The plot thickens
I registered to vote at one of the tables outside the Memorial Union in October and experienced the same problem as Brian Frank (State Press letters, Nov. 10).
I didn't indicate a party affiliation when I registered, but the voter card I received several weeks later identified me as a registered Republican.
The group with which I registered did not clearly identify themselves. At the time, I assumed they were independent volunteers, but they could just as easily have been working for a political party or interest group.
This is an issue that needs to be investigated, especially since these mistakes have occurred with multiple registrations.
... To alter voter registration forms in advance of an election is illegal, and destroying certain registration forms is wholly unethical and dishonest.
--Peter Howe,
journalism and political science sophomore
I, like Brian Frank and his friends, registered at the table outside the MU and had a similar thing happen to me: I registered as an independent and received my card saying I'm a Republican.
In addition, I received an unsolicited early ballot (which I threw away) not realizing it meant I would have to use a provisional ballot on Election Day and basically kept my vote out of the initial counts.
I dismissed my suspicions earlier, thinking I probably checked the wrong box. But once I saw Brian Frank's letter, I began thinking maybe I'm not paranoid. It's definitely a very fishy situation and probably should be looked into by campus authorities.
--Jessica Townsend,
ASU student
Turning the coin on Alamoodi column
In response to a comment made by Yaser Alamoodi in his Wednesday article "No Time to Bow Out," I say he got his wires crossed. From reading his article, he's a loyal Democrat. That's fine if he wants to be, but let's get some things straight.
The Democrats did not use hope and optimism to power their base while the Republicans used fear. It was quite the opposite. Sen. John Kerry and his crew used just about every scare tactic in the book: from telling the elderly their Social Security checks weren't coming to saying how President Bush was planning to reinstate the draft.
It was ridiculous, the things the Kerry campaign was coming up with. President Bush wasn't using fear when he talked about Iraq and the war on terror -- he was being real and straight with the American people.
There's a real threat out there, and if you don't believe me, go to Manhattan and show me where the World Trade Center towers are standing. I do agree with one thing Alamoodi said, and that is we will have a few more years of incompetence -- but only because Kerry retained his seat in the Senate.
--Ryan Harding,
ASU student
Holiday closures getting ridiculous
As a student enrolled in nine credit hours and who works 35-plus hours per week, the completely haphazard scheduling of the mathematics testing center is more than an inconvenience -- it is a hardship.
In the professional world, a person must adhere to schedules and meet deadlines. Unfortunately for math students, these rules don't always apply on campus. As a matter of practice, the testing center consistently shortens its pre-holiday hours of operation so their staff can stretch out holidays.
For example, on Wednesday, Nov. 10, the testing center [closed] at 1:30 p.m. rather than the usual 6:30 p.m. Upon consulting my calendar, I was astounded to find that Veterans' Day falls on a Thursday, not a Wednesday.
Are classes after 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday closed so students can get a head start on Veterans' Day festivities? On a similar note, last semester the center closed early in "celebration" of Good Friday, a holiday that is neither an official University holiday, nor an official state holiday.
That closing caused about a third of my MAT 273 class to miss an exam. We were astounded to find that the testing center of a secular, state-funded University was observing a religious holiday.
Presumably, this University is an institution of education, but unfortunately, I find that it is becoming more and more just an institution of institutions.
--David E. Drorbaugh II,
ASU student
Handicap access, attitude well received
Since the death of Christopher Reeve, and ... my 19th year of paralysis Oct. 19, people continue to ask me if I will ever walk again, and what my opinions are on stem cell research. In response to the first question, I tell them: No, probably not an intervention of medical science. To the second question, I tell people it will definitely help, can't hurt. Then I tell people about the reality of paralysis. It goes like this:
Walking would be great, but I'd first like to work on the little things, like scratching my nose independently, or typing using my hands instead of a mouth stick. While walking is a dream for paralyzed people, I like to concentrate on what I have control over in my present situation. And most of all, I have control over my attitude. I'm not saying I always have a great attitude, but I do try to finds all of the perks of being paralyzed and put those in the forefront of my brain.
For example, every place I go now is practically accessible. The human race of able-bodied people makes it easy for us wheelers to go anywhere. I don't look at this as an expectation, but it's actually a privilege to be so accepted so widely. Seriously, it's true.
And society has an overall great attitude toward the wheeling population. I'm blessed to have people take care of me and treat me as an equal almost all of the time.
What would be a great day is if we had "handicapped day," and that is when the whole population (disabled and able-bodied) hangs out together ... in a gigantic pool.
Why a pool? Because then everyone could be sitting in an inner tube, and we would all look alike without wheelchairs present.
Nobody would really know if one is a quadriplegic, paraplegic or able-bodied. My friends could splash me with water if they desire. No dunking, though. Well, it might not ever work, but it sure would be fun. And that's what's important in life: fun. Have fun in the present, do the best you can with your abilities, quit worrying about the future and be thankful for what we presently have: life itself and the companionship and love of others.
Thanks for making my world a better place.
--Craig Jacobson,
citizen
