Opinion

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Cartoon

Departments shouldn't have to rely on Legislature for funding

Editor, I'm sure my opinion may be unpopular, but I make no apologies. Being new to UNM, the bashing and criticism directed at President David Schmidly shocks me. I do not understand the need for so many vice presidents and some other decisions he has made, but the budget cuts that are being proposed are something different.

Ethnic centers allow students to learn about each other's cultures

Editor, This letter is in response to the selfish, close-minded remarks of Lawrence Allen. In Friday's Daily Lobo, Allen stated that not only are the minority-directed budget cuts a positive change but that the proposed cuts do not go far enough. His ideas were as follows: 1) "Eliminate the Women's Studies, African Studies and Hispanic Studies Department," for they are "devoted entirely to lying to students" and "serve no purpose.

Taking away student bus pass stickers is a selfish decision

Editor, After reading Wednesday's Daily Lobo article about the school's thoughts on canceling the bus pass sticker, I am angry and quite confused. I am a UNM student who uses the bus as well as the city's SunVan service, which is a service for the disabled and elderly.

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UNM should focus on more important issues than smoking

Editor, President David Schmidly is focused on all the wrong things. He wants to cut and move Student Services and force smoking off campus. UNM is a university, and student education has been put low on Schmidly's list. I want everyone to visit Scholes Hall.

Budget cuts should target additional useless programs

Editor, I've been looking over the proposed budget cuts, and it occurred to me that although some progress has been made in eliminating idiotic programs, the proposed changes do not go far enough. Here are some measures that would help get UNM out of its current financial straits: 1.

University's ethnic centers offer vital support to students

Editor, UNM is often heralded as a campus of diversity, a school that is designated both high-research and Hispanic-serving. We take pride in our Southwestern-style architecture, our Spanish-language mascot and our garish statue of Latin dancers perpetually greeting campus visitors.

'Deferred compensation' makes president's promises worthless

Editor, Did everyone read President David Schmidly's e-mail that was sent Monday? No? Well, I don't blame you. It's hard to take anything he says seriously, especially if you witnessed his red-faced antics at the economic forum he hosted for students, staff and faculty last month.

Students of color will suffer from proposed budget cuts

Editor, On Friday, I learned that many of the campus programs serving students of color have been recommended for cuts or elimination by the state's Legislative Finance Committee. Last year, more than 100 UNM "special projects" received more than $18 million directly from the Legislature.

Ethnic centers provide help for first-generation students

Editor, I am writing as a very concerned student regarding some of the proposed Legislative budget cuts being proposed for the upcoming fiscal year. Some of the programs slated to have their budgets slashed have been ones that have supported and enabled me to continue my education at UNM, and others have done the same for countless other students.

Schmidly takes step in right direction by shifting funds

Editor, As luck would have it, on the day that the Daily Lobo published my letter criticizing University administration for expanding at the expense of academics, President David Schmidly announced changes that addressed my concerns. Having been free to offer criticism, it is now incumbent on me to acknowledge a step in the right direction.

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Cartoon

Having a concealed weapon in a vehicle on campus is legal

Editor, I am writing this in response to Larry Tarvin's confusion on whether a weapon can be in a vehicle at school, and I want to assure you that the dean of students is correct that a person can have a loaded, concealed weapon in his or her vehicle on campus.

Atrocious claims about voters don't hold up against the facts

Editor, I'm responding to the letter written by Marie Therese Hall in the Daily Lobo on Tuesday concerning the state of elections in this country and to the other claims made in her article. As someone who voted for Barack Obama for president and Tom Udall for Senate as well as being an undergraduate studying political science, I'm quite insulted by Hall's apparent assertion that the only reason that former Rep.

Consider these tips, Vista users

So Santa got you a new computer, and it runs Windows Vista. To try to minimize the pain and agony many Vista users experience, you may want to consider the following tips: Remove all unnecessary startup programs by clicking on the Vista orb in the taskbar, going to the start menu, and typing "msconfig" in the search box to launch the system configuration utility.

Abortion in the United States, by definition, is not murder

Editor, I fully support UNM student Andres Saenz's assertions about the Bible in his Jan. 23 letter in the Daily Lobo. The Bible is reliable in every particular way and is the best-authenticated book from antiquity. Saenz errs in saying that any abortion performed after the fifth week of pregnancy is "definitely murder.

Watching Americans vote shed dim light on country's future

Editor, Dear UNM Political Science Department: I looked over the survey you sent and even started answering the questions. It was apparent, though, that the survey did not actually address the real problem with the Election Day I witnessed firsthand. I have worked the polls off and on for almost 30 years, both here and in Washington.