Athlete Disappointed by Guardian Coverage
Dear Editor:
As I felt that your Feb. 1 editorial, “”Elections Body Shows Mettle with Decision,”” was even more blatantly biased than usual, I thought I would try to provide some clarification on your generalizing statements toward both the election and UCSD athletes.
The violation you wrote about did not concern “”polling places,”” as you wrote, but rather the single official polling station. You also neglected to mention that, at the time of the infraction, the polling station was empty of any A.S. councilmember to monitor the station, any computers to vote on or any voters. It was simply a canopy and tables.
One could debate whether it even constituted a polling station, since there were no means by which one could actually vote. In addition, the polling station had no notices attached to it that denoted it as an official polling station, nor did the A.S. Council mark off the 50-foot campaigning area, as they said they would at the start of the elections period.
In regards to the athletes not leaving when instructed to by the elections manager, I ask you: What percentage of this campus knows who or what the elections manager is? I would guess an extremely low percent.
Perhaps, rather than directly disobeying the elections manager as your article implied, the athletes left when instructed to by a member of the athletics department because only then had their violation been explained to them in full. However, it seems you must have some evidence unbeknownst to me if you were so quick to label their action as a break from “”what should be inherent decency.”” Although, I didn’t know that passing out flyers adjacent to a non-active polling station was such an outrageous transgression.
As long as you are attacking athletes and preaching on decency, why not commend those athletes who you conveniently ignored in your article, who have manned unofficial polling stations on campus throughout the week without incident?
Those athletes epitomized the “”respectful, sportsmanlike conduct”” you say you expect of a campaign.
They have patiently sat through rude episodes from both those opposing athletics and those opposing the referendum proposal, all the while still offering their computers to vote on. However, it seems you were so intent on finding a reason to criticize athletes you overlooked them and jumped at the first opportunity to tear them down.
I’m disappointed that you would form your opinion from such incomplete and biased information. Hopefully next time you will open your eyes to the reality of the situation.
-Daniel Noel
Chair, Triton Athletes Council
Track and Field Team Captain
La Jolla Responsible for Protecting Seals
Dear Editor,
I want to express my concern about the Jan. 22 “”Site Seen: Children’s Pool”” Focus article. La Jolla Cove is the only mainland rookery in Southern California, meaning it is one of the few places for mother seals to give birth and nurse their pups. Additionally, La Jolla Cove is the only place in the entire world where one can get so close to the pups in the wild.
Because seals are very sensitive to human interaction, stress has major impacts on their health. When people trying to claim the area for the children harass them, it leads to miscarriages, premature births and sometimes abandonment of the pups. In light of this, and the fact that it violates city, state and national law to harass the seals, I feel it is imperative to protect what of the vanishing natural resources we have left. The seals are not only a major tourist attraction that brings revenue to San Diego, but are also some of the city’s greatest gems.
Thus, these amazing creatures need the support of both community members and city council in instating the rope around the seal area year-round.
-Shanna Loveman
UCSD Freshman
