Bernsen will bring energy of Chapman

I have had the pleasure of knowing both Jacob Reuben and Cade Bernsen through classes before. Unfortunately, in that time, Mr. Reuben has not come off to me as ASUA president material. Mr. Bernsen runs a platform of hard work, and by all accounts, that is what he brings to the table. Cade speaks eloquently, commands respect and possesses the gravitas that Mr. Reuben, frankly, does not have. Cade will have the ear of the administration because he simply demands to be listened to. Does Mr. Reuben have that intangible presence that only effective leaders have? I have my doubts. Alistair Chapman has been an incredibly effective president this year, and I believe Cade will bring just as much commitment and energy to ASUA as Alistair. I fear Mr. Reuben is not looking for anything more from this position than a nice tagline on his resume. I fear that Mr. Reuben isn’t really interested in the student body and pushing the issues that matter most to us.

Matt Stone
international studies and economics sophomore

Hollywood tanning ads misleading

I wanted to inform other students about the ad for Hollywood Tans. It claims to have unlimited monthly tanning for $19.99 with no yearly contract and no membership fees. I went on March 3 planning on tanning for that month. I found out that I have to tan for at least three months. Although I wasn’t thrilled about driving all the way to Swan and Camp Lowell, I decided to sign up anyway. You can’t pay $60 up front or even cash every month, they need a credit or debit card. Just before I was getting ready to sign the contract, I learned that since it was already March 3, that I would have to tan until the month of June. Although they would pro-rate the month of March for the two days that I didn’t go, I had to tan for a full three months. So, the minimum that I would have to commit to was $78. This may be a great deal for some people. But, if there are other students, like myself, who just wanted to spend $20 then you may want to go elsewhere.

Heather Coyle
business management senior

Don’t lump gays into one category

I am writing in response to “Gays would have same divorce rates,” a letter from Rob Monteleone in the Feb. 23 Wildcat. Mr. Monteleone has some very interesting opinions, and paints with a very wide brush.

Mr. Monteleone claims that “those people” (homosexuals, presumably) “have turned highway rest areas into brothels” and asks, “but they’re above divorce?” I find it incredulous that our friend Rob lumps marriage-seeking homosexuals together with the ones who supposedly have turned rest areas into brothels (I’ve done a fair bit of highway traveling and never seen a rest area, by the way, but whatever). Those two groups (forgetting about the dubiousness of the second group) are no more alike than a law-abiding, tax-paying, faithful (to his wife, I mean) family man is to a man who patronizes prostitutes. Oh, but they’re both heterosexual, aren’t they? They must be the same.

Mr. Monteleone then claims that AIDS research is a waste of tax dollars, because AIDS is “100 percent preventable” and is “an epidemic caused by the gays.” The 149,989 individuals who have caught HIV through heterosexual contact, as well as the 20,726 who have caught it through means other than drugs or sex, would beg to differ. In fact, 13,260 contracted the disease through heterosexual contact in 2003, making heterosexual contact the second-leading cause that year. Those who have received the disease through blood transfusions — or even through blood testing, much of it brought about by a war on drugs with no credible scientific basis — would beg to differ that it is 100 percent preventable. They certainly had no say in it. Those who are still alive and functioning would, I’m sure, be quite comforted by your proposal to cut off all funding for research that might stop their disease.

Aaron Dimsdale
undeclared freshman