Preserving the Olympic peninsula’s environment

In response the Jan. 22 article, “Keepng the wilderness wild.”

Having witnessed the gradual deterioration of so many Olympic Peninsula streams and rivers since first hiking in this region as a boy in the 1950s, I encourage strongly that you do not restore vehicle access to the upper Queets Valley after the road washed out. Re-opening closed Forest Service roads to provide vehicle access to Sams Rapids will allow continued degredation of the Queets drainage ecosystem that is already at risk from deforestation. Keep a trail system into this area by all means, but do everything within your power to maintain and restore a pristine ecosystem for future generations of people and wildlife.

Tom L. Wyckoff, MD

Hood Canal Environmental Council, People for Puget Sound, Washington Environmental Council

INN Daily coverage praised

On behalf of The INN staff and student leaders, we just wanted to thank you for the article on Jan. 11, “INN Service High in Energy, Low in Cliché.” Over the past 10 years, The Daily has always represented this ministry fairly and accurately and we are grateful for that.

Becky Riggers

University Ministries

ASUW Student Conduct Code legislation needs reconsideration

I know that the ASUW had good intentions when they voted to extend the student conduct code in order to improve relations with our neighbors. The only problem with the recommendation is that it will not be applied equally to all students. Why should only students who live in a small area around campus be subject to so much more scrutiny than any other students? Why should a student who drops a piece of trash on the ground be punished by the University if it happens off campus?

The hype that prompted the most recent discussion started in 2003 when there was a “riot” just north of campus before fall quarter began. I woke up that night to the sound of a helicopter circling my house and firing tear gas cans at 3:30 a.m. Police broke up several house parties at the same time, and when people went outside, couches were set on fire and car windows were broken. Out of all the people arrested that night, there were no UW students. Because it happened near campus, however, UW students were blamed. Again I ask, why should UW students be punished for something we did not do?

There are two issues here: whether or not to extend the conduct code off campus, and where to extend it if it is. If the state legislature decides that students’ academic records should suffer for littering off campus, they can at least apply the conduct code universally instead of scapegoating a few students because of where they live.

Jeremy Sandler

Senior, Biology

Rossi not a sore loser

In response the Jan. 18 article, “Rossi Relfects on Polictics.”

I attended the Dino Rossi event hosted by the College Republicans on Wednesday, but I must have heard a completely different speech than the one Young Democrats President Alicia LeVezu heard. LeVezu accused Rossi of “poor sportsmanship” for bringing up the election of 2004. Was LeVezu even there? Rossi spent only a few minutes on the 2004 election, and even so, I fail to see how mentioning one of the most defining moments of his public life equates to Dino Rossi being a poor sport.

Despite LeVezu’s accusations, Rossi chose not to talk about the results of the election, but rather the entire year leading up to it. He told stories of experiences and people he met on the campaign trail, not Christine Gregoire or how many votes were stolen from him by King County Democrats. I think he deserves a lot of credit for entering a room full of Republicans and deliberately choosing not to bash the current Governor. The speech I heard him give was actually quite positive and focused mainly on his vision for a better Washington state, not any sort of lasting bitterness at being cheated out of the Governor’s Mansion.

LeVezu’s attempt to pigeonhole Rossi as a one-dimensional figure still angry over past losses seems like a more apt example of poor sportsmanship to me. Sore winners are equally deserving of that label.

Adam Baldridge

Alumni ‘04, Political Science