LETTERS: A poor choice of metaphor

To the Editor: What's interesting to me is that he finds rape so very funny. I guess what I'm trying to say is that it is not funny, never will be funny and never was funny. Sure, his joke was that an exam raped him -- at attempt to juxtapose an extreme in suffering and tragedy with an exam to try and make "shock" humor -- and not actually about someone really being raped.EBut what I think he doesn't realize is that it is never funny to make light of such an act, even in metaphor -- or maybe he does, but he has no compassion or soul. Here at Penn, most people recognize that it is not funny to joke about things like ethnic background or horrible acts of history, like the Holocaust or the Oklahoma City bombing.EYet we still find a way to joke about rape all the time as if that is acceptable. I can't even go to class without some jackass making a quip about rape and now it has appeared in the DP. So get a clue. Also, Rishi, I really hope you don't get elected. Paul Noble College '01 Show some respect To the Editor: Unfortunately, our community has done nothing but show apathy and disrespect towards the death of Michael Tobin. On Monday, Locust Walk was overflowing with students. Several performance groups, deciding that they would like to advertise their upcoming shows, positioned themselves in front of the Phi Gamma Delta house. They then proceeded to blast loud, energetic dance music. Had they not been directly in front of FIJI, their blatant disregard for Sunday's events may have gone unnoticed. But filling the Walk with peppy, lively music at the scene of a death not 48 hours earlier showed how quickly our campus forgot about Michael Tobin. As a university, we have a responsibility to respond to controversial issues which arise. This is not to say that we should shadow a single person's death with protests on sweatshops. Both issues are imperative, obviously. But Tobin's death occurred directly in the center of campus only several days ago and still this localized problem is practically ignored by the student body. It is frightening that we can be so lackadaisical about death, especially when it occurs right next door. Penn students should have instinctively allowed for some extended moment of silence for Tobin and his family. It is not enough to print a front-page article in the DP, or even for President Rodin to issue a few kind words. These things again are merely superficial extensions of the obliviousness of our student body. We know a person's life and death deserves more than that. We have to ensure that this situation does more than merely spark alcohol-related issues. Even if you were playing music outside FIJI and even if you didn't pay much attention to the fact that a person died in a place we walk by almost every day, it's not too late. Just stop now, and think about him. Think for one minute about how tragic the loss of life is, no matter what the cause. Give Michael Tobin and his family the respect they should have received earlier this week. Amy Rosen Engineering '02