Letters to the editor

I want to see an opinion page worth reading

Dear Arbiter Staff, I am a fourth year student here at Boise State. As a show of support I do attend on campus activities, support on campus business, and on most days I read The Arbiter to keep up on campus life and updates. However, as of late, I have become almost completely disinterested in supporting this organization due mainly to the insulting banter in the opinion page. I find the majority of political articles posted highly biased, hateful and quite unmoving. I understand that everyone is entitled to their own political opinions, but I would hope The Arbiter would have other intellectually stimulating pieces from students. The name-calling, self-serving, political affirmations from all sides are quite enough.

I don’t appreciate that these are very commonplace in our student newspaper. Why would I read a source of information that involves someone calling a group of people “sexual deviants”, or “amoral”, or any other type of besmirching label. A common retort might be, if I don’t like what your newspaper prints, I just shouldn’t read it. I feel however, if a part of my tuition goes toward this organization, that I should voice my concerns and hopes as often as I’d like.

I feel equal representation is appropriate, and if you are going to print extremely conservative or liberal opinion pieces, printing counterpoint articles, that with an equally written is important. I regularly converse with a large group of students and staff at Boise State, and a common discussion is the building block of interest and respect some have for The Arbiter. Conservative and liberal alike, I think that the Opinion page wars for political opinions are pointless and downright redundant at this point.

I very much wish that in the future I could pick up your newspaper, and not shortly after, feel like tossing it on a bench or in a trash can. If a college campus is a place for conversing and growing, our organizations and literature should reflect that same type of positive civility as well.

Jessica Hasbrouck,
Boise

BSU student rises to No. 2 in the nation

Open Judo Championships were held at the Gwinnett County Convention Center in Duluth, Georgia, on October 19, 20, and 21, 2007. Boise State University Mechanical Engineering Junior, Michael Eldred won the Bronze medal in the Male 73 Kg category on Saturday, October 20, 2007. Eldred went four-one on the day. As the number four-ranked athlete on the USA Judo National Elite Athlete Roster, Eldred received an initial 1st round bye. In the 2nd round he met A.J. Silverman from New York.

After scoring two yukos (quarter point) with his ippon seoinage (one-handed shoulder throw), he earned an ippon (full point) win using an Ito turnover into a pin. In the third round he met Radu Brestyan of Massachusetts. A fatal mistake by Eldred at 3:15 into match resulted in a loss for him. In the fourth round his opponent was David Torres of Mexico. After two minutes, Eldred was finally able to secure a grip to execute a beautiful left-side Sode Tsurikomi Goshi (sleeve assisted lifting hip throw) for another Ippon (full-point) win.

Edwin Yohan of Columbia was his next opponent. After several exciting exchanges, Eldred nailed the win with a Sankaku Gatame (leg triangle hold) pin for his third Ippon win for the day. This win put Eldred in the Bronze Medal final.
For the Bronze, his opponent was Bobby Lee of Florida. Eldred dumped Lee from the number two position and the medal rostrum with a big win. Returning to the use of his Ippon Seoinage (one-handed shoulder throw), Eldred was able to demolish him for the Ippon (full-point) win. This win allowed Eldred to leapfrog Lee and the number three athlete to become the new number two. Eldred’s next stop on his road to the Olympic Trials will be in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, where the Rendezvous Canada International Judo Championships will be conducted. For additional information, please reply to this email: rsf@wiji.org

Bryan Matsuoka,
Boise

We will have handicap access for restrooms in the SUB

I read the letter to the editor regarding the lack of an automatic handicap door for the men’s restrooms in the Student Union. There is currently an automatic door opener in operation for the women’s restroom located behind the west main stairs. The code requirement for the women’s restroom is based on this entrance being smaller than the men’s.

That aside, we have decided to install an automatic door at the men’s restroom located at the west main stairs. This is an issue that we agree needs to be fixed and are moving forward to have this installed before the start of the spring semester.

Thank you,
Jack Rahmann
Student Union Director,
Boise

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