Page 158 - Phoenix1999-2000

Thursday. April 13,2000 -Page 6 COMMENTARY Staff Letter to Editor Co-Editors-In-Chief DearMr. Lee, Regarding your anti-federal statements they know best. Laura Beth Kelley '0 I I would like to disagree and comment involving Ruby Ridge and Waco, it is very If they felt that giving Palczynski food 1enifer D. Sirkis '01 on a number of sections of your last article odd that you insist on a storming tactic. I am would prevent him killing or harming the on Palczynski. Before being dismissed as a not a qualified squad military tactician, so hostages then it was worth it. I am not going News Editors "bleeding heart liberal" whom you decry, that Iwould hesitate to tell the brave men of to put a price on the safety of human life. If Staci L. George '03 your conclusions and statements are some- Maryland SWAT what to do in a given situ- you are able to put a dollar value on human Francesca Saylor '00 what confusing. You made a number of state- ation. safety and life then do so, if otherwise then ments that contradict the logic of your own If you are a qualified tactician you should do not complain about the cost in having Features Editor arguments, fail to clarify several issues, and make reference of such training to establish these operations. Kale Esposito '0 I jump to some rather skeptical conclusions. reader credibility. That being said, the two I would like to add that name calling in First, you start off on a general diatribe previous situations involved armed law of- the course of an article does nothing to lend Assistant Features Editor against sections of Baltimore County. For ficials storming a location in order to appre- any credibility to your arguments. Referring Shauna Dominguez '02 those of us from different locations whom hend a wanted person; with disastrous re- to him as "Pal-nutski" does nothing but make you would like to actually understand what sults. your argument seem juvenile. Commentary Editor you ar~ writing about, you need to clarify or Yet this is precisely the course of action In a similar vein, while you may not like Edward Schultheis '03 justify some of the following statements. that you prescribe when you state "had the president for political or moral reasons, Who are these "incoherent sanitation work- SWAT surrounded the house and bull rushed he still is the president. I may not care for ers" and why are they incoherent? Why is in on Friday Night, this would have been over former president Reagan or Nixon, but Istill Assistant Commentary Edltor this important? And what are you referring in a matter of seconds, and nobody other than refer to them with some respect. Again, by Matthew Hurft' '03 Palczynski would have been hurt.v.Yes. it spouting off with such an insult you lose to as "Section 8 housing for criminal mis- creants?" would indeed have been over, but what I credibility in your own argument. .Sports Editors Iwill agree with you that this man should question is how is Mr. Lee to know that no- In conclusion, I would like to state that Mike Yesrramski '01 probably never have been released from body else would have been injured? nobody has decried the fate of Mr. Palczynski Chris Anastasia '02 prison. I am all in favor of the longest jail Again I am not a hostage, crisis, or stand- as Mr. Lee as predicted. terms and stiffest punishments for crimina! off negotiator and will not provide my in- Mr. Lee closed in saying "What a load of Photographers offenders. put. Again, Mr. Lee, if you have received crap ... How typically American." If Mr. Lee Trang Dam '00 Yet Idid not sit in on the parole hearings, such training you should say so in the ar- does not like America or how things are done, Erin Owen '01 and do not know all the facts of the situa- ticle. In the cases of the Montana freemen then perhaps this is not the culture for you. lion. Perhaps you did, and if so, you should and this standoff, I do not believe anybody But this being America, everybody has the Staff Writers make some mention of that fact or the trouble wanted to see a killing of hostages. option to either work for change, sit and com- Claire Adams '02 you have with the penal system, either Therefore I believe in letting the profes- plain, or simply do nothing at all. David Canty Eric Barry '00 county, state, or federal. sionals handle the situation, and trust that Anne B~tler '01 The reasoning behind the SGA's actions Dan Gadd '00 Greg Lederer '01 Jeremiah Kelly discusses the tivated students on this campus giving upev- Stacey M. Myers '02 We have all seen the Pub and Grille Stan- ery Thursday night, while most people are B1 Shorb '03 dards Act of1999. If you have nor, I invite reasoning behind SGA 's Pub and down the street at Champ's, to sit around and Tammi Slater '03 you to stroll in front of the Pub, take a few Grille Standards Act. debate how they can make college life bet- Mike Stokes '00 seconds, and read it. states, in a non-critical SAA achieved that), establish student expec- ter for the student body they represent, even simply It very Nykole Tyson '02 tations, and, in partnering with Food Ser- down to ensuring that you don't have to take Michael Wiles '03 manner, the expectations of the student body in regard to the performance of services in vices, sign the Pub and Grille Standards Act a shower without a shower curtain. the Pub. Many have said posting this act .is of 1999. Iwish our SGA was perfect. I wish it had Distribution inconsiderate and even wrong. Well, the director of Food Services de- the money to have its own SGA newspaper Rich Suchoski '00 Ask yourself, would someone write a clined to sign the document, citing it was to communicate issues to students. I wish the commentary on the ineffectiveness of the already fulfilling these expectations. SGA had enough money to renovate the Pub, Student Adviser SGA or bad conditions in the Pub had the With little improvement seen, it was de- create more work space, and hire more work- Megan K. Martin 'OJ SGA not taken an action on this subject? I cided to post the students expectations in ers. can, with certainty, say yes because there hopes students would assert their right to Iwish people came to SGA meetings on Graduate Assistant have been and always will be problems with receive quality performance of services in Thursday nights (at 7:30 in Hill 110 ifl con- Vince Chesney the Pub and people who are displeased with the Pub as outlined in the Student Guide and vince you in any way) or our open forums theSGA. Date Book. besides SGA members. Faculty Adviser Take a second and think about your ex- You can be critical of the SGA with re- The factofthe matter is it isn't, it doesn't, Terry Dalton perience in the Pub in December and then spect to educating students about issues such and people don't. r urge each of you to look compare it to the experience you had last as these and not informing them properly of at the Pub and Grille Standards Act and know night. Tell me the SGA has not done you a actions taken. that the SGA, as a group of 20 students, are The Phoenixis published biweekly. The favor. You can not, however, criticize the SGA working for your best interest. The SGA has opinions expressed do not necessarily rep- The mere discussion of passing an act for not getting information or meeting with come a long way from its ineffective state resent those of The Phoenix staff, the fac- stating our expectations and posing it has lit the right people. my freshman year. ulty,oriheadministratorsofWMC. a spark under the feet of those in charge of The SGAcrosses it's "t's" dots it's "i's" Although you may not agree with what it The paper welcomes free-lance submis- the Pub. in that category, unlike the Phoenix writer does, always keep in mind it is working for sionson Macintosh disks in most word-pro- In the last issue of the Phoenix, the SGA who criticized the SGA for not contacting you. I ask you to criticize less in the Phoe- cessorformars. Theeditorsreservetheright was asked whether or not they spoke with anyone involved but who, also, failed to con- nix and come to our meetings and tell us how .to edit for clarity, length, and libel and to the head of the Pub and Dinning services, or tact the SGA for information herself. we can do it better because we listen. publish as space permits. All submissions Pub workers? r think Ican answer your ques- I have had the privilege to be an SGA I ask that you, instead of ripping down (excluding self-addressed diskettes) become tions because Iwas the person who met with member for three years now, and while Imay the Pub and Grille Standards Act, come and the property of The Phoenix and cannot be them. not speak on behalf of the SGAin any way, I tell us why you don't like it because we are returned First semester, over 50 students expressed do feel the need to defend the SGA when it open minded. Please include a name and phone num- discontent with the Pub service and as'ked is being wronged. I know the SGA will be taking steps to ber for verification. Names will be withheld the SGA to take action. In three years, Ihave seen the SGA evolve bring its turnaround full circle by educating onJybythediscretionoftheEditors-in-Chief. The SGA, specifically the Campus Life from an organization which had no input or students and working harder to get their in- Committee, spent five months talking with power to help its student body to an organi- put. The Phoenixdresnot~ based Alan Dolid, director of Food Service, Philip zation that has influence and an "in" when it Just a few weeks ago it passed an act to on age, race, religion, gender, sexual orien- Sayre, dean of Student Affairs, and Ethan comes to decisions made that will affect us create an SGA newsletter to go to all stu- tenon, national origin, condition of handi- Seidel, vice president of Administration and all. Along with this evolution, there is still dents (I know your thinking more junk mail cap, or marital status. Finance, about our displeasure with the con- progress to be made. but at least you'll be informed if you take ditions of the Pub. The SGA has been able to take student the time to read it). Mall to: We discussed the problems and possible concerns, formulate policy, and effectively The SGA never has been apathetic, nor The Phoenix solutions, however, months passed and im- seek and receive change. ever will be because as long as there are 20 WMC, 2 College HiU provements were not seen. The SGA's next step in that evolution is caring students willing to give up a night in Westminster, MD 21 157 On behalf of the students, the SGA de- to communicate that information back to stu- Fell's Point, there will be an SGA to work (410)751-8600 cided to take a proactive step to create stu- dents. You have no idea how much the SGA for you, the student body. Please take these FAX, (410)857-27'19 dent momentum (three articles in the last does for all of us behind the scenes. words into consideration when you are en- E-Mail: phoenix.@wmdc.edu edition of the Phoenix is enough proof the Picture twenty of the most caring and rno- joying your prompt, hot meal in a tidy pub.