The University of Idaho Argonaut

Johnston is

not crazy

Dear Editor,

When Hank Johnston ran for the ASUI senate in the fall of 2003 and in the spring of 2004, a majority of ASUI leaders wrote him off as crazy and out of touch. They said that he had the wrong ideas for the students and that none of his plans were feasible. Well, the joke is on them.

I’ve recently read several articles in The Argonaut that would indicate that maybe Hank wasn’t so far off. Case in point — Vandal Taxi. In the August 26 edition of The Argonaut, ASUI President Autumn Hansen called Vandal Taxi a “drunk bus.” Granted such a phrase has been around for a while, but Hank was the candidate who brought the issue to the forefront in the spring 2004 senate campaign.

Secondly, Hank has always claimed, dating as far back as the fall 2003 campaign, that student government representation is ill-proportioned. In his fall 2004 “State of the Hank” address, Mr. Johnston called for the senate to “create specific seats or districts based on living group populations to provide equal representation for all students of the university,” and in the Johnston Senate Reform Act of 2003, Hank wanted to create a “Campus Affairs Committee.” Hmmm, sounds pretty close to Vice President Bento’s “Campus Life Committee,” doesn’t it?

This type of behavior by the ASUI government is typical. They shoot down good ideas from unpopular people, and then revive them once they’ve killed the idea maker’s passion to serve. Great job, ASUI, you’ve done it again. I just hope that Hank has the energy to come back and try to help you with the ideas he so vehemently fought for two years ago.

Jacob Roy Hammond

Moscow

Pub was never in the foreground

Dear Editor,

I have served on ASUI in numerous capacities over the past three years, and I was only partially surprised that Tuesday’s op-ed piece, “Broken promises, shattered dreams,” would demonstrate such a shallow perspective and over-dramatized depiction.

The personal attacks that The Argonaut seems to continually levy against fellow student leaders is alone questionable, but to insinuate that any single person at the university can make something happen simply by snapping their fingers indicates a sincere lack of understanding.

Our job as student leaders is to represent the interest of students across a broad spectrum of issues, and most of the time that involves talking about new ideas. During last spring, we never talked about funding for a campus pub, only that a pub is one of many different ideas to address social issues. Major changes to the campus environment of the university take years to accomplish, and one excellent example of this is the SRC.

When The Argonaut writes opinions and complains that student leaders haven’t accomplished one of our many goals in merely six months, it demonstrates how simple it is to write an opinion and how very complex the collaborative process involved in university decisions are in contrast. Every day student leaders on campus talk seriously with each other and university administration about serious issues. It would be not only productive, but simply more civil if The Argonaut, a major component of our campus environment, would also make serious efforts to understand.

 

Chris Dockrey

ASUI presidential policy adviser

Senior, political science

Campus pub can’t be built in a day

Dear Editor,

The idea of an on-campus pub has been floated many times. Many people view it as a simple answer to a complex problem. Yet, to believe that in a few short months individual ASUI leaders, or even the entire ASUI, could have designed, built and prepared a pub is a ridiculous proposition. 

Let’s face it, drinking is an issue on this campus, but it is also an issue on many college campuses. Providing a safe place close to residences for students to drink may reduce drunken driving and sexual assault. This is a lofty goal and is being researched, but we still face many problems. We are working on this idea, but it will take time.

We must find a space on-campus that is accessible to all students and build an entirely new building. Currently the university has limited funds and may wish to repair buildings that are falling apart. We would have to find a beer and wine license, of which there are no more available for Latah County. Most importantly, we need the approval of the university and the State Board of Education. We should also get input from the Moscow community.

These roadblocks can be overcome in the upcoming years, but it will take persistence and perseverance by leaders who are willing to dirty their hands by actually talking and working on this idea.

Eric Everett

ASUI senator

Senior, political science and history

Ediorial was

way off base

Dear Editor,

I feel obligated to take issue with this piece (Broken promises, shattered dreams, Aug. 30). Is your intention to bring attention to the fact that an on-campus pub may never exist, or to point fingers at two ASUI officials you seem to dislike?  You imply that sen. Shofner used the idea of an on-campus pub as a platform, solely because it would be a popular idea, but that he never had the intention of trying to make it a reality. You also state that “Both Shofner and Hansen are backpedaling, telling The Argonaut that it’s not the right time to focus on this issue.”

Where are their statements? What question(s) did you ask? I can’t take anything you say for more than a grain of salt unless I’m presented with the actual dialog. Otherwise I’m probably being fed your polished, pasteurized and possibly false paraphrased version of the conversation.

“To clean up her mess, Hansen has initiated a series of free concerts using money that may have been earmarked for exploration of the on-campus pub.”

Were they earmarked for the pub? Can you show that? What investigative journalism skills did you exercise to come up with this statement outside of simply typing it? I’d like to know.

“The Argonaut editorial board accepts that Hansen and Shofner simply want viable political experience, because that is what ASUI is all about.”

The UI student body accepts that J.R. simply wants (or perhaps needs) viable writing experience, because that’s what writing for a campus newspaper is all about. However, surely in your academic career you’ve been taught to substantiate your claims.

Finally, the title of this piece leads me to believe that some portion of your dreams were shattered when you learned that an on-campus pub may never be realized. If your dreams include on-campus drinking and can be shattered by a lack of such, I weep for you.

Thomas Evenson

Spokane

Slow down, please

Dear Editor,

Three days a week I put my life in your hands. That’s how often I walk across “The UI Campus Speedway”, a.k.a. Nez Perce Drive. That’s me, scampering from in front of your bumper. The speed limit there is 25 miles per hour, but I have seen cars and SUVs hurtling by at twice that speed. The section of Nez Perce just east of the golf course is where many pedestrians cross a narrow arterial. It is, to my mind, the most dangerous place for pedestrians on campus for these reasons: There are no traffic lights; sightlines are blocked by vehicles parked on both sides of the road; and two of the designated crosswalks in this area are on blind curves. 

My plea is twofold. First, can the administration contact the Moscow Police Department and have some speed limit enforcement set up there? While I’ve seen speed traps and an electronic “Your Speed Is …” sign during the summer on Perimeter Drive, I’ve never seen them in this vital area by the silver water tower.    

Second, can drivers simply slow down on this stretch of road? As a campus driver, it’s your responsibility to exercise good judgment. Pedestrians are at your mercy and that’s no laughing matter — just ask my brother’s friend who accidentally hit and killed a child years ago. So what if you get to where you’re going two minutes later: The person whose life you didn’t take thanks you.

Jeff Jones

Moscow