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| Failure and demise stem from protests |
Michael Chumley
Junior
MC52800 |
To
The Editor:
As I was walking today, I went down one of the
tunnels underneath Rivers Street. I was greeted by a nice little
spray painted message that says “Buck Fush.” I brushed
it off in a nice matter because first off he/she is a coward for
writing the message to where not many people will see it and also
for being dyslexic. This same individual also was promoting an anti-war
rally.
Words of advice: don’t skip class for it.
Please don’t get me wrong. I hate war. I believe that things
can be settled with peace talks. But when they reach the point where
we are now, war is inevitable. I know people that are either going
to, or already in, Afghanistan or Iraq. They all say that they hate
being away, but it’s necessary so everyone in the U.S. can
have their freedom to protest and whine about our government, go
to school, date and marry that special person, go to work and to
retire.
If we just whine and protest, what are we going to accomplish? FAILURE
AND DEMISE. More than likely innocent people will die when we invade
Iraq, but you think it was justifiable for 3,000+ U.S. civilians
to die because we sat around and did nothing, and more being killed
every single day?
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| U.S. and ASU need to listen to people |
Adam Lee Milt
ASU Box 11983
paradoxindabox@hotmail.com
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To
The Editor:
While reading the article “Protestors disheartened
by BOT decision” from Tuesday’s edition, I had a few memories
from this week flash through my mind. I read a student request in
the library for a magazine subscription; the reply said that because
of a lack of library funding subscriptions were being cut back and
the subscription could not be ordered. I read a letter to the editor
today requesting that doors on campus buildings be repaired. Consequently,
I also found out today that Chancellor Borkowski’s new mansion
has ASU employees working there. For what, I do not know. And why
does the administration building need more space? The last time
I was in there I thought that it was already way too luxurious.
This week I also read an article questioning whether or not President
Bush’s war on Iraq will make or break our economy. I find it
interesting that students are protesting misappropriated funds that
will give our administration nicer facilities (Chancellor’s
box) while I am preparing to join a protest on Feb. 15 because (one
reason) I think that our country’s administration is misappropriating
our tax money to fund a war that will line their pockets with money.
I hope that the administration of the U.S. and ASU decide to listen
to the complaints of those they (technically) represent AND receive
power from so that we students can quit protesting corruption in
our institutions and begin focusing our education.
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| Funding exceeding university growth |
Edwin Arnold
Professor of English
arnoldet@appstate.edu
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To
The Editor:
I would like to compliment the editorial board
of The Appalachian on the well-written and perceptive editorial
“BOT members ignore student, faculty voice” (Feb. 11).
I attended the Board of Trustees meeting as a representative of
the Faculty Senate and feel that your response is entirely appropriate.
When a group votes against you and then praises your civility, then
you know you’ve been snake-oiled in more ways than one.
That goes for faculty as well as students.
The vote to divert academic funds to athletics brings up several
questions:
Whose influence primarily motivated such a decision? Clearly it
was not that of faculty or students. Should alumni with political
pull have such a degree of influence?
The proposed expansion of Kidd Brewer Stadium is predicated on a
growth in student population at ASU that exceeds the number in our
current plan. Who knows something the rest of us don’t know?
The university is in real danger of losing the Appalachian House
(Washington, D.C.), which has been traditionally under-funded, but
has long benefited a large number of faculty and students in both
academic and professional ways. Why aren’t we talking about
a private fundraising drive to save the AppHouse or to find a replacement
for it?
Again, thank you for your continued coverage of this issue. It’s
the sort of thing a university paper should be doing.
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| Sorority women are wrongly stereotyped
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Ben Bonnet
Graduate Student
BB49690 |
To
The Editor:
I am the resident director of Cone Residence Hall,
the predominantly sorority building on campus. I was distressed
to see a couple of letters to the editor targeting sorority women,
labeling them as a sort of snotty high school clique.
From my experiences, which I would argue are extensive (I live with
them and interact with them on a daily basis) in comparison to those
that wrote the letters, I see a totally different picture. I see
these women with their letters on and when they are back in the
hall acting like any other student.
The residents of Cone are pleasant, polite, responsible and fun.
Although it may sound absurd to some, who base their perception
of sorority women on “Girls Gone Wild” and other media
portrayals, most of them are actually intelligent. Many have gone
out of their way to make the independents (non-Greeks) in the building
feel welcome and supported.
I can all but guarantee that there has been more community service
programs coming out of Cone than any other building on Appalachian’s
campus.
Sorority women as a collective group do more community service than
any other type of organization at Appalachian. The women in Cone
have been very respectful to my staff and to me, and I certainly
appreciate that. It is easy to stereotype sorority women because
many people tend to agree with you when you do so. However, I challenge
those people to look at the stereotype that I see ... polite, intelligent,
respectful women.
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| SGA reforms limit learning experience
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Jonathan Zerulik
Master’s Candidate
JZ53275 |
To
The Editor:
I am against changes that the Student Government
Association (SGA) has proposed to the judicial process for students
alleged to have violated the code of conduct. Sen. Bayard was quoted
as saying that “if a unanimous verdict was good enough for
our legal system, we shouldn’t want any less,” in reference
to one of the recommendations. Judicial Affairs is not a legal system,
though, it is an educational one. By forcing ourselves to mirror
a legalistic system where advocates speak on behalf of the accused
and the burden of proof is more important than the ultimate outcome,
we rob students who participate in the judicial process of the chance
to learn.
The university educates accused students of the process and their
rights in it by providing them with an initial meeting with a hearing
officer, the opportunity to have the assistance of an advocate to
prepare themselves and affords them opportunities to appeal their
case if they feel the outcome was improper or unfair. I worry that
the reforms SGA are championing will bring us hearing boards-turned-hung
juries, advocates-turned-attorneys and, in the end, stifle the university’s
ability to be flexible in helping students learn some of the harder
lessons there are to be taught: responsibility, maturity and citizenship.
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| Monies taken from cutting departments |
Nathan Hannan
Senior
NH27916 |
To
The Editor:
I’ve been watching the debate over and development
of the proposal to use student fees directly for the purpose of
funding improvements to the varsity athletics programs. What disturbs
me is the ignorance of the most obvious solution to our athletic
budgetary problems. We simply must sacrifice other departments.
For example, we don’t really need any of the visual arts facilities.
They don’t serve a vocational purpose or technical purpose
so they can be eliminated, and the money from that area could be
re-appropriated to the football program. The second thing we really
don’t need is the humanities. No one is humane any more, what
with all the wars, so we get rid of all English and sociology and
that junk.
Next to go, of course, would definitely be the music department.
After all, those pesky music appreciation classes are really hurting
a lot of athletic GPA’s. Besides, Kidd Brewer Stadium has an
excellent sound system (who needs the marching band for halftime?).
In fact, the only thing we should really keep is the business department.
After all, the athletes have to learn how to sell shoes at Footlocker
if their injuries exclude them from a professional career.
Well, I think after all these unnecessary programs are cut and the
monies are funneled into the athletic program, we should have a
well-rounded school of higher learning to offer the state of North
Carolina ... or we could just have a huge bake sale.
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