IU for higher education, not athletics glorification\nAlumnus Mark Young's letter ("Myles Brand should resign," Feb. 27) is both disrespectful slander and empty rhetoric. IU is an institute of higher education not a forum for athletic deification. I applaud our president for taking the much needed steps in refocusing our gaze back to academics and returning the athletic department to what it should be -- an enriching part of the college experience minus the commercialization. Students and alumni should look to IU as a great center of learning for thousands of students not as a court or field for a handful of athletes. I am proud to give my support to Myles Brand and his efforts to "turn down the volume" on athletics.\nBrian Woodard\nSophomore
Fill parking booth at SRSC\nI have been working out at the SRSC since August. And as every "SRSC Nazi" according to a past letter knows, this time of year is prime for people toning up for Spring Break. As I pull into the SRSC parking lot with my workout partner Ian, we always encounter a line of cars waiting for spots in the SRSC parking lot. This is a constant tradition that every SRSC visitor is familiar with. I am not saying that the people who just work out for spring break are the problem, because they are not. They have the right and the opportunity to use the SRSC as much as I do. The problem, however, is the University's. More parking spots were added last semester. However, this has not helped the parking situation. The next step was for the University to add a ticket booth to monitor the parking situation. As my friend and I inquired, the booth was supposed to have an attendant that would give a ticket to every car that parks in the lot. The person would have two hours to workout and after that, a fee would be applied to additional time parked. As of today, that booth remains empty. What happened to this plan? It seemed like a good idea. This seems like a major waste of money by the University.\nEfram Simon\nSenior
Kirkwood e-mail only hurts party\nWell, Kirkwood did it. They began an e-mail campaign to get voters. So, after I got their e-mail, I deleted it without even reading it. But then I got about thirty more e-mails from other people on the list. The essence of those messages, which most of them went unread also, was that they didn't want to be on the e-mail list. I do not know why educated college students selected "reply to all" to send that message but it was more than annoying. I assume that since they were annoyed, they decided to annoy the rest of us because we were enjoying receiving multiple messages under the subject "annoying." I got angry. \nSo I went online and voted, which I otherwise wouldn't have done, just to vote AGAINST Kirkwood. I hope Kirkwood lost the election and gets in trouble for their shameless attempt at self-promotion. I also had hoped for more e-mail savvy from the other students, but I suppose everyone's irritation was contagious. I trust that everyone that took the time to "reply to all" also took the time to get online and vote against Kirkwood.\nJen Klippel\nSenior
Kirkwood should not be penalized for e-mails\nAlthough Kirkwood may have been wrong in the way it got access to student e-mail addresses, it should not be penalized by taking away votes. This was a good way to make people aware and get people to vote. It is the person who votes for Kirkwood because he got an e-mail and did not look at the other candidates or what their group were trying to do that might possibly exist that the other groups are afraid of. I received an e-mail asking for a Steel vote. Although it was not a mass e-mail, I am sure I am not the only person who was asked to vote for a Steel candidate. I also had candidates for Synergy come to my door and just hand me a piece of paper. What I am trying to say is there are many ways to get what you want and these candidates are pulling out all the stops. For once we are getting people who are actually going out of their way to get elected. This shows great promise because if they work this hard to get into office, maybe they will work hard to accomplish things students really want and be able to stay there.\nCourtney Defur\nSophomore
Graf needs to do some research\nMaybe Bridget Graf needs to do some research…or perhaps just listen to the red-vested Assembly Hall employees ("Fan for the love of basketball," Feb. 26). Most of the Assembly Hall employees ask students not to stand on the bleachers before the game and go on to explain that if one row does it, then all the rows behind them stand on the bleachers. And then the handicapped basketball fans who sit behind the last row of bleachers cannot see the game. The employees do not think standing on the bleachers is, as Graf said, "a federal offense." Grow up, Graf. They're not trying to spoil your fun, they are being considerate and trying to accommodate everyone. Graf claims she just wants to enjoy the game. Well, everyone else does, too. The Assembly Hall employees are trying to make that possible for fans in wheelchairs who are unable to stand during the game…so how about next time you just stay off the bleachers when asked so that everyone can see and enjoy the game?\nKatie Irizarry\nJunior
Student fans treated poorly, too\nFinally, someone has addressed how we students are treated in Assembly Hall. It is bad enough that the University is trying to babysit us on campus, but a school with such a rich basketball tradition should have a great student section. Unfortunately, the alumni at IU feel that they deserve better seats and that certain forms of cheering are inappropriate.\nAt the last three games I attended, I sat less than 10 feet from a child under the age of 12 every time, so I don't think cussing is that necessary. Otherwise, anything should be allowed. We are the STUDENTS of this University, we are why this University exists. I'm glad that the alumni donate a lot of money, but don't they want the students to enjoy themselves while in college. If Myles Brand is apparently all about academics first, then he should put the students first and inquire about a student section. Mike Davis is another person who has not made a mistake in my eyes, he is a class act and a great coach. He is in a perfect position not to ask for, but demand a student section and tell the glorified hall monitors in red vests to let fans be fans. \nMick Zuckerman\nJunior
Miss tradition in IU basketball\nWhen I graduated from IUB in the early '80s, it seemed like a great time for IU basketball. We weren't a Nike School. We didn't concern ourselves with the number of players that we put into the NBA. We had academic integrity. The greatest thing to witness was the motion offense working well (yes, Landon figured it out), and even a first team All-American could ride the bench for not playing defense.\nWe didn't like games spread over the week, but the NCAA mandated it. We didn't want the shot clock, but the Big Ten mandated it. We didn't want the three point shot, but the Big Ten mandated it. We didn't want the Big Ten Tournament, but the Big Ten mandated it. Despite all the factors that help make college ball more NBA-ish, we still had our own traditions that would never change.\nFrom age 11, all I wanted to know as a coaching style was asked to leave in 2000.\nWe now see the Nike "swoosh" on our uniform. The pants are now down to the knees (just like Iverson and Kobe). They want to do away with the candy-striped warm-ups, and put names on the backs of the jerseys. Does making your own mark have to mean disrespecting what came before?\nMaybe I'm in the vast minority, but I miss the closed practices, the interviews never granted to ill-prepared reporters (except Chuck Marlow), the discipline, and most of all the motion offense. I don't look forward to the basketball season with the same anticipation. If Knight had to go, why couldn't it be done with any level of class so that people like me could have our closure? I can never really warm up to Mike Davis any more than the Bruin alum could really warm up to Gene Bartow. \nDan La Brash\nLisle, Ill.
