Along with at least 500 other Tucsonans, I was disappointed to be turned away from yesterday’s lecture delivered by Noam Chomsky. When I arrived about half an hour before the lecture was to begin, the line already stretched from the North Ballroom, the very small venue where the lecture was scheduled, along the entire second floor of the Student Union. Although I understand that the organizers of this event probably wanted a full house for the sake of appearances, it seems as though they would be interested in allowing the public to attend. Apparently they were surprised that a few people might turn up to listen to the country’s most prominent public intellectual. This is just another excellent example of the poor planning and gross mismanagement for which our university is becoming justly famous.

— Ben Harper,
alumnus

In response to the Feb. 7 column “Fraternity hazing at colleges exemplifies bigger problems”:

Hi Lauren,

I just wanted to drop you a short note to tell you how well-written and well-done I thought your article in today’s paper was. “Fraternity hazing at colleges exemplifies bigger problems” was well-researched and really sends the message to UA students that hazing is a national problem and can be very damaging to student’s success.

Thank you for writing this piece.

— Johanne Ives,
assistant dean of students

In response to the Feb. 6 column “College men need to respect women for society to work”:

I now regret sending my prior email, not because I have necessarily changed my opinion regarding Mr. Davis’ article’s consistency, structure, etc., but rather because I definitely had the wrong idea of what an op-ed piece should be. Further, it is rather audacious of me to call the article “awful” or claim that it requires an apology just because it is not as radical in its feminism as I would prefer. While the article is a bit juvenile in its analysis, it is wrong of me to want it removed or apologized for, because, all-in-all, it is still a more forward-thinking opinion than a plurality of the opinions of men in general. Hopefully more men can come around to at least Mr. Davis’ level of insight, if not far past it, but, regardless, I take back my more polemic, destructive criticisms.

— Morgan Shnier,
junior studying English and creative writing