Letters for December 6, 2001

This letter is written in response to Debbie Baldauskas’ letter regarding student athletes getting special treatment. She states, “In the real world, there are demanding schedules, conflicting schedules and work that needs to get done.”

Nobody understands this more than student athletes. They have more demanding schedules than 90 percent of all students. Their practices and games conflict with time for homework and friends, and they still have work that needs to get done. What sets them apart from people who work regular jobs is the fact that student athletes’ “work” schedules cannot be modified to accommodate classes during all hours of the day. They need to be able to schedule their classes at specific times.

I was a student athlete for half of my college career, and the only way I was able to attend class was because of priority registration. When I quit playing soccer, I lost the ability to register early, so I merely adjusted my work schedule around my classes. That is a luxury that athletes do not have.

I suggest that those complaining about “unfair treatment” follow a football player around for a day during the next football season. A newfound appreciation for student athletes’ level of commitment to their unusual schedules would be the result.

Ted Chrissinger
Reno

Yummy food poem
Re “Big Food” (RN&R Food Finds, Nov. 22):

Rory Dowd’s review of the food at Big Ed’s was, by far, the most entertaining read in a local publication that I’ve seen in quite a long time. “Baked pota-ta” and “barbecue-y goodness” … Come on now, how darn cute can you get? For whatever it’s worth, it made me giggle (hee hee).

Hope to see more!

Jennifer Palmer
Via e-mail

Differing opinion on downtown Reno
Re “Crowds on the River” (RN&R View From The Fray, Nov. 15):

Well, Pike, the changes at the RN&R are coming at me like an atomic wedgey. “Crowds on the River” smacks of a spider talking to a fly.

I see you’ve failed to mention that the Parking Gallery was robbed awhile back, or the drive-by shooting or the everyday crimes we’ve grown used to down here in Griffin’s ghetto. Purse-snatching, the crack fall-out, prostitutes, assaults.

If you want to take a jaunt, try this route, say, on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday afternoon.

Go from the rink to the theater, then up West Street to Second Street. Stop in at the corner store and ask them why they lock up the aluminum foil with the tobacco products. Then go down Virginia Street. Then tell me how you feel about downtown. No, don’t! Just give me Jim’s mailing address, so I can beg him to come back. At least he didn’t try to blow smoke up my ass. I’m sure if you try, you could get your old job back. Have you thought about the Gazette-Journal?

Robert Murphy
Reno

Grimm’s faux pas
Re “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” (RN&R Short Takes, Nov. 21):

Let Bob Grimm know that if he is going to trash this movie, the least he can do is get the actors’ names right. He has the movie starring Ron Weasley as Rupert. It should be Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley. This total lack off attention to a major detail makes me wonder if he even saw the movie…

Aaron Schlein
via e-mail

Addition
Re “The Game of Rent” (RN&R, Nov. 29):

An additional source of help for landlords and tenants to settle disputes is offered by Washoe County’s Neighborhood Mediation Center. Besides mediating disputes, the center provides information and referral to residents. Call 788-2127.