| OCR Text |
Show THE D A L CHRONICLE UTAH Y MMMMMMMMMMBBMMlyMWlMreWa8ll LZZZ IW IIMII, III II I l)M THE CHRONICLE'S VIEW Light Rail Would T Benefit SLC andU light rail is still in the heads .vound floating of many Uuhns, but won't become material in time for the Olympics unless Salt Lake City begins construction immediately. That's probably net going to happen anytime soon because bids are still being accepted by the city in order to find the racst way to lay tracks that lead to the University of Utah. Everyone wants to save money, but in this case, it means constiuction will be delayed E aw-we- st cost-efficie- nt longer. There is .an obvious need for cracks right now. The north-sout- h trains pack people in like sardines because so many Utahns have madethe switch from cars to public reimportation." Iwaybls if a city official tried to park at the U, support for public transportation would be better. West VcJley City has more faculty, staff &nd students traveling to the II every day than to anywhere east-we- st else. Right now, those people can take a train to downtown Salt lake City, but then hvt to ride a bus or catch a ride the rest of the way. If pro. posed lines were installed, they could make an easy transfer to an train and be to school in a matter of minut es. 7 hat goes for U commuters from east-we- st Sandy as well. And what about all the Universi ty Hospital employee? As one of the state' largest employers, the U would greatly 'benefit from a direct line to C3r.pa.. Of course, the .'city only really cares about the Olympics, so the argument that the lines would help the U is falling on cpathetic ears. But die argument wouid benefit the U also. If construction does not begin soon, the U lines will not be done ia time for the games, which will be here in about two years. If fans and athbtes don't have some sort of mass transportation, the already crowded streets will be gridlocked from sun up to sun down. The athletes will be staying in Fort Douglas, and many of the events,' including the opening and closing ceremonies at Stadium, will be held on campus as pro-Olymp- Tttcj? es well If there are lines from the U to downtown and then out to the airport, which is the proposed plan, traveling across the ' city will be much easier. Plus, if the city is so concerned about money, it should realize that if the lines are done before the Olympics, the fedeiai government will likely kick in some extra money to help with the financial burden. 1 he city needs to stop taking bids and get working. We're all waiting. ) awe tf- - ill ic Rice-Eccl- joe SKilM, Forf- - r. MM mm 3 itu- - AP J6 o 2 LETTER TO s THE EDITOR H uman Eights a Broad Topic Editoi: Okay, so this is a bit late. Human Rights Day is long past, and debate concerning the proper attitude toward the 3rd Monday of each year won't commence again for another 11 months. Certain recent events and editorials have, however, compelled me to dust off this unsent letter from last month and submit it Anyone who thinks calling a day a certain name, or not going to school or work on a given day, will change personal philosophies is unfortunately very mistaken. I am not proposing the abolishment of holidays. I think holidays are excellent times to remember and reflect upon the issues they represent Independence Day, Memorial Day, Thanksgiving and the holidays of Christmas and Easter (along with their counterparts in other faiths) are fantastic occasions of togetherness and contemplation. The viability of holidays or their names is not the issue, however. I agree in many ways with previous editorials in this paper stating that .true diversity must begin .with educa-tion, and diversity includes not just race, but belief and action. The extent to which human rights includes diversity cannot be treated extensively here, but the basic rights laid semi-religio- J see HUMAN RIGHTS, page 6 Unsigned editorials reflect the majority opinion of The Daily Utah Chronicle Editorial Board. Editorial columns and letters to the editor are strictly the opinions of the author. The forum created on the Opinion Page is one based on vigorous debate, while at the same time demanding tolerance and respect. Material defamatory to an individual or group because of race, ethnic background, gender, appearance or sexual orientation will be edited or will not be published. Towel Debates Trump More Important Issues JASON COOTEY Chronicle Opinion Columnist students at the University of Utah have been able to plan on the simplicity of a few select things. The use of the campus rest rooms would be among seme of the more simple of these things. However, even that simple task has recently been complicated. Now, whenever students wish to wash, their hands after utilizing the facilities, they cannot dry their hands without making a difficult choice. Paper towels or cloth towels? To the casual passerby, there may not be much of a controversy. There may not even be much of a difference. However, the very presence of the new choice indicates otherwise. It indicates that there is a war being waged among the administrators of this campus. The administration is divided on the issue and has decided to test the potential usage of paper tow- U "p until now, els. As a result, paper towels are being reintroduced to the campus like endangered wildlife to the environment. They are being counted and studied because someone felt that even paper towels have rights. Some degree of effort has been made to educate students on the important choice they must CHRONICLE make in the rest room. Whether this is an official effort or not cannot be determined, but a unstamped sign, titled, "Why cloth towels are better than paper," is stuck to many of the bathroom mirrors. Tnis sign lists six facts that favor the choice of cloth towels over paper. They are: 1. Each cotton towel replaces over 30.000 paper towels. 2. Cloth towels are more hygienic; they remove 68 percent of the bacteria, as opposed to 55 percent with paper towels. 3. Clcth is four times more absorbent than paper, so you use much less. 4. Cloth towels recycle; paper towels cannot be recycled. 5. Cloth towels are "hospital clean;" high temperature processing ensures a clean towel for each use. 6. Paper towels are being provided on a trial basis. Please don't clog drains, flush down toilets or litter. The signs are defaced with the comments of students who either don't care at all, or care far too much. Although these comments are often crude, they still show that the six points of cloth-towsuperiority are not inalienable virtues as agreed upon by all. The comments also often depict a passionate reaction against the six virtues of cloth towels. Opinions are so strong that stil! more students have scribbled in their passionate reactions to the original passionate reactions to the six points. Apparently, not only is the administration el OPINION EDITOR divided on the clothpaper controversy, but the students are increasingly divided as well. One is left wondering why all this campus division has happened. Why were paper towels reintroduced to the campus environment in the first place? Perhaps there is a conflict between economy and functionality. Paper towels are cheap and easy to replace; whereas cloth toweis need to be shipped off to some cleaner to become "hospital clean." Perhaps there is a nostalgic feel to the What should members of the campus community do, beyond making that complex decision after washing their hands in the rest room? presence of paper towels on the U campus. Whatever the reason, the campus has paper towels once again. What should membeis of the campus community do, beyond making that complex decision after washing their hands in the rest room? Should there be a school-wid- e day off for contemplation and reflection? Should there be a "Towel-Fest- " every January? Perhaps there should be a Towel Scholarship or essay contest? Should there be a state holiday celebrating the extent to which democracy has KATHRYK COWLES LETTERSCHRONICLE.UTAH.EDU taken place cn the U campus? As divided as the campus may be on the clothpaper controversy, the paper camp is divided internally between brown and white paper towels. Al Hernandez, an advocate for the white paper towel, says, "white towels absorb the water better and are made out of a more sanitary material." Advocates for the brown paper towels also exist. And, to top it all off, many students have stated a preference for good, blow dryers. Though these students do have an opinion when it comes to the choice provided them in the rest rooms of the campus, they don't care for either cloth or paper. They want to explore a third alternative. These students state that there is only so much cloth towel to go through before it runs out, and drying hands on cloth already used by other bathroom visitors becomes necessary. They also say that paper towels can be messy and weak. These students, along with faculty and staff, prefer the hot blast of air to any other g methods. There is one thing the administration is forgetting while it reintroduces the paper towel to the campus environment, though. The campus is already outfitted for cloth towels. And before the cloth towels became a standard on the campus, the bathrooms were outfitted with paper-towdispensers at some point. Scientifically speaking, cloth towels were hand-dryin- el see TOWELS, page 6 581-704- 1 |
