Scare Tactics Don't Work

As I was leaving the Wilkinson Center, I looked up and almost walked right into a wrecked car sitting out in the middle of Brigham Square. What the heck? It took me a while, but I finally realized why it was there, and I remembered past years when they have done the same thing.

Someone thinks that by displaying a nasty car wreck before a vacation, it will scare us into driving home safely. Frankly, I think scare tactics should be one of the last resorts in motivating students to be careful. I guess we're supposed to say, "Oh man, I don't want to end up like that so I'm going to drive very slowly all the way back to Washington."

If this is viewed as a good technique, it would seem appropriate we do the same by bringing in homeless people on campus and using the campaign "Finish your degree so you don't end up living in the gutter like them." Honestly, I think BYU is above that and shouldn't allow the use of scare tactics on campus. There are much better ways to promote safety. I just hope they don't take the next step and put dressed mannequins in the crashed cars with fake blood just to prove their point.

Jared Geddes

Shorline, Wash.

Glorify God, Not Prophet

The Gordon B. Hinckley Alumni and Visitors Center is proof that BYU has become no better than BYU-Idaho. I was astonished when BYU-I dedicated a building named after our prophet before he has even died. Now don't get me wrong. I love the prophet, but I thought it was utterly detestable for BYU-I to worship him in such manner. I have nothing against creating a building for a prophet after he is gone, but while he is living? We should not glorify our prophet, but rather we should glorify God.

Now BYU has done the same thing and constructed an enormous building for President Hinckley.

The university has done its best to exalt the project and appeal to the emotions of alumni to donate to the Gordon B. Hinckley cause. What does the alumni need such a huge building for? Are we going to put up a monument inside the building for each alumnus who donated to the prophet's building? Why does President Hinckley need a clock tower for heaven's sakes? I just can't believe it. Our poor science professors in the Widstoe Building, who are the ones who are truly sustaining this university, can barely fit a desk in their offices and have to deal with second-rate laboratories. Let us put the tithing money of the church to better use and build or replace buildings that will actually benefit the university.

Wes Beckstead

Preston, Idaho

Save Money on Demolition

I would think that all critics of professor Steven Jones, who will retire early when the semester is complete, might see the hiring of demolition experts a gross over expenditure on the part of the university. Now is the time for you critics to rally for a fiscally solid and more simplistic means of demolishing the two Deseret Towers. According to those criticizing Jones, scattered random fires should drop those buildings perfectly into their footprint in near free fall speed, picture perfect demolition as occurred at 5:21 p.m. of Sept. 11, 2001 to World Trade Center 7, a 47-story skyscraper that was not hit by a plane.

Let's see you harsh critics of the good physics professor rally now to save money by leaving the demolition experts at home. All that is necessary would be to bring in the fire department, set some random fires, then watch and wait - the building surely will fall into it's own footprint in picture perfect demolition, with a "kink" in the middle just before failure of the central column supports. Amazing fire can do this without demolition involvement. If the laws of physics can be suspended in New York, then why not in Provo?

Shaun Knapp

Provo

Christian or Not?

I grew up considering myself both a Christian and a Latter-day Saint. I heard of people claiming we aren't Christians, but I still felt comfortable in identifying with both titles. I never felt any wrong in doing this until I arrived at BYU and now suddenly, I'm wondering if I really am a "Christian" and I've been left confused. A year ago my old BYU Bishop compared some of our beliefs with those of "Christians." Just last week, my New Testament professor said that "Christians" believe the sacrament is the literal body and blood of Christ. Another professor mentioned how "Christians" believe that Christ was born on Dec. 24, but as Latter-day Saints we know otherwise. I've heard lots of my peers talk about our Christian friends and how they are so different as well. This has all led me to believe that as a Latter-day Saint, I am not Christian. That's good to know; now I won't knock up any fuss the next time a "Christian" tells me I'm not one of them. Thanks, BYU, for ending my confusion.

Alan Peters

Oak Lawn, Ill.

'Let Them Have Dominion'

My friend Steve was reading the readers' forum from Dec 8 when he read aloud "Defiled Mountain," which said the Y should be removed off the mountain because "The Y on the mountainside is graffiti on God's creation". Are you kidding me? Not only has the Y been one of the school's icons for as long as I can remember, but it is almost saying that we should also remove visitor's centers from all nature parks throughout the world because it takes away from the beauty of nature. Also, perhaps it is important to remember these scriptures while we are in this earthly life. In Genesis 1:26, "God said... let them have dominion... over all the earth." Also, in D&C 59:18, it states, "all things which come of the earth...are made for the benefit and use of man, both to please the eye and to gladden the heart." If seeing the Y as a student for the first time doesn't "gladden the heart," perhaps you are on the wrong campus for your education.

David Bywater

Singapore

Voice Fallen on Deaf Ears

I am a junior writing on behalf of non-LDS students and recent converts here at BYU. Last year, the religion department cancelled the Book of Mormon section for non-members. From the perspective of a non-member, this was an abrupt decision and came about without a seemingly legitimate reason. I feel that we are at a great disadvantage as we are graded on the same scale as our fellow LDS classmates. Oftentimes, I feel at a total lost during class and struggle to keep up with the workload and tests.

There have been petitions written to the religion department to add the non-LDS section back but to no apparent avail. I feel that for such a big department, this issue might not seem eminent enough to be taken seriously. Non-members only make up 2 percent of the student body population and as a minority, I feel that our voice has fallen on deaf ears.

I would like to propose a couple of solutions to this problem. Religion department representatives should open up a Q&A session for non-members to answer and explain their decision. Professors should make separate, reasonable tests available to non-LDS students and thirdly, there should be TAs specifically for non-LDS students.

This is my desperate plea and I hope that BYU will re-evaluate their decision and bring back the Book of Mormon non-LDS section.

U-Nice Chan

Singapore

A World Without Germs

Germs probably aren't the first thought to pop into your mind as you push your shopping cart around the grocery store, but maybe it should be.

Some of the most common infectious diseases could easily be avoided by simple knowing where germs lurk and how they spread. I believe that educating society on how easily they acquire germs each day would create increased awareness and help to prevent the spread of bacteria. Germs are frequently harbored on phone receivers, desktops, elevator buttons and toilet seats. All are common places for hands to be continually touching. Since only about 67 percent of adults wash their hands after using the restroom, common surfaces contain a plethora of germs and disease. The department of health estimates proper hand hygiene could eliminate almost half of the incidents of food borne illness and drastically decrease the spread of the flu and the common cold. Wouldn't we all like to eliminate the common cold? The first step may very well be hand hygiene.

Every time you make the decision to not wash your hands after using the restroom or after using public transportation, you infect everything you touch. The next person to use the phone receiver may be an innocent victim if they catch the cold that was lying in wait. However, the simple act of washing your hands always doesn't cut it. To properly eliminate germs, 15 to 20 seconds of vigorous scrubbing is required.

If everyone would take the simple precautions to prevent the spread of germs then our world would become a much cleaner place. The chance of catching an infectious disease would be significantly reduced by proper sanitation.

Jenna Gardner

Newhall, Calif.

Copyright Brigham Young University 12 Dec 2006