Advice for love columnist

Dear Editor:

When it comes to personally attacking people over something so trivial as a column in a college newspaper, I'm not an advocate. But when it comes to criticizing the air-bubble content of a column, I'm on board, baby Forgive me if I'm wrong, Lucy, but I thought that love columns existed as a way to extend one's wealth of romantic know-how to others (i.e. Sex and The City).

Even inane advice can be cloaked by witty writing and aggressive responses to clueless people that write in (case in point: Savage Love). Your column does little more than solidify the belief that students can be so privileged and bored that they have nothing more to do than whine about slightly unsavory love lives. (Doesn't anyone have homework around here?) Unfortunately, your writing isn't even interesting enough to furnish an episode of Ally McBeal. Well, if all else fails, you can do the Ally thing—pout your lips and neglect your work, all the while having daydreams of dancing babies and Motown singers.

Your column is also the clincher that makes me realize the extremely small (and dwindling) clique of people on campus to whom The Weekly is relevant or interesting. Please, save your Pretty Pretty Princess musings for an on-line journal. (See http://www.blogger.com)

Stephanie Atwood '03

EA offends student coal miner

Dear Editor:

To the EA (Environmental Action) folks who put up the anti-coal display for Halloween: In the future, I would suggest that you plan your exhibits with more care. Is coal a perfect energy resource? No, but neither are wind turbines.

First, you fail to acknowledge the massive employment displacement that the switch from coal to wind energy would cause. Wind energy simply cannot employ as many people as the coal industry currently does. As socially conscious activists, shouldn't you be concerned with labor issues as well?

Second, can wind energy replace coal now? No. Could it in the future? Perhaps it could eventually provide a portion of our energy needs, but only after further research and development, which I wouldn't oppose. We should be finding cleaner energy resources, but in a responsible manner.

I oppose your simplistic and disrespectful denigration of the entire industry. As a proud coal miner, daughter of a coal miner and concerned activist, I insist that you recognize the complexity of the issue at hand. Coal isn't perfect—it pollutes more than renewable resources—but the industry does its best to both mine the grade of coal that emits the least toxins and to reclaim the area that has been mined. Let's not forget that we wouldn't even be having this debate if Americans didn't gluttonously use their electronic appliances (i.e. leaving computers on 24 hours a day, etc.). I find it hard to believe that you would be willing to abandon your ultra-comfortable, appliance-dependent lifestyle and choose a Thoreau-esque existence of self-reflection.

Jessi Smith '03

After midnight, more study space needed

Dear Editor:

As clocks approach midnight each night, buildings close up and student study space is confined to the small, cramped structure known as "the link": virtually the only twenty-four hour study space on campus. I feel that this is quite insufficient for a student body that is loaded with work. The link can only seat about 20 (out of a school of 1800) and fills up fairly often. In addition, there are no restroom facilities nor is there any space for groups to work.

Thus, after midnight on a school night, a student's options are quite limited with regard to study space. Lounges are not always quiet venues and dorm study rooms are a rarity.

I feel hours in at least one building on campus need to be extended—if not to twenty-four hours then to at least 2:00 or 3:00 a.m. When the library closes each night, there is a steady stream of people leaving, which leads me to believe that many people would take advantage of extended hours. It is ridiculous that after midnight, students have but one cramped option. There are plenty of buildings with study space which could easily stay open late, but the school closes them down (Olin-Rice, the Campus Center, the library and the underused Kagin Commons basement). In assigning building hours, the college, to some extent, dictates the amount of work students do. As a competitive institution, it is important to have late-night resources for academic work space.

Eliot Brown '05

New advice from MCSG: get involved

Dear Editor:

We would like to respond to Annie Taff and Aaron Malone's thoughtful letter in last week's Mac Weekly. Firstly, the issues raised by the Strategic Direction Academic Structure and Quality report are indeed heated and contentious. There had been an outpouring of opinions, both for and against the proposals made, by faculty, staff and students. As your student representatives, we recognize the absolutely vital role we play in making sure that your voice is heard in this process.

We are currently in the process of collecting responses from a survey of a random sample of students. This survey specifically addresses the proposed criteria in terms of the programs targeted by the report. The data from this survey will be presented to the Educational Policy and Governance committee (EPAG) during the discussions of the criteria and the various departments. We held a forum in mid-October at which we set out to gather more substantial input on the proposed criteria. We will be holding another forum on Nov. 12 at which we will present the final draft of the criteria for critique and evaluation by the students.

Perhaps the centerpiece of our strategy is the plan we are developing to establish a system of student representation within each department. These student representatives would be responsible for collecting input from all students taking classes in the department in the event of any allocations request or curricular change. We are currently developing the specific structure of this system and would certainly welcome any input. We will be sending out a survey and holding a forum to assess support among students for this system and to gather input on how to design the structure.

In terms of our responses to the student input at the October forum, we apologize if our answers were interpreted as defensive or as critiques of students' input. Everything suggested by students was duly recorded by the committee members and presented to EPAG. It will be re-addressed before EPAG when the results from the survey are presented in the next two weeks. The responses we gave were designed to inform students of the current committee position and were intended as informative only. We felt that it would help students most if they both felt that their ideas were heard and understood the current position of the committee. By understanding those positions, students would be able to identify those issues on which the committee and students are in consensus and those issues on which pressure needs to be applied. We apologize, again, if the forum did not come off in this manner and assure you that all responses were heard and have had a great impact.

Furthermore, in answering your charges we would offer you the same charge: get involved. Call MCSG (x6485) or email us (mcsg@macalester.edu) with your ideas and concerns. Stop by during office hours (Tuesday, 10:00-3:00). Attend the forums. Help us distribute the surveys. Keep letting us know how you feel about our performance and our responsiveness to you. We are here to serve you and we consider that a great honor and responsibility. Thank you again for your input and we look forward to seeing you at the next forum.

Academic Affairs Commission

Cate McDonough '05

Clark Wohlferd '03

James Hamilton '03

Ninya Loeppky '06

Josh Aaker '05

Erla Petursdottir '03