Letters to the editor

Greek system devalues education

To the editor:

Despite Michael Maxwell's and the editors' opinions, the university made the right decision in dissociating the greek system. Calling the policy idealist writes it off too early--oftentimes Greek systems dropped from university association thrive for the short term and diminish to nonexistence in the long term.

Pretending that the Greeks need to advertise on campus does not fool anyone who can see the greeks' relentless advertising on their clothing. However, let me offer a positive understanding of this practice -- the easier to spot, the easier to avoid.

Michael Maxwell's work to educate students, greek and non-greek, about rape and specifically date rape is both honorable and worthwhile. His trouble addressing the greeks as a group is disturbing; the university needs to understand when to break rules for the sake of such well meaning, important education. SCCAP volunteers encountered a similar problem two years ago when they tried to bring in a Planned Parenthood representative to speak to at-risk San Jose youth.

However, Michael Maxwell might also consider that addressing date rape with the Greek system without addressing their binge drinking is like trying to end violent crime without first getting guns off the streets. The party night social behavior of many (not all) greeks, both male and female, creates an environment ripe for sexual misconduct: an environment that might easily transcend any knowledge available in Maxwell's presentation.

The university's choice was the right one, and it was made in the same spirit with which the university ended Santa Clara football. The choice was simple: higher educational standards or a continuing image of a "party school." For $40,000 a year, we deserve more than an average education, and, like it or not, ridding the school of those two programs, neither of which places much value on academic rigor and achievement, has increased the value of our degrees.

To leave you with the true sense of the greek system, let me relay a story. I recently overheard a Delta Gamma commenting on rush week say, "Well we got, like, the 60 good ones." What exactly makes a girl a "good one?" Were the rest "bad ones?" Chances are the rating system has little to do with a sense of respect for others or strong morals and much to do with overwhelming self-interest and caring about personal appearance. Lest we support these social cults and devalue our pricey education, let us keep our distance and find personal worth in more humanistic, honorable qualities.

Trevor Gibson

Math/English '05

P2P sharing here to stay

To the editor:

What does RIAA stand for? Not that I care, but I believe they rank No. 2 among the Top 10 stupidest associations in America, right under the NRA. Rather than seeing an excellent opportunity for increased revenues in digital music sales, they remain stubborn and selfish, hidden from new technology and the treasure it brings. Furthermore, they alienate their own customer base by suing the very people whom they rely on to purchase their products.

Let me dispute the claim of the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) that peer-to-peer file sharing (p2p) and mp3s are responsible for $4 billion annually in lost revenue. This claim is based on previous years when p2p was not an issue. The problem with this assumption is that it's founded on the belief that because consumers have sustained the music industry's revenue at a certain level in the past, the industry is entitled to that level of income in the future, and anything less is blamed on p2p. Why aren't people willing to pay $18 for a 27-minute compilation that was put together in two months and has the latest 12-year-old pop star singing a remake of, "Hit Me Baby, One More Time"? Could it be that the CD is garbage? No. It must be p2p!

The RIAA must be right, they put out a quality product and we are all scum who steal it. However, rather than catching every thief, the industry should capitalize on the fact that p2p is here to stay. Many news articles (in The Santa Clara included) write-off technology and combat the problem by making people feel morally inadequate for downloading. That might hit me sentimentally, but when I want some music and I can download it in 30 seconds using my computer, versus driving 10 miles to the local Best Buy, paying $18 for a CD and then driving back, wasting about one hour of my time and about $10 on preposterously priced gas, the benefits of mp3s become obvious. Especially when in that same time I can instead transfer the album to my small mp3 player, go outside by the pool, and listen to the entire album in excellent quality while I use my oversized and scratched CDs as margarita coasters.

Given the great convenience of mp3s the RIAA should take heed, except they won't. They won't realize that Apple, a computer company, is making millions from its online service iTunes. They won't care that Apple has proven that increased selection, quality and download speeds provide consumers with remarkable incentives to pay for music. No sir, while Apple makes it more convenient for those who would buy music to actually pay, the RIAA will continue wasting resources suing those that wouldn't anyway.

Brian Tully

Computer Engineering '05

International perspective clarified

To the editor:

In regards to last week's article on international students' exposure to racial stereotypes at Santa Clara, I, Ayako Muto, would like to clarify my perspective on this issue. When I was approached for an interview by Koren Temple, she asked me if she could interview me for an article that would be an assignment in her class. I did not know the purpose of this article and thought that this article would focus on international students and their experiences at Santa Clara. I had no idea that this article would lead to issues involving racial stereotypes, although most of the questions were targeted toward the issue of racial stereotypes.

Although I have been speaking and practicing English for more than 10 years, I don't think the author understood my point of view. Now that this article has been published, I feel uncomfortable around school. I know that those who do not know me might have the wrong impression of me. My intent of being a study abroad student was to meet a diverse range of other people and to learn from others. I do not think that the article shows this, which I hope that in writing to the Santa Clara, those things will be clarified.

Ayako Muto

English '06

Non-traditional greeks overlooked

To the editor:

After reading the article "Recruitment thrives off-campus" I was dismayed to discover the lack of research involved. The research required for such an article regarding all greek organizations was sadly incomplete.

There are other greek organizations that were not mentioned. Although these greek organizations may be non-traditional, they are still, in fact, greek. They are considered "non-traditional" because they are not part of the Pan-Hellenic association and have other founding bases such as multiculturalism.

Lambda Sigma Gamma Sorority, Nu Alpha Kappa Fraternity, Sigma Lambda Gamma Sorority and Sigma Lambda Beta Fraternity are also a part of this school and hold "rush" and rush events. My sorority, LSG, holds several rush events for prospective members to get to know and receive information about us. Most of our recruitment activities are in the fall, but we also have rush events during the infamous "rush week." If these greek organizations would have been acknowledged in this article, students would realize that we are also increasing in membership. Despite the fact that we may be smaller, we do have a presence on campus, and we're an option for students who chose greek life.

I read the letter to the editor by Diego Flores and agree that non-traditional greek organizations are consistently overlooked. Since greeks are not associated with the school, I feel as though students should be correctly informed about greek organizations when articles are published because they are the only formal way to let people know what is going on in greek life.

I hope that this letter prevents future errors from occurring. I know that our organizations would love to talk to whoever is interested in learning more about us. We've been here, we're here now, we're growing, and we're not going anywhere.

Danielle Wenzel

Communication '05