Rumble in the grade book\nRecently I witnessed an unsettling drama that took place in a public area on campus frequented mostly by students. A group of about seven students had cornered a professor and began loudly hurling accusations that the professor's grading was unfair, that the test answers were "wrong," and further, that those students who had done well on the test "must certainly have been cheating." Not only did all this demonstrate an egregious breach of etiquette and lack of respect for the professor, but it betrayed a complete lack of propriety on the part of the students by choosing to locate their riveting improvisation in a public area rather than in confidence with the professor. Further, this scenario represents a growing trend I've noted among students generally -- an attitude of disrespect toward professors and a pathological obsession with grades rather than the true objective of education: learning. \nStudents will openly attack a professor in class over test questions (not in an effort to learn, but in an attempt to win a point), or, in an unconscionable lack of disregard for the professor and the other students, engage in conversation while the professor is trying to lecture. (These are probably the same people who take cell phones to theaters). To those of you who do this, I respectfully ask that you re-evaluate the meaning of a university education and remember some basic etiquette you were (hopefully) taught in grade school. Finally, always take some time to consider how to respectfully and intelligently approach a professor with your issue, and do so in a calm state of mind, one-on-one in the privacy of the professor's office. \nLila Lykins\nGraduate student
No Unionization\nI would like to respond to the clearly biased allegations against Wal-Mart ("Wal-Mart's war on workers," Jim Harper, IDS, Thursday). I agree that Wal-Mart should be held accountable for hiring illegal workers, but I do not think employees should be allowed to unionize. I am sympathetic to workers wanting to better their own lives, but trying to interfere with company operations is not the way to do that. When dock workers went on strike in California, it caused billions of dollars in damage to an already fragile economy. New York City transit workers would've cost billions of dollars in damages if they had gone on strike last year.\nFor some reason, people like Jim Harper feel that companies exist for no other reason than to provide people with jobs. Newsflash: Companies exist to make money. If they feel that they can make more money and increase investor value by cutting workers' hours or shipping a few jobs overseas, they will. You can argue that is right and you can argue that is wrong, but you cannot argue that is reality.\nRather than seeming like whiners who want more than they are entitled to, workers should try getting some more skills. As much as workers complain about wanting more money they are not going to get it without offering their employer more.\nEdward J. Delp IV\nJunior
Passionate politics\nI have never been one to delve into the political realm to any great extent; my civic involvement has always been limited to the bare minimum, my interest peaking around presidential election time and then immediately dissipating.\nHowever, a couple of months ago, in early August, I began working as an intern for the Mark Kruzan for mayoral campaign. And so, after nearly two decades of political apathy, I was immersed in the local politics of Bloomington, a city in which I have now lived for almost four years.\nMark's attitude can best be described as enthusiastic. He believes that Bloomington has the potential to thrive into a flourishing city; a community that fosters sustainable economic growth through job creation and continuous educational programs for all vocations; a community that serves all its members, young and old, by concentrating on the different needs inherent of the age spectrum; a community that focuses on architectural expansion but respects the boundaries that maintain a healthy environment; a community that utilizes its unique downtown area as a heritage center and an economic hub for Bloomington. He advocates that Bloomington is an extraordinary city, one that can be redefined into a model community. \nI am passionate about politics for the first time in my life. Mark Kruzan has inspired that passion and I am confident he can elicit a similar enthusiasm from all of Bloomington as mayor.\nJoshua Perry\nSenior
Two philosophies and a microphone\nIn two recent letters (Oct. 9 "Questioning new species" and Oct. 28 "Religious reason and logic unfounded"), Emanuel Klein has voiced insupportable generalizations about people he terms "fundamentalist Christian "scientific creationists" and "religionists."\nWhat Klein and others fail to realize about the creation/evolution debate is that it is not a matter of "objective," empirical science versus "fundamentalist superstition." Rather, it is a war between two different philosophies. Darwinism is a philosophy -- the philosophy of naturalism. This philosophy is founded upon the exclusion of the supernatural. Scientific data is usually viewed through this philosophical lens. Theistic evolutionists who believe that Darwinian evolution and God can be reconciled fail to recognize this underlying philosophy of naturalism. \nCreationists will study the Rieseberg data without the bias of naturalism, and will continue to be creationists.\nPerhaps Klein should read Michael Behe's (who is not a creationist) "Darwin's Black Box," in which he argues that the irreducibly complex systems of cell components cannot possibly have arrived through the Darwinian mechanism; or Michael Denton's (also not a creationist) "Evolution, a Theory in Crisis," in which he demonstrates that Darwinism is taught as unquestioned dogma despite the many uncertainties of its claims. Perhaps he should consider that it is far more reasonable that complex and organized systems such as the human body (especially the brain and eye) were designed rather than evolved, or that neither the "Big Bang," nor God's existence nor evolution can be proven, and that these are all matters of philosophy, not politics. If people thought about these issues instead of buying the vitriolic drivel fed to them by the biased media, they might be less prone to ridicule those who refuse to be indoctrinated by Darwinist philosophy and call them "unreasonable" or "illogical." Perhaps it is scientists who are guilty of "obfuscation," as when they have manipulated data to fit their theories in cases such as Osborn's "Nebraska Man."\nRegarding his generalization about "religionists" feeling an "intense need for the ownership of America in the name of religion," this is nonsense. Suffice it to say that many religious people wish to keep God and politics unmixed as they should be. And most (Christians, anyway) are far more interested in relieving the suffering of the world than they are in "murder, violence, betrayal, torture and rape." So-called "Christians" who did/do the latter were/are not Christians. \nTim Arena\nGraduate student
Clarifying some papal differences\nI would like to clarify a few things about a papal election because Wednesday's IDS article "Pope's ailing health concerns Catholics" gave too vague a view of the election. It is important to have a full understanding because most students have never seen a papal election. First, when the pope is thought to be dead, his secretary calls his name three times to see if he wakes up. If the pope does not respond, his secretary takes the pope's ring off and smashes it. This is done in the presence of other people. The ring is smashed to prevent people from committing fraud in the dead pope's name. After this the pope is laid to rest and about two weeks later the cardinals arrive in Rome for the conclave.\nThe conclave begins by the cardinals processing to the Sistine Chapel from the Pauline Chapel in order of seniority, starting with the cardinal dean and ending with the secretaries of the cardinals. Once there, the electors take an oath and are reminded of the gravity of their actions. After this, the master of pontifical liturgical celebrations gives the "extra omnes" order, which means "all out." Everyone in the room leaves except for the elector cardinals, who then vote for the new pope.\nAfter the cardinals vote, three people count the ballots. A new pope is elected by a two-thirds majority. The person elected must then accept his election. Once the pope accepts his election, the ballots are burned. The smoke will come out white if a new pope was elected. After the new pope accepts, he leaves the conclave and goes to the robing room, also called the cry room by some popes. After this, the senior cardinal deacon walks out onto a balcony in St. Peter's Square and says: "Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum; habemus Papum! (Eminentissimum ac Reverendissimum Dominum, Dominum) ... (Cardinalem) N. qui sibi nomen imposuit ..." which means "I announce a great joy to you; we have a pope! The (most eminent and) most Rev. Lord … (Cardinal), who has taken the name ... "\nScott Bryson\nJunior
We should stand united\nMy good friend and floormate just told me, "I was about 15 minutes from getting raped on Thursday night." I remembered reading Brandon Morley's article about the blitz-rape around Third Street on the front page of the IDS (Oct. 28), and I realized we both had read the article, but our responses were entirely different. \nWe are both freshmen, and hearing about this at the beginning of our IU experience made me nauseous and angry, but I can tell that it bothered her much more. She told me she walked the same path as that night's IU blitz-rape victim. It could have been her if she had not decided to chat with a professor for 15 minutes after class. This woman has to deal with a fear that I have never considered on walks home across a dark campus. \nI am certain that 855-SAFE will be busier than ever after the tragedy on Oct. 23. Even so, not everyone is willing to call Safety Escort. I asked another female friend how she felt about 855-SAFE and she told me, "I would feel really stupid calling them. I don't think I could do it." Clearly, this service is not enough, so I have a request of the entire IU community:\nPlease unite against this atrocity by telling your friends that they can count on you as their safety escort. \nI know that my request may sound tacky, but I would not have the humility to call upon my friends unless I already knew that they honestly cared more about my safety than surfing the Internet or watching television. \nThis is not just about sexual assault; it is about violation of our right to feel at home in a place that most of us pay several thousands of dollars to attend.\nPlease let your friends know that you honestly want to know when they feel uncomfortable going somewhere alone, and if they ask for your help, give it to them because their trust in you is an invaluable gift of a true friendship. \nEvan Rosenberg\nFreshman
Contrasting candidates\nWhat a contrast between the conduct of prosecutor Carl Salzmann and city clerk candidate Matt Stevenson in the recent controversy concerning absentee ballots for IU fraternity members.\nOnce again, Salzmann has shown his total lack of integrity and his willingness to abuse his office. When Democratic office-holders raised legitimate questions about 200 student applications for absentee ballots, all in the same hand and all claiming to be working 12 hours on election day, Salzmann threatened to investigate Democrats for "voter intimidation" rather than investigate the real evidence of voter fraud by members of his own party.\nOn the other hand, Matt Stevenson showed refreshing honesty and candor for a candidate for public office by admitting that Republican party officials lied to the students in filling out the absentee ballot applications and that the applications are fraudulent (Oct. 23, IDS). Unlike Salzmann, Mr. Stevens understands that it should be more important to all parties in a democracy to run fair and legal elections than to win.\nWe need more public servants of the same metal as Stevens and less like Salzmann. I plan to vote for Stevens for city clerk because of his honesty. Perhaps in two years, he could do us all a favor and run against Carl Salzmann.\nKen Dau-Schmidt\nLaw professor
Look, I have a dictionary\nIn response to ("Basketball ticket package cut to 8," IDS, Oct. 27), Webster's Dictionary defines a ticket as, "a paper slip or card indicating that its holder has paid for or is entitled to a specified service, right, or event." \nTranslation: by paying for 12 IU basketball tickets, I should receive 12 IU basketball tickets. Once you sell 7,800 tickets, you are sold out. This means that if Joe Freshman rolled out of McNutt too late to buy tickets, he is out of luck. \nJordan Livinson\nSenior
The ticket truth\nI am writing in response to Patrick Burton's letter to the editor regarding ticket prices. I don't think Burton realizes what is at play here -- the athletics department is not trying to make money. In fact, the majority of athletics departments operate in the red. I dispute that you can go to Colts or Pacers games for "far less" than IU football -- check out the prices on their Web sites. Since you said you are an alumnus of IU, you remember supporting your argument with factual information? \nTicket sales and donations directly support the student athletes that play at Indiana. Cost of tuition is rising every year; therefore, the amount of money needed to send student-athletes to school on a scholarship is increasing as well. The money cannot be raised on donations alone.\nAttendance at athletic events can often be directly linked to the success of the team. If the athletics department raised ticket prices based on success alone, I am quite sure you would write a letter to the IDS complaining that it only raised ticket prices because the team was good. It's a no-win situation. IU ticket prices are fair in comparison to sister schools in the Big Ten, especially when you consider the caliber of the opponents that IU plays each year.\nEveryone has a choice about where to spend their entertainment dollar and you may choose to spend it elsewhere. The price of IU events may keep you away from attending, but that's a choice you have to make. There are many reasons why people choose not to do something and it's not always cost-related. Take a look at the big picture instead of just focusing on one small part. You can also look at attending an athletic event is supporting your alma mater in more ways than one and that $20 ticket may not seem so expensive. \nMichelle Feierstein\nArlington Heights, Ill.
Regarding the editorial "Bill authors abort provision" (IDS, Oct. 27), thank you for shedding light on this critical issue. It is tragic that a bunch of mostly male politicians suddenly think they are capable of making medical decisions for women they've never met. This ban on "partial-birth" abortion will rightfully be struck down by the Supreme Court.\nHowever, it won't be long before anti-choice advocates in Congress put forth the next version of this terrible attack on abortion rights, with a health exception. Contrary to taking "no position" on abortions, it's time to stand up for a woman's right to choose. What almost no one realizes is that the \nconcept of "partial-birth" abortion is a complete lie created by the anti-choice movement. The title implies that the procedure is performed at the time of the fetus's birth, a fabrication that many Americans have been tricked into believing. The truth is that it is a necessary procedure to give women access to clean, safe abortions; according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, a dilation and extraction (the real name of this procedure) "may be the best or most appropriate abortion procedure in a particular circumstance to save the life or preserve the health of a woman." While the procedure is not pleasant, it is far safer for a woman. As the IDS pointed out, it is generally performed in the second and sometimes third trimesters -- clearly not at the time of birth.\nThe anti-choice movement has long preached for a "culture of life" in America. I agree -- we need a country where the rights of living women are held in higher esteem than the rights of unborn fetuses, which are a part of a women's body, and which have no rights unless a woman chooses to bestow them. If a woman loses the right to control the contents of her own body, what freedoms will Americans, female and male, be stripped of next? If a threat to abortion rights should come up in the future, please call your congressional representatives, and take action to defend our constitutional liberties. \nJustin Peckner\nJunior
