Editor:
After reading Michelle Julia Jones' letter in the Arizona Daily Wildcat, "Student feels cheated by cuts," (Nov. 1) I had to respond. This letter, like so many before it, bemoans the loss of some department or program to Provost Sypherd's cuts. So what? Nobody's listening. Sypherd made his decision a long time ago. He made that point perfectly clear in his interview for the Wildcat last week.
I can only imagine how the administrators must chuckle to themselves as they read the barrage of letters from student and faculty. They must regard us like small children throwing a tantrum. I can just imagine what Sypherd says to Pacheco Ä "Just wait it out. Their attention spans are short. They'll find something else to whine about, maybe our next program cuts."
They don't worry because they know the apathetic youth of the '90s will sit back and complain, but never do anything to address the problem. Generation X has a lot of complaints with the world around them, just not very much initiative. But wait, aren't those two bureaucratic hogs with their faces buried in a trough of our money the same hogs who are making the cuts?
My point is not to belittle any of the people who have written to the Wildcat on this subject. I am equally as angry with the Pacheco/Sypherd juggernaut. My point is, they're not listening because we're not speaking their language. All the letters in the world will be shuffled aside like so much junk mail unless we do something to make them feel the pressure.
Every day I go into the Student Union and see thousands of students emptying their pockets to support this administration.These are the same students that received worthless vouchers for tickets they would never get. These are the same students watching the price of tuition skyrocket. And these are the same students watching the quality of their educations plummet. Then I wonder, how long would it take for the administration to acknowledge us if we bought our supplies off campus or ate at some of the local restaurants for just a few days? What about Pocket Money or All Aboard? They have our money to use or invest as they see fit. What if students put in the minimum payment necessary to keep the account open and take advantage of tax-free food without giving this university a huge sum to play with? Or what if we all chose one day a week to spend our money elsewhere? What would the ripple effect be if we all stood together and took action instead of sitting around complaining?
If you don't think the university would get that message, talk to an economist. The long term effect of such a boycott would cause even the most slovenly hog to prick up his ears. But why do I kid myself? The things I have suggested would take sacrifice. And that's where most people drop out. Having the convenience of sliding that card through the soda machine to get my Mountain Dew every morning is much more important than the future of my education. Let them strip the UA of academic credibility, just as long as I don't have to walk off campus to buy my books and supplies.
As for me, I'm going to take my own advice. Dr. Manuel Frankenstein and his faithful assistant Igor Sypherd won't receive a penny more than is absolutely necessary to keep me enrolled. I will register my one small vote against the bureaucratic hogs. If people really care about the program cuts, I suggest they look hard at what they do to support the people making the cuts. We need to let them know that the bottom line won't look too pretty without our undervalued contribution.
Jon Leonard
Mechanical Engineering Senior