Letters to the Editor

To the editor,

First I would like to thank the people responsible for all the recycling containers on campus and the recycling center near the campus police station. Good work. Now I want to suggest that we start using biodegradable items in the food court of the TSC. Lets face it, styrofoam containers are incredibly wasteful, filling precious space in landfills and taking a long time (if ever) to degrade. There are new alternatives (e.g. Cereplast) available that are similar in price to the classic plastic forks and styrofoam containers. These new materials are made from plant starches and oils, not petroleum. This is great for two reasons: 1) the products are biodegradable; 2) they reduce our dependence on foreign oil. Additionally, these products are comparably priced and can be turned into compost after they are used. Perhaps the agriculture department could use this in their fields. So I want to encourage those in charge of the food court on campus to look into using biodegradable containers and utensils. In the meantime, students and faculty can help by mentioning to the employees that you would like to see these alternatives. In the meantime please continue to recycle and have a great day.

Eric O’Neill

To the editor:

As a fellow mountain biker, I commend and appreciate Jacob Roecker’s efforts in creating Trailbrain. This is a fantastic resource with loads of great local information. However, having just recently moved here from Michigan, I would also like to recommend that fellow gear heads like myself, check out Mountain Bike Review’s website, www.mtbr.com. This all inclusive mountain biking Web site is also a Wikipedia-like database in which users can instantly find, review, and update trails as well as link photos and directions. While this database lacks the local precision of Trailbrain, it is already a national database with trail links across the whole country including my beloved home state of Michigan as well as my new home, Utah. Just like Roecker’s though, this Web site is user dependent and therefore must rely on the responsibility of individuals like myself to keep it updated. In the end, cheers to you Jacob and cheers to those of you that take the time to update to those vital sites that out-of-towners like myself rely on.

Ryan Deery