comments, concerns, or just plain bitching
Dear Generation,
My hat goes off to The Spectrum for making me once again wonder, “What the hell is going on over there?”
In the October 20 issue of the heavily-read campus periodical, the front page leading article read “Key Local Races Overshadowed by Presidential Race.” It was about an important and relevant lack of interest from UB students in the local election races. The centerpiece of the front page, “Muslim Community Marks Start of Ramadan,” and was an interesting piece about the holiday that so many at UB celebrate. But the article that really caught my eye, and everyone else’s eyes that I spoke to, was the piece shoved far into the bottom right corner of the page, where people just glancing at the headlines while passing a stack of the papers would not even be able to see. The headline read “Teaching Assistant Charged with Rape.” Now I understand that today’s society has become unnervingly desensitized, but wouldn’t you think a rape would be at the top of UB students’ lists as far as importance? It sure would be on mine. Yet only a measly 3.5 inch by 4.5 inch section of undesirable bottom newspaper real-estate was devoted to the topic in its entirety. There was no “see page three for more,” just the scrap of reporting shown in that tucked away corner. I’m not saying Nancy Naples doesn’t deserve to get covered, but let’s get our priorities straight here. People are getting hurt.
The article supplied the fact that only four rapes had been reported by UB students between 1998 and 2003, so one would think multiple rapes in one weekend would be disturbing but important news. It seems it was important enough for local Buffalo television news stations to do some reporting on the story. But our UB campus newspaper, The Spectrum, amidst all the compelling and exciting news they have daily, apparently didn’t see these particular two rapes as a big deal. Such an incident should have ignited an explosion of thought in Editor George Zornick’s head It should have been the leading headline.
So instead of reading more about what I can do to stop rape, or how to report a problem, I read the article next to “Teaching Assistant Charged with Rape.” The piece’s text alone was twice the area of the rape article, not to mention the picture. The article was entitled “Once-Broken Dryers Now in Working Order.” I found out that in the past year, dryer malfunctioning in Ellicott has virtually been eliminated. Well thank goodness, because for a minute there, I was really starting to get worried.
Tim Lowden
Dear Generation,
I’m writing in response to the feature article, “The Way It Should Be Shown,” by Jonathan Singer. The One Hour Gallery is an amazing place, and a great example of how students can come together with a common goal. However, as a founder of the gallery, I was not thrilled with how my original intentions were characterized in the article. From the very beginning, the purpose of the gallery was to give all students a venue to display their work outside of the university setting; others can verify that I did not rent the space for a selfish reason so that I could “just... exhibit some of my art work.” There were dozens of other student artists featured, including Chris Vesper, Eric Kanner, Dave Chung, Tanis Winslow, and Erik Frick. I’m very happy that the One Hour Gallery is successful and thriving — everyone should check it out — and I hope it continues to exist as an alternative space far into the future.
Aaron Mott
Dear Generation,
As I read last week’s “Living on $25,” I couldn’t help but be entertained, yet somewhat offended that a privileged student would actually believe that a feature about one week spent on a $25 budget would be anything other than ridiculous. Now, don’t get me wrong, I am glad that the conclusion drawn at the end of the feature was respect for those who pay their way through college and life; however, I would hardly classify this little trial of a budget as a “quest.”
I do not own a Christian Dior coat or a fancy car. As a matter of fact, the only car that I have ever owned was a 1982 Chevy S10, which ceased to work on my way to a job interview. I have worked consistently year-round for the past six years because it is essential for me to do the things needed to survive… like eat. Have you ever paid for a single college course with a roll of 10 and 20 dollar bills?
When I took a job as a salesman one of the most terrible things you can experience is when you only bring home $10-$30 a day sometimes. Do you know what ice cubes are like for breakfast? I would pay for gas in nickels and dimes, water down my shampoo because I was running out, and cut my own hair. It’s okay to laugh, I do when I think about it.
The place to shop on a budget is Aldi. I shop there out of necessity once a month, spending approximately $11.25-$12.50 a week. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go wait eight hours for this article to print at Capen, because I haven’t gotten enough money yet to buy a decent printer.
Mauricio Suarez
