With 44,435 thousand students attending in Fall 2004, Texas A&M University has the seventh-largest student population of any university in the country. However, it also happens to be the only school of the 10 largest universities that does not have a fine arts program.

Our Founding Fathers had the right idea: Those taxed do deserve representation. Fortunately, they and other early Americans got their wish - a representative in every part of the country, large or small, to speak on their behalf. Unfortunately, taxation with representation is not working so well, either.

Mike Walters' blaming supporters of diversity and tolerance for hate crimes such as those suffered by Ravi Mallipeddi is absurd and disturbing.

Mr. Whittmore must not have thought through his assertion that the free market is not an effective means of influencing the emissions of greenhouse gasses.

In her mail call concerning the hate crime committed close to campus, Reed states, "I am embarrassed to know that members of our Aggie community could commit such heinous and misguided acts." I want it to be completely clear that it has not been substantiated that the act involved Texas A&M students.

Mr. Walters argues that the University's focus on racial diversity promotes racism and that the University's admissions policies are responsible for "fueling the source of this hate." I am staunchly against unequal admissions standards simply for the purpose of promoting diversity, but it is ridiculous to presume that such a policy directly leads to students being physically attacked.