LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Apathy, Penn's 'scarlet letter'

To the Editor: Last week, I saw Shiraz Allidina's column "Apathy is not all bad" (DP, 10/17/96). Let me credit Penn for a great education and some good times. But if there is anything that makes this school suck, it's apathy. That should be the Scarlet Letter. Next time you walk down the Walk, take a good look. And if you can't see it, say hello to a couple of people you don't know. It's quite an experience if you know what you're looking for. Apparently Allidina has found his home. He was probably one of the five kids in front of me at 30th Street Station after fall break who all took different cabs even though they probably lived within a three-block radius of one other. I always figured people couldn't overcome apathy because they didn't know they were infected. Allidina isn't wrong about its existence, but am I crazy to think his feelings of sweet apathetic bliss are nothing more than a sorry excuse for being a lonely introvert with a bad case of tunnel vision? Allidina has problems, but I thank him for his column. Now I know I'm not crazy. I'm just real. Justin Lowe College '97 Multicultural roots To the Editor: Kudos to Jamil Smith for his thoughts on the rampant commercialism affecting professional sports ("The golfer formerly known as Tiger," DP, 10/17/96). Smith's commentary on Tiger Woods, the 20-year-old "now-former amateur golfer extraordinaire" who has scored a $40-million endorsement from Nike, is both a tribute to a talented young athlete and an indictment of corporate America's shameless marketing tactics. Smith refers to Woods as a "young black golfer" who even Smith's father roots for because of their common race. Woods does indeed look very African American. However, like most journalists in the popular media (including the author of a recent article in Newsweek), Smith fails to note Woods is actually more Asian than black. Woods's father is half black, one-fourth Native American, and one-fourth Chinese. His mother is half Thai, one-fourth Chinese, and one-fourth white. That makes Tiger half Asian, one-fourth black, one-eighth native American and one-eighth white. So why do we seldom hear Tiger referred to as "golf's newest Asian American star?" Or even mention of his Asian heritage? It seems to be America's thinly veiled yet ever-present racism. Asian Americans in the past have had very few role models in popular culture. As a person of Chinese, Filipino and Thai background, I am proud of Tiger Woods, just as Smith and his father are. (Actually, my father is as well!) Woods helps show the world that we aren't all just math whizzes or laundromat owners. I am also proud of Connie Chung, Margaret Cho, Dean Cain, Keanu Reeves, Russell Wong, Amy Chow, Wayne Wang, Amy Tan, Tyson Beckford, Greg Louganis and Michael Chang, a few other high-profile Asian Pacific Americans. They present Asian America as a spectrum of talent and proclaim to the rest of the country the influential contributions we make. David Hanna College '97 Ignorant cyclists To The Editor: The recent letters about bikes on sidewalks prompt me to make a point about bikes on walkways. I have worked at the University for 17 years, and there is no doubt that there are more and more cyclists around campus and that their behavior is more and more aggressive. Sidewalk curbs used to act as a speed bump to bikers on sidewalks, but with the conversion of sidewalk corners to allow handicapped access the corners are now a launching pad for speeding cyclists. What concerns me more, however, are cyclists completely ignoring the signs around campus to walk their bikes in designated areas. The University builds more and more bike racks, erects more and more signs in those areas telling cyclists not to ride their bikes and then does absolutely nothing to stop cyclists riding their bikes in areas and at a time of the day when these walks are crowded. It is easy to see why many cyclists ignore these signs and race their bikes down Hamilton Walk, because the only thing that will stop them is running into a pedestrian. You cannot modify people's behavior by enacting rules and then not enforcing them. It is just a matter of time before someone gets badly injured. Some do walk their bikes and some do travel slowly, but for every one there are cyclists who totally transfer the responsibility for safety to the pedestrian. Alec McKay Research Specialist, Biology Dept.