Parking complaints unfounded
Thank you, Emily Chambers, for that wonderful lesson on what a “wild goose chase” is. Now I would like to return the favor and explain laziness. Laziness is when someone would rather miss class than spend 10 minutes walking. Yes, 10 minutes is how long it takes to get from either the CEBA parking lot or the Kirby Smith parking lot to the Quad on any given day. Maybe, Emily, you should try sucking it up and actually walking the extra five minutes to class. You could save yourself a few trips to the gym and get some fresh air so you wouldn’t be so upset about something so small. On top of that, you could help rectify the stereotype that Americans are lazy slobs rather than feeding it.
However, if these reasons fail to convince you, then maybe the University should build a high-rise parking lot in place of the Parade Ground with special shuttles that would ship you directly to your building of choice. Then we could also put escalators in all the buildings so you wouldn’t have to deal with the hassle of stairs. That’s just my modest proposal though.
P.S., The campus is not wider than two miles at any point, so if you’re walking two miles to class, I suggest you pick up a map.
Brandon LeeJunior, English
Students need to ‘grow up’ about Easy Streets
I can’t believe the atrocious excuses coming from the mouths of other students about the new Easy Streets program. Excuses like “I’m late for class,” “I can’t park where I want to,” and “It’s raining.” You need to quit blaming other people and grow up. If you’re late for class, it’s your own fault! The parking zones haven’t changed in the five years I have been here, and maybe longer. It has always been a walking campus. Street restrictions have always been here. Don’t think you can park anywhere because you pay for school. You are here to earn a degree, regardless if tuition is $1,900 and parking is $500 or tuition is $2,400 and parking is free. You chose to come here.
The only legitimate complaint is one of access refusal or equipment malfunctions. So until a faculty member or University employee complains about being denied passage when they clearly have the authority to do so (and actually use the wand correctly), I will have no respect for anyone who whines.
One reason Highland Road is filled with traffic is cars are stopping for pedestrians to cross the street, specifically in front of the Union. Pedestrians DO NOT have the right of way anywhere on Highland Road. There are signs that read “Pedestrians Yield to Vehicles.” There is also a red light only 20 feet away at which they can safely cross at a designated time. Otherwise, drivers have the right of way to run them over.
Students getting dropped off are just as disgusting. I have seen cars stop in the middle of Nicholson Extension and Highland Road to pick up/drop off friends while blocking six or more cars and building up traffic. These are your options: get a job to buy a car or bike, ride the bus, schedule earlier classes, stop getting DUIs or live on campus. Like I said, grow up.
P.S., If Easy Streets didn’t exist, you would still be complaining about “outrageous” parking violation fines or towing costs from parking where you’re not supposed to.
Stephen Martinez Senior, economics
Alum disappointed in fans’ behavior
I was dismayed to learn about the irresponsible behavior of students chanting obscenities in place of traditional celebratory verses during football games. This is just another clear display of the lack of respect and dignity of too many of today’s youth culture – very disappointing. Even during the tumultuous ’70s, at the height of our rant against “The Establishment,” my generation still managed to respect our treasured and honored LSU traditions.
I offer a simple solution. Don’t punish the rest of the fans in Tiger Stadium by silencing the band. Make the students responsible for silencing the indecent segment of their population. Simply, if the “few” continue their offensive rant, ban ALL students from football games and sell their seats to faithful fans. I’d be more than happy to pay full ticket price to sit in the “former” student section and cheer our Tigers on to victory and respectfully keep our honored traditions. The athletic department could take in significant additional funds from the sale of those seats.
If you want to keep your seats and continue to attend the football games, dear students, then get your neighbors to clam it, and have a blast keeping traditions alive.
Otherwise, I’m looking forward to sitting in that section again and partying with the band.
Major Don Tweedel, USAFUniversity alumnus
Bollingermistreated Iran’s president
Apropos of the news report on Mr. Ahmadinejad’s speech at Columbia University, Columbia President Lee Bollinger turned out to be shallow and incompetent in treating the president of Iran compared to the red-carpet treatment of the Pakistani dictator Pervez Musharraf at the same venue in 2006. Let’s face the facts – Iran was not involved in Sept. 11 attacks. Iran, along with India, supported the United States in rooting out Talibans in Afghanistan. In contrast, Mr. Musharraf was the prime supporter of the Talibans and gave them the infrastructure to support Al-Qaeda. It was through Mr. Musharraf’s support that Al-Qaeda carried out the Sept. 11 attacks. Most major Islamic terrorist activities conducted against the U.S. trace back to Pakistani sources, which are all orchestrated by Musharraf. He still hides Osama, Omar and their gang and is supporting the resurgence of the Talibans in Afghanistan. The U.S. media largely praised Musharraf, and no one protested against his visit to the universities (Columbia and Cornell) in any serious way.
However, I strongly protest Ahmadinejad’s response regarding the existence of Iranian homosexuals, among other unacceptable statements he made. Let’s not forget that Ahemedinejad had jailed Dr. Haleh Esfandiari, an Iranian-American scholar from the Woodrow Wilson Center, who did her Ph.D. at Columbia University, for 110 days in Iran.
Ujjal PathakSenior, computer science
SG president typical of La. politics
Having lived in South Louisiana for about two and a half years, I have come to expect corruption in all phases of the political and legal system – I just never expected to see it from a bunch of 20-something college students. Do Cassie Alsfeld and her clan of cronies really expect me to believe that giving Josh King and Micah Davies scholarships doesn’t reek of impropriety?
Let’s look at the reasons these students got these scholarships. One reason for the award could be academic excellence. Amazingly, Mr. King lost TOPS, so that theory goes straight out the window. Financial need could also be a good reason to give these awards, but let me ask you: Does a young man who pays thousands of dollars in fraternity dues really need the money? Do you, Mr. King? Oh, and my favorite reason – special talent. Well, Mr. King, I don’t know if you give great speeches or can dance a fancy jig, but from here the only talent you appear to have is being good ol’ pals with Cassie Alsfeld.
Cassie, don’t give me this song and dance about working hard for me and blah blah blah, because they knew the score when they signed up for Student Government, they knew it would take up some time and they did it anyway, so it’s on them. Now I know most of you guys do SG to build your resume so someday – maybe, just maybe – you could be on the governor’s staff.
Hooray! But don’t you think those scholarships could have been better utilized by giving them to students who really need them? I also find it ironic that the bill being put into play that would limit your power over this money keeps being put off. It must be good to have all those pals in SG. You see, Cassie, I think you have obviously shown poor judgment in awarding this money to your pals, and I don’t think you should have ANY power over any kind of money. I would like my $1.07 back because I worked hard to earn that money, and I don’t think you deserve special offices for SG, but there is a nice dumpster behind Lockett you could work out of.
Benjamin AbbottJunior, history