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Editor:
As an alumnus of the UA, I cannot pretend I am still 100 percent familiar with all of the aspects ASUA government this year. And not being part of the disabled community, I won't claim to share firsthand knowledge of the ongoing battles for representation by disabled students. However, reading your article ("Students angered by VP's remarks," Sept. 11) about Mindy McCollum's decision to select Ann Fowler for director of disabled student programs, I have to mention what many don't know about Fowler.
Ann may not have been disabled her entire life, but if that's the sole purpose for disabled students not supporting her, then the ignorance many disabled students claim about others can clearly be labeled upon their chests.
Ann is a remarkable, brave, and intelligent woman who has endless energy to support her goals. However, that alone should not be reason for her selection. More importantly, Ann has an upbeat, optimistic and refreshing view of what it is like to be newly disabled. That reason more that any other should help to insure her selection.
Just a couple of years ago, Ann was running around campus, not wheeling, so you better believe she is not going to be sitting idly as ASUA goes about their daily business and neglects this group. Yes, she does have a new and refreshed outlook of what it is like to be in a wheelchair, but she hardly considers herself disabled. Ann has proven to beat many odds and rarely shows a sense of accomplishment, for she still has bigger battles to face. This type of spirit and sense of determination is an absolute asset to any member of ASUA. Ann is well-deserving of this position.
Politically, though, if McCollum and Olson don't get along, so be it - there's no need at all to recycle similar leaders for past accomplishments in such a large school. The decision to implement a fresh face deserves a shot, and as an elected vice president, McCollum is rightfully entitled to make that decision.
L.T. Thuesen III
1996 alumnus
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