Campus theft the result of upper-class greed

As a somewhat law-abiding citizen, I rarely find theft of personal property to be particularly amusing. However, Mr. Fisher's comments in yesterday's Wildcat are a most sincere form of humor.

Certainly I would abhor the loss of my bike or computer, rending my transportation and information-gathering ability moot, but one must look at the encompassing idea of his comment. Risking the commitment of an extremely prejudicial judgment of Mr. Fisher's character, I imagine a line from one of Chuck Palahnuik's books would considerably enamor him: "The liberator has destroyed my possessions in order to realign my perceptions," this perception being rampant materialism.

Many of you are reading this and thinking to yourself, "Is he really criticizing the American ethos of the importance of the right of personal property over all others?" Indeed I am. If you are also thinking, "But personal property drives capitalism," you are also correct.

Perhaps the escalating occurrence of theft at the UA is a product of the increasing divergence of incomes and a lack of interclass understanding in the United States. This is best shown by a quote attributed to our current president: "I don't understand how poor people think; I'm just a white Republican guy who doesn't get it, but I'd like to." Exactly.

Edward Zigby
UA alumnus

UA must demonstrate commitment to students

In just one day, I have read two things about how the UA seems not to care about the students and the programs here. One was Ryan Scalise's column about Social and Behavioral Sciences on Nov. 14, and the other was Robert Kennedy's letter regarding the administration's complaints about private schools being favored in the ratings Tuesday. I agree with them both. I was so proud when I was accepted at the UA; I am the first in my family to attend a university, and it was a huge deal for me. Yet after one semester, I am pretty disillusioned. Maybe this is because I am a more "mature" student and I have higher expectations, or maybe I am just being picky. But I find some of the policies here very puzzling.

Why co-convene classes? It seems lazy - I don't think an extra five pages on a final paper makes a class graduate-level. Why severely limit the Center for Creative Photography library hours? Art students need to do research, too! And why does the Main Library close? Can we have some more focus on the students? What about advisers who are actually professors? When I lived in another state, I thought about attending a private college - I met with a dean, not a generic adviser who is not even experienced in my chosen field. Why have the wonderful (I am not being sarcastic) online registration if you are still going to make people stand in line for hours to register for their classes? Football is not the be all and end all.

Please stop building. Invest in the students - we want more classes, not new buildings or an Alumni Plaza for the 10 percent who donate. We want to finish in four, and the odds are stacked against most of us - canceled classes, full classes, classes not offered when they say they will be ... we can't all do summer school or winter session.

If the school wants to compete with higher-ranked schools or private schools, then why not look at what they do and see where we can do it too? It isn't all a matter of money; it is also a matter of caring about the students and academics first, and maybe sports and buildings next. I want to be proud to be a Wildcat. I want to not think twice about giving when I am an alumna, but right now I'm worried it won't happen.

Joanne Kennedy
anthropology sophomore

Voting is the best way to make your voice heard

I'm surprised by the ignorance with which Patrick Bigger writes. I certainly understand why Bigger might get discouraged with voting, especially based upon recent election outcomes, but it's hardly reason to see voting as pointless and a waste of time. In elections, we vote to elect someone who will best represent the views of the masses, not the individual. While Bigger may see every candidate holding some major flaw making them unworthy to serve office, many people disagree. It's for that reason we vote. Many people do support the Bush administration, just as many people do support Arnold as governor. If you disagree, then make your voice heard and vote! As shown by the recent presidential election, your vote can make a difference!

Although many take the time to vote for a major official, little attention is paid to the rest of the ballot. With all of the hype over presidential elections, we oftentimes forget that there are various other issues to be voted on - many which, contrary to what Bigger says, will make a difference in our lives. It's absurd how few people go out to vote when a school override election is on the ballot. It's sad that the majority of voters ignore such elections, but perhaps it's even sadder that some have been discouraged so much as to deem voting a waste of time.

Perhaps I should silence myself, though. Maybe it's best for our state and country if those dismissing the value of voting abstain from it. If the uninformed aren't among the votes counted, a higher quality official might be seen in office.

Emily McClory
undeclared freshman

Disturbing 'crucifixion' should be cut from movie

At the end of the new Disney movie "Haunted Mansion," there is a scene that is inexplicable.

The scene goes as follows: The character that plays Eddie Murphy's wife in the movie is killed by poison. Then, after dying, a ghost enters the scene and revives the dead woman. Then the disturbing thing happens. Murphy's wife is lifted high up in the air and while surrounded by white lights she is suspended in the air with her arms straight out, making a cross symbol strikingly similar to Jesus' crucifixion scene.

This may seem like just an eerie coincidence, but with the long length of the shot on her and the awkwardness of it, I cannot believe that this has gone unnoticed or that the resemblance to Jesus' crucifixion was inadvertent. So far, I have not seen any news reports of this obvious mock reference to the crucifixion of Jesus. Yet I was very disturbed by this scene, and my movie critic friend who went with me to see the film believed it was a terribly awkward shot as well. I think that Disney should take the scene out of its film and publicly apologize for such obvious blasphemy of something that is so important to so many people.

Please send a reporter and see what he or she thinks. I guarantee your reporter will be equally disturbed. Maybe with a little bit of coaxing, Disney will act and remove a scene that mocks the most sacred symbol of Christians around the world.

Tyler Mott
political science senior