Opinion

the Journal: An open forum dedicated to

serving the East Central University community
with integrity, accuracy and fairness.

the Journal
Sept. 27 - Oct. 3, 2012

CAMPUS CHAT
What Is Your
Favorite
Thing About
Fall?

Scotts Soapbox
Voting Is Not
Only Gift but
Civic Duty
BY COREY SCOTT
Staff Writer
Five million more people
turned out to vote in the 2008
election than in 2004. Many
were 18-24
year
olds
who
were
casting
a
vote for the
very
first
time, according to the
U.S. Census
Bureau.
Although these numbers
are encouraging, a mere 49
percent of young Americans
voted in the 2008 elections. By
college grading scales, they
would receive a failing grade
for that assignment.
Americans need to vote,
plain and simple. This nation
has been given the greatest gift
of all, democracy. Americans
are allowed to choose the individuals best suited to run the
country. Casting a vote for the
candidate who best represents
the beliefs individuals hold is
an almost sacred duty. There is
no greater feeling in the world
than having a small I Voted
sticker on ones shirt.
It is time for American
youth to step into the light
and let their voices be counted. Whether a Republican or
Democrat, members of Generation Next need to take their
future and decide it now. This
country was founded so people
could have diverse opinions,
even if they are not popular.
In Oklahoma Oct. 6 is the
final day to register and still
qualify for the major election
coming up in November. If
students are not going to be
home to vote, they can vote
via absentee ballot.
There are trying times before young Americans. They
cannot let their voices go unheard. The future is theirs to
choose.

Its not too

hot and its
not too cold.
I love it. Its
actually my
favorite season.
Cheyenne George,
Ada freshman

CARTOON/SALVADOR JASSO

EDITORIAL
Lovin is not Worth Dying for
BY MARY NEWPORT
Editor-in-Chief
An estimated 11 million
dogs and cats die every year
when they
run out of
time in the
shelters
keeping
them. More
roam
the
streets, sick
and hungry.
One
need
only walk across East Central
Universitys campus at dusk
to see myriad cats slinking
towards the dumpsters, ready
to flee if a human comes too
close. Its a sad situation, and
its caused by human neglect.
Most people are aware of
the need to support animal
shelters in order to save these
abandoned or ownerless pets,
but many dont realize preventative action is much more
effectiveand such action is
now easier than ever to take.
Spay Oklahoma is a lowcost, non-profit clinic founded
in 2004 to bring affordable pet
care to low-income families.

For as little as $30 per cat and

$40 per dog, pet owners can
spay or neuter their pets and
prevent more unwanted animals from joining the growing
feral population.
Spaying removes the uterus
and ovaries of female dogs
and cats while neutering removes the testes of males.
These procedures, more commonly known as fixing, prevent pets from having litters
their owners might not be able
to take care of, adding to the
number of abandoned animals
on the streets.
The Spay Oklahoma clinics, one in Tulsa and one in
Bixby, fix 35-40 pets each
day. Owners simply make an
appointment, bring their dog
or cat to the clinic one morning and pick them up the same
afternoon. After surgery, the
animals usually take about a
day to rest and recover, then go
right back to being their usual
playful selves. Its a simple
process for both pet and owner,
but far too many people put it
off or dont think of it at all.
Some believe spaying or
neutering one pet wont make

much of a difference to the

feral animal problem and say
they will simply give their pets
puppies or kittens away. These
owners better be prepared to
spend a lot of time givinga
single canine couple and their
offspring can produce up to
67,000 puppies in six years.
Others fear spaying or neutering will change their pets
behavior. The truth is, both
procedures tend to make animals less aggressive and males
less likely to roam. Other than
that, an animals personality is
not affected.
Lazy pet owners claim they
dont have time or complain
the clinics are too far away. For
them, Spay Oklahoma hosts
a number of mobile clinics,
which travel to multiple towns
in the state. Those who want
to make use of a mobile clinic
can call (918) 728-3144 to find
out more.
In short, there is no excuse
for pet owners who dont spay
or neuter their pets. People
who really care about animals
dont want to see their offspring starving in the wild or
euthanized in a shelter.

The cooler
temperature.
Stephen
McCleskey,
Ardmore
senior

The weather
is perfect.
And now
that theres
no more
smoking
on campus,
its so much
more pleasant

to be on campus.
Charles Opeseyitan,
Allen, Texas senior

The changing colors on

the trees.
Kaley
Renda,
Pauls Valley
freshman

My favorite
part of fall is
the weather.
Ashley
Human,
Dickson
freshman

To share an opinion on this or anything

you read in The Journal, contact us by
phone at (580) 559-5940, by email at
journal@ecok.edu or by Facebook.