Your voice | Letters to the Editor

Stop the whining

To the Editor:

In the fall break-shortening article ("Come fall 2009, freshman and sophomores can kiss their four-day weekend goodbye" 10/12/07), some comments from students and faculty reflect an unfortunate disassociation from life.

Complaints because finals ended on Dec. 22, because College House staff were "forced" to work on Dec. 24," because faculty wanted their "last hurrah of summer" and cannot start classes before Labor Day seem, well . elitist. The reality is that in life, most people do show up for work on these days and all of the other ones and more. And that includes the staff and administrators at Penn too.

Richard Martorelli Director, Finance and Facilities, Development and Alumni Relations

A safe vaccine?

To the Editor:

Perhaps Penn's Student Health Insurance Advisory Committee is helping by not making it inexpensive for women to acquire the vaccine. I feel that the Gardasil vaccine is still new and the short- and long-term effects are still in question. It may be to women's benefit to wait for more research on the side effects of this "life saver."

I would urge women to be responsible and weigh the pros and cons of such a young and potentially dangerous vaccine. Simply search, and one will find the adverse health effects that a surprising number of women have already experienced by taking the risk to be "immune."

Steven Martucci College sophomore

Fix the South Street bridge

To the Editor:

For anyone who commutes into the city via the Schuylkill Expressway, daily congestion and constant delays are a way of life.

Add to that the endless construction occurring in and around parts of South Philly, University City and the downtown areas, and getting to work becomes more like work than an actual job.

As someone who runs a University City business, I see first-hand the disgust and fatigue felt by those who travel into this area every day. But over the past few weeks, I am seeing something different in their eyes . fear.

After the Minneapolis Bridge collapse, people across the country immediately began to wonder whether such a disaster could happen in their own backyard. But as PennDOT examines Pennsylvania's larger bridges, many are asking whether the real danger lies with the smaller more locally traveled structures like the deteriorating South Street Bridge.

Many more, afraid that a collapse is eminent, are exploring alternative transportation services in the hopes of avoiding bridges like this one altogether.

I know that it makes sense to pay closer attention to bridges that are similar to the one that failed in Minneapolis, but new cracks and holes invade the South Street Bridge every day! And people have had enough of playing Russian roulette with their safety.

While the Streets Department has been planning to replace the 130-year-old bridge for over a decade, nothing has happened. Instead the structure continues to crumple and now trucks and buses have been banned from the overpass altogether.

I wonder what the City is waiting for and I pray that a disaster doesn't have to occur before something is done about this relic of a bridge.

Myron Berman Owner of Campus Park and Ride

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