I read a very disturbing political column about Iran’s nuclear program in The Maine Campus on Nov. 10.

As the article was written by a fourth-year political science student, I had hoped to read an objective piece about how a path to diplomacy is still possible even though Iran is gaining nuclear capabilities. However, this was not the case and I found myself reading a vile report based in prejudice.

Ryan Campbell said, “Obviously, preventative measures must be taken to halt this hidden nuclear arms race.”

Campbell has wrongfully placed Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad as someone who can decide whether Israel should be wiped off the map.

“Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinijad — a well-known critic of Israel and the United States — has called for the destruction of Israel in the past and on Tuesday stated, “If America wants to confront the Iranian nation, it will certainly regret the Iranian nation’s response,” Campbell wrote.

Ahmedinejad, while holding office, is not the most powerful man in Iran. In terms of “pecking order,” he is the 14th-most powerful person in Iran. Yes, he does have power, but he does not have absolute say over what goes on in the country.

The supreme leader of Iran is Ali Khamenei, if anyone, and he is the true threat. Also, Iran has signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The nations not within the treaty are India, Pakistan, North Korea and Israel.

To wrap up his article — after saying definitively that Israel should take military action, as it is the only path left — Campbell went on to say, “This is not to say that Israel should conduct a total war and ignite WWIII — rather, Israel needs to remind Iran who the regional power is and that its hostile words will not go unnoticed.”

So after saying “the time to act, if at all, would be now” and that “Israel has to intervene — not because it is the best solution but because it’s the only remaining reason,” Campbell insists we should not ignite WWIII, but I would say that is the precise thing he is advocating for.

There is no getting around it. Aggression, increased political hostility and people holding such opinions against Iran will cause World War III. Demonstrating more military aggression will just incite more violence from the Iranians.

It disturbs me that a fourth-year political science student holds the views that such military aggression would be tolerated from Israel or the United States and [would endorse risking] countless lives in a war based on mutually assured destruction.

Lorik Morgan
Responding to “Political columnist: Nuclear threat from Iran bodes badly for region,” Nov. 10, 2011

As a University of Maine alumnus, former writer and subject of various articles in The Maine Campus on metal and hardcore, I have been following the paper’s Hardcore Roar column with increasing frustration.

I feel it fundamentally misrepresents the community it supposedly speaks or roars for and serves to misinform a possible audience of a genre of music that has been mangled by the press for 30 years.

Out of 10 articles, only one has even a tenuous connection to hardcore music, and the piece in question only serves to further misinform readers by making numerous incorrect claims — most which a cursory attempt at fact-checking would have discovered.

The main assertion of the article — that hardcore is a derivation of emo — is false by definition. The term “emo” is derived from the term “emotional hardcore,” much in the same way that “punk rock” is derived from the term “rock ‘n’ roll.”

More important than misstating a genre’s history is that the articles, taken together, create an impression that hardcore is another term for radio-friendly rock music.

Linkin Park, who aren’t hardcore band by any stretch of the imagination, is cited multiple times, and yet genre founders Black Flag and Minor Threat have yet to show up.

Even watered-down, popular manifestations of the genre, such as Hatebreed, have not made an appearance, and it goes without saying that no mention of the current underground, local or otherwise, occurs. Relevant derivations, like power-violence and grindcore, are completely ignored.

If the author wants to write about popular music, I strongly suggest he change the name of his column. For those who are familiar with the genre, it is simply annoying. My concern is that those who aren’t familiar are being told, on a weekly basis, that hardcore is the same mainstream rock music many are looking to get away from.

Ryan Page, Alumnus

Had the E2Tech event offered panelists with opposing views in addition to pro-wind supporters, the listeners at the event would have had a more complete picture of the wind incursion coming to Maine.

Maybe an event with anti-wind realists on the panel should be offered to allow the other side to be heard —there are PhDs on both sides of the aisle, you know.
Colgan asserts Maine should wean off foreign oil, but coal-burning stoves seem to be making a big comeback in the marketplace, which must be problematic. I question whether wind power has had any impact anywhere except for in theory.

Denmark has 6,000 turbines and still had to build new natural gas plants. No fossil-fueled plants have been shut down in the country and when Denmark sells wind power to Sweden and Norway, hydro is reduced to make room on their grid for no-net C02 reduction.

The CO2 problem and climate change — the original reasons for the existence of wind power — have been largely ignored in Maine because the selling point is now jobs. The construction jobs should be fixing roads and bridges before they collapse, not building super-sized dirt roads across miles of our scenic mountains, oversized transportation lines and industial skyscrapers with red blinking lights wasting power. How many homes could be lit with the wasted energy every night?

Professor Hunt claims that subsidies are needed for newer industries, but the subsidies are still there for all energy producers, even mature industries. That scheme needs to be evaluated. Once the greedy paws have entered the taxpayer subsidy cookie jar, they are hard to remove.

When Mainers cannot afford electricity, many may get off the grid instead of paying for expensive wind-generated power. Europe’s electricity rates are still high with thousands of wind turbines, and economies of scale still kicked in — many believe it never will.

The hidden costs of fossil fuels are real but the wind turbines have their own hidden costs, which are deliberately being ignored. The rare earth sites in China are an environmental disaster.
The huge earth moving machines use a lot of diesel fuel and run 24/7. A Cat D10 uses 43 gallons per hour, and these Terex machines use much more. The Baiyun Obo Acid Lake is 7 miles wide and growing. Radioactive tailings are piling up. China is importing coal from the U.S. in greater numbers.

Dr. High claims wind is the best environmental, economic and moral choice we can make. When I see pictures of the road building, blasting, erosion and scenic vistas spoiled with industrial skyscrapers, I must respectfully disagree. Add to that the CO2 from mining, processing, building, shipping, transportation, maintenance, repairs, replacements.

If the carbon problem began with the industrial revolution, how does expanding that solve the problem?

Please consider a C02 evaluation of wind turbines from the specks of neodymium to the finished product standing idle on a mountaintop producing nothing. It would be helpful to separate the facts from the hype.

Mike DiCenso
Lincoln

UMS forum needed to knead out false assumptions

Last Thursday’s issue of The Maine Campus (Oct. 21) made interesting reading.

On the one hand, Governor LePage praised education as an engine of economic growth.  On the other, the governor’s friends at the Maine Heritage Policy Center complained that total compensation — wages plus health insurance — for University of Maine System employees went up 29 percent from 2003 to 2010.

The MHPC report noted that during the same period tuition had risen by 35 percent.  The implication seemed to be that hard-earned student dollars are funding the lavish lifestyles of University of Maine System workers.

Unfortunately, MHPC analysts omitted other relevant statistics.  During the past decade, the overall cost of living has gone up some 28 percent — almost matching the increase in total payroll. The average cost of health care nearly doubled. The share of the System budget funded by state appropriation decreased from nearly half to just over a quarter.

Over this same decade, UMS added the equivalent of over 1,000 full-time students. Since 2007 it has cut the equivalent of nearly 400 full-time positions.

Governor LePage and his political allies seem to understand that investing in education is necessary for economic growth, but actually funding these investments seems to be a stumbling block.

We can’t make the University of Maine System cheaper to operate by reducing non-instructional staff  — as the governor suggested in a September letter to the Board of Trustees — unless we decide to stop doing all the things non-instructional staff do, like admitting and registering students, paying bills, monitoring scientific experiments, staffing libraries, maintaining computer networks.

Effective higher education is labor-intensive. The labor involved, at all levels, is mostly skilled, though the skills involved are various. Skilled labor costs money and cheaper is not necessarily better.

Let’s stop making specious complaints and instead have an honest conversation about how best to fund necessary educational services.

Lisa Feldman
Secretary, ACSUM
ACSUM is the union representing all Clerical, Office, Laboratory & Technical workers in the University of Maine System

I read an opinion column in The Maine Campus on Oct. 24 (“Out, Out: Marriage inequality abounds, astounds”) that I found quite moving.

As with all literature that leaves an impact on the reader, it wasn’t the impressive vocabulary and writing style but the content that struck me. In it, Erin McCann relayed her experience volunteering for Equality Maine.

What did I find so striking about her column?

I was surprised to read Bible exegesis in an opinion piece. The author claims to have read “reams of the Good Book.” I do not question whether this is true, but I was saddened to read her claim: “If we followed even a minutia of Biblical tutelage, racial oppression would reign, women would be submissive minions, children would be sold into slavery, we’d all be stoning each other to death — and monogamy? That’s so Adam and Eve.”

Erin is right, of course.

If all of Christendom were to follow “a minutia of biblical tutelage,” taken out of context solely to support its own secular agenda, then the world would be a terrible place. I thank God this is not the case.

I realize we in America have the freedom of speech, but how can someone stand next to this claim in the name of tolerance?

Erin seems angry with Christianity. As a practicing Catholic, I promise you the Church does not hate the GLBT community. The Church does not teach this, and never has.

Whether it was the intent of the article or not, it saddened me to read words that seemed to be written in an attempt to tear down my religion, my faith — a thing I hold dear to my heart — under the name of tolerance and equality.

Matthew Howard

Fourth-year chemical engineering student

Don’t miss out on economist future

Students, if you are interested in obtaining a career-path job upon graduation, I suggest you consider the following question as you sign up for spring courses: “How will I be immediately valuable to firms or agencies upon graduation?”

I sense that many in this country feel everyone who graduates from college should find a career-path entry job upon graduation. Some countries actually limit the number of students who can select majors in certain areas in order to prevent an oversupply — with consequent lack of employment or low wages.

In this country, we do not limit entry into particular college majors and as a result we find oversupplies of new job entrants in certain areas. A current example in the news recently is the national oversupply of new lawyers. Several universities are being sued for misrepresenting job prospects.

Since this country does not restrict the number of students allowed in each major, students should spend time thinking about how to match their career goals with their education and training.

If you are graduating in a field you think will be crowded, advance your knowledge, skill and experience package as much as possible.

Some things you can do include learning how to construct spreadsheets and other technical skills; learning a second language; spending a semester abroad; having a summer internship in your field; joining teams and clubs to get interpersonal communication practice; and taking courses that will aid you in getting a job — e.g. economics, accounting, Web design and so on.

Also, many students with advanced planning can add academic minors and second majors without adding additional semesters onto their program.

So, don’t be in for a surprise when you graduate. Find out if you are in a relatively crowded field and take measures to make yourself valuable to firms or agencies. Of course you could consider adding economics courses, an economics minor or an economics second major to make yourself a more valuable new hire — the supply of economists has not exceeded the demand!

George Criner

School of Economics

A little chemistry goes a long way

As a semi-retired chemist and Orono resident, I particularly enjoyed the column “Science of learning, passion takes more than chemistry”  by Erin McCann, published in The Maine Campus on Oct. 17.

I agree that learning more about how the universe works actually increases one’s sense of wonder and beauty. I helped create the “nerd” concept more than 50 years ago and successfully pursued a career in chemistry in spite of — rather than because of — my high school chemistry teacher.

Along the way, I had both good and bad teachers and professors, but the methods of the good outweighed the bad. I, too, strongly encourage every student, regardless of major or career path, to experience as many science classes as they can manage.

Not only will you be a more informed citizen, but you’ll be more appreciative of the wonderful universe we live in.

Bob Buntrock

Chair, Maine Section of the American Chemical Society

Fearless football takes it all

Maine football needs a new nickname this year: Fearless.

Richard Mackin, Jr.

Former Student

In it, it was stated that “The IFC doesn’t want Alpha Delta to join its ranks simply because doing so demands of the other fraternities a more prominent level of service. And why waste time delivering for the community when there could be a keg in transit?”

While Alpha Delta was indeed denied from the IFC, that does not mean those who voted against us are lazy, or don’t do service. The fact that references to drinking were used as “evidence” of a supposed lack of philanthropic work is nothing short of offensive.

Greek Life on this campus does a massive amount of philanthropic work and to state otherwise is not only false, but ignorant.

Countless hours of service as well as thousands of dollars of donations to charitable causes come from Greek organizations every year — in fact, some Greek organizations have partnered with Alpha Delta on these philanthropic events.

The opinions expressed in that editorial are not shared by Alpha Delta, or any of the brothers and I am sorry that these comments were attached to a document that supported us. While we were disappointed that we were not accepted into the IFC, we will continue to do service on this campus as a social fraternity under Student Affairs, and hope to join the Greek community in the future.

Chris Knoblock
President, Sigma Xi chapter of Alpha Delta
Responding to “IFC denial boosts fraternity lethargy instead of service,” Oct. 17, 2011

Several articles and op-eds have been written regarding the unfairness of meal plans. As far as I know, one unfair aspect has been overlooked until now. The Hungry Bear plan, the Gold Bear plan, and the Silver Bear plan all give you less for your money than the Black Bear plan.

If you start with the Black Bear plan and convert meals for $6.25 until you have the same amount of meals as the Gold Bear plan, you will pay the same amount, but have $237.50 more in dining funds. If you convert enough meals to have the same amount as the Silver Bear plan, you pay $50 more, but in return, get only $212.50 in dining funds. If you start with the Hungry Bear plan and convert enough meals to have the same as the Black Bear plan, you have an extra $543.75 compared to the $615 more you’re playing for the plan. It would be better to start with

the Black Bear plan and add cash to it.

The Black Bear plan is clearly a better deal than any other meal plan, even the one that costs the same. I believe this demonstrates the lack of careful consideration that the Dining Services has put into meal plans.

This lack of careful thinking is also shown in the things others have pointed out in previous articles, such as only allowing some students to not have a meal plan or have an all dining funds meal deal.
Nathan Eldridge
Computer Science Student

Peace Corps article inspires and reiterates positive ideals

As a former Peace Corps volunteer in Costa Rica and the current director of the New England Regional Peace Corps Recruitment Office, I was pleased to read Jennifer Vincent’s excellent article on UMaine students applying for Peace Corps (“UMaine students become global citizens, Peace Corps volunteers,” Sept. 20).  As Kathryn Card and Cody Snow will discover, Peace Corps volunteers gain both practical, tangible benefits and life-defining leadership experiences from their service.  My Peace Corps service changed my life.

Erin Mone-Marquez

New England Regional Peace Corps Recruitment Office

I have been associated with the University of Maine since my graduation in 1985. Wherever I travel and talk to people about UMaine, the “stoner” reputation is something I never hear. The author does a huge discredit by creating a myth about drug use as a sterotype.

Back in the ’80s when we had Bumstock, you could have talked quite a bit about marijuana, but no one would have called us a stoner university. Let’s get some factual reporting back in The Maine Campus and get some pride back in being part of the UMaine community. Quit searching for made-up stories.

You changed the names, and there is no way to verify the basis of any statement. Did anyone other than the reporter check these statements? I think this is a bunch of crap.

— Harry ’85

RE: Doctor explain’s student’s behavior, mindset

Wow, this article makes me sick. What happened is not hazing, but clearly a ritual to join the fraternity. If you don’t do it, you can’t be a brother because of the meaning of the act.

The possiblity of hazing in this instance is zero. The kid is an idiot and got lost. They take away the cell phone because you are supposed to be focusing on what you are doing. They didn’t have to worry about things like this 20 years ago when there were no cell phones.

— Frat Daddy

RE: Clinton and Obama bash Bush, feel threatened by tea partygoers

Tea parties are so unlike what the liberal media portray. Yes, the crowds are angry and want to take back the country, but it’s not the kind of anger one needs to be fearful of.

I encouraged my friend to bring his children with him to the National Tea Party in Berea, Ohio, last Sunday so they could witness history, but his wife was concerned for their kids’ safety. For the same reason, I couldn’t even begin to sway a few other friends.

They think tea parties are attended by nothing but dangerous right wing wackos. They base their opinions on listening to the media or seeing photographs of signs rather than attending one of these meetings themselves. If they would go to one, they could find out how safe, patriotic and friendly the attendees are.

These same people vote without taking the time to see the other side, so how can they make an informed decision?

— Carey Masci

Laila Sholtz-Ames, the author of “Obama’s nuclear stance is on-target for world peace,” (April 12) expresses her agreement with Obama’s recent decision to abide by the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty, an agreement that prohibits the use of nuclear weapons against non-nuclear countries.

Obama signed an additional agreement with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, agreeing to reduce their countries’ nuclear weapons by 30 percent in the next seven years. Sholtz-Ames said this is a “dramatic step — securing peace between two former Cold War enemies now working together to create a world with fewer nuclear weapons.”

I disagree. I believe Sholtz-Ames’ arguments about how people disagree with Obama’s policy because it “shows a sign of weakness” are entirely invalid. Do you think the majority of American veterans, who fought hard and gave their lives for us to have our freedom, would support Obama’s decision?

No. They would say it is a sign of weakness, and once you show weakness, your counterparts begin to believe they have a chance to win the battle. It is the same in all aspects of life.

If you show the most weakness, you become the prey and your enemies the hunter. In a world that recently has been put into frenzy by rogue leaders who boast about nuclear weapon advancement in their countries, is it really the best time to cut back on the American stockpile of weapons?

It sounds like an invitation for those with the wrong purposes to begin to use nuclear weapons to their advantage.

With terrorist groups knowing nuclear weapons could possibly be available from these countries, it should only increase the awareness of the people of the United States. If we decrease our supply of nuclear weapons, we will become the prey and lose the advantage of the intimidation we acquired after World War II.

Before the war, we were the prey and were attacked on our soil. We were not the dominant military power we are today. History will only repeat itself, unless America remains at the forefront of military strength, technology and power.

In recent years, the United States has tried to change its foreign policy to be more appealing to other countries, but if you are the “top dog,” the others will come after you and try to take your position.

Why willingly give up an advantage for the sake of looking appealing to others, who may later try to take your spot? I am sure there are veterans rolling over in their graves at the sight of the people in charge of our country destroying our chances of what they once fought so hard for: freedom.

Sierra Leifson

Student

Reader opens up a can on ‘Kick-Ass’ film review

Please make sure the articles you publish have decent proofreading. Kyle Kernan’s article (“Film review: ‘Kick-Ass,’” April 19) is all but unreadable because of simple verb misuse, word order issues and poor word choice.

I found this article to be highly offensive. I have never seen the movie, but probably will now simply because I have no respect for Mr. Kernan’s opinion, and we’re going to talk about it.

Don’t like my patronizing tone? I’m not shocked. I used the pronoun “we” there to deliberately evoke a feeling of collective agreement. The only problem with this strategy is this: It is an opinion. Readers do not necessarily agree with the author’s views.

So please do not open an opinion piece directed at people who haven’t seen a movie, as most reviews are, by including your audience in the broad, insulting statements of your own opinions, Mr. Kernan.

My next point is the lack of coherency of the overall piece. Mr. Kernan jumps around from describing characters, to his opinion, to the plot, to more opinion, back to the plot and then some more characters.

The piece would have been far easier to follow had it flowed better — perhaps characters, plot, and finally, your opinion. I would likely not have felt so offended by its inclusion in my university newspaper had it borne some semblance of an editor’s touch.

Heck, I’d have been happy had Mr. Kernan convinced me he’d reread it after he’d finished writing it.

Unfortunately, his poor choices of verbs and overuse of the stem “glory” prove this to be a vain wish on my part. In particular, Mr. Kernan’s misuse of the word “irony” irks me to my deepest core — and not in a pleasant, CNN way either. I expect the people on that network to be stupid and egregious.

Mr. Kernan never defined the irony, simply stated that it existed, which shows that he, like many before him, has no clear idea of what irony is.

Caitlin Newcomb

Student

Sex is not only perfectly healthy, gratifying and necessary, it’s also a human instinct. Will not eating, drinking and sleeping also help you “generate a quick wit, an aura of generosity and goodness, remarkable physical stature, superior judgment and unsurpassed intuition”?

Clearly not. It is this kind of thinking that prevents the world from overcoming its fear of sexuality and as Mr. Gibson has proven once again, religion is to blame. If people truly want to reach “enlightenment,” it can be achieved as easily as having an open mind.

Though Mr. Gibson preaches “only an open mind is big enough to hold the secrets of the universe,” he has clearly closed off his mind to the premise of sex as a positive activity and natural human characteristic.

— Zach

RE: Sex and wine combine in Orono for college television stardom

Wow.

This is really cool. It is great that some students are taking a stab at being a more modern Dr. Ruth. Do they have any credentials to back up their conversation, not counting whatever firsthand experience they bring with them?

Is it really about wine? I got the feeling the wine was only for consumption, not for discussion.

Either way, bravo to you who are trying something new.

— Jun

RE: Punishment for hit-and-run cases should be harsher

I agree with you. I can’t believe that the prior two instances [of those charged in hit-and-run cases] only served what they did. If you drive away, you show no remorse. That alone should be jail time.

I can’t believe this has happened, and now his attorney is saying they have the wrong man? I just don’t think the attorney is correct.

— New Hampshire

LOL. “The Double Down is not recommended for routine consumption …”

Thank you for risking your life in order to get firsthand experience with this subject. I recommend you don’t do any more fast food reporting for awhile.

— Jun

RE: APPWG issues final recommendations

I wouldn’t be surprised if it was the administration’s plan all along to withdraw the otherwise mentally handicapped recommendation to eliminate French and Spanish.

They really just wanted German and Latin done away with as they tried to do a decade ago. It’s a diabolical tactic to threaten to destroy everything, then when the victims cry out, make a preplanned concession in order to appear as reasonable people.

I cannot substantiate this claim, but it would give more credit to the administration if they weren’t so shortsighted and imbecile as to seriously consider eradicating French and Spanish.

That aside, I applaud the choice to suspend, rather than eliminate, the liberal arts majors. It’s still awful news, but now it’s not as apocalyptic.

— J. Swist

RE: Arrest made in student’s hit-and-run death

I feel bad for everyone involved. A lot of lives were ruined by this needless tragedy. It is awful, this loss of Jordyn, for her family, friends and the people whose lives she would have touched.

It is also awful for Garrett and his family that he is throwing away his life. I hope everyone is paying attention here.

If the same thing had happened without him drinking, and he had stopped and tried to help, he would not be looking at jail time. We all need to decide drinking and driving is a bet we cannot afford to make. Protect yourself and the people around you. Don’t drink and drive. Ever. All it takes is once.

Let us each honor Jordyn’s memory with a commitment to never let this happen by our hand. And take the keys from our friends.

— UMaine Dad

RE: Missing UMaine student found

You’ll never find those artifacts no matter how hard you try. People have been looking for them for years. They are buried out there and are extremely valuable.

The school has been trying to get their hands on these for years with no success. Someday, someone will find them, and be very rich.

— CK