Drunk driving deaths need to stop

My mother informed me the other week of a Duke student's death by a drunk driver; I logged onto The Chronicle and learned of Tyler Brown's short but enriching life, read heart breaking testimonials from friends and saw photos of a young man on the cusp of doing anything and everything. But what hurt the most is that it was all too familiar.

The members of the Class of 2006 may remember from their freshman year similar articles about Maggie Schneider. In December of 2002 (can it really be almost three years ago?), she was killed by a drunk driver while traveling back to the Marine Lab after Thanksgiving. She, like Tyler, was a light in many people's lives, a person one could not wait to see what marvelous things she would be up to, a true friend.

Two students in three years! That is two too many. Please, please, please: Do not allow anyone, including yourself, to drink and drive. Be careful. Most importantly, cherish all the Maggie's and Tyler's of the world because, as we are all too well aware, things can change in an instant.

Jessica Fuller

Trinity '04

Armenian slaughter is genocide

In the article "Grad student recounts months jailed in Armenia" (Oct. 21, 2005), the writer makes reference to the "so-called genocide of 1 million Armenians in 1915." The systematic, government-ordered slaughter of more than 1.5 million Armenian Turks in the years 1914 through 1918 is not a "so-called" genocide. It was genocide, by any meaningful definition of the word. The seemingly innocent use of the word "so-called" denies the true nature of the event in a political move to placate supporters of the Turkish government's attempts to obscure the facts of the Armenian Genocide. Do we speak of the "so-called" Jewish Holocaust, or the "so-called" ethnic cleansing of Albanians in Kosovo? The Armenian genocide is well documented and any research into the subject will show that debate on the matter is purely political in nature. Yektan Turkyilmaz, the Duke graduate student who was recently detained in Armenia, said in and interview with Inside Higher Ed News, "It is very clear that almost the entire Armenian population of eastern Anatolia was subjected to forced migrations and massacres beginning in the early months of 1915." While politicians may speak of the "so-called" genocide, we at Duke should beware of such qualifiers that obscure the truth in favor of appeasement.

Everyone agrees the smell from the urinals in the men's restrooms in Bostock Library is not how the urinals should work. Waterless urinals are installed throughout the country and operate without offensive odors while resulting in huge savings in water consumption. The contractor is installing new filters in Bostock this week and the problem should be resolved.

Ashley Jackson

Building Manager

Perkins Library

Toxic mold is a serious issue

Your recent coverage of Duke student Josh Sommers' political advocacy regarding Toxic Mold ("Freshman fights mold with research, activism" Oct. 21, 2005) is both timely and illustrates an emerging public health issue of critical importance.

Regarding the reference to Hurricane Katrina, many of the health hazards that the standing water and moisture damage in New Orleans present are clear; others are not. The toxic soup that covered much of that city contained not only chemical pollutants, viruses and bacteria, but will also bring the inescapable growth of toxic mold.

There is now an overwhelming amount of medical research supporting evidence of serious human illness after overexposure to molds and the biotoxins they are capable of producing in our homes, schools and businesses. The danger presented after such a major event as Katrina remains as yet undefined in national public health policy. Physicians in the Gulf region and across our country need to be able to recognize the symptoms of biotoxin poisonings and have access to breaking medical research that will allow them to treat patients effectively.

Current federal legislation-House Resolution 1269-proposes federal aid to the large population in the United States already displaced and made ill by mold, but the bill has moved slowly. Katrina is likely to refocus Congress' attention on this matter.

Jonathan Lee Wright

Director

Fungal Disease Resource Center