Jordan River Forum

IDS women's basketball coverage is severely lacking\nI was very disappointed to see that coverage of the most exciting IU basketball game of the past weekend was relegated to the second page of the IDS sports section. The IU women's basketball team's defeat of 23rd ranked Ohio State Sunday afternoon was an event that deserved front page coverage. The Herald-Times gave them front page coverage but their own school newspaper didn't think the win was important enough. Well, the fans who watched these exciting and energetic players Sunday afternoon know better! Kathi Bennett and this IU women's team are "front page" in my book. I encourage everyone to attend their next game on Jan. 24 and show our Hoosier pride!\nAnna Harman\nIU Alumnus, Bloomington\nSupport the women's team\nI was dismayed to see the low-profile coverage of the IU women's basketball team's stunning upset of 23rd ranked Ohio State in last Monday's IDS. While the men's basketball team's defeat was covered in not one, but two, articles on the front page of the sports section, the women's victory was relegated to the inside page in two much smaller articles. Not only did the women pull out an exciting win, but it was before the fourth largest crowd ever to turn out for women's basketball. If you had just glanced at the paper, without opening it up, you would have never known.\nIt is no wonder that we have trouble attracting more students to the women's basketball games with this level of media coverage. The Herald-Times got it right. Our local community paper featured a photo from the game in the middle of the front page of the paper with extensive coverage of the game on the first page of the sports section. Somehow, I expected better out of the IDS.\nFor all those students, faculty, and staff who enjoy fast-paced basketball, I encourage you to come to the next home game and see for yourself how exciting women's basketball is. The next home game against Wisconsin is Friday, January 24 at 7 p.m. It is "Pack the Hall Night." Coach Bennett has pledged $5,000 to the Susan G. Komen Foundation in support of breast cancer research if we break the all-time attendance record of 5,500. So come and be counted in support of an important cause. And, by the way, you will have a great time, too.\nKathy Byers\nFaculty member, School of Social Work\nIU's struggles with sexual dichotomy\nDrew Buser, in his opinion column about pornography on campus, concludes that "The University must either support sexual liberty or not." Indiana University has had to cope with this type of dualistic attitude since Dr. Alfred Kinsey was doing his groundbreaking research more than 50 years ago; "you are either for sexual sin or against it." Kinsey has been accused of a whole range of things simply because he decided to study the extraordinary variations in human sexual behavior, and in the process avoided passing moral judgment. The fact that courses on Human Sexuality are offered at IU and that the Kinsey Institute archives pornography so that scholars of human sexuality can study why people use it and with what effects, does not indicate that IU is "in favor of sexual liberty."\nThose of us who teach or research human sexuality at this University, including the Kinsey Institute, are strongly in favor of sexual responsibility, and support the Surgeon-General's Call To Action to Promote Sexual Health and Responsible Sexual Behavior, which came out last year. Opinions may vary on what constitutes responsible sexual behavior, but this is a sufficiently crucial issue in society that it is imperative that it is discussed, debated and researched at a University such as ours.\nJohn Bancroft\nDirector, The Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction\nAlternatives to expensive textbooks\nApropos to a letter published Jan. 14 regarding expensive college textbooks; I would like to draw attention to Web sites like www.amazon.com, www.ebay.com, www.addall.com (a little known site offering books from sellers all over the world) and many others for considering looking for textbooks. From my experience, the prices on these sites are more competitive, compared to TIS or IU Bookstore. For example, a book required for a business class (P320), was available on www.addall.com for 1 cent plus shipping ($3 to $4), while being on sale at TIS for $14 for a new copy and $10.50 for a used one!\nTechnology has bridged the gap between buyers and sellers, and it is up to us, young college students, to fully utilize this gift and force TIS and IU Bookstore to offer more competitive prices or close shop.\nManav Saraf\nJunior\nAndy Frain Services may be fraudulent\nI worked as a limited mobility golf-cart driver for the past two football seasons, so I have first-hand knowledge of how things were run under both the ticket office and Andy Frain Services. \nUnder the ticket office, every worker had a picture ID around their neck and had to submit ID to the office to complete their tax forms. Under Andy Frain you could show up on game day, say you wanted to work, and be given a uniform by just signing a name on a sheet. In this post-Sept. 11 world, you would think that the protection and welfare of thousands of spectators would warrant more than putting a name on a piece of paper.\nFor being a "professional" organizational company, Andy Frain was mind-blowingly disorganized. It wasn't until the third home game they were able to do something as simple as provide the same sign-out sheet that I signed in on. They inadvertently started handing out water bottles that they "found" that were intended for freshmen. A woman lost her purse and was told someone in a yellow hat had found it, but there was no lost and found drop off so she never got it back. My instructions on gameday were simply a sheet of paper telling me to be polite to people.\nFor all this neglect, the supervisors at Andy Frain still found time to belittle and cheat their workers. I was promised the same rate I got under the ticket office's direction. I was told this numerous times by the supervisor and other people working in my position heard the same, yet when our paychecks arrived they had cut our pay by $1.50 an hour. When a co-worker went to argue for his proper pay he came out of the discussion saying he "felt an inch tall." When I complained about this change they said since we were being paid in cash I was making more than I would with taxes taken out. When I stated my discomfort with not having filled out a tax form I was quoted the magical $600 tax-free limit. What if I work additional sports games or concerts, is that not counting against the $600 limit? What about my social security payments? This is a ridiculous policy, and one that the IRS representative I spoke to on the phone had never heard of either. Simply put, Andy Frain is guilty of tax fraud on top of all of their ineptness and it is costing Indiana University and the residents of Bloomington.\nMatt Shoemaker\nBloomington Resident\nTest of a true IU basketball fan\nRecently, I bought season tickets for IU Men's Basketball. I've been an IU basketball fan for as long as I can remember. Yet the most recent game I attended (Northwestern) was ruined by people behind me, talking about how they need to lose weight, the color scheme of their apartment bathroom and how they don't understand why the student section stands during the whole game. Because of this, I've designed a short quiz that I recommend the Athletic Office use next year in order to get the true fans into Assembly Hall and not oversell season tickets.\n1. What is Sean Kline's number?\n2. What is a zone defense?\n3. Where did Mike Davis go to school?\n4. Name all the teams in the Big Ten.\n5. Do you promise to not speak during an IU Basketball game unless it is to cheer or talk about something pertaining to the game?\n6. Do you think that two ball-hog freshmen need to sit more and Davis needs to give Donald Perry the minutes he earned by playing good ball last year?\nIf you answered yes to the last two questions, you deserve a spot in Assembly Hall. If not, then please stay home and paint your bathroom. And for the love of God, stand up!\nCasey McFall\nJunior\nPontual ignores prominent problems\nI would like to respond to Pedro Pontual's Jan. 16 column about how Americans should help out the world. I agree with him that as the most powerful country in the world we should help with the world's problems. However, I also believe we should solve our own problems first. Our government must first look to the inner cities and Indian reservations if it wants to find people to help out. I would ask Pedro what he would have us do with the millions of Americans who do not have health care. What should we do about the millions of people who are living in conditions that most of us wouldn't let our dogs live in? I agree that America can help the rest of the world, but we should look to our own suffering people first.\nEdward Delp IV\nSophomore\nBracelets don't include all victims\nThe (Israeli victim remembrance) bracelets are commendable in their effort to represent a life tragically lost in the ongoing war in Israel-Palestine. However, I don't feel it is fair to classify the Palestinians as terrorists. Both sides are figthing against each other in an ongoing battle that unfortunately has caused both Israel and Palestine to commit horrible crimes against humankind. To me the bracelets are honorable but dehumanize the Palestinians who have died at the hands of the Israelis.\nJoseph Woods\nSenior\nRoe v. Wade a landmark event for freedom of women\nAs our nation teeters dangerously on the brink of a potentially devastating war, I cannot help but think of how many rights we Americans possess and yet take for granted. We are allowed so many freedoms that people in other nations can only dream about. One such freedom is that of choice. As Americans, we may choose our words, our religion, our leaders, and so many other things. One particularly important choice that so many of us take for granted is that of whether or not to reproduce. As the anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade approaches, I cannot help but feel privileged to live in a country that gives women the right to reproductive freedom. Before this case made abortion a legal option for women, many women relied on illegal, black market abortions that put them at risk for serious infection and even death. In fact, in 1965, 17 percent of all deaths related to pregnancy and childbirth resulted from botched abortions. Clearly, women who strongly desire to terminate an unwanted pregnancy will do so regardless of whether abortion is legal or not, so the Roe v. Wade decision did not invent or even popularize the procedure. Rather, it has saved the lives of women who would otherwise turn to desperate measures such as "backalley butchers" or coat hanger abortions. In addition, Roe v. Wade has given American women more freedom to pursue education and employment. There are those who would like to see the decision overturned on the grounds that it is morally wrong. I remind these people that Roe v. Wade does not glorify abortion. Its supporters refer to themselves as "pro-choice," not "pro-death." I beg these people to consider the plights of rape and incest victims and those women whose age or financial status prevents them from providing adequate homes for their children. I ask them to think about the consequences of illegalized abortion, which would undoubtedly include a return of coat hanger and black market abortions. I do not fault those who find abortion morally wrong; they are more than entitled to that position. However, they must realize that not all women share this view and that these women are equally entitled to their position. The beauty of Roe v. Wade is that it stands for choice, no matter what that choice may be. I'm proud to know that, for 30 years, women in this country have had control of their reproductive rights, and I hope that this freedom of choice exists forever in America.\nLindsay Prater\nBloomington Resident\nNotorious J.O.E. needs re-education\nI was quite offended by "the Notorious J.O.E.'s" little tirade on teachers. \nAs an Associate Instructor I would like to let you know something about the rules that we are given. First of all, not all teachers have control over the assignments given or the exams given in their courses. Second, school is in session until school is out of session. As a teacher who has a certain amount of material to get through in a certain amount of time, I get tired of hearing students whine about wanting to leave early. No matter when vacation starts, some students will find a way to make it start a few days earlier. That's a choice, but you should be willing to face the consequences if you do that. Third, teachers don't set the price for the course packets. They are expensive due to copyright law costs and the copies themselves. Teachers don't get any profits from those packets! Furthermore, teachers aren't responsible for the price of textbooks. That is established by the editors, who insist on making new editions every other year, and then the book store reaps the remaining profits by selling used textbooks at top dollar. That has nothing to do with teachers. We have no control over the price of textbooks. Fourth, of course we're not going to collect every homework assignment we give. Do you think we have nothing else to do besides grade papers every single waking minute we're not teaching you? Homework is for your benefit. It's practice. It helps you prepare for class and for the exams. The point is learning, right? Or is it now just about trying to make a good grade?\nI'd like to make another point -- enough whining about how much work you have to do. You are in college now. If it were easy, it wouldn't mean anything. If everyone could get through it, your college degree would be even more worthless than it already is. If everyone made A's, what's the value in an A? Let's face it. It's called work. If you work hard enough, and if you're good enough, you'll make it. If you don't ... oh well. There are plenty of well-paying jobs out there you can get without a college degree. I suggest if you don't like learning and don't like working for your grades that you go get one.\nF.Y.I., if you spent half the time studying that you spend whining about having to, you might find it a little easier to get those A's you seem to think should be handed on a silver platter.\nJennie Smith\nAssociate Instructor\nIraq situation deserves much more concern\nYour editorial regarding the current situation in Iraq is a terrific example of naive analysis. The fact that you discount the current situation as not a "pressing" issue is ludicrous. Saddam Hussein is a maniac. This instance is not an issue of the U.S. being the "world's police force." Saddam Hussein is as guilty of terrorism as Osama bin Laden. His regime contributes to widespread destabilization in the region. He threatens to use his oil to blackmail the industrial base of the entire West. It's widely recognized that he will not launch his arsenal at us, but rather, he will inevitably hand over his weapons to the lunatic fringe -- terrorists who will be all too happy to attack us again. There is something to be said about the moral authority as well. I am studying abroad in Britain, and I have met loads of people who have come from countries that don't enjoy all the freedoms we take for granted. The Iraqi people deserve more. It's very easy as students to criticize our government and armed forces. Everyone needs to get off his or her high horse. What about all those young people who can't afford to go to university? These same young people are also serving proudly in our military. What about supporting them? It's not paranoia or nationalism folks -- everyone needs to wake up. You can be a part of the problem, part of the solution, or part of the landscape. Complacency isn't an option for our leaders. More importantly, it shouldn't be an option for any of us.\nPhilip Mervis\nSenior\nSig Eps left behind by national group\nAs a former member of the executive board at Sigma Phi Epsilon I saw firsthand what happened to the members of Sig Ep fraternity. In the summer a new alumni board was elected. They drafted a code of conduct with such rules as 10 p.m. quiet hours, no girls allowed past 10 p.m. and full time house parents. These rules came as a shock to the 90 men who had called Sig Ep home and many of them could not spend a year living with them. It was a tough decision for everyone involved. Thirty five men chose to come back (mostly newly initiated members). The new alumni board president also promised other things like Internet connections, new furniture and quality food; we received none of these. The year went by and some rules changed but the financial situation of the house continued to worsen. Cable was cut and food quality was so low that beans and cornbread were the norm for dinner. Yet the alumni board assured us that everything would be fine. Then the Sunday night before finals week during a meeting we were informed that the national corporation would no longer support us financially and we had to leave by Friday. Besides studying for finals we now had to scramble to look for houses for the next semester. The national corporation offered us a phone number to the dorms and then said goodbye. Days later the national corporation sent e-mails to many members asking for donations for the return of Sig Ep to IU in 2004. What a slap in the face. Sig Ep treated their very own brothers like criminals. They knew well beforehand about the huge debt that the IU chapter had incurred yet they waited until the Sunday before finals to inform us. Greek life is about brotherly love and respect and Sig Ep did not provide that to the men here at IU. They ruined the Greek experience of 35 men and should not be allowed to do it to others in the future at IU.\nJoel Riethmiller\nSophomore\nAusmus' book review is rendered ineffective by lack of knowledge\n"I'm confused by British people."\nWith that opening sentence, Brittany Ausmus shows the brilliance that will characterize her insight into the book she's reviewing (Tunnel Vision is One to Skip, Jan. 10). Would she say the same thing about not understanding African Americans, French people, or Southerners? Given the vacuity of what she did write, I'd venture a guess that she would. \nAnd not understanding Brits' fascination of the Underground shows a lack of historical knowledge, which comes in handy when reviewing books. Londoners took refuge from the German Blitzkrieg of WW II in the Underground. They sang songs and generally comforted each other while their city was being burned and bombed. To know this, you have to read a book, go to a museum, or watch a documentary. \nWe read books about other cultures to learn about them, to understand their ways of life, not to protest that what they think is stupid and confusing. Does Shakespeare confound Ausmus? Does Sir Walter Scott? How about Milton, Keats, and Donne? This is, of course, assuming Ausmus reads things she doesn't have to. Read some John Osborne, Kenneth Tynan, or any other post-WW II English writer, and the Brits may become more understandable.\nLastly, why did she review this book at all? We're given no reason this book is even worth our attention, only why it's not. If we only read books about people we understand, we shortchange ourselves to the varieties of human experience. Ausmus would have us believe that the only books worth reading are about silly sophomore coeds at Midwestern universities. Luckily, these are available, too.\nMarc Geelhoed\nGraduate student\nDemonstrators forgetting how U.S. became great\nAs I turn on Nightline and hear Ted Koppel describing anti-war demonstrations and activists, one thing comes to mind -- stupidity. As talks of an approaching conflict with Iraq linger, demonstrators are preparing a protest against what our president believes is a national threat.\n"The heck with CIA and NSA secret intelligence on the catastrophic weapons Saddam Hussein has, we'd rather stay in our own little corner of the universe." What these so-called activists do not realize however is that yes, the world is a little bigger than their discussions at the neighborhood barbecue. I wonder if it has occurred to these people that the media doesn't know everything about Iraq's weapons program; or even the simple notion of a tyrant such as Saddam Hussein is pathological and a proven liar.\nAs protesters held painted "Axis of Evil" signs with pictures of our nation's leaders on them, I was disgusted and even embarrassed to be associated with these people as a fellow American. Do they not remember what happened 28 months ago on Sept. 11, when terrorists that Iraq now harbors killed thousands of our loved ones? I don't think Robert Rhame, a retired businessman and veteran remembers when he described our economy as a more important issue.\nNobody likes war, but if our commander-in-chief orders our fellow Americans to fight for liberty and justice, I will be at the airport waving my flag in support. Furthermore, if I am called upon, I will happily board the plane and fight for my country; not because I believe it is the right thing to do, but because my president says it is the right thing to do, and because of the soldiers who died believing in the same beautiful American ideals. Everybody living in the United States realizes this is the greatest country in the world. What some fail to comprehend, however, is how we came to be this way.\nJonathan Steinhofer\nJunior