Page 97 - ThePhoenix1997-98

COMMENTARY Thursday, February 5, 1998 - Page 5 CAP-italizing on the community CAPBoard- what does it mean? President Aaron Corbett explained Definitively, it is an acronym for Mike Puskar discusses that everything CAPBoard does is "College Activities Programming CAPBoard's relationship announced on its bulletin board. Board;" however, in reality, the pre- with the college However, the November board did fix has come to reflect its Latin community. not mention the trip and by Decem- transliteration- "head," For several ber the tickets were sold years now, the executive panel of equated with the preceding group. The trip was limited to only 48 CAPBoard (and not the group's ad- The first of the aforementioned tickets, nearly half of which were visers or plebeian members) has groups, the media board, is a panel reserved for CAPBoard members held itself to be head and mOSI consisting of the college media. before sales at half the cost. CAP- meritorious of the Western Mary- Perhaps. in reform, CAPBoard Board may deserve to pat itself on land College community. should be set up similarly, with the the back every now and then, but it As a programming group, CAP- executive board including the should not when it amounts to Board may have no say in college heads of various organizations, for around half of the trip's $3466 price policies and legislation, but tech- college activities entail all groups. lag. nically it has more or equal the When planning activities the It is a group representing all power of the SGA, which in theory CAPBoard executives seem to rep- students' interests; ifit were to rep- should be at the top of the pyramid resent their own personal interests. resent a select few as do religious of student organizations. As several student government rep- organizations, special-interest Most major events on and off resentatives noted, the CAPBoard groups, fraternities and sororities, campus are organized by CAP- executives over the years have been clubs, and honor societies, then it Board, and with full right, but the chosen for social reasons, rather sh""ould be on par with them. representative power of the Student than by the interests of the student No campus organization other Government is thereby quite lim- body; in other words, CAPBoard than the three previously men- ited. executives have been a sort of tioned groups ever receives nearly Only three student groups re- "clique." $2000 from the college to satisfy ceive their funds directly from the A recent incident concerning its own special needs. "I vas seeing the girl acr-oss the street, but college budget committee: the me- CAPBoard's egocentricity is If CAPBoard wants to use a then she pulled her curtains shut." dia board, the allocations to whom December's trip to Radio City great deal of money on such efforts, are slight in comparison with the Music Hall. Many people were it should receive its money from others; the Student Government; unaware of this event. CAPBoard Student Government allocations as Stick world is a syndicated cartoon that will be making an occasional and CAPBoard, which is thereby and Student Government Vice- do other organizations. appearance in The Phoenix. The Soapbox Outlook Does our jury system still work Will the jury system be just seems to be the jurors themselves. as originally intended? I don't to Clinton? Adam Dean No one wants to be forced to do Kate Hampson offers an As an International Student I know myself, but I have some jury duty. It takes a person away international viewpoint on don't have such a personal involve- doubts about it. expresses doubt. from their life and pays less than a the Clinton scandal ment in this issue, aJthough I am Right now, the system is under job at a McDonald's drive-thru. So, pretty used to politicians being scrutiny with the Clinton scandal be an affront to everyone. why don't we have some profes- Politicians and sex scandals caught with their pants down. In which throws doubt on the possi- These four examples of unjust sional jurors? Britain we seem to have developed bility that Clinton will be convicted decisions made by racist, ignorant It could be argued that people have been connected since George sex scandals into an art form. affair Washington's 200 alleged even if he did what he is accused or just plain weak juries that are have a right to a Jury of their peers. years ago. President Clinton is not Among other excitements, of. subject to the capricious will of a But all a "peer" is someone who is exactly breaking the mold with his former government ministers have Juries making bone headed de- judge are the kind of horror stories on a equal footing before the law. alleged indiscretions involving published intimate diaries; includ- cisions seem to have been in the that make the news. But what don't Since we have no nobility in the women from Gennifer Flowers to ing one which contained an un- of a threesome 'news quite a bit these last years. make the news are the thousands US, everyone could be considered Monica Lewinsky. apologetic account woman and her with a married What has changed is people's grown-up daughter .. This kind of excessive judicial power is found in the People's reactions to these scandals. Our As for the French, news of such fascination with the lives of celeb- goings on would barely cause them Republic of Massachusetts, and we all know what screwy things rities has reached a frenzy; the con- to pause and look up from their red come out of chowder country. sequences of which were painfully wine. There, keeping a mistress is demonstrated with the death of practically considered part of the Princess Diana last September. job. Starting with the 0.1. Simpson of times a year that juries arrive at theoretically, every- a peer because, verdict this trend has continued. It good, responsible decisions. one is equal before the law. There It is our obsession with the inti- One pattern that has emerged is is a mystery to me as to why both They don't make the news be- mate details of the president's af- thai even when the guy (and it al- is no reason Terry Nichols and the Unabomber cause aren't unique. Juries do make rors would why professional one's Ju- fairs that has led to the absurd situ- mOSI always is a man) loses his job be any less arc not now sitting on death row. If good decisions all the time. But, in "peers" than amateurs ation this country is in now. The over the scandal, he usually man- there ever were people who de- high profile cases skilled attorneys Professional Jurors would be head of state, the representative of ages to make a comeback. Perhaps is being people, served to be on the receiving end can and do manipulate the jury sys- able to gain knowledge of, and ex- the American a court because he this is due to our liberal European brought before of society's ultimate retribution, it tem to their client's advantage. perience with, the laws. This would allegedly can't control his sexual morals, but I doubt it. The English is these persons. They pick people to be on the enable them to see around any mis- appetite. are not exactly known for their free Then we have the Louise Wood- jury based on whole slew of rea- leading statements or trickery the and easy attitude towards sex. ward, British au pair story sons. This is of course understand- attorney's throw up at them and Theoretically, all are equal be- Even if Clinton is proved to ("shaken, nOI stirred"). The Jury able. They want people on the jury might very well lead to more accu- fore the law and Clinton should not have done everything he is accused gave one verdict and the Judge who will have sympathetic feelings rate and just decisions. be an exception to this. However, of, a situation not beyond the worked around it to effectively toward their client. He will have a Professional Jurors wOuld also it is questionable whether he should bounds of possibility, it may not do change it into the one he wanted. better chance of being freed that benefit society in another way. have to undergo this trial. We him too much harm. Already, his way, and freeing him is the There would no longer be any rea- should not create equality by bring- State of the Union Address has Now, this kind of excessive ju- lawyer'sjob. son for anyone reluctant to serve ing everyone down to the lowest done wonders for his damaged ap- dicial power is found in the So what can be done about this on a Jury to be forced 10. No un- common denominator. proval rating since the Monica The media has had a field day People's Republic of Massachu- situation? Restricting attorney rep- willing persons would be ripped wondering whether Clinton will Lewinsky affair first broke .. setts, and we all know what screwy resentation for people accused of away from their jobs and their have to display his "distinguishing In an ideal world the president things come out of chowder coun- breaking the law is not the answer. families, from their entire lives just characteristics" beforeajury. Does would be perfect but as a human try (Remember Ted Kennedy, the The power of the judiciary in Mas- so some accused criminal could get this country want 10 have the na- being this is not possible. Perhaps Salem Witch Trials, and Willie sachusetts to basically ignore a his day in court. tional representative humiliate it's time to balance more carefully Horton anyone?). That such a sys- Jury's decision must be curtailed, the affairs of state with alleged af- tem can exist in this country should of course. But, the real problem Esmaii. agdOOJ@wmdc.edu himself in this way? fairs in the Oval Office.