Don't hate

In a world of negativity, I would like to be the voice of optimism, reason and appreciation for our grand establishment of higher education, Brigham Young University. The Testing Center, intramural referees, the Cougareat, rules and regulations, housing, ticketing, dating culture and the Honor Code have all been incessantly criticized by the pessimistic student body of BYU. However, is the cup truly half empty?

Our campus is gorgeous. The literal armies of grounds keepers who maintain and beautify it deserve accolades and our recognition. Individual colleges within this institution are acknowledged for quality and excellence in national publications. BYU's accounting school has been ranked among the top three programs in the nation since 1995 and the president of Pixar recently declared BYU's animation graduates the best in the business. Other benefits include trained faculty, quality facilities (such as our acclaimed library), moral ideals, alumni support, club organizations, secure environment, spiritual and academic synthesis, lasting relationships and nationally ranked sports teams.

Optimism and reason demand that we appreciate the advantages we are availed for only a fraction of the cost of other prominent universities. The cup is half full.

BRIANNE HEPWORTH

Littleton, Colo.

Bus passes

In the Nov. 14 letter entitled "A step ahead of the rest," the writer expressed a desire for BYU to accommodate the majority of students who take the bus, presumably by giving out free bus passes. I point out to him that BYU used to have a federal grant which paid for free bus passes for students, but after the grant ran out, bus passes were no longer free. It's called being wise with money.

By the way, getting a bus pass for a year would normally cost about $900. Through BYU it costs $120. This greatly accommodates the students who ride the bus. But let's look at the alternative: BYU buys a bus pass for you. BYU is not going to "eat" the costs of the bus pass though, so it has to come from somewhere. It will come from your tuition! So your tuition will go up $120. Either way you pay for your own bus pass.

But maybe you think BYU really ought to "eat" those costs. So tell me this: which widow's mite would you like to take for your bus pass, in excess of the one third of BYU's operating costs we are already getting from tithing, from faithful members from well-off areas and from underprivileged third-world countries alike? One thing we should be learning at BYU is to stand on our own two feet and not expect handouts. Maybe someday you will make enough money to volunteer to subsidize future BYU students' bus passes. Then you can read their Readers' Forum letters complaining about things like having to walk far to the bus stop!

JEREMY COYNE

Macomb, Mich.

Equal Rights

Do gays really push for equal rights for all or do they simply want more rights for themselves? One of the big pushes against Prop. 8 before the election was for "equal rights," claiming Prop. 8 discriminates against gays. However, are gays also pushing for the rights of a brother to marry his sister, for a human to marry an animal or for a man or woman to have multiple spouses? All I see and hear is the push for the right for gays to marry each other. The other relationships are forbidden by law because of societal beliefs, not to mention Christian beliefs, upon which this nation and its constitution were formed.

In addition, a straight couple in California cannot enter into a domestic partnership. I don't hear the gay community arguing for that allowance either. Where the line should be drawn for "equal" rights in forming marital relationships is being protested and argued. However, the gay community is merely focusing on getting only itself across the line of acceptance while leaving others behind. To me, they simply want preferential treatment. What do you think?

JOHN CHRISTENSEN

Danville, Calif.

Copyright Brigham Young University 17 Nov 2008