Theater facilities inadequate
I was appalled to learn of the existing substandards in the University theater arts department. As a former high school drama teacher, I understand the importance of having proper equipment and facilities to train our future artists. To not have these things is like enrolling computer science students into classes that have outdated computers. It is deceptive and harmful to admit theater art students into such a program.
The raw talent is here, and it’s up to us to mold it properly. I urge University President Dave Frohnmayer to make these theater arts improvements a priority this year.
Shawn West
parent, Lake Oswego
Keep LGBT support groups
When reading the article entitled “Initiative seeks to ban school support of gays” (ODE, April 12), I was outraged. I do not agree with OCA founder and Chairman Lon Mabon on the issue concerning LGBT rights.
Mabon ideally wants to ban public schools and colleges from encouraging acceptance of homosexuality and bisexuality. He wants to take all gay support groups out of the school system because to him they are morally wrong, but does not even address the other “morally wrong” actions that schools do support. Who is Mabon to say that homosexuality is morally wrong?
Mabon wants to ban LGBT support organizations but not the action of supplying contraceptives of those “active teens.” Is teen sex “morally right”? Mabon wants to ban LGBT support organizations, but I assume he does not want to end continuing the support group D.A.R.E. Is consuming illegal substances “morally right”? Mabon wants to ban LGBT support organizations, but wants to keep “Abuse Support Groups.” Are abusive relationships “morally right”?
Schools have support groups for pregnant teens, drug abusers and relationship abuse because they all want their students to feel safe in the school’s environment, and by having these groups the students do feel safe. When the group is eliminated, the student feels alone.
By signing with the OCA you will be going against the belief that everyone has a right to be treated equally and you will be shutting doors on the people who need your support most.
Sarah Stemach
English
The Jesus we know
Easter, as we all know, is a Christian holiday that celebrates the rising of Jesus of Nazareth. This being so, it raises a question on who Jesus was as a person. Throughout the course of history, Jesus and those who follow him and claim to follow him have had an impact by creating images of how many see him. I think that there can be an interesting discussion of whether the Jesus of the Bible is truly the Jesus many of us have been introduced to.
For example: Many of those who have said they were followers of Christ killed people in his name, while He himself neither killed anyone nor advocated killing. Jesus was actually killed along with most of his earliest followers. Another example would be the harsh judgments of “Christians” toward others, which are apparently made in the name of their Lord, while Jesus himself routinely associated with the outcasts, including tax collectors (the most despised people of their time), Samaritan women and even defended a woman caught in the act of adultery.
This being said, my idea is to create this sort of discussion in light of the Easter holiday. The purpose of this letter is not to argue the claims of Jesus’ divinity, but rather cast light on the differences of who Christ was. To me the true Jesus of Nazareth seems to contradict many of the false images of Jesus as a finger-pointing judge, who was actually a furious lover of all.
Carl Sanders
history
