The Red and Black

Issue date: 4/9/09 Section: Opinions

Tellin' 'em off

Events paid for by student fees should be ones most students want to attend.

Bob Dylan, Pearl Jam, Outkast, Ludacris, R.E.M., The Dixie Chicks ... Soulja Boy?

The Red & Black reported today the University shelled out $28,000 of your student activities fees for a rapper whose signature dance many of us grew tired of right after the 2007 Georgia-Florida game.

Eighteen-year-old Soulja Boy is part of the Black Cultural Programming's Week of Soul. Past Week of Soul performers include Destiny's Child and the Roots.

We realize everyone has a different opinion of what makes music "good," but hopefully we can all agree that Soulja Boy's music isn't exactly intellectually or musically stimulating.

And with all this talk about budget cuts, it seems a little ridiculous to spend so much money on a performer the majority of students don't care to see. We know the money is coming from our student activity fees, but there has to be a better way to spend that money, or at least be sure more students will attend the show.

One solution: have students vote - after all, the money to pay for Soulja Boy's Hi-C Fruit Punch, Gatorade (really?) and hot wings is coming from fees we pay.

And voter turnout would probably be higher than for an SGA election. Who doesn't love a "free" concert?

- Shannon Otto for the editorial board

Lend a hand

Volunteering is the perfect way to pass the time while looking for a job.

If you are one of the many future graduates desperately searching for an alternative to heading back to your parents' houses, try volunteering. Take a page from Adam Nubern's book - he's spending his summer building low-income houses, as reported in today's Red & Black.

We think this is a great way to keep from putting your shiny new degree to work at your local McDonalds. Volunteering is another way to gain new skills and pass the time while searching for a job - and looks good on a résumé. You don't have to take it to Bike America's extreme, but there is always something that can be done to help your community.

Since 2003, a yearly average of 60 million Americans have gone out and volunteered. With unemployment at staggering levels, volunteering is more common than ever.

April 19-25 is National Volunteer Week, an ideal time to find organizations that could use a hand. So if you cannot bring yourself to face rejection from the job market again, spend some time looking for those who need your help.

- Megan Otto for the editorial board

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