Editor:
I would like to respond to Kerri Ginis's article "Improvements to Spanish lab make life easier" (Sept. 1) and the statements falsely quoted under my name. I would not say or want my name associated with anything positive about the Spanish lab or the Spanish Department and I am demanding an apology from Kerri Ginis and the editor-in-chief for making up statements under my name!
While it is great that the lab has made an effort to accommodate the disabled student population, it is not really enough. They have accommodated the entire disabled population with only one lab station! This means that when I or another disabled individual is using that one and only station other disabled individuals must wait because there is only one station we are able to work at. In contrast, an able-bodied individual is able to go to the lab, even though it is still always overcrowded and full, and they have a greater advantage of getting a lab station and have to wait in the most part less time (even when crowded) because they are able to work at any number of lab stations once they become available.
There is a great population of disabled individuals attending the University of Arizona, and it does not seem fair or right to accomodate them with only one station in the Spanish lab. Would it really be that difficult to make a whole row of lab stations accessible? I believe the answer would be NO! It could be done easily without any cost; just a little bit of common sense and thought.
The University of Arizona is one of the premier institutions for disabled individuals because it has focused on making itself barrier free for the disabled, and has done an outstanding effort! I am very grateful for the opportunities it has provided me, as a disabled individual. In a related issue to the Spanish lab, why is it necessary that spanish students do this lab work? In my opion, the TA's are great and perfectly able to teach us fluent Spanish better that any lab assignments. Not only are Spanish students required to do lab assignments, but also ICOSY and daily homework. While we are given one class period a week to complete work in the lab, it in the most part takes the average Spanish student more time than one period to wait in long lines and complete the assignments. The Spanish lab has not at all cut down on overcrowding or lessened the waiting time, like it has stated it had. All other foriegn languages are not required to do nearly as much work as Spanish students. Why are we expected to complete so much work? I wish that the Spanish Department officials would put themselves into a hard working, trying to learn, Spanish student's shoes and see just how much we are expected to complete! All Spanish students do have other classes too!
Matthew G. Messmer
Psychology, Pre-Law Sophomore