Carson's wisdom nothing more than misguided ignorance\nIn his response to the IDS editorial opposing Roly Poly moving into the Gables, Glen Carson states that the editors should leave such community decisions to the "wise." I believe that Carson is insinuating that he himself possesses such wisdom.\nNow if you know your history, Carson, you know that Socrates was declared by the Oracle at Delphi to be the wisest man of Ancient Athens. When Socrates was asked, "Who is the perfect human?", his response was "All of humanity together." His point is that all people have something to contribute to society. So, Carson, you should listen to all points of view -- whether they originate from citizen groups, business groups or even the IDS Editorial Board. While I respect and uphold your right to hold your stridently anti-democratic opinions, I must denounce your self-proclaimed "wisdom" as nothing but pure ignorance.\nDionissi Aliprantis\nJunior
Davis' donation should be praised \nI am writing this in response to Emily Nagoski's letter ("Coach Davis' donation says homosexuality is sinful," April 2). As a Christian, it makes me sad that just because coach Davis chose to give his money to a church (not to mention that it is a church that he is a member of) that people would belittle his generosity and turn it into some sort of negative homosexual-bashing debate. Let us not forget what the money is going toward…to help start a program for underprivileged youth. If he were giving the money to The Boys and Girls Club or Big Brothers/Big Sisters no one would have a problem, but because it is a church, people get so tense! Even though the Christian Church (and the Bible for that matter) teaches that homosexuality is sinful, it's not the main issue. The issue is that this money is going to help children in need. I am sorry that you cannot support such a worthy cause, but like you said, "each of us has an obligation to support the values we cherish," and thus coach Davis has shown what he values by supporting his church and the children of Indianapolis. We are truly blessed to have a Godly man with such a generous, caring and humble spirit as our men's basketball coach. Praise God for you, Coach Davis! I Corinthians 15:58\nAngela Retek\nSenior
Piper shows lack of consideration \nI was offended by Ben Piper's lack of consideration to millions of people who were affected by slavery ("Reparations revisited," April 1). Reparations is a very sensitive topic. It was disrespectful to call the lawsuit "frivolous."\nIf someone profited on your ancestor's work that they were never paid for, would you not demand reciprocity?\nAlthough individual owners, managers and employees cannot be held liable for slavery, the company can. The company has profited because of the inhumane judgments made early in the company's life.\nFreeing the slaves was not entirely helpful without giving them resources on which to live. Freedom with just the clothes on your back and no food, shelter or money, coupled with the Jim Crow society equaled countless free people with no way to support themselves or the family they had left that had not been ravaged by slavery. The torture, emasculation, rape and oppression of the slaves alone warrants some type of repayment.\nFinally, you should educate yourself on the demographics of the welfare system and the preferential treatment offered by the government. The majority of those who benefit from these are Caucasians. Contrary to the beliefs of ignorant society, blacks do not fall into one or all of these categories. Many have made it without the help of the "system," and many more could have if given half the chance. Most of the black population were not blessed with the privileges that most of the white population received, so damn right we have overcome, but you should ask yourself why success was so unobtainable. It would be a great insult to our ancestors, both pre- and post-slavery, if we were to forget about what they went through to get such a small portion of the soup in the melting pot that we call America. When you next decide to minimize the transgressions and accomplishments of an entire community, educate yourself on the effects that the institution of slavery, discrimination and the Jim Crow society has had and is continuing to have on the black community on the black community to date.\nNicold Pittman\nGraduate Student
Farahan columns suggest bias \nI'm starting to become concerned about the bias reflected in the IDS. In particular, the frequent opinion pieces allowed to appear in print by staff columnists such as Farahan are very troubling. Farahan reports on the Israel-Palestine situation in propagandistic and one-sided pro-Israeli terms.\nFarahan wants American peoples to show blind allegiance to the endless atrocities of Sharon, his administration and the post-1967 Israel experiment.\nThe forces of destruction are mutual in Israel and Palestine. The terrorism inflicted by the Israelis is an extension of the Israeli state. The hardware used in Israeli terrorism was made in the U.S.A.\nNow, I'm a Jew -- and Muslim-loving man and an American citizen. A possible solution to this terrible dilemma is to change our relationship to the warring parties. The U.S. government must cease giving, selling and trading weapons with the Israelis. Our aid to Israel must be humanitarian and non-violent. We must extend the same type of aid, and in the same amount, to the Palestinians.\nIsrael must withdraw from all land taken in and after 1967. There is a solution! American people, IU students, this issue has become the cornerstone of our generation's security! Let's do the right thing for everyone, not just our beloved Jewish constituency!\nIt was with thoughts in a similar vein that I cast my ballot for Nelson Mandela's African National Congress in the 1994 South African elections. Sometimes we must transcend our own race and culture to do the thing that is right for the majority. The entire world is waiting for change in Israel and Palestine. We in America can make a huge difference.\nFarahan's view is sophomoric and he discredits the IDS. I hope you will open your paper to the rapidly growing alternative view.\nBenjamin Hebblethwaite\nGraduate Student
Stop shoving greek superiority down readers' throats\nJust when I thought Erin White's column ("New outlook on greek living") might actually surprise me, I was quickly jolted back to reality. Instead of an insightful, thoughtful response to anti-greek sentiment on IU's campus, White delivered more of her usual style -- an arrogant account of why the greek system is cool. Good for her! The only problem is, GDIs aren't exactly new to the argument. And…contrary to popular belief, those of us not involved in the Greek system spend very little time classifying and belittling "sorority girls." In fact, we do happen to have our own lives. If White wants to talk stereotyping, I think she would do well to realize that it goes both ways on this campus.\nMy reasons for not joining the greek system are not important, but I have to laugh at this particular claim: "The truth is a house is a collection of individuals who wish to exit their comfort zones to experience something new." Then I realized that there are actually people who believe this. Let me offer some input here. A collection of mostly white, upper-class individuals from different states does not exactly constitute diversity. When it comes to making the decision to join or not to join a fraternity or sorority, an individual should be free to do as he or she pleases. But please, stop shoving the notion of greek superiority down our throats.\nMeredith Wahl\nJunior
Police should be questioned about crowd reaction\nI was with two of my closest friends, when my roommate's boss tried to hurry us in his store because he said the police were going to tear gas everyone. I vividly remember laughing at him and telling him he was crazy. I couldn't believe any of it. The crowd was amazingly boring. As far as I could see we were the calmest gathering I have been a part of thus far. I didn't even believe it when the cops started walking arm in arm towards us. My friends and I even got a picture of us leaning down in front of them, semi mocking them. As I saw them putting on their masks, I screamed, "Are you SERIOUS?"\nWhen I looked around at the people, I saw students, families and little kids. I could see no real harm being done, unlike the video I saw of Maryland, with police cars, store windows being broken and other cars being set ablaze. But then it hit, tears began to form in my eyes, and I barely caught a glimpse of the scattering of people. \nMy throat started to feel scratchy. Then the spray went even deeper. I could feel it in my lungs. I don't know if I ran into a person, a street sign or just couldn't move any farther, but I fell to the ground on the curb in between Kilroy's on Kirkwood and Jimmy John's. I couldn't breathe. I just lay there trying to cover my mouth and continued to rub my eyes. As I continued to suffer, several people tried to help me as they ran by, but I couldn't move. Eventually, a guy decided I was in real trouble and dragged me by my arm up Dunn. I have my scars, two large gashes on my arm and one across my knee, but I still thank this person. He helped me and essentially brought me back to life, to oxygen. UNBELIEVABLE.\nNever in a million, some say. So where did it all come from? Should the police be seriously questioned for their actions? Yes.\nAaron Chastain\nSenior
Clarifying BSU's Team Major Taylor position \nThe Black Student Union does not have a position regarding Team Major Taylor. While we are monitoring the situation, BSU does not have enough official information as of yet to make a decision. We have educated our constituency on the matter so that the community would be aware of Team Major Taylor, as well as the circumstances surrounding their disqualification from the race. We are awaiting the arbitration decision which is to be made hopefully this Wednesday. While we strongly support Team Major Taylor it must be understood that we have no problem with the IUSF investigation. We understand that it is a necessary procedure that is rather routine. The IDS misrepresented the Black Student Union as well as Carolyn Randolph who gave her personal feelings regarding information she had received from various sources. We will monitor the situation and will be prepared to act if necessary; however as of now we do not have a reason to act. No final decisions have been made. While we are disappointed with the IDS and it's treatment on this issue we understand that things like this happen, and appreciate the opportunity to set the record straight. This issue does raise another question about the culpability of the IDS when they produce a bad story. For example, a portion of the Chancellor's decision regarding the mural was misrepresented as $800,000 in the headline of the IDS story, when the actually numbers are $3.2 million over four years to strategic hiring of minorities and women, and $1.8 million toward retention of minority students. While I understand that the IDS\n has a big job I sometimes wonder if the stories I read on a daily basis are truly accurate. The life lesson to be learned from this situation is never believe all of what you read and be prepared to question everything. \nMarshawn Wolley\nBlack Student Union President
Student reaction to Md. loss shocking \nOn Tuesday morning I eagerly clicked on my IDS bookmark. I was hoping for some consolation after last night\'s loss to Maryland. Maybe a photo of IU students cheering their basketball team. Maybe a lovely photo of a sea of red at Assembly Hall, celebrating the tremendous run our boys had this season. No. As the IDS Web site popped up, the first thing I saw was students rioting at Kirkwood and Dunn. I was shocked and sickened to see that students reacted with violence and anger to the Hoosier\'s loss on Monday night. Were they proud of the team for making it to the championship game? No! They were mad at the team for losing and decided to take out their aggressions with violence, vandalism and destruction.\nI\'m disappointed all right, but not in the basketball team.\nCathy Donahue\nAlumnus
Post-game rioting raises disgust\nI am totally disgusted by the reports of student rioting following the NCAA championship game last night. \nThis team played their hearts out. They went farther than any Hoosier basketball team has in more than a decade. Coach Mike Davis has brought a refreshing new approach to the whole IU basketball program and has proven that you can win and be a class act at the same time. It doesn\'t have to be an either/or proposition.\nNeither the team nor the coaching staff deserves this kind of conclusion to an overwhelmingly positive season. The students involved in the rioting have tainted the victories with boorish, immature tantrums of ridiculous proportion.\nI am proud of the Hoosier basketball team and while I wish we had won, we lost to a fine opponent. I am not proud of the students who rioted. I am offended and embarrassed. \nCertain situations warrant riots: political oppression, human rights oppression, hunger. But not lost basketball games. \nGrow up and get over it. And if you can\'t do either, then transfer to Texas Tech. Apparently they don\'t mind that sort of thing down there.\nSherri Monteith\nAlumnus
Police tactics during Monday night's riots questionable \nIn a personal video of Monday\'s riots, I must question the tactics of the police. Bloomington Police report using nine tear gas canisters each of which can likely contaminate more than 1000 sq ft. Multiple canisters were launched down side streets of Kirkwood as crowds were evacuating without warning. Blocks from Kirkwood Avenue, tear gas was in the air. I also question the use of unnecessary force against students. I saw and captured a student being abruptly shoved to the ground by an officer because his friend was stating his First Amendment rights. It seemed the crowd took its anger out with fire and violence toward other students and the police used violence against the students. Bottles were not thrown at police until they packed four to six thousand students into two blocks.\nMichael Matiya\nSophomore
Alumnus can't believe fan reaction\nI was in San Antonio this past weekend--yes, one of those old ladies with white hair. Class of \'56. I went to a bar with a TV and watched the game. Soon several IU fans joined me in yelling at every play and basket. The games were great. However, when I returned to Connecticut all newspapers, radio stations and television stations stressed the number of arrests on campus, the bonfires, etc. Comparisons were made with the losing IU arrests and the winning Maryland arrests. Maryland arrests were reported as being less - which I don\'t believe. I am still upset by the comments. Couldn\'t something have been done? Either a more positive spin or better crowd control. \nLois Robillard\nAlumnus
Md. fan impressed by Davis, team\nAs a Maryland alumnus I would like to take the opportunity, before the big game gets underway and the meaning of the important things in life is (briefly) pushed aside, to wish all the Hoosiers good luck and to commend Coach Davis on being an inspiring example to many. I had not known much about him before, but the articles I've read recently all paint a picture of a man we would all be happy to have teaching our children life\'s lessons.\nWhile I will be rooting intensely for my Terrapins (and hoping that "Fear the Turtle" will be met tomorrow with respect instead of a snicker) I think that everyone in Indiana has good reason to be proud of their team and especially their coach. Colleges anywhere in the U.S. should be proud to have a man like Mike Davis.\nTom Ward\nAlumnus, University of Maryland
Magic of Indiana basketball is back\nI\'m an Indiana grad from '95 and just wanted to say that myself and fellow alumni really enjoyed following IU in the tournament. From coast to coast we had e-mails buzzing back and forth about our beloved Hoosiers. We are so proud of you! All the non-Hoosiers out there called IU the "Cinderella" team, but those of us from IU know the truth: it's just the magic of Indiana basketball. I was in Florida watching the semi-final game and many people from all over were cheering on the Hoosiers. You played your hearts out and are great sportsmen. Congratulations to the team and Coach Mike Davis. What a great run! \nKathleen McCarter\nAlumnus
