No place at games
I was appalled by Tom Millet’s Feb. 1 letter to the editor. If ESPN came up with the gimmick of “Spirit Week,” they definitely know how to market and explain it. I think it took a lot of guts for one student to stand up and tell the truth: “Hey, you Suck!” It took another student even more courage to stand up and scream, “Bulls—.” I don’t understand how telling a referee that he’s a “Carolina ref” will improve his play calling. If geographic location determines an individual’s level of skill, then you, Mr. Millet, are a Carolina writer. With that said, I’m sure you’ll drastically change the way you write, just like ACC referees now call clean games in fear of your generation’s fiery chants.
Mr. Millet, you obviously haven’t heard of separation of church and state. Chanting, “amen” at any basketball game would give ESPN spectators the idea that we are a university of radical Christians who binge drink, get wild and then praise a heavenly/divine power.
You remind me of one memorable game back in 2002 with the eventual national champions – this university. Where was your letter to the editor when raucous students rioted in downtown College Park? I’ll tell you where it was – it was burning somewhere in the parking lot where Wawa used to be.
Chris Amerasinghe
Junior
Economics
Not appropriate for news
Implementation of tact is very important when dealing with a very diverse university. Tact is dealing with a situation in a delicate and non-offensive way in order to get a message across. Tact is not printing a woman holding a vibrating dildo that takes up two thirds of the front fold.
This is not a matter of free speech or censorship. The Diamondback is free by our Constitution to print whatever its editors and staff desire. However, with this freedom comes responsibility. Consideration of the audience is paramount. With 25,000-+ undergraduates on this campus, there is a wide variety of opinions and values.
Not all students want to see such garbage on the front page. We see this for what it is: a sex party for marketing various sex products for profit, not an intellectual discussion on sexuality. There were five other stories that were more newsworthy on the front page. Why weren’t they given more weight?
If The Diamondback wanted to print this garbage, the least they could have done was print it in the Diversions section, and there would have to be considerable changes to the article, including an alternative point of view. Printing this on the front page produces a shock value from which very little positive can come. It is simply tabloid behavior, and I and many others on the campus are disgraced by seeing our paper print such offensive articles and images.
Charles Fabbri
Junior
Sociology
Ensuring student safety
The Stamp Student Union placed a “temporary moratorium” last month on scheduling any additional late-night “socials”- defined as large-scale events in either the Colony or Grand Ballrooms lasting past midnight – in the building. This was in response to continued safety concerns, which were renewed in November when an event got out of hand.
As a result, Student Union officials decided it would be best to place a temporary hold on any future reservations for such large-scale events until these hefty safety concerns could be addressed. Any previously scheduled events will go on as planned.
While the timing is regrettable, the move is ultimately an attempt to ensure student safety on the campus. There is no intention for this moratorium to be anything but temporary, and we will make every attempt to find an expedient solution – one that will both allow continued student group events and ensure safety.
As the Union Advisory Board, a group composed of students, faculty, staff and union administrators, we have been tasked to help advise the union on potential solutions.
Because this is a community issue, we will be holding a forum to gather input and hear your concerns. It will be held tomorrow at 6 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom Lounge. If you can’t make it then, feel free to e-mail me at tadpole@umd.edu with your concerns.
Tad Greenleaf
Chair, Union Advisory Board
Adele H. Stamp Student Union
Air Your Views
The Diamondback welcomes your comments. Address your letters or guest columns to the Opinion Desk at opinion@dbk.umd.edu. All letters and guest columns must be signed. Include your full name, year, major and day- and night-time phone numbers. Please limit letters to 300 words. Please limit guest columns to between 550 and 700 words.
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