Letters to the Editor

Author: [no author name found]

To the Editor:

When I read the opening paragraph of The Campus' Feb. 28 Mardi Gras article, I was a bit appalled at the depiction of our celebration: "Tales of debauchery, lewd conduct and women flashing their assets up and down Bourbon Street have made the annual event in New Orleans an x-rated affair and certainly no place for children."

Flashing women and bacchanalia are often associated with the New Orleans celebration, and I cannot deny that this sort of behavior does happen, but what I can say is that the people participating in these acts are predominately tourists on Bourbon Street, and they are often swiftly arrested.

The New Orleans Mardi Gras experience is a family affair that takes place outside of the French Quarter. In fact, none of the major Mardi Gras parades even enter the French Quarter. The carnival season is a long-standing tradition with deep ties to the start of Lent. It is seen as a time of celebration, during which Catholics feast and party prior to the fasting and other restrictions of Lent. "Getting loaded" is not the "traditional Catholic mission of Mardi Gras," but rather a modern day adaptation of the celebration, which many tourists seem to believe is the quintessential Mardi Gras activity.

The local New Orleans newspaper, The Times-Picayune, ran a front-page article last year titled "Their Mardi Gras, Our Mardi Gras." The staff writer wished to countermand the myth that the celebration is a heathenish brawl of debauchery. The article was published during a debate on whether it was appropriate or not for the city to celebrate in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and it expressed the same opinion that the majority of New Orleans residents shared at the time: of course it's appropriate, this is what we do, it's our heritage, and it's the only way for our city to come back.

The people of New Orleans worked so hard to have Mardi Gras last year because of its cultural significance, not because it is some form of bloated fraternity party.

Matthew Amoss '07
New Orleans, LA




To the Editor:

Last week's Winner's and Loser's column in The Campus labeled the Senior 100 Days Party "hot." It might have been. I'll have to take the editors' word on that, because as a senior who is not yet 21, I was not allowed to attend. According to the ID checkers, the Senior Committee had told security that there were no under-21 seniors to worry about.

Note to the Committee: I will not turn 21 for another nine months, and I doubt that I am the only senior who still cannot legally drink. This is not the first

time that underage seniors have been barred from such events - I distinctly remember this being a problem two years ago. Let's find a solution. The Senior Committee should do its homework, and make sure such senior-year events are open to all members of our class.

Olivia Bailey '07
Londonderry, VT


To the editor:

I'd like to applaud the organizers of the Atwater Commons blood drive that took place last week. Despite the many students and community members waiting to donate last Tuesday, I was in and out in just over an hour. I was treated by professionals and couldn't have asked for a better experience. Giving blood is so easy as the Red Cross comes right to our school in the middle of Vermont. We don't have to make any extra effort besides walking to the student center. If you missed out on giving blood this time, I hope you're able to donate the next time the Red Cross comes to campus


David Schoenholtz '07
Bethesda, MD



To the Editor:

Are Middlebury College students apathetic? It's a question that the upcoming anniversary of the start of the War in Iraq begs of us. We're busy, certainly, and perhaps feel helpless in the face of the huge and - for most of us - abstract issue of war, but we do care. Right? Judging by the crowd of students and community members that turned up and packed Kirk Alumni Center to hear Cindy Sheehan and a panel of Iraq veterans, a Vermont reporter and an impeachment activist speak about their experiences, the answer is yes.

But is caring enough? Thus far, our guilt, our horror, our sorrow haven't done much to bring an end to the War in Iraq, let alone to address the conflicts in Darfur, Iran, and Afghanistan- so, what can we do? How should we respond to war? The first step, I think, is to begin a dialogue: ask why we're fighting, how we can get out, when withdrawal should occur. The panel Friday began this discussion powerfully, and now a student group, Hope for Peace, is working to continue the discourse. Whatever your views on immediate withdrawal, I'd encourage you to take part in this conversation because collaboration will bring us the best solutions. Look out for upcoming events, and stop by the Gamut Room. The time to act is, of course, now.


Kate Brittain '07
North Chittenden, VT