As a preface I just want you to know I’m just a male reader and don’t personally know the parties involved in your publication about UAF Confessions.

I found what you published about the UAF confessions page to be sexist towards men. The main story’s focus about that Liz lady was a great piece of journalism, maybe with some social benefit.
However, the ending part with all the pro-female tones and cheery picked quotes was over the top. There has been lots of posts about guys, in highly sexual ways, that objectify men. Yet there was no mention of ANY of those posts.

Please show the evils from both sides next time and not just what appears to be projecting a victimized women’s view. The only woman I can see needing direct attention was in the main story.

Sincerely,
Jonathan Schraff

Dear Editor,

Serving two years as Student Body Vice President and one year in the ASUAF Senate, I have had many opportunities to observe our student government’s successes and shortcomings.  I can say with confidence that ASUAF is currently an ineffective organization.

Instead of actively seeking out and taking strong stands on issues that directly affect students, ASUAF merely serves as a bank account and funding source for other organizations.  ASUAF is granted the power to speak on behalf of the entire student body and we need to use this ability far more often to fight policies that negatively impact the lives of students on campus.

Instead of merely twiddling our thumbs when financial aid disbursement was changed to the day classes began instead of ten days prior, I made sure we took a firm stand and let the administration know that this change in policy was detrimental to students.  I wrote and submitted a resolution to the Senate stating that the new policy was unacceptable and for the first time in years ASUAF officially took a stand on a key issue.  The administration is now heavily reconsidering this policy.

It is this kind of activism that I aim to continue.  I am currently running for the office of ASUAF President because I believe ASUAF can be so much more than it is now.  I believe that with strong leadership, a clear vision and a passion to help students ASUAF can be transformed into an effective organization that can directly benefit students by advocating on their behalf.

As a student, I humbly ask for your support in the election this Thursday and Friday because I believe that ASUAF does not need minor improvements, ASUAF needs to radically change in focus and direction.  With your support, I hope to bring effective leadership to our student government.

Thank you,
Dillon Ball

I’d like to build half a building, and blame the bank for non-completion

Dear Editor,

I read your article in the sun star about UAF’s half-funded construction and about how there are no funds in the capital budget to “complete” it. While this may look like a bold move to further education by putting pressure on the Alaska legislature, the reality is that this is just a gross misappropiation of funds.

One simply does not build a building without first calculating the costs, with a little bit of overage to account for any budget overruns. I do not think that someone needs a degree in business to understand that putting down money some money without funds to complete it is a terrible idea.

To put it another way, I would not build a $300,000 house if I have only $120,000 in the bank, without securing the other $180,000 in some fashion. I do not get to blame the bank, either, when my request for funds is denied. I do not think the UAF administration should get to blame the legislature for not bailing them out of a plan that was half-baked.

Christopher L. Young

Dear Editor,

I am writing this letter in response to the article “UAF announces plans for new Kameel Toi Henderson Building in honor of 59 percent female demographic” in the April 2, 2013 “Fun Star” edition.

I understand that the intent of the entire Fun Star issue was “poking fun” and “satire.” However, as a professional that has worked in the civil rights fields for more than 20 years and devoted a lifetime to promoting equality, this article crosses the line and the impact is that the article and the graphic is just plain offensive. When I pointed this out, I was reminded that it was all in fun. The response is reminiscent of the cycle of abuse where a violent act is perpetuated and then when the offender is called on the behavior, the response is something like, “I was joking and you just can’t take a joke.”

Interesting enough, just yesterday I attended the 3rd Annual International Cyber-Symposium on Alternative Dispute Resolution where the keynote speaker was Arun Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi. He spoke of his grandfather’s philosophy on non-violence.

Arun Gandhi said that on a daily basis, individuals commit violence in many different ways that we don’t understand. As a child, he was challenged to examine his daily experiences and list them as physical violence or passive violence. Passive violence are the acts that hurt people without physical force and that occur through acts of discrimination, looking down on others, hating and so forth.

Arun Gandhi said passive violence generates anger and then there is a tendency to resort to physical violence to get justice. The fuel (passive violence) for physical violence is supplied by each and every one of us. I would place the offensive Fun Star article and graphic in the category of passive violence.

Arun Gandhi also said that transformation begins with the individual and with examining our daily actions and in taking measures to reduce and eventually eliminate the acts of passive violence. I would like to see what we can do to collaborate in changing the “tradition” of pitting men and women against each other and of allowing passive violence under the guise of “humor” or “satire.”

Mae Marsh
Director, UAF Diversity and Equal Opportunity

The UAF has announced that Police Chief Sean McGee is leaving.  I want to comment on the good job Chief McGee has done for UAF.

I have been at UAF, in many roles, for over 50 years.  I have seen the “Security Department” grow from one plain-clothes person to the status it has today.

I have been very impressed, over the past many years, with the professionalism and caring attitude brought to the UAF Police Department by Chief McGee.

I am sad to see him leave, but I am happy that the UAF has had the advantage of his effective efforts in the position he has held.

Sincerely,
Joe Nava

—

Dear Editor,

I write in support of the Nutritional Alaskan Foods for Schools (NAFS) program proposed on the state Capitol Budget. NAFS would appropriate $3,000,000 to locally grown foods for school meals in each of Alaska’s 54 school districts.

Because Alaska leads the nation in obesity and diabetes, improving the overall health of Alaskans and decreasing the amount of tax money spent on healthcare is important. Local foods in schools through NAFS would replace some of the soggy, unhealthy and bad-tasting school meals and would set a standard to promote nutritious food consumption.

Additionally, NAFS would promote statewide economic independence  Not only would the program increase demand from Alaskan producers, it would encourage more growing and harvesting of food in our state. Alaska needs to be more self-sufficient; several years ago only 5 percent of food consumed in Alaska was grown locally. Local food will make Alaskans proud and more secure.

I urge you to ask your legislators to support NAFS.

Sincerely,
Shannyn Bird

Dear Editor,

I don’t see UAF as being “Naturally inspiring.” Maybe it’s the chancellor’s disparaging comments to students to be more fiscally responsible while raising tuition year after year or that the university let some agricultural scientists go due to lack of funds (a $48m or thereabouts shortfall) around the same time that they were building a $300m life sciences building. In 2010 I was working for central receiving at UAF and I had to clean out the offices of some employees who got fired because some grant money didn’t go through. The employees had been loyal to the university for years and the program was designed to help rural and non-traditional students in mathematics.

Don’t get me wrong. There is still a lot of good to UAF — But any prestigious university is going to attract intelligent, motivated people, because that’s where they tend to end up at some point in their lives (and some, like your teachers, stay). The geography might be unique, but I’ll bet next semester’s rise in tuition that you can get that “naturally inspired” feeling anywhere because you simply find talented, motivated people anywhere you go.

Chirstopher L. Young 

Editor’s note: Chancellor Rogers wrote the Sun Star to say that he has never made “disparaging comments to students to be more fiscally responsible.”  We think the person the author of the letter is talking about is UA President Pat Gamble and his comments in the last Board of Regents meeting.

ASUAF campaign rules need to change

Dear Editor,

Like years past, this years ASUAF election had a bit of a kerfuffle.

Over the last couple of years, ASUAF has instituted online voting with elections and thus made changes around campaigning online. The rule has been that if you’re a candidate or someone who helped writes a piece of legislation, you have to take down any event page or post dealing with ASUAF Elections. You can only tell people to go vote.

Wednesday night, all candidates and “Vote Yes for ASUAF Fee Increase” were all taken down with no problems. Thursday night, it was brought to my attention that “Vote No for ASUAF Fee Increase” was still up. Dillon Ball, current ASUAF vice president wrote that they were able to keep it up because “Based on my interpretation of these rules is that the “No” page does not need to comply with the no-campaigning rule as it does not represent a candidate.”

I wrote a post because I disagreed that the page was represented by a candidate, Sophia Grzeskowiak-Amezquita who was running as a write-in candidate for ASUAF senate. She was for the “Vote No” ballot, was one of the main contributors for information, and also had information about her campaign on the page. I was then told by Isaac Thompson, creator of the event, and Sophia that limiting there freedom of speech and that “Wait until enough of you get into ASUAF and limit our freedom of speech in the name of helping students express themselves.” Sophia then sent me several messages calling me a disrespectful bully and that I’m creating a “division” between students and ASUAF.

I want to make it clear, I don’t hate the players. I hate the game.

Last year I thought the system was problematic and I brought up that it would be so easy to create a fake profile or have a friend run a campaign site and you would never have to take it down. The “Vote No” group thought the same thing and went did that.

The reason candidates have to take down the pages is because since voting is online, Facebook or any other social media site could be considered within a polling station. I understand why, but for the last two elections have been a problem and it needs to change.  I say just let everybody leave it up so we don’t run in to this again.

All I can say it that I’m going to have a really fun time at ASUAF meetings.

John Seiler

Dear Editor,

Your cover photo, and comment last week shows your total misunderstanding of what’s going on in the Storm Troopers head.  First, he’s not scratching his head because he’s confused, he’s scratching it because his head itches, and well when you have an itch, scratch it.  Also, he understands that there’s a high potential of the contents of the box, even though it says there’s, “NOT a snake in the box,” that there is actually, and most likely a snake in the box. Finally, he realizes that the snake, most likely will take the form of an entity, and that even though it may take the form of a princess, maybe even our beloved Leia, he has the right to protect his home from that threat, hence his possession of his side piece. So here we’ve come full circle, and it’s clear he’s not confused. Any questions?

Cory Jackman

Dear Editor,

On November 29 and 30, students will vote on whether or not to increase the student government fee $7.  I will be voting no on this question, for at least two reasons.

One reason is that a relatively small percentage of students utilize the services that these fees fund.  Non-traditional, graduate, and CTC students are all less likely to read the Sun Star, listen to KSUA, and go to concerts, but pay the same fee.  It is unfair to ask these students to pay more in fees for a service that they do not use.

There is also a lack of information regarding how the governance groups will spend their additional money.  In your editorial, you stated that the Sun Star would spend their funds on better paper.  Given that the Sun Star would receive approximately $31,800^* per semester, roughly doubling the amount of revenue from student fees, more explanation should be given. The Concert Board’s budget would increase from approximately $39,750/semester^* to $54,060/semester^.*  What does $14,000/semester correlate to?  As far as KSUA goes, their budget would increase from $71,550/semester^* to $89,040/semester^.* Collectively, ASUAF is asking for a $52,997 increase in funds per semester.  Will students see a marked difference in the quality of the services that these groups provide?  Given a lack of a proposed budget, it’s impossible to say.  Students could end up paying 20% more for essentially the same service.

Don’t forget to vote.

Jennifer Chambers

*These values were calculated assuming a current budget of $265,000/semester.

Manly Manchester

Dear Editor,

I was at the pub the other night with my buddies and, being the friendly person that I am, I said a lot of things.  One of those things I said was a promise that I would write a letter to the editor regarding my good friend, Jesse Manchester.  More specifically, I promised that I would write this letter about how he is the manliest man on campus.  Firmly believing that a promise is a promise, here it is:

There are many manly men on this Arctic weathered, flannel and beard filled campus; but no man is manlier than Jesse Manchester.  The following reasons are only a few examples confirming my bold assertion.   When tables and heavy furniture needs to be lifted, Jesse gets it done without breaking a sweat.  While I didn’t personally see him move a table into my apartment, I can pretty confidently state that Jesse Manchester did it with ease.  No other manly man on campus can listen as well as Jesse.  When any woman utters the words, “I just want to talk about my problems. I don’t want a solution. I just want someone to empathize with my situation,” Jesse Manchester is the first man there.  A made-language-suitable-for-the-Sun-Star direct quote from Jesse regarding this manly show of empathy is “[Chicks] love to be listened to.”   Most remarkable of all, is how (Nerf) bullets just bounce off of Jesse’s chest–I’ve personally witnessed this impressive phenomenon and can honestly say that he didn’t even flinch.   These three feats alone allow me to proclaim that, hands down, Jesse Manchester is the manliest man on campus.

Editor, I am known to my friends for my fulfillment of promises and obligations.  Because of this, it would mean an extraordinary amount to me if you could please publish this letter so that I can execute the pub promise made to my extravagantly manly friend, Jesse Manchester.

Sincerely,
Ginny Miner

Dear Editor,

This weekend I was unfortunate enough to be around an upsetting event in the common area of a dormitory here at the UAF campus. At this month’s potluck in the MacLean House Commons, some of the guests were down-right disrespectful to the people hosting the event, mainly the Resident Assistants (RA) of the dormitory and the Assistant Resident Director (ARD) of the dormitory.

When reading about MacLean House on the website of the Arctic Education Foundation, which is part of the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation (ASRC), it would seem that the purpose of the building is to help students with the transition into the college environment of UAF. It even states on the page about how one of the dormitory’s programs, events put on for students of the dormitory by Resident Assistants, includes a monthly potluck with Native foods. The phrase “safe, inviting and supportive group home environment,” featured on the page about MacLean House, should reflect in the manner of its guests, and many at the potluck even claimed to be members of the ASRC.

It was shocking to me, another guest at this event, that members of the same corporation who want to offer this “safe, inviting and supportive group home environment” were treating people in such a rude and disrespectful manner. To be invited into someone’s living area and then to treat them as if they were servants is simply unacceptable, regardless of who or where you are. I saw guests demanding that an RA find them things which the dormitory is not supposed to be supplying, that an RA should go knock on the doors of other residents to bother them for cooking supplies, and having an RA move pans of food to the tables like some kind of waiter.

After 3+ hours of this, longer than the potluck was supposed to run, the Assistant Resident Director of MacLean House came home. At this point, some of the guest’s behavior towards her became embarrassing for me to witness. The ARD was turned into a target for what I could only call a mob mentality. The ARD was simply trying to explain the policies of the dormitory to the guests, but this was met with open hostility. I thought she was acting politely, but they said things to her that I don’t feel comfortable putting into this letter, and frankly they treated her like dirt. At one point, a parent of a MacLean House resident was yelling into the crowd what the poor woman was saying, taking every word out of context and inciting negativity.

Is this how we should show our “safe, inviting and supportive group” to the very people that host an event for us? Is this how we want to introduce our culture to people who may have never experienced it before? By making them do our manual labor and complaining about them?

I hope not.

Unfortunately I saw all this. Even more unfortunately, I did not say something at the time. And to be honest, that makes me feel the worst. I truly hope that with this letter, along with my personal apologies, I will make some of the staff of MacLean feel more appreciated. I know I appreciated the event and it was very disappointing for me to see people act this way.

Editor’s Note:

It’s not normal Sun Star policy to run anonymous letters to the editor, however the editing staff feels that this letter deserves some attention.  We were approached by the author’s friend on Sunday afternoon who explained the situation to us.  We then followed up with the staff of MacLean, who neither confirmed nor denied the statements made in the letter.  The Sun Star will be following up on this issue, so if you have any information please contact us at 474-5078 or editor@uafsunstar.com.

Dear Editor,

I would just like to say that I think it is absolutely abhorrent that there are men like Jon Hochendoner who think that preying on women is justified because some women will show more skin and go to a club for a night of drinks and dancing. While I do think that Moral Mildred should re-evaluate her life if she is getting involved with men she doesn’t even think are that classy, that she has done so doesn’t give us any right, as men, to look upon her (or other women) as an object.

I would like it to go on the record that Jon Hochendoner doesn’t speak for the entirety of the male populace, either. I would also like to call on the other men who look deeper into a woman than what’s between her legs to speak up also. Sexism is a social toxin because it degrades people as less than human beings based solely on a factor that they had no control over.

Christopher L. Young

Continuing the conversation

Dear Editor,

I also read Jon’s letter, wonderfully summarized by Chris Wilson, about “… all women are douchebag-loving attention whores,” and was offended and hurt by his words. I’m sure that you received plenty of letters similar to Mr. Wilson’s, and I applaud everyone who wrote about Jon’s insensitive, sexist, and simply inaccurate remarks regarding women. Mr. Wilson, thank you for standing up for women. Thank you to everyone who wrote a letter doing the same. Too many people make assumptions like Jon’s, not only about women, but about everyone- from the fact that they are a specific gender, race, or because they have tattoos or none at all.

We all need to re-evaluate our attitude once in a while, but we should not be scrutinized for what we are, or judge others as soon as we see them. Just because I’m a young woman with tattoos does not mean that I want to sleep with the first d-bag I see who claims to have money and a sweet ride. And just because a polite young man held the door open for me today when I went to the Wood Center does not mean he wants to get into my pants. There are some people who have respect for others and are willing to give them a chance to make a true impression. I hope Jon gets a chance to meet more people like that- perhaps he would see things differently.

Sincerely,
Bobbi Burbank

“Sodom Lecture”

Dear Editor,

What a wealth of scientific and archaeological evidence was provided Oct. 20, at Schaible auditorium, on the topic of “Searching for Sodom and Gomorrah” by internationally acclaimed Dr. Steven Collins!

Sponsored by United Campus Ministry, during his information-packed presentation Collins stated his team’s decades-long research is even being quoted in his peer’s books and journals.

From various academic disciplines, Collins established that an extremely high-temperature fireball destroyed the people of Sodom and its surrounding cities during the time of Abraham as recorded in Genesis 18 and 19, resulting in that area being uninhabited for 700 years.

Worse than a thousand Halloween nightmares scorched in time forever, a fiery event did occur over Sodom flash-glazing pottery, crystallizing sand and leaving behind lower human remains substantiating that Sodom’s inhabitants were instantly disintegrated from their waist up as they were standing, thus, providing for us today the unambiguous example and caution not to mock our Creator nor His Holy Word, the Bible.

In summarizing this historic event, written over 1900 years ago with an eye to the eternal future, Jude 1:7 warned, “Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire”.

GOD help us all to take good heed to our own eternal souls and to the souls of others who are yet without saving faith in Christ Jesus the LORD!

Karl W. Sapp

Your move

Dear Editor,

Please print the following sentence. Do not print this sentence.

Ashleigh Strange

Editor’s note:

Dear Ashleigh,

In an editorial decision, we decided to print both sentences.  We eagerly await your next move.

Elika Roohi

Dear Editor,

After reading Jon’s letter from last week’s issue, I found myself absolutely appalled.  Never in my life have I seen such a collection of sexist generalizations in any legitimate publication.  As another male member of the human race, I would like to say that he does not speak for the entirety of the male populace, regardless of sexuality.  His first four points, which can be summed up as “all women are douchebag-loving attention whores,” probably come only from his failures to attract women, which he seems to blame on women’s preferences rather than looking at his own attitude and mentality.  He goes on to tell Ms. Harrison, whom he was addressing in his letter, to spend more time at any bar.  Perhaps Jon should take his own advice and spend time in a different realm of socialization – one that isn’t found in a bar.

In addition, Jon’s seventh point is just as bad as the first four, as he paints a false picture of men everywhere.  He states that all men, upon seeing a member of their preferred sex, instantly think “I would/would not have sex with him/her.”  That is not how all men think.  Rather, that is the kind of thing a douchebag or predator thinks.  Speak for yourself, Jon.  Just because you may think that way does not mean that every man on the face of the Earth thinks like you.

Lastly, I hope you realize how hypocritical your letter is.  You talk about how judging someone by a few paragraphs that they wrote in a college newspaper “precludes any form of respect.”  From your first point, I didn’t respect you.  Yes, I am judging you based on a few paragraphs that you wrote.  When it comes right down to it, people judge what kind of person you are based on outward appearance and your attitude.  Perhaps you should re-evaluate yours.

Sincerely,
Chris Wilson

Dear Editor,

First of all, I support a person’s right to free speech. I applaud anyone who is willing to speak their mind, regardless of whoever they might offend, even if it is distasteful. However, I feel that the Sun Star’s posting of the Urban Dictionary’s definition of Fairbanks, Alaska was not just distasteful; it was completely uncalled for.
Speaking as a lifelong resident, I found it incredibly offensive that a Fairbanks-based publication would actually publish such an insulting definition of my home town. I tried to take the joke with a salt shaker, to no avail. Just to point of a few of the more insulting comments:

• I don’t appreciate the insinuation that the soldiers stationed here are nothing more than statutory-rape time bombs.
• I don’t appreciate my home being compared to the setting of several Stephen King novels.
• And I especially don’t appreciate the definition of “Fairbanks good.” Many of the events held here are the result of many men and women working hard to put on a good show. But saying that because they can’t compare to what occurs in any other city, they are good in comparison because we are second-class citizens who don’t know any better.

Then, if that weren’t enough; the 2 “definitions” (I’m using that term loosely) are accompanied with a headshot of Sarah Palin: the only person in recorded history to suffer a brain fart after being asked, “What do you read?”

There, that’s my piece.

Sincerely,
Freddy Fingazz

Re: ‘Angry about Afghanistan’ and ‘My life in college is not like “My Life in College”‘

Dear Editor,

I am writing in response to both Timothy Bledsoe and Kayla Harrison.

Mr Bledsoe:  We are currently caught in a middle eastern quagmire for one reason.  Oil.  Oil to sustain unsustainable lifestyles and to perpetuate a grossly disproportionate standard of living that citizens of this country have become accustomed to.  Our government is absolutely willing to sacrifice American lives to that end.  Additionally, war is extremely profitable to the corporations that vet the politicians who we elect.

Ms. Harrison:  I have several points to make regarding your letter.

1. Women love douchebags.

2. Women love attention.

3. Women love attention from douchebags.

4. Drunk women really love attention, douchebag status withstanding.

5. Arm chair criticism is useless, and in this case, likely misinformed.

6. If you think that dressing whorish and abusing alcohol deems Ms. Mildred inexperienced in that realm of socialization, maybe you need to spend some more time at the bar.  Any bar.

7. In your daily activities across campus, know that every male that interacts with you, or even sees you, is judging you sexually while simultaneously subjugating you to a series of sexually based questions of his own devices and tailored to his personal desires which culminates in and eventually produces one ultimate question.  “Would I have sex with her?”  Ask any male.  If he denies this fact, he is currently formulating a plan to get in your pants.  If he does not, he is either gay, has already had sex with you, is uninterested in you or has supreme confidence that his admittance of this fact has no bearing on whether or not he can sleep with you.  Welcome to college.

8. Judging by your tone, as you judged Ms. Mildred, it seems to me that you could benefit from a  Titanic-esque moment in your life.

9. To suggest that Ms. Mildred has lost pride in her womanhood, especially after recognizing the article’s attempt at humor, is preposterous.

10. I don’t know and I don’t care whether Ms. Mildred will regret her actions or her article, but thoroughly judging and dressing down an individual based on a handful of paragraphs in a college newspaper precludes any form of respect as well.  Live and let live.

Jon Hochendoner  

Legitimizing the no-confidence vote

Dear Editor,

We are constantly reminded that voting is our sacred duty to our greatest of nation-states. To spurn this duty, to dare to refuse participation, is tantamount to heresy and treason. And after all, why not? This right was hard-fought for, people died and murdered for it, and some of us are still relatively new to this right thanks to Women’s Suffrage and the Civil Rights Movement. We have a choice to make, and to choose nothing is irresponsible and lazy! Unfortunately, it would seem it is our right to choose who would lead us, but not to choose from whom we are allowed to pick. We do not seem to have much power in deciding the pool from which our benevolent leaders are drawn, which leaves us with fewer and poorer options.

Though our system is ostensibly accessible to anyone, we know this is not the case. Our presidential election is a spectacle one must pay to take part in, and the less cash you have to pony up, the less you get to play for. Thus, we are presented a narrow choice between two barely-different warmongers, with third-party voices marginalized by the two-headed Republicrat party. The common argument that one ought to “pick the lesser of two evils” is a cop out to an uncomfortable truth; voting a little bit less against your interests is still against your interests.

When a product or service is bad, we boycott it. When workers are treated poorly, they strike. Refusing to participate in a broken and rigged system is a time-honored human tradition. This is ultimately a question of representation, and if you dare to declare that none are fit to represent you and choose to be led by nobody, you will not be alone.

Forrest Andresen

Dear Editor,

I’m writing in regard to the article “My life in college: Pitfalls of a karaoke bar”. I had to ask myself after reading the article: is this what women my age actually think about themselves? I can’t condone an article that subjugates my gender through the self-deprecation of someone who obviously doesn’t get out much.

The author’s belief that a woman dressing “whorish” relegates her to treatment as a “street walker” by men shows an utter lack of self-respect, and this mindset precludes any form of respect from other men or women. There are ways to be sexy and sassy without wearing torn fishnets and abusing alcohol.

Furthermore, approached by a guy she immediately deemed “douchebag,” the author still pursued him. No woman should ever settle for someone approaching in an ill fashion. I have come to the understanding that the author is not experienced in this realm of socialization, but saying no to negative male attention will prevent costly encounters with sexual assault – especially after too many drinks.

I’m writing this because I hope that the author reevaluates her role as a female student at our university. I hope she gains enough self-esteem to avoid desperately scraping the romance out of a drunken backseat encounter with a Titanic reference. I understand most of what was said in the article was a poor attempt at humor, but that doesn’t mean losing pride in one’s womanhood in the process. Have some class.

Thank you for your time,
Kayla Harrison

Angry about Afghanistan

Dear Editor,

I am writing to express my anger and frustration about the brave U.S. Troops that continue to be forced into harm’s way for absolutely no good reason!

I am 53 years old and I clearly remember the very many protests during The Vietnam War.  There were literally millions of people that had grown to detest this slaughter of humans on both sides of this war.  I am not angry at The U.S. Troops that fought in this war, but then as now, I am angry and frustrated by the ignorance that pervades Washington, DC to continue, yet again, to put U.S. Troops in harm’s way for absolutely nothing!

The Vietnam War was fought to keep South Vietnam free from Communism.  Here, again, U.S. Troops were called upon to shoulder the over-whelming danger of doing the fighting and dieing.  My memory is that the Vietnam Troops may-as-well have not even existed!  After years and years of bloody loss, The Communist took South Vietnam anyway!  Again, what good was accomplished by so much loss by U.S. Troops and their families?

Now, we have the asinine quagmire of Iraq and Afghanistan.  The Government of Afghanistan, if you can call it that, has even asked The U.S. to leave!  Why in the name of humanity can’t our government see how insulting these ungrateful warring people are to U.S. Troops and our country?  The “friendlys” killing U.S. Troops answers this question!

Sincerely,
Timothy Bledsoe

Dear Editor,

The University Police Department, in compliance with the Clery Act, has released the UAF crime statistics for the years 2009-2011. Good. A well-informed public is a safer public. Just one problem.

In the category labeled Sex Offenses – Forcible, there were 27 such offenses reported total. Then there is the category Sex Offenses – Non-Forcible, of which there have been two reported.

Forcible. Force. Entry No. 2 on Dictionary.com lists force as, “strength or power exerted upon an object; physical coercion; to use force on a person.” Entry No. 4 for “power” reads, “the possession of control or command over others; authority.”

Therein lies the rub. Sexual assault — rape — by its very nature is forcible. The offender is violating the victim’s will in a perverse act of control. A man doesn’t have to hold a woman down and violently penetrate her for it to count as rape. A boyfriend shaming his girlfriend into intercourse, a man taking advantage of a drunk or passed out woman, an adult having sex with a minor: All are rape. All are forcible. In each case, force — whether physical or otherwise — was used to achieve the assault.

I understand and appreciate that the UAF police are just following procedure, the same one used by the FBI.

But we need to put an end to this inaccurate, damaging word. This word has been used in an attempt to de-legitimize rape victims for decades, and even today. Remember Todd Akin’s “legitimate rape” comment? There are too many rapes reported on campus, and far more that go unreported. Rape is rape. UAF must not re-victimize these people by labeling it as anything less.

Andrew Sheeler

Dear Editor,

I was recently forced to purchase a meal plan for $1,760, good for up to 112 days. This equates to $15.71 daily, with the same quality of food I can get at the store for $4.00 a day. What does that extra $11.71 per day, per student, pay for? With no competition, UAF is forcing a monopoly on students, most of whom can barely afford to be here. We need food services, but when the quality of food is as bad as it is at Tilly, there is no reason for it to cost that much. With no competition, and being forced by UAF to pay a for-profit company, students suffer. In the most recent Food Safety and Sanitation inspection available, the Tilly was notified, again, of repeated violations for contaminated food, leaking sewer pipes above a food storage area (attempting to fix with duct tape, no I’m not kidding), and the inspector can be quoted as saying “the general cleanliness of the facility isn’t up to par.” Why would current Tilly management need to be told, REPEATEDLY, of violations by an inspector instead of immediately fixing it themselves? Because of the monopoly, they have nothing to worry about. One final question, hypothetically, if the Tilly was a restaurant out in town charging $7.85 per meal, with those serious health code violations, and the same quality of food, how long do you think that restaurant would stay in business? In our case, until Sodexo’s food services contract with UAF expires.

Aaron Zimmerman

On staying inspired

Dear Editor,

UAF is probably the only remaining gathering of hopefully open-minded thinking in America. Situated at the farthest out edge of the last frontier, the cloud of opinionated thinking spreading over this country has darkened counsel here the least of all. Liberal, Conservative and religious biases, we hope, are weaker here than anywhere else, so if the dream of freedom and truth is going to survive with a champion to defend her, it will happen here, or nowhere.

That thought ought to be inspiring. Enough to produce the courage needed to endure the scoffers who will mock anyone and everyone standing up for the truth? If history repeats itself, no. But, the challenge remains. It’s a university. “One truth! Find it!” The hypocrites will be out in full force, PhD’s who know nothing about philosophy. Teachers who ignore all the research on the disastrous effects of classroom lectures, testing, and grades on the human mind. Scientists who respond to questions about Bayesian reasoning with blank stares or dismissive bluster. Philosophers who won’t tell you the danger you are in, of being a Diogenean reject, dishonest in the light of his lantern.

It is good, if you are looking for older and wiser wisdom, for someone to disciple you and give you a hopeful vision for making a difference, for making your life count. When you find someone you hope is worth learning from, insist that their first lesson be about how we know what is true, and who is a trustworthy authority. This will save you years of futility and grief.

The students are the ones making the choices here. Be wise, and a light will break through the American cloud, to your glory. Be lazy, and, well, Oh well…. Another hopeful experiment in the history of nations, down the tubes.

Stephen Fretwell

Dear Editor,

In the midst of this political season, I am disappointingly struck by the tremendous amount of money being spent on two presidential campaigns and other federal, state and local campaigns. I believe this not only saddens me, but tens of millions of Americans. Viewing this tremendous amount of money being spent by so few people seeking political offices, I feel driven to write this letter.

Considering how most of the salaries for these political offices pale in comparison to the money spent to gain these offices, I truly believe that most Americans have taken off their blinders to realize just how much under-handedness and corruption exists in all levels of our government. Americans are no longer idealistic or faithful about our government officials being pure and willing to go all out to help each and every citizen regardless of our financial status. There can be no doubt that money buys access to government policies, and therefore, campaign contributions are, in actuality, investments in rich and powerful peoples’ futures!

Is there any wonder why so many voters don’t bother to vote? Are my views cynical or truth? Can American government, at all levels, be guilty of some of the biggest white collar crimes on Earth? Just some questions to ponder during this political season.

Timothy Monroe Bledsoe