Smock verbally abuses, offends students

I threw a pie in the general direction of the so-called preacher Mr. Jed Smock yesterday afternoon. I did so because I wanted to publicly humiliate this individual who has made a career out of verbally assaulting women, minorities and homosexuals. He is not preaching Christianity or exercising his rights of free speech. He is slandering, belittling, offending and verbally assaulting students on a daily basis under the guise of spreading the gospel. One might argue that Mr. Smock is entitled to verbally abuse students in the name of free speech and that a person can walk away from him if they don't want to hear it. This is not true. I have witnessed Mr. Smock call an unsuspecting passerby a whore and our student newspaper has run two front-page stories quoting his damaging sexist and racist views. The media on campus has made it impossible to walk away from his tormenting and hate-filled words. His tendency to attack anyone who catches his eye makes us all potential targets for public humiliation. Our campus community does not allow students or faculty to verbally assault individuals, so why does Mr. Smock have free rein to emotionally injure students for weeks on end? On the day that I threw the pie in his direction, I personally heard him claim that a vagina is the only thing a woman is good for. He also used explicit and graphic language to talk about students' breasts and rear-ends. If Mr. Smock would like to use our campus to exercise his right to free speech and preach the Bible then he is welcome here. However, using a campus community as a subject to humiliate, degrade and verbally abuse is something different altogether. We don't tolerate it from each other, and we should not sit back and continuously tolerate it from him. I hope that my gesture today helps others to realize that we students need not allow this unrelenting public display of hate to continue. I hope that Mr. Smock has gotten the message to leave our campus off of the itinerary of his next tour.

Karen Middleman
studio art senior

Smock shows UA campus 'the light,' deserves party

I want to thank evangelical preacher Jed Smock for pulling me out of the darkness of my life and showing me the light. Let us be so thankful for a man who speaks nothing but the truth. Moreover, let us bow our heads in awe to such a divine man, he who carries the message. Never before did I realize how much of a cesspool our campus has become. Hark! Be gone butt shorts and Uggs, back to the Devil's workshop from whence ye came! Let us worship Jed Smock for carrying God's word. I can think of no one greater to carry such an important message. We must celebrate the birth of a new morality on campus: Let us throw a party! The Jews will bring the bagels, the Mexicans will provide the burritos, Smock will turn water into wine and we will all dance into the night, blissfully hating each other's uniqueness, just like God would want. Tim Levan
journalism junior

Listen respectfully or don't stop to listen at all

So, for the past week this preacher man, Smock, has been taking up space over by Heritage Hill. I happen to walk by everyday and never stop to listen. Why? Because I'm from New York City and am used to seeing wild, out-there people spending their days rambling on about crap instead of doing something useful. To people on this campus this man is a source of entertainment, and I think it's a bit ridiculous. This man is simply using his right to free speech to preach about what he believes in; no one has to listen to him. Did it ever occur to any of you to ignore him? Today I walked by in utter disgust - not at this man and his words. I was disgusted by the fact that someone assaulted him. Not physically, but someone poured a vanilla milkshake all over him. The person who did that and the people that supported it should be ashamed of themselves. What gives you the right to abuse someone like that? I mean really, if you are that immature then maybe you need to go back to grade school. Do I agree with Rev. Smock? Hell no, but that does not mean he doesn't deserve the same amount of respect as any other person walking the streets. He obviously believes in what he's preaching; you have the choice to listen and if you're going to, do so respectfully.

Lisette Rodriguez
undeclared freshman

State constitution should encourage better funding

A quote from the article on tuition last week got me thinking:

"When the drafters of the Arizona Constitution wrote that public education in this state must be 'as nearly free as possible,' they weren't condemning the universities to mediocrity anytime the legislature failed to provide adequate funding to run the entire system."

While I agree with the author, I think that the Arizona Constitution should "encourage" the legislature to provide adequate funding to the state's universities and public schools.

Keith Fligg
mathematics junior

Don't label people with tuition issues

Tuition crybabies? Let me tell you about tuition crybabies and the lawsuit that is "wasting tax dollars." By belittling the rising tuition costs to a mere rising inflation and cost of living is just plain silly. It's quite more than just inflation and the real issues don't validate the label of crybabies for those with tuition woes.

If it's inflation as cited, then shouldn't my $5.15 an hour paycheck be rising? I mean cost of living and tuition can increase with inflation but part of inflation is my dollar continuing to be able to afford these basics. If it's inflation it should also mean the economy is improving, which would mean my parents wouldn't still be out of a job and we would be able to afford this inflation-caused tuition hike.

I think people are missing the point of the tuition lawsuit as well. A lawsuit to ban tuition is unfounded and I disagree with that cause. I see the lawsuit differently; I see the lawsuit as a statement, replacing the sit-in that should be happening in front of the administration office. Our generation no longer protests, no longer chooses to make their voices heard like our parents did in the '60s; but with this lawsuit these "crybabies" are making their voices heard in Congress and they are making their protest.

They are not crybabies.

Let me tell you the crybabies I see. The reason for these rising costs is the current administration's lack of funding on a federal and state level because the rich aren't being taxed. And you know who the crybabies are? They're children of the rich class that isn't being taxed. The children who whine because they were charged for not throwing out trash, until they find out Mommy and Daddy are paying for it on their bursar's account. These are the crybabies who need to be silenced, and not through community service but rather through their tax dollars going to education. It isn't inflation or the increased cost of living; the real cause is federal funding which President Bush isn't offering the American student.

Doug McConville
media arts freshman

Fees shouldn't apply to current students

I decided to come to the UA rather than any of the other universities to which I was accepted, all of which offered me merit-based tuition waivers and cash stipends, based largely, though admittedly not solely, on the financial aid offered. If I had known about this foolish plan to charge additional fees a year ago I would be at one of the academies, to which I was accepted, and getting paid to attend rather than at the UA and having to dip into my very hard earned, and quite meager, savings account to pay a significant charge I did not know about at the time.

It is ridiculous that tuition increases be applied to current students. Yes, I theoretically can transfer to another university or flat-out drop out, but is that really a feasible option for somebody who has established a life here in Tucson, including signing a lease for another year and moving my car down here? The administration knows it has people like me by the balls and they are, without a doubt, using that to their fullest advantage.

Christopher Bischof
history freshman

Summer tuition, fee increase unnecessary

As I read that President Likins intends to increase summer tuition fees I was disgusted. The new proposed increase would be in the form of a fee to pay for the electrical increases felt in the summer months. This increase would amount to $500,000 in "savings" for the university. I feel the fact that our college is willing to ask this much extra money out of students and not look into alternative energy methods astounds me.

I'm a member of the student group Eclipse on the UA campus. Right now we are asking students to vote in the coming ASUA election on an initiative aimed at bringing solar power to campus. The fact that the administration is not willing to look into solutions to our campus' energy needs means that we, as students, need to express our concern. By coming together as a buying force we can begin to show that the student body is committed to helping to utilize renewable energy sources. When I consider that the administration is willing to tell students they must pay $33 per summer credit hour for electricity, without even asking us what alternatives there are, it should not be too much to ask for a $2 fee to try to find answers to problems instead of just quick budget fixes. While the upfront cost of solar energy is expensive, the long-term benefits outweigh the cost in my mind. The UA currently spends about $1.3 million on electricity a month, mainly on fossil fuels. It is time that the student body implements what the administration is not willing to and set a precedent of solar energy.

Elizabeth Carroll
anthropology junior

Mascots a tradition, deserve recognition

Thanks to the Daily Wildcat for covering the story about our graduating mascots. It is one of the last great traditions at our campus, and one that deserves any attention it gets. As a former Wilbur, it often seems that the job is thankless. While the media focuses all its attention on graduating athletes, they usually fail to turn their cameras on two of the hardest working individuals in the athletic department.

As mascots, there is no "season." They work all year long, from August to May, to become the living representation of our school pride. They wear fur in the Arizona sun, get banged up and bruised, tails pulled on by fans and children, sore necks and backs from wearing those big heads, and lose up to 8 pounds of water each game from sweating. They spend their "free time" during the week attending public appearances, and their weekends working hard to keep the crowds on their feet, an act that is hard to achieve at a venue like McKale Center, because it has no student section. In between all this, they are students and work jobs, because there is no free-ride scholarship for these two. They do it all for free.

A note of special thanks to Wally and Stephanie, whom I have gotten to know in and out of the suit over the past few years. It has been a while since there have two that have done such a tremendous job of demonstrating school spirit in the mascot role, and restoring the craziness that is associated in playing Wilbur and Wilma.

Wally and Steph, thank you!

Love, papa Wilbur.

Kirk Sibley
Wilbur the Wildcat 1996-1999

Gays would have same divorce rates

Do you really expect us to believe that if gays were allowed to be married, they wouldn't have similar divorce rates?

Those people have turned highway rest areas into brothels, but they're above divorce? Priests can no longer be trusted alone with children, but you think they're above divorce?

Also, divorce and adultery are frowned upon, yes. They are sins. That doesn't mean we should open up the floodgates to the gays to compound their sins. God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrha, let's not forget.

You want to talk about wasting tax dollars? How about AIDS research? AIDS is not only 100 percent preventable, but it is an epidemic caused by the gays. More than 60 percent of the first 100,000 AIDS cases in the United States were among gays.

I don't think any society has ever been dragged so far down by a mere 2 percent of its population.

The U.S. Constitution was written more than 200 years ago. I think we are in desperate need of a revision. Perhaps, The Montstitution.

Rob Monteleone
media arts junior