LETTERS: US is a vehicle for student advocacy

To the Editor: Several days ago, Kamin sent an e-mail, of which I was a recipient, to a variety of students, encouraging them to vote the incumbent slate. Because he used the UA's e-mail account and not his own, he was charged under a provision that prevents candidates from advertising or campaigning in areas that are not accessible to all candidates. However, the e-mail account he used shouldn't matter, as his letter was openly sent to a group of people whom any candidate could have e-mailed -- it's where the advertisement is placed, not created, that the FPC cares about. Kamin's e-mail encouraging people to vote for certain candidates was no different than the many other organizations that endorse a particular slate (the InterFraternity Council got into similar trouble, but, thankfully, their charges were cleared). Kamin is a genuinely good guy who has spent the last three years working hard to improve this university. I have had great contact with him in my involvement with the UA's Student Life Committee, and he is without question one of the UA's exemplary members. In making this erroneous and inappropriate decision, the NEC has forced one of Penn's greatest leaders out of student government. Jeff Lynn College '00 To the Editor: I want to express my disagreement with Courtney Fine's guest column ("A worthless piece of government," DP, 3/28/97). Her column is largely inaccurate and seems to represent her own gripes with the Undergraduate Assembly, rather than the opinion of the student body in general. Fine maintains that the UA's "list of achievements is not that impressive." However, she mentions our success with safety measures, our report on the advising system, the creation of lunch express and our work on Perelman Quad space allocation. Fine also failed to mention the UA's proposal to create a new student fitness facility, our ongoing efforts to bring a 24-hour diner to campus and our support of good relations between the InterFraternity Council and the administration. This is a large number of accomplishments for a body that she calls "worthless" and "ineffective." Fine also speculates that the UA's hardest working individuals could accomplish their goals without seats on the UA. Again, she is incorrect. The UA provides a vehicle for undergraduates to work with all facets of the Penn community from the administration to graduate students. Without that vehicle, accomplishing much of anything would be close to impossible. Finally, it seems Fine is simply launching a personal attack on UA members. She criticizes the candidates' statements for being "strikingly similar" and questions Larry Kamin's motives for pursuing reelection. Finally, she scathingly generalizes that UA members care only about their resumes. This is an inaccurate blanket statement that perhaps describes herself more than other UA members. In the future, I would encourage Fine to keep her inaccurate, personal attacks out of the DP. Matthew Chait UA Member College '00