Letters and Emails

Term 'girls' misunderstood

DR. PETER ROSS' pet peeve that "women won't be treated like women until they stop referring to themselves as 'girls'" undermines the earlier virtue of his letter. In the same way women, especially college students, refer to themselves as girls, men refer to themselves as boys. If dressing like girls and referring to each other as girls prevents women from being treated like women, why does dressing like boys and referring to each other as boys not prevent men from being treated like men? The problem lies not within women's actions but within society's interpretation of women's actions. While I could not agree more with Ross's appeal to do away with the double standard for the women's/gender or ethnic studies requirement, his dictum subscribes to the problem which he originally sought to eliminate.

Trevor Gibson, English and math, '05

Neighbor explains complaints

I AM A non-student resident and have lived near the Santa Clara campus for seven years. During that time I have experienced first-hand a lot of disruptive behavior by students and their friends.

The Neighborhood University Relations Committee (NURC) was created for the purpose of resolving these problems. The last NURC meeting did little, if anything, to help. Until a meeting format is created that allows residents and students to hash it out, neighborhood problems and tensions will continue to exist.

The comments directed at Ms. Bruna were very gauche. Neighborhood history and facts would prove she is not one complainant. She has always been a primary person to speak out because she lives in the crossfire of Panelli Place and Varsi Place - two primary disturbance locations. She is not inventing her complaints. The doubters can go down to SCPD and look over a long history of complaints. There are plenty of aggravated neighbors reporting in addition to Ms. Bruna.

So where are the other complainants? Many have given up after experiencing little benefit from the political merry-go-round of meetings and committees offered by the city as a solution. Or, to the credit of the students, things may have quieted down in certain areas so those people stay home.

The problem will not get resolved until students really understand that when they live in a residential neighborhood such as Alviso Street, they must abide by all of the local laws, especially disturbing the peace. That is all the neighbors are asking.

Tod Wootton, Poplar Street

Student input appreciated

ON FEB. 25 the Student Senate hosted a forum called "Food for Thought." Pat Wilkinson from Dining Contracts and Cathy Straub from Bon Appetit came to answer students' questions about the food service on campus and to hear student suggestions on food options, pricing and locations where food is offered. This was an incredible dialogue because students were offering suggestions and Pat and Cathy were listening to these and saying, "Yes, we can look into that."

Students left the event feeling as though their opinions were listened to and that many of these suggestions are possibilities that will be implemented. As a university, it is essential that we can make decisions with the input of the students that these decisions affect. Thank you to Pat and Cathy for being a shining example of how this system can work. Thank you to the students who had faith in the system to come and give their suggestions. Let's find more ways that we can involve students in these types of decisions and continue to work towards saying, "Yes we can!"

Kristin Love, AS President