Letters to the Editor

Not heads-up play

The sports being cut at Temple University are played on an international stage, and at least three have produced Olympians. For example, a Temple alum has participated in every Olympics in rowing since 1992 - a stunning feat for a non-Ivy. Temple's success in these sports has attracted students from all over the world. From a business viewpoint, foreign alumni are a great source of funds, since they tend to be successful upon returning home. But Temple administrators appear to rely on outdated thinking that keeps a sport such as football - with its inflated budget and terrible return on investment - under the mistaken idea that, if it works for giant universities, it should work here. Meanwhile, Temple sacrifices sports that could showcase the school's athletic excellence and draw just as devoted a donor base. Perhaps Hoosiers Neil D. Theobald and Kevin G. Clark simply do not have the vision to take advantage of these opportunities to transform Temple into an international center of higher learning.

Alessandra Phillips and Will Weaver, Philadelphia, williamvweaver@gmail.com

Like intramurals

It seems that Temple's policy with athletics is to support those teams that do best in the most prominent sports and reap the reflected prestige ("Temple cancels seven varsity sports, effective next year," Dec. 7). Most would agree that a university exists to promote the talents of all its students, both within and without their academic disciplines, to the fullest extent in a fair and comprehensive way. It follows from this that the university should support as many sports as it reasonably can. This includes treating football and basketball equally with the others financially, and being content with that.

Rod Gunn, Elkins Park

Corbett's green view

Your recent editorial lobs several accusations at new Secretary of Environmental Protection Christopher Abruzzo and the Corbett administration ("Ignoring science is a mistake," Dec. 15).    The assertion that Pennsylvania chose not to join the efforts of eight other Northeastern states in challenging air impacts from other states was wrong, inasmuch as Gov. Corbett, at the recommendation of Abruzzo, actually did join the multistate effort. The claim that Corbett has been reluctant to regulate the natural-gas industry is also incorrect. Last year, the governor championed and signed legislation that contains the most comprehensive enhancement to Pennsylvania's environmental laws in nearly 30 years. Act 13 contains increased fines, setback distances between drilling and water supplies, homes, streams, and other critical resources; mandatory fracking chemical disclosure; increased inspections; new protections for homeowners and water supplies; and more than 15 additional legislative changes that are protecting our air, water, and land resources. Thanks to Corbett, the state is serving as a role model for how to responsibly regulate this industry. In fact, Pennsylvania was invited to present its comprehensive gas oversight efforts to the nonpartisan National Governors Association shale-gas conference this fall. Science, the facts, and a balanced approach to protect the environment have been and will continue to be hallmarks of the Corbett administration.

Patrick Henderson, energy executive, Office of the Governor, Harrisburg

Expert repair

I was so glad to see that PATCO is finally getting its escalators repaired, and by SEPTA, no less. Anyone who rides SEPTA, especially boarding at Margaret and Orthodox, knows what a bang-up job it does - so well that that crews return weekly.

Patricia Dobilas, Philadelphia

Stay in own lane

Parking in the bike lanes along Pine and Spruce Streets around Rittenhouse Square has to stop. While I try hard to bike safely throughout the city, it requires using those lanes.

Ivy McDaniels, Philadelphia