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Show 4 OPINION Construction information is at a dead end Thursday, August 27,2009 www.dailyutahchronicle.com I 've lived in Utah for 21 years. I spent many hours on campus prior to enrolling in college, and } O NATH A N I am in my fourth year DEESING at the U. Even so, this morning, I got lost. On __».^_^_ campus. Senior, International Studies Imagine my delight Department of Transportawhen lots that I had tion granted a permit that parked in for half a decade were closed. Roads that I had didn't allow the U to install it until the middle of Sepdriven ruts into were nonextember. istent. Buildings older than my parents were just holes in Darrin Blaisdell, geothe ground. graphic information system Construction is a terribly manager for the U, said that annoying process, but it's a several things coincided to necessary evil. Lack of informake this construction corremation about it is not. lation such a horrifying mess. The U seems to be caught He said that some projects in the epicenter of a perfect finally got funding while storm of construction projothers started in the summer ects, and the timing couldn't and could not be finished be worse. This year, internabefore the start of the school tional students, freshmen and year. transfer students all have the "Most of the projects (the delightful challenge of finding U) could do in the summer, their way around a school in they would, but it's not realwhich seniors are now getting istic," he said. lost. At least six major projects Two such projects, Utah are under way, with more to Science Technology and come. Research Initiative and the However, this is not neces- destruction and reconstrucsarily the result of sadistic tion of two Business Loop administrators aiming to buildings, will take at least further stress out students. three to four years to be Indeed, the installation of completed. USTAR is a a new sewer line that will project championed by the close the Business Loop for Utah Legislature with the a month was supposed to intent of bolstering the state's be completed during the economy by creating more summer. Unfortunately, the technological infrastructure obtuse officials at the Utah in state-funded universities LETTER TO THE EDITOR Parking should be for students, not events Editor: As a student, I have become increasingly irritated at the noticeable disregard for students. Unless I am mistaken, the U is an institute of higher learning, not an entertainment venue, so why is it trying to function as such? It is understood that the sporting and concert events bring in needed funds, but so does tuition, I resent students being told they have to park elsewhere, often in pay lots, even if they have parking permits when attending class, because certain areas are being reserved for the general public to attend events. Students pay thousands of dollars to attend school, often borrowing funds, so they should certainly take priority over concertgoers. Shaunelle Eckman, Junior, Consumer and Community Studies In response to current campus construction and congested parking, are you more likely to: Use mass transit more often Continue using mass transit WILLUS BRANHAM/fflr Daily Utah Chronicle such as the U and Utah State. This infrastructure includes adding a 12-foot high tunnel from the western-most remnant of the golf course to the HPER building. The Business Loop is subject to a number of construction projects, including the demolition and reconstruction of the Madsen and Garff buildings. As a whole, these plans have been in development for years and their timing was an unavoidable coincidence. However, the problem students are facing is not necessarily the construction, but the lack of communication about what areas are now off-limits. One of BlaisdelTs main responsibilities as GIS manager is to maintain the U's construction website, constructionimpacts.utah. edu. It is updated at least weekly—sometimes daily— with information about which areas of the U are unavailable to either cars or pedestrians. It is helpful, concise and up to date. Unfortunately, the site has been poorly marketed and as a result, most students have never heard about it. A single e-mail containing this link was sent out last Friday to students' UMail accounts, but beyond that, information is slim. The U's home web page features nothing concerning construction, and a search of the word "construction" brings up no information of consequence, not even Blaisdell's site. If the U hopes to attract prospective students, it needs to inform students well enough to find their classes, their parking spots and stillexisting roads without a treasure map and Nicolas Cage. Blaisdell said that "we're in a big phase of construction right now to improve the university in terms of facilities." Lucky us. letters@chronicle.utah.edu Concealed weapons not necessary on campus B efore I delve into the touchy subject of gun control in Utah— the state that has become the poster child for the right to bear arms—I would first like to make one thing clear: I support the Second Amendment. I am a proud, legal owner of a Browning 9 mm pistol, a Remington 30-06, a 12 gauge Winchester, side-by-side and over-under shotguns, a small cannon and various other firearms whose caliber is too minute to mention. The Founding Fathers knew the right to bear arms was essential to repel tyranny and to guarantee our rights as American citizens to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. However, I understand that I am able to exercise my Second Amendment rights only if I do so responsibly, as to not infringe upon the safety of other citizens. This right, which is well-established by the Constitution, is not the subject in the controversial debate about whether concealed weapons should be allowed on campus. The issue here is a policy debate concerning the most effective way to provide safety for students. The Second Amendment is subject to reasonable restrictions—gun control in schools being one. In 2008, the Supreme Court expressed this in the landmark case of District of Columbia v. Heller by concluding, "Nothing in our opinion should be taken to cast doubt on long-standing prohibitions...or laws forbidding the carrying of firearms in sensitive places such as schools." Utah is the only state that prohibits its state institutions from barring guns on campus. Perhaps the most popular argument for allowing handguns on campus is the idea that if more people had guns, students could protect themselves in the event of a Virginia Tech-style shooting and even go so far as to deter would-be attackers. However, there are doubts about whether concealed weapons are effective in deterring possible perpetrators. Many public shootings result in the suicide of the shooter, so the risk of being shot doesn't do much to stem an attack. Josh Horwitz of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence said about psychopathic mass murderers: "Armed conflict is not a deterrent, it is the point." Also, if students beganfiringback at the shooter and campus police were to arrive on the scene, it would be nearly impossible for these officials—who are trained extensively to handle emergency situations—to differentiate the shooter from the rest of the student body. Turning an already dangerous situation into the O.K. Corral is not the answer. The bottom line is that the U is an enlightened institution of education. I feel privileged that I can feel safe here JOHN STAFFORD Senior, International Studies and Mass Communication while pursuing knowledge I can apply to a career. I know the feeling of carrying a gun enough to know that I don't feel like the same person when I'm doing so. The ever-present consciousness of the ability to kill is both a powerful.and humbling sensation. This feeling is not conducive to the intellectual thought process required to better yourself as a human being at the U, because it spreads an impermeable and blinding fear. The thought that anyone, at any time on this campus, could be carrying a loaded weapon, "just in case," makes me nervous, and when I'm nervous, I'm not paying attention in class. Unfortunately, violence in our society is a reality that's all too common, but embracing that violence with more violence in attempt to curb it is not an equation that adds up. letters@chronicle.utah.edu ; Online poll results How much money do you plain to spend textbooks for Fall Semester? S Continue driving and parking on campus " "'"" Drive more often and use mass transit less $ioi-. $266 ( Use other methods of transportation (bike, walk, etc.) $201 -$300 (10) IVote at dailyutahchronicle.co $301 - $400 (10) |