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Show Westminster Student Says Clean Up Yonr Act Editor: material which decomposes andbreaks down intoits natural form when materialshave the buried, potential to remain in the earth unchanged of plutonium. The as long as the half-lif-e two most abundant materials that we need to watch out for are plastic and styrofoam. And of those two, styrofoam is the biggest threat. Not only is but it cannot styrofoam be recycled. Plastic, on the other hand, is but it can be recycled. If we continue to use these I would like to thank the people i n vol ved in settingup the aluminum recycling barrels on campus. It is pleasing to see that some people at Westminster are concerned about their environment. But aluminum cans are only a small part of a very large problem; the problem of what to do with our garbage. Garbage is like excuses; everybody has some, it all stinks, and nobody wants to hear about it. Garbage, however, unlike excuses, can only be ignored for so long. Garbage creeps up on you like a bad dream. You can smell it coming, but until it completely engulfs you, you dont ever think about waking up to stop it. Recycling aluminum helps and it seems like a logical place to start, but it is not enough. A bigger problem is the continued use of materials. Unlike le non-degradea- le, non-degradea- substances we will literally bury ourselves in our own garbage. Our nations landfills are nearly full and most of the major dump sites are expected to reach capacity within the next five to ten years. As of 1987 New York Citys Fresh Kills Landfill on Staten Island stood 150 feet high. The landfill receives 27,000 tons of le now will send out some geologists. They will then dig up this strange substance thinking that they have discovered a new mineral, when actually they have only dug up our garbage. Why cant we use paper plates and cups in the snack bar? They only cost a few cents more per plate than styrofoam. And whats a few cents when it means we are saving the earth? And instead of plastic spoons for stirring coffee, why not use wooden swizzle sticks? These are only small changes and they alone will not save the earth, but it is a start and it will help. There is an old Boy Scout saying that says when you go into an area, you are supposed to leave it how you found it. We are not being very good Boy Scouts. garbage a day. It will close in ten years at a peak of 500 feet, it cant go any higher because it will be in the flight path of Newark International Airport. It is time to stop polluting our land, stop throwing anything and everythi ng i nto landfills, and start recycling everything we possibly can. And everything we dont recycle needs to be constructed of materials. We can start right here at Westminster College. In fact, we can start right in Westminsters snack bar. The snack bar serves everything in or on styrofoam. Hundreds of students each day throw away hundreds of styrofoam plates and cups. That means that we are using plates and cups one time and sending them to the county landfill where they will remain for centuries. Then, some future generation hundreds or even thousands of years from -- Ryan M. Smith freshman, communications Reader Opposes Pollsters Methods on Drug Survey Editor: I vigorously applaud efforts to decrease the instance of substance abuse, because I have known too many people who died due to their own or others abuse of alcohol and or drugs. But, however, I do object to the Tdumarn Dan Jones and Associates poll of Westminster students. I myself was cornered and interrogated by an associate last Tuesday in the cafeteria. First of all, these interviews should not be conducted in the library. When pollsters prizes, prizes, prIzebi t $2 entrance fee - All of which will be divided up into prizes. -- : See: Richard Limb " Sandy Austin Tom Fetzer JoLyn Dandoy Sandy Wright Rob Hight . Wiens speak at a of loudness, it is extremely irritating to someone (me) happening to sit at the next table (twice), and their voices can be heard throughout the library, with the possible exceptions of therestrooms. Mr. Jonesefa may consider it necessary to go into all buildings on campus to obtain a representative survey. If that is so, I assume they may be expected to barge in on my psychology class in Bamberger before theyre through. The actual representativeness of the survey also bothers me. I told the person who handed me the questionnaire, that if he was looking for an abuser, he would find my replies disappointing. He told me that my answers represented the replies of 3,000 street-leve- Si n9'eS ne,7's uubes ea six-pac- l other students. At that rate, the 211 students (according to last weeks Forum) polled here would represent 633,000 students state-widOr, to fit our student population, less than one person should be interviewed. Or, that person could fill out part of the questionnaire. Perhaps costs e. Mixed are being minimized by only interviewing students along the Wasatch Front. This, however, would geographically bias the survey results. Lastly, I question the accuracy and confidentiality ofthe results. Arespondent enters the date on the survey form, and writes his or her first name, phone number, and the date on a separate form (tQ verify survey participation only). Would the followi ng result be kept confi den tial? Yeah . I have pizza and a k every weeknight. But I relax on the weekends with friends, a couple of fifths, and bags of whatever psychoactive drugs are fin. Heres my name and number. Call me when you wanna party, dude. If an addict answered the questions accurately, correlation of dates on , the two forms could significantly lower the number of responses need to determine this persons identity. I did not ask this company to come to campus, and I resent being encouraged to participate in the survey. Again, I support efforts to combat the drug war (Id even buy bonds), but I do not agree with the tactics used in this particular campaign. The objectives of the general for this battle are too broad to be accomplished. From one weary soldier to another: however willing I may be, I can only fight (answer questions on) one enemy (tobacco, drugs, alcohol) at a time. , Lucille A. Smith . junior, finance - . has two Smith Corona typewriters that they are willing to donate to stafffaculty on campus. They are in need of minor repairs or cleanina but they are good quality typewriters. Call ext .145 and ask for Heidi. Also, there two typewriters for student use in the computer lab - provided by ASWC. ASWC : uhJ'aji Call I 1 or Come On Over... Across 17th. South from Carleson 466-957- 1 Page 6 Forum February 13, 1990 Issue 16 |