Wednesday October 3, 2001

RHA can act as mouthpiece for resident concerns

I am rather frustrated at the misleading qualities of your article last Thursday, titled "Returning students could face housing cap" and the confusion it has perpetuated in the community.

That article makes it sound like I, a student leader, am personally the one making these decisions about limiting returning residents. Nothing could be further from the truth, and everyone I've talked to who was at that ASUA senate meeting doesn't even remember me implying that that might be the case.

However, I and the other RHA representatives certainly did have an impact on that ResLife-formed committee. Returning students quickly became worried that the university administration was so enamored with the concept of reversing the current system (which gives returners priority) that they might completely toss returning students out of the system (including all of the people who are living in lounges and hotels this year). The returning student population on the campus was adamant both with myself (as their elected representative) and the Department of Residence Life that they be permitted to return in the future.

You might suggest that we simply ignore these people, but I'd ask you what message the university would be sending to its students (not to mention what message I'd be sending as their elected representative). As I have attempted to express to people on both sides of this issue, there is going to be a need for compromise. The situation isn't really fair to either group, but the Department of Residence Life simply doesn't have space. Rather than developing a freshmen-vs.-returners debate, there is a need to respect the demands of both groups when possible.

For those who live on campus, I would encourage you to consult with the RHA Representatives for your building. We recognize that there is a difference of opinion on this issue, and we'd like to provide a feedback system for those various opinions. I've been in discussions with Jim Van Arsdel, the Director of Residence Life, about doing precisely that. The Department of Residence Life has been remarkably willing to hear student feedback on these issues, and RHA would like to provide itself as a means for students to do that.

Benjamin Bush

RHA President

Closing of math tutoring center angers students

I recently started going to the math tutoring center for help, and I am very upset to hear that they are going to close it because of the construction. There must be something that can be done to keep it open or even to change the location. Some people at the school depend on the assistance they receive from the tutors in order to pass their math class. Students are able to go to office hours but sometimes there are too many students, or the hours interfere with classes already scheduled. I hope that there is something that can be done so those 175 students that come each week are not left with out help.

Julie Thrush

undeclared freshman

Nasim's lie should not go unpunished

Former UA student and ASUA senator Ahmad Saad Nasim admitted to ASU police that he falsely reported that he was the victim of two separate hate crimes. On Sept. 13, he claimed that two assailants beat him in ASU's Lot 59 while shouting, "Die, Muslim, Die!" Apparently unsatisfied with the fear and racial division that resulted from this fictitious beating, Nasim reported that a second attack occurred in Hayden Library last Wednesday.

Nasim wrote about the parking lot beating on this opinion page on Sept. 18. He then proceeded to lecture us on the teachings of Islam, Judaism and Christianity. The astute theologian left out the fact that all three of them tend to frown a bit on vicious lies.

In another opinion letter, he claimed that the Palestinian celebration was faked because it was nighttime in Israel at the time of the Sept. 11 attack. Here's a hint for Mr. Nasim: if you can't bother to check simple facts, like 9 a.m. New York time is 4 p.m. Jerusalem time, you're probably not smart enough to lie to the police twice.

The fake hate crime is a fairly recent but increasingly popular phenomenon on campuses. What would motivate a person to write "Die" on his own forehead and put a plastic bag over his head and then claim he had been the victim of racial violence? Is it a pathetic grab for attention or a means to advance a political agenda by dividing campuses along racial lines, which is a favorite tool of the radical Left? Probably a bit of both.

If there is any justice, Nasim would be forced to reimburse ASU for the tuition of over 50 Muslim students who fled in fear because of his deception.

Tom McDermott

law graduate student

Rec center does its best

We are writing in response to Mr. Walz's letter on behalf of the Student Recreation Center staff. As dedicated staff members, we saw it fit to clear up some issues that Mr. Walz, as well as other valued patrons, may not fully understand.

First, we encourage all patrons with any concerns with our policies or procedures to inform us immediately. You can do this by writing a comment and leaving it in our box located at the front desk (on which you can leave your phone number and we will respond) or by finding any of our staff and asking to speak to a facility supervisor or a professional staff member.

Second, we wish to explain further our "steadfast policy" regarding the CatCard. As a business that wishes to keep its users safe and satisfied, we require the CatCard to be used for access so that we know at all times that the people in the facility are legitimate members. We cannot use your locker contract as you suggested, Mr. Walz, because your CatCard is the only identification that tells us whether you have recently been ejected or flagged for any breach of our contract and policies. We do not want ejected patrons to gain access in order to ensure the safety of all other patrons. Just a few years back, we did not allow any patron access without their CatCard, and this policy was lifted to accommodate patrons who did not have time to go back home or find their card.

We would also like to mention that, as a university business, we require it as an access card. You cannot check out library books without it, sir, nor can you purchase tickets to your favorite Wildcat event, and you cannot access our facility without it.

Third, Mr. Walz, you referred to our wages as being paid by our patrons. Unfortunately, this is not correct. Our wages are paid by a few different sources. The first is through state-allocated funds, and the second is from our revenue we generate from memberships classes, and Pro Shop sales and rental items.

We would like to apologize to you Mr. Walz, if you had an unpleasant experience in our facility and we do not wish you to experience that again. In the future, we encourage you to speak directly to us so that you will not become so angry with us. We are students with tests, poor sleep schedules, and often, multiple jobs. We can assure you that we try our very hardest to give excellent customer service on a daily basis, and as humans, we can also assure you that we will fail from time to time.

Student recreation center student staff

Hagler's comic not funny

I am an avid reader of the Arizona Daily Wildcat. It is a great college newspaper full of heated opinions, battles between liberals and conservatives and also full of laughs. I like to read the whole newspaper, but in the case I only have a little bit of time, I will always turn to the comics page.

Five of the six comics make me laugh. Sauce and Voice of Doom are especially funny, but then there is the sixth, Josh Hagler's Furnexistential is terrible. It is not funny. Most of the time there is more text in the strip than art, and the art that is drawn looks like it could have been done by a monkey on speed. I probably would not have even written this, because it seems as though I am just writing something everyone already knows, but today his strip caught my eye and I actually took the time to read it.

He called it "Top 10 themes that just aren't funny anymore." Number 10 on Mr. Hagler's list is cell-phones, which he claims are no longer funny. I do not know what Mr. Hagler was thinking of when he wrote this, but it almost seems like it could have been a direct attack on Laura Winsky's column (Monday), for which Mr. Hagler drew the picture.

Mr. Hagler should not be bringing down other people's work when his is far worse. But the part of his strip that really bothered me is his No. 1 theme that is not funny anymore. It is fine if Mr. Hagler does not think Dilbert is funny, it is even fine if he prints his opinion in the newspaper, but telling fans of Dilbert to find a gun and shoot themselves is highly inappropriate.

I think the saddest aspect of Mr. Hagler's comic strip is that it used to be funny. Remember the Dehydrated Culture days? What happened to that? Mr. Hagler used to be funny, but now as far as I'm concerned his comic strip should be No. 1 on the "Top 10 themes that just aren't funny anymore" list.

Jason Aillaud

elementary education junior