>>April 3 2001
Please clean keyboards
To the Editor:
As a student here at the University of Idaho, I feel ITS has not dedicated enough attention to the cleanliness of the labs. By this I do not mean there is an excess of visible trash within lab facilities. My main concern is for the cleanliness of the computer keyboards that we as faculty, staff and students use.
I have noticed that in several of the labs, the keyboards now have a thick residue growing over many of the keys. Adding to my disgust is that one can easily see where commonly touched areas of the surface actually appear somewhat clean. In reality, it is not truly clean, but where the dirt and filth has been worn way and is now on the hands of the faculty, staff and students who use these facilities.
Not to sound like a mother, but with all those people using the computers, who knows what kind of a disease one could obtain? Just because the main portion of the recent cold and flu season has passed does not imply that standards of cleanliness should be lowered.
Just as the UI "supplies and maintains" levels of cleanliness within the restrooms, Computer Services (ITS) should "supply and maintain" some level of cleanliness to our computer facilities.
I would like to see a policy implemented (not just formulated on paper) that outlines how often the keyboards are to be cleaned.
Lars Johnson
Information should be private
To the Editor:
In response to the, article by Sara Yates, "Up for grabs," (Argonaut, March 30) I'm very concerned about UI distributing our contact information. I'm a non-traditional student and am very aware of the hazards of identity theft and have fought for years to keep my name off solicitors' lists. I have even battled with credit reporting agencies for mishandling my personal data and providing erroneous information to requesting agencies.
Since arriving here for school, I have been bombarded with hundreds of solicitations through the mail and by phone. I've contacted university officials on several occasions to express my concern about the possibility of our personal data being provided to off-campus agencies and have been assured every time that UI does not provide this data. Now, as I'm about to graduate, Harold Gibson states that my (our) information WILL be provided to fulfill UI's agreement with financial institutions.
Just last week I received yet another pre-approved American Express application that identifies me as a "University of Idaho student". Anyone desiring to be removed from solicitation lists is encouraged to check out the Center for Democracy & Technology Web site at http://www.opt-out.cdt.org. This program works - at least until the UI decides to redistribute our personal information again.
On another similar note, late last year my parents received a phone call from somebody representing the university asking for money to help send students home for the holidays.
I found this particularly disturbing because I haven't been home in four years and I hadn't heard of this fundraising event on campus. Of even more concern, the phone number for my parents is only accessible through the UI Banner Web Interface and not through the campus directory.
Perhaps the UI should start using the Campus Pipeline to its advantage and make the campus directory only accessible to students using their login to view such data.
This would help reduce the risk of compromising personal data to off-campus agencies, as well as reducing the funding required to print the directory while allowing appropriate UI students and staff access to the information.
Norm Kendrick
B.S. Geography
Kids killing kid article true
Dear Editor:
I wanted to write and express my gratitude for your editorial in the Argonaut March 27, 2001. It was refreshing to hear someone stand up and take some responsibility for our nation's plight.
The lack of ethics seen in our future generation IS reaching epidemic levels, and it is not enough to simply blame the media of our society. Society is more than TV, music and movies. The media are simply reflections of the people creating the society.
True, most kids aren't carrying guns here in Moscow, Pullman and Lewiston, but as a teacher I see many children who are hurt, and angry and desensitized to the violence and permanence of death.
Children are the result of their nurturing (or lack of). The problem began about two generations ago when a few men and women decided to take it upon themselves to attempt to take God out of our country.
Long before prayer was removed from schools, the U.S. Dept. of Education was attempting to find scholars willing to rewrite the history textbooks. When none could be found, they contacted college students and groomed them until they could do the job. Hence, today most adults and children do not know the truths of the founding of this nation. Instead, the public schools begin teaching in earnest with the Civil War immediately emphasizing the injustices and painful hurts.
Our founding fathers have been made into jokes.
Without money, would this generation know the name of George Washington? Perhaps no more than they would know the name of the God in whom we trust.
Again, thank you for addressing the dilemma with intelligence and sensitivity.
Keep writing, keep seeking, keep guiding ... the truth will be found and set many free.
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