Last Kucinskas column falls uncharacteristically flat

I was disappointed that David Kucinskas, whose columns I usually find moderately amusing, sometimes even chuckle-inducing, puked out such a load of cliched garbage this week (“Repent before the universe collapses!” Oct. 23). Some of it actually spilled onto my food when I opened the Forum section, so I had to go get another plate.

Not only has the whole “the world’s going to hell” bullshit been done to death, but the signs of the apocalypse he cites are everyday occurrences in our society. Our football team sucks? Surprise, surprise. North Korea is being a renegade asshole? Imagine that. There’s a scandal on Capitol Hill? Abortion debate? Celebrities are smoking pot? Global warming? The universe is expanding? Some of these events have been occurring for decades; one of them has literally been happening since the beginning of time.

Then, near the end of the article, he makes a U-turn and counters what he was arguing about a half-inch before. I can’t even tell what the article is supposed to be about. Either way, I feel comfortable continuing my sinful lifestyle.

I’ll give David the benefit of the doubt by assuming that he, like so many of us, has been burdened with midterms this week. That would explain the column’s lack of energy and ominous tone.

-Richard WebnerWeinberg sophomore

This time, the cliche is true: Student leaders out of touch

After four years at Northwestern, you get used to seeing the terms “ASG” and “backlash” in close proximity to each other in The Daily. You really can’t have one without the other. Imagine my surprise in Monday’s edition (“Senate: Student opinion should matter to officials”) to see the Associated Student Government actually doing the backlashing.

Now, I do understand the complaint of ASG, the Residence Hall Association and the Residential College Board not being involved on the planning of the changes to campus security. These groups should be involved in any major change in university policy that affects student life. Which is why I’m curious as to how RHA, RCB and particularly ASG felt completely blindsided by this. I mean, an ASG candidate campaigning on improving campus safety is as much of a guarantee as the NU Marching Band playing “Ants Marching” within the first 10 minutes of a football game.

In particular, I find ASG President Jay Schumacher’s complaints that “the administration did not consult students on this” quite curious, considering that the administration, in particular the Office of Residential Life, has been trying to engage students on residence hall security for years.

I organized and attended several firesides and talks where students, University Police and university officials discussed hall security and how it could be improved. While I can’t speak to how those interactions impacted these changes, I have confidence that the university would take the concerns of students into consideration when deciding on how to improve their safety.

Rather than be upset that they didn’t get “the memo,” ASG should be upset that these changes were not made years earlier. Now, I’ve known enough hard-working people on ASG that I would ordinarily resist resorting to the stereotype that it is detached from the student body and the university as a whole. Unfortunately, in this instance, I can’t find any other explanation.

– Mike PlattWeinberg ’06Former Daily columnist