Letters to the Editor

BC head coach: Let's be champions on and off the field Dear Superfans,

I want to thank you personally for all your support during the first half of our season. We are very pleased with the overall performance of our team, including a 5-0 record at home.

It was good to see such a great turnout at the rally on Tuesday night and I hope to see a lot of you in South Bend, Ind. this weekend. This is a very big game for our program and we need our Superfans to come back with a big win and a 7-0 record.

We encourage you to travel safely and to enjoy the weekend. You can be great fans and also treat your opponents and Notre Dame with respect.

Act like champions off the field as you play a key role in our drive to a championship on the field.

We plan to give you our best and make it a great weekend to be an Eagle! Continue the tradition - be loud and be proud and remember, "We are BC!"

Jeff Jagodzinski Head Coach

Some important tips for your road trip to South Bend For those of you traveling to Notre Dame, especially in an RV, we wanted to take a minute of your time to suggest a few tips. We also want to remind you that while traveling you are representatives of Boston College.

We are very concerned about your safety. In the past there have been some very serious accidents on the way to and from South Bend, Ind. Some have been the result of fatigue; some due to driving under the influence; and some simply a result of the driver not being familiar with such a large vehicle. In one case, a student was driving who was not authorized by the rental company, and the insurance company would not cover the considerable costs of repairing the vehicle; the students had to pay thousands of dollars for repairs. Be sure to drive carefully and keep the safety of you and your passengers a priority.

In addition, Notre Dame officials have asked us to specifically warn BC students that any behavior that disrupts their on-campus activities or that violates state or local laws will be addressed forthrightly.

The last time we played in South Bend, a number of BC students were either arrested or given summons to court for alcohol-related activities. These students then had to return to South Bend to face criminal charges or hire lawyers to represent them. They also had to face disciplinary action here at BC for these unacceptable activities.

We understand what a big tradition it has become to take a "road trip" to South Bend; however, we urge you to enjoy the experience without placing yourselves in harm's way or facing criminal or disciplinary jeopardy and embarrassing yourselves and BC.

Be respectful of Notre Dame students, alumni, and guests - represent your University in a positive manner. Thank you for your cooperation. Go Eagles!

Paul Chebator Interim Dean for Student Development

A better way to promote paper conservation In response to the editorial "University should increase print limit" (Oct. 4). I'd like to express my complete agreement with The Heights in its condemnation of the administration's exploitation of the student body by a blanket printing limit that disregards the printing requirements of various upper-level major courses.

I beg all professors to print out as many articles for their classes as possible to reduce some of the need.

However, I'd like to go farther than revising the printing policy to count double-sided printing as one page: The University should establish a desk where students can bring used sheets back for recycling (after papers are written, tests taken, etc). In exchange for those sheets, BC would add the equivalent number to the student's printing account.

It would encourage conservation and allow the University to regulate the total use of paper on campus.

Aaron LemmonA&S '08

Don't be fooled by the bottled water industry While the responses of Kevin Keane and Jane Lazgin to Katherine Cannella's piece ("Love that dirty water") are compelling arguments, they're nothing new to my ears. The bottled water industry, in fact, thrives as a result of the successful branding of bottled water as a "convenient, healthy alternative."

But an alternative to what? While it is true that bottled water may be a healthier choice for the consumer than an aspartame-filled Diet Coke, bottled water is certainly not healthier than drinking from the tap in most cities in this country. On Boston College's campus, we have perfectly healthy tap water. The standards set by the EPA and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection are exactly the same for tap water as bottled water (according to the Massuchetts Water Resources Authority).

So if the water isn't any healthier, isn't it completely illogical that we pay for what we can get for free? Along with the privatization of our public water supplies, the bottled water industry has a number of other very unhealthy consequences. An extraordinarily large amount of energy is used in producing each plastic bottle, transporting these bottles to the close reach of our fingertips, and disposing of them afterward.

As we seek to reduce our energy dependence for the sake of national security, the long-term survival of our economy, and the health of our global environment, the decision to kick the bottled water habit falls on each consumer.

Peggy Fox A&S '08 Ecopledge Member