UA campus focuses too little on issues of real importance

What has happened to the journalistic integrity of the Arizona Daily Wildcat? Monday's paper prominently features a picture of T&A while the tragedy of the Columbia space shuttle is relegated to page six. Does anyone else see anything wrong with this picture? If not, you have become a member of an appallingly apathetic society that cares more for pleasures of the flesh than it does for nationwide issues.

What kind of message does this send to other students at the UA as well as all of those public school students that walk through the UA campus? It says that we as a campus and a newspaper value loose college students over reporting national issues. Speaking of issues that impact everyone, why is there no mention of the use of depleted uranium in the war on Iraq? Are students aware that if Iraq does not go quietly, Washington is prepared to use nuclear force? Or that one of the weapons inspectors gave Iraq a B grade? Do people know that the aluminum tipped warheads that were discovered during inspections are not even the right type of aluminum for making nuclear weapons? Are people aware that we are still at war with Afghanistan and bombing them? How about the fact that a former engineer at NASA wrote President Bush calling for a moratorium on all space shuttles because a disaster was imminent?

These issues are not just reported by individuals that are going against the grain, these issues can be found in articles in the Washington Post, New York Times, news radio programs that are broadcast by your publicly funded radio stations ÷ which interestingly enough are very difficult to receive on campus. If students do not know anything about the issues mentioned here, I urge you to look this information up! I encourage outraged students to speak up about these issues as well as the information printed in this newspaper! And how about a show of hands for those who would like T&A pictures and articles to be found right next to the personals in the back of the paper where they should be. Oh and "Girls Gone Wild," maybe you should put down the beer and your top, and head to a therapist to deal with those inadequacy issues.

Elena L. Kress
sociology junior

ÎGirls Gone Wild' one of the most important issues of day

I was overwhelmed with joy Monday morning when I picked up the Arizona Daily Wildcat and saw that "Girls Gone Wild" had made the front page. I consider myself an avid reader and scholar so I could not have been more pleased. Sure, there were other interesting stories in the paper, but none quite so interesting as breasts. After all, seven astronauts dying for unknown reasons and the future and safety of the American space program in jeopardy certainly deserves page six status.

As a matter-of-fact, I think that the Columbia disaster does not quite qualify as "interesting" news. Perhaps you could write more articles about breasts, booze, and basketball in order to keep UA students more informed of important news.

Jeremy Young
music freshman

ÎAppalling' front page photo illustrates Wildcat hypocrisy

When I picked up a copy of the Arizona Daily Wildcat this morning, I was expecting to find coverage of the tragic shuttle Columbia disaster that occurred over the weekend. Instead, I was appalled to find a large picture about "Girls Gone Wild" front and center.

Apparently, the Tucson appearance of a company that prides itself on producing voyeuristic videos is bigger news than only the second NASA catastrophe in 17 years. Seven brave individuals were killed Saturday morning, and they deserve better than page six coverage. I find it very hypocritical that a newspaper striving for journalistic credibility and balanced reporting would stoop this low, and I hope that you will not make such a flagrant misjudgment in the future.

Benjamin Notheis
electrical engineering junior

Front page articles not higher priority than Columbia loss

I wish to complain about the front page of Monday's Arizona Daily Wildcat. Saturday morning this country suffered a national catastrophe. The space shuttle Columbia exploded and seven human beings were killed in the line of duty, serving their countries.

I am very disappointed with the Wildcat for placing this story on page six and on the front page displaying a photograph "Girls Gone Wild," and articles on tuition, and statues. While these are "pressing" issues, I fail to see the reason these have priority over the Columbia tragedy.

Danielle Hunt

UA senior office specialist

Wildcat used poor judgment featuring ÎGirls' over shuttle

Today, across the country, flags fly at half mast, mourning the loss of those who lost their lives in the Columbia shuttle disaster. Today many people across the country and world are commemorating and remembering the lives of those who dared to travel into space in order to further our knowledge in science and space exploration.

Meanwhile here at the University of Arizona we commemorate those who died in the Columbia shuttle tragedy by placing "Girls Gone Wild" on the front cover of the Arizona Daily Wildcat and disrespectfully placing the shuttle disaster on the sixth page in yesterday's paper. I find this to be very poor placement of such a poignant event. It did not shed light on the events that are most important to students and other members of the UA community. Although for some, a small minority, the "Girls Gone Wild" picture and caption may be the most thrilling and engaging piece of news, however, I do not think it is for most.

Finally, if the Wildcat is to properly serve the UA community by providing important news and information, I think that it needs to rethink what is important and what is really quality news and information.

Katie Huber
political science senior

First Indian female in orbit remembered as Îa pioneer'

This weekend brought sad news not only for NASA and the families of the astronauts, but also for the fellow countrymen of those astronauts. We had the first Israeli astronaut, one of the first African-Americans in space, and the first woman of Indian origin in space. I would like to share with you how the Indian community back home and the expatriate community in the United States is remembering Kalpana Chawla.

She was a symbol not only as a pioneer Indian, but also a role model for countless girls in a country where poverty and

illiteracy threaten their future. To NASA, Dr. Chawla was the "brain" behind the robotic arm and a great astronaut.

In India, people will always remember her as the girl next door who had a dream and the will to excel in her studies. Her hard work and achievement from a small school in Punjab, India gave her the chance to study in Chandigarh College. She did her graduate studies in the United States and joined NASA in the late Î80s.

She became a symbol for many school children in India. It is a tragic event. It has brought people of all faiths together. Sikhs prayed in their Gurdwaras, Hindus read their hymns from the Upanishads, Muslims read Sura Fatiha (the first chapter in the Koran), and the Catholic church in Mumbai, India had a Mass to remember all the victims of this tragic event. She will always be a hero in the eyes of Indians.

There is a small prayer in Islam: "Inallaha wallahi rajiun" ÷ "From God we come and unto Him is our Eventual Return."

Ahmad Saad Nasim
UA alumnus 2001

Columbia's crew members deserve moment of silence

As of Feb. 1, seven families felt the pain of losing a loved one. That morning, as the Columbia shuttle was reentering Earth's atmosphere at approximately nine in the morning eastern time, the lives of the family and friends of the crew changed. In the morning my mother woke me up and told me that we (America) had lost contact with Columbia. Still in the daze of sleep, I thought she was referring to the country, but as I woke up it dawned on me that she was referring to the shuttle. I thought to myself, "No big deal, communication is down and will be back up in a few minutes." This happens all the time. Then I looked at the TV screen to see the shuttle in pieces falling through the atmosphere. Almost right away the eerie and disturbing feeling that I felt on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001 returned, although to a lesser degree. Sadly the first idea that popped into my head was that this was an act of hatred from an extremist Islamic group. Could one of the various extremist groups working under the dead or alive bin Laden have coordinated this act?

According to the reports, the explosion was not attributed to a missile or any sort of projectile, but rather to a malfunction or to human error. It would have in no way been a stretch of reality to fear that an extremist Islamic group was behind the tragedy. After all, the Columbia was a symbol of the West, and furthermore, it carried the world's first Israeli astronaut (Ilan Roman, 48 years old). Very quickly could this journey of scientific discovery have become a politically charged situation.

As an Israeli American, I was disturbed by the simple notion that the Columbia, with its seven members, was possibly targeted because of the presence of an Israeli.

To state the clichŽ, what happened on the morning of Feb. 1 was the lesser of two evils ÷ that is, random nature can be attributed to the tragedy rather than an act of hatred. Five out of the seven crew members were married. A moment of silence for the downed; Rick Husband, Willie McCool, Michael Anderson, Kalpana Chawla, David Brown, Laurel Clark, and Ilan Ramon.

Yanev Gerowitz
political science junior

New Arizona Daily Wildcat format Înot too impressive'

I just want to say that I am not too impressed with the new format of the Wildcat. The "On the spot" section needs to go. No one cares about the people being asked questions, and the questions aren't any good anyway. You need to bring back the "Fast facts" and "On this date" sections, because those are good information to know. Those facts might appear on Jeopardy some day, and we should make sure our students are prepared for them, in case they are on the show.

Mike Rosenthal
pre-law junior

ÎHoly Times' offensive to founding fathers' beliefs

I would like to register my disgust concerning the Arizona Daily Wildcat daily cartoon strip, "Holy Times" by Arnulfo Bermudez. Just because this is an egalitarian society does not mean sacrilegious statements like that can be published. It gives the paper a bad name. To have such open disrespect for one of the cardinal beliefs of the founding fathers of America is shocking. How do you think the Christian community on campus will perceive this? Are you trying to say the Wildcat is for all, except the Christians? That is what you are trying to say by printing such a cartoon. The paper should be seen to be fair to all ÷ Christians, Muslims, agnostics. I noticed someone complained, but Mr. Bermudez seems not to have taken his point of view into consideration. Personally, I have been a supporter for the paper, but if there is no change with respect to this cartoon strip I will be forced to boycott the paper. Think of what will happen, if others boycott the paper?

What we need most at difficult times like this are things that will bring all the students together and not things that will separate us.

Adeniyi A. Alo
public health graduate student

Thank you, Comcast, for lack of anti-war advertising

I am writing to thank Comcast for not airing the "unsubstantiated" anti-war commercials during President Bush's State of the Union address. I would hate to think that I live in a country where reckless rhetoric and propaganda can be spewed over the airwaves without any solid, well-defined, publicly accessible evidence to back it up. The lesson learned here is that before you want to make claims about whether this country should or should not do something, you must first back it up with over-whelming undisputable evidence, just as the Bush administration has done ÷ not really.

Justin Orkney
mechanical engineering senior