Drinking ban may spread

issues to neighborhoods
President Frohnmayer bans drinking in the greek system — and the greeks aren’t the only ones less than happy. While Frohnmayer may be trying to avoid an “In Loco Parentis” lawsuit related to drinking, he has instead made the neighborhoods outside the University the new parents.
Almost all young people drink during college years, many quite responsibly. The few who party too much and too publicly are the problems. Neighborhoods have always had problems with “party houses.” These can burn out the patience of neighbors as behavior becomes obnoxious or threatening and police are called. Then, there is the under-18 crowd and drugs, if it becomes a known “house.”
I fear banning alcohol in greek houses will force drinking out into the community. Instead of being drunk and obnoxious among peers, they will be so in front of small children and older residents — a bad situation aggravated by drunken driving to and from designated party houses.
Should the University be held responsible for the actions of these students and the damage — real and deadly — they may cause in neighborhoods? Will fewer students become toxically drunk or drugged because of the ban?
Perhaps President Frohnmayer and the administration should truly act like cautious parents and keep their “problem” kids closer to home. House parents, resident assistants, campus police and Sacred Heart’s emergency room are close by if trouble occurs.
Dumping problem situations into the larger community only makes for bad public relations with angry and frustrated neighbors.

C.M. Berglund

University Health Services

Campus events should not

contain corporate influence
I am writing to express an opinion I feel is shared by many people on campus. I was saddened to see the display of consumerism that marked our campus Tuesday.
Romania’s gas-guzzling cars and SUVs have no place being sold on our campus. The circus-like atmosphere the promotional event created was not only a distracting nuisance; it represented our school unjustly. Do we really want our campus to become a hot spot for consumerism and corporate profit? How do we expect to uphold the highly valued integrity of this institution when we are selling out to not only the automobile industry but also to the fundraising agenda of a select minority on campus?
I personally feel that this school stands for something better, and that must be represented by the quality of events we sponsor on campus.
As I watched the disheartening parade of corporate marketing schemes at work this week, I felt that little respect was being shown to the representation of the whole of the student, faculty and staff of our University.
We must continue to express in our daily activities on campus the wish that the integrity of this institution not be undermined or misrepresented by corporate influence.

Lorie Miller

freshman

undeclared

Campus is not a pit stop
Get off our campus and stay off.
It disgusts me to see our campus being used as a marketing tool for greedy corporations such as Chevrolet. Who do they think we are? Well, they seem to think that they can lure us in with “high-tech” video games, loud and “wild” music, and, oh boy, even prizes!
The local car dealerships were sure to get in on this marketing extravaganza. Joe Romania Chevrolet so kindly placed yellow flyers in the residence hall system’s food source, the Grab ‘N Go, which flaunted the event by using key words such as “tans,” “escape,” “beach,” “freckles,” “sandals,” “speed” — you get the idea.
When I think of the beach, I think of fresh and even zesty air. Car manufacturers such as Chevy have been doing everything in their power to prevent our air from being clean and fresh.
So say I really was trying to escape from my school workload in search of a tan, freckles and wildness. What in the world does that have to do with supporting car manufacturers, which are severely influencing political matters and promoting environmental degradation? Not a darn thing.
For future reference, let it be known that this is a respectable campus, not a convenient stop for a corporate freak show.

Ashlee Harrison

freshman

environmental science