Dear Editor,
Mazel tov to Kat Stromquist for her excellent piece in last week's 'Hullabaloo.' As a female member of Tulane's student body, I too have been angered by many of the points Stromquist makes and have felt pressured not to make these points myself because of the criticism I might face for my less-than-perfect body. Of course, there is also the threat that in taking such a strong stance on a woman's right to look normal, I might be called a bitch or a psycho by so desirable a male student like Ben Turner.
To call Turner's piece in last week's paper offensive feels like an understatement. The piece was hateful. Ideologies like Turner's at best find him alone on a Friday night and at worst perpetuate the negative ideas some men have about women, eventually leading them to believe that no woman deserves their respect. While Snoop Dogg's lyrics may not do much for women's rights or equality, to advocate blatant sexism under the guise of an academic pursuit is shocking.
I cannot believe that the 'Hullabaloo' would run a piece so offensive and wonder what the consequences would have been if Turner had chosen to write about some other group, like Catholic students, black students or international students. I would hope that the paper would not condone any sort of such hateful prejudice. As for Turner, it might serve him well to worry less about the bitchiness of his female contemporaries and concern himself more with his own status as, for lack of a better word, a total bitch.
Emily Ratner
Newcomb College sophomore
Dear Editor,
In recent issues of the Views section of the 'Hullabaloo,' there has been a sharp downgrade in the quality of opinions offered. The views offered seem to be aiming for controversy and debate and, in so doing, are sacrificing logic and the truth. In last week's issue Cheryl Mei-Ting Schmitz's article was an exception to the rule.
Daniel Mezzanotte's piece in which he compared the good and honest people who work for D.A.R.E to Hitler youth was not just offensive but showed a fundamental disconnection with reality. Drugs are a problem in society, and while recreational use of marijuana is harmless, an addiction to it is not. This is what D.A.R.E. stands against. It is never too early to try and prevent addiction. America's drug policy is indeed flawed, but instead of having a well-argued viewpoint on this issue, Mezzanotte heinously attacked those teachers and police officers who work hard for this country's youth.
Ben Turner's opinion piece about women was not only banal and sexist, but had nothing to do with any relevant issue in the country. If I had wanted to hear a disgruntled man talking stupidly about women, I would have gone to The Boot. Turner should focus not on what is wrong with the women on campus, but rather what is wrong with himself that he would classify women in such limited categories. This piece was not worthy of print; it had no value whatsoever.
The Views section of the 'Hullabaloo' is headed down a bad slope, from articles on the tsunami in which facts were not checked, to an entire issue on sex that failed to address the critical political issues of the time, to last week's insult to the readers' intelligence. America is at a turning point on many issues, from gay marriage to foreign policy, and is thus becoming increasingly divided. The Views section of the 'Hullabaloo' should engender debate by using real facts to talk about real issues, not degrade its readers by having inflammatory, offensive and ultimately pointless pieces.
Joseph Roach III
Tulane College senior, history major