Jordan River Forum

A day of celebration, not work

Like many of the students who attended classes Monday, I muddled over why we had school on Labor Day. Finding your dissent to the staff editorial, I hoped to unearth a credible explanation. Not only is the argument for school on Labor Day wholly weak, the message is offensive to the reader. The dissent case begins by describing what Labor Day is, how the day is a celebration of the "values and dreams of the working class" with emphasis on "(living) a better life." The argument finally surfaces in the rhetorical assertion of "what better way is there to honor the sacrifices of those who have gone before us than to attend those classes they toiled, sweated, and bled for." If I'm not mistaken, do we not spend the entire semester honoring their toil, sweat and blood by attending classes? Are we not realizing "their dreams of self-improvement" by attending college at all? It is our choice to be here, and in doing so, we honor those sacrifices made by the countless laborers of our nation. Labor Day is, lest we forget, a national holiday. It is one of the few in the hundreds of faceless, mundane days of year where the routine of working through life is interrupted by a 24-hour celebration. The laborers of our nation gave us Labor Day, they gave us the assurance that we can celebrate for one day and not worry, they gave us the "better life" in which we can enjoy a holiday to remember them. Zach Morgan
Freshman

Irritated with the administration

While most students are annoyed by the fact that they have to attend class on Labor Day, I have a different complaint. It seems to me that if the students and professors are expected to be in class on Labor Day, then those people who work in the Registrar's Office should have to work, too. I find it incredibly irritating that I'm paying to use the resources on this campus and am required to attend class on a national holiday and yet, those people who are working for me and every other student on this campus are allowed to take the day off and have some leisure time. The fact that these people are given the day off is a slap in the face to those of us who work hard to be in school. It would be nice if those people who make the decision to close an office recognized that some of us actually work full-time jobs and go to school full-time. As a direct result they can only find time to make schedule adjustments on days when our places of business are closed. I realize that if the people who had the day off today worked, they would probably have to be paid time and a half, but don't we pay enough in tuition to cover those expenses? I'm not asking for Labor Day off necessarily, I just think there should be some standard across the board. If students have to go to class and professors have to teach, why shouldn't the people in Franklin Hall have to work, too? Lucy Berger
Senior

Throw out the 'jorts'

As I walk through campus during weekdays, I see all the things that I am used to: young co-eds getting to class, people talking on cell phones, even those strange few who do some form of exaggerated martial arts in the Arboretum, which looks like some uber-geeks living out a Star Wars fantasy. But nothing makes me more upset than the following: jean shorts and sleeveless t-shirts (with the optional wife-beater beneath for added toughness.) When did this trend come back in style? Aren't we all old enough to keep our sleeves on, and maybe buy a pair of khaki shorts? We are in college, aren't we? The sun is so frequently out, but leave the guns at home, meatsticks. Unless your name is Rick Vaughn, I think it's agreed that we wear caps and sleeves at this level. Jean shorts are a whole different topic, as jeans were meant to remain one entire entity, not sliced into some old-man lawn-mowing attire that you think is acceptable to wear to a Big Ten school as reputed as IU. Kmart, which, no doubt is reeling in the rise in jean-short purchases, also sells khaki shorts. Pick a pair up, and return the "jorts" to the Salvation Army, or pitch them out your pickup truck window. They are only allowed to come back out on Halloween. Dan Gaz
Senior

New clocks not worth the price

I am writing concerning the new clocks that were recently added to our already beautiful campus. I saw them this past week, and then read an article saying how wonderful it is, and how much they are going to help students get to class on time. Then I read that they cost $50,000 apiece ... and were paid for by a student organization. After I processed this string of information, I thought, "Surely this can't be right." Why would a student organization waste $200,000 on four clocks? Do these clocks bend time? Surely they have some $200,000 function besides telling time. It's a rocket, or a supercomputer under the guise of a clock -- anything but four clocks for the sum of $200,000. Last time I checked, a person getting to class on time had absolutely nothing to do with how many clocks are on campus. It's dependent upon whether the student actually attempts to go to class on time. I haven't worn a watch for years, but I have been late for class twice since the clocks were installed. What happened? Surely a clock that cost $50,000 can give me an electric shock if it seems that I am going to be late for class. I am not saying that the campus did not need more clocks, but $50,000 for one? Isn't Kelley supposed to be one of the best business schools in the nation? No one even bothered to check at Wal-Mart or Osco? I got an alarm clock at Sears for $20. Not only does this alarm clock allow me to set an alarm, but it also has a radio -- all for $20. I am going into debt about $12,000 a year, and I am one of many. As a student, I cannot understand how another organization of so-called "students" could throw so much money away. I am disappointed that a better way could not be found to "invest" $200,000. Larry Christopher Bates
Junior I am very displeased with the new clocks that have popped up on campus. At first I thought they were simply ugly until I heard how much money was spent on them. Does anyone realize that at least three financially-challenged students could have been put through four years of college with that money? And since when do students not have watches and cell phones to keep track of time? The reasons stated in the IDS this week for the school and students' "need" for such clocks were ridiculous. By the way, are students suddenly going to stop being late for classes because of these magical clocks? Yasemin Gencer
Senior

Ends don't justify the means

I am truly confused as to the nature of Patrick Schoettmer's article "Time to Face Reality." He paints an uneasy picture of a strategy where we ignore the conflict where it occurs while at the same time applying overwhelming uses of force where we clearly cannot and should not. Confucius once said don't use a cannon to kill a mosquito. Despite the rumors, we still have a heavy presence in Afghanistan. The problem is the media don't report the great things happening there because it would violate their doom and gloom view of the world and it would give credit to the White House. Mainstream media thrive on disaster and suffering, not happiness and prosperity. As Americans we do not tolerate an attitude of civilians being treated as throw-away trash. The ends do not justify the means when it comes to sacrificing civilian lives. I do not support the bombing of a hospital full of people to destroy enemy soldiers inside, as an example. Let's just nuke Iraq and declare victory because it's "doing what we must do to win," according to Mr. Schoettmer. This isn't the answer. We work around civilians, no matter how much trouble they might be. Innocent civilians do die in war. It's unavoidable. But the notion that someone thinks they are expendable makes them no better than the enemy. Sir, your enthusiasm is driven by your lack of commitment to this effort. This has become a sitcom country where people expect the problem to be introduced and solved within 50 minutes. This effort will take years, many lives, and a lot of perseverance to win. The question is, do you want to fight it here in the streets of Bloomington, or in the streets of Baghdad? Todd Waugh
Senior