Thursday, December 3, 1998
Letters
STUFF:
Outreach editorial misinterpreted
Alexander Schwarz, in his letter to the editor ("Bruin
editorial’s argument for diversity flawed," Viewpoint, Nov. 24),
misinterprets the arguments represented by the Daily Bruin
Editorial Board. Based on his arguments, it is obvious that he is
confused about racial diversity.
The first mistake Schwarz makes is when he misconstrues the
Board’s argument that a "diverse student body creates an
environment where different ideas can be voiced and exchanged,
which is necessary at any educational institution."
In so many words, Schwarz refutes the idea with the argument
that whites and Asians alone offer an "array of differing opinions
and ideas about the world we inhabit, as well as many academic
matters."
Of course, there are many different perspectives within these
two groups alone. But I seriously doubt that a white or Asian
person can tell me how it feels to be African American or
Latino/a.
It is nice that some whites and Asians express an interest in
minority issues, but until they have actually dealt with the racism
firsthand and felt the isolation from walking around campus and
finding only a few faces like theirs, they cannot truly contribute
perspectives on minority issues.
Schwarz also claims that he does not "believe that the
perspectives only come from differences in ethnic background" and
that perspectives "come from who we are inside." He is correct in
saying that our different perspectives are the result of who we are
inside, but he has to realize that ethnicity plays an important
role in who we are as well. Ethnic backgrounds contribute to
different cultures and thus different experiences.
Lastly, he claims that "there simply isn’t any proof that
diversity is necessary." What an ignorant statement! It is because
of statements like this that we have so much racism in
the world. People do not understand races other than their own,
and out of ignorance they hate people they have never had a
conversation with. And if he needs proof, tell him to turn on the
television or read the newspaper any day and surely he will find
some incident where someone has been the victim of a hate crime
based on their ethnicity.
Thus, diversity is vital to the future of our university.
Diversity is one of the best weapons to combat ignorance. And, of
course, the fewer ignorant people in the world, the better the
world will be.
Lakesha Breeding
Third-year
English
‘Mobile’ drive
fills Blood Center
I write in response to Ron Richards’ letter ("Blood Center staff
too small to meet obligations", Viewpoint, Nov. 13). Richards was
unhappy that he had to wait for some time to donate blood at our
donor center. He suggested that this had been the result of poor
planning on the part of the donor center staff.
First, I want to apologize for any inconvenience we may have
caused Richards. It is our goal to provide the very best experience
for our donors. We make every effort to take donors in a timely
manner, avoiding long waits. Unfortunately, circumstances sometimes
conspire against us.
On the particular day Richards donated, we were running our
first "mobile" blood drive. The Student Welfare Commission (SWC)
recruited well over 200 donors and a total of 306 individuals
actually donated. Thanks to the efforts of the SWC, this response
was fantastic.
During the same period of time, we had a youngster here as a
patient who was using a great amount of blood. In response, a
number of family members and their friends came to donate.
Predicting urgent patient needs and the subsequent response is an
impossible task. We are always in need of blood as the residents of
Los Angeles donate at the lowest rate of any city in the
nation.
We truly regret the long waits that occurred and offer our
sincere apologies to all those who were inconvenienced.
Barbara Willahan
Administrative nurse lII
Blood and Platelet Center
On-campus parking should be addressed
It’s getting bad. Really bad. I can’t sleep, I’m moody,
irritable and gripped by an inescapable feeling of impending doom.
And just what is the cause of my malaise, you ask? PMS? The crisis
in the Middle East? Fear of another El Nino? No, not even close. My
personal hell can be summed up in two words: campus parking.
At the risk of sounding a bit melodramatic, this parking
situation is ruining my life. Honestly, it is. This daily nightmare
of hopelessly roaming the streets of Westwood in search of the
sacred parking spot has pushed me to the edge. As a result, I’ve
already missed several classes and if this continues, I’m going to
flunk and not graduate. And if I don’t graduate I’ll probably wind
up working the graveyard shift at 7-Eleven selling Slurpees into
the wee hours of the night – all because there’s no parking!
Another problem stemming from this growing crisis (and far more
serious than my own petty troubles) is the rampant abuse of
handicapped placards by the healthy and able-bodied.
For about $200, anyone can purchase one of these permits and
gain access to any of the choice, blue-marked slots. And not only
does this practice hurt those who need these accommodations the
most, but otherwise normal, law-abiding students are being forced
and corrupted into employing such unethical tactics.
But as the old saying goes, desperate times require desperate
measures.
So what’s the answer? For starters, instead of wasting school
money on obscure, non-revenue-brining sports such as water polo or
lacrosse, I’d like to see more parking structures – build a parking
sky scraper if necessary – whatever it takes!
Or, another solution is to simply limit enrollment; I’m tired of
sitting on the floor anyway.
Regardless of whether any of my ideas are adopted, I know that
I’m not alone in voicing my frustration. So let us all hope
something is done soon. Please. After all, my life hangs in the
balance as I contemplate a career spent in yellow and orange
stripes.
Tina Cheng
Fourth-year
Sociology
Comments, feedback, problems?
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