Contraceptives are not totally harmless

In Wednesday’s article praising the effectiveness of Plan B, I found it rather disappointing that the majority of the article focused on the notion that Plan B is just another type of contraceptive. The reference to the rise in the use of Plan B on our campus, the fact that Europeans use it frequently and that there are more “educated people” using contraceptives seems to send the message that Plan B, and contraceptives in general, are harmless to our society at large, and women specifically.

Unfortunately, by separating sexual intercourse from procreation, the use of contraceptives allows sexual partners to objectify each other. Contraceptives never lead a couple toward true love and the true gift of oneself to another but instead breed a selfish mentality. It is unfortunate that the ideas presented in this article perpetuate the notion that this selfishness should be morally acceptable and normal by talking about how Plan B is more popular, how it is used by other countries and how the FDA has approved its use.

On another note, since the 1960s there has been a concerted effort to redefine the meaning of pregnancy and conception. The reason for changing the meanings was to allay concerns about chemical abortion. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), the Guttmacher Institute doctors and other abortion- related organizations led this effort. In 1965, the ACOG published an “official” change to the meaning of conception, under the guise that pregnancy cannot be detected at fertilization.

Though both the birth control pill and Plan B can prevent a fertilized egg from implanting in the uterine lining, this article places these two drugs on an equivalent level. Plan B is a concentrated dose of the birth control pill. As of now, the FDA requires the birth control pill to be distributed via a prescription, yet allows Plan B to be distributed over the counter. This seems to be quite the double standard and potentially dangerous to women’s health.

I also feel that Mr. Bereit’s comments about the possible complications in regards to Plan B should have been placed more prominently in the article because it is important for students on this campus to be well- informed about issues surrounding their health. Open and honest dialogue about the implications of Plan B is important for all of us, especially for the women of this campus.

Jessica Newman

Junior

Philosophy

Death of Greek Life is near

At the rate the university’s Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life is slowly demolishing Greek life as we know it, I predict that in the next few years, Greek life at Maryland will be just like clubs: show up here or there, maybe become an officer and actually become involved. The houses on Fraternity Row will be used like dorms, with resident assistants who treat you like immature freshmen. Tight-knit brotherhoods and sisterhoods will dissipate from lack of interest in participating in Greek life because of the way we are treated like middle schoolers who pay $30,000 a year to be monitored like children. There will be no more privacy; individual rights as we know it will not exist in Greek life because of new policies that have already been implemented. This university is in for a taste of its own medicine after it sucks the life and friendships out of fraternities and sororities to the point where student interest declines rapidly. Right now, it looks as if nothing can be done about it unless someone higher in the administration than the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life takes a stand. But that will not happen because it seems as though no one really cares and never will as long as they are not disrupted. So good-bye Greek life; hopefully when I return to Maryland as an alumnus you will still be there.

Zack A.

Sophomore

Finance