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Opinion
 

Forum Friday: Is our university's image in trouble?

Yea or nay for DeLay?

Tom DeLay is a graduate of the University of Houston. With his affiliation to UH, has DeLay's recent scandal and subsequent resignation hurt the University?

Denial is no good; DeLay knows where he'll be going

Tom DeLay didn't go to school here. The reason I say that is because, in my opinion, the money-laundering scandal that DeLay is accused of did not happen. He could not possibly have gone to school in Texas. I don't really believe anything the left-wind media says anyhow ... then again, I don't really care where criminals learned how to commit crimes. I just recently found out Tom went to school here and I say, great! Maybe he will let me come interview him in prison. Maybe he won't go and he can help me get a pardon someday. Who knows, in this day and age, anything is possible, right? Maybe the lies will come out and the truth will be revealed in the end. I heard DeLay on the radio and he said something along the lines of he would be where God wanted him. I just smiled. -- Henry Darragh

We should honor DeLay with a 'Cougar shocker'

I say "yea" to Tom DeLay for setting a great example for fellow Cougars. After graduating in 1970 with a biology degree, Tom set out to fulfill dreams that have inevitably bettered our state and nation. I believe DeLay's resignation has helped UH. We are witnesses to the life lessons DeLay has taught. Many politicians have crumbled when their roles in scandals were made public. Yet, with all of the controversy, DeLay is calm, cool and collected. 

Our Republican friend is still married and has a wonderful work ethic and he is grateful to everyone who helped him along the way. UH should be proud to have produced such a well-educated, stand-up citizen. It's not every day that UH alumni are in the spotlight. I say we give DeLay the benefit of the doubt, stand by him and support him by raising our "Cougar shocker." 

"I am proud of the past," DeLay said. "I am at peace with the present." If he believes in himself, we should too. He's helped put UH on the map. -- Melissa Correa

Everyone knows those critters can survive nuclear war

It won't make a difference in hurting the image of the same university who still has an endowed chair in the name of Ken Lay. Of course we aren't giving the money back and, of course, Tom DeLay isn't going to tarnish the image of a university. Political science majors will revel in it and love the fact that a master politician like DeLay went to school here. I doubt DeLay even took much interest in his political science classes as he got his start in politics just fighting his one issue of the state over-regulating his bug-killing business he started after graduating. If anything, it helps the University because, as we say in politics, any press is good press. Accusations and alleged misdeeds aside, DeLay is a stud of a politician. So, come to UH, but instead of biology, major in political science and remember the most important rules in politics: absolute power corrupts absolutely and, of course, no one is invincible. -- Josh Delano

We'll have five states worth of distance from DeLay

While Tom DeLay is and was a poisonous, partisan political leader who has fallen from grace rather dramatically, his taint does not extend to or affect any of his former educational institutions. He chose his particular mode of politics despite the best efforts of UH's faculty. Fortunately, it will be simple for the University's administration to distance itself from this disgraced alumni once DeLay is safely relocated to Virginia at the end of June. 
-- Denise Hewitt

Cockroach killer becomes what he used to kill for a living

Tom Delay graduated from UH with a degree in biology. He made a living killing cockroaches. Who could have known that when DeLay became a congressman, he would become a cockroach himself? He is as embarrassing to UH as Ken Lay is. Both are graduates of UH, both have fallen from positions of great power in recent years and both are considered to be morally corrupt. UH has a reputation for being one of the best schools in Texas because its graduates have had great success. People like DeLay and Lay, who graduated from UH and then are involved in great scandals, make UH look fantastic for their successes and terrible for their scandals. With alumni such as DeLay, perhaps UH will get a reputation as a university where you can become very successful -- but only if you break the law or ignore ethics. Maybe we'll become the new Harvard. -- Nick Somarkis

Hit the road Jack, and don't you come back no more

I can see it now. It's 2016 and thousands of students are anxiously awaiting their UH envelopes to see if they have been accepted to the newly created Tom DeLay School of Government. A dismayed mother hears her child weeping and enters his room. 

DeLay entered politics for selfish reasons -- because environmental legislation hurt his pesticide business -- and is leaving because greed grew with his ego. There are many Republicans and Democrats in politics who have their weak moments, but still have an overarching, noble desire to help people. 

Tom Delay was not one of those people. What has he done for this school directly? The quicker we forget about him, the better off we'll be. -- David Salinas

Send comments to dccampus@mail.uh.edu