Candidates clear up misunderstanding

Contrary to recent publishing, it should be understood that we are very pro-Marshall Center enhancement. This is currently one of our most valuable assets and would not only draw in prospective students, but take another step in serving our students and community.

Yes, fees are necessary. However, we do not advocate charging the flat fee in addition to the per-credit-hour fee. We support one or the other because we feel that having two fees would be a burden on the students. With many other fee increases taking place next year, the financial responsibility would be overwhelming.

Another issue that we want to clarify is that we wholly support Bright Futures. This should not be mistaken. The existence of this scholarship program allows students to go to school, and for some is their sole, significant resource. With recent cut downs due to Florida Legislation, numerous students will not be receiving this scholarship over the next academic year. We do not in any way go against need-based scholarships. We simply want to promote the support of Bright Futures and merit-based scholarships while upholding and maintaining other essential funding.

For more accurate information on our platform and our issues, visit our Web site at .

Bijal Chhadva and Candice Wild are student bodypresidential candidatesfor 2003 -2004.

Troops enjoyedpresident’s speech

When I read the article written by Sebastian Meyer regarding the rally at MacDill Air Force Base, I was appalled. I am on active duty in the Air Force, and I am not pro- or antiwar, just pro-American and pro-support for the troops. It must be nice to just write for a school paper and criticize my president. You don’t even serve your country and probably base all of your beliefs on what your tree-hugging friends or CNN tell you. Or maybe it’s just trendy to be anti-war and not think for yourself.

Obviously, you didn’t do your homework either. The president visited MacDill because it is a base with all branches of the armed forces involved: Navy, Marines, Army and Air Force. There are foreign militaries stationed at MacDill, as well.

And to clear something else up: First of all, I was there, in the front row at the president’s speech. He did look around when he spoke. Yes, the majority of his speech was facing forward, but how many speeches have you seen where the person looks to the side during his or her speech? I haven’t seen many. Second of all, most military members were not “asked” to attend. They were asked if they would like to attend. Yes, some higher-ranking military members were probably required to attend, but there was no requirement for the rest of us. The point was a morale boost for the troops and their families, and that is exactly what we got. We were thrilled to see the president, and in case you didn’t know, there were also performers there as well, such as Toby Keith. Next time you choose to submit your opinion, make sure it is backed up with facts.

Andre Postelmans is aresident of Tampa.