Letters to the Editor

He is not a girl

To the Editor:

I would like to respond to Stephen Morse's opinion column ("Moving Women's Studies past 'Hi girls!'," DP, 2/1/06). In his article, he states that I wrote an e-mail to the Women's Studies majors and minors -- which I do weekly -- that began, "Hi girls!"

He clearly is not a girl, and I assumed all of the majors and minors in the Women's Studies Program were girls. I thoroughly apologize for this mistake. However, I am extremely excited to know that there is a male in the Women's Studies Program, even if this is the way I found out.

Stephen -- and any other male interested in minoring or majoring in the Women's Studies Program -- I am sincerely sorry for my gender-biased assumption.

Caki Zamoiski

Just to clarify a point in the opinion column written by Cezary Podkul ("Wharton's new focus: theatre," DP, 1/31/06):

I understand that perhaps skits are not his cup of tea, but they have not in any way replaced formal PowerPoint presentations, as he seemed to indicate when talking about Management 100.

As a Management 100 team adviser, this seemingly minor point is of importance to me. Students are still required to do a formal PowerPoint presentation, before which we thoroughly coach them. The final presentation, which is the skit referenced in the article, is just an engaging way to summarize everything the students have learned.

Just because skits are not business presentations (and Management 100, as a program, does not teach that they are) doesn't mean there is no place for them in the classroom.

While giving a business presentation is an important and relevant skill, the final presentation, which students create in management teams, is a fun and challenging way to further test and strengthen team skills.

Business presentations are more individualistic -- which is fine -- but Management 100 is about learning how to work effectively with others, and this is a more important business skill than learning how to use a laser pointer.

Robert McRae

Wharton junior

The author is a team advisor for Management 100 Good correction

To the Editor:

Thank you for correcting the quotation marks around "acquaintance rape" in your recent article ("'Acquaintance rape' reported on campus," DP, 2/1/06). Putting the phrase in quotation marks implied that the woman in question was not telling the truth, and I'm very relieved to hear that that was not your intention.

Too often, women who have been raped find themselves on trial, and I'm glad that the DP would not wish to contribute to such a difficult experience.

Veronica SchanoesEnglish graduate student

Toys go too far

To the Editor:

I am not an evangelical preaching about fire and brimstone.

However, the Sex Toy Box Social has gone too far. Particularly, I believe Kate Bracaglia's suggestion ("Mature enough to play," DP, 2/1/06) that Penn should provide support for student groups working to improve the respectability of sex toys is preposterous.

The sexual revolution of the 1960s were certainly beneficial, shedding light on a number of common yet taboo problems. But there are limits.

Today, certain liberal senators are calling for fewer abortions and more accessible information for women considering an abortion. They are impressively adhering to the definition of pro-choice (which shockingly includes the decision not to undergo an abortion).

Pro-lifers don't necessarily consider the pro-choice faction as "sex obsessed." Rather they feel that pro-choicers lack the personal responsibility that comes along with the important topic of sex (more specifically, its results).

I find it pathetic that Penn for Choice felt a Sex Toy Box Social was the proper way to respect the precious, yet weak, constitutional treasure that finds a right to abortion.

Michael FranklinCollege sophomore

Science too

To the Editor:

Alex Weinstein wrote in his column ("Learning for more than a grade," DP, 2/2/06) that, "save maybe economics, no degree in the College is practical."

He goes on to list humanities courses such as "sociology, anthropology, history [and] art history." It's interesting that he neglected to mention one science class, such as physics or chemistry -- you know, the "Science" part of the whole "College of Arts and Sciences" deal.

Good scientists are curious. They investigate and try to understand things. They undertake a bunch of small quests to figure out the whole mysteries of the universe thing. That's science.

I am not saying that science is more practical than the humanities.

It probably takes the same number of string theorists to screw in a light bulb as it takes anthropologists. No one thinks Albert Einstein is an engineer, yet the same people cannot distinguish scientists and engineers.

I am just here to remind all these history majors out there that engineering and science are related.

Chenghong Huang

College freshman

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