| OCR Text |
Show 5 OPINION Construction ignores students' needs Tuesday, September 7, 2010 www.dailyutahchronicle.com onstruction on campus is a mighty obstacle to all students, whether one bikes, walks or attempts to find a parking place. Yet construction seems to pervade the university's grounds more and more as the years go by; at best, it migrates from one area of campus to another. On my recent walks from class to class, I have observed vast stretches of land being bulldozed and torn up. Some of the most visible to me on these walks are the two major construction sites on the Business Loop and what was once the golf course. Another site, which includes the horrendous obstacle running east to west on the south side of OSH and the Language and Communication Building, is the beginning of a major development comprising various phases. The first phase should be completed by 2011, but this only covers the first of four proposed buildings that will continue to be built in the future. Another recent development taking place nearby, less visible to students who cover main campus, includes the new Utah Museum of Natural History building up against the mountain by Red Butte Garden, a project that will take two and a half years and is estimated to cost roughly $98 million. The Huntsman Cancer Institute is expanding another six floors by 2011, and the College of Nursing is getting a needed renovation. Development trends continue unabated into the future. Despite the noble attempts of the U to make campus a better place, the differences between its unhinged pursuit of growth and its environmental responsibility seem little reconciled. Of the seven current construction projects under way, only one, the David Eccles School of Business, mentions anything about C u,J %LA-Q -5 Celia it C., JESSE PETERSON Construction for Research Professionals StaffWriter "classroom/learning spaces" in its project description. Of the io sites under development, less than half are educationally oriented. The building that housed the UMNH is getting a face-lift near the $75 million mark, launching a two-year construction project on Presidents Circle starting in 2012. Another project, on hold indefinitely, might be one of the largest student impact construction projects conceived to date: the "Universe Project," which is meant to "create a vibrant campus entry containing commercial, retail, and housing opportunities that promote a high energy Transit Oriented Development while contributing positively to the University of Utah and surrounding neighborhood communities." In the past, many construction projects have taken on the same trend as many of the current projects on campus, the most evident being the Marriott Library renovation that spanned four years and ended up costing $79 million. The truth is that many of these renovations are needed, that much of the funding comes from benefactors whose names get slapped on outside walls, and that learning and research will take place in these lustrous halls of academic progress. But is it all really necessary? Looking at these long lists and considering the large increases in indoor space, one wonders why university officials don't just build a SuperSuperdome over our heads. THE U Construction for Student Education WILLUS BRANHAM/The Daily Utah Chronicle Myron Willson, director of the U's Office of Sustainability, provided a great deal of insight regarding the conflicting policies of unburdened growth and the U's mission to go green. "The (ecological) footprint of long-term maintenance and operation typically outweighs those costs" of construction, though the U is incapable of documenting the exact amounts of carbon dioxide emissions, he said. "The University 11104114100011111•011,00110090110111411111111141 11901111110011100000001100111000411411,111 09000011099001110000111411011110091/11 • 041100•1111111110110410.0•11,40411004114/1011 to eiperedi • *or.* you 1144 114111 , 11141 101 11111 414 IP IP 111110 11 (11:11 ID 1114, O. O. 04101, 41 O.* OVIII011 10 •e to* II Will 01 fig 1111 .411 114411000•041111)1110011110011011111100041011141141 900000009116006099000000•11 of Utah's main mission is education. Many aspects of that mission may require additional space and energy." I, however, fail to see how research and clinical space are educational spaces available to a majority of students. Instead, these are merely examples of space given not to students, but to research professors and professionals who do not teach classes. It is important to note that many buildings need to be upgraded for enhanced seismic capabilities and to reduce the U's carbon footprint. "The current goal (for the university) is to be carbon-neutral by 2050," Willson said. Unfortunately, the behavior of the university points to less renovation and more development. letters@ chronicle.utah.edu Utah County's partial ban on spice is illogical L ast week, Utah County implemented a partial ban on "spice," proving again why Provo was voted the least fun city in America last year by portfolio. COM. I am not going to insinuate that cities are only fun if you can get high in them. However, when you live in a place like Provo, I would assume that getting a buzz is the only way you can deal with the mundane life of ice blocking, PG movies and being surrounded by screaming children all day. In fact, more Utahns take Prozactype drugs than in any other state, according to a study conducted in June 2007 by Express Scripts, a pharmacy benefit management firm. The study said Utahns average LI prescriptions per person per year of medications such as Prozac, Zoloft and Paxil, and the national average is 0.7. Utah women also seem to have big problems with methamphetamines. This is evident by the numerous posters and newspaper public service announcements, making me wonder the real reason that Utah County is often referred to as Happy Valley. But instead of addressing the real issues and looking into the reasons so many Utahns turn to substances to lighten up their day, the Utah County government has chosen to ban a legal and much safer coping mechanism. For some reason, we as a culture have decided that as long as you have a prescription from a doctor, spending your life high as a kite on synthetic speed and heroin is perfectly fine, but smoking some plant is immoral and wrong. This recent ban on incense makes the possession, sale or use of the substance a class-B misdemeanor, punishable by up to 6 months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. This means that, in Utah County, smoking incense at home is on the same level as assault and public masturbation. On top of this absurdity the ban will only take effect in incorporated areas. This allows anyone older CHRIS WADE 11111h- StaffWriter than 19 with a car or the ability to move in a specific direction to avoid the ban all together with no legal repercussions. The true effects of spice and the threat it poses to the general public have not been proven, but the government still wants to tell adults how to live their lives. "I have tried spice; I hate it," said Eric Norwood, a Salt Lake City resident. "It is nothing like marijuana, and it tastes like soap. To be honest, I think it is more of a placebo effect. You smoke something that looks like it should make you feel high so you convince yourself you haven't wasted your money on some driedup plants that do nothing. This ban is a waste of time." It appears the government plans on banning something whenever someone figures out how to abuse it, all in an effort to "save the children." But no matter who you are, I would bet you know a guy and can get a bag of marijuana in a matter of hours. This just goes to show that all the money and effort we have spent on eradicating "evil drugs" could have been used to support some other area of our hurting budget. This attack on spice is nothing more than Utah government as usual. A group of legislators is simply opposing something they don't understand. The effects of spice on a person's consciousness are minimal, and its effects on society are nonexistent. If legislatures in Utah County really cared about their residents' well-being, they should tackle the issue of addiction to prescription drugs. letters@ chronicle.utah.edu |
