UA graduate students don’t have drug plans
I want to respond publicly to the claim of Kris Kreutz (director of administrative services at Campus Health Service) that the Student Health Insurance Plan available at the UA includes a prescription drug benefit. Kris’ claim is in response to research conducted by the Graduate and Professional Student Council that describes the student health insurance plans available at the 15 public universities chosen by the Arizona Board of Regents for benchmark comparisons to the UA. That research reveals that while the UA’s plan does not include a prescription drug benefit, 13 out of 15 UA peer universities do provide prescription drug coverage to graduate teaching assistants and resident assistants. Because the characteristics of the different plans vary along different dimensions, the difference between a prescription drug benefit and what is available at the UA is best illustrated by example. For instance, take two medications that I was recently prescribed for intense allergies: Zyrtec and Fluticasone. One can easily imagine the case of a person who needs medication for a more serious ailment, like depression or an infection. Although I could not afford these medications, the price to have my prescriptions filled for 30 days with my Student Health Insurance “”drug benefit”” at the UA is $107.65. On the other hand, if I had been a graduate assistant at the University of Iowa, I would have paid $22. The price of my prescriptions would also have been cheaper at 13 out of 15 UA peer universities that have real prescription drug benefits for graduate assistants. The average out-of-pocket cost to fill my prescription for graduate assistants at those institutions is $32.57. Similar prescription drug benefits are available to all students at these 13 peer universities.
Paul Thorn
philosophy graduate studentGPSC president
Wildcat coverage of Shawntinice Polk’s death appropriate, respectful
In response to Nick Deininger’s Friday letter to the editor regarding the Arizona Daily Wildcat’s coverage of Shawntinice Polk’s death: As stated in the article itself by the author and Polk’s former coach, Joan Bonvicini, the tragic circumstances surrounding Polkey’s death were very public for quite some time. The remembrance of her life wasn’t taking anything away from other students who were taken off this Earth far too early; its premise surrounded the fact that it put the UA in the public eye and examined how her teammates were handling the issue one year later.
For Nick to assume that the article was taking anything away from others is preposterous. Because of Polkey’s character and her placement in the public eye, I – and I’m sure many others – feel the tribute to her life was tasteful and in no way, shape or form was meant to diminish the severity of another’s situation.
Nick’s assumption that the article would “”constitute trauma”” for Polkey’s family and friends is also off-base. The article itself was a celebration of her life and revolved around her teammates’ favorite memories of their close friend.
So, Nick, this I submit to you: Did you actually read the article, or are you merely criticizing it based on ignorance?
Doug Michaud
senior majoring in Spanish
Time to replace Stoops
To some, this letter will undoubtedly seem premature. I know this is a time of “”stay the course”” rather than “”cut and run,”” but I think it’s already time to think about replacing the UA head football coach, and I am hereby offering my services for the job. I have a foolproof four-part platform for my application that I think will appeal to everyone who cares deeply about UA football and focused excellence:
1. I know what it takes to win! At the end of the game your team must have more points on the scoreboard than your opponent. This simple fact seems to elude the current coaching staff.
2. How could it be worse?
3. My salary will be a flat $250,000 per year, and any additional increments will be on a piecework basis as $10,000 per win. If we don’t win, I only get the minimum base salary (which I might add is itself a huge savings for the UA and the good people of Arizona over the current expenditure, even with the necessary buyout).
4. I will give 110 percent.
Let’s save ourselves the agony of dragging out yet another football fiasco. See you at the Rose Bowl.
P.S. I’m dead serious about this!
Marv “”Coach”” Waterstone
associate professor of geography and regional development
Minutemen ad against Gabby Giffords disgraceful
I was watching Keith Olbermann on MSNBC and the commercial break came on and I saw an ad that attacked Democratic congressional candidate Gabrielle Giffords for being too liberal on illegal immigration. The ad was not only misleading, but it may even have had some racist overtures. Who else would sponsor garbage like this but a bunch of Confederate flag-waving extremists like the Minutemen? Interestingly enough, I also live in Rep. Raul Grijalva’s district, so that makes me wonder even more why they would dare be stupid enough as to advertise propaganda like that in an area like mine. Surely they must know that kind of crap doesn’t sell in this district – especially when we’re not the ones voting in that race. Randy Graf is wrong to embrace groups like them, and he is wrong for America. As far as I’m concerned, he lost his right to run for Congress when he ran that smear campaign against Rep. Jim Kolbe based on his sexuality and not on the effing issues. Just like that Minuteman commercial that went after Giffords, he just danced around, saying “”Jim Kolbe is too liberal.”” Randy Graf is an abomination, and putting him in Congress would be a tragic moral error for the people of Tucson. For a city that elected Morris Udall, Bob Walkup and Jim Kolbe, we could do much, much better than this right-wing extremist who has ties to David Duke. Gabrielle Giffords should be the next congresswoman for Tucson and Congressional District 8.
Joel Shooster
political science junior
E-CHUG survey should give accurate results
This is in response to Friday’s article “”Freshmen face new fees for underage drinking.”” I agree with the article and think it’s a good idea for everyone to take the survey, but it would be more useful to students if the survey was more accurate. I took the survey, and it told me I drink way too much and eat way too much. I have heard from many other people, and they received the same results.
Students would get more out of it if this survey gave more accurate information. The $50 extra fine for any student who does not take the survey and is referred to the alcohol diversion program is unnecessary, considering that the survey is giving out inaccurate information and overall it’s just a waste of time to take it. E-CHUG needs to fix the Web site and students would appreciate it more.
Simon Kinet
pre-business freshman
Garbage throwing must stop
I consider myself to be a pretty loyal fan of Arizona football, and as a fan and a college student I definitely appreciate the atmosphere at Arizona Stadium on Saturday evenings. I’m perfectly fine with taunting the other team’s players if they are foolish enough to warm up too close to our sidelines. I’m even OK with obscene cheers for the most part (98 percent of the time no one understands what we’re saying anyway), though I think we could probably be a little more creative, but that’s an issue for a different day. Hey, this is college right? It’s alright to be a little rowdy; that’s part of the atmosphere. But the one thing that I cannot stand is the garbage throwing that occurs after a controversial call.
You would think that when the head coach turns around and screams at the student section to stop this idiotic behavior (as Mike Stoops did last Saturday against Washington and has done on numerous other occasions in the past), we would get the point and stop throwing garbage onto the field. Most of the time the garbage falls miserably short of the field and ends up hitting one of Arizona’s players, coaches or staff. What does this prove to anyone? Not only are we classless and idiotic, but we throw like a bunch of pansies? Throwing trash onto the field is dangerous, stupid and speaks nothing of the quality of students at this school. Half the time I see the garbage throwers cowering down behind other fans and giggling with their buddies about their act of “”defiance.”” You sure proved to us how cool you are. So please, do everyone in the stadium a favor and refrain from throwing trash onto the field, unless ex-Braves pitcher John Rocker comes to town, in which case, hurl batteries like there’s no tomorrow, but give our hard-working officials and security personnel a break.
Doug Wick
natural resources sophomore
