Extreme Cruelty

DID Chancellor Denton demonstrate failures of leadership in her first year at UCSC? Yes. Did this community, its students, and its media demonstrate extreme cruelty in personal attacks against her? Yes. Did any of us do our best to facilitate constructive communication about wage parity for university service workers, freedom of speech and assembly for students, or reasonable compensation for university administrators?

Unfortunately, no.

An accomplished academic and advocate for women in science, Denton was best known among Santa Cruz residents for what she was perceived not to be: articulate, collaborative, photogenic. While many acknowledged her struggles, few responded in ways indicative of a community that espouses humanitarian values.

Chancellor Denton's suicide sets our hypocrisy into relief. We need to do better.

Tara Seekins, Santa Cruz

Just Not Funny

I WOULD like to ask a favor of you ...

Now, while I absolutely DO NOT believe in censorship, I do believe in having some tact and class in the face of a person's untimely passing. I can find humor in just about anything, but it is a heartfelt request that you, Mr. DeCinzo, not use Chancellor Denton's suicide as fodder for your comics. It's just not funny, Steven. I hope that you show some dignity, and joke about something else this week.

Thank you.

Lynn Jacob, Santa Cruz

Grey Bears to the Rescue

AS A RESIDENT OF Santa Cruz since late 1979, I have been assiduously recycling, first at the 17th Avenue recycling center, then at workplaces and even curbside. However, I am agitated that the author of the article "How to Recycle Virtually Anything" (Cover Story, June 14) mentioned far-away places such as in Seattle, Maryland, Massachusetts and Missouri, but did not once mention where hundreds if not thousands of us recycle because we care: at the Grey Bears center near the drive-in theater. Mind you, we are not so lazy as to simply throw it all into one container for "everything," which necessitates later sorting, which, I assure you, is a relatively humbling if not demeaning activity at the Dimeo Lane center, where I have been many times. Instead, we do as people during World War II and the recycling era of the 1970s did: we separate materials as best we can (storage space being the sole limiting factor for most of us).

Also, in her second paragraph, the author mentions "aseptic juice packages" such as are marketed for primarily toddlers and youngsters, but I imagine that she would include soy-drink and other such packages. Where can those be recycled? Please, again? Grey Bears (daybreak to 4pm) and probably other places still recycle. Please note this so that we may "forgive" the author for her oversight.

James Johnson, Santa Cruz

RvB, the Sequel

AS IF his movie reviews aren't "pretentious and cynical" enough, as a correspondent recently noted, Richard von Busack's appalling lack of sensitivity is even more egregious.

I refer to his remarks in his review of A Prairie Home Companion (Film, June 7), that Garrison Keillor's performance was "remote, hell, a real Asperger's Syndrome case."

Doesn't RvB realize that this disease is a tragedy for the individuals and families affected by it? Does he care?

Have you no editorial oversight to prevent your columnists from such ignorant, insulting and tasteless remarks?

Audrey Strayer, Soquel

Positive Understanding

I AM VERY IMPRESSED with the quality, in several facets, of the article "Jesus: Unplugged" (Cover Story, May 31) by Najeeb Hasan. Good job with research, accuracy, understandable explanations of complex ideas, and the unbiased approach. I received some new, positive understanding. Thank you.

Brooks Lame, Seaside

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