<b>5 Colleges share slow 'Net speed</b><br>In J. Robinson Mead's otherwise excellent opinion piece, "Despite ISP problems, 'net progress made," (Jan. 31, 2001) he writes that "we're left to putter along ... in K-cars, while our Five-College brothers and sisters motor by in SUVs." Actually, Smith and Mount Holyoke receive exactly the same service from UMass that we do (and those two schools have more students and staff to use it up), while Hampshire has half of our bandwidth. Smith and Mount Holyoke were to receive expanded service from UMass at the same time that we were getting ready to increase our 'Net speed, but their project has been pushed back to April.

Perhaps it would be more appropriate to say that we're all on the same UMass-operated PVTA bus on the Information Super-route 9.

Nicholas Dahlman '98<br>Kermes Fellow<br>Amherst College IT Department

<b>New profs should be first priority</b><br>We are upset by what we feel is a misapplication of the College's resources. As current students, we have a different perspective on the areas of College life that we think need improving at this time, and we do not feel that renovation of the freshman living area should be an immediate concern.

When Appleton was converted into a dormitory, the detripling of all of North and South made little sense to us; clearly, some former two-room triples in each of those dorms are appropriately sized for three people, while some rooms in James and Stearns remain too small for three people to comfortably live in. We believe the focus on detripling freshman housing is surprising in light of the fact that many sophomores live in triples-including some two-room triples.

If Pratt and Morrow need renovation to make them high-quality enough for first-year housing, it makes little sense to consider them acceptable housing for upperclass students.

We understand the College's belief that in order to continue recruiting the highest caliber of students, freshman housing must be improved. However, we question the suggestion that housing has deterred excellent students from attending the College since neither application numbers, nor quality of applicants nor matriculation rates have fallen significantly in recent years. Furthermore, as they stand, the renovation plans strike us a ludicrously elaborate, suggesting change where none is necessary.

The need for more tenured faculty positions exceeds the need for these housing changes. Many of us fear that our favorite young professors will leave Amherst for a school that is willing to offer them the security and salary of a tenure-track position. Departments such as law, jurisprudence, and social thought (LJST), neuroscience and philosophy are able to meet the demands of their students only because non-tenure track faculty in visiting assistant professor positions are willing to take on the responsibilities of tenure-track positions.

Former Visiting Professor of Music Andy Jaffe is the perfect example of a professor adored by students whom Amherst lost to another institution (Williams) because that institution offered him a tenure-track position.

In the 1999-2000 academic year, two English majors were almost unable to write theses because not enough faculty were available to advise them; one of these majors was able to convince an English professor to support him and the other was advised by a member of the Theater and Dance department. Similarly, economics students find it difficult to write theses because their professors are already overburdened.

With more tenure-track faculty, our class options would be more diverse. Our professors would have more time for us, because the demands on any individual professor would be decreased. The availability of tenure-track positions would give young faculty members more incentive to fully invest themselves in their students and the College community.

Our professors are much more than just people who stand in front of a class and yell at us for not doing all of our reading. The heart of the Amherst student experience is the insight we gain from our classroom and personal relationships with the faculty.

We came to Amherst as students looking for the best education that we could get, and we fully believe that the Amherst faculty have given that to us, as much as they are currently able. We fear that in the not-too-distant future, the ability of the College to perform at the highest level will be impaired because the demands on the small number of tenured faculty will be too great.

While we understand that the caliber of Amherst as an institution depends on the students it can attract, and that updated housing may help to attract top students, we fully believe that a better-supported faculty will do much more to enhance life at Amherst. If the College is truly "willing to spend" ("Trustees delay final decision on freshman quad renovations," Jan. 31), then the Board of Trustees should carefully consider what to spend money on. Additional tenured faculty positions will be of greater long-term benefit to the College than a misguided attempt to attract more students through better housing.

Adriane Sandler '02<br>Chris Maloof '02<br>Amy Summerville '02

<b>It's how ice is done</b><br>Peering out my window at the blizzard that's been raging for several hours, I am beginning to dread tomorrow morning's commute. It's not the snow that I mind, but the teriyaki sauce-like substance the College has been using to battle ice on the sidewalks. I realize that this is a common complaint every winter, brought on by the ever-present reek of fetid soy around campus, but I believe it has yet to be properly addressed.

There has got to be a less repugnant, but equally effective, method for melting ice. And if there isn't, then the College should start investing in research, because such a product would be liquid gold.

Additionally, there have been several days without teriyaki sprayings, resulting in extremely icy paths. This seems to be a gross negligence on the College's part and fertile breeding ground for a lawsuit. So please, Dean Lieber, be liberal with the Kikkoman™, and start working on some A-1.

Jacob Schulz '02