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Show Monday, September 12, 2005 Editor-in-Chief: Maria Villasenor Editorial Phone: 626-7121 Bike laws odious When skyrocketing gas prices are taken into account, the costs of student life can be unbearable. But students must find ways to make do, like bicycling or skateboarding to campus. Other options like riding the bus, walking or carpooling may be out of the question for these students. Students who use alternative transportation should be praised for creativity and for helping conserve oil reserves. They shouldn't be punished. Punishing students for riding bikes and skateboards on campus sidewalks, as the Weber State University police officers are doing, is wrong. Police claim that students on wheels on the sidewalks are dangerous and that they damage public property. They could be handing out fines to bikers, boarders and scooter-riders from the seats of their own bicycles. All students, faculty, community members and police officers should be equally responsible for maintaining safety for others and for public property. If students on bicycles are injuring others, they should be charged with negligence or assault: not with bicycling. If students aren't doing harm, they shouldn't be punished. Their creativity is praiseworthy. Riding a bike between classes could solve the problem of being late for class. Students without cars may be struggling with tardiness even more than the average student because they have to carry all their things. It takes several minutes to walk between the Lind Lecture Hall and the Kimball Visual Arts Center even without 40 pounds of textbooks. Students who are able to get to computer labs and to the library more quickly can spend more time studying. This might be especially useful for students who must work long hours to afford tuition and fees. It is unfair for police officers to pick on the class of commuters who can't afford to drive. It seems to serve no useful purpose. It does, however, affect relations between students and police officers. Police should be primarily concerned with preventing harm on campus. If officers spend time enforcing useless rules, their relationship with students may soon begin to deteriorate. Then, when real problems occur, students won't know where to turn. All of campus should be concerned with public safety and maintenance of public property. But no one should discourage improvisation when it comes to cost cutting. Society as a whole will suffer a great loss if the financially creative are not allowed to obtain a quality education. Letters to the Editor Bicycling is not a crime I was deeply saddened by the content and tone of thefront-pagearticle about "No bikes, skateboards, scooters on campus" in The Signpost on Friday, Sept. 9, 2005. Though the essay did not address FACULTY riding their bikes, I assume we also will be cited for "criminal trespassing" along with offending students. I have been commuting to campus by bicycle for the 19 years I have been teaching here - and I have NEVER had any problems, confrontations, citations or unpleasantries of any form, and I hope that this will continue and I won't go down in the - Becky Palmer, special assignments editor annals of WSU history as a faculty with a "criminal trespassing" record. But I was especially taken aback by a statement from Sgt. Robin Helton of Weber State University the WSU Police Department. _ , -^ A weDer state university I quote: "We have our officers out on bikes, they are on the sidewalks. But the officers are trained. They go through an extensive training course Editor in Chief Marfa Villasenor 626-7121 on how to ride their bikes, how to Managing Editor Jason Staley maneuver their bikes." Though Sgt. 626-7614 Helton may not have intended it, News Editor Blair Dee Hodges 626-7655 I feel personally insulted by this Sports Editor Jeremy Tyler 626-7983 statement which implies that we, bikeCopy Editor Kristen Hebestreet 626-7659 riding students and faculty alike, do Features Editor Jesica Medellin 626-7621 Entertainment Editor David Fairchild 626-7105 Business Editor Lisa Mann 626-7624 Photo Editor Mo Williams 626-6358 Graphics Editor Brady Leaver 626-7661 Online Editor Nick Litster 626-6358 This letter is in response to Layne Advertising Manager Brandy Lee 626-6359 Hansen's "Bush did not drop the ball" Office Manager Georgia Edwards 626-7974 letter. It is written in the hope that Advisor Allison Hess 626-7499 Layne will in the near future consider Distribution Austin Adams 626-7974 taking an argumentative theory class. Publisher Dr. Randy Scott 626-6464 If s/he is serious about being "on Signpost Fax you all year," then it would be a good 626-7401 The Signpost Is published every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday during idea for Layne to learn to develop an the semester. Subscription is $9 a semester. The first copy of The Signpost argument. Is free, each additional copy is $.50. Although there are some great - The Signpost is a student publication, written, edited and drafted by claims throughout his letter, they Weber State University students. Student fees partially fund the printing of this publication. Opinions or positions voiced are not necessarily endorsed are unsupported by the rest of his by the university. diatribe. Saying that "Reagan single• The Signpost welcomes letters to the editor. Letters must Include name, handedly broke down the Iron Curtain address, telephone number and the writer's signature. Anonymous letters Signpost NOT know how to ride our bicycles (whether on sidewalks or not) in a safe and courteous manner. I beg to differ strongly: I am more than a seasoned bicyclist, I even survived five years of riding a bicycle in Los Angeles' traffic (there, the sidewalks were the ONLY safe place - if .there were any) and I rode my bike from Washington State over 2,000 miles to Fairbanks, Alaska. I know how to maneuver my bike! I wonder what prompted the sudden decision to crack down on us (sidewalk) bicyclists? The article doesn't mention a major accident or even minor incident. May I suggest a more reasonable, less "criminal" interaction between "us and them?" Could the WSU police perhaps only target true offenders, i.e. "rude racers?" There are no roads to speak of for us to ride on - only those on the campus peripheries. I think the sidewalks are wide enough to accommodate both pedestrians and courteous bicyclists. - Angelika Pagel, Professor of Art History Department ofVisual Arts Writer slams pro-Bush letter will not be printed. - The Signpost reserves the right to edit letters for reasons of space and libel and also reserves the right to refuse to print any letter. Letters should not exceed 350 words. Bring letters to the editorial office in SUB 267, mail to; The Signpost. Weber State University, Ogden, Utah, 84408-2110. Attn: Editor In Chief, email theslgnpost@weber.edu by sheer will" is at least misleading, but is probably more just a product of argumentative irresponsibility. Being able to destroy an entire nation with sheer will would make Reagan more akin to the Prince of Darkness and less like a great human being. Your argument ignores the internal strife that the USSR faced during the Cold War era with a blanket statement attributing its fall to the will of one person. 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