Letters to the editor

Increase in student expenses is justified

Dear editor,

There recently have been several articles published about the increase in the cost of room and board/parking passes for the 2007-2008 academic year. Like my fellow students, I’m usually one of the first to just sigh and shake my head at this information. It’s expected at this point, but it’s ridiculous none the less. The cost of higher education is getting crazier all the time. I’m also often quick to judge statements made by President Lefton as not coming from someone that really understands the student body. My reaction was different this time.

President Lefton’s explanation for the need of increasing costs should be well received by anyone who takes the time to consider it rationally. As a student who lives in an apartment off campus, I understand only too well the increasing cost of utilities. As an individual who is very aware of how fortunate I am to have another three years before I age out of my father’s insurance plan through his employer, I understand how expensive those benefits can be to provide and how important they are.

Kent State needs to pay for the upkeep of its facilities and services it provides just like any other business that hopes to be competitive in attracting future interest. I find that to be acceptable reasoning for increasing costs as students will benefit directly. Students will also benefit from the continued and possible improvement of benefits for faculty and staff. Personally, I’d pay $200+ for a parking pass if the university would offer its employees domestic partner benefits. Happy, healthy faculty and staff make for better student experiences. We’re all in this together and it’s time we realized that.

What makes this rise in cost different from others is that we were told why. It has been explained and it’s rational. I hope this is a trend that continues in the future. Students understand more about the administrative side than is often assumed, and when the reasoning is laid out in front of us as it has been in this case, we can be accepting of our duties as continued participants in the world of higher education.

Meggan Walls

senior sociology major


Putting everything into perspective

Dear editor,

The sun and solar system formed because a supernova shockwave energized an intergalactic cloud made of the ashes from previous exploded stars, about 4.5 billion years ago.

Every living thing on Earth is descended from one organism with DNA, but it is possible that DNA predates life on Earth.

Your body is made of proteins synthesized during the self-replication of DNA, and it is a unique arrangement of atoms that have existed at least as long as the sun, maybe longer.

Our atoms are infinitely older than our memories; and our memories are older than our brain cells, because our bodies are constantly regenerating.

One day we will all die, but if we are lucky we may live on in the minds of others, or in their language, or in their histories. Or, if human beings invent the technology, eventually our own minds may be able to outlive our mortal flesh.

Have a nice summer!

Edward Bowen

instructor, Department of Mathematics