LETTERS: Proud to be a Minnesotan

To the Editor: Exum implies that Minnesotans could only elect this "clown" if we had little or no interest or knowledge of Minnesota politics. I would argue that Ventura was elected because more Minnesotans showed an active interest in politics. I did not vote for Ventura but I do understand his appeal. He is the embodiment of the anti-politician. He speaks without concern over which group he might offend; his frankness is exactly what makes him so appealing. He was not elected because he was a professional wrestler or because he acted with Schwartzenegger; Ventura gained supported because he is honest. Just this past July, Ventura's approval rating was at 73 percent. Since the Playboy interview, that has dropped to 54 percent, but the fact remains that the majority of Minnesotans still support him. I have talked to people who are part of his support base; they say they support him not for what he says but the fact that he has the guts to say it. I do think Jesse Ventura was a poor choice for governor. I did not vote for him. In fact, I cannot stand his antics. I disagree with him most of the time, especially when he makes such inflammatory remarks about religion and obesity. It is unfortunate, however, that Ventura gives people the impression that Minnesotans have no interest in politics. With a little more attention to the history behind the election, one would find that Minnesotans did not vote for a "clown" but simply a man who speaks his mind, however offensive that may be. Tracy Hill College '01 Quiet down, kids To the Editor: An open letter to undergraduate revelers: I am exhausted. My eyes are red and I can't stop yawning, and I have you to thank for it: You with your "Yoo-hoos" and "Yeah mans!" strolling down Spruce Street until the wee hours of the morning. From my fourth-floor apartment, well off the street, I could hear your boasting and caroling. Four separate times between 2 and 5 a.m., I was startled awake by loud male and female voices that sounded as if they were in my apartment. I was forced to close my windows and turn on the A/C -- which should be totally unnecessary in October -- just to drown out the noise and get a little rest. This goes on at least three nights a week. Weekend drinking results in inebriated undergrads waltzing down the streets of University City in the middle of the night, carousing at a volume which could only be designed to wake the dead (or me, a graduate student). Honestly, as much as I support the development of West Philly, this makes me want to move to a quiet block of Center City. Judith Rodin, take note. I don't want to be a bitch and discourage the fun -- but listen all you obnoxious childish undergrads who deprive the world of sleep -- next time you decide to let out a holler at 3 a.m., look around. You might see a bleary-eyed me, leaning out my window with a shotgun, taking aim. I'm a non-violent pacifist but who knows what could happen when I'm sleep-deprived. Sara Rab Graduate Student Department of Sociology