Letters to the Editor

To the Daily:

As a West Virginia resident, I am writing in regard to the new saga of Michigan head football coach Rich Rodriguez. Rodriguez decided he would rather coach Michigan than West Virginia University – so be it. However, the contract Rodriguez signed with West Virginia required him to pay $4 million if he opted out of his contract and switched universities, exactly what he did. Why is it that Rodriguez and by extension Michigan are trying to weasel out of this obligation?

Pay the money and move on, Rodriguez. Good luck to Michigan too, after hiring this classy guy.

Bill Druckman

Charleston, W. Va.

Happy hour story not so happy for senior’s wallet

To the Daily:

I was excited when the Daily printed an article in the B-side last week listing the best happy hours in town (Happy trails, 01/17/2008). However, I made the mistake of taking it as fact that Grizzly Peak Brewing Company has happy hour every night of the week and ran myself quite the bar tab.

Note to readers: Happy hour is not on Saturday so don’t buy beer like it is.

Eric Foote

Engineering senior

DPS failed students by not informing campus

To the Daily:

I write to express my dismay that I did not receive a formal e-mail from the University about the murder on Plymouth Road last Wednesday. I find it abhorrent that the University did not think it necessary to inform its students about a serious threat to their safety. This action, or rather lack thereof, reveals the Department of Public Safety’s failure to adhere to its mission statement “to contribute to and promote a safe and secure community.” While I recognize that a crime alert was posted on the DPS website, a significant number of the students probably don’t check this website regularly. To truly abide to its mission to promote a secure community, DPS should, at minimum, make sure the entire student body receives e-mails when there is a safety threat, especially of this caliber.

With the tragedy at Virginia Tech fresh in our minds, I hope the University addresses safety concerns as severe as this shooting with more urgency.

Linnea Texin

LSA junior

Hockey jeering defended

To the Daily:

In a letter to the editor yesterday, Janice Roller complained how the chant “dirty Catholics” at Friday’s hockey game against Notre Dame was “a step back for campus,” especially because “sports have paved the way for cultural breakthroughs in both race and religion” (Letters to the Editor, 01/22/2007). That was just the Michigan way of breaking the ice.

Michael Kozlowski

LSA senior

Student government still serves campus faithfully

To the Daily:

As appointments for LSA Student Government draw near, I can’t help but look around and reflect on the degree of suspicion, lack of faith and utter apathy the student body holds for student government of all kinds. The MSA scandals – not LSA-SG scandals, mind you – have eroded any confidence students had in their peers to work to improve their lives, not just attract more attention or improve their résumés.

I came to understand LSA-SG when I took over as president of the LSA Honor Council last semester. When it was proposed that LSA Honor Council become a part of LSA-SG, because of the negative perception of student government, you might understand why I felt a group like the LSA Honor Council that values academic integrity didn’t belong with student government. After all, I thought I knew what LSA-SG members were all about: themselves.

I was mistaken. Every executive, every LSA-SG committee and many associate representatives have instead embraced LSA Honor Council and what it stands for. Student government members are doing great things, including work on campus safety, student advocacy, funding many other student groups and generally trying to make their peer’s experience better. These members do this because they believe in it, and they are constantly asking what their constituents (you) want. From my experience most people are there because they want to do what is right. They work hard to do it, and they often get no reward or attention for it.

Honor Council is built on values, principles and a belief in doing the right thing above all else. I am so glad it is part of LSA-SG right now. It is a wonderful place to get things done no matter what project matters to you. It is a place for everyone and every cause. I hope people can look past MSA scandals and see that not all student government is self-serving.

Weston Bruner

LSA sophomore

The letter writer is the president of LSA Honor Council.