Response to the Student Senate proposal to cut the International Representative through student vote. I do not support Student Senate’s vote to remove the International Representative (IR) position. We have been discussing diversity awareness on campus this year given the occurrence of hate crimes and bias incidents. In the same meeting Senate decided to cut the IR position, they passed a resolution, saying, “the students … Continue reading Letters to the Editor (3/28/2014)

To the Gustavus community: We, the Tau Mu Tau Sorority, would like to express our sincerest apologies to those offended by the culturally derogatory costume choice by one of our members at a social event this past weekend. We do not condone intolerance of any kind and are working to ensure that this individual is held accountable for her actions. First and foremost, we are … Continue reading Letter to the Editor (3/14/2014)

Response to “No ifs, ands, or butts” I am deeply disappointed in the representation of Student Senate presented in the recent article “No ifs, ands, or butts.” Ms Nickel’s writing showed a profound lack of knowledge concerning both the situation and the capabilities of the Student Senate. Most frustrating was the claim that students see the replacement of the chairs in the Courtyard Cafe as … Continue reading Letter to the Editor (3/7/2014)

“Maybe People Would Give a Damn if Taylor Swift Were Homeless.”   Of all the signs created for last year’s annual Gustavus Sleepout, this was arguably the most photographed and discussed by passers-by.  You decide why it was more provocative than a nearby sign informing readers that  “63% of Homeless Mothers Have Experienced Severe Physical Assault By An Intimate Male Partner.” This year, Partners for Affordable … Continue reading Letters to the Editor (11/15/2013)

Response to Ryan Liebl’s Letter to the Editor:   Ryan Liebl states that Assad’s regime has not directly harmed the United States, but that the issue of direct harm is irrelevant. On the contrary, the fact that Assad’s regime has not harmed the United States is extremely important, as any intervention in Syria by the United States would be regarded as an act of aggression. … Continue reading Letters to the Editor (10/18/2013)

We, the Gustavus Philosophers’ Guild, in response to the recent publicity and advocacy for the Gustavus Tobacco Free Initiative, put forth a statement humbly asking those who support the initiative to reconsider. Before any arguments are given against making GAC tobacco free, we would like to state that tobacco is a dangerous and potentially lethal substance, and raising awareness about its health effects is an … Continue reading Letter to the Editor (10/11/2013)

In Response to “Obama on Syria” Cory Witt correctly says that Assad’s regime has not directly harmed the US, but that’s hardly relevant. The regime has killed thousands of innocents and used weapons prohibited by the United Nations. The UN and US have the ability to stop Assad’s despotic rule and therefore have the responsibility to try and do so. The most persuasive argument against … Continue reading Letter to the Editor (10/4/2013)

I am writing this letter in response to a statement that was made last week in an opinion article. It is disturbing that such a distasteful comment could be made about a work of one of America’s greatest children authors – Dr. Seuss. To say that the writing in The Cat in the Hat ‘isn’t very good’ is an insult not only to Dr. Seuss … Continue reading Letters to the Editor (9/20/2013)

I am not trying to criticize anyone in the Gustavus community because we are all here to learn, and there are different understandings of what being an educated and well-rounded person means to different people. However, I think the Gustavus community is lacking something that is necessary for interacting with today’s more diverse world. People in your future workplace or neighborhood might be from different … Continue reading Letter to the Editor (9/13/2013)

I was surprised to read Ryan Liebl’s assertion that Western nations have devel- oped criminal justice systems through scientific reasoning, especially after the Building Bridges conference which dealt with this topic. The U.S. prison system, which overcrowds inmates, encourages rape, and disproportionately affects minorities is built around retributive justice and maximizing profit, not rehabilitation. The ineffectiveness of this system is evidenced by our very high … Continue reading Letter to the Editor (4/10/13)