LETTERS: Diversify disbursements

To the Editor: This year's UA discretionary fund, while originally tagged for Greek-wide -- and not solely InterFraternity Council -- events, has helped make possible several other large, co-sponsored non-SAC-funded groups' activities on our campus. Support was given from the fund to help run this April's BIG-C Penn Relays Step Show, an event that will surely be attended by a number of people outside the Greek system. In addition, the UA helped to subsidize the cost for last Friday's Civic House Coffee House. A total of over $1,300 was raised through the coffee house in order to benefit Take Back the Night and Alternate Spring Break. Can the UA do no right? The proposal to create this fund is in part, I'm sure, a reaction to requests to open up allocations from simply Greek events. By criticizing this step, you are criticizing a body that has worked consistently over the past year -- from improvements in SEPTA to its Guide to Off-Campus Living -- to improve the lives of the students by whom it was elected. Megan Davidson College '00 Dazed and confused To the Editor: This most recent statement by Brownlee seems to suggest that Stouffer's community will either be forced into Mayer -- with long hall ways and apartments that prevent it from fostering community in the same way as our building -- or will need to look for alternative living arrangements on campus. This prospect, which would threaten the very continuation of our community, comes in direct conflict with Penn's supposed commitment to helping the Stouffer community maintain itself, and flourish in the future. Once again, the University has left Stouffer residents confused and alarmed with its handling of the situation. Eric Lomazoff College '01 Made in a sweatshop To the Editor: I just wanted to congratulate Penn for staying out of the recent hub-bub regarding sweatshops and the production of Penn apparel. The shifting of manufacturing our merchandise from lower-priced facilities to more expensive factories will result in every purchaser bearing the burden for what some perceive as injustices. I would much rather see goods bear stickers reflecting whether or not sweatshop labor was used to produce them. In that way, those that feel strongly about sweatshop abuses can exercise their right to not purchase such goods while those of us that do not share the same moral outrage can purchase merchandise without incurring the inevitably higher costs. Michael Bressler Wharton/Engineering '99