Reader’s Forum for March 9, 2007

    111

    Ukulele madness

    Did anyone else get wicked annoyed with those people campaigning for BYUSA? Because if I’m the only one, please stop me. These people approach you every time you walk past them, bantering you with their pointless questions trying to get you to vote for an even more pointless election.

    The Daily Universe itself lent to the fact the platforms these candidates take aren’t really vital, stating this year they are more plausible than previous years, but still giving the impression nothing will really be done. And even more ridiculous than the election is the fact these people will get paid if they make it into office. What a way to spend tithing money, BYUSA.

    Oh, and the guy with the ukulele needs to stop. No joke.

    Cindy Ford

    Littleton, Colo.

    Forsake self-righteousness

    I am writing in response to the diatribe against the upcoming movie “Blades of Glory” (March 7). I have three points of contention with this letter:

    1. The author declares, “It is apparent that it [the film] goes way too far in crudeness and suggestiveness.” He apparently determined this from the trailer (which runs a grand total of two minutes and 22 seconds) and the topic of the film (figure skating). How in the world would he (or anyone else for that matter) know whether or not this film goes too far in crudeness and suggestiveness using only these sources? That leads us to point two:

    2. Who is the author to decide whether or not a movie goes too far? Does he have any sort of formal system in place, or is this merely just his opinion? I don’t know, but if I had to guess I would choose the latter.

    3. This movie is not, as he implies, “Trying to change the world for evil.” I grant you, it is not trying to change the world for good either.

    These are the only two options he seems to acknowledge. I propose the radical argument that some movies merely aim to entertain the audience, and have no intention of trying to change the world for good or evil or anything else.

    We need to rise above (the author’s phrase) such petty, self-righteous, uninformed notions of what should and should not be advertised in the BYU newspaper.

    Troy Stock

    Farmington, N.M.

    Thanks, Cougar fans

    In 2004, BYU started a hosting program to welcome visiting fans to BYU to football games. The goal of the program was to reverse the increasingly popular practice of booing, rather than welcoming, the visiting team. This program is gaining some reputation among our guests from other schools. For example, the following is an excerpt from comments made on TCU’s discussion board:

    “If you want an experience, go to Provo and walk six steps inside that stadium and you will be greeted by BYU representatives. Their job is to welcome you and show you around the stadium. They escort you to your seats and ask what they can get you. After the game, BYU fans come up and express what a great game it was, etc.”

    As the Utes were introduced in the Marriott Center last Saturday, we noticed a sharp decrease in booing. Even the signs in the stands were positive toward our team, rather than derogatory towards our visitors. We’d like to thank the fans for being good ambassadors to our guests.

    BYU football and basketball programs have once again risen to the top. We invite all Cougar fans to help make BYU synonymous with class and hospitality by warmly welcoming our visitors in saying, “Welcome to BYU. Enjoy the game.”

    Frank Millward

    Pleasant Grove

    TV bad for marriage?

    Recently, BYU professor Jason Carroll’s study showed materialism has an indirect effect on overall marital satisfaction by increasing the frequency of financial problems. University of Texas at San Antonio professor L. J. Shrum’s study showed the more people watch television, the more materialistic they are. So does that mean TV is bad for marriage?

    Jon Spackman

    Provo

    Don’t mock women’s team

    You made some valid points in your letter “Corralled at Marriott (March 7). It sounds like the ticket distribution process for the men’s Utah game was inefficient at best, and you can definitely bring up some valid concerns with BYU Athletics. However, I think your letter would have been more effective had you avoided denigrating the women’s team. If you would like to be treated like an adult, as you mentioned, you have to act like an adult. One cannot have the rights without the responsibilities. Unfortunately, making fun of the women’s basketball team does not demonstrate maturity, especially when your frustration results from something outside their control.

    Whether one agrees with the decision to hand out tickets at the women’s game, there is no reason to ridicule an organization that represents BYU better than most of us. In the same vein, one may legitimately disagree with Title IX, but the women on the team did not pass that legislation. The post-game ceremony you mentioned was apparently to celebrate the team winning the MWC title. Regardless of whether students care about that achievement, it enhances the school’s athletic reputation and is certainly not something to be booed.

    Not everyone likes women’s basketball, and that’s OK, but we should all congratulate the women’s team for a fantastic season and for helping BYU’s athletic reputation. The women’s team and Coach Judkins have shown the utmost class and maturity throughout the season. Let’s hope the rest of us can do the same and respect their accomplishments.

    Clark Monson

    Euless, Texas

    Reprehensible stereotypes

    I agree voting for anyone based on stereotype is wrong and unstructured; but by the standards in “Diverse presidential election” (March 7) any voter participation in the 2008 election would make said voter an idolater to affirmative action.

    No one should be made president due to their gender, racial status or religious beliefs; but shouldn’t the fact that a woman, a man of color and a man of diverse faith are the front-runners be something we celebrate? While countries that are considered to be third world and far behind America in terms of progression have had an abundance of women in power; America does not even make the list.

    This election should be cause to celebrate – in the 200-plus years we have been a country, this has never before happened. This is an amazing time in our history and to belittle it by making it a stereotype of affirmative action is reprehensible.

    Emily McGarth

    Kaysville

    Need more nutrition on campus

    For an on-campus freshman, being forced to purchase a meal plan is not, in the end, as large a problem as is the way in which the meal plans are regulated. The simple fact that we meal-plan holders are regulated as to how much of our money we can spend and where we can spend it is irritating. If I eat at the Wilkinson Center, which is the most convenient location for me, my choices are limited largely to non-nutritious fast foods. If I’m purchasing groceries, I have to shop at the Creamery, where I may not be able to buy less-common products, such as peppermint extract, or foods that aren’t as harmful to the waistline, such a sugar-free Life Savers or low-fat ice cream. More troubling still is the knowledge I can buy the same fruits, vegetables or prepared foods for a much better price elsewhere.

    I think the “freshman fifteen” could be partly blamed on current campus meal plan policies. Many freshmen are na?ve when it comes to understanding the consequences of their poor eating habits – and yet they are forced to spend their money at places that do not exactly help them fit into their jeans.

    I don’t mean to imply BYU Creamery should turn into a health-food store, but if meal plans continue to be mandatory, I believe some changes should be implemented to help out freshmen. Such changes could include posting nutrition facts for all foods served at on-campus dining facilities; increasing the variety of foods and products available at the Creamery; and making a more nutritious variety of foods available to students at all on-campus facilities.

    Joni Lawrence

    Orem

    Comical column

    Joseph Simmons’s satire on women’s basketball was amusing.

    I laughed when Simmons said people who believe women’s games are not as exciting as the masculine version “corner” and verbally assault their fellow men. The comedic Simmons argued people bored by female sports need a firm slap to knock some sense into them.

    However, I was confused when Simmons claimed students apathetic to female sports actually hate women (“misogynistic”), but I am sure that was also just a joke.

    Most hilarious was his argument female collegiate athletes are “in many cases … faster, quicker, and even stronger than many” male athletes. In reality, not one player on BYU women’s basketball team is as “fast, quick or strong” as the weakest member of BYU men’s basketball team.

    Of course, Simmons left out a classic joke – he forgot to mention people who believe men are better athletes than women should be forced into feminist reeducation camps. To be fair, Simmons did suggest we should batter students who fail to recognize the value of women’s sports.

    Keep up the good jokes.

    Nate Caplin

    St. George

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