The Marquette Tribune
Opinions
Tuesday, April 19, 2022
PAGE 10
Editorial Board
Alexandra Garner, Executive Opinions Editor Hope Moses, Assistant Opinions Editor Aimee Galaszewski, Executive Director Benjamin Wells, Managing Editor of The Marquette Tribune Skyler Chun, Managing Editor of The Marquette Journal
Megan Woolard, News Executive John Leuzzi, Sports Executive Randi Haseman, A&E Executive Lelah Byron, Projects Editor
Eleanor McCaughey, Copy Chief Grace Pionek, Design Chief Izzy Bonebrake, Executive Photo Editor Nancy Flaherty, Social Media Executive
Andrew Amouzou, Station Manager of MUTV Reese Seberg, Station Manager of MURadio Alex Rivera Grant, Editor of Diversity and Inclusion
STAFF EDITORIAL
Information, presence necessary to ‘be the difference’
Being an active member of the Marquette University community is important to creating a safer and more equitable environment for everyone. It’s important that students and the university take steps to stay engaged in what is happening near and far from campus. Recently, Marquette University Student Government and the President’s Task Force on Community Safety hosted a Campus Safety Student Forum to share its seven action steps to address the recent increase in crime on campus and get student insight. Although many students expressed concern for their safety on campus, there was low student attendance at the forum. Showing up to events like this forum, where the university is calling on students to share their concerns, is important because a larger student presence showcases that students are actually concerned. Additionally, students should take every opportunity to use their voices. Students who weren’t able to
Krisha Patel
This story is fictional and part of a series called “A Greener Future.” It is a prediction of what the global environment may look like 10 years from now. This story is based on present day data and available evidence. Ten years ago, I would have seen smoke billowing out from the cars whizzing past me on the highway. But now, more people are driving electric cars. In 2022, less than 1% of cars worldwide were electric. There were some projections that estimated half of all cars on the road going electric by 2050. The large switch over to electric was largely motivated by people’s decision to address climate change, and decrease their carbon dioxide
attend the forum should consider submitting questions and comments to the Task Force. Being active in campus events is also important in political elections. In the MUSG spring elections, there was only a 30% student voter turnout, with 2,189 of 7,269 eligible voters ==casting votes. While this year’s voter turnout was significantly higher than last year’s 24.3% rate, it is still low overall. Voting is a quintessential way for students, and people in general, to use their voices to bring attention to issues they care about. To have students who can represent the interest of the larger student body, more students should vote in the upcoming MUSG elections. This is especially important since MUSG is the only student-led organization on campus that directly works to bridge the gap between students and the administration. The responsibility to be engaged is on students, but the university should also work to make sure students have the
necessary information to access these events. To be good global citizens students should consider attending more events about international issues. The College of Arts & Sciences and the International Affairs Program hosted a two-day panel on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine March 22 and 23. Both nights were highly attended, which is a great way to increase awareness. Going to events that are informative about the global community is essential if students want to be the difference. There are a host of events that occur across campus every week that many may not know about and may not attend. For example, two events that didn’t receive much promotion were the TEDxMarquetteU hosted a “Flourish Conference” March 28 and the Metcalfe Chair lecture featuring Paul E. Raether Distinguished Professor of American studies Davarian Baldwin March 31.
One issue that may prevent easy access to information about events is the current organization of campus events. Some events are shared through university news, the Events and Programming Calendar and the Calendar Events. Other events are only promoted through different colleges and departments. Having too many places to try finding events can create confusion and prevent students from readily accessing event information. Not only does this jeopardize students’ ability to learn and broaden their knowledge of different topics, but it also hinders their ability to become more informed and engaged citizens. In addition to increasing communication about campus events, the university should help promote more events hosted by student organizations. This will support student organizations as well as facilitate more opportunities for students to interact across groups. Another way Marquette can help student organizations
increase their event promotion is by revising its poster policy for student organizations. Currently, the Office of Engagement and Inclusion must approve all student organization publicity. Some of the university policies for advertising and publicity put restrictions on the content, sizes and locations for where student organizations can put up posters. As a private institution, Marquette can restrict student organizations’ ability to advertise events. But in keeping with its Jesuit values, the university should work to make avenues for student communication more accessible, so students can become more involved and connect with others. Being an engaged citizen requires staying informed and being present at campus and community events. In order to do this, Marquette needs to help connect students with the information to access these events. Taking these steps now will not only help students be the difference during their time at Marquette but also when they leave.
emissions from driving gaspowered vehicles. Electric cars have changed our generation for the better by being a cheaper alternative, more environmentally friendly and having better performances such as speed. By using petrol-powered vehicles, we were putting our lives at risk. Petrol-powered vehicles use a spark-plug engine to turn on. The potential dangers of that electrical shock and the flammability of the fuel meant that they were more likely to catch on fire than electric cars. Another downside to petrolpowered vehicles was how much money people were spending on them. The average American spent nearly $1,800 on gas in 2021 and without electric cars, the number would’ve only gone up with increasing gas prices. With electric cars, it was reported they saved about
$1,000 of fuel on average, which may have been another contributing factor to the switch. Additionally, gas has many negative health impacts and harms the environment. Gasoline is composed of 150 chemicals coming from crude oil. People are constantly exposed to gasoline when filling up their cars at a gas station. Breathing small amounts of gasoline can cause nose and throat irritation, headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, confusion and breathing difficulties. A typical passenger car can emit about 4.6 tons of carbon dioxide a year, which negatively contributes to climate change. Electric gases emit fewer greenhouse gases and air pollutant, which in turn decreases the contributions to climate change. Another alternative to using gas was using diesel. Diesel fuel
is thicker than gasoline, meaning it evaporates slower and lasts longer. This is more efficient in big vehicles such as SUVs and trucks. However, diesel fuel was more expensive than gas. Additionally, it was 13% times more likely to cause pollution than petrol-operated cars. To protect ourselves and the environment all while making better financial choices, it was smarter to turn to electric cars. Statistically, electric cars are safer to operate than gasolineoperated cars. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, electric cars had less automobile accidents than gas-run cars due to the fact that they weren’t as flammable. They were also less likely to be flipped over in an accident because they have a lower center of gravity. Electric cars also have
lower maintenance issues than gasoline-powered cars. Electric cars are battery-run and there are less fluids, like engine oil, which normally requires regular anging. Back in 2022, an electric car could go up to 300 miles before needing a charge, which was comparable to other vehicles. Starting this transition has changed our world for the better, and it’s astounding we didn’t make the switch a long time ago. Many people were skeptical about the reliability and the cost, but electric cars have proved to be a long-term investment, as electric cars’ prices have decreased as the market has expanded.
Electric vehicles rise to majority use
Krisha Patel is a junior studying nursing and Spanish for the health professions. She can be reached at krisha.patel@marquette.edu
