Forget ÎA new U,' students tired of all the construction

Is it absolutely necessary that construction at Park Student Union begin in January? During my four-and-a half years here, I have not been able to experience a campus without construction since fall 1998.

Now, don't get me wrong · I am all for "A New U." Hell, I have been giving campus tours since the start of my sophomore year. In fact, I am currently the president of Arizona Ambassadors. The entire group of tour guides understands the value of updating the university for future students to enjoy. We promote its growth and tell all of our tours how much we have loved our times here.

But I have been wondering for a long time, and now, have finally found the courage to ask: Does the university even care about the 35,000 students currently enrolled or, to be more clear to the administration, does the university care about the 35,000 students currently paying their tuition dollars?

There is so much talk about the future · well, what about the present?

It is admirable that the university would like to keep construction within a short period of time, but what's wrong with everyone experiencing a little bit of construction ... not just today's students dealing with all of it!

I hope that when my family comes to see me receive my degrees in May, they see a campus that is certainly one of the most beautiful in the country, but one that also has one less construction project at work.

Lauren K. McCabe
journalism and media arts senior

Cheating lowers the value of college degrees for all

I am writing in regard to yesterday's articles on cheating ("Been caught cheating" and "Plagiarists pay for cheating"). I have always known that some people cheat, but this is ridiculous! It really makes me feel like all of my hard work, while going to school full time and serving in the military, was worthless.

I now understand why my B.A. has made no difference in gaining higher-paying employment than before I graduated. (I have not been able to get an offer for anything above minimum wage ÷ even out of state.)

As for professors and TAs who encourage such acts, well, they need to be fired and made an example of throughout the academic community. I guess they just need to be caught first. What can the university do to catch these criminals?

By the way, yes, I have cheated. That was in the third grade, and I got caught. I have never done it since.

The price I had to pay was just too high.

Jennifer K. Germain
Class of 2002

Mackovic debacle Îdoesn't matter' in greater scheme

Far too much fuss is being kicked up about the Mackovic affair, which in and of itself, is totally unimportant.

Once again, everyone has focused in on something that doesn't matter at all, and is expending much emotion and effort on guys getting cussed at (like they're a bunch of helpless babies who'll break down in tears).

Meanwhile, there are three billion people who don't get more than $2/day and lack clean water, two billion who are TB-positive, 1.2 billion who get paid less than $1 a day, 600 million who have malaria, 100 million who are HIV-positive, 30 million who are schizophrenic, 10 million who got exposed to Chernobyl, five million who lost all in the recent corporate frauds and stock crashes, 500 thousand in the United States with cancer, 250 thousand in the United States with varying degrees of spinal cord injury, 3,800 on death row, War brewing with Iraq, 10,000 nuclear weapons rolling around loose in Russia and al-Qaeda likely trying to get hold of smallpox, which could be genetically engineered.

So in comparison, a coach cussing out some football players is absolutely trivial and unimportant. Besides, as one student said on TV: "It's football, not ballerina dancing." One should be reasonably tough-minded and callous by age 20 or so. Always remember that things could be worse, as they say in the Chatterbox Cafe. It reminds me of Gen. Patton's World War II soldier-slapping incident. What's all the fuss about? Life goes on. I have mourned the deaths of both parents, and yet survived that, and many other things, much worse than being yelled at.

It's football, not ballerina dancing. Get over it! Mackovic should stay, and tell everyone else to adapt or piss off.

Tatiana Covington
physics senior

Don't feel sorry for female Îvictim' who had bras stolen

Did anyone read Police Beat on Nov. 18 and feel sorry for the poor innocent girl that got her bras stolen by some Marines? I seriously doubt it. The unidentified girl is lucky that all that she had done to her was get some personal property stolen from her apartment.

You would think in this day and age, a female college student would be a little more intelligent than to get into a van (a van, people ÷ did anyone see "Silence of the Lambs?") with eight to 10 guys she doesn't know and then to willingly bring those guys into her apartment. Would this girl's friends and family please advise her not to be so dumb and naive in the future, because I don't care to read that she was raped or killed. Thanks.

Ken Gafner
communications graduate student

Stance against death penalty moral, consistent with bible

I'd like to applaud Caitlin Hall for taking such a moral stance against the death penalty ("The worst crime of all," Nov. 8). A society cannot claim moral justification for life while simultaneously justifying taking it.

I know this position is not popular on this ultra-conservative campus but this is one issue where Republicans should drop their situational ethics and realize that the ten commandments forbid killing, period. But I suppose anyone who could justify arming the population to kill each other can justify any damn thing.

Mark Konty
Graduate Student