I thought I’d make this a little easier on all of you so maybe for once you could get into a discussion on something that is actually important to the student body. No need to waste time impeaching me because I resign.
I ran for senate mostly because I knew I would win and I figured what the hell. I had no clue then what a complete waste of time the senate is. Most students don’t care about senate because they believe that the senate doesn’t do anything and after my short period as a senator I have come to agree with them. The biggest thing we’ve done is run a food drive. Yay us!!! You’ve got to be kidding me. Parking problems, security stealing student’s bicycles, ARAMARK changing the buy in rates for receiving bonus dollars without telling anyone, these are real problems that students care about. But instead of addressing these real issues we do a food drive.
The only other thing we’ve really done is approve money for the DVD library. A worthwhile endeavor to be sure, but one that exists only because of Lonny’s Cabinet. The Cabinet actually attempts to tackle problems at the university, the senate sets up a Budgetary Reform Committee and a Group Beat System. The end goal of this can only be to get rid of SAAC and transfer the power to the senate itself. Good for us, we care more about our own power than the constituents we supposedly represent. Oh and by the way, how does a group of senators reform the budget when senate itself is wasting money. For instance, senate pays $14 a meeting so that some event support person can come by and move some chairs around. That works out to a couple hundred dollars a semester. Talk about a complete waste of money. Why don’t we just meet in a room where we wouldn’t need to move anything around, like perhaps the Stackel Room. Then we have the gall to talk about fiscal responsibility.
Don’t even get started about our joke of a Speaker. Perhaps she can’t read or maybe she just doesn’t care to, but I’m pretty sure her job simply entails running a damn meeting. Nowhere does it state that her job is to interject her opinion into every single piece of business the senate ever considers. At least the Deputy Speaker does his job and nothing more, so obviously it’s possible to do one’s job the way the constitution and bylaws state it should be done. But I digress.
Peace, I’m out.
?Robert KamenEx-hillcourt senator
Pro porno
While it is completely understandable why one would object to the use of SA funds for pornography in the Multimedia Center, the main editorial in last week’s issue, “Porno Problems” was a little absurd in it’s degradation of porn. It is true that explicit hardcore porn can cause hostility in people, but as a 1982 study by Zillmann and Ramirez ? “Effects of Erotica on Retaliatory Behavior as a Function of Level of Prior Provocation,” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, vol. 43(5) ? found, mild pornography actually causes friendlier interactions among people and reduces hostility, even under provocation.
The editorial board should obviously not be censured for not knowing about that study, but the claims that porn “objectifies women, glorifies violence against them and contributes to the myth that women enjoy forceful sex” are completely unfounded. A wet t-shirt contest objectifies women. A porn does not. In the vast majority of pornographic scenes, there is male participating who is just as naked and “objectified” as the female. As for the issue of violence and forced sex, I cannot account for all the porn out there, but it is safe to say that the majority of pornographic movies have very willing female characters that require little more than gentle coaxing for full consent. Certainly, the campus porns do not show any violence.
In short, people who have never watched a porn shouldn’t write about it.
?Daniel AxelrodClass of 2003
Buddhism’s Truths
While I appreciated the CT’s effort to bring religion on campus into the spotlight, I feel that the section on Buddhism needs some clarifications and corrections.
First of all, the major schools of Buddhism are Theravada ? practiced in most SE Asian countries ? and Mahayana ? practiced throughout the rest of Asia and the West. ‘Lamaism,’ which the article mentioned, is better known as Vajrayana or Tantra ? practiced in Tibet. Beneath these two major schools are many different sects which all follow somewhat different paths to the same goal ? awakening, known to most as nirvana or enlightenment.
All Buddhist schools and sects have several aspects in common ? they acknowledge Siddhartha Gautama ? the Buddha ? as the historical founder of Buddhism; the foundation of their practice is Dharma, the teachings of the Buddha, which include the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path and meditation is key in reaching enlightenment.
Being that the Four Noble Truths essentially are Buddhism, I believe that a better explanation of them is necessary. They are as follows: 1) Life is full of suffering ? pain, disappointment, frustration, 2) Suffering has a cause ? attachment and desire for things, 3) This suffering can cease ? our attachment and desire are unnecessary for happiness and 4) The way to end suffering ? through meditation and mindfulness of all the things that are causing our suffering.
The ultimate ‘goal’ of Buddhism is the end of suffering, and in Mahayana Buddhism, it is the end of suffering for all beings, not only for oneself.
This final awakening frees one from the cycle of rebirth, allowing the attainment of nirvana.
For more information on Buddhism or UR Sangha, contact Erin Zahradnik at ez001h@mail.rochester.edu.
?Erin ZahradnikTake-5 Scholar
Shocked at porn
I am a parent of a student of UR. I must say that I am shocked to read about the idea of purchasing porn DVDs for the library collection.
What is more shocking is that seven of the senate members of the Student Association voted for it. What has UR become?
This is not an issue of liberty or censorship. It is totally immoral! UR is a university. It is not a place for students to be exposed to immoral culture!!
The administration of UR must stop this nonsense. I sent my child to UR learn to be upright. UR must not misplace my faith and trust!!
I wonder what will be next. Allowing drugs on campus?
?James loo
Disgusting comic
Wow, whoever drew, and published this cartoon (When comics aren’t funny, Nov. 14) should learn some respect themselves. This cartoon is awful and cannot be stood for. It is outrageous that our newpaper would publish such a thing, and I think whoever drew it is sick and disgraceful ? I am outraged and disgusted.
?Susan KaraliaClass of 2004
News 10 unfair
My name is Ian Laird. I am in no way affiliated with the University of Rochester. Having said that, I was angered tonight after watching the eleven o’clock news on channel 10. Their story was absolutely unfair to your paper and the content within it.
The reporters never offered a voice or opinion from the paper. Why not?
One could argue the real issue isn’t racism, but freedom of speech. One could also argue freedom of the press. However, let us not deny that it is easy to see why people can be offended. Why has it not been pointed out that the heading to the comic read: “When Comics aren’t funny. This Happens … everywhere, USA” if you add that to the actual strip and look at the big picture, one can also argue that this is a reflection on our society. This comic was never intended to be funny, more reflective.
You owe it to the community and the integrity of your staff to challenge the quality of the local broadcasters who blatently attacked all of that and more last weekend.
?Ian Laird
Comic problems
I am extremely disgusted with a comic strip I saw in your Campus Times entitled “the other side of Undersexed.” I would strongly encourage a
ny high school senior to seriously reconsider your school as their institution of higher learning. To me I would not want to attend a school that allows and promotes such racism.
?Sonya Brown
Support Woodcock
Your “comic” was a topic of discussion on radio station WDKX’s “Water Cooler” this morning. All of the callers responding to an e mail description of the “comic” and the hosts of the program who viewed it (the “comic”) online were offended by it.
I’m e-mailing you to let you know that I went online to view it. After viewing it and the “comic” that you were responding to and reading your explanation.
I think your “comic” and explanation was an excellent response.
The truly sad part of this matter is that, taken out of context your “comic” is viewed as racist and your publisher as insensitive.
I concur with your statement “The intent of the comic is to give food for thought, and to convey the opinion that racism will not be solved and eradicated until the community can have a healthy discussion on race.”
Unfortunately, in this “great” country when it comes to race we can not have a healthy discussion. Both “comics” (undersexed 10/31 and yours, When comics aren’t funny) illustrate this. But with thought provoking and concerned people as you and available forums. This discussion will start.
Finally, as a 56-year-old African-American political cartoonist, whose work is considered too controversial to publish because its’ subject matter is mainly racial, I would reccommend that you keep up the good work and continue to express yourself without apologizing or compromising in any forum that allows you to do so.
?Carl Smith
Woodcock out of date
This is a prime example of when freedom of speech gets so far out of control. I guess some things never change.
You allow this individual to print this in your newspaper, yet I see so many Caucasian females with African-American males, Caucasian males wearing F.U.B.U., Phat Pharm, Enyce, etc. clothing ? sagging pants included ? rap music blasting from their car stereo, and the tanning booth is overflowing with Caucasians trying to get a little “darker.”
Know this for sure, if this causes any problems for your paper or that person the both of you brought it on yourselves. And unlike the young lady who did not want to be seen on television, I am here to say I would have spoken directly to the camera to let that person know that if they are still in that day and age when this type of thing took place, then prayer is what they need. And a brand new pair of Lenscrafters glasses so that they can take a good look around at what the world is today.
Because most of the Caucasian race is turning their cheek to racism. I believe that every time I see a Caucasian female with one of my fine black men, who later on gives birth to a child that is biracial.
So evidently he is still living in the past. But wake up my friend, as it only takes vision. I will also be sending this e-mail to everyone I know, because alot of people are not aware of this comic or your newspaper. But I think people should be aware of the racism that exists on campus. Written or face to face.
?Hazel Pugh
Shock comic
As a long time civil rights activist, a doctor, engineer, alumni of UR and the father of an undergraduate student, I wish to state clearly that your rationalizations are too little, late.
Years of hard work can be obscured by ill-conceived humor.
Let’s just be clear to our black brothers and sisters that we love them ? and leave the wisecracks for the Nazis.
Thank you.
?Seth Shulman
Vegetarian no more
When I was in college I became a vegetarian in part because the food was not very good in the cafeteria, but I was also induced to stop eating meat by the knowledge that a tremendous amount of the energy in plant material was lost as it was converted into the flesh of the vegetarian organisms that I had grown up eating. It is simply more efficient for the environment for more of us to be vegetarians because it requires so much land to grow the food that vegetarian animals eat.
However I stopped being a vegetarian when I got into grad school, mostly out of politeness. It becomes increasingly ridiculous to have to constantly tell a wider and wider assortment of people that you “can not eat that.”
You go out to eat with professional colleagues. You are invited over to eat at the homes of colleagues and in-laws. You have to face the fact that you are no longer in the cultural cocoon of a college campus.
Of course one can persevere in any number of ways. You can simply refuse to eat what other people are eating at a social occasion, leaving the main course untouched at someone’s home or hunt through restaurant menus for some improvised combination of salad, grains and legumes.
Not only does this come off as rude in someone’s home and sanctimonious when you are eating with a group, but you end up not eating very well either. And then there is the fact that you must entirely reject the focus of many traditional holiday meals with your family. When you are younger this may not seem to matter, but as you get older you grow to appreciate the value of tradition.
So I have chosen a moderate path of compromise. I rarely eat red meat of any kind, particularly at home. I don’t eat meat at more than one meal or even every day and stick largely to chicken, duck, turkey and seafood.
The American diet is rather absurdly loaded with meat at every meal ? although Northern Europeans are generally worse in this respect ? and that mania is the real burden on the environment and the real harm to our health. Being a vegetarian at any point in your life is a good thing, because it makes you think about these things for the rest of your life.
?Bill ChaissonProfessor of Earth and Environmental Sciences
