LETTERS: Indoor track facility a necessity

To the Editor: When it rains or when it gets cold and windy every other Ivy can move practice inside. We at Penn do not have that choice. It is scary that our university, home of the Penn Relays, does not care that there is no indoor track. More importantly, the fact that a DP columnist, a student, would condone the status quo of inadequate facilities is horrible. As for the theory that it would be only used by athletes for "a few hours a day" for only "a quarter of the year," this is not true. Drexel University and Penn now share the use of the outdoor track, so teams are on it from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. every weekday, plus Saturday mornings. Also, our season begins in November and ends in March, which is almost 2/3 of the school year. An indoor track is a necessity, not a luxury. Josh Seeherman Engineering '01 u To the Editor: In his column debating the need for an indoor track, Josh Callahan stated that such a facility would benefit the track team "three hours per day for one quarter of the year." And he suggested that the University spend its money on something more students would take advantage of. Does Callahan honestly believe that only the track team would benefit from this investment? I would argue that a well-constructed facility would have the potential to benefit a variety of students, groups and teams. And it could support multiple uses: basketball, tennis and volleyball courts could be built inside the track or on a different level, and the track could be removable with a turf soccer/football field underneath. Currently, many non-varsity athletes and students partake in recreational activities but cannot find the right place to exercise during the winter. An indoor facility would solve this problem, allowing students to exercise in a controlled environment. And the only time they wouldn't be able to use the track portion would be during the three hours of track team practice. Andrew Girardin College '01 Ad policy needs review To the Editor: The undersigned medical students of the University of Pennsylvania deplore your January 26 advertisement on behalf of Copenhagen Chewing Tobacco. Chewing tobacco is a proven cause of oral and laryngeal cancer. We urge you to reconsider your policy on who can purchase advertisement space in the DP. Adam Rose School of Medicine '01 79 names follow Chalk: sign of activism To the Editor: I would like to respond to Steve Schorr's column addressing the issue of written statements chalked on Locust Walk ("Too much chalk on Locust Walk," DP, 1/30/98). As a graduate student returning to a collegiate environment after a four-year hiatus, I was happy to note the chalked messages on Locust Walk as a testament to the fact that activism is indeed alive and well. Penn prides itself on its diverse thinking and representation, and it is refreshing to now and then find evidence of this. I understand Schorr's concern for the beauty of Locust Walk, but did he think before he wrote a statement to the effect that people find advancing their cause more important than the aesthetics of Locust Walk? I am not advocating graffiti in any way, but I find temporary chalk messages and signs along the Walk hardly destructive to its attractiveness. I feel that Schorr's personal politics are playing a larger part in his criticism than the actual fact of messages left in chalk. The groups he cites, the National Organization of Women (and his witty misreading of the symbol of the hanger), the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Association, the Progressive Activist Network and the environmental coalitions, perhaps sit a bit too far to the left from his comfort zone. Perhaps Locust Walk is the perfect forum for these harmless yet provoking chalk messages because they do advance others' much needed causes in a meditative environment. Jenny Hager Graduate School of Fine Arts '99 u To the Editor: Although I am rather indifferent to the seemingly pressing issue of chalk on the Walk, Steve Schorr's editorial compelled me to respond. First, I would like to clarify that I am not a member of either NOW, the LGBA or the Progressive Activist Network. But I would like to correct some of Schorr's misconceptions. First, the hangers with the signs "Never Again" are a symbol which represent the importance of keeping abortion legal. They are not a means to convert an individual from an anti-abortion to a pro-choice opinion, as Schorr implies. It is a reminder of a time past when abortions were illegal and women died because they had to get abortions in back alleys with coat hangers. Secondly, I am not aware of the study to which Schorr or the LGBA refers when citing the "one in 10" statistic, but for Schorr to cite "the LGBA's low membership" as evidence that this statistic is incorrect and that there are not really 2,000 lesbians, gays or bisexuals on this campus is absolutely absurd. Does low attendance at Hillel indicate an absence of Jews on campus? Do all Christians on campus belong to the Christian Association? Of course not. Perhaps Schorr bases his identity on one characteristic and one group on campus, but that should not by any means demand that all of us do the same. Although he may not agree with the objectives or opinions of NOW or the LGBA, at least they are active. And I cannot figure out why he objects to the founding of the Progressive Activist Network by young, bright Ivy League students trying to make a difference and enact social change. It does not seem that strange to me. After all, is that not why we are here? Apparently, that is not why Schorr is. Ariel Bierbaum College '00 Attention to grammar To the Editor: Nowhere in the new board's statement of objectives ("Where we stand," DP, 2/2/98) was a pledge to improve grammar, word usage, punctuation, the quality of sentences and paragraphs and other nuisances that make communication effective. Yet right there in your editorial is an example of why you need it: You called for an "expedient" appointment of provost. "Expedient" means quick and dirty, just to get the job done. You probably meant to say "expeditious," which means fast and efficient. Marshall Ledger, Ph.D. Director of Publications Penn Medical Center Luring a Penn hopeful To the Editor: I am a high school senior and hope to come to Penn next fall. My interest in the University grew after my alumni interview, in which my interviewer mentioned that the DP recently won a best student publication award. I decided to check out the paper for myself, and the great writing (not a single rule broken) has made me eager to see the "real" University that encourages such stories. Jonathan Olesen Turlock Christian High School '98