I have no qualm with you pointing out who was not in attendance at last night’s Student Services Finance Committee meeting. I particularly do not mind since you have done that all semester — oh wait, that’s right, you have not done this.
If you are going to criticize individual members, please tell the facts. From contacting me, you were aware I was studying at the library for an exam the next morning. I also mentioned that I have offered to meet with Mr. Barrows and the Multicultural Student Coalition before Monday’s decision, and I do have a copy of their budget I can review, as well as the minutes from Wednesday’s meeting.
I have done everything I can to ensure that I am prepared to make an educated decision on MCSC’s budget Monday night. I certainly was elected, and in my year and a half on SSFC I believe I have represented the students on this campus well.
I am the one who last year came up with the idea and motion to extend the hours of the “drunk bus” on Friday and Saturday nights. I have also fought hard to keep student fees affordable to all students on this campus. It is appropriate to keep in mind that I am still a student and have classes to go to and exams to pass just like the Badger Herald staff does.
Matt Modell, SSFC member and UW junior
It remains to be seen what excuse Unionist sectarians in British-occupied land will again use to reject the decision of the Provisional Irish Republican Army to put all of its weapons beyond use.
Contrary to the misinformation peddled by the mainstream media, the IRA was not the obstacle that saw the Good Friday Agreement come crashing down on two recent occasions.
Although Canadian General John de Chastelain, chairperson of the international commission for the disarming of paramilitary forces in British-occupied Ireland, announced Aug. 7 that the proposals of the IRA concerning the decommissioning of its weaponry would “put IRA arms completely and verifiably beyond use,” David Trimble would not trust his judgment.
It should not be forgotten that General Chastelain’s commission was given the authority by the GFA to make this determination.
It remains to be seen if the IRA announcement of Oct. 23 regarding decommissioning its weaponry does now indeed satisfy Trimble and that he will attempt to persuade his political colleagues to accept what they have, in fact, been demanding.
One can envision Unionist sectarians coming up with more objections coupled with the usual rhetorical obfuscation in order to make sure the GFA is never implemented. It remains to be seen if they really believe the Catholic/Nationalist population of occupied Ireland should be treated with equality and dignity in light of the recent vicious attacks against Catholic children portrayed on television.
Late population estimates put the Catholic population of the northern six Irish counties at close to or exceeding 50 percent. This suggests that Ireland will shortly become united into the 32-county nation that Britain and her bigoted Orange sectarian bullies have tried to prevent.
The Good Friday Agreement is a step toward Irish unification. It remains to be seen if Unionism will again seek to sabotage it.
William Gartland, Rio, Wis.
I’m writing this in response to the article by a Mr. Slaby on Thursday, Oct. 25. What you are basically saying in your article is that everyone has the right to dress up any way they want. I totally agree with you on that, but I’m afraid Peter Moran, the guy that you condemned, isn’t concerned about that. What he is concerned about is that these people dress up as Mexicans AND try to depict themselves as drunken Mexicans. Now, let me try to be a blonde American girl AND act like a bimbo, what do you think those blonde American girls feel? Maybe these “drunken Mexicans” do not mean to mock the Mexicans, but we all know that racial issues are very sensitive, and it doesn’t kill anyone to try to be more understanding and respect each other’s culture.
So, Mr. Slaby, you are right when you say that they can dress up any way they want, but it is not right when they try to act as drunken Mexicans. As much as I would like to think that they did it for fun, other people, especially Mexicans, might not think so.
Amelia Liew , UW junior
I noticed in today’s paper there was a tiny article on the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposal to ease anti-smog rules to prevent gas price increases. Ironically enough, that was the day after the media reported on how low they currently were.
States already have trouble meeting the EPA’s smog guidelines, and so they are recommending we weaken them more to help protect our pocketbooks. What about protecting human health? What about the increase in hospital admissions on high-ozone days? I am gravely disappointed in the recommendation of our EPA. Who are they there to protect, people or industry?
Jennifer Jankowski, UW senior
Thank you for your article covering Tuesday night’s Progressive Green Alliance kickoff in the Wednesday, Oct. 24 edition. I appreciate the coverage you gave our group. However, I am writing to correct some misinformation in the article.
The group was formed to combine the efforts of students and staff involved in several different groups on campus including the Green Party, Campus Greens and Progressive Dane. We are the on-campus chapter of these organizations. Although we support the efforts of the UW Greens, contrary to the article’s headline, we do not have any affiliation with this non-partisan grassroots organization. The Progressive Green Alliance hopes to provide a forum for discussion of progressive politics on campus through speakers, roundtables, and other activities. We also will be assisting Progressive Dane and Green Party candidates in the upcoming spring elections increase their presence on campus.
Again, thank you for your coverage of our kickoff.
Brian J. Lutenegger, Co-founder, Progressive Green Alliance and UW junior
From the Oct. 25 Badger Herald:
“While support for the budget, the largest ever asked for by any student organization, was high, many students felt funding MCSC at this level was financially irresponsible.
“‘[Granting this much money] is pouring money down a rat hole that essentially has no structure,’ said one concerned student.”
This “one concerned student” is wrong both in fact and in his heart if he truly believes what he said at the MCSC budget hearing before the Student Services Finance Committee Wednesday night.
His error of fact is to claim the MCSC has no structure, when that structure was outlined in detail at the hearing. Perhaps it’s not a structure that this student recognizes, but there is, in fact, a structure in place. In addition, the MCSC faces the scrutiny of SSFC every year, the same accountability that all other funded student organizations face.
The MCSC must account for the funds they were given the year before to provide services and must justify their current budget request to SSFC’s satisfaction.
Correcting this error of fact is simple, but correcting the error in this student’s heart that would allow him to compare his fellow and sister students in the MCSC to the inhabitants of a “rat hole” is another story altogether. When I read what this “concerned student” said, I felt like I had been kicked in the gut, and in fact, I read it over several times, hoping in vain that I had misread his words. If he was quoted accurately, his opinion of the students in the MCSC reflects the kind of despicable racism that students of color here face every day and demonstrates an attitude of absolute privilege that some white students express, seemingly without a second thought.
I hope this concerned student will search his heart and find the place that will compel him to apologize to the entire UW-Madison community.
Campus climate issues are critical to all students’ success, and this student, in my opinion, has thrown a load of poison into the climate that we all share.
Daña Alder, Madison, Wis.
The headline of The Financial Times reads, “U.N. asks U.S. to limit air strikes,” and the story continues to report that the U.S. has indeed made an agreement to limit front-line air strikes. As I continued to read the article, I was stuck wondering, “Why am I reading this in a British paper?”
Where is the American media coverage? The answers to these questions lie in the relationship between event coverage and public support. Thus, to continue the public support for the attacks on Afghanistan, American media prints stories on the mounting anthrax threats while omitting the current status of Afghan civilians. Therefore, it is not a shock that American media overlooked the U.N. plea for fewer air strikes.
Sarah Langford , UW junior
One in eight women will be sexually assaulted during their UW-Madison careers. This is a very real statistic, but people do not understand its reality until it happens to them or someone they care about.
Campus Safety, an Associated Students of Madison campaign, is trying to make people more aware of sexual assault. We are putting up sexual assault prevention posters in restrooms in bars and restaurants near campus. Many of the owners are extremely cooperative. They are responsible establishments and care about their customers, but not all owners are this cooperative.
One of the managers we talked to had a very different response to our request. His reply went something like this: “What in the hell are you talking about? Were you here on Sept. 11? America is being attacked by terrorists and you’re talking about sexual assault?”
This is the exact attitude that causes so many people to be afraid of reporting when they are sexually assaulted. Yes, we are still talking about sexual assault and will continue to do so until the issue no longer exists, no matter if we’re at war with terrorism or aliens. If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, do not suffer in silence. There are many resources here to help you.
Erica Tietz, ASM campus safety Intern
