Dear Editor:
I attended American University's Freshmen Day on Friday. Currently, I am a high school senior in Bel Air, Md., and will soon be an Eagle. I found AU to be one of the most interesting and vibrant campuses I have visited. However, I do have to say that I have never seen so many Polo shirt-clad, pearl-wearing girls anywhere in one place. That is both a good thing and a bad thing, however one looks at it. I have no problem with it, but many students seem to conform to that very standard in such a "diverse" environment. Of course, the girls are not the only ones included in this observation, but the opposite sex as well.
There seems to be a standard student that attends the campus, from what I have seen either lounging on the Quad or taking part in one of AU's student activities. I did not know where everyone seemed to be hiding, but I assume that there are more students of different backgrounds found in other places on campus. Either way, I hope to see everyone this fall.
Steven Dorsey AU, Class of 2009
Dear Editor:
I was pleased to read David Benzaquen's opinion piece on farm animal welfare ("Meat-eating event mocks grave issue," April 18). Because of students like David, college students across the country are showing compassion for animals and are cutting back on meat, eggs and dairy in their diets.
Most animals raised for food today are forced to live inside huge warehouses known as factory farms. These animals are routinely subjected to abuses such as beak-slicing, branding, and castration - all without any painkiller. Many are confined in spaces too small for them to turn around, lie down comfortably or even spread their wings.
When we sit down to eat, we're making a choice: Either we can support animal abuse or choose compassion. As David demonstrates, one great way to choose compassion is to opt for the vegetarian meal.
Josh Balk Outreach Coordinator Factory Farming Campaign Humane Society of the U.S.
Dear Editor:
While it may be somewhat uncharacteristic of me to defend the Student Confederation's chief programmatic officer, I believe outgoing SC Vice President Jason Trombley has suffered undue criticism. Recently, student government innuendo, a few rather vitriolic quips at transition and even (to a degree) the Eagle's recent SC executive grades have implicated the former VP as somewhat of a laggard who failed to adequately satisfy the requirements of his position.
Certainly, Mr. Trombely, who served as the SC's programmatic authority, and I have differing views on the necessity of centralized programming at AU. After all, my compatriots and I put most of our efforts during our tenure into (unsuccessfully) dismantling the SC's bureaucratic and programmatic behemoth.
One of the few victories for fiscal prudence in the past years was the reduction in the size of the budget for the Founder's Day Ball, a $30,000 outlay that permitted SC insiders, et al., to enjoy a gala at the expense of their fellow students. Last year, the budget was reduced by a third to $20,000, despite the vociferous objections of my predecessor, a former vice president, and others who claimed that this cut would make it "impossible" to hold the event.
Mr. Trombley, in fact, held the ball without requesting additional funds and even more amazingly remained under budget. While it's dubious that this account will convince the new SC/SG that it might be able to make due with a trifle less than the $540,000 annual budget that it now commands, Jason Trombley certainly deserves greater respect than he has been afforded.
Mr. Trombley spared the student body more than $10,000 that would have otherwise been wasted on SC foppishness, which is more than can be said about any of his predecessors.
Scott Rosen Class of 2004, Kogod 2003-2004 SC Comptroller
