'Townie' should not be used as derogatory term

I have to admit to being more than a little taken aback by Matt Glenesk's "To the remaining, b-ware" column in the May 12 IDS. Mr. Glenesk, I really hope that rather than actually believing the stereotypes you mention, you're simply using them in an effort to encourage students to get out and explore the area beyond the campus.\nEven if that was your intent, I'm horrified by the "us against them" tone of your column. Please remember that the "townies" label also includes professors, doctors and the owners of the bars and shops that line downtown streets. Not all of us are Skoal-chewing, mullet-wearing, and/or mini-skirted. Many of us refuse to shop at Wal-Mart because we dislike its corporate practices and prefer to support local businesses whenever possible.\nThe line between town and gown is quite a bit more blurred than Mr. Glenesk describes. I came here as a freshman in '94 and stayed on as IU staff after I graduated in '98. By now, I consider myself a townie -- and it's not a derogatory term to me. I own a house here. I vote here. I shop at Bloomingfoods and dine at Nick's. Bloomington is a beautiful, diverse town that I'm happy to call home -- even when I'm cursing the traffic jams caused by 37,000 "extra" people during the school year.\nI think if Mr. Glenesk really believes the views he expressed in his column, he might consider exploring Bloomington more thoroughly in order to balance his skewed perceptions of the people who live here year-round. Right now it sounds as though his opinion -- which has now been read by many -- is based solely on repeated viewings of "Breaking Away"