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Show ™ SUMMER UTAH CHRONICLE 0OPINION www.daUyu tahchronide.com Wednesday, July 13, 2005 Illustration was pornographical If you can't walk, bike Editor: I enjoyed Jay Richards' piece on reducing greenhouse emissions by walking to class ("Reduce greenhouse gas—walk to class," July 11). Unfortunately, many students live too far to walk daily to campus. I think a broad spectrum of alternative transportation methods are needed by commuting students. My personal solution is my bicycle. I live in the valley, four miles from campus, and get home as fast on my bike as I do by car. It only takes 20 extra minutes in the mornings. Some may say, "I'd bike if our campus weren't on a hill." Try taking TRAX up the hill. Many students live farther than I do, but many live within four miles of a TRAX station, to which they could easily bike and then ride to campus. People who live farther away from the stations can drive to a station and ride the rest of the way on TRAX. Students in Davis County can catch the express buses that will take them right to campus, and they'll save $95/month in UTA fares since U students ride for free. The point is, everyone's transportation needs are different, but there is an alternative for each one of us. If students will try one, they might find they like it. It may be an inconvenience, but then again, so is parking (or so I've heard). It definitely is a healthy choice for the environment as well as the student body, physically, mentally and financially. I look forward to the day when driving all the way to campus is considered the alternative transportation method. David Harding Graduate Student, Metallurgical Engineering Chrony reader praises editorial Editor: This is a response to The Chronicle's July 11 house editorial on "U not responsible for finding each student a niche." Thanks so much. Julie Swaner Manager Alumni Career Services Editor: • I have no objection to the subject nor content of the Wednesday, July 6 article, "Pressure to be Perky." However, I absolutely object to the choice of illustration. The accompanying diagram was equivalent to pornography. At least The Chronicle could have printed the diagram somewhere inside the newspaper on a continuation of the article. As it was, I was unwillingly exposed to this image of female nudity everywhere I went on campus that had a newspaper stand, and I resent that. Paul Johnson Junior, Political Science -ft A Cougar comments on The Chronicle THE- CHRONICLE'S VIEW •*-.* *• Chartwells: a detrimental and unnecessary overlord C ontrary to what many will have you believe, Chartwells is definitely not everything that it's cracked up to be. . ;; First, the food is not as good as it proclaims. Most options are boring and bland and are there day after day, with seemingly no variety or change. Also, on the whole, Chartwells is not nutritionally sound. The beverages—juice and soda—are virtually pure sugar. There is such a thing as REAL fruit juice. Also, there are few vegetarian options, and those that do exist are the most vapid items on the menu. ,<. . Second, these only mildly—if at all—appetizing. T.-y options are way too overpriced. Four dollars for :•<**] some cheap lettuce with a few dried out veggies anci Lunchable-like meat slices thrown on top for bragging rights is not value. The items that are "competitively priced," such as bagels, are only cheaper because they're so drastically inferior to their off-campus rivals. More importantly, though, is that Chartwells' hours are limiting and callous to students'—and the U's— needs. During Summer Semester, the Union cafeteria is only open from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, and Oiittakes and the Library branch are open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. All three are closed Saturdays and Sundays. Though open on weekends, the Heritage Center's hours are so irregular that students need to keep a schedule with them at all times in order to avoid making the trip only to find that the dining facility is closed for two more hours. These narrow and restricted hours hurt both the 1 students andthe entire campus. Students, in school or living on campus, need to eat, period. They plan their days around their class or work schedules, not Chartwells', and don't always have time to wait for a Chartwells location to open. When the latest a student can get food on lower campus is 4 p.m., and 7:30 p.m. from '• the Heritage Center, it causes a lot of problems for them and forces them to go off-campus just 50 have a simple meal. Forcing students to leave campus to get food (either because of the hours or the food quality and variety) hinders the U's goal of creating a community. People spend far less time on campus when they leave so frequently, and most likely bring their friends, which perpetuates the isolation of small social groups in spite of pronounced efforts to bring the U together as ; one, large community. * If the U offered a variety of food that was genuinely : good, legitimately healthy and actually fresh, as well as available all day, people would be far more inclined to stick around on campus in the dining areas, and I this would foster the sense of community that a com-:' 7 muter campus such as ours so sorely needs. The U allows Chartwells to possess such a monopoly on campus because it supposedly rescued the U ; : from financial ruin. : ^*; Chartwells gives the U money from sales' com- •>>!;•; missions, with a minimum of $250,000 per year. ••••'•£ v -fThat sounds great, but in reality that's not that much money for this campus, and it's not really worth dividing our growing community over. • •"• '.£•',:'-••• How could it hurt to have a competing food market ' on campus? Hopefully it would offer better food and; \ hours, which students would enjoy and benefit from, and which would probably lead to more time spent on campus, and if is succeeded, it would give the U : ^ money, too. Competition would also force Chartwells to make some improvements. If they refused to make their food better, at least they'd hopefully do something about those endless lunch lines and disgustingly: wettrays. - ;' ^.'v:.'?;;-;; ,"': Don't our students deserve better? Editor: I'm a BYU student, but I like The Chronicle. I wanted to say that I was really impressed with the house editorial that refutes divorce statistics as being destiny, and points out the ever-important fact that the guy on Jerry Springer who has had 17 divorces is throwing off the stats ("Divorce statistics are not the same as destiny," July 8). Go Chrony. As a side note, I think that the "Peeping Tom" column has a lot of potential, but it currently sucks. I'm sure that The Daily Universe has plenty of "good material," but it's going to require more than just using the word "ass" to make me think the commentary is actually funny. I don't look down on the author for using light curses and making references to polygamy, I just think that he needs to make sure that it's funny as well as crass. Maybe I'm way off my rocker. I just figured you might appreciate an outsider's opinion. Jon Reed Provo Unsigned editorials reflect the majority opinion of The Summer 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, religion, • creed, published.'<:A- cretju, gender, genuer, appearance appearance or or sexual sexuai orientation orientation will win be oe edited euiiea or or will wm not noi be ue puousnea. • • -••.•<• We love you Chartwells, oh yes, we do ...or at least we should S ome may look at Chartwells as a campus-monopolizing mini food industry that seems to originate in the basement of the Union building. What you don't know about Chartwells, however, is that it provides students with more than just a $4 chef's salad during a rushed lunch hour. Chartwells is a great asset to our university. For starters, Chartwells is very health conscious. College life can be hectic. With all of the soda and candy machines at the U, it's easy to go a whole day eating nothing but potato chips and drinking one-tenth of your weight in sugar from a soda bottle. But with this type of diet, it's only a matter of time before students are living in sweat pants and looking for an electric scooter to transport them around campus. Chartwells tries to help the average eater with their health concerns. Not only are they located in convenient locations at the U, but they also provide a wide array of nutritional information on their Web site so that if students want to know what their diet looks like by the numbers, they can look it up. Chartwells is taking their nutritional help one step further for the people in the dorms. Soon a Web site will be available in the Residence Halls where students can calculate the nutritional info of everything they eat. Chartwells is also concerned about the types of foods students have to choose from. That is why they make a lot of their decisions based on their ability to provide variety, which is great. Lindsey Sine Students go through enough monotony in a day. They shouldn't have to have a rushed lunch hour somewhere off campus because the only food available on campus was a grilled cheese sandwich or a bagel with cream cheese. Chartwells is helping students economically as well as nutritionally by employing many U students. A lot of students are supporting themselves while they attend school a lot of money, the U gets a good portion of it. If Chartwells doesn't here. When they have rent, tuition make very much, the U still gets a payments and phone bills piling up, minimum of $250,000. it feels good to know that they have a paycheck coming. So yes, Chartwells may be a little Having a job on campus can be bit of a food monopoly on our cama great asset. _ ^ pus, but really it is There's no need to for our own good. rush out of class Some companies I f these points haven't early in order to are only in it for catch a bus to be put a Chartwells smile the profit and on time to work— would leave our on your face, maybe it's within walkschool with little ing distance. It's to no money from this will: Chartwells convenient and sales' commisenvironmentally sions. gives the U money. friendly. Chartwells If these points cares enough to haven't put a Chartwells smile on be health conscious by providing your face, maybe this will: Chartall students with their nutritional wells gives the U money. values, and they give back to our school financially. So eat up. The money comes from sales' commissions. If Chartwells makes letters@chronicle.utah.edu Wanted: new Supreme Court Justice Bush should remember that Sandra Day O'Connor's legacy was balance T he next big political battle law, often decides how he or she is upon us. The current will vote. Justice O'Connor let the Supreme Court has served law guide her vote. For some time for more than 10 years without any now, the Supreme Court has had a changes in its ____ good balance membership, between left but it was only and right ide1 he balance we now a matter of time ologies. until a Supreme have may soon be broken The balance Court justice we now have retired. with President Bush's may soon be This historic broken with event took place new nomination. Now President Bush's new last Friday when the question is, w h o m nomination. Supreme Court Now the quesJustice Sandra will he nominate? tion is, whom Day O'Connor _^^ _ ^ _ announced her will he nomiretirement after having served for nate? 24 years. There are two main categories A justice's ideology, instead of the from which the president will LJ Lither choose, moderate conservative and ultra-conservative. Right now we have two ultra-conservatives on the bench, Justice Antonin Scalia and Justice Clarence Thomas. The polarization of politics in this country has had, and will continue to have, many negative side effects on our national psyche. Polarizing the Supreme Court, one of the most respected institutions in United States government, is quite possibly the worst thing Bush could do. For President Bush, there is another deterrent for nominating a staunch conservative. The Democrats in the Senate will obviously challenge that nomination to the best of their ability. This is a battle that can either help or hurt the Democrats. If the Democrats were to challenge Bush's nomination and win, forcing a second nomination, the president's political capital would be bankrupt. To challenge each and every nomination that President Bush makes, however, would severely weaken the Democrats' ability to act as a check and balance. The other side of the coin is that Bush nominates a moderate whom the Democrats would be most likely forced to accept. Let us look beyond partisan politics and find a nominee of integrity and intelligence who will let the law rule above personal preferences. Let us hope that Bush finds another justice like Sandra Day O'Connor. O'Connor expressed disdain at her reputation as a swing voter, saying that is not how she wants to be remembered. She believed in moderation, in narrow rulings and finding a balance in every case. And, just to refresh our memories, it was President Reagan who appointed Justice O'Connor. letters@chronicle.utah.edu |