I would like to take the time out to address this letter to the young lady who wrote the letter entitled “Take a walk!” in the March 24 issue.

First of all, I want to ask Ms. Byrne what gives her the right to say who can and who cannot ride the buses, whether they’re handicapped or not? Students pay close to $900 a semester, for tuition alone, to attend this university. Included in their fees is the cost to ride buses.

Secondly, you seem to be so health-crazed that you feel just because you jog every morning and walk just about everywhere you go, so you say, everyone else should do as you do. You’re dead wrong.

Thirdly, I am a bus driver on the No. 4 route and have been for the past two years. Driving those, as you say, “several dozens of lazy students” to and from class doesn’t bother me in the least bit. After all, that’s what I’m getting paid to do. So in my opinion, you really have no valid reason to be ‘touched’ by the number of students that ride the No. 4, No. 3, No. 2 or any other of the buses that serve the DeKalb-Sycamore area. After all, it’s a service that they pay for, and it’s their prerogative to choose to ride, not yours.

Finally, I don’t see how improving the Recreation Center will teach students more about a healthy lifestyle. Students don’t learn much about health just by going in the rec center to shoot some hoops, play tennis or rent a pair of roller skates—or do you plan to teach a class?

And oh, let me tell you—contrary to what you say, there is bus service (not just one, but two buses) that will get you pretty close to the rec center. There’s the No. 4 bus that I drive all the time, and there’s also the No. 5 you can catch.

Dwayne E. Cooper

senior

criminal justice