Sedia's music reviews lack knowledge\nIn the many articles that I've read over the past year regarding musical critiques, I am amazed at the lack of preparation and background information displayed by (Adam Sedia). As an example, the reviews of Stravinsky's "Petrouchka" and Bartok's "Miraculous Mandarin," both ballet scores, show that the critic clearly had no idea what either ballet was about. I imagine Sedia attending an orchestral performance of the "Nutcracker" Suite and saying, "There are too many breaks between pieces, and they have almost no connection to each other. However, there was no piano, organ or celeste in it, so it was orchestrated beautifully."\nKris Lou Graduate student
Iraqi situation not as simple as money for the poor\nMr. Thibos, perhaps a brief trip back to reality would have a grounding effect on your claims to solve the Iraq issue by giving money to each Iraqi citizen ("Blood Money for Iraq," Feb. 4). You suggested that citizens should hold democratic elections. Who exactly will do this? Where? Do you honestly think Saddam will let any organizers live long enough to complete the process? If so, you obviously haven't studied Saddam's behavior. As a matter of fact, you didn't really bother studying anything before writing your grossly oversimplified solution to complex international politics. By the way, there is precedent that humanitarianism does not solve conflicts. Take the Balkans in the mid-1990s. Let's say Bosnia. The U.S. tried humanitarianism first, it didn't work. Still not convinced? Let's revisit the Balkans for the Kosovo Conflict of the late 1990s. Once again, humanitarianism did not work. It's easy to solve issues in your head while typing at a computer Mr. Thibos, but next time try stepping into the real world first.\nEric Thompson Senior
Legislators need to be educated about standardized testing\nYour editorial on the No Child Left Behind Law (Staff Editorial, Feb. 5) should be required reading for all State and Federal legislators. Though I work in education in the state of Ohio (my son, Evan, writes for the IDS so I read it frequently), your comments are equally applicable here. \nLearning and thinking are two different things. In a world of increasing complexity, and where it is estimated that over 90 percent of the jobs high schools and college students are being prepared for aren't even in place yet, people should not be lulled into thinking these standardized tests can measure job preparedness or thinking skills. \nEducation legislation should not always be done based upon a cost-benefit analysis. Keep the pressure and information flowing. The only check to this misplaced public policy will be pressure placed on legislators by an informed populace.\nScott Ross Olmstead Falls, Ohio
Changes to Student Code have strong Orwellian feel\nUpon reading the article in Tuesday's IDS concerning possible revisions to the Student Code of Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct, I became very concerned about future protection of individual student freedoms. \nWhy should the University require students to carry an ID at all times? I sincerely doubt that this policy could yield any positive results for students. Does this remind anyone of the Nazis' policy of making people carry identification papers for the purpose of easy persecution?\nIn addition, I fear stricter policies regarding the definition of classroom "disruption." While the school says that this policy will not inhibit the flow of ideas, I think many students will worry about faculty reactions before saying anything potentially controversial.\nI understand that the University has a job to do, but seriously, how often do policies protect individual rights rather than further limiting and micro-managing them?\nBrooke Kenner Senior
Greek 'Party Patrol' seems oxymoronic\nWhat a fantastic idea! I can see it now, the "Party Patrol" clad in black North Face jackets (they're sure to stick out on frat row) ready to call in IUPD backup at the first sign of alcohol consumption by their greek buddies. I suggest a change however in the attire ... yes, I think Ronald McDonald outfits and Cracker Jack decoder rings are more appropriate for this dynamic, alcohol-fighting team. Erin White is quick to criticize the IUPD for failing to stop the problem but supports the idea of greeks policing their own? Are you kidding? What planet are you living on? In fairness, I suppose I should see how this goes but I think I stand more chance of being elected the next Pope then the "Party Patrol" calling in the SWAT team the next time they see a fellow greek drinking. \nRemember the track record these people have. How many fraternities have been booted from IU in the last 5 years? It's like giving Saddam Hussein or Kim Jong-il a hundred pounds of plutonium and asking them to "please only use it for making bookends." Maybe it's me, but the "Party Patrol" looks like it's just three rings short of a being a circus. They will be snappy dressers though.\nErik Boice Graduate student
Joe Grace's columns a welcome break for college students\nI am writing in response to the letter "Joe Falls Short of 'Graceland'" (Jordan River Forum, Feb. 4). I do not understand why so many readers criticize Joe Grace for his column. He is a comic writer and in my opinion a very good one. He attempts to embody the attitudes of many college students with some phrases often heard on campus. If his critics have never wanted to direct some classy third grade insults towards an ex, they are fooling themselves. College students are different. Many people do not try to understand us. We rarely speak perfectly structured English, but who does? At least we do not use phrases like "does not a journalist make." Joe Grace writes how he and many of his classmates think and speak. He not only does this well, but he does it with a smile and a giggle. If only we could all live with this lighthearted humor on the forefront of our lives and learn not to take everything so seriously, the world would be a happier place without so many, to borrow a phrase from Joe, "poopy doo doo heads."\nErin Davidson Senior
Money makes more of an issue for those who lack it\n"Class Warfare" (IDS Columnist Matt Murray, Jan. 31) cannot paint a more misconstrued portrait of American lifestyles. Unfortunately, I am sorely disappointed that you refused to include vital economic trends in your article. Don't you know that the rich are the ones who tend to sit on their money? Don't you know that the middle-class is the one group most likely to reinvest their tax returns? Don't you know that 10 percent of a millionaire's income does little to their overall well-being, but for the deli worker, an extra 10 percent is the difference between his child attending college to pursue his dreams or follow in his father's footsteps to the deli. Please think about the importance across the spectrum before you ever put pen to paper again.\nNiko Finnigan Freshman
Who cares what celebrities think?\nIn your recent IDS Weekend Indigo Girls article, I came across a quote of theirs about the pending Iraq conflict, which lead me to a fundamental question about our society: Why do we care what celebrities think? What intellectual qualifications do the Indigo Girls, Sean Penn or Sheryl Crow have that make society value their often baseless opinions? Is it our society's lack of a natural elite aristocratic class, who could, (if present), actually make convincing arguments about politics, etc? Instead our society counts degrees of fame as intellectual currency, and actually listens to these people whose only apparent qualification is a nominal talent at music, or, in an actor's case, lie to us convincingly (for what else is acting but lying?). It's time people stopped accepting the opinions of celebrities as the truth or the proper path and started thinking for themselves. \nRobert DeWitte Senior
America should not stand in defiance of World Court\nPedro Pontual: Thank you for sharing your observations in "The Arrogance of Power (Feb. 6)." The United States is often a big bully when it comes to international relations, and our country has a troubled history with many nations and regions of the world. In Latin America in particular, U.S. leaders and agencies have often supported ruthless dictators in the name of capitalist and former Cold War interests. Men like Henry Kissinger have contributed to human genocide, and they should not be protected from an international court system. I want to see those responsible for the torture of my mother-in-law and the "disappearances" of my friends' family members in Chile brought to justice. The guilty do not only reside in Chile.\nKristin Sorensen Graduate student
Steinem audience ironically not \nopen-minded\nNeedless to say, Gloria Steinem was a very powerful speaker with messages that blasted against the trenches of gender inequality. As she promised, I walked out a different person than before I was even aware of Ms. Steniem's role in our society. However, it was not her message that provoked me that evening. When I left the auditorium, I found the frostbitten sidewalks outside as cold as the audience that sat inside. Ms. Steinem began the evening by encouraging an open-minded atmosphere to foster a more enlightened forum. I wonder if anyone actually listened because her words fell deaf when the audience jeered and silenced the last questioner with their scornful applause. As a close friend, I regret that I was not in his defense as people ridiculed him. I stand belatedly in his defense now. His ideas may not have been clearly expressed nor do I completely agree with him. Nevertheless, the fashion in which our campus responded is intolerable and hypocritical. Most of all, I am appalled that Ms. Steniem allowed the audience to become hostile enough to tune him out. Like many question and answer sessions, people simply praise and propagate the speaker's message instead of challenging his or her perspective. Rather than attempting to understand the last inquiry, the audience simply rallied their fears and ignorance against an unsettling challenge. I believe that every argument must have two sides otherwise it becomes moot and understanding the opponent's position can only strengthen your own point of view The incident of that evening simply demonstrated that people are still not prepared to constructively engage this gender debate.\nY. Jack Fan IU alum
IU Alumni Club has scholarships available\nThe IU Alumni Club of Indianapolis is delighted to have been included in Ms. Geller's Feb. 4th article on Alumni Association scholarships. We are proud to be able to assist deserving students from Marion, Hamilton, Hancock and Hendricks Counties who choose to study at our Alma Mater.\nThe deadline for applying for the 2003-2004 scholarships is March 14th. Interested students can find information and an application form on our Club's Web site: www.alumni.indiana.edu /clubs/indy.\nCathy Randall President, IU Alumni Club of Indianapolis
Former coach Knight likes Texas better\nEx-IU basketball coach Bob Knight just achieved the career milestone of 800 wins. He spent 29 years at IU, in front of wildly hysterical crowds who worshiped the very ground he walked on. So, what did the venerated and deified Knight (yes, I dare to call him by only his last name) say following the win? He said "I've had some milestones, but I've never had a milestone in front of a crowd that I appreciated so much," (speaking of the crowd at Texas Tech University). \nSlap! Did you hear that? For all those that had near-orgasms every time they saw their beloved icon, Knight just emptied his bowels in your awe-struck gaping mouths. Wasn't that special? Don't you feel honored? Put that in your feedbag and chew on it. I say "good riddance," plus a few other things that would have merited a mouth-washing by my mother, and wouldn't have been printed in the paper anyway. In his years at IU, Knight proved himself to be the quintessential rectum. But I will say one thing in Knight's favor: at least he's consistent.\nJeff Farinacci IU alum
The government is stealing more rights in Patriot Act follow-up\nIf you didn't think the Patriot Act went far enough trodding on your liberties, you're in for a shock. The Center for Public Integrity, a non-partisan Washington watchdog, has just discovered that the government is preparing a follow-up. David Cole, a Georgetown University Law professor and author of "Terrorism and the Constitution," says that the new legislation "would radically expand law enforcement and intelligence gathering authorities, reduce or eliminate judicial oversight over surveillance, authorize secret arrests, create a DNA database based on unchecked executive 'suspicion,' create new death penalties, and even seek to take American citizenship away from persons who belong to or support disfavored political groups." \nThe Administration has not consulted Congress in the development of this legislation and Cole said that "what that suggests is that they're waiting for a propitious time to introduce it, which might well be when a war is started. At that time there would be less opportunity for discussion and they'll have a much stronger hand in saying that they need these "right away." This isn't a liberal vs. conservative, or Republican vs. Democrat matter. True conservatives (the few that seem to be remaining) have been as aghast as liberals at the Bush Administration's draconian policies that appear to be, in many respects, a gradual approach to "friendly fascism" as described in Bertram Gross's book of the same name. Will we stand against this? Or will we cower in fear at the new "terror alerts" (a.k.a. "public manipulation system") and complacently let the Bush administration (a.k.a. the corporate-military-industrial complex) take away the liberties that millions of Americans have died for over the past two hundred years?\nDoug Hanvey Junior
Oops, I spilled my Anthrax poison\nI have a question for anyone supporting an invasion of Iraq: What happens to the anthrax, botulinium, and ricin said by Bush, et al, to be accumulated there when -- intentionally or accidentally -- U. S. bombs explode close to the storage facilities? Can we protect our own troops, let alone the rest of the world's population, from the lethal bioweapons dispersed in such an attack? \nJames A. Disnmoor Professor emeritus
IU is being dumbed down by money; education eroded\nI agree with the main points of the editorial (Staff Editorial- Majority, Feb. 10). However, IU's record enrollment is not a function of increased demand for an IU degree. Due to state budget cuts, we have been forced to lower the bar and admit more under-qualified students -- mostly out of state because we make money on them. The top 25th percentile of SAT scores for our freshman class starts at 1210; Michigan's top 25th percentile starts at 1340. Our education is already being eroded, as professors must spend more time bringing under-qualified students up to speed. Additionally, class sizes have increased dramatically over the last five years, further hampering professors' efforts to reach students effectively. We need serious help from the state, not the rhetoric and lectures of ignorant ideologues.\nJudd Arnold Junior
Carino cartoon not a catalyst for racism\nAfter reading all the negative responses toward the Carino cartoon regarding affirmative action, I felt the need to provide some defense for its publication. Several of the articles called the IDS "ignorant" for printing one viewpoint of a very controversial issue. This is ignorance, I ask? Personally, I see ignorance as a refusal to understand both sides of an argument, no matter how insulting one side may perceive the other's stance to be. Furthermore, some articles felt the IDS should have used more tact in publishing this cartoon, stating that an opposing opinion should have been printed. But I wonder, what is the need in this? Hopefully at the college level people understand that not everything they read or hear is the ordained truth of the matter, that there is always another side to the story. Overall, I guess I'm saying that I commend everyone for presenting their different opinions, and thank God for those different opinions, but people need to be more understanding of the other side and not become so immediately enraged at the opposition. Like George Lyle IV said in his column, "Sharing opinions is the only way we as a society will learn from one another." \nPaige Stradtner Junior
