LETTERS: An ode to Sinatra's Big Apple

To the Editor: Since Brenner did not have a good time, and decided to pass judgment on a centuries-old city the basis of one evening, I humbly submit an original little rhyme (inspired by his piece) for his benefit and education, as well as for any unfortunate readers indoctrinated by his tirade. NEW YORK? I regret you spent three hours "in" New York on a train, and your efforts for fun were, alas, efforts in vain. Your frozen body in cheesy clubs did not make you smile. Still, you rhymed "New Yorkophile" with "pedophile." But to define New York by New Years' is truly a faux pas-- How 'bout defining New Orleans entirely by Mardi Gras? I'm sorry your trip to the Apple was such a sad downer, So here's a resident's two cents--not a tourist's or out-of-towner's? Have you ever rollerbladed by day in Central Park? Or ice-skated at Rockefeller on a Winter Night's dark? You could book a helicopter or charter a sail on the sea-- Have a drink 50 floors up in the Marriot Marquis. Do you know there are two "Met's"--a museum and opera house? Have you watched ships sail while standing by the Hudson's mouth? Do you know all the shops? Do you know Manhattan Mall? Do you know all the night spots, you know, like Webster Hall? Are you aware, in New York, of the options you've won? A night with cool CATS, Funk, Rent, Stomp, and Miss Saigon? Imagine more restaurants than your stomach can enter. Imagine the culture, 24-7, at Lincoln Center. On the same Midtown block, you'll find hors d'oeuvres and hot dogs. In the same Village street, you'll find wing-tips and clogs. The Ziegfeld may be one of the biggest movie screens you'll know, Or you could choose to attend an Imax 3-D show. Industries, universities, conservatories--all there With people named Jack, Ming, FunkMaster and Pierre. On-Broadway, Off-Broadway, the theater and more-- Concerts and sports, comedy and bookstores. East Side, West Side, Uptown and Down-- Soho, Little Italy, Wall Street, Chinatown. If you come to New York, plan just a little and don't whine-- 'Cause for those who come clueless, New York ain't got the time. Stephen Chiang Penn Law '99 Columbia College '96 Opening our hearts To the Editor: Three cheers for Sarah Giulian ("Having open-minded discussions," DP, 2/4/97) for having the courage to suggest we may benefit by laying aside our beliefs in order to understand (and,dare we say even appreciate?) other people's beliefs! Louis Nosce's cartoon illustrated very effectively the Native American concept of "walking a mile in someone else's mocassins" which Giulian was trying to express. But Giulian didn't quite take the process far enough. She writes as if this is an intellectual process; as if we are always speaking and behaving rationally; as if our intellectual beliefs are what always govern our lives She seems to imply that if we could just sit down and reason together we could come to understanding. If only that were true. I would suggest that all our belief systems are grounded in our unique stories. Our stories include all of our experiences, the cultural, ethnic religious backgrounds, our gender, the kind of parenting we may have had, the values taught in our homes, contrasted to the values lived in our homes, our exposure to difference or experience with freedom of expressions or our training about handling conflict, to name just a few. Our stories are the collection of the myriad number of factors that go into creating each one of us so uniquely. These stories are always changing as new information and experiences impact us Thus, our beliefs are constantly being challenged, modified, or solidified as we grow and age. Indeed, that is what the academic process is about. So Giulian is correct. We need to open our minds to understand each others' intellectual reality. But how much better if we open our hearts to understand their stories. Beverly Dale Executive Director Christian Association UC Brite is working To the Editor: In your editorial ("Getting new lighting sooner," DP, 2,5/97), you called for the University to meet with several of the larger landlords and to "encourage them to participate in UC Brite." As an outgrowth of the 40th Street Project, John Greenwood of University City Associates and David Adelman of Campus Apartments have already begun a project in which lighting on their properties will be upgraded. Their efforts are being coordinated with the UC Brite program. We are pleased with the initiative being taken by these two organizations and expect that the other landlords will join their effort. Diane-Louise Wormley 40th Street Action Team Co-Chair Affirm. action cases To the Editor: In "Giving Minorities a Chance" (DP, 2/6/97) Delia Vallejo combines questionable reasoning with misinformation to completely dismiss the negative aspects of affirmative action. These negative aspects are a reality and should not be ignored. Vallejo claims that because recruiters do not hire unqualified people, preferential treatment is not a part of affirmative action. She apparently confuses the terms "preferential treatment" and "foolish recruiting policy." Preferential treatment is not the practice of hiring unqualified people. Rather, it is exemplified by the selection of a qualified but not better qualified minority candidate instead of a competing non-minority candidate. If Vallejo does not think this happens, she would do well to review the case of Alan Bakke. Vallejo states that women and people of color are not in positions of power and thus do not perpetuate reverse discrimination. This is irrelevant. The actual perpetrators of reverse discrimination are the affirmative action programs themselves (implemented primarily by white males) and not the beneficiaries of such programs. The University of California at Berkeley's student body is 35 percent Asian American. A UC study showed that the school would be 47 percent Asian American if the admissions policy were color blind. Try telling the approximately 900 students denied admission to Berkeley each year as a result of affirmative action that reverse discrimination is impossible. There is no question that affirmative action has negative results for some people, and we should not try to pretend otherwise. The real question, and a much more difficult one, is whether the negatives outweigh the positives. Rob Armitage Engineering and Wharton '99