A teacher accused of telling his second-grade students frightening tales about the devil is facing dismissal from Miller Elementary School in Tucson. One child said the teacher taught the students that the devil rapes little boys and “”touches them where they don’t want to be touched,”” according to a concerned parent’s letter.

Keep the devil out of the classroom

Aside from carefree playground activity and play dates with friends, I experienced a lot of sleepless nights in my childhood, and it was all because I watched too many episodes of “”Are You Afraid of the Dark?”” and believed all the older kids when they said our school was haunted.

Needless to say, a child’s sponge-like mind does not typically respond well to disturbing stories, which have no place in a second grade classroom.

This instructor allegedly told horrific stories to those poor kids. According to the Arizona Daily Star, ten of the teacher’s students made statements that were consistent with the allegations in the parent’s letter.

One student said the teacher warned the class that if they told lies, the devil would yank their feet while they slept, turning their feet red. This insensitive teacher obviously doesn’t care about the best interests of his students. If he really wanted them to remain healthy, happy and eager to learn, he’d stick to the curriculum and lose his foul agenda.

It’s extremely inappropriate for an elementary school instructor to share such terrifying, irrelevant tales with small children. Even if this teacher believes he’s saving the students by sharing his viewpoint, he’s still wrong to impose his thoughts on a group of vulnerable young students. Regardless of this instructor’s future, I just hope the children have no issues falling asleep at night.

— Laura Donovan is the

opinions editor.

She can be reached at

letters@wildcat.arizona.edu

Yesterday, the College of Humanities said in a mass e-mail about Family Weekend, “”Family Weekend has something for everyone, and will give you samples of the vibrant and engaging events, and the fun, that is part of life here at the University of Arizona.”” Columnist Christopher Ward muses on the superfluity of this message.

Just another coddling listserv e-mail …

OK, students, you now officially only have one more night, if that, to clean up your act. It’s Family Weekend at the UA! Pick your dirty clothes up off the floor (I’m not saying that you have to wash them, but at least throw them in a trashbag or in the closet). Don’t forget to empty the trash — you don’t want empty beer bottles or used condoms to be visible if your folks are going to “”check in”” on you. While you’re at it, don’t forget to bottom-drawer those questionable pictures, and if you want to send the right message, lay some books out.

I appreciated the mass e-mail reminding me of how to carry on my life, because although my parents aren’t going to be around, I want to enjoy flaunting all the extra fun I’m going to have this weekend to my not-so-lucky fellow students. While many of you will need to refrain from binge drinking at this Saturday’s tailgate, expect to see me with an alcoholic beverage in each hand, handing out chalk and encouraging competitive hopscotch competitions to keep the UAPD busy.

While Family Week is a nice little break from the stress of school, it’s an introduction of some whole new stresses for some, and to those unfortunate few … Good luck. I’m thinking, “”Family … Weak. END!””

— Christopher Ward is a junior majoring in English. He can be reached at letters@wildcat.arizona.edu

Last week Ralph Lauren came under fire for what looked to be an extremely altered photo of a model in one of its ads. The model was also recently fired. Columnists Dunja Nedic, Rachel Leavitt and Daniel Greenberg give their takes on the scandal.

Fired Ralph Lauren model no victim

Obviously, model Filippa Hamilton is a gorgeous woman. But the real reason people get so angry about models being fired is because they see it as some kind of indirect rejection of their own appearance. 

Models adhere to the same terms of employment as do the rest of us — that employment will cease should we fail to meet the company’s requirements. The difference is that models choose to be employed by an industry that is more fickle than most.

Whether it is because they get a new haircut or because they put on weight, it is a model’s job to look a certain way and like anyone else, she will be terminated if she does not meet the company’s standards, even if it is through no fault of her own.

The fashion industry does perpetuate an unrealistic image of how we should look, but we all need to realize that, as Karl Lagerfeld so tactfully put it, the world of fashion is one of “”dreams and illusions,”” and we all encourage it by continuing to buy their clothes and admire their catwalk shows. Don’t feel sorry for Hamilton; she’s probably never paid for a drink in her life.

— Dunja Nedic is an Australian exchange student. She can be reached at letters@wildcat.arizona.edu

Who wants to date a toothpick, anyway?

It looks like Ralph Lauren is attempting to turn people into stick figures.

Sure, very thin women are aesthetically pleasing, but the photoshopped skeleton woman is just disgusting. The crucial point to make is that while the skinny models look good, they’re really not all that sexually attractive.

Take it from me: most guys want a woman with a feminine body, and the body this model got fired for having is probably even thinner than the typical ideal. Being healthy and fit is one thing — trying to achieve what is not only an unhealthy but in this case is an actually fictional-nightmarish image is another. It’s insanity. Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t want to have to worry about a girl cracking in half like a Passover matzah cracker when push comes to pound.

— Daniel Greenberg is a Near Eastern studies senior. He can be reached at letters@wildcat.arizona.edu.

Let them eat cake

When beautiful, healthy women like Filippa Hamilton, at 5 foot 10 inches and 120 pounds, are fired for being overweight, I can’t help but fear what the “”correct”” weight is.

The idolization of seemingly emaciated women in society, endorsed by magazines, clothing companies and luminaries, is utterly offensive and detrimental to women’s body images.

With each underweight model, Ralph Lauren and many other clothing companies encourage lower self-esteem and a false understanding of what qualifies as beautiful and sexy.

I applaud Hamilton for coming forward and sharing a common, yet under-the-radar occurrence. She has single-handedly helped anyone who read her sentiment build more confidence and understand the corrupt industry so many people adore.

With nearly every magazine cover emphasizing in big, bold letters that the contents within will teach you how to conform to what “”guys want”” — “”12 moves to make your man squeal”” or “”10 steps to an irresistible body”” — and stick-thin women on each page, it’s no wonder so many women, young and old, fall victim to eating disorders.

According to the Journal of Treatment and Prevention of 2007, an estimated 19 to 30 percent of college females are diagnosed with an eating disorder, an appalling number unbefitting of the smart, stunning women the statistic encompasses. A far worse number would be one including those undiagnosed.

But who are these men that women are so intent on pleasing? Most men I’ve consulted adamantly prefer women with curves, women confident with their bodies and women who are not afraid to order cake for dessert.

A healthy body image served on a platter of voluptuous curves, topped with a hearty appetite is sexy.

So, UA, let them eat cake.

— Rachel Leavitt is a creative writing sophomore. She can be reached at letters@wildcat.arizona.edu