Administrative pay raises are inexcusable

Washington state appropriations to WSU diminished by 21 percent this past year. During the 2009-10 school year, student tuition rose by 14 percent and is expected to increase by a similar magnitude next year. Faculty salaries at WSU rose by 7 percent during 2008-09 but were frozen during 2009-10. Degrees, programs and classes were cut at WSU during 2009-10. However, during this two-year period, 2008-10, administrative salaries at WSU rose by 23 percent. But we need not be concerned because Executive Director Tim Pavish assures all of us that, "I feel we're being prudent with the resources entrusted to us." I guess this view depends on which end of the salary distribution spectrum one finds oneself. Personally, I find this irreconcilable and inexcusable.

Ken D. Duft, Professor Emeritus
School of Economic Sciences


Walkout organizer appreciates effort

As the primary organizer of EWU's Student Walkout and chair for the Student Legislative Action Committee, as well as a student at Eastern Washington University, I would like to extend a thanks to the effort made to hold a rally at WSU Pullman on Thursday. You may have only had a few days to pull it all together, but it made a difference. I'm glad that fellow students at two different universities can work together in unity. Thank you again and keep up the good work.

Kris Byrum
Eastern Washington University
student


Religion should remain a personal issue

In his column Friday, Greg Dunbar declared the utter futility and detriment of prayer. While one cannot and should not question his motives in writing such a piece, I feel the efficacy and utility of such an argument is negligible. Faith and prayer, when applied within reason in one's life, have the ability to provide security, comfort and direction. There is simply no question about that. A more helpful attitude toward the overtly religious would be to simply let them be in peace, not criticize them or disparage their practices. If people need prayer and religious faith in their lives to provide comfort and security, that is perfectly fine.

If both sides of this polarizing line could exercise more tolerance of the other, such underlying tension may wain. Dunbar should cease trying to rationalize reasons that prayer and faith are in fact destructive, and he should live a life content with the absence of the things he denigrates. In the same spirit, future Daily Evergreen op-ed columnists claiming things like 'peace', 'true happiness' and 'love' are only achieved through a relationship with 'God', could heed the same message. Faith, prayer and religion (or the absence there of) should remain personal, as most religious doctrines encourage.

Christopher Hendrickson, graduate student
molecular plant science