Editor, I just read the letter "Bookstore strives to make books more affordable" published in Wednesday's Daily Lobo. I found the title itself to be unbelievable. For college students, it all comes down to the price of textbooks. When I first came to UNM in 2002, I bought all my books at the Bookstore.
Editor, What subject should I study and what field of work do I want to enter into? What do I value, and what goals do I want to accomplish? How do I grow as a person? These questions can be summed up into one question: What is my vocation? The great Polish linguist, philosopher and theologian Karol Wojtyla, who later became Pope John Paul II, wrote on the subject of vocation in his book Love and Responsibility.
Editor, The article "Bookstore may not offer best bargains" in Tuesday's Daily Lobo fails to give an accurate description of textbook pricing and options. The reality is that college students have more textbook options available today then ever before. Publishers have responded to cost concerns by expanding options for lower-cost texts, including electronic books, loose-leaf editions, black-and-white editions, abbreviated texts, textbooks by the chapter and customized editions.
The discussion of whether or not UNM should include a chair of Catholic studies is not a question of church and state -- it is a question of whether or not we believe in educating our students of the world around us. It seems perfectly reasonable to have an academic representation of a predominant religious tradition in our University.
Editor, New Mexico calls itself the Land of Enchantment, but if Gov. Richardson, our legisla- tors and environmental regu- lators do not take a stand, we may well become known as the Land of Hazardous Waste and Polluted Water. Uranium min- ing companies are clamoring to begin again operations in New Mexico.
Editor, For what my own personal opin- ion may be worth to your readers, I too am opposed to having a chair in Roman Catholic studies at the University. Being a Mexico native, I was a loyal Catholic for many years. During those years, I was always depressed, heard strange voices in my head and had autism.
Editor, Bigotry, as one dictionary defines it, is "stubborn and complete intolerance of any creed, belief, or opinion that differs from one's own." I find it amusing that such a term that so aptly describes the Roman Catholic viewpoint throughout history should be applied to me.
The University administration needs to take more responsibility for the actions of the three fraternities placed on emergency suspension within the span of a week. UNM suspended Phi Delta Theta, Kappa Sigma and Sigma Alpha Epsilon for incidents ranging from alcohol violations to rape allegations that happened in and around the chapter houses on campus.
Editor, Recent letters to the editor regarding the announcement of creating a chair position of Catholic studies clearly demonstrate religious biases. Why is it when a Western religion is recognized in a public setting, it is chastised? I detect a sense of fear that the courses will be over-spiritualized and under-objectified.
Editor, I recently told someone that I refused to be labeled either a conservative or a liberal because I was intent on observing what was really going on in the world, and that I wanted to decide what was real for me. The same person then told me the best way I could learn what is really going on in the world was to listen to Rush Limbaugh, because his reporting of the news was accurate and unbiased.
Editor, I want to mention that Accessibility Services in Mesa Vista Hall has a student book exchange going on. Students can log on to As2.unm.edu/phpbe for details. This book exchange program is a free service that allows you to check used book prices from Amazon.
Editor, The presidential debates have been addressing many issues that have been ignored, brushed over or considered unimportant by the mass media and general public. A great change is about to occur, not only within our nation, but around the world. This requires a good understanding of all current situations.
Editor, I just wanted to clarify some of the facts regarding the Bookstore's buyback program to eliminate any confusion. Buyback begins when faculty members give the Bookstore their textbook orders for the next semester. Once we get those orders, we are able to put them on the buyback list.
Editor, This letter is in response to the proposed ballot initiative that will end the winner-takes-all apportionment of California's large number of Electoral College votes. The framers of the U.S. Constitution created the Electoral College as a result of a compromise for the presidential election process.
What should you do if you get sick or hurt while at UNM?
Editor, The August 13 letter from Jay Nelson opposing the establishment of an endowed chair at UNM in Roman Catholic studies is precisely the reason such a chair makes sense. In his letter, Nelson attacks the church in several ways, including questioning its "intellectual honesty.
Editor, More than six months before I started my first semester in college at UNM, I became a legal U.S. resident. Furthermore, I recently became a U.S. citizen because many engineering companies require U.S. citizenship for most of their positions. Thus far, I am very grateful to UNM for the great education that I received from its professors and graduate students.
Editor, For those of you who left for the summer, welcome back to campus. For those who attended summer classes, it was great having you here, and I know you're ready to get back to work. One of the best parts of my job here at UNM is listening to students about ways they think the University can better serve their needs.
India's economic boom continues unhindered. Together with China, it is emerging as the most important nation that will keep the economic wheel spinning at a time when the developed world slows down to re-examine what capitalism-led economic reforms have done to its human capital and social well-being.
Editor, I read a story in the Daily Lobo last week about lining Johnson field with lighting for safety reasons. Last week's issue contains an article about a bicycle thief being caught. In my more than 20 years consisting of living on or visiting the campus, I have never seen a campus police officer walking a beat.
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