Editorials

EDITORIAL BOARD Editor in
Chief  Timothy Kudo

Managing Editor
 Michael Falcone

Viewpoint Editor
 Cuauhtemoc Ortega

Staff Representatives
 Amanda Fletcher
 Kelly Rayburn
 Marcelle Richards
Vytas Mazeika
Corey McEleney
Linh Tat

Editorial Board Assistants
 Maegan Carberry
 Edward Chiao

  Unsigned editorials represent a majority opinion of
the Daily Bruin Editorial Board. All other columns, letters and
artwork represent the opinions of their authors.   All
submitted material must bear the author’s name, address, telephone
number, registration number, or affiliation with UCLA. Names will
not be withheld except in extreme cases.   The Bruin
complies with the Communication Board’s policy prohibiting the
publication of articles that perpetuate derogatory cultural or
ethnic stereotypes.   When multiple authors submit
material, some names may be kept on file rather than published with
the material. The Bruin reserves the right to edit submitted
material and to determine its placement in the paper. All
submissions become the property of The Bruin. The Communications
Board has a media grievance procedure for resolving complaints
against any of its publications. For a copy of the complete
procedure, contact the Publications office at 118 Kerckhoff Hall.
Daily Bruin 118 Kerckhoff Hall 308 Westwood Plaza Los Angeles, CA
90024 (310) 825-9898

Forget frustrations: be patient travelers
Excessive complaining amid influx of holiday flyers can undermine
much-needed security

Although it is estimated that air travel will decrease by about
15-20 percent this holiday weekend in comparison to other years,
there will still be a significant influx of people for airport
security to process ““ and with this, the greater chance that
a terrorist could seep through. Keeping this in mind, it is
critical that students flying home remain patient and cooperative
when they take to the skies.

Many have complained that inadequate safety standards at
airports were responsible for allowing the Sept. 11 hijackers on
board. Now that safety standards are being implemented, cooperation
is the key.

We’re in the wake of the biggest domestic security threat
in our nation’s history. If this means people have to wait a
couple of extra hours in line and at the airport baggage check
counters, then this is the price we must pay ““ and we should
do it graciously.

Complaining to and harassing airport security attendants will
only serve to make them perform their tasks more hurriedly and
ineffectively, consequently increasing the chances that dangerous
people will board flights.

If travelers act civilly while they comply with security
requests, it will make the process smoother for all involved,
ensuring better security and safety.

Film adaptations kill all incentive to
read
“˜Harry Potter,’ other movies deliver crushing blow to
books’ positive influence over kids

We are currently enjoying one of those rare moments in modern
time when children are abandoning their video games, turning off
the TV and logging off the internet ““ to read a book.

Children everywhere have fallen in love with J.K.
Rowling’s famous teenage wizard Harry Potter. Since the first
Potter book was released in 1998, the books have encouraged a
reading frenzy not seen since the first adventures of Frodo Baggins
and the Lord of the Rings.

But as the big books make their way to the big screen, children
are dropping their imaginations for bright lights and computer
animation.

Sadly, in an age of rapid technological progress, we’ve
managed to forget the importance literature has on us. Reading is a
sure way of helping children develop a thought process that allows
for critical thinking skills that will help them succeed both
academically and in life. Harry Potter books may not contain great
literary value, but they’re valuable nonetheless as a
transition to even greater literary works.

But instead of exploiting this opportunity, we’ve decided
to waste it for profits and technological child care.