Letters to the editor

News editor should get some facts

I was flabbergasted to see that the commentary saying that President Bush was about to go to war with Iraq without proof while ignoring the threat of Al-Qaeda was written by the news editor — of all people — of the Herald. The NEWS editor has obviously not turned on the news or read another news publication in the last few weeks, or he would have heard the words “UN Weapons Inspectors.”

Contrary to Hall’s commentary, these guys are looking for proof — not in spite of, but only because of, a persistent President Bush. So what’s the point of the article? People are looking for the proof of a madman’s deadly arsenal and no bullets are flying. By the same token, only recently, the United States has made significant gains against Al-Qaeda. If my only source of news was Hall’s letter, I would think we were living in a much different world. Hall, the news editor, is changing the news and giving his President and his paper a bad name for no reason. I would challenge Hall to find a similar letter written in the last month by any credible news editor in the country.

Adam Smith

Franklin junior

The following letters are in response to Lloyd Smith’s November 26 letter “Breuer should have squeezed out Greeks.”

Harassing phone calls not needed

I am writing this letter in response to the letter that was written on Tuesday Nov. 26, “Fraternities at Western are useless.” This letter was written by my roommate, Lloyd Smith, and is about how he thinks fraternities are basically just drinking clubs.

I am an active member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity, and I was in no way offended by Lloyd’s letter. Lloyd did say some things that I don’t agree with, like: “Fraternities at Western are useless. They are nothing more than drinking clubs. They hold parties, trash campus and make the moral-minded sick to our stomachs.” I do not agree with one word of this quote. However, I do agree with what he said about fraternities not caring much about philanthropic events.

Now to the point of my letter — LEARN HOW TO RESPOND. All Monday night I listened to Lloyd receive numerous harassing phone calls. It was very annoying. My roommate already has a bad view of Greek organizations, you all know that. So why do you all think that by calling him, and using obscene language, you are going to change his mind?

Upon hearing some of the things that were said to him, I lost much confidence in human intelligence. Lloyd expressed his right to free speech and you all should too by writing another letter to the Herald, not by harassing him. The thing that tops it all off is that about 90 percent of the phone calls received were from female callers. If I recall correctly the letter was entitled “FRATERNITIES at Western are useless.” In his letter, he only uses the word sorority once, and it was in no way diminutive. So please use your right of free speech in the right way.

Kurt Maynard

Franklin freshman

Philanthropy more important than entertainment

I am writing in response to an article written on Nov. 26 in the Herald about Greeks in general and fraternities being bashed! I totally disagree. I am in a sorority and believe the Greek system is very important to the campus and for raising money for philanthropies.

The same night Jim Breuer came to Western the Chi Omega’s were holding a Stomp show to raise money for their philanthropy, and they raised a lot of money that went to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Even though Van Meter was not full and could have held more people than DUC for the Breuer show, there is no need to blame Greeks and criticize them because not everyone could get into the show. What went on in Van Meter that night was for a good cause, one more important than just being entertained.

As far as the stereotyping of fraternities goes, I don’t agree with that either. Sure, you’re going to find some Greeks that are only out to party and have a good time, but there are those of us in fraternities and sororities that are here to help and make a difference.

Heather Townsend

sophomore from Evansville, Ind.

Blanket statements irresponsible

In regards to the letter that Lloyd Smith wrote in the Herald on Tuesday: Fraternities at Western are MUCH more than just drunken men getting together to chase women.

Not only that but I refuse to believe that this freshman individual thinks only fraternity men drink underage — living in PFT four years ago I saw way more drinking and trips to the hospital to take care of members of (other) programs than I did of fraternity members. So please don’t try and pull out that line.

As for some very interesting facts about fraternities that Mr. Smith probably doesn’t know:

85 percent of the Fortune 500 executives belong to a fraternity.

40 of 47 U.S. Supreme Court Justices since 1910 were fraternity men.

Every U.S. President and Vice President, except two in each office, born since the first social fraternity was founded in 1825, have been members of a fraternity.

A U.S. Government study shows that more than 70 percent of all those who join a fraternity/sorority graduate, while under 50 percent of all non-fraternity/sorority persons graduate.

Although he may not believe it, many stars are Greeks, such as: Tim McGraw, Brad Pitt, Drew Carey, Chris Klein, Johnny Carson, Cindy Crawford, Michael Jordan, Horace Grant, Travis Tritt, George Bush, David Letterman, Bill Clinton, Anne Klein, Liz Claiborne, Jimmy Buffett, etc. The list goes on and on.

Honestly, to make such a blatantly obscure statement about fraternity men is extremely irresponsible.

The fraternities are the first ones faculty and staff at the university contact when they need help with an event. The city calls on Greeks for the 10k every year, not to mention other events like the home expo.

… Mr. Smith may one day be looking at his boss and see some Greek letters in his office, or he may meet a wonderful woman and notice some letters on her car, and he will have missed out on knowing some wonderful individuals because he assumes things about groups he doesn’t understand. Just one question, Mr. Smith, if only one of the 12 fraternities you visited during rush had an incident and you feel you can generalize what hundreds of thousands of men are, then does that mean I can assume that one in 12 Lloyds that I meet generally have their foot in their mouths?

Sarah Fahey

Alpha Gamma Delta member

Western Kentucky Alumna

Letter showed ignorance

On Tuesday, Nov. 26, Lloyd Smith wrote a letter to the editor complaining that he did not get to see Jim Breuer. I’m not sure if Mr. Smith is bitter from standing out in the cold or just plain bitter, but either way, his letter shows that he knows nothing about the Greek system at Western.

On Oct. 14, while many people waited at DUC to see Breuer, Chi Omega sorority was busy collecting tickets, handing out programs and putting the finishing touches on our philanthropy event. That night at Van Meter, though maybe not to a full capacity crowd, several Greek organizations danced, drummed and stomped their hearts out in the name of charity. Overall, the first annual Chi O Stomp raised more than $1,700 for the Make-A-Wish foundation.

And in case you don’t know, Mr. Smith, I or any other Chi Omega will gladly explain that the Make-A-Wish foundation grants wishes to children with terminal illnesses.

I’m sorry that many students did not get to see Jim Breuer, but I’m not sorry that we raised money for charity, that we had the foresight to reserve Van Meter early or that we will be able to make a sick child’s life a little brighter.

So while Stomp might have seemed like a “frat attack” to some, to me it seems like a group of students working together for a great cause. I hope next time, Mr. Smith, you won’t be left out in the cold, but if you do find yourself in the same situation next year, I encourage you to come watch the Chi O Stomp. Maybe then you can get a better understanding of what we do before you write another misinformed letter.

Courtney Burge

Midway sophomore

Greeks an asset to Western

I would like to say that this is purely a letter to the editor, but I must admit that this is truly a letter to Lloyd Smith and other ignorant students like him. He wanted to make blanket statements about the Greek community in his letter to the editor last week. I would like to inform him that he needs to check some of his information.

First of all, it was a sorority that was having an event at Van Meter, not a fraternity, and the only reason why those irresponsible Greeks were able to have it there was because they planned their event before the Breuer event was scheduled.

To address the real issue of your submission, I would like for you to know that although your one semester of dealing with the Greek system has provided you with infinite insight into the issue, many people might believe that the Greek community might actually be an asset to “your” university. I don’t know about other fraternities, but my fraternity has never been called upon by the “philanthropic enforcer” to do our bare minimum of community service hours. We choose to do these things because they are mutually beneficial for the organizations that we support, as well as for our members. I would like to ask you, Mr. Lloyd, exactly how many hours of community service you have done this semester?

…I am truly never amazed by the things that I read in the Herald, but one thing that continually bothers me is that you never see a Greek writing in to bash a non-Greek, but there are always letters bashing “Frat Boys.”

I think I have finally figured out exactly why that is. We are too busy doing community service, joining and running campus organizations, raising money for charity, going to Western athletic events and maintaining an ALL-Greek (grade point) average well above that of non-Greek students. I guess those who write in to complain have a lot of time on their hands when they go home for the weekend. I guess that is the only place where they can avoid the “Frat Attack”!

Tommy Williams

junior from Smyrna, Tenn.