ASUW still fully functional despite leadership concern

Our letter is concerning the articles written on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2007 about the ASUW Senate. It is absolutely imperative that the students at the University of Washington understand that the communication problems and tension among the ASUW Senate leadership are problems that do occasionally arise in any large organization, especially one made up of students. We are hopeful that these issues will be resolved soon, and we are all working towards that. However, these issues have not arisen in other parts of ASUW operations and how we represent students on the whole.

At the present time, we have individual programs and entities performing exceptionally well and fulfilling their leadership roles beyond expectations. C.O.R.E.(Committee Organizing Rape Education) has recruited over 40 volunteers, more than it has ever had, to educate our student population about the prevalence of sexual assault and relationship violence on college campuses.

Our newly created Student Health Consortium is bringing together around 20 student organizations working in health-related fields in order to form a united front in spreading awareness and creating programs regarding health issues.

Our commissions are responsible for The Vagina Monologues, the Winter Powwow, the Drag Show and Black History Month programming, and also aid their constituents by supporting their programs, such as the First Nations’ Powwow and the NPHC/Black Student Union’s Step-Show.

The ASUW committees, such as Special Appropriation and Finance & Budget, help fund almost every major student event on campus. Our Arts & Entertainment staff has brought Lupe Fiasco this year, and Mos Def, Carlos Mencia, Flogging Molly, Rob Cordry, Death Cab for Cutie and Dane Cook in years past at a discounted rate to all UW undergraduate and graduate students.

Lastly, our other enterprises, such as Rainy Dawg Radio, the Experimental College, the Bike Shop and the Off-Campus Housing Affairs office provide a wide variety of opportunities and services. We may have administrative or communication issues from time to time. However, ASUW is committed to serving and representing all students through many forms and we invite any student to continue to take part.

Warm regards,

ASUW Board of Directors

Yutaka Jono, GPSS Secretary

WAZZU fans portrayed unfairly

“Fear and Loathing in Pullman” (Jan. 23) was forwarded to me, and after reading it, I felt some feedback was in order.

The article contended that the ZZU crew was a “half-drunken mess,” “pathetic,” that “one could barely even make out the national anthem amid the constant intoxicated interruptions,” that trash was thrown around and that the security crew escorted out inebriated fans during the game in handcuffs.

I would just like to say that I was at that game, am a member of the ZZU Crew and know everything written above is false. The ZZU Crew is a select, growing portion of the student body. We don’t allow random drunks to sit in our section, we coordinate activities, and we are supportive in a positive way of our team during the whole game.

Honestly, with the “Dawg Pack” at BOA arena, your writers should know what a student section is like. The national anthem was played on an alto sax and was very audible. The attendance in the second half was no different: No one left, more students actually probably snuck in, and security was not escorting people out in droves. This piece is a bitter attack on a proud student body. I know that there is an intense rivalry between our schools, and am aware that we have probably run similar articles in the past, but that is no excuse for a lack of professionalism.

As a respectable newspaper, I would hope that your writers would not stoop to skewed, slanted and inaccurate pieces.

Kristian Adair

International Business, WSU

Presidents’ salaries need more scrutiny

Since I joined the English department in 1966, the University has had five presidents, and each has said repeatedly that his highest priority is faculty salaries. But those salaries have continually lagged while the cost of living in Seattle has risen dramatically.

Now when the head football coach fails to achieve his highest priorities, which is winning a majority of the games, he loses his job. (No doubt the University President is ultimately the one who fires him.) So isn’t it time for the Regents to hold President Emmert accountable instead of giving him a 17 percent raise? Failing that, perhaps President Emmert could at least prove himself a real leader by taking a raise equal only to that received on average by members of the faculty.

Malcolm Griffith

Emeritus

Transportation Lobby Day – UW Students Need to Step It Up

UW students seem to waste a lot of time sitting in traffic or waiting for the next bus. The transportation mess in Washington has become the number one thing we have to plan our days around so we can avoid sitting in idol, pollution-spewing traffic whenever possible.

Right now, in the Washington s tate legislative session, decision-makers are discussing how we should move forward. If you want to see more mass transit, more alternatives to getting helmets in cars and pedestrians to wear helmets while walking down the street. (Who thought hat-hair would be vogue?) The laws in place do little to address the real problem; they’re ridiculous.

Join the Sierra Club, Transportation Choices Coalition and others at Transportation Lobby Day on Feb. 6th in Olympia. Carpools, train rides and biking groups will be heading down together. This is a day where people like you and other citizens can talk to our legislature so that they know we want solutions and not a two-hour commute. For more information about Transportation Lobby Day, e-mail fordk2@u.washington.edu.

Kristina Ford

Political science major, class of 2008