DOE correct to let students hand out kits

I applaud the Department of Education for backing the students participating in the Jesus Hawaii Project Student Survival Kits.

Many people are unaware of just what is legal for students to do. The DOE has supported the legal rights of these students. The students have been instructed appropriately in how they are lawfully allowed to share. What a great opportunity for them to offer something positive to their classmates. It is fantastic that this has been so well received.

Dana Gallahair

Kits are a frivolous waste of money

I am dismayed by the recent Christian lobby to mass-distribute videos and literature in Hawaii. The expense of $1.7 million for the video plus God knows how much for the 70,000 glossy "Student Survival Kits" is outrageous. There are people in this state who don't have enough to eat and these "Christians" are handing out glossy brochures? What sick advertising executive thought this up?

Valerie S. Koenig

Would Satanist kits be allowed, too?

I'm a strong advocate of free speech and I applaud the Department of Education for taking an opened-minded position on the "Student Survival Kits" being handed out by the younger members of the Christian population. However, we also should allow other student groups to get their own funding and exercise their own free speech rights.

Hawaii is multicultural and diverse, and I'm sure that other student groups would like to present their views to their fellow students. There may be student Buddhists, Muslims and maybe even students practicing satanic rituals who would like their views heard.

Even students who advocate gay rights, or who support gambling and/or cockfighting, or follow the cause of white supremacists, or even those who support the rights of kids to bear firearms (legally, of course) must be allowed to express themselves.

What I'm saying is that the DOE has opened a Pandora's box, and we should let them reap what they sow.

Roy U. Morita
Aiea

Rummy is taking over president's job

Exactly who is running this country, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld or George W. Bush? Rumsfeld's arrogance is unprecedented!

Pradeepta Chowdhury
Hilo, Hawaii

Logo contest would result in better design

It is ironic that, in this time of University of Hawaii budget cuts, substantial money is being spent for the design of a new logo (Star-Bulletin, April 24), especially when what is being proposed is so inappropriate. In the design professions, when mediocrity is produced by a professional, it is often labeled "student work." I think, however, that student design talent exists that can provide a more appropriate logo for our university.

I propose that a design competition be held, with the requisite prize and necessary stipulations to find a local graphic designer before committing to what is being proposed. A more appropriate logo should be created before expending the further many tens of thousands of dollars redoing all the stationery, business cards and the myriad other surfaces involved university-wide.

Alan Rowland

Process for designing UH logo is all wrong

The idea of creating a single, consistent logo for the University of Hawaii is a good one. However, the method seems to be somewhat questionable.

First, the university has a capable art program, so I don't understand why $82,000 has to be spent to hire an outside firm to design something that talented UH graphic-design students are capable of creating internally. The administration is sending a message that UH's own art department is not good enough to design a logo for UH.

Second, what is with the blue and all the other different colors for all the different campuses? UH-Manoa fans are confused as to what to wear at games now, given the switch from green to black. UH-Hilo associates itself with red, but if you're from Leeward Community College, is periwinkle going to be imposed on all official documents and apparel as it is proposed in the strategy?

Finally, say the logo is on the back of someone's shirt or a coffee mug; no one is going to know what on Earth this big "H" stands for other than people already familiar with the logo. What's wrong with putting a "U" before the "H" so people can at least know it's a logo for a university?

The logo may be aesthetically pleasing, but there aren't any elements in either of the two designs that are university-ish.

The administration says this is meant to create a cohesive and consistent message, but it may end up creating more chaos and confusion.

Charles P. Izumoto

Branding will give UH more cohesive image

I'm proud to say I'm an alumnus of the University of Hawaii. I think the university has traditionally gotten less credit than it deserves for the quality of education provided, as well as the research activities. It is great that there is a new initiative to reach out to the local community as well as internationally to let people know that UH has many strengths.

It is unfortunate that many here in Hawaii don't really appreciate the quality of UH. Developing a new logo and branding are ways of showing that UH is an integrated system, not just a collection of little fiefdoms. The new efforts to promote the UH system are necessary and welcome.

David Johnson