Letters
Bicycling bureaucrats
Editor:Yes, Brian Stannard ("Cop collision," Nov. 20) is right.
It’s very
ironic. Not only will you fellow bikers need to have serious
concerns about
pedestrians and bike thieves, as well as dodging police
punishment when
locking your bikes on campus, you must also worry about
UCLA’s
bureaucracy.
That’s right! My $300 Trek, supported by the sturdy, standard
U-lock,
was cut off a stairwell, supposedly by maintenance. It was then,
according
to the mature and organized people who call themselves UCLA
Student
Operations, supposed to be impounded by the police. However,
neither the
police, maintenance nor Student Operations knows where it
is!
And now, I’ll be paying to lock up my "new," used, cheap piece
of junk
bike? Who pays $12,000 a year to go to a prestigious and
esteemed school
like UCLA?
I do! I do! And so do all of us.Alexandra K. Mattran
Second-year
English
Pricing trees
Editor:Regarding the Bruin article detailing the lame reasons
for ending
newspaper recycling ("ASUCLA scales back recycling program,"
Nov. 27): If
you – the Daily Bruin – produce a newspaper, do you feel a moral
obligation
to see that your newspaper is recycled? I certainly believe that
it is your
moral responsibility to make sure that the Daily Bruin is
recycled.
ASUCkLA distributes newspapers, therefore it is morally
responsible; yet
its actions indicate that it is reprehensible, not
responsible.
Recycling does not generate a profit – what a crock. What price
do you
put on the environment? Trees are a renewable resource only if
carefully
managed by nonbiased professionals. Of course, trees provide us
with much
more than just newspaper.
Once again, UCLA proves to be one of the thousand points of
light. My,
how advanced. Am I wrong or are our universities supposed to
push the
envelope, set the example, take the high road and do what is
right, even
though such action may not produce a profit in the short-run for
the
shortsighted?
Have the Daily Bruin and ASUCkLA not heard of work study? Apply
work
study to recycling, urban planning, environmental studies,
environmental
engineering, sociology and other areas. When I was a VISTA at
the Community
Service Commission, many students participated in a volunteer
project for
class credit.
D.J. Schulte
Eco Retro Grouch
Biased picture
Editor:I am severely disappointed with your Nov. 20 article
("Beat $C rivalry
benefits university charity, Greeks") covering "The Rivalry," an
event
which partially benefited UCLA’s UniCamp and was sponsored by
the
Interfraternity Council, Panhellenic Council and Zeta Beta Tau
(ZBT)
fraternity.
In an effort to show Greek unity and support for UCLA, the
organizers of
"The Rivalry" worked long and hard to plan and promote an event
which could
generate money for both UCLA’s UniCamp and the Greek system.
Over $5,000
were put into this event, and over 1,600 tickets were sold.
By only quoting event organizer Christian Ramers as saying,
"Partially,
we are hoping to beef up IFC’s budget;" by highlighting that
"The Rivalry"
eventually grew into a benefit … for UniCamp;" and by failing
to mention
that included in the original purpose of "The Rivalry" was
the
proposal for the Greek system to step in as a unified group and
help save
UniCamp from a potential budget crisis, the Daily Bruin once
again painted
a biased picture of the Greek system and its efforts.
If the Greek system unites to raise $3,000 for UCLA’s primary
charity
and is still condemned by biased publicity, it seems that no
effort by the
Greeks will ever be fully recognized and appreciated. While I in
no way try
to assert that the Greek system is perfect, its ability to do
wonderful,
positive things for our campus community should not go
unnoticed.
I think Ramers, Brad Miller (ZBT president and "The Rivalry"
organizer),
IFC, Pan Hellenic Council, and the members of ZBT all deserve
UCLA’s thanks
and appreciation. Their hard work and dedication has definitely
made a
difference in the lives of the many children who attend
UniCamp.
I hope that in the future, the Daily Bruin can push aside its
biases and
rightfully acknowledge and support all campus groups who deserve
our
appreciation.Jaime Bardacke
Third-year
Political science/sociology