Lottery scholarships don’t provide for all needs

In the Nov. 16, 2004, publication of the Pacer, you published an editorial about new housing affecting rent costs. The staff was complaining that the rent and utilities to live there were too high and would cause area apartment complexes to change their rates to stay competitive with the University.

The newspaper then went on to comment that the high rates would not be a problem for lottery scholarship recipients, implying that $3,000 takes care of every college expense and then some. This is more than untrue.

I graduated in 2003 and worked hard through high school, keeping a high GPA and receiving a fairly high ACT score. I was very excited when I received the lottery scholarship, but it doesn’t cover everything. I am also in the Dean’s Scholarship program, bringing my scholarship total to $4,500 per year. This just barely covers tuition. I am not eligible for any Rotary Club scholarships from my hometown because they say that I am getting enough already. I have to save up for books and I live at home. People don’t realize that the lottery scholarship, while very nice, really isn’t all it’s talked up to be, except for those of us who are having to scrape by on it.

Abbie Gilliland Union City

Pacer neglects to mention alcohol as a concern

I found it very interesting that a large part of the Nov. 30, 2004, Pacer was devoted to stories concerning the use of illegal substances on campus and in the community. I find the cartoon on page two particularly interesting because the banner depicted does not contain the most used illegal drug by students, that being alcohol. The reason it is illegal is because it is being used by underage students.

In addition, on the following page there is an ad for one of the local establishments that strongly encourages the use of alcohol in excess by advertising “all you can drink for $5”, “Thirsty Thursday” and “free draft beer and 25 cent long necks” on Friday and Saturday Night.

Are we, as an institution, taking the use of alcohol for granted and not bothering to see alcohol as a substance that can ruin lives as quickly as marijuana, heroine, crack or crank and other sedatives, stimulants? Or are we an institution that sees alcohol for what it is and attempts to aid students to drink responsibly or even encourages them to abstain. In the same light, is The Pacer trying to paint other drugs as harmful while ignoring the pitfalls of using alcohol?

Many university organizations as well as staff and faculty choose to treat alcohol use and getting drunk as a rite of passage on college campuses. Students will continue to die because of alcohol poisoning and others will experience the negative consequences of PIs, DUIs, car accidents, fights, assaults and rape as long as the campus community turns a blind eye to the use of alcohol by underage drinkers.

Charles Daum UTM Counseling Martin

Students, not doctors, responsible for drug abuse

I’m a 1978 UTM graduate and 1982 Emory University School of Medicine graduate who practices pediatrics in metro Atlanta. I have an active ADHD practice and was dismayed to read your story “Vitamin R.”

Diversion of legitimate stimulant medication is an issue to which we practicing physicians are sensitive, but we are at the mercy of the honesty of our patients. I’m sure that the prescribing physician is given a legitimate sounding story by the acquiring student. Without confirming evidence, the prescriber is left only with suspicions, at most.

Perhaps the student using the diverted medication does have true ADHD. Certainly the description of distractibility lends itself to that diagnosis. I’d suggest that student be evaluated, but I’d also worry about his or her tendency to abuse the medication.

Vincent Virgin, MD Atlanta