Letters to the Editor

Author: [no author name found]

To the Editor:
Whether or not you believe that the U.S. invasion of Iraq was justified on humanitarian and national security grounds, two facts remain: much of the country is now in ruins, and many Iraqis are still without basic services and supplies. The U.S. generals in charge of Baghdad have promised to restore water and electricity as soon as possible, and we can only hope they will fulfill that promise. Even when services are up and running again, many citizens will still be without homes and personal possessions.
As we wait for the U.S. military to make good on their promise to build a free and stable Iraq, let's do what we can to help those Iraqis whose livelihoods were damaged by the bombing and ground force campaign against their government. We should all - those of who marched for peace in Iraq and those who supported a military solution to the problems there - show the Iraqis that we have not forgotten them after "victory" was declared.
The American Friends Service Committee, an organization based in Philadelphia, is currently collecting relief kits to send to Iraqis. They ask that we include the following items: 4 bars of soap, 1 plastic bottle of shampoo (13 - 24 ounce size or 450 - 830 milliliters), 1 tube of toothpaste (minimum 8 ounces or 100 milliliters), 4 adult-size toothbrushes (leave in packaging),1 hairbrush, 1 wide-tooth comb, 1 finger nail clipper, 1 box of adhesive bandages (minimum 40, assorted preferred).
Please consider putting together one of these kits, and if you do, put it all in a plastic bag and drop it of at Greenfield's Mercantile, across from the Alpine Shop in town, and include about $7 to cover shipping to Iraq.
- Alex Fuller '05


To the Editor:
Recently I had the pleasure of attending the French department's production of Fantasio. A fusion of hard work, personality, and creativity, the play was at once amusing and thought provoking. Professor Nunley's portrayal of Fantasio was excellent, as he moved effortlessly between sullen gent and eloquent jester, and the student actors betrayed wonderful personality and enthusiasm.
I was thus deeply disappointed by the review of the play, printed in last week's Campus. The review noted a "middle school charm" in the production, though it focused principally on the inaccessibility of the play to members of the audience who are not fluent in French.
On the contrary, the production provided an unusual chance for students of French to challenge their language abilities. For others, Fantasio was high quality theatrical event. Many thanks and congratulations to the cast of Fantasio!

- Edith Honan '03