Cuff hater not so open-minded
This is in response to the letter I read in this Monday’s issue regarding a certain university employee who is dissatisfied with Ms. Byars’ “Off the Cuff” column.
Apparently, Mr. Gordon’s point of view is limited to that which he chooses to acknowledge because of his position and idiosyncracy. There are people that don’t think the way you do, Sir. His affirmation about ” open mindedness” seems to have left out our constitutional right to freedom of speech and the proverbial corolary of freedom of good, ol’ fashioned entertainment.
The general public is already swarmed with a plethora of conservative opinion and consumerist-oriented media. Watch the TV for 5 minutes, and you’ll see what I mean. The reason Ms. Byars’ column seems shocking to Mr. Gordon is because he, like many, aren’t accustomed to liberals and their opinions. Especially in this region. But we’re here… get used to it.
PS: I don’t believe that there are any official “tree hugging” universities in California. Tree hugging cannot be learned or taught, it can just be harnessed.
Barbara Gonzalez
senior
psychology
Vandals should be ashamed
As I was walking by Coates Hall, I habitually picked up a copy of The Reveille. Right there, on the front page of the Sept. 10 issue, I read about the vandalism of the art exhibit in the sculpture park on our campus. I find it very sad that people have the nerve to ruin the hard work of a fellow student.
Every day hundreds of students walk through the sculpture park on the LSU campus. Some admire the artwork, while others just walk by without a second glance. Although we may see these sculptures, we do not see the many hours that the creators have put forth. While the untrained eye may see the sculptures as a piece of scrap metal, these projects take a lot of time, commitment and money.
As a freshman, I never understood what the sculptures were. I would walk by them wondering what the creators saw in a round metal rock that I didn’t. It was not until I took an art appreciation course that I was able to understand the significance of the projects. These sculptures mean a great deal to the creators. For some art students, it may be their first project, while for others it may be their last before moving out into a new phase of their artistic path.
Let us respect the work that our hard-working peers do. Wouldn’t the world be better if we praised each others’ efforts instead of destroying what others have worked so hard to accomplish – I think so.
Pamela Bonilla
sophomore
mass communication
Way to go Student Government
I would like to commend Allen Richey, Jesse Gomez and all of Student Government for the great work they have done to resurrect forgotten traditions here at LSU. After all, how can we be a tradition-rich school but not participate in any? I felt this past weekend’s Pajama Game was a success and definitely a step in the right direction to bring back the tradition of having freshmen wear pajamas to the first home football game each season.
Student Government also was the main reason the Tiger Rag tradition was renewed with our in-state rival, Tulane. Though the two teams rarely play anymore, and when they do, LSU easily beats Tulane, the Tiger Rag is an important tradition in one of LSU’s longest rivalries.
Even though SG is doing a great job renewing these traditions, I would like to bring another, less popular tradition to its attention and to the attention of all students. This is the tradition of having LSU students raise money for the purchase of past live Mike the Tiger mascots and helping him build and remodel his habitat twice. After reading the new book “Mike the Tiger: Roar of LSU,” (a recommended buy for all students and fans) it is easy to see how much Mike means to this university and the community.
Student fundraisers have raised money in the past for the building and expansion of Mike’s home and, once again, he is badly in need of a larger space more suitable for such a large, wild animal. TAF Collegiate Club is a club dedicated to raising this needed money, and I would like to see SG take a more active role in the fund-raising effort. Though a lot of money has already been raised, more is still needed to complete the project.
In the summer and fall of 1980, SGA’s “Friends of Mike” committee assessed a two dollar fee to each student to expand the habitat to its current size. If such a committee could be restored and paired up with TAF’s “I Like Mike” campaign, major strides could be made toward Mike’s ultimate goal. I would like to see all students take an interest in this issue and get more involved with LSU traditions and fund-raising for Mike. I don’t think $2 is too much to ask.
Joining TAF only costs $10, which is all donated to the “I Like Mike” campaign. Getting more involved with Student Government and Touch LSU, a club committed to restoring campus traditons, is another way to make this university’s rich history come back to life. Not to mention helping our dear old Mike move into a well-deserved larger home. Now all we need to do is get those “freshies” to shave their heads!
Todd Adams
junior
mass communication
Animal rights is a serious issue
I just wanted to let you know that I really liked Lauren Wilbert’s Sept. 9 article titled “Tigers find new home after suffering neglect.” I was thrilled to learn that, with the help of two LSU alumnae, tigers Rainbow, Toby and Shere Kahn are now living in a place where they can receive proper care in order to live happy, healthy lives. It saddened me to learn that these tigers had been living at a local truck stop where they were unable to receive proper care. Many people are unaware of just how important it is for animals to be cared for properly, and this article raises that awareness. Hopefully more people will begin to take animal rights more seriously, so that other neglected animals can someday be as happy as Rainbow, Toby, and Shere Kahn now are.
Jennifer M.Farnet
freshman
mass communication
Columns are meant for humor, not hate
I think that both Tiger Weekly’s “Fashion Police” and The Reveille’s “Campus Trends” are great articles that many people seem to enjoy. They show pictures and make statements about what the writer thinks is appropriate for what people are wearing. I don’t understand why some people feel so offended by these articles. They are all for humor and entertainment. There have been other articles that incriminate people, but everyone has a right to their own opinion. If you are wearing the clothes, you should have some kind of self-confidence in yourself when buying them, and if not, then don’t wear them.
Stacey McDaniel
sophomore
mass communication
Wrestling far from reality TV
In last Thursday’s Reveille one particular article caught my attention. Kevin Brooks’ article “Time to get real, watch wrestling” is the most ridiculous article I have ever read. In his article Brooks argues that professional wrestling is more “real” and more interesting than reality television. Obviously Kevin is a big wrestling fan, and I am certain that many other college students share his enthusiasm about wrestling, but his argument that reality television is not “quality television” when compared to wrestling is completely off-based.
Brooks claims that reality television is not truly real and therefore nobody should watch it. But people don’t watch these shows for a daily dose of reality. They watch it because the stars of these shows typically aren’t stars. The majority of the casts of recent reality television shows have been comprised of everyday people. Brooks urges everyone to “fight the good fight” and not watch reality shows, but in the most recent Nielsen ratings chart only three of the top 20 shows are reality shows and they are barely inside the top 20 with “Big Brother 4”
ranking in at 17 and 19 and “Fear Factor” at 18.
But my argument with Brooks isn’t about the quality or truth of reality shows, it is about his reasons why you should watch wrestling, and “fight the good fight.” For example, he says that wrestling is controlled and made safe because it has referees. But do you really think that the minor fights on P Diddy’s “Making the Band 2” need to be officiated? And if a wrestling referee supervised them what rules would be used? Would it then be OK for someone to smash another person’s head in with a chair, just as long as the ref doesn’t see?
I did a little research on the quality of wrestling; here are some of the statistics from a yearlong study of the Monday night wrestling program “Raw,” done by Indiana University’s Department of Telecommunications. There were 609 instances where foreign objects (chairs, trash cans, ladders, etc.) were used in the “referee controlled fights.” Oh, and make sure not to forget the 273 kicks to the groin or the other 1,658 times when wrestlers made some kind of gesture using the crotch. What message does that send to the 33 percent of wrestling’s viewers who are under 17?
Brooks also argues that there is better showmanship in wrestling, in the form of supposedly better music, better stage names and color commentary. Well, as you may not know, Mr. Brooks is that there is so much “showmanship” that on average only 36 minutes of the two-hour show actually contains wrestling. Imagine what other professional sports would be like if after every pass, shot, bucket, touchdown, tackle or goal that the athletes celebrated like wrestlers do after every one of their “electrifying” (fake) moves.
I’m not going to say that everyone should stop watching wrestling and tune in to “The Anna Nicole Show.” But for the love of God don’t try to convince people that watching wrestling is “fighting the good fight.” And in the words straight from the reality show “Last Comic Standing.” MARINATE ON THAT BABY!
Jimmy Mouton
freshman
mass communication