Fix alarm woes I strongly urge the University to invest in a system that would prevent malicious fire alarm pulls. This may not seem like a serious issue to IU students who live outside the residence halls, but in fact, the alarms are so detrimental to the sleep of dormitory residents that they have an adverse effect on academic performance. Furthermore, students are so frustrated by the alarms that their unwillingness to leave the building poses a hazard in the event of a real fire. This past weekend alone, the residents of Read Center were forced to exit the building two nights in a row: around 2 a.m. Nov. 14, and around 3 a.m., the following morning. Each time, we stood in the cold night air for around 20 to 30 minutes. Because Read is aware of how immune we have become to these alarms, in the future they will key into every room to ensure that all students have left, according to an e-mail sent to Read residents Monday. This process will probably extend the time students spend outside to an hour or more. These alarms can come any night: the sociopaths who pull them have no concern for students who may have a difficult test early the next morning. There is no excuse for the University's continued disinclination to address the problem. On April 29, 1998, the Arizona Daily Wildcat reported that their school would install a $40,000 video surveillance system to catch perpetrators of false alarms. A less expensive option would be fire alarms which deposit dye on the person who pulls them. Indiana University has put off a real solution to this problem for too long, and it is time to act. The penalty for those who pull the alarm should be as harsh as possible: immediate expulsion, coupled with prosecution. I'm sure all students who live in resident halls agree that no system is too expensive to prevent a problem that is extremely disruptive to learning.
William Harvey Senior
Finding little 'silence' I am writing in response to Vincent Carr's article entitled "Catholic culture of silence" (IDS, Nov 10). I do not know which Catholic parishes or schools you have been attending, but the Church's stance on homosexuality has been a topic of discussion many times where I have been attending. This is my experience, and yours may be different. I can often remember not only clergy discussing this issue, but I also have recalled my teachers clearing up many of the myths involved with the Church's doctrine on homosexuality. Whether we agree on the Church's stance (I personally agree with it, and I'm sure I will be called narrow-minded) is irrelevant. To completely dismiss the Church as "silent" on this issue is not looking at all sides of this issue. Your editorial is based on your experience alone. I'm guessing the Church is easy to bash in light of recent scandals, and I find it sad that you must do so.Robert Schaffner Freshman
Thanks for Pitt The William Rivers Pitt lecture Monday was an eloquent, well-structured presentation of the lies which the Bush administration has told to justify the war in Iraq. The Grand Hall of the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center was packed with 225 seats filled and dozens more interested individuals standing. Through his work at www.truthout.org, Pitt reads 20-30 online national and international news outlets every day, most of them considered mainstream. He has authored three books, one of them an international bestseller. He has travelled extensively and spoken to people all across the country. It is not surprising, then, that he showed himself to be eminently qualified to summarize and comment upon the actions of the federal government. Thank you to the organizers for bringing such a vibrant, intelligent speaker to campus.Isabel Piedmont Staff
