Pandas no laughing matter
Dear Ms. Joanna Borns,\nUnfortunately, I ran across your (Sept. 13) article titled "Pandas shmandas" and must say that I was very disappointed with your incredibly naive point of view. I am a zookeeper at the Memphis Zoo and spend eight to 12 hours of my day caring for the animals which you blame for being nonproductive members of society.\nPandas, while being beautiful and peaceful, have brought much attention to the world that humans have claimed as their own and continue to destroy and distort. Animals every day are being forced onto the endangered species list by human encroachment into their territories, where they too, I suppose, were being "nonproductive members" of human society.\nAs someone who cares for pandas, as well as three other endangered species, I see too many careless attitudes toward nature. Pandas have been around since the ice age and didn't have a harmed existence until humans started taking over the mountains where they lived, and although I love my job and the animals that I care for, I would love even more to be able for them to live in peace in their natural habitat. So until that is possible, I will continue to care for them and cheer at the news that a new "stick of butter" is brought into this world.\nDara Reinbold\nMemphis Zoological Society
Let patrons pay for 'drunk bus'
Letter regarding the Sept. 14 staff editorial, "Intoxication transportation":\nTo claim the working poor at a university should subsidize those rich enough to buy their way to drunkenness is absurd. As the editorial makes clear, a person certainly has the prerogative to do stupid things, but drunk driving is not one of them. Yet when a public good is infringed upon, the costs ought to be applied to those who commit the act. So as the editorial concludes, the cost is less than a slice of pizza and thus affordable to students. Then just as students can use their campus access cards to purchase a slice of pizza, let a student purchase their convenient bus trip home with their campus access card. For the total contract cost to students, this is a trivial addition.\nA stronger argument to keep the midnight shuttle is to claim an individual would never board the bus for $2.72 per trip. If the cost is too high and without a subsidy, individuals would choose with their feet to find a more dangerous way home -- a public safety cost shared by all. That is a reason to keep the service and focus on reducing the total cost to students. In all likelihood, the IDS articles have helped this consideration, so let me invite the Indiana Daily Student Editorial board out on a pub crawl aboard the 'drunk' bus.
Paul Rohwer\nModerator, Graduate and Professional Student Organization
Facebook news feed a good thing
Letter regarding the Sept. 11 staff editorial, "Open (Face)book":\nRecap: As we already know, Facebook posted a new feature called news feed. There was a massive movement of college students rallying to end the new feature. And then people criticized this movement because it highlights our generation's fascination with superficial entertainment in contrast to our stark apathy toward "more important" issues.\nOriginally, I shared in this criticism. But today, I went on Facebook and looked at the news feed, and lo and behold, I could see the groups my friends are joining. I started clicking on some of their groups, and I ended up joining a group intended to raise money and awareness for the situation in Darfur.\nFurther perusal of Facebook features like "campaign issues" revealed to me that thousands of students, through Facebook, are joining online groups representing "more important" issues, like the crisis in Darfur, education, cancer, etc. These Facebook groups exist to raise money and awareness for a cause, and they work. Just look at the numbers of members.\nI realize now that Facebook does not stand in the way of significant social and political issues affecting our age group, but it is a new medium for students to mobilize together to act/react to these issues. And the news feed has, at least in my case, facilitated this. I did not think I'd say this, but thank you, Facebook, for implementing news feed.\nTiffany Leonhard\nIU student
IUSF killing riders' spirits
Letter regarding the Sept. 19 staff editorial, "Riding in reverse":\nThe IDS editorial board got it exactly right, remarking that boycotting the Little 500 is too important to the riders who make it Indiana's finest tradition. No one loves the race more than those who participate in it, and that is precisely how IUSF holds the current riders hostage. It is evident that the riders love the race more than they dislike IUSF or their rulings. During last week's meetings, IUSF staff, not students, made it crystal clear that resistance would be futile, and the riders got the message. They have resigned themselves to making the best of a dreadful situation and in doing so have been forced to relinquish all hope of having a voice in a race in which they are the critical component. What the IUSF fails to realize, however, is that along with the loss of hope, there is also a profound loss of passion. \nIf there is one word that defines a Little 500 rider, it is passion - passion to train, passion to achieve and passion to excel. It is this passion that stays with them an entire lifetime, as an ever-present catalyst to their success. By taking away any sense of "ownership" by the riders, and in the manner IUSF has chosen, the Little 500 becomes a more faceless, coldhearted event that inspires fewer and fewer students each year. Howdy Wilcox had a more noble vision of the student foundation and its premier event. His vision was an organization run by students, inspiring other students and engaging each succeeding generation, creating successful and loyal alumni. One has to wonder how the subsequent classes of students will view an event devoid of hope and passion. \nIn a letter sent Jan. 30, 1950, to then-IU President Herman B Wells, Howdy commented: "If our alumni today had been exposed to the foundation and its activities before they became alumni, the response to the mailings would be considerably greater." Given how the IUSF has chosen to treat these future IU alumni, they will most likely find out that the reverse of that statement is just as valid.
Tom Schwoegler\nAlumus\nRidersDeserveAVoice.org\nFormer coach - Kappa Alpha Theta
'Democracy for IU' a Hill front\nLetter regarding "New group focuses on politics" by Beka Mech, Sept. 18:\nDemocracy for IU? I think not. \nI love how the Democrats at IU are making another club for "democracy." Its first goal is to re-elect Baron Hill. Democracy? I think not. The definition of democracy is a form of government exercised by the people or through their elected representatives. I believe democracy is our 9th District Congressman Mike Sodrel winning the 2004 election and not Hill, whom this group chooses to support. Democracy for IU clearly does not understand the clear definition; otherwise, they would support getting the right to vote out to the public whomever they may support, not just out to the Democrats who support Hill.\nHow can the group say it is finding common issues between Democrats and Republicans when it searched on Facebook for "very liberal" students? Then it adds it just doesn't want this group to be one-way. I offer some advice: possibly looking for conservatives on Facebook as well.\nI think you can call this group "College Democrats who think they believe in democracy but really don't."\nP.S. If you want to see a real candidate, look up Mike Sodrel, your 9th District congressman.
Tara Virgil\nInternal vice chair of IU College Republicans\nJunior
9/11 conspiracy theory debunked
Reporter Chris Freiberg's front-page story on Sept. 12 ("Group seeks 'truth' about 9/11 attacks") gives a lot of attention to what he calls "alternative theories" about what happened Sept. 11, 2001. That's a pretentious name for what are more commonly called "conspiracy theories." Freiberg leaves the reader with the impression that nobody knows what actually happened that day and that the self-styled "truth movement" is a noble effort with many supporters.\nConspiracy theories are a category for psychiatric research but not for any other consideration. It's a disservice to the public to give such theories more attention than they deserve, and that's what Freiberg's story seems intended to do.\nThe article at www.popularmechanics.com/science/defense/1227842.html is an example of presenting what is actually known -- not speculated -- about the events of Sept. 11, 2001. There doesn't have to be this kind of confusion when there are so many facts available to any reporter, including Freiberg.\nSome will say, "Well, this Popular Mechanics article is just another part of the conspiracy." That attitude itself should be a red flag for any reporter genuinely interested in the truth about the 9/11 attacks.\nHe won't find that truth by talking to conspiracy theorists.
Hal Kibbey\nStaff member\nOffice of the Vice President for University Relations and Corporate Partnerships
Electronic voting machines should be tested
I would like to clarify several points made in the article, "Voting machines questioned" (Kristi Oloffson, Sept. 14) -- which, overall, was on target.\nThe article indicates that I said election results in Monroe County have been inaccurate. The single, serious case in which we know election results were inaccurate was the 2000 general election. Debate about the cause of the problem was very public in 2002. It turns out that Microvote employees had installed a test version of their tally software on the PC that tabulates the votes from all of the voting machines. Votes cast on several voting machines were not included in the final election results because of a glitch in the test program. This is a serious problem because the test software was not certified and should never have been installed.\nAs for other Monroe County elections, we simply don't know whether the election results have been perfectly accurate, a little inaccurate or completely inaccurate.\nWhat we do know is that the Monroe County clerk's office personnel and those who serve on the Monroe County Board of Elections are honest and professional and they care deeply about making sure that the election results are exactly accurate. For this reason, my group -- Verify the Vote Indiana -- has petitioned the board to add additional safeguards to secure the vote in the upcoming election. We have asked that the board conduct more thorough, independent pre-election testing of the voting system. We have asked that it allows Election Day testing of several voting machines, that it totals the machine tapes by hand to double check the tally software and that it allows automatic random audits of the paper ballots that will be cast by voters who vote absentee by mail or who vote early at the clerk's office.\nFor more information please refer to our Web site at www.verifythevote.org.
Cindy Hoffman\nLecturer, Department of Psychoological and Brain Sciences
Could Wikipedia support learning?
Letter regarding "Wikipedia to take on academia" by Chris Freiberg, Sept. 13:\nPerhaps faculty could give students extra credit for detecting errors in Wikipedia and a bonus for correcting them! There are lots of opportunities to create and supplement pages. How about adding to the IUB page the names of brilliant new hires in our music school or recent notable acquisitions to the Lilly Library? By improving Wikipedia, students would learn firsthand both the strengths and weaknesses of this very popular electronic resource.
Noretta Koertge\nProfessor emeritus of history and philosophy of science
'Just say no' not good pot policy
Natalie Avon's column about SAFER ("Herb or Hops?" Sept. 13) demonstrates her naivete when it comes to the culture of partying on college campuses.\nShe suggests college students stay home on weekends and have a bowl of ice cream instead of partaking in alcohol or marijuana use. First, she should consider that high-fat diets consisting of ice cream cause even more deaths each year than alcohol and marijuana combined. But more importantly, her proposal is a public policy disaster on par with preaching abstinence over educating people about practicing safe sex.\nLet's face it. College students are going to be faced with countless opportunities to drink and to use marijuana, and many (if not most) are going to take these opportunities, regardless of whether Ms. Avon chooses to partake.\nBut why on earth would a college want to steer its students toward using alcohol by punishing them more for making the safer choice to use marijuana instead? After all, every objective study conducted on alcohol and marijuana has found the former to be far more harmful to both the user and to society.\nIsn't it about time we stop teaching students to drink responsibly and start teaching them to party responsibly?
Mason Tvert\nCampaign Director, SAFER
In memory of Ann Richards
I was barely 4 years old during the election of 1988, and I have few memories of that year. One of them, though, is hearing about an address at the Democratic National Convention given by the treasurer of Texas. It was funny, thought-provoking, memorable, full of spunk, and it was about the issues. This address was my first glimpse of Ann Richards, the woman who would soon be the governor of Texas.\nHer speech that day still rings true, still speaks to the core values of her party and, I believe, her country. "We Democrats believe that America is still the country of fair play, that we can come out of a small town or a poor neighborhood and have the same chance as anyone else. ... We believe that America is a country where small business owners must succeed because they are the bedrock, backbone of our economy. ... We Democrats believe that America can overcome any problem, including the dreaded disease called AIDS. We believe that America is still a country where there is more to life than just a constant struggle for money. And we believe that America must have leaders who show us that our struggles amount to something and contribute to something larger -- leaders who want us to be all that we can be."\nGov. Ann Richards was something different. She stood out from the crowd. And in a time when there were not many women in elected office, she proved that women were tough enough for politics and got the job done. She left Texas a better place than it was when she arrived. She did the same for her country.\nRichards overcame great odds and personal struggle, and she told others that they could do it, too. She made us believe that no matter who you were or where you were from, you counted, your dreams counted. For her strengths, courage, humor and integrity -- for her love of the human spirit -- she will be missed.
Emma Cullen\nSenior
War on terror a student issue
Letter regarding "In loving memory" by Grace Low (Sept. 11) and "Letters 101" by Brian McFillen (Sept. 13):\nI do read the IDS, pretty much daily, and I regularly get all fired up about some of the things I read, so I am going to write it all out -- in a therapeutic, cleansing way.\nTo all the opinion columnists who take a shot at politics: Nice try. Most of it is just regurgitated Bush administration propaganda. An exception was Grace Low's well-researched column, which was quite refreshing. I am curious as to why so many students blindly accept this war and the accompanying slogans of the government. Perhaps it's because they believe, as Brian McFillan writes, that students have no influence over U.S. foreign policy. It could be that we really believe that our culture is superior to Iraq's and therefore we can "help them out." Or perhaps we are all really, really afraid of another country not liking us enough to attack us - which I am sure this war will straighten out.\nMy fellow students, let's not be illusioned. This is not a war on terror; it's a war on people, a war with implications we can only begin to imagine. Destroying another culture's way of life doesn't exalt ours. And I believe students can influence our country's "search and destroy" foreign policy. \nIf you are going to subject yourself to corporate media (like the "news"), please take the time to look at the other side of the coin. Pick up the Bloomington Alternative, watch Michael Moore's films or read UTNE magazine. These are good sources for information that can balance out the propaganda.
Sarah Blankenbaker\nIU student
Bush has had full agenda, is human
With all the Bush hatred alive and well, it's easy for some people not to like the man. Myself being a supporter of Bush, I do have my issues with the president on certain issues: the handling of the Iraq war after the invasion and immigration. But in reality, it's hard for me to believe that with everything this man has been through, he can make 280 million people believe in one idea. The mental beating this man has received is inhuman, but let's not forget he is human. He has made mistakes, which everyone knows, but let me quickly list the most important issues that this President has been though in his tenure.\n1. Sept. 11\n2. Katrina\n3. Immigration\n4. Social Security reform\n5. North Korea\n6. Iran\n7. Lebanon-Israel conflict\n8. High gas prices\nI do realize this is the president of the United States, and he must stand for all Americans in his actions and words. Is this possible? Aren't our differences and debates what make democracy work? Do you have the "balls" or, in adult terms, "guts" to stand up and take action with people disagreeing with you just because your last name is Bush and not Clinton? I doubt it. We must trust these government leaders, whether they may be Democrat or Republican, and who have graduated from Yale and Harvard, to run this country. If I'm not mistaken, these colleges tend to have the smartest people in the country. You must respect this president who might not have the greatest IQ but is fighting everyday so you and me are safe from a random stranger walking around with a bomb on his back.
John Felts\nJunior
