Students should visit SHS for health advice
Re: “No Womb for disease” March 24

I understand that Bridgette Martin thinks she’s doing students a service by writing on STI’s-sexually transmitted infections (the term STD is outdated and rarely used because of the stigma attached to the word disease), but the information serves no purpose if it is incorrect or poorly worded. I would encourage Martin to do further research and speak to staff members in Student Health Services and the SHS Health Education Department if she wants information on women’s health. There are physicians and nurses who are trained to deal with women’s’ issues and who see female patients concerning STI’s and possible pregnancy.

Bacterial Vaginosis is not currently classified as an STI because many medical professionals are still unsure if women become infected with the bacteria solely through sexual contact. The bacteria that causes BV is a part of the normal flora of the vagina. When the conditions of the vagina change it can allow for the growth of the bacteria.

Once this happens, a woman may start to complain about a noticeable discharge with a foul smell. When a woman has BV, her chances of contracting an STI increase. This is why women are encouraged to take a full course of antibiotics in addition to their partner to prevent possible re-infection.

The more sexual partners a woman has will also increase her chance at developing BV.

In any case, I don’t understand why someone with no professional training in medical or health science would be providing students with information they claim to be correct. Correct me if I am wrong, but students need to be informed and armed with the correct information to protect them.

I would encourage all the students at the university to visit Student Health Services and the Health Ed Department (We provide information on STI’s and offer confidential HIV testing) if they have any questions.

Tara Gunter is a senior majoring in microbiology and Africana studies and is a REACH Peer Educator.

Palestinian sheik was a terrorist not a saint
Re: “U.S. should condemn sheik’s assassination” March 24

First off, I would like to let everyone know that Sheik Ahmed Yassin was no saint, rather, that he was the founder of Hamas — a militant terrorist group that uses suicide bombs and even goes to the point of putting nails and other small debris in the bombs to kill as many innocent people as possible when the bomb explodes.

Hamas is on the U.S. list of state terrorists. Sheik Ahmed was also convicted in an Israeli court of kidnapping two soldiers and murdering one as well as conspiring to use suicide bombers in Israel. I’m not saying that assassinating this man was the right thing to do for the peace movement, but the way Yahia Megahed portrays him as a “70 year-old, wheel chair bound … ” makes him look much more innocent than he was.

He denied that Hamas ever used suicide bombers but said they were protecting themselves. Here’s a quote from this so-called “spiritual leader”: “From the first drop of blood (the bomber) spills on the ground, he goes to Paradise. The Jewish victims immediately go to Hell.”

Even if Palestinians were given a state comparable in size with that of Israel, extremists like Yassin would want all of Israel off the map, and death to all Jews.

I, as an American, am not going to support the U.S. withdrawing funding to Israel as Megahed calls for because none of us want to see another attempt at a mass genocide of the Jews. However, I do agree that Israel’s current leader, Ariel Sharon, should be put on trial for slaughtering Palestinian women and children in villages in Lebanon. He is not a good leader for Israel and does not represent the majority of the population who want peace.

The real problem between the two is that both of their leaders are too right-wing in comparison to the general population. Israelis and Palestinians need moderate leaders in order for a future of peace to be assured. The Palestinian people should also be able to choose their leaders through an election.

Is an old, feeble man who calls for the youth to blow themselves up so that the Jewish victims can go immediately to hell, the type of spiritual leader Palestinians need?

Brian McNamara is a graduate student majoring in political science.

Stern has no basis for comparison to Oprah
Re: “Comparison of Oprah and Stern spells lack of standards” March 22

I could not help but laugh after reading this editorial. How Howard Stern could even begin to compare his trashy show to Oprah Winfrey’s is beyond me. It would have been less mind-blowing if he had used Jerry Springer’s show as an example.

There is quite a difference between the focus of his show and the focus of Oprah’s. On many of his shows, the theme seems to be, “Let’s get some random girl in here and see how much we can criticize her body.”

Oprah, on the other hand, seeks to open people’s eyes to everyday life. The Federal Communications Commission has made it clear enough about what is “offensive” or “artistic.”

Howard Stern needs to ‘fess up to the fact that his program has nothing more to offer than a pornographic Web site does. Actually, he has less.

Marinella Mozzicato is a freshman majoring in medical technology.

Bull Runner lacks the people to run it

How many of you have gone to the bus stop, waited for the Bull Runner or Bull Runner Extended for twenty or thirty minutes only to find out that the bus just passed you by because they were full?

It really aggravates me that we spend thousands of dollars to come here, only to show up to class a half hour late. Some of my classes require that you come in on time, or they consider you absent if you’re more than 10 minutes late.

I would walk across campus, but I sprained both of my ankles. I know this school has the buses; they just need to stop being stingy and hire more drivers.

Many times I have waited for the B or C bus only to have it pass me by numerous times because of overcrowding. I feel as though this school does not do enough for its students.

Lisa Trupiano is a freshman majoring in elementary education.