Letters
Union clarification
Editor:
I regretfully realized too late that some of the claims I made
in my opinion piece ("Unions help workers govern their lives," Feb.
8) were ambiguous.
First, all graduate students, regardless of their employment
status, are eligible for Student Association of Graduate Employees
membership.
Secondly, I wrote that departmental funding could be included
within an employment contract. What I should have said is that at
the University of Massachusetts (Amherst), the university has to
negotiate with the union on the impact and implementation of budget
cuts affecting schools or departments, except when the cuts are
equally proportionate or there is a decline in undergraduate
enrollment. This is not a union attempt to exercise control over
the curriculum, but merely workers actively involved in negotiating
for their working conditions.
Sonja Gedeon
Fifth-year
Political science/philosophy
Sarcastic thanks
Editor:
Heartfelt thanks to Jerry Martin and Anne Neal ("Stand-tough
regents set leadership standard," Feb. 7) for pointing out the
heroic bravery that the regents displayed in the public humiliation
of University of California President Richard Atkinson.
And here my naive little mind had me believing that they were
merely playing the game of political lackeys to their appointer,
Pete Wilson, who was violating public trust by blatantly using a
nonpolitical institution to further his own career.
Now, however, I realize what a despicable fiend that Atkinson is
for representing those to whom the regents don’t want to listen. I
can no longer deny the foolhardy courage of the regents to stand
tough, remaining firmly entrenched in the back pocket of Pete
Wilson.
Abe Rudnick
Graduate student
Like, biology or something
Strictly business
Editor:
In response to the piece on the Undergraduate Business Society
(UBS) Job Fair:
I have mixed feelings. On one hand, I am glad that somebody was
able to find humor at the fair. I wasn’t so lucky.
While in a power schmoozing session with representatives from a
major consulting firm, I decided to disregard all caveats and tell
a (particularly awful) joke.
The representative from the San Francisco branch and the
representative from the Boston branch were debating which was the
better branch. I proceeded to tell them that I thought San
Francisco was better because it’s a town with all kinds of neat
streets, like Lombard and Anza, that can be used in many sentences,
like "I want za beans Anza rice" and "I injured my Lombard area
Anza pain is killing me." They remained poker-faced. Bad idea.
On the other hand, grow up Birkenstein! The Job Fair isn’t an
instant gratification thing. It’s like college – a long-term
investment. You know, UBS, MBA, BMW.
I would encourage Birkenstein to think of suiting up and wearing
clean underwear as partial evils leading to a universal good. I
know it’s tough for the 15-minute-sound-bite-with-commercial-break
mind to grasp that, but take my word for it.
Finally, if Birkenstein is into business comedy, I would highly
recommend he read "Idiot Letters" by Paul Rosa and use his writing
time to avoid a lifelong career in couch-reclining.
Ariel Jalali
Director of Publications
Undergraduate Business SocietyComments to
webmaster@db.asucla.ucla.edu