Which bus is this?
Am I the only one who is fed up with asking and hearing, "Which bus is this?" The IU Auditorium's advertising on our campus bus marquees is a real inconvenience to passengers and drivers.\nI was standing with barely enough space behind the yellow line next to the bus driver, and I watched several fellow students hesitate before stepping aboard the bus. They did not fully board until the driver said: "You know this is the A bus, right?"\n"Sorry -- Full Load" should be a message to the manager of the campus bus system. You are overloading us with advertising, compromising the integrity of your service and probably frustrating your employees with the added responsibility of repeating, "Yes, this is the A bus."\nPlease do something (with a piece of paper, tape and a permanent marker if you are spending too much money on our new buses to decrease crowding -- which you are, right?) to let every person standing in the cold rain know which bus is approaching the bus stop.
Evan Merida\nSenior
'White Out' accomplished little
Regarding "'White Out' to raise terrorism awareness" by Kristi Oloffson (IDS, Nov. 11):\nLast Thursday the Helene G. Simon Hillel Center and the IU Student Association rolled out their anti-terrorism T-shirt campaign, "Students Against Terrorism," or SAT. The white T-shirts made the proclamation that Nov. 9, 2006, was the date that we, as Students Against Terrorism, were "Turning Things Around."\nHowever, I fail to see how, as the flier handed out with the shirts contends, this is a "symbolic effort toward 'whiting out' terrorism." To white something out is to cover up and conceal it. This campaign thrusts the phobia of terrorism to the forefront of our attention. "9/11 has become a day when we are constantly reminded of our fears," declares the flier. "To this we must say, 'No more!'"\nHow does handing out thousands of T-shirts, emblazoned with block-lettered reminders of that tragic event, assuage our fears?\nIn the very next paragraph, the SAT flier says that we are preoccupied with our social and academic lives but that Thursday was a day that we needed to have the threat of terrorism fresh in our minds.\nI thought we were saying "No more!" to the constant reminders of our fears?\nThe last paragraph attests that the shirts are meant to remind us of our stance against terrorism, but I think anyone would be hard-pressed to find any American citizen who wasn't opposed to terrorism.\nFurthermore, the flier suggests that we should tell everyone about the meaning behind the shirts and the "implications" behind Nov. 9, 2006.\nThis T-shirt implies that, though terrorism hasn't breached the "cocoon of comfort and security that surrounded us" since 9/11, the threat should still loom large in our minds. Obviously, the shirts do nothing to strengthen the global fight against terrorism. There were no donation cans filled with loose change to be shipped to Homeland Security.\nIf they wanted to impact an issue that affects the lives of American citizens, they could have used the money to feed the hungry. It's almost Thanksgiving, and the impoverished are worried more about the looming threat of starvation. Instead, they put their money and efforts not toward canned goods, but canned symbolism.
Kris Kolish\nJunior
SAT must go beyond T-shirts
Regarding "'White Out' to raise terrorism awareness" by Kristi Oloffson (IDS, Nov. 11):\nI write regarding the Students Against Terrorism group that handed out T-shirts yesterday (Nov. 9) outside of Ballantine Hall. The Indiana Daily Student reported that the group's intention, according to its president, Danny Schwarz, was to start "a process of educating students to be aware of terrorist attacks around the world."\nFirst of all, the event clearly was not about terrorist attacks around the world. The fliers that the group handed out with the T-shirts stated "9/11 was a day the terrorists took from this country," and "9/11 has become a day when we are constantly reminded of our fears." Instead of raising awareness of terrorism as a global issue (which might have actually been useful) Students Against Terrorism's stated intention was to use 11/9 as a day to "stand in the face of terrorism and say, 'You will not win,'" a banal reiteration of President Bush's cowboy rhetoric that we heard too much of at the start of the Iraq war.\nSecond, and I think more importantly, the flier also contained this sentence: "Instead of bringing in speakers, or having professors give a lecture, we show our stance by wearing white, in a symbolic effort towards 'whiting out' terrorism." So instead of doing something rational, something thought-provoking, Students Against Terrorism opts for the myopic symbolism of a white T-shirt. And what about that phrase, "whiting out terrorism?" The "black" threat of terrorism? In other words, is Students Against Terrorism saying that to resist terrorism we have to make the campus more white? The racist implications of this phrase should be apparent to anyone.\nI'm not accusing SAT of racism. I think it made a foolish word choice within a symbolic gesture empty of real significance. The group should be more thoughtful in the future, especially when spending $5,000 of the University's money.
Adam Fajardo\nStudent
IDS: Get off your high horse and help students
Regarding Monday's staff editorial "Flunking the SAT":\nWell, it has happened folks. The IDS has hit rock-bottom. The Students Against Terrorism editorial piece confirmed its total lack of support, insight and overall connection to the IU student body. Since when did the IDS become the gatekeeper of acceptable student issues? \nYes! How dare a student organization take action on an issue it feels strongly about! How dare a student organization make a choice to spread awareness about an issue central to all of our lives! Even further! How dare the student government demonstrate its full support for a student cause and even go as far as to donate student money! It's outrageous isn't it, IDS? \nOh! I know! Here's what we should do: Let's put together a daily "student" publication, charge student organizations huge amounts of money to advertise student activities, then criticize those student events in that very same piece of media! Wow, I never realized how great the IDS is to students!\nStudents! Aren't we lucky we have a student newspaper that provides an affordable medium for student exchange, supports student initiatives that are important to them and offers encouragement to students who might want to take action. Oh, wait. \nIDS, get off of your high horse and out from behind your glowing monitors and offer something constructive to our lives. Do something to help. Do something! You sure have enough of our organization's money.
Jeremy J. Strife\nSenior\nDirector, Department of Student Rights
'White Out' \nmessage goes beyond T-shirts
Regarding Monday's staff editorial "Flunking the SAT":\nAs the student behind "the most ill-conceived idea since the 2002 election Corvette," let me offer a few thoughts on the recent Students Against Terrorism initiative supported by IUSA.\nNow I admit, the T-shirts failed in that they were meant to have "bunker-busting" capabilities when I ordered them. They promised me TMDs -- T-shirts of Mass Destruction. In fact, this weekend I flew to Afghanistan to fight terrorism. I walked up to Osama's cave wearing my SAT shirt and, after blinding him with its bleached brightness, I tied him up in my "oversized monstrosity" of a shirt and brought him to justice.\nIf only my weekend escapades of vengeance were a reality.\nTo the casual observer, Nov. 9th was just another free T-shirt day. But to those who came by, picked up a flier that explained what we were doing and read our student government resolution, the initiative succeeded in raising consciousness about an issue of great importance.\nWhoever said white shirts would rid the world of terrorism? These shirts were a way for students to show their unity on an issue of global concern. We were seeking to provide a way for students to rally around an issue and initiate a dialogue on campus. We very much appreciated the support of IUSA, which fulfilled its purpose by helping students put forth a positive program for the benefit of the campus community.\nAll involved in the Students Against Terrorism initiative would admit that T-shirts, in and of themselves, are not the whole ballgame. Yet we hope that in a university setting where all too few students engage with issues challenging our world, it is a helpful first step. Meaningful political and civic engagement needs to start with education and consciousness-raising. I thank the Indiana Daily Student for giving us the opportunity to further advance this objective.\nAnd hey, IUSA still has $45,000 left over to buy a used Corvette for 2008.
Daniel Schwarz\nPresident of Students Against Terrorism
Nov. 20: Transgender Day of Remembrance\nNearing the end of November, most of us at IU will be thinking about tests to cram for, papers to write at the last minute and, most importantly, when we'll be able to break free from Bloomington and get home for some can-shaped cranberry sauce. However, the members of the OUT, GLBT Student Union and the Hoosier Rights Campaign would like you to remember something more important than turkey and stuffing.\nNov. 20th is the eighth annual national Transgender Day of Remembrance. The transgender population is often ignored or discriminated against, even within the homosexual community. Unfortunately, due to discrimination this often misunderstood group falls victim to some of the worst hate crimes every year. The number of people killed every year because of their gender identity cannot even be counted, as many of these murders go unrecorded. Additionally, lack of acceptance and understanding from society results in increasingly high suicide rates for transgender individuals.\nOnly eight states in the United States offer protection to citizens based on gender identity. This means that in 42 states, including Indiana, people can be harassed or fired from their jobs with little to no awareness. Even worse is the lack of education students receive about unconventional gender identity. Without understanding the issues surrounding the transgender community, how are we going to relinquish the prejudices? \nOn Transgender Day of Remembrance, we encourage all students and faculty to take time out of their busy schedules to remember those who were brave enough to embrace their gender identity and in return lost their lives for it. For more information, you can visit the Indiana Transgender Rights Advocacy's Web site at www.intraa.org.
Kim Ruggles\nPresident, OUT GLBT Student Union
Replacing Webmail unnecessary
Regarding the staff editorial "System of a down" (Nov. 7):\nYou confuse Webmail with IU's entire e-mail system. Webmail is just an e-mail reader, much like Microsoft Outlook. It does not control the sending and delivery of e-mail, so the crash of the "Ariel" server affected not only Webmail, but the root of the IU e-mail system.\nLikewise, Webmail crashing only affects users of the Web client, not people who read their e-mail with Eudora or Outlook.\nMy recommendation to avoid e-mail for important business should not be discounted. You won't e-mail "help@911.gov" if you have a heart attack! E-mail is fundamentally insecure: My friend recently received an e-mail from Elvis Presley -- a message that I sent. This ability to fake e-mail is why you get spam. Also, since e-mail servers crash, you cannot rely on all mail to get through. Pick up the phone if you need reliable communication.\nThe recent increase in spam is global, not the fault of IU. IU raised the bar for what can pass as real e-mail, and as a result, some legitimate messages are filtered out as spam. This change surely came about to quell people complaining about an increase in spam and is reasonable action to be taken by the University.\nFinally, you mention that IU should use a different mail system, such as Google's. I'm sure there are legal issues when outsourcing e-mail to a third party, especially when it comes to government regulations. Sure, the user interface is nicer than Webmail, so if you are tired of Webmail's bad spam filtering and small storage space, you can forward all your e-mail to a Gmail account and use that instead. There's no reason the whole University (if it can) has to change just because a few people think it should.\nThe Internet is complex and insecure. Evil people send spam, and they are clever, making it very hard to filter. If you believe replacing Webmail with a new client or using a new spam filter will fix the problems with e-mail, you are mislead.
Sid Stamm\nGraduate student
False Information and Unfair Article\n
Regarding "Student struck by automobile outside Kilroy's Sports Bar" by Michael Reschke (Nov. 13):\nI was appalled and severely annoyed by the article I read in the paper Monday about the student struck outside of Kilroy's Sports Bar on Saturday morning this past weekend. First of all, the student who was struck, Jina Yang, is not a current resident of Gamma Phi Beta. Secondly, my roommate, "the pedestrian" in the article and two other people who were with her, including one who was completely sober, were certain they were not jogging in front of any car.\nSeeing as there were probably 50 people outside of Sports that night who sent rumors flying, many people were probably looking for an article in the IDS on Monday to see what had happened, and it is extremely insulting to see that the story was skewed in a way in which the pedestrian looked as though she were the one at fault.\nIU students must be made aware of this skewed article when the victim of this crime is the one seemed to be at fault according to the IDS.
Sara Vorndran\nSenior
Thanks and lesson for GOP
While I lost badly in my race for Bloomington Township Board on election night, I would like to thank all of the people who voted for me. Thanks to the College Republicans for allowing me to speak to the group about Township Board and the importance it holds for students. Congratulations to Bill Sturbaum, Dawn Allen and Barabara McKinney. Good luck for the next four years and enjoy your victory. You earned it.\nNationally, a bad night for Republicans has been coming for a long time. To put it bluntly, Republicans deserved to lose the House, and Republicans have deserved to lose the Senate for a long time. The Republicans became more concerned with holding onto power than with the conservative values that put them into power in the first place.\nThe Republican Congress gave us a massive increase in government spending, a brand new federal entitlement program, a law regulating the content of political speech, a significant expansion of the federal government into primary and secondary education, an attempt to give amnesty to illegal aliens and not enough progress on protecting the unborn. This defeat will be good for Republicans in the long run if they return to the core conservative beliefs that are the foundation of the party.\nUnfortunately, good conservatives like John Hostettler and Mike Sodrel got swept away when the voters cleaned house.
Scott Tibbs\nIU Alumnus
Rumsfeld deserves blame
I am writing in response to the Nov. 13 column by Brian Stewart titled "Defending Rumsfeld." He claimed that everybody's opinion about the deposed defense secretary was wrong. "Shockingly" the exact opposite is true. \nThe author he cited, Eliot Cohen, a prominent neoconservative who believes in an imperialistic American army (read Pax Americana) and founding member of the Project for the New American Century (of which Rumsfeld was a member) blamed the invasion's failure on the military instead of politicians. Since I have the benefit of history and common sense, the invasion (as the midterm elections have demonstrated) has been a total failure on the part of Rumsfeld. Unfortunately for Rummy, he never thought that American voters would actually wake up one morning and realize that invading Iraq was the worst foreign policy disaster since Vietnam. His neoconservative friends, like Cohen, were never smart enough to realize that Osama bin Laden doesn't hate us for what our nation stands for, but instead for our military and diplomatic policies targeting the Middle East. Stewart's moral imperative for an American Empire makes just as much sense as Osama's quest for Islamic radicalism. \nLast week Saddam was sentenced to death for crimes against humanity. My question for you, Brian: Was Saddam's execution worth the deaths of thousands of courageous American soldiers and possibly thousands more? Was it worth the American bombardment that obliterated Iraqi homes and erased Iraqi families? Was it worth the thousands more terrorists who have joined al-Qaida's call for attacks on American soil? \nSince Americans can't turn to the incompetence of contemporary leaders, we need only to look at the warnings of John F. Kennedy for the answer: "What kind of peace to we seek? Not a Pax Americana enforced on the world by American weapons of war. Not the peace of the grave or the security of the slave. I am talking about genuine peace, the kind of peace that makes life on earth worth living ... not merely peace for Americans, but peace for all men and women; not merely peace in our time, but peace for all time."
Kevin Small\nSophomore
Outsourcing a bad idea for IU
Regarding "IU opens motor pool bidding to private companies" by Dallas Frey (Oct. 19):\nFor more than 30 years, I was involved with outsourcing studies and decisions in the Department of Defense. In almost every case, the outsourcing resulted in reduced quality and responsiveness and, over time, increased cost. There is a loss of institutional memory and of loyalty to the organization. It is very difficult to bring functions back in-house after they have gone to contract.
Stephen K. Gregg\nBloomington resident
IU football going to get schooled
I remember when the Hoosiers were 5-4 and people talked about them going bowling and finishing in the top half of the Big Ten this year. Finally, reality has begun to set in. With the exception of Iowa, IU has not defeated a single team of note. They choked against Southern Illinois and Connecticut, and the Golden Gophers put up 63 points on them. There was a time when my Boilermakers might have started to worry about the cream and crimson. I'm just glad to be reminded that the "school" two hours south of us still can't play a lick of football. Go Boilermakers!
Myles Handley\nPurdue alumnus
Affirmative action for GLBT students\n
IU is ranked the third most GLBT-friendly campus, yet on Nov. 1, the IDS editorial board, in its opinion piece titled "Sexual preference," declared that diversifying the campus with more GLBT students through affirmative action is "undermining diversity."\nYou claim affirmative action will not increase campus diversity. \nWhile socio-economic status is not an overwhelming factor in GLBT discrimination reports, social oppression can be devastating and debilitating for GLBT students (and citizens in general). Therefore, encouraging students to come to college to use their knowledge to help their communities and participate as full citizens in a supportive atmosphere is more likely to be the justification for GLBT scholarships than the economic need. \nYou claim heterosexual students will exploit affirmative action for their own gain, "flooding the campus with posers."\nIt is unclear how or even why a student would want to claim the status of a sexually oppressed citizen. It makes no sense to lie to gain access to education when most of the opportunities available to students are geared toward majority group access -- the very group you claim will exploit affirmative action. \nCollege admissions is a confidential process that involves much more than personal identity. The university will select students who are most likely to succeed. Furthermore, the campus, as large as it is, is never aware of which students were chosen for what purposes. The admission of one homosexual student, or even one "fake," does not make a flood. The article you were responding to clearly states that students need not be GLBT but "may be involved in GLBT groups in their high schools, communities or national organizations." There is your accounting of "proof."\nIt is unlikely that affirmative action will build resentment and undermine tolerance efforts, but your opinions certainly do.
Cierra Olivia Thomas-Williams\nDiversity Committee member, Graduate and Professional Student Organization Diversity Committee
