Letters to the editor
Phi Psi is at it again. The fraternity that was (allegedly) involved in the theft of roughly 10,000 copies of the Daily Wildcat last semester seems to have found another way to silence free speech — this time on the Internet. The organization’s Wikipedia page, which has had a brief summary of the allegations for the past five months, was recently vandalized without explanation. While the site details several embarrassing moments from the organization’s history, the only change that the vandals made was the removal of the section on the UA controversy. A quick check showed that the change came from a computer in Tucson, Ariz. I don’t think it’s much of a stretch to assume that a member of Phi Psi, an organization that has (allegedly) shown a clear affinity for censorship in the past, is responsible. While I’m sure nothing much will come of this second attempt to repress an unflattering story, I hope this episode will at least serve to cast further shame on this deserving fraternity.
Keith Howell
Economics senior
The Faculty Senate’s recently approved change to the grade replacement opportunity policy limits it to students within their first 60 units of UA residence credit. This change in policy appears to me to be a disadvantage to students who begin their undergraduate careers at the UA. I will compare two typical students. One I will call “”native”” (a student who began his or her undergraduate career at UA), and the other I will call “”transfer”” (a student who began elsewhere before coming to UA). For the sake of example, they each have completed 60 units, achieved junior standing and earned high grades along the way. The native student never had the need to use GRO during the first two years at UA. They both now take an upper-division core course in a major (e.g. COMM 300, SOC 300) and fail. The transfer student, having not completed 60 in-residence units, is allowed to repeat the course and use GRO. The native student may repeat the course but without the benefit of GRO. This strikes me as an unfair and arbitrary way to treat students who have contributed to the life of the campus and supported the university through their tuition dollars.
R. Scott Johnson
Director, Academic Advising and Student Services
College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Comments from dailywildcat.com
On ‘Commentary: Should fans boo Kevin O’Neill,’ March 4
Kevin O’Neill has the “”litle man syndrome””! He is a foul-mouth lout of a person. Livengood should never have let him be hired. He won’t last long at USC. Slow down, boring basketball. Boo the hell out of him. Wish I could be there!
Wildcat Fred
On ‘Tucson offers sex health variety,’ Feb. 25
Two thousand people is not a lot of people … in the country, or even in the state.
How many of these pregnancies were planned pregnancies? Many 18-24-year-olds are in committed relationships if not married.
Being 16 and pregnant is one controversial issue. If 2000 16-year-olds were pregnant, that would be interesting … but still not that large of a number.
12 and pregnant
On ‘Don’t drink the jungle juice,’ March 1
In 2001, Purdue University released the results of a nine-year study of 109 rape accusations and the resultant outcomes. False accusations averaged 41 percent for all reported rapes, varying from 27 percent to 70 percent year after year. Rape is never something to be taken lightly, but when more than four out of 10 are cases of “”crying wolf,”” no wonder there is a certain amount of skepticism, especially when viewed in the light of excessive drinking and partying by young adults who are, in many cases, just a few months out of their parents’ care.
Hugh
