UA should reach out to students who don’t fit ‘party’ mold

When I walk around campus, I see students hanging out with groups of people and I wonder, how did they get such a large social network? An incoming freshman’s social life heavily revolves around alcohol and partying. But what about the students who don’t want to party? They are left feeling bored and lonely because the only option for socializing is something that they are not interested in. The UA should examine this group of people. What programs does the university provide for them?

Many people cannot wait to go to college and have a great time, whether it be studying the major they intend to go into or socializing. But what about students who do not really fit into that environment? Not everyone thinks the same way about college. When going to college, students realize that they have freedom that they won’t have back home. Many incoming students think that they need to party hard, smoke or even consume alcohol, but there are some people who are looking for something different.

People do not realize that there is a small population of incoming freshman that do not fit into the social and party picture, whether they are shy or they just do not like to do it. Having alcohol and other things be the iconic image of college makes the non-social students afraid and extremely lonely since they feel like they do not fit in with this environment. Giving incoming students who do not want to get involved in alcohol an alternative would help students transition better.

I would love to see a group of people who are not interested in partying or hanging out. For instance, what about university sponsored socials? What about Friday night bowling events, organized dinners, local concerts – information easily available on campus? The university needs to offer something that embraces these non-partying students. The university has a responsibility to provide students with access to experiences that are enjoyable and safe.

Steven Mikhail

undeclared freshman

Banning guns would increase number of violent crimes in U.S.

The recent article by Daniel Greenberg titled “”A modest proposal for guns on campus”” has several questionable statements. The article says that honest citizens are the real threat, not murderers, and that guns are the real threat because they make loud noises and are scary. It seems as though he is more concerned with the presence of weapons and the loud noises they make than violent crimes against people.

I think that a gun ban in America (or parts of it), such as the one proposed would increase violent crimes. This is what happened in Australia when they banned guns. It is interesting that Mr. Greenberg mentioned the Holocaust in his article, because before being rounded up and killed, the Jews were to turn in all of their weapons.

Mason Shaw

engineering senior

Columnist wrong to dismiss ‘exciting scholarship’ on Bard’s identity

You have missed the point, and you may be shutting yourself off from the most exciting scholarship of the twentieth century by your cavalier dismissal of new information. (“”Supreme Court in a tussle over Shakespeare,”” April 21, 2009)

Nobody is saying that a commoner could not be a genius, but like Mark Twain (alias Samuel Clemens), a genius would write about what he knows. No aristocrat could have written “”Tom Sawyer”” or “”Huckleberry Finn.”” He wouldn’t have the background or experience for it. That’s why Mark Twain wrote his famous essay, “”Is Shakespeare Dead?”” He said he didn’t know who did write the Shakespearean canon, but he was certain that the Stratford guy was not the same man as the author.

I suggest you read the classic discussion of the authorship question, Charlton Ogburn, Jr.’s “”The Mysterious William Shakespeare: The Myth and the Reality.”” Ogburn looks at the case for Mr. Shaksper of Stratford and all the other presumed candidates (Bacon, Marlowe, etc.) then you can debate from an informed perspective.

Also, inform yourself about what the issue really is, by going to the Web site of Doubt About Will, which has now been signed by over 1,500 doubters, including many from the academic world. Then ask yourself: What are the Stratfordians afraid of?

Helen H. Gordon, M.A., Ed. D.

Professor Emeritus, Bakersfield College,
Bakersfield, Calif