Wednesday, April 18, 1990
Letters to the Editor
” Friend” unhappy
about appearance in
Spanos' column
Dear Editor,
It's amazing to me what some
people will do for attention. I'm
referring of course to the Spanos
article on fraternities. I'm not
sure that I'm the person referred
to in her article. Her use of the
term "friend" to describe our
relationship couldn't be further
from the truth.
Before I begin my rebuttal, I'd
like to clear up a few terms, one
of which is referred to in her
article:
Lurch - noun, 1.) a person
with no individual traits or
motivation. 2.) a sheep.
Swine - noun, 1.) a
contemptible person.
(adapted from the Robert S.
Beall dictionary)
I think it is important for
Spanos to learn these and
understand them.
I began my career at Behrend
in 1983 when no fraternities or
sororities were present. After
serving in the U.S. Army for 3
years, I returned and have since
seen the incredible growth of
greek life at Behrend.
I have nothing against
students joining organizations
and proudly displaying their
organizations around campus.
However, there are individuals
who take this to an extreme
(didn't she write about that
once???) and feel compelled to
segregate themselves and their
organization from others at
Behrend, much to my
disapproval.
Don't get me wrong. I have
many wonderful friends in
fraternities and sororities on
campus. The key is that these
people maintain their
individuality while at the same
time are members of
organizations. They don't become
so overwhelmed with their
Eratemity/sorority that they lose
rack of their own sense of
Miss Spanos has proven her
lack of class by carrying on a
private conversation with me,
then making that conversation
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public without my prior consent,
and then taking things I said out
of context and adding things I
never said. The whole
conversation should have been
printed, if anything at all.
Miss Spanos has also proven
her naivety by believing that
people don't join
fratemities/sororities for parties,
friends, and social status, but
rather they join "to adopt the
beliefs and traditions that are the
basis of that
fraternity" HELLO MCFLY??
Her article proves that if
misinformed, misconstrued
individuals are permitted to print
publicly about issues and
subjects that they know nothing
about (fraternities, Behrend,
friends) they should be prepared
to suffer the inevitable
consequences (foot in mouth).
One final word of advice for
her and others to follow: Be
yourselves, don't try to be
something you're not.
But then again, "Intraspecific
avian units of identical
genotypical plumage demonstrate
distinct tendencies to congregate."
I certainly hope she received
her much needed attention for
printing her article in defense of a
few of her "good friends."
Suggested schedule for
Spanos, Fall '9O: Engl 015 -
grammar, spelling, rhetoric;
Commu 497 - communication
with others; Diversity 101 -
expanding one's horizons.
William J. Valley II
Eighth semester
Accounting
Festa explains
presentation
Dear Editor,
I guess I'll just do what the
administration would like to see,
or did I misunderstand the
comments immediately prior to
the event of Wednesday, April
4th, in the Winter Garden, to the
effect that I have no experience or
qualifications to carry out a
presentation? I would like to
thank that nameless person for
giving me such wonderful
support, I couldn't have done it
The Collegian
without you.
Actually, you did trip me up
considerably, but I still gave it
my "unqualified" best. I am
interested in knowing, however,
why students are qualified to put
on a presentation in front of their
classmates and teachers, but are
unqualified to put one on for the
student population as a whole?
When we go on to the big
"out there" (after graduating) well
have to cope with situations well
know absolutely nothing about,
and still be quite able to pull
them off reasonably well.
If I were to have been
presenting to a large corporation,
I might be more inclined to agree
with your sentiments about my
ability, though I would still have
reason to argue my point, but I
was presenting to students who
do not have such rigid
requirements about presentations,
except that they be well presented
and make a solid point.
I had a solid point to bring
up, though my presentation was
weak, and if I raised the
conscience of one person, then it
was a successful presentation.
As for the comment that I
might say the wrong thing. Since
when is it a crime to talk to the
people? Why are there so many
rules and regulations about how
one might reach out to others?
Too many of the rules are
labels used as an excuse to
discriminate against people,
blacks, asians, orientals, hippies,
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yuppies, mexicans, anglo-saxons,
conformist (insider, high value)
vs rebel (outsider, low value)
young, old, rich, p00r.... Oh, but
the heck with all of that, I'm not
going to think about it anymore.
I won't be vocal on the
injustices I see, especially when
it's not fully known what the
injustices are or whom they
effect. Just because there's a label
called Cultural Diversity and an
improper use of the value
assignment system, and the
negative impacts of these
corruptive actions on everyone;
just because these things exist,
heck, that's still no reason to let
it interfere with my life.
Andrew Festa
Sixth semester, English
Defending
Plaza's letter
Dear Editor,
In defense of Plaza's letter,
regarding the use of profanity in
The Collegian, I wish to
comment on your arrogant retort
to her letter.
You mentioned in your
response to Miss Plaza that "at
least two people were offended
enough to take the time to
express their opinions" regarding
the use of profanity in The
Collegian. With these "two" in
mind, I wish to examine an
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Wednesday
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assertion theory.
A few years ago the Editorial
Writer of the Erie Morning News
informed me, after publishing my
letter to the Editor, that if he
received one letter on a particular
issue then probably a thousand
others felt the same way, but
would not take the time to
respond.
If I may be so bold to apply
this same theory to Behrend
students,the result may hopefully
mellow your attitude. For
example, Behrend's total
enrollment is nearly 2900
students. If the Letter to the
Editor theory holds true (1=1000;
2=2000; etc.), then a two-thirds
majority is already against the
use of profanity in The
Collegian.
This letter, being number
three, makes it somewhat
unanimous. "Get what I mean
Vem?"
Ray Sines
Eighth semester, English
I think your numbers are
just a little off their mark.
They might be fairly
accurate if The Collegian's
circulation were 100 times
bigger than it is, but it is
not. By the way, I don't
think our attitude is the one
that needs mellowed.
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