Women can play, too
To the editor,
It is impossible not to respond to the hateful comments spewed forth by Mike Jindrick in his 8/29/00 letter concerning the Women's National Basketball Association. Can you please explain what it is about basketball that makes it a sport only men are capable of playing? I am at a loss to understand why anyone would think that a human being who is poisoned with testosterone and has a penis hanging down between its legs is of any greater value, or any more capable of playing with a ball, than are other human beings.
National sports leagues are not charity organizations; they make money or they go out of business. If Mr. Jindrick sees no value in watching women play basketball then he should not watch them. But it seems that what he really wants is for no one to have an opportunity to watch them. It sounds like someone's recently developed masculinity is being threatened. It may come as a surprise to you, Mikey, but women make up half the world, and they have as just as much right to choose their paths as you do. Get used to it.
Bonnie Poulos
Asst. Staff Scientist
Veterinary Science & Microbiology
Columnist abuses power - again
To the editor,
Here we go again. Dan Cassino has confirmed the predictions of those working at ASUA and once again illustrated that rather than writing about newsworthy events, Dan Cassino has the time to eavesdrop on his fellow students. While most journalsts are able to use their talents and resources in order to better the community which they write for, Dan Cassino would rather use his "powers" as a reporter and harass students by assuming that he has the ability to dictate what hours of the day students (who have to attend class) should be working in ASUA and what students are allowed to discuss. Perhaps Mr. Cassino could grant the rest of the campus with his expertise on what he believes students can talk about on campus.
From his abilities as a journalist, I can tell he has a wealth of wisdom to share with all of us. Whether Mr. Cassino cares or not, those individuals who are working in ASUA are his fellow students and readers of the Wildcat. However, the inability of Mr. Cassino to tactfully and intelligently research the happenings of ASUA proves to the students that the editor does not yet grasp what a true journalist writes about. Slow news day, Mr. Cassino? Watch out, UA, slow news days come and go, and you never know when Mr. Cassino will be lurking behind you listening in on your conversations. Before reading editorials by Mr. Cassino, most students probably didn't know conversations with friends are newsworthy. So thank you, Dan Cassino, for teaching the student body what the Wildcat believes is important. You have done more harm to your newspaper than anyone else could ever do.
Kelly Dalton
Political science senior
No point to WNBA
To the editor,
Chris Martin's article on the WNBA (8/28) hit it right on the head. The women who play this game are just terrible. The WNBA should be shut down immediately except for one problem. For some reason, people go to watch it. The Washington Mystics are sold out every game, but the Washington Wizards can't even give away tickets and neither team is very good. No male basketball player in their right mind would watch such crap. My definition of male basketball player is somebody who has at least played varsity basketball. They, at least, know the real difference between men and women when it comes to the game.
They have seen how strong and physical the guys game is and no doubt have played against women growing up and can tell you how weak they are. Not to mention they can't jump, make a layup or shoot, which you mentioned in your article. Even those men who haven't played much organized basketball know that women just stink at this sport.
Interestingly enough women are not good at any sports in general but for some reason watching women's tennis, swimming and even softball, is more entertaining than womens's basketball. Well, women's tennis has Anna.
How come women's basketball is so boring and unrealistic? That doesn't make sense. I loved your article and ever since the introduction of the WNBA I've been wondering if I was the only one who couldn't bear to watch the exciting WNBA action. Keep up the good work and don't listen to the people who critize your article.
Michael Shaffer
BioChemistry senior
Other leagues overrated
To the editor,
The article you wrote on the WNBA was degrading and rather disgusting to say the least. I myself, have always dreamed of there being a woman's basketball league and now that there is one, I am ecstatic beyond belief. Now we get the chance to show the US what we have been dying to manifest for years on end. Woman work hard to perfect the craft of basketball, and we are not sorry that we do not have the genetic make up to slam dunk or break the glass of a back board. We are graceful, yet also aggressive. I would really enjoy seeing you fail if you were to try to start a championship winning team within a matter of a few weeks. For not any amount of time could compensate for years and years of practice. We are testing our best to be entirely without flaw and reach supreme standards of excellence. Like you so blatantly stated in your article, the league was started only four years ago. We need time to grow, and disheartened people such as yourself do not give us the chance to cultivate. Though your pessimistic view is what makes us stronger and work ten times as hard.
There are many professional men's leagues in this country that have been set too high of a value on. Like in the NBA for instance. How could you even compare the WNBA to the NBA in such a negative manner for in my conviction, it is one of the most overrated leagues in all of pro sports.
The Woman's National Basketball Association is uncouth, empyreal, and ready to take on the best the world has to offer. Your cavillous comments is the gatorade that helps us flourish.
What about the woman that will undoubtedly make it to the pros who are presently playing for the Wildcats? Thank you for taking the time to contradict what you said by making a point to how good the Arizona woman's team is, but that will not make up for the chauvinistic comments made about womens teams altogether. We will fight, we will endure the throws of rushing tides, and we will overcome. We will get the respect we so desperately deserve.
As said in every advertisement for the WNBA, we got next!
Hilary Filkins
Undeclared freshman
Less tutoring? More office hours!
To the editor,
I have a few points to make regarding the Algebra Tutoring issue.
First of all, what makes the algebra class so particular that it should get private tutoring facilities? Isn't algebra a prerequisite to being admitted here at the UA. For those students who need to brush up their algebra skills, Pima Community College offers algebra courses at almost every high school and even here at the UA.
Second of all, there are tutoring resources all over campus. If for some reason you cannot find one, every math instructor has office hours. And if you can't make those office hours, you can just send them an email to set up some other meeting time. It is possible to get help on your algebra or even calculus with or without special tutoring rooms.
Third of all, it was the mathematics department that provided these tutoring resources. The math department here offers more resources to non-math majors than to its own majors. At least you have or had a tutoring lab. Once a math major reaches the upper-division courses, resources run scarce. Math classes needed to graduate are offered only once a year with only one section offered.
Stability in these classes is low since there is usually a new instructor every year. When we need help on our homework we have to go to office hours. Gasp!
If there is going to be tutoring for remedial algebra, then shouldn't there also be tutoring for linear and abstract algebra, for all math courses, and for every class offered on campus? Instead of the university spending millions to accomplish such a feat, the students could just go to their instructor's office hours ... but that would be too easy.
One main reason the algebra tutoring labs were closed was to convert the rooms into the offices of temporary math instructors. These math instructors were hired to teach lower division math courses, such as algebra, so that algebra could be taught in smaller classes rather than in lecture halls. If you need help on your algebra, the MTL building is filled with algebra instructors. I am sure one will be glad to help.
After all, we are already paying them to do just this.
David Morales
Mathematics and computer science senior
