Letters to the editor
Not really, but still funny
Dear my (Future) Consituents,
I am writing today to announce my candidacy for the Associated Students of the University of Arizona student body president. If elected to ASUA, my promise to you is to dissolve the ASUA. How will I do that you ask? Well, what a shrewd question! I pledge to work toward that goal by doing absolutely nothing, significantly better than getting bailed out by the bookstore for years to come. And what if I’m lying, you ask? Well, as a graduating student, I am in absolutely no position to run or take office, and, to top it off, I have absolutely no interest in it! It doesn’t get much better than that.
Based on how much I’m sure everyone cares about ASUA, I’d wager that 30 votes ought to do the trick. So get to it! (please).
So, to sum up our conversation: Vote for me.
— Jason Dittmann
Astronomy senior
Spring Break: slippery slope (in more ways than one)
As much as I would like to agree with Tom Knauer’s idea on the whole “”extra day for travel”” bit, it’s most likely a bad a idea. I mean, I do want another day to enjoy my Spring Break. But see, eventually, that’s what the “”travel day”” Friday will become. Students will think, “”Wow no classes that Friday? Another day for Spring Break.”” And they’ll decide to get a flight for Thursay instead of Friday. Then, your argument will resurface once again, and the same cycle will occur. Think of it in terms of speed limits. Many officers will not pull over a driver if the driver is going 80 in a 75 zone. So one would argue, “”Why not just raise the speed limit to 80?”” because then the speeder in question will go 85, and the officer won’t pull them over because the new speed limit is 80. So then someone else may argue, “”Why not just raise the speed limit to 85?”” … Do you see where this leads?
In regards to professors and their supposed grudges, yes, some professors — or teaching assistants — may schedule some pop quiz or maybe a midterm that Friday before Spring Break. However, we, as students, have no say in what they choose to schedule, because, as students, we have responsibilities to be on campus and in class. Professors and TAs have that option to schedule an exam or whatever because, whether they schedule an exam or not, we students are adults, and class is a responsibility. If college is really important to us, then a one week break is not worth missing out on class.
—William Breceda Cooper
Undecided freshman
Comments from dailywildcat.com
On ‘Mailbag,’ March 8
My thanks to the editors of the Arizona Daily Wildcat for publishing Kirk Sibley’s letter. This is an astounding piece of journalism. This man has impeccable credentials. Mr. Sibley is a good example of what we intend education to do. Everyone should read this letter. I especially like his last sentence: “”Raising tuition is not the answer.””
As regards Patricia MacCorquodale’s proposal for “”a $500 annual fee for honors students,”” she should pay attention to what’s happening in California. There are 220,000 students in the University of California’s system on 10 campuses and 450,000 students in California’s State’s system on 23 campuses. What began in November of 2009 with rioting and mass arrests has metastasized into violence and more arrests. You can only turn the wine press down so far. With increasing defaults on student loans, the students in California’s system are angry and are beginning to swarm. Is MacCorquodale prepared for this when the swarm hits Arizona?
I think not.
—Michael J. Beisch
On ‘ASUA Candidates remain shiny – and vapid,’ March 8
I believe that things such as increasing the diversity of freshmen and freshman retention rates are goals that student representatives can work with the Arizona Board of Regents and UA Faculty members to achieve. And I do not think I am alone in this belief. To be fair, these goals are ambitious and will not be met without hard work and collaborative efforts, but I do not see much to be gained in the bashing of goals which could, potentially, be met.
—Jason Ernst
“”Voge would also like to help students clean up the parks and to be good role models for children. While these are all cute ideas, senators are elected to gather the opinion and promote the interests of current UA students, not use those students as manpower to paint murals in downtown.”” Whether or not I personally support Voge’s candidacy or his platforms, you are mistaken in your assertion that these are just “”cute ideas.”” If I’m not correct, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of students on this campus devoting their time to community service efforts, including, but not limited to, cleaning up parks and being good role models for children. It seems to me that community service is actually an EXTREMELY important interest to current UA students. If Voge were elected and worked hard to create some type of community service event involving beautifying Tucson while serving as positive role models for children, I have no doubt that, if executed correctly, it could become an annual event and would be incorporated into ASUA’s Community Development Program … In addition, please take note of the research many of these candidates have done that you have not. Many of them are more than prepared to work with both ASUA and the UA administration to try to bring their platforms to fruition if elected on Wednesday. Why? Because many of them already ARE working in that capacity on different areas of campus. And, like Director Ernst said, it will take hard work and collaborative efforts for them to achieve these goals. I would much rather vote for a candidate with ambitious, interesting and well-researched goals than for ones with platforms that have already been done and have no thought or research put into them at all.
—ASUA Director
My biggest problem with the current ASUA senators is that they make promises they are incapable of keeping (fee freezes and student retention…) I have yet to see either senator be successful with these types of promises — fees are not going away, and I have yet to see a senator work to keep students retained in any significant way.
Finally, a candidate comes along with a new idea that will bring students to the forefront of becoming involved in their community and taking charge for creating positive change.
If only student involvement had anything to do with student retention…
—Ross D.
You think your really cool talking about the senate and how unqualified they are, but all I see you doing is being a critic and writing a piece that doesn’t even have good grammar. I think we should commend these young faces for actually caring about student government, not bash them. Maybe you could run for senate if you think that these senators are so “”vapid””. And, as for calling out Voge and Bilby — they have been working hard and have actually talked to current senators, researched their platforms and decided on tangible platforms. They have obviously been doing their best since they came in first and shouldn’t be the victim of your ridiculous article.
—UA student
I have a feeling all of these comments have come from members of ASUA or friends thereof. Because, let’s be honest, the majority of the student body at U of A doesn’t know and couldn’t care less about this organization or whatever the hell they do on a daily basis other than getting into huge amounts of debt. So it really doesn’t matter if we have a bunch of dumbasses in ASUA. Let them have their resume-building material — it’s really not going to affect any of us in any way.
—Typical UA student
I commend Anna Swenson for calling out the unqualified senatorial candidates. To the person who said that none of ASUA’s work will affect any of us: You’re living in a dream world. Think about the after-effects of the LAST SMASH PLATINUM BASH disaster. The bookstore, and students, are still paying for that. Thank you, Ms. Swenson, for acknowledging that these kinds of events should not happen ever again.
—Whoa whoa whoa people
You have a problem with the author singling out Bilby and Voge? Shouldn’t they, as senate candidates and potential ASUA members, be willing and ready to accept direct criticism for their actions? These individuals set themselves up for it by running for office. If they can’t handle the bad reviews, they aren’t strong enough to be senators for this university. I’m sure they’re not losing sleep over this, seeing as they did the best in the primaries and will probably win the election anyway.
—LD
