Michael J. Wright
WMU Class of 2002
I want to applaud WMU for considering the purchase of the former Kmart Stadium Drive location as the potential new home of the university archives; I cannot think of a more symbolically appropriate building to house the institution’s archives than one previously owned by a dying corporation that is at best, the subject of pity and at worst, a laughingstock.
Dear President John Dunn,
We do not understand the logic behind the proposed purchase of the old K‑Mart on Stadium Drive to house our archives. Western is willing to buy and renovate an old retail store, but is not willing to renovate the current housing for the archives, East Hall.
Andrew Ladd
WMU Student
With the prospect of economic expansion ripe around the Kalamazoo community and West Michigan, a medical school could be a very strong next step for university administrators.
I’m appalled that the state legislature continues to cut funding for higher education year after year. We all know the state’s economy has seen better days, but repeated cuts have put higher education funding in jeopardy. In the past decade, the cost of a college education has increased almost exponentially. While the state used to [...]
For the last several years, leaders from Western Michigan University and Downtown Kalamazoo Inc. have worked together to foster a sense of solidarity between WMU and the surrounding area. I think there are still some serious hurdles that need to be overcome, including infrastructure, commercial entities catering specifically to students, and uniting WMU students with [...]
As an alumni, as well as current graduate student of Western Michigan University, I believe it is an absolute shame that the beautiful buildings of Historic East Campus continue to sit dormant and waste away while new buildings are constantly being constructed on West Campus. I would like to see the university consider renovating the [...]
Here’s a novel idea, WMU: How about re-using the buildings you already have? It seems to me that the goal to, “…tear down all the old on-campus apartments and have the new buildings replace them” is about as unsustainable and wasteful a practice as any that exists today. Today’s landfill waste is composed of over [...]
I have been reading the Western Herald since I started attending WMU in 2005. As I near the completion of my second degree from WMU, I still read the Herald as often as I am on campus. Upon completing Thursday’s issue, I closed the paper and set it down, looking at the back of the [...]
In a September 2009 mlive.com article found here: http://www.mlive.com/special-sections/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2009/09/know_your_rights_ways_to_prote.html. The Kalamazoo Gazette Staff writes: “But WMU usually handles alcohol matters without getting police involved unless the incident gets out of control,” said Steve Palmer, director of residence life. Campus staff typically contacts police to residence halls for two reasons — drug use and violent or [...]
Voting for un-principled Republicans to replace un-principled Democrats, and vice-versa, does NOT constitute change. It is a vote for a party of a different label to have their turn at the continuous raping of our nation. Both political parties have aided in the destruction of this country. As a nation, we need to stop voting [...]
The Western Herald correctly noted that Governor Granholm signed HB 5207 recently. The bill removed the restriction that the Colony Farm Orchard should be used for open space, public park, or recreation or, by legislative action, could be used for some other public purpose. The effect of HB 5207 was to kill that covenant, potentially [...]
No athlete has experienced such a drastic fall from grace as Tiger Woods. He finds himself in a public relations nightmare, fueled by the recent media storm swirling around rumors of multiple mistresses, embarrassing voice messages, and suspicions of driving under the influence. A notoriously private personal life is now under the spotlight of the [...]
I don’t see what massive debt in Dubai has to do with an Arabic major or university ties in the country. Last time I checked, America had the most massive debt, with “billions of dollars in international loans,” but are we so cautious about working here? Aren’t many of those debts held in China, with [...]
Mr. Al‑Momani’s last column begs the question as to whether or not he follows world news, or even reads the publication he writes for. While I consider myself fairly inept with regard to world politics, I do give a little attention to headlines. Mr. Al‑Momani eloquently articulates on behalf of the establishment of an Arabic [...]
Hunting is definitely not needed and disrupts our ecosystem [“Hunting Losing Popularity Among College Students”, By Nicholas Grenke on Dec. 3]. All wildlife play an important role in the ecosystem. The noise and fear hunting causes wild animals problems such as not allowing them to eat enough and store enough fat for the winter, disrupts [...]
Although the struggle to link WMU students to the Kalamazoo community is an ongoing and worthy one, it is disappointing that so many have bought into the idea that an arena could finally bridge that gap. The proposal is an ill planned attempt to dupe the citizens of greater Kalamazoo into paying for a risky [...]
I love my Broncos. I love college football. I love ESPN. So, I was so excited to find out that we were playing on ESPN2 for a chance at a bowl game. How great would that be ‑ and playing a very BAD team in Ball State. How disappointed was I when I turned on [...]
I read with fascination Trustee Chair Kenneth Miller’s explanation of urban blight in the recent Western Herald article “Downtown Expansion Discussed” from Nov. 23 on page one. The belief of Miller that “[b]light starts at the core of a community and spreads out to other parts of the city, just like a tree” surely does [...]
Although it is completely reasonable that students are upset that the money that was promised to them for higher education was taken away, we should have seen this coming; it should serve as a lesson to be wary of any government promise. When a country is funded by debt and money is printed to pay [...]
During my first couple of weeks on campus, a few things really stuck out and surprised me. One thing that caught my attention was the lack of emergency call boxes. Off the top of my head I only know the location of one of these call boxes; it’s across the street from the Bernhard Center. [...]
In response to the Nov. 12 letter to the editor concerning Smoker’s Island, I’d like to dispel some myths that were presented. Firstly, Smoker’s Island does not cause any confusion for the bus drivers, nor does it waste fuel for the busses. The author of the previous article gives too little credit to the bus [...]
As an incoming freshman to Western Michigan University, all I heard about was how crazy Western’s “Welcome Week” was, and what went on during that time. After experiencing it for myself, it truly lived up to its reputation. I wanted to take the time to tell about the problems that occur during Western’s “Welcome Week.” [...]
In response to the Nov. 12 letter to the editor concerning Smoker’s Island, I’d like to dispel some myths that were presented. Firstly, Smoker’s Island does not cause any confusion for the bus drivers, nor does it waste fuel for the busses. The author of the previous article gives too little credit to the bus [...]
As an incoming freshman to Western Michigan University, all I heard about was how crazy Western’s “Welcome Week” was, and what went on during that time. After experiencing it for myself, it truly lived up to its reputation. I wanted to take the time to tell about the problems that occur during Western’s “Welcome Week.” [...]
I have only been at Western a few months, but already something alarming has come to my attention. I believe there is a huge problem with the check‑in system currently in place at the residential dorms. The check in system is inconvenient and takes away student freedom. First of all, the early check‑in time of [...]
It has been taught for years in our schools that our Constitution is a “living and breathing” document, that our Founding Fathers intended it to be open for re‑interpretation by each generation. This version of American history is verifiably false. Our Founding Fathers intended there to be only one way to make changes to our [...]
A big problem we have is the lack of signage and mapping showing our students and guests where to go and what is where. Most of the lecture halls do not have accurate signing when coming from certain sides either. I did not miss anything important in my first class except attendance, [but it was] [...]
Dear Editor, Have you ever had to wait for a bus at one of the Valleys; [dormitories] Smoker’s Islands? This causes confusion for the bus drivers and those who are waiting when the bus comes to a stop. People waiting on Smokers Island have to deal with the smell of the cigarette smoke. Most nonsmokers [...]
Dear Editor, I’m writing this letter to make you aware of an issue dealing with the costs of textbooks. When I was retrieving my books for this upcoming semester, the cost of the books was outrageous. As you may know, the cost alone of attending a university these days is quite expensive. On top of [...]
Dear Editor, In 2004, the United States spent nearly $93 million on school related vandalism. As the years progress, the rate of vandalism is getting worse. Sydney Barber, the co‑editor of The Stampede, believes destroying other’s property is becoming a huge problem for college students attending school. On average, only one out of five acts [...]
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