Moffitt bridge aneeded convenience
Re: “Research cancer centers connect” Oct. 24, 2003

As I was reading The Oracle, I came across the article about building a 200 foot walkway to bridge the gap between the Moffitt Research and Cancer Centers. I think that this is a really great idea and will be more convenient for the staff members to get around. This bridge is really positive because researchers will now be able to work as a team and have better access to each other.

I think that cancer is a really big issue. I am glad that researchers are working hard to find cures. I think that making the researchers more comfortable is a big step to solving the world’s cancer problem. This new bridge will make a better working environment for researchers.

I think that it must be really rough that researchers have to use the pedestrian walkway at Magnolia and Holly Avenues or at Moffitt’s main entrance. With this new bridge, I think that the researchers will be more excited to come to work. When it comes to big issues like combating cancer, researchers should be able to interact with one another. This way, more ideas will get across and more solutions will come to the table. I think that the bridge will make researchers and staff members collaborate more before coming to any conclusions. The bridge will make the buildings friendlier with one another. Researchers will have a better sense of communication. I think that by building this bridge more questions will be answered and less time will be wasted.

Manley Eugene is a freshman majoring in education.

USF library a place to study, not socialize

Can someone show me where the USF Library is? I graduated from USF three years ago, and now I am back working toward my master’s degree. When I go into the building that I assume is still the Library, I notice several changes. First, eating is now allowed. As long as I can remember, eating has not been allowed in the Library for the simple fact that it could damage the books, computers and other reference materials. In my opinion, this was a good policy. What was the reason for the change? Did the administration give in to habitual abusers? Even more noticeable is the amount of noise coming from the Library. The noise generally comes from two sources. The first source is from groups of people. The groups are either working on a class project or just using the time to socialize. The other source of noise is typically coming from people talking on their cell phones. It ceases to amaze me how clueless to their surroundings people can become when they are on the phone. I have overheard conversations (without trying) where topics such as sexually transmitted diseases and penis size were discussed. I am quite sure I was not the only one tuning in by the look of disgust on other peoples’ faces. In addition, the voices that come from these groups and cell phone users are not whispers, but rather normal to loud voices, like they are trying to talk over something. With all the places on campus where talking is allowed, there is no reason that the Library cannot remain a quiet place to study.

Samuel Skwirut is a graduate student studying management information sciences.

Students need to be active in changes

Student Government has a BullSit event once every two weeks in which we hand out free candy and ask students for their opinions on certain issues so that we can collaborate in an effort to do something about them.

Two weeks ago, we had surveys on Campus Parking. Yesterday, SG had a BullSit outside Cooper Hall. We had surveys asking students what they thought about Campus Safety during night hours, whether they felt the campus was safe of not and if they felt they needed a more secure campus. Thank you to all those students who participated.

However, there were many students who did not care or simply did not want to fill out these surveys at all. I want to remind all students that these surveys are for YOU! If you want changes in this campus, better parking, better security and better services, these surveys are the first step to making these changes happen. Only with your support can SG do something about the problems faced by USF students. The survey that we handed out yesterday consisted of five short yes/no questions that would take only 30-60 seconds to complete. In the one hour that I worked at yesterday’s BullSit, I asked several students who were passing by our table to fill out these surveys. Out of all the students that I asked in that one hour, 87 students couldn’t care less and declined to fill them out. How indifferent can we get?

It is difficult for SG to fight for student issues and student needs if we have such a lack of support from our own students. Complaining about problems is not enough; it is imperative that students take an active role solving problems. If you see SG trying to do something to benefit you as a student, please give them two minutes of your time. Without your help and support, progress cannot be made. Being apathetic toward student issues will only result in more increases in tuition, more cuts in Bright Futures scholarships and more parking problems. Now how many students are there that want this to happen?

If you don’t know anything about Student Government and have no clue what it is, you may ask me or anyone affiliated with SG about it. My email address is:

Bijalbgk@hotmail.com .

Bijal Chhadva is a junior majoring in computer engineering and is a SG senator.