Opinions: Letters to the editor

 published on Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Parent trapped

Since I recently became a mother, I have realized how much pregnant and postpartum female student cares is not being met on ASU's campuses. For example, I was denied the use of school transportation service because "I am not a disabled student." When I talked to a transportation manager, I was told, "Because of our regulation policy, I can't carry any normal healthy student." I explained that I would like to avoid sun exposure to my baby between my far-away parking structure and class, but it was in vain. This problem also occurred during my pregnancy because the transportation service representative considers pregnant students as "healthy." The lack of consideration in this policy discourages parents, especially women, from seeking higher education.

I have had other problems with attending to my baby—there is no preschool system available until the age of 15 months. I have neither parents nor relatives in this country. Thus, my husband and I need to take our child to ASU on the days we have class; however, because of "Regulation Policy," we can't turn to the ASU childcare center.

Though the "regulation policies" have put significant stress on my family and I, there has been some hope for progressive change. At the start of this semester, there was nothing available for postpartum women students to use as a breastfeeding room at ASU. Now, any student can utilize a health center room as a breastfeeding room.

But ASU's concern for students with children is still lacking. My husband noted that there are no diaper changing station in men's restrooms at ASU.

ASU should hear the concerns of its students and take steps to improve "regulation policies" in a way that is sensitive to ASU students who are parents.

Masako Hibi-Okabe
International Student

Unholy mistakes

(In response to Friday's column by Dimple Dhanani titled "Don't practice what you preach")

Dhanani's thoughtful article on religion is a bit blurry on two issues. First of all, it is true that believers of every kind may proselytize on the grounds of a public university, if they are students, and students are equally free to demonstrate against them. But in the U.S., there is no level playing field for skeptics, agnostics, and atheists. Private universities, including those that have a religious affiliation, may prohibit those who are not affiliated from preaching on campus. They may expel them at will or call the police and have them forcibly removed.

Secondly, it is not just "the intolerant few" — like the Christian zealot that Dhanani describes — who give religion a bad name. Three thousand years of religious history reek with the bloodshed in the name of one god or another: the Arab conquest, the Crusades, the Inquisition, the Thirty Years War, etc.

Dhanani says that she is a Hindu. Does she not know of the mutual massacres and expulsions between Hindus and Muslims that required India to be divided? Even 60 years after the creation of Pakistan, sectarian killings continue. And finally, are the Shi'a and the Sunni in Iraq just "an intolerant few?"

Maurice Wolfthal
Former student