Letter
to the Editor:
In your opinion piece on July 31 "Social
norms program criticized," your staff
once again takes an important story and
completely misses the point. The story should
have focussed on a Cal State University
staff member criticizing a Harvard study.
Rather, the story should have exposed why
CSU is spending money on analyzing student
alcohol consumption and printing posters
to influence their personal behavior when
they cannot afford to provide us with classes
and teachers without raising our tuition.
Analyzing student consumption patterns of
alcohol does nothing to help us pass classes,
learn material or get a degree. Alcohol
sales are not a revenue stream for CSU.
It is a frivolous and unnecessary expense
that should not be made at a time when students
have to pay more just to take their classes.
Is anyone questioning the expenditures on
stupid and meaningless items? The results
of the Harvard study shows
that efforts to influence student alcohol
consumption are wasted and even deliver
the opposite results. Students will
do what they want to do, regardless of the
number of posters or slogans being thrown
around. More importantly, I am not paying
tuition so that I can have my alcohol consumption
patterns influenced. I don't want anyone
trying to influence my consumption of anything,--I
will make my own decisions, and so will
everyone else. Bottom line is that every
dollar spent on posters, analysis, or even
Mr. Perry Angle's salary is taking away
from student education. And, do you really
think Mr. Angle has the credentials to single-handedly
defeat a Harvard study in the eyes of your
readers? Given the sources, this reader
is more likely to believe Harvard than Mr.
Angle.
You say that you appreciate any effort to
curb alcohol use. Why? Is it a problem?
It isn't for me. I have never had a problem
with my classes due to someone drinking
alcohol. My teacher and classmates have
never been drunk in class. And, we sell
alcohol on our campus! If you want to curb
alcohol consumption on campus, why not stop
selling alcohol on campus? Spending money
to analyze alcohol consumption patterns
and print anti-alcohol posters while you
are serving alcohol is pretty stupid. Your
"view" that alcohol consumption
is such a problem on campus that it needs
to be curbed is, thus far, unsubstantiated.
What students do in their own homes, cars
and dorms is not easily controlled or influenced,
as the Harvard study shows. We should not
waste student tuition money on behavioral
modification attempts.
How can our newspaper look at this program
and fail to see an expenditure of CSU funds
that needs to be questioned? How much money
they are wasting on this program was not
even identified in the article. And, how
many other questionable expenditures are
there that we have not heard about yet?
When will the Forty-Niner actually analyze
the CSU budget and expose all the ridiculous
programs and expenditures which are jacking
up our tuition? Your "view" is
no view at all, as you fail to take a stand
on the issue and you really failed to make
any point at all because you missed the
entire story. Your "view" should
be to eliminate all unnecessary programs
such as this
one to save the money for where it is needed
- teachers and classes. Perhaps if the CSU
media had been analyzing
the budget and exposing all these unnecessary
expenditures last year we could have prevented
the tuition increase we
face today.
Ed Ober
Political Science major
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