was done without public in-put.” He called on Con-gress to “take back its authority” and block the new policy.

Utah Gov. Gary Her-bert, appearing with Ot-ter at a hearing before the House Natural Resources Committee, called on the GOP-led panel to “help us right a very real and very damaging wrong.”

Herbert said a Decem-ber order by Interior Sec-retary Ken Salazar was harming rural commu-nities throughout Utah whose economies rely on

use of public lands.“This order hinders

rural economic develop-ment and hurts key fund-ing sources for Utah’s school children,” Herbert said, noting that royal-ties from mineral devel-opment are a primary founding sources for Utah schools.

Salazar announced plans in December to re-verse a Bush-era policy and make millions of acres of public land again eligible for wilderness protection. The so-called wild lands plan replaces a 2003 policy — dubbed by critics as “No More Wil-derness — that opened Western lands to com-mercial development.

A spokeswoman for

Salazar called the new policy a common-sense solution that will help the agency better manage public lands, waters and wildlife.

“As a Westerner him-self, Secretary Salazar be-lieves that the wild lands policy is a straightfor-ward, practical approach that restores balance to the management of pub-lic lands,” spokeswoman Kendra Barkoff said.

The policy by itself does not itself create any wild lands designation, nor does it require that any particular lands be protected, said Bob Ab-bey, director of the Bu-reau of Land Manage-ment.

Designation as wild land can only be made af-ter public comments and

review and does not nec-essarily prohibit motor vehicle use or the stak-ing of new mining claims, Abbey said.

The wild lands policy “provides local commu-nities and the public with a strong voice in the de-cisions affecting the na-tion’s public lands,” he told the committee.

In an interview, Abbey said planning has already begun, and designation of the first wild lands could occur as soon as this summer in Idaho, Wyoming and Alaska. He denied that the plan is unpopular in the West, citing letters of support from recreation and con-servation groups and the outdoor industry.

“I think you’re hear-ing some rhetoric” from

Western lawmakers, but not grassroots opposi-tion, Abbey said.

A group of recreation business owners and out-fitters from six Western states said in a letter to Congress this week that conservation of public lands is good business.

“Rural counties with wilderness or other pro-tected federal lands expe-rience greater economic and population growth than those without wil-derness,” the letter said, citing research by the Colorado-based Outdoor Industry Association.

The letter was signed by more than 50 business owners in New Mexico, Utah, Montana, Colo-rado, Wyoming and Ore-gon.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah’s state budget would be capped through a proposed state con-stitutional amendment, despite an annually bal-anced budget and the state’s strong fiscal repu-tation.

Rep. Carl Wimmer, R-Herriman, said House Joint Resolution 37 would amend the state constitu-tion to prevent a budget increase from the previ-ous year’s spending at a rate greater than inflation plus population growth.

The cap could be waived with a two-thirds vote of the Legislature.

The cap would reduce big swings in state fund-ing, Wimmer said.

“In the boom years, we hand out money like Christmas gifts,” Wim-mer said. “Then, in the down years, we have to make painful cuts.”

The resolution passed a House committee Mon-day and could be debated on the House floor this week.

To amend the Utah Constitution, a resolu-tion must pass the House and Senate by a two-thirds vote and then be approved by voters dur-

ing a general election.Rep. Kraig Powell, R-

Heber, said a constitu-tional cap is unnecessary because the state already balances its budget and has an AAA bond rating, which proves its fiscal re-straint.

More important, the state doesn’t carry a debt load like the federal gov-ernment.

“This bill suffers from a misperception that is common in the state of Utah, that our state gov-ernment is one and the same as our federal gov-ernment,” Powell said.

Allison Rowland, the tax and budget direc-tor for advocacy group Voices for Utah Children, said a cap would limit the Legislature’s ability to manage the budget as it sees best.

“This bill fundamen-tally removes flexibil-ity from the Legislature,” Rowland said. “It doesn’t trust the Legislature to decide which services are essential and non-essen-tial.”

Senate President Mi-chael Waddoups, R-Tay-lorsville, said the Legis-lature already adheres to the principal of a cap.

During the economic downturn, only the to-bacco tax has been raised, and when the state had a big surplus spending was limited and the reserves were increased.

Those reserves have shored up the state bud-get during the past two years, and may be used again this year.

“This would have a minor impact because it would restrict our abil-ity to spend money, but we’re already doing that,” Waddoups said.