Parking still an issue

At the meeting with the parking office and campus police last month, students left empty. They were handed the same lines they've always been fed by Lt. Barber: "The thing we want to make known is that there is parking... I have yet to see the stadium parking lots full."? What a hollow statement coming from someone who has a private parking spot next to his office. I have yet to see Barber park in the A lot on 100 E. and 700 North and hike seven blocks to his work. The fact is that the intended purposes of the current parking regulations are not being met.

According to the University Administration, the decision to make parking passes free was to appease Provo city residents who complained of an abundance of students parking in residential neighborhoods south of campus. BYU realized that there was plenty of parking by the stadium, so they decided to make permits free to encourage student drivers to park in Y lots north of campus.

But what was the end result? Because parking is free, even more students drive to school and rather than

park in lots north of campus and hike a mile, they park south of campus. Have the administrations' intended purposes seen met in making parking passes free? No, they have not. And being fed the same lines from the parking office doesn't help. Let any student or faculty member frustrated by the current parking policy speak out. If we are complacent, we will lose and can keep running to class late. It's your choice. Write the BYUSA Student Advisory Council at brightideas.byu.edu to make your opinions heard.

Brent Homer

Logan

No Flash Photos, Please

Is the general public aware that a camera flash is only effective for about 15 feet? Common courtesy would discourage blinding a speaker with 200 camera flashes. It is inappropriate and really rude. I understand that President Hinckley coming to campus is a big event however, when did it become acceptable to annoy and distract the Lord's prophet for a dark, blurry picture - a picture that could easily be obtained from The Daily Universe or the Ensign? I was sitting fifteen rows behind President Hinckley and I got nauseous with all of the flashes. If this is not common knowledge please work to make it known. A final note, if you think you had a unique idea in bringing your camera to the devotional and took only one picture, you should tell the other 200 people that thought the same thing that it was your idea.

Steve Williams

Mesa, Ariz.

Spiritual Players

Abolish football? Who are you? Next I'll be hearing that we need to get rid of any apparel that affiliates us with BYU, I mean, we don't want to show our support for our school - that would just be obscene of us. Seriously now, you think that football brings us into the Dark Ages? The way I see it, this amazing football team of ours broadcasts to the nation that we are an amazing people. "Tradition, Spirit, Honor." This is the football saying, and they are living by it.

Do you even know who makes up this team? I have the honor to know many of them. And these men, coaches, players, even trainers, are some of the most refined, spiritual men I know. Football should not be abolished. This is a time when we can gather, rejoice in their talents and support our friends. If President Samuelson and even President Hinckley can attend the games and not wish to abolish it, then I think we are doing mighty fine. To those of you who feel the need to rid of this great tradition, then quit going to the games and let the rest of us enjoy our time.

Kyla Buchanan

San Jose, Calif.

Dissension Hushed at BYU

I recently attended a panel discussion on academic freedom hosted by the University of Utah. Cases discussed included Jeffrey Nielsen (among others). Now, Nielsen broke his contract and the University had the legal right to fire him, but legality in this situation doesn't matter.

The University greatly breaches morality with its policy on academic freedom. This is an institution that is supposed to teach academics as well as faith. However, how can my faith grow and improve without challenge? If anything controversial or seemingly anti-Mormon is immediately hushed, faith will atrophy.

Professors here cannot express anything contrary to church doctrine. That is not education; that is not faith - that is superstition. When we go into the wide world without having our faith refined by challenge, it will soon fail. When we meet our Maker, and he asks us if we had faith in Him, can we honestly say "Yes" if it has never been questioned?

Andrew Mecham

South Jordan

Politician Mix-Up

Although I am not familiar with the statement about "clogging the tubes of the Internet with books,"

(Readers' Forum Oct. 30) which was attributed to one Sen. Stevens of Arkansas, I am familiar with my two senators from Arkansas, and I know that neither one is named Stevens. Whether this was a mistake on the part of The Daily Universe or on the part of the author, I do not know (and whether it is accurate or not, we cannot be sure, since it was not even a quote, and was not cited). Our best bet is that it was a reference to Senator Stevens of Alaska, and that the mistake most likely came as a result of people not being familiar with the following postal abbreviations: AL- Alabama; AK- Alaska; AR- Arkansas; AZ- Arizona.

David Nance

Little Rock, Ark.

Crossword Repeat

I do not consider myself a crossword-puzzle-solving genius by any means, but I do thoroughly enjoy taking a stab at the daily Crossword from The New York Times. I have noticed that the puzzles printed in The Daily Universe are not the current puzzles in The New York Times, and that is perfectly fine with me. I did notice, however, that puzzle No. 0919 was printed on Monday and on Tuesday, causing a little disappointment on my part. The answers for Tuesday's previous puzzle were also not the previous day's puzzle, and frankly, they're not the answers to any puzzle I've done within the last few weeks. Another issue I might bring up is that fairly often, some clues near the bottom of the page are often either cut in half (with the bottom missing) or else completely cut off from the page. This makes the crossword even harder for amateurs like me. I appreciate all The Daily Universe does, but I would appreciate an extra glance at the crossword so that I and other crossword enthusiasts may enjoy the daily puzzle.

Peter McClanahan

Bowling Green, Ohio

Take Cover

After observing much immodesty the streets of Provo at the beginning of the week, I would like to say Halloween is not a time to compromise your standards. Did you all wake up and say to yourself, "It's Halloween, I don't think I'll wear clothes?" That's like me waking up and saying, "Hmmm, I think I'll say the f-word today, or possibly drink an alcoholic beverage."

It doesn't make much sense does it? Standards do not take holidays. You don't have to put on a red light.

Jeremy Warner

Blackfoot, Idaho

Copyright Brigham Young University 3 Nov 2006