Thanks from a new reader
I just recently started reading the Sun Star due only to the fact that I heard constant grief concerning the notorious editor, Casey Grove. I hear comments such as, "that guy needs his own lawyer," or "he's a horrible editor!" Or, I'll be hanging out in the big red and green whatever you call it room by the art department, and overhear a conversation between a couple of theater people about how there was nothing mentioned in this week's Sun Star about "Waiting for Godot" even though "hundreds of people" have already been to see it. And it seems every week I have read this newspaper, there's always some article complaining about him.
Well, as a new reader, here's some light on what I, your typical underappreciated art student of 10 years who's paid over $200 in parking tickets and who could care less about plumbing or the ice arch or the newest stupid idea on how UAF should be spending millions of its dollars, would like to be reading in this paper...
How about how Three Chord Ho stuffed their pants and played a mean cover of Black Sabbath while helping raise almost $2,000 for the Literacy Council last week? Or how 'bout having a contest to fix this infuriating parking problem instead of dumping more money into the "appearance" of the wood center... or how 'bout how much debt UAF put itself into with the new "appearance" of the same old mediocre museum? Why not take the picture of the cute little snow bunny out and put in a photo of the grotesque sculptures that look like turtles molesting children out by the library? If you wanna improve the "appearance" of UAF, start in the art department! I took a piece of the huge roll of paper our wonderful school provides us with the other day, and literally crumpled it to pieces in my hand like a stale cracker. No joke. About 14 of our 20 tables are broken but no one really cares. No one really cares about the "lower campus," and that's OK, as long as I can complain about it in the editorials.
Seriously though, even though I never saw the outdated production of "Godot," a calendar of events for the art/theater/music department would be nice no matter how mediocre it too is... I have no beef with an editor who can cause so much talk around campus. On the other hand, Mr. Northey, I've never heard your name before. How can you say Mr. Grove's biased if he's willing to devote half a page to you complaining about him? I say, "not bad" Casey Grove.
Thank you for putting in a word for the same-sex couples out there. Thanks for causing a raucous here and there to make my eavesdropping more interesting.
Thanks for your cute smile, sharp pen, volatile edge and year of devoted editing.
Elizabeth Sharrock
Technically?
In response to Ms. Terin Walton-Rantz letter in the previous issue; what exactly does the term "technically" mean? Terin wrote that the Wood Center is "technically UAF's Student Union building." Which Student Union are we talking about? ASUAF? I think not, because ASUAF has zero authority over the Wood Center. Ownership implies authority, regardless of whether it is exclusive or shared authority. I don't think anyone could possibly argue otherwise. Perhaps there is another Student Union, not run by students, but by someone else for students? It would sure be nice to know who will have authority over what parts of this proposed renovated and expanded "Student Union" building that students are asked to pay for through what some may consider substantial fees of up to $160 per semester.
Peter Prokein
Spike the hype
I just wanted to mention a few items to assuage Ms. Dalton's concern about our police department. I too have a cracked windshield and park my vehicle every single day in the metered parking lot at the UAF Police Department to check my mail at the Wood Center. Officers must walk within feet of my front bumper to access the driver's side of their cruisers. My windshield's been cracked from one side to the other for over a year and I've never been cited.
I find it hard to believe that Ms. Dalton watched with rapt attention as this whole episode evolved from the officer pulling out from the shoulder to passing her to initiating the stop of the vehicle in front of her, yet Dalton could not anticipate that the officer would next exit the cruiser? It seemed she had plenty of time and situational awareness, according to her own account, to have allowed a margin of safety for the officer.
Finally, the comment on her concealed firearms permit was inappropriate and needlessly provocative. Save the hyperbole for the bad guys, not the good guys.
Robert Chadwell
Deep Sea Mooring Technician
International Arctic Research Center
Info or marketing?
Your April 18 piece on the Wood Center bond campaign and associated advertising strategy was a well-written and informative article. Thank you for finding room for it.
I won't say I'm completely opposed to an improved Wood Center. None of us like to pay fees, and the current Wood Center seems just fine to me, but modernization of the core campus is not without some merit.
However, I'd like to address three points.
a) Tim Barnett claims that the $5,000 advertising budget for highlighters, T-shirts, banners and Sun Star advertisements is spent with "the purpose to inform." UAF is an institute of higher learning, and we should have a higher standard of "informing" than highlighters and catch phrases. Be honest Mr. Barnett, the purpose of "Got Wood?" is to generate excitement and buzz. When your goal is to inform, you give us information. When your goal is to sell, you give us sexual innuendo. There is a difference, and in our society we confuse these concepts far too often.
b) Is it really appropriate to ask current students to approve a bond measure that will be paid off by future students with no expense at all levied on the students who pass the bond? I think the simple concept of the inappropriateness of taxation without representation applies here. I would be much more likely to vote in favor of this bond if UAF allowed me the integrity of beginning payment on this bond immediately, rather than burdening future students with the bond, while selfishly paying nothing myself.
c) According to www.uaf.edu/oc3/, this plan is in response to a Washington D.C. consulting firm telling us what UAF students want in a student center. If the consulting firm was correct, this measure should easily pass. If the consulting firm misjudged the opinion of the student body, and the measure fails, I hope our administration will respect that result and avoid repeating the techniques used to get the SRC bond passed 16 years ago.
Dan Reichardt
'A job well done'
Never let it be said that I don't give credit were credit is due. I just got my email from UAF's Chief Technology Officer Steve Smith telling me that my personal identification records may or may not have been compromised by a hacker. Good job. So halfway through the email it occurs to me that maybe we should pay a student fee or something. I mean that seems to be the answer for every other problem we encounter here at UAF.
What's that you say? Oh yeah, I've already paid over $300 in technology fees since arriving on campus. Well it's nice to know what a great value I am getting for my educational dollar.
J. Brian Horton
Get real, or off the road
I'd like to comment on the story regarding the UAF Police in the April 18 issue.
I'm glad to live in a community where law enforcement officials work together to protect and help us. Several years ago a neighbor lost her small child in a fire. The police officer on the scene who comforted her was a UAF officer. A few years ago, when an armed man took a hostage in a University West neighborhood, it was a UAF police officer who was in the trenches (literally) alongside Fairbanks police and State Troopers, staying in position for hours until the situation was diffused. There have been many times where I've seen dangerous drivers on the roads and wished there was a cop -- any cop -- nearby to pull them over.
Ms. Dalton's request to have UAF change policies and reduce our police force is as ridiculous as her thinking that Officer Poeschel would be interested in "threatening" her, but fears her "conceal-and-carry" permitted gun. (That gun does, however, worry me, Ms. Dalton, and I hope if you ever come to campus again, you'll leave it at home.)
It appears Ms. Dalton got her feathers ruffled and is trying to make mountains out of molehills. She had no idea why Officer Poeschel wanted to pull that driver over and did not want to be inconvenienced by having to shift to the other lane. After all, she's lived in Fairbanks since 1949. Ms Dalton, if you read this letter, please take some personal responsibility as a citizen of our community. Get out of the way when our public officials are trying to do their jobs, or get off the road.
Carrie McGee
Alumni
Wood Center Fiscal Officer
