When I saw that the main headline and article for the Dec. 9

Collegian was about how prisoners are sad and lonely during the

holidays, I was pretty upset. I think this country has gone so far

beyond prohibiting cruel and unusual punishment that prison itself

just isn’t as large a deterrent of crime as it used to be. I do

feel sorry for the families of the inmates who can’t be with their

loved ones, but the prisoners are there for a reason, to be

punished. They committed crimes, violating the social contract, and

are paying for it by being in prison. It is not and should not be a

hotel with gourmet food and cable.

I am so glad that the editorial staff printed a counter in the

Our View. It is a crime that people’s taxes are being spent on

making inmates happier when they could be feeding the hungry. I

think it is sad and inappropriate that “Season of prison cheer” was

your main headline, but I am very glad that you put in the other

side of the argument.

Kara Leach

Freshman, microbiology

I would like to address Mr. Ortiz’s article (“Students should

appreciate buyback” Dec. 8) I would like to start by saying the

article was well written. My problem is not with the bookstore, it

is with the professors or anyone else who makes the decisions on

which book is used. I purchased a chemistry book from a friend only

to discover that they had moved on to a new edition. I compared

books and the only difference between them was a different colored

cover and different numbers in the practice problems.

I am currently enrolled in BS 300 and I am using an old book and

I don’t seem to have any problems keeping up with the material. All

I am saying is that switching to new editions all the time is

unnecessary. Please have pity on us poor people.

Nathan Thompson

Junior, biology