LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: New safety plan misguided

To the Editor: While adding a Mission Impossible-like security system on campus seems like a step in the right direction, it is merely a misguided scheme to ease the fears of several thousand parents in a suburb near you. Most of the robberies occurred in areas west and south of campus. In fact, I cannot recall reading about one single incident that actually occurred in the dorms or within the boundaries of campus. So how will this high-tech plan complete with cameras and biometric scanning devices keep people from being assaulted and shot, etc on the streets west of campus? It won't! This new system will accomplish a few things, though. First of all, it will capture all the petty crimes, such as breaking bottles and windows, urinating in public, destroying property, and other forms of vandalism, committed by drunken students returning from on-campus parties. More important, this new security will be the crown jewel of campus tours conducted by various University organizations. Crime is a part of living in any area, from West Philadelphia to West Timbuktu. All the security in the world won't stop that. A more realistic plan to improve security on the streets surrounding campus would be to simply place more officers on the streets, and possibly place one or several police mini-stations throughout the areas west of campus. But no, this is Penn, that fine institution of higher learning, which must be on the cutting edge of research, health care, undergraduate education and now campus security. Once again, the group of blundering fools who run an urban university by day and retreat to their suburban enclaves by night, have succeeded in spending your tuition dollars in the most intelligent way possible. Thank God I am not adding one red cent! Geoff Moorer Engineering '96 No gender gap here To the Editor: In the article "Women herald Center's opening" (DP, 10/7/96), Women's Center Director Elena DiLapi said, "I am thrilled to have a university that gives us this [the Women's Center] space. [As a fraternity house], this used to be a danger zone for women?" Many fraternity members, including me, were disturbed by DiLapi's comments. They reflect an individual who obviously has not spent much time familiarizing herself with the proactive measures Greeks have taken to combat unacceptable violence toward women. When community members should be promoting understanding of one another, DiLapi's comments were unsubstantiated and unfair. They only reinforced stereotypes fraternities have worked diligently to transcend. Many members of the women's community have an "old school" perception of Greek life -- images of Animal House, where alcohol abuse and sexual assault are common. But today's Greek system at Penn is quite different. It is an institution dedicated to community service, academics and responsible social behavior. Greeks recognize the necessity of educating students about acquaintance rape and sexual violence, and the importance of responsible alcohol consumption. Last year, the InterFraternity Council passed a resolution requiring all new members to attend both a Students Together Against Acquaintance Rape (STAAR) seminar and a Drug and Alcohol Awareness Team (DART) workshop. We also sponsored a number of professional speakers last spring, who discussed the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption and the personal responsibilities associated with hosting social functions that include women. Sensitivity is one of the cornerstones of Penn's Greek system. In our "21st Century Report for an Ivy League Greek System," we emphasized the importance of educating our members and chapter leaders on the dangers of acquaintance rape and sexual violence as well as other areas of individual and collective social responsibility. When the University announced the opening of the Women's Center, many leaders in the women's community expected the Greek community to speak out against it. On the contrary, Greeks have only applauded its construction and its programming. We hope the women's community knows it can look to the InterFraternity Council as a friend and partner in its movement against sexual violence and abuse. We again congratulate the community on the opening of the Women's Center and we welcome them whole-heartedly as the newest residents of Locust Walk. As University President Judith Rodin said, "[We] look forward to watching [the center] thrive and flourish." The IFC does, too. We wish you the best of luck. Josh Gottheimer InterFraternity Council President College '97 Columnist's targets respond To the Editor: For the second time in as many weeks I am compelled to respond to a DP journalist. Mike Liskey's opinionated drivel ("Clearing the air," DP, 10/10/96) attacking smokers, men, women, the police, lawyers, doctors, medical students, Wharton grads and Quakers was highly offensive. I am one of the office workers who Liskey impugned and insulted. In his column, Liskey stated that an office worker might smoke to shorten his "miserable existence on this planet." Maybe I should take up smoking so I can end it all as soon as possible. Funny, I always thought my life was pretty good. I'd like to make one thing clear: societies work due to the contributions of all types of people. The Graduate School of Education, where I work and where Liskey is enrolled, is a society with a large number of office workers whose dedication and talent enable this institution to run well. Liskey is a first-year student; maybe he doesn't yet know that his every thought need not be shared with everyone else. He might not learn this in graduate school, but he should have learned basic manners and respect for others before entering an institution of higher education. Beth Taylor Administrative Assistant Graduate School of Education n To the Editor: We are writing in response to Mike Liskey's column "Clearing the air" (DP, 10/10/96). Liskey writes, "There are just too many smokers at Penn -- and I don't just mean office workers, wanting to shorten their miserable existence on this planet, I mean students!" As office workers who don't consider their existences particularly miserable, we would like to ask him where in the hell he gets off. We, frankly, prefer second-hand smoke to first-hand condescension, and we think the University's staff deserve a bit more respect than he apparently affords them. Chris Rutledge Administrative Assistant Pharmacology Department Holly Loth College '97 Work-Study, President's Office