I just have one question … how the hell did you get your column(“Students refuse mascot verdict for fear of change,” JasonRosenberg, Oct. 5) in The Daily Aztec? All I have seen in the lastcouple days is “save Monty” columns. The Daily Aztec is so damnbiased! I was so glad to see your column in today’s paper. Thanks forthe support and for your informative column.
–Ron Gochez
Editor’s note: The Daily Aztec has received more than 200 lettersand requests for guest columns to be printed since the mascot becamean issue on Sept. 6. Of that number, fewer than 15 supported theremoval of the mascot, most of which came in the first week, and mostof which came signed “anonymous.” The Daily Aztec does not publishanonymous letters and has represented both sides of this debate asmuch as the responses to the issue have allowed.
Column misses the bigger picture
After reading Mr. Rosenberg’s column on the mascot (“Studentsrefuse mascot verdict for fear of change” Jason Rosenberg, Oct. 5), Iwas deeply disturbed. First of all, all his accusations of people atSDSU being “bigots” and the mascot causing segregation are completelyfalse. When the school selected the mascot, they were not trying toseparate Native Americans and everyone else. School officials musthave given it much thought and consideration before making thisimportant decision. They were trying to promote diversity and tohonor another culture’s heritage-the Aztec because they could haveselected any mascot, such as the Bears, Green waves, Cowboys, etc.Monty represents pride, honor and many other attributes, which arewhat school officials want to portray, not racism, bigotry andsegregation. If the school were narrow-minded, then it would haveselected something from American culture because it only wanted torepresent the American culture. Then I am sure that Mr. Rey Soto andNASA would be complaining that the school is not diverse enough andonly represents the American culture; however, they are complainingnow that the school is being racist and mocking their culture.
I saw an interview on television where a girl said that the thingsthe mascot does during football games are making fun of the Aztecreligion. Does she know anything about the Aztec religion? But Ireally enjoyed Mr. Rosenberg’s commentary that if the school changesmascots then more people will go to the games. How does he know thiswill happen? You know why so many people, like myself, do not go togames, is because I do not want to go and support a team that losesevery game. Stanford and St. John have winning sport programs, sopeople will go support them, and it is certainly not because of somemascot. If we have winning programs, watch how fast those seats fillup, and I can bet you that some for those people whom Mr. Rosenbergsaid that do not go to the game because of the mascot will be thereto support the programs.
Mr. Rosenberg writes that cost should not be a factor because themascot is morally wrong, and the school is degrading and segregatingagainst Native Americans. How is the mascot doing that? Degrading isto lower or reduce something, but the mascot is doing the opposite.It is promoting the Aztec culture. Segregation is separating people.It does not do that. It is true that I am not an Indian, but I am not”white” either, so I understand about segregation and degradation. IfSDSU had a mascot of a dragon or something from my culture, I wouldbe proud of it because the school is recognizing my culture andintegrating my nationality — chinese — to be part of the greatinstitution.
Mr. Rosenberg wrote that “cost should not be a factor in thisdiscussion” because it will end segregation. Does he realize what theschool has to change besides the statues and signs? It will cost theschool hundreds of thousands of dollars to change things from streetsigns to mugs. Where is all this money going to come from? Yours andmy tuition and out of money that can be put to better use, such asfixing old buildings and replacing old equipment. The money can bebetter spent than to change a mascot, whom you and others deem as notacceptable because it is degrading another culture. You need to lookat the bigger picture here.
If we change our mascot, then NASA should go to every school thathas a mascot, which they deem as racist and try to change it as well.
What will this achieve is my question to them?
The school is recognizing their culture and presenting it proudlyto others, and it helps to show how diverse this campus is. In no wayis it mocking, degrading or segregating their culture. They will notrealize this until it is to late.
— Fong Sai Yuk
Applause for guest columnist
How true: Christine Scull stated in her column, “The only P.C.mascot is no mascot” (Oct.5): “When did minority rule come into play?Our country began on a foundation of democracy, where each person’svoice is heard, and the majority vote rules. The Associated StudentCouncil does not represent this majority.”
Nor does it represent many alumni opinions, one of which is mine,who think this whole mascot issue is just the “issue of the semester”for certain school political groups.
Bravo on an excellent column.
— Daniel AndresenSDSU Class of 1984
Sex education column gutsy
Cheryl Daen’s column, “Society turns a blind eye to sex education”(Oct. 4), was awesome. I was having a chat with my family about thisissue just yesterday, and I wanted to thank you for being so gutsy asto tackle this “taboo” issue in The Daily Aztec. I was born andraised in Europe where every billboard had some naked chick posingfor a perfume or lotion ad. Magazines contained (and still do) nudeexposures of both sexes, but the daily exposure tames-down thesehormone-crazed teens. It becomes part of the culture and isn’ttreated as a “taboo topic.” The majority knows that kids these daysare exposed to sexual content a lot. However, that is all they know.Unfortunately, they get worked-up in this whole sex theme, and theylearn about STD’s when it’s too late. In contrast, children in Europeare well aware of these issues as well as possible cures andsuppressants for STD’s or even birth control. This is not to say thatthe US should become as liberal as Europe, but only note thattreating sex as a taboo is not going to help anyone’s kids out; whatit will do is increase the sexual curiosity of one’s naive mindset.Sex education should focus more on reality than the old birds ‘nbees/sexual abstinence routine. Instead they should talk about PVH,gonorrhea and syphilis as well as the morning after pill, RU 486 andtetracycline. And even though “accidental pregnancies” are decreasingwe must continue to educate and inform students on the risks ofunprotected sex.
–Michael Kuhlmann
Student really, really angry
To the editors of The Daily Aztec:
Based on one man’s self-hatred of his African descent … Based onthose who you are all quick to label as black … Based on a poorlywritten poll where you definitely do not reach a broad spectrum ofthe population to make any basis for an epistemological policy –especially regarding voters whose parents voted yes on propositions187, 209 and 226 (the ban on medical treatment and quality educationfor migrant workers and their families, the ending of affirmativeaction and the formulation of an english only utterance that can onlybe misconstrued as a “euro-centrist” idea of a utopia) … The DailyAztec has declared to call all those whose African ancestors werebrought over in chains as slaves for the mainly caucasoid populaceand were historically denied any liberation until the 1964 CivilRights Act (which will end in 2006) “black” — with a lowercase “b.”And you all call yourselves training to be responsible journalists?
Since all your editorial decisions are based on a “masses areasses” popular vote rather than historical facts from trulyenlightened scholars or what is right from wrong, you may as wellrefer to “blacks” as “neg
roes” with that “Kard Karrying Kind” ofslave master mentality. It seems that you “think” the geneticallyfirst “hue”mans are based solely on an overactive tyrosinase geneticmarker.
I guess with your logic, I would call all gays and lesbianshomosexuals? All Asians Orientals? Or all Spanish-speaking personsMexicans? Or all Jews Hebrews? Or all whites caucasoids? Hurts,doesn’t it? Then stop and show some reverence to the cause! Therevolution will not be Web casted! Don’t hate – participate!Make love, not hate … Oh but I guess your racial profiling toethnically cleanse SDSU makes you all too bigoted to even fathom thepractices of the Kama Sutra …
–Christa Carreker
Editor’s note: Um, right. By the way, we do not base our editorialpositions on the results of our online opinion polls. From now on, wewill include a disclaimer that reflects this.
Student money wasted
Although I am a new face and body to the SDSU campus andatmosphere, I have come in contact with many things and circumstancesthat I have gotten used to and many that I have not. My letter to youand the rest of the SDSU body is mainly to point out that the dollarswe, as students, put into education seem to go elsewhere. In statingthis, here is what I’m trying to point out.
I recently read the article in The Daily Aztec entitled “Cox ArenaGets Acoustic Facelift,” (Mathew Lockard, Oct. 5), and I was upsetbut curious as to why the arena needed a new sound system. Iunderstand that the arena needed a little improvement in the sounddepartment, but I know for a fact that the money spent for the soundsystem could have gone to better needs of the student body.
For instance, let me start with the residence halls. All of themhave problems. Pipes are corroded, toilets won’t/don’t flush, airconditioners don’t work, phone and computer jacks are “jacked,” andthe study rooms and lobbies aren’t in top-notch condition: Doors areoff hinges, blinds are old and rusty, paint is chipping and thecondition of living in a dorm overall is not the best experience inthe world.
I guess I was swooned by the pamphlet that showed fellow SDSUstudents with cheery faces living in dorms. I feel that was a frontand a trick. A trick to get my money and stay where I felt would bethe best place for a freshman, but I was wrong. We (SDSU on-campusresidents) pay too much money to live in dorms that aren’t intop-notch condition, and it upsets me as well as others thatbrand-new apartments are being built by Olmeca and Tenochca, but thedorms that already exist on campus are in a sense “shitty.” I mean,come on. We pay about $6,000 a year and we can’t get better livingconditions than the ones that exist now? All problems that exist inon-campus dorms need to be fixed first, then new things can be builtor added to the campus.
In closing, I just want to say that we as a student body need tospeak out and express our feelings when fees go up for parking,games, new facilities that aren’t really needed and other little”necessities” that aren’t really needed. Hey, this is college right?Aren’t our wallets and purses looking like the Sahara? If this is so,then I’m sure you’ll appreciate what has been said and act upon whatgoes on on this campus. Money is scarce and we need not waste it on”unnecessary” buildings, equipment and other things.
–Eboni Matthewspre-journalism freshman
Who won the debate?
I just went to the CNN Web site to cast a vote for Tuesday night’spresidential debate. Despite the media’s hymn that the debate wasclose with Al Gore ahead, obviously they have not checked any of theonline polls. The CNN poll shows quite a different result. Here ishow the public voted on the candidates relative to specific issuesthey discussed:
BUSH GORE
57% 43% Experience to be President
62% 38% Leadership qualities
64% 36% Controlling future oil prices
61% 39% Yugoslav/Milosevic situation
69% 31% State of U.S. Military
67% 33% Gore vs. Bush Policies
71% 29% Closing Statements
63% 37% Overall Performance
Bush was the clear and overwhelming winner, but then again, that’show it appeared to this viewer, right from the beginning. I wonderwhich debate the media was watching??
–Mary Szterpakiewicz
–The Daily Aztec welcomes letters on all subjects, sections andstories. Letters may be edited for brevity and libelous or overtlyoffensive content. The Aztec will not run unsigned letters. The Aztecoffices are located in the basement of the business administrationbuilding. Please send e-mail to daletter2000@hotmail.com
