TV special was misleading
I would like to thank Sarah Hays for speaking up about ABC’s piece on the Baton Rouge serial killer. I felt throughout the program many details of the investigation were blatantly dramatized.
I do not wish to downplay the horrors inflicted by the serial killer, but was it necessary to play country music in the background and exploit the fact that the East Baton Rouge coroner works out of a trailer?
Though this is certainly not state of the art, did his used refrigerator really affect his ability to do his job?
Perhaps if Diane Sawyer had cared to look around Baton Rouge during her stay she would realize that these outdated facilities are on par with other government buildings in this state, including schools and state agencies.
Our community should be grateful to Patricia Cornwell for her efforts to stop the serial killer, though I can’t help but wonder where a person with such pivotal insight was eight months ago.
If she knew as much as she claims, then maybe she should shoulder some of the blame she eagerly hands out. Cornwell is a writer and an outsider to this particular situation.
She makes a generous living by studying violent crimes, then dramatizing them to sell as novels for entertainment.
I am afraid the rest of the nation’s feelings about the serial killer will be largely shaped by the information from this program. At LSU and in Baton Rouge, we lived through it.
I hope we will know better than to abandon the people trying to protect us in favor of an author and a television program trying to capitalize on this tragedy.
Though it would be convenient to blame someone for the terrible nightmare endured by the victims, their families and this city, we cannot place that blame on our law enforcement based on the “evidence” presented in that show.
I do not know whether or not the police made errors that could have saved lives, but I doubt that Diane Sawyer does either.
The Baton Rouge Police will respond later this week to what they say are several inaccuracies in the report.
I hope that those who watched it will give equal consideration to local officials who were involved in the investigation first-hand.
The wounds suffered at the hands of the serial killer have only begun to heal, and I hope that everyone involved will get what they deserve – justice for the victims, peace for their families, punishment for their murderer and fair judgment for those who intended to stop these tragedies.
Natalie Grantham
Junior
Mass Communication
Greek portrayal unfair
I have a question in response to Mr. Douaihi’s letter about Greeks. Did it have a point? Perhaps it made more sense in your head than it ended up making in print, but it left me questioning exactly why you felt the need to waste my time and yours.
I’m not Greek, but your letter still bothers me. Time and time again, people will write things that condemn Greeks and then later a response will show up listing all of the good things Greeks do for the community.
I’m not going to say what’s been said before, but simply ask you this: Have you met every Greek student on campus?
Probably not. Have you ever met a bad parker or class clown that wasn’t Greek? Probably so. There are going to be people you don’t like in every type of group there is, but you can’t logically determine that they are representative of their entire organization.
There are students on campus who claim to be so open-minded, but suddenly their minds close when it comes to talking about Greek students.
I will be honest and say I’ve made my fair share of quips about sorority and fraternity members in the past, but once I realized how closed-minded I was being, I shut myself up and took the opportunity to learn more about Greek organizations and meet members.
I suggest you do the same and I doubt you will find that most of your accusations are true all around.
Christine Hagius
Sophomore
Psychology
Fee proves school’s incompetence
I guess if this new “academic excellence fee” increase passes I will have to live under the interstate and fish for my supper out of the campus lakes. Maybe some of the bums that hang out around there will lend me a match to cook my food with. (no offense to bums)
Emmert knows how to run a University . . . into the ground. If students can’t afford to attend LSU, they will go somewhere else.
I hear BRCC has a few openings. Maybe I should try that “Remington College.” At least they give you a laptop and guarantee you’ll finish in two years.
What? I could have been a medical assistant and saved myself two years and $8,000. What was I thinking?
Oh yeah, now I remember. I was thinking LSU was a great school that wouldn’t keep charging me more money for the same services.
The only question I have for the administration is, “Can you spare a few cardboard boxes?” because that’s what I’ll be living out of if I keep attending LSU.
Rachel Miller
Junior
English
Handicap story had omissions
I am writing to you in response to the article that was written about me in June 18th’s Reveille (Student Halters Handicap, Meets Goals). While I appreciate how well written the article was by Mr. Robicheaux, there are two important omissions that I am compelled to point out so that credit can be given where it is due.
While it is impossible for me to mention everyone, there were two omissions that I went to lengths to point out to Mr. Robicheaux in the interview as I did not want them to be missed.
The first was that the most important aspect of what got me through veterinary school was my Christian faith.
I just want to say it is sometimes hard to know what we are supposed to do and to find the strength to carry it out, so I would like to mention Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
And Philippians 3:14 “I press on towards the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (NAS)
I would also like to mention the Disability Services office at LSU in Johnston Hall. This office and their funding with the absolutely wonderful help of Ms. Jennie Bourgeois also were indispensable in making this all come true. I would encourage other students on campus to learn about this service and how it could possibly assist them.
I just wanted to point out these two sources of inspiration that I received so that others may know of them, especially the wonderful grace found in Christ Jesus.
David Moores
LSU Veterinary School Graduate
Criticism not warranted
In response to Mr. Douaihi’s letter printed in Thursday’s paper concerning the Greeks at LSU, I think the comments made in his letter were hostile and ill-tempered. Did you happen to notice that the main purpose of the Annual Watermelon Bust is to benefit the Bishop Ott Shelter here in Baton Rouge? Most of the Greek t-shirts you see floating around campus are from such Greek philanthropic events that raise thousands of dollars to benefit the community.
Also, most of the comments made in your letter insinuated the supposed lack of intelligence among the Greek community. Well, did you know that the overall undergraduate women’s GPA is a 3.004, and the overall undergraduate men’s GPA is a 2.821?
Compare that to the overall active Greek women’s GPA of a 3.209 and the overall active Greek men’s GPA of a 2.870. Notice a difference? And finally, the comment concerning the majors of sorority girls really got my attention. I am an active member in both my community and my sorority, and I also happen to be an engineering major.
It’s hard enough being one of very few women in this field, but it’s people like you that make it even harder for us “sorority girls” to be taken seriously.
So next time you decide to pass judgment on an organization, get your facts in order. Don’t be so quick to criticize.
Amy Kreutz
Junior
Mechanical Engineering