LETTERS: Alternative to mandatory community service

To the Editor: When hiring, most employers attempt to assess the life experience of a student. They want to know just how protected the student has remained since leaving Mama's side. They will hire the more mature students, the ones who can demonstrate they have been preparing themselves in more ways than just accumulating grades. But when student volunteers document that they made a concerted effort to move beyond their own world to learn about and/or help others, they suggest to would-be employers they have learned a lot about themselves, their values and stereotypes, politics and communities, systems and organizational behaviors. I can guarantee you these students will have an edge in the job market over the bookworms. I have learned that in Illinois the legislature determined performance of community service hours will be a requirement for all college students graduating from a public university. That being the case, Southern Illinois University now issues a transcript upon graduation detailing the accumulated hours of such volunteer service. When potential employers get to the point in the job interview to ask, "And what did you do in your spare time while attending Penn?" think how impressive it would be to hand them a transcript. Spending four years with your nose in the books means a lot of life is passing you by. But making time for community service means you have reached out and tasted it for yourself. Following SIU's lead, if Penn put this on a transcript, it could put you over the edge for a potential employer who wants a winner on the team. Beverly Dale Executive Director Christian Association Foreign financial aid To the Editor: Your article on Princeton's financial aid initiative ("Princton U. introduces new financial aid initiative," DP 1/22/98), brought my own situation and that of my fellow international students to my mind. For us, the University's financial aid policy is very simple: no money. It is one thing that international students are excluded from state money, while in many other countries Americans can enjoy heavy subsidies; this is the decision of the taxpayers' representatives in each country. It is hard to see, however, why the University makes the right passport a prerequisite for the distribution of its own private money. This policy makes it impossible for international students from low-income families or low-income countries to go to Penn, and most international students from medium-income families have to rely quite heavily on loans. International students work as hard as Americans and contribute as much to the University community. The fact that they are willing to pay the full price for a Penn education shows how enthusiastic they are about this place. Therefore, my only explanation for Penn's policy is that the discriminating monopolist from ECON-001 is in action. Name withheld upon request College '00 Reign, rein, go away To the Editor: Earlier in the academic year, I'd noticed some DP problems of the homonymic sort when it came to "rein" and "reign." Then, in the January 22 and January 24 issues, two different writers managed to mangle a common idiomatic expression. In the article about the journalist Paul Hendrickson ("Long road to Penn for noted journalist, DP, 1/22/98), the reporter writes: "The English Department allowed the 20-year Post veteran to put his own stamp on the class, giving him free reign in its design." (And that awkwardly combines two metaphors -- even cliches -- in the same sentence.) And the story "Dining's future spurs concern" (DP, 1/23/98), the reporter writes: "While? Alan Danzig said the administration is currently receptive to suggestions from students, he explained that officials have free reign when adopting a final policy." In both cases, the proper expression is "free rein." As my handy dictionary tells us, "to give free rein to" means "to give complete freedom to or indulge freely." The expression comes not from "reign" (for ruling) but from "rein," the strap used to control horses. The rider loosens the rein(s) so that the horse is less controlled and can even -- dare we say it? -- gallop as it desires. This rein/reign/rain of terror must stop! John R. Shea Editor Penn Health Magazine