LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Learning Grammar

To the Editor: To those DP readers who, like Mr. Eckhause, have begun to lose faith in humanity as a result of the "egregious" grammatical errors of Biren Johnson in his column ("Not By the Hair On My Chinny Chin Chin" DP, 11/14/94); to those DP readers who, like Mr. Eckhause, would recommend flogging for splitting an infinitive, public display in a stockade for incorrect declension of a pronoun, and expulsion from Penn for employing journalistic license with respect to an implicit verb; and indeed, to Mr. Eckhause himself, may I recommend taking either Linguistics 101 or 102 for acquiring a broader, more sane, and more scientific understanding of what grammar rules are and what they are not. You may even find out what a real grammatical error is. Wouldn't it be scandalous to discover that Biren Johnson's use (not "misuse") of English is entirely grammatical? If you pay attention in either course and think about the material it presents, you may learn that your shock, horror, and indignation are misplaced (shoot me for using passive voice). Furthermore, in keeping with the popular attitude among students these days, let me add that even if you don't learn anything, both courses fulfill important core requirements, to wit, Sector IV and Sector I, respectively. Gordon Jones College '95 Questionable Ethics To the Editor: At first glance, I was under the impression that the article was focusing specifically on the members of the TAC-E subcommittee of PAC. However, upon further inspection of the article, I realized that I was mistaken. The reporter's inclusion of Mask and Wig within this grouping is misleading to the reader in an accurate investigation of "theater" at Penn. This letter is not to belittle the efforts of Mask and Wig as a theater organization, nor the process they undergo each semester in their productions. My point is that if the DP were writing a focus on theater groups at Penn, it should be inclusive. In fact, Mask and Wig is not a part of TAC-E (which is stated in the article). Yes, they are a member of the "miscellaneous" subcommittee in PAC. However, had the DP done the necessary amount of investigation, it would realize that it was far from being inclusive in its reporting. The DP-reading community should be aware that this Miscellaneous committee has a name -- it is the Singers, Musicians, and Comedians (SMAC) subcommittee, and it too functions as an autonomous group within the larger umbrella of PAC. In addition to Mask and Wig, SMAC also includes (among others; I am not including its purely musical constituency) Bloomers, Penn Singers, the Glee Club, and Without a Net, all valid "theater" groups that put on productions in much the same manner and rehearsal process as delineated in the article. That these groups are not included in this spotlight is negligent on the part of the author. I find it equally interesting that the author, over the course of the semester, has shown favorable leanings toward Mask and Wig (a shining and well-deserved review), without necessarily giving other groups the same level of consideration. I feel it is the responsibility of the media to present an accurate and comprehensive portrayal of what it chooses to report. The DP's article has failed miserably in this respect. I would hope that in the future all groups will be given the credit that they deserve. Elizabeth Rudnick College '95 SMAC Chairperson Bloomers Chairperson Safe Ride Home To the Editor: I have seen many articles and letters printed concerning the Escort service and I am writing to add to them. I have been an escort passenger and have, on several occasions, been disappointed with my fellow passengers. I have waited for what seems eternity for these people to retrieve their IDs from the bottoms of their book bags. Then I have listened to these same people berate the driver for the amount of their precious time they have wasted waiting for a van (never mind that they have just wasted my time by not using their time to have their IDs ready.) I have heard people plead with the drivers to make exceptions to the rules for them and, when their demands are not met, curse the driver at length. Having had some retail experience I know that even one such negative encounter can leave a person frazzled and edgy for the rest of the day -- and Escort drivers can't restock shelves and avoid people until they calm down. I realize that there are still problems with the service and that many people are dissatisfied with it. I think it is important that students work with the University to correct these problems. It can do no good to harass and abuse the drivers about the policies or wait times of Escort. All this behavior accomplishes is to leave behind feelings of hostility and being rushed. Those are not things I want the person giving me a safe ride home to feel. ERIC HAGERSON University Alumnus