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Show OPINION W """ " THE CHRONICLE'S -- n - Daily Utah Chronicle VIEW The new U testing lab is dope... and tests for it, too the U was approved one of only two in the nation capable of testing NFL and Olympic athletes for prohibited performance Recently, enhancing drugs. The University of California at Los Angeles is the only other university capable of testing Olympic athletes. In a nationwide cooperative effort between the United States Agency, the NFL and the U's Center for Human Toxicology, an elaborate testing center will be erected on campus, thanks to more than $3 million in donated funds. The reasons why the U was selected over other institutions are probably several, and all are well founded. The fact that the U was so successful in its treatment and housing of Olympic athletes showed that the U was capable of and ready to accommodate athletic endeavors on a national level. This must have built up a certain level of trust between the Olympic Committee and the U. The U is a renowned research institution, and this fact most likely played a role in the decision to build the testing center here. It is gratifying to see that individuals in positions of power who do not reside in Utah are aware of the legitimacy of the U's medical and scientific research facilities. By becoming one of only two universities with the capacity to test for performance-enhancin- g drugs, the U will further bolster its reputation as a nt research institutioa The rarity of nationally accredited centers of this type makes having one at the U impressive and students ought to be excited about the possibilities its existence is going to present. While Utah is not lacking in attributes that draw prospective students to the U, this testing center will undoubtedly be added to the list. The prestige that comes with such exclusivity is very real. The center will also afford U students new and exciting learning opportunities. Research minded students will have the ability to participate in and witness firsthand scientific processes to which few other students have access. The center will also help the U stand out from the crowd of Western institutions of higher education and help to solidify its reputation as a university. One final benefit of the center is that it will create more job opportunities for Utahns and U students. The U is already one of the leading employers in the state, and with the introduction of yet another research and testing facility, employment numbers will rise. Anti-Dopi- respect. Material defamatory to an individual or group because of race, ethnic background, religion, creed, gender, appearance or sexual orientation will be edited or will not be published. ite V TTte CLOSE Golf Cours- e- II.. w OF THE DUE TO DAILY RESPONSE WE HAVE RECEIVED FROM THE CHRONICLE, ONLY LETTERS TO THE EDITOR WILL APPEAR TODAY'S OPINION SECTION. THE TREMENDOUS UTAH IN Arabic speakers can study abroad Editor: I am writing in response to the March 8 article, "Arabic language program sees boost in enrollment." One of the sources in the article claims that the U offers no study-abroa- d programs to Arabic-speakin- g countries. This claim is false the U does sponsor a program to Morocco. Our program gives students the chance to explore North Emirates and Yemen. African and Moroccan culture, to learn Arabic and to study Islamic art. We are still accepting applications for summer and fall terms. In addition to Morocco, the U offers a program in Metu, Turkey. We can also help students find Students interested in studying contact our staff at the International Center, either by visiting Room 159 of the Union or by calling We would be happy to provide you with further information. in the Middle East should 581-584- 9. Arabic-s- programs outside of our university, including programs peaking Amy Romanowski Supervisor, Interns and Assistants International Center in Cyprus, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Tunisia, the United Arab well-round- 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 rBoT- -F EDITOR'S NOTE: READERSHIP i Thanks for doing your job Editor: As a postdoctoral researcher at the U, I had to travel twice to Mexico City for my research purposes, but would not have made it back without the help of Sen. Robert Bennett's office in Salt Lake City. The international research visas are limited and not easily issued these days. I was very concerned about 0 S M6i4t TIP - appreciate this kind of work, diligently and professionally done by this office. It is good to know there is someone in the government we can trust and rely upon in such matters. Merav Naqel Postdoctoral Fellow Health Promotion and Education Department being grounded in Mexico City with no certainty when I would be getting out. Mary Maughan, special assistant for military and foreign affairs, contacted the American embassy and requested the visa process to be completed on time to allow me return home. Thanks to the letters, faxes and phone calls made by Maughan, I am here now. fl 4 I TftNK WtlATWE ASntfto10M v Vto is"") nit P6. HI-- if QmM DR. cH4 Evidence proves Christ's existence Editor: In his March 9 letter to the editor ("The Bible and "The Passion reek of Tared Johnson, a computer science major, questions the validity of the Bible in regard to the existence of Jesus and the facts found in the Bible. He writes: "...the false claim that the Jews could not carry out capital punishment at the time is a huge red flag that should warn us all not to take 'The Passion of the Christ' as anything resembling historical accuracy." Is this statement true? The nondenominational Wycliffe Bible Dictionary states: "But because the legal authority to pass the death sentence belonged to the Roman governor and not to the Sanhedrin, the chief priests and elders of the Jews delivered Jesus to Pilate." For some strange reason, I tend to believe the theologians' point of view under these circumstances. The typical books they read, in order to acquaint themselves with their profession, are usually published much before 1992, such as the Dead Sea Scrolls, Letters or possibly the the Tell records of various discoveries at Murabba'at, Khirbet Mird, Nahal Hever and Wadi Daliyeh, to name just a few. It is interesting that Johnson does not believe the story is true, in spite of the many accounts that are given. Instead of attacking the story because of differing views, the unification of all this evidence ascertains that Jesus did exist. So I find myself asking the question, "Why should I believe a computer science major?" Clayton Perkins Freshman, Undeclared There's no point to the gun debate Editor: Once again, a big deal is being made of whether or not concealed weapons should be allowed on campus. The state Legislature has passed a bill saying that guns should be allowed on campus. Surely The Daily Utah Chronicle and the U administration will bemoan the certain lack of academic freedom that will result as students cower in fear of being gunned down for sharing their ideas. Probably more of our restricted budget will be spent to protest this blatant infringement of our Constitutional-soundin- g "right to academic freedom." So what? If guns were banned on campus, would the U install metal detectors at each building entrance? Would we have to pass through Olympic- - style "mag and bag" checkpoints to get onto campus? Of course not. All that a campuswide gun ban would do would keep concealed weapons permit holders from bringing their guns to school. Those who wanted to bring guns could still bring them. Certainly, a law prohibiting guns on campus would bring them to a halt as they drew and fired on fellow students. In the end, it's all just a political debate with no actual change either way. So why are we wasting so much time and money debating it, going to court over it and whining about it when it makes no difference law-abidi- either way? . - Jacob Tripp Senior, Computer Science Turn to the Bible for the 'real story' Editor: In response to Jared Johnson's March 9 letter to the editor ("The Bible and 'The Passion' reek of regarding the historicthat the Passion claim of and Bible the the ity allow me to mention of Christ is a few things. Johnson would have the reader believe that the Bible is nothing more than a collection of borrowed stories and can't be trusted as a historical text. He claims that the silence of contemporary historians regarding Jesus' existence proves he didn't exist. Johnson makes a series of sweeping statements, claims they're based on facts (without ever citing a source) and uses the straw man that he's built to mischaracterize "The Passion of The Christ" and therefore the Bible as anti- ") anti-Semiti- c, Semitic. May I suggest a Web search on the topic of literary criticism? Some pertinent questions to research might be: How do we know if we can trust a historical claim? On what basis do we believe "history?" What is necessary to prove an event really happened? While it has become almost cliched in today's society to criticize the historicity of the Bible and dismiss it as a passing fad, real scholars have seriously considered these issues and their studies are worth noting. Anyone who wants the truth on these matters can see any number of books or articles published by the mainstream scholars of New Testament and early Christian history (NT. Wright, Craig Blomberg and F.F. Bruce, for example). PLEASE SEND LETTERS TO THE EDITOR With regard to the accusation that "The I wonPassion of The Christ" is der how Johnson arrives at this claim given his skepticism of the New Testament. "The Passion of The Christ" is a portrayal of an event as described in the Bible. Any notions of its purported 'anti Semitism' should be judged based on the overall context of the source from which it was derived. It's simple enough to pull anything out of its context and recharacterize it as something else. Anyone wishing to discern whether or not "The Passion of the Christ" is need look no further than its source, the Bible, for the real answer to the question of who is to blame for Christ's death: anti-Semiti- c, anti-Semit- TO ANa, Isaiah 53:4: "Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted." Christ was murdered for our transgressions. Who is responsible ultimately for his death, the Jews? Isaiah 53:10: "Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand." The Lord God had him put to death to ransom his people, not the Jews. Jacob Umbrlaco M.S. Candidate, Geology Salt Company Director LETTERSCHRONICLE.UTAH.EDU btt.Jui .Jfc,MJPV .1. |