comments, concerns, or just plain bitching
Dear Generation,
I’m writing in response to the way Associate Editor Jacob Drum dealt with student Brian Butera’s observations, which were printed in the “Your Student Voice” section of the February 1 issue. While I’m sure Mr. Drum had a good time writing the response, he came across as insulting and dismissive. Instead of appreciating the fact that Mr. Butera put the time into writing a “coherently related” response to an article he obviously enjoyed and appreciated, Mr. Drum mocked him for the length of his submission. He then insulted the residents of the Buffalo area and his fellow reporter by writing off the Buffalo winter as an excuse for getting drunk and “hating yourself.” If this was meant to be humorous, then the joke was missed by many. It is responses like Mr. Drum’s that make it less and less possible to respect Generation as a publication. Any publication that personally insults its readers and own reporters is in serious need of change. Thank you for your time.
Jeffrey Coyle
UB student
Dear Jeffrey,
We at Generation are sorry that the response to Mr. Butera’s letter was taken in a hostile vein. We apologize for any offense any of our readers may have taken from this response, and hope to keep your readership in the future. Mr. Butera’s letter was well written and thoughtful, and Jake was just trying to have some fun with the topic; none of it was meant to insult anyone. Also, if you are finding it hard to respect this publication or its associate editor, I would suggest taking a look at our cover story this week by Katie Cotton and Mr. Drum. Please continue to contact us with any and all comments you have in the future.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Rose
Senior Editor
Dear Generation,
I'm writing in regards to Jillian Martarano's recent article, "Viagra and Recreational Sex." While most of the article was simply a commentary on a recent trend in the young male population, some of it contained information that was both misleading and alarming. The article states that obtaining "some generic brands" of Viagra (sans prescription of course) on the Internet is legal. This, unfortunately, is completely wrong. Currently there is no generic for Viagra, which is a prescription-only drug. The drug manufacturing company Pfizer holds the patent; buying or selling any "generic" version of this drug,
sildenafil citrate, is illegal in the United States.
Not only is it illegal, it's dangerous as well, which Martarano's article made no mention of. Let's assume for a moment that what you order on a website is actually sildenafil citrate, or even actual Viagra tablets. They are not dispensing it legally, therefore they have no obligation to follow the other dispensing laws. These tablets are often expired, improperly handled, or otherwise contaminated. That's if you get the actual drug.
Even more likely is the chance that you're being ripped off. You may get no drug at all. You may have your personal information stolen by the website. You may get a placebo. You may get a completely different and potentially unsafe drug.
Cheap thrills are great, but let's not misrepresent the real dangers and legal issues involved. For more information, feel free to check out the Viagra website at www.viagra.com.
Susan Van Cott
5th year pharmacy student
Dear Susan,
We do thank you for bring such information to our attention. We agree that it is quite important to know what your are purchasing on the Internet, especially when it has to do with drugs, and the use of illegal drugs. However it does seem a little suspect that you would go so far as to include Viagra’s website in your letter, and give such a detailed description on how Viagra is the one and only Viagra. With you also being a 5th year pharmacy student we can only assume that Pfizer has got you all set up for a nice cushy job come graduation. So thanks for the info, but don’t sell out your peers to the man.
Ciao,
Morgan Grant
