2008 Woodie Awards
Letters to the Editor
Issue date: 3/25/08 Section: Opinion
Double standards on hazing
After reading about Delta Tau Delta getting its charter revoked, I could not agree more with the decision. Hazing, though often meant to be fun, frequently escalates into people doing gross and abnormal acts just to be accepted by a group. I am glad that, finally, something was done and their charter was revoked. I stress the word "finally." Just a semester ago, Zeta Beta Tau frequented the pages of The Diamondback with hazing allegations against it. Student Government Association President Andrew Friedson may have gone to bat for his fraternity, and as a result, the fraternity was let off with a "warning." Apparently, pouring detergent and bleach on someone's head and watching it drip down his face and the rest of his body is not worth a charter revocation but force-feeding someone food is. Who decided this? Both were classified as hazing, but only one had a "real" punishment. Is it because Zeta Beta Tau is full of outstanding university students who were simply acting out of their element? Or is it because the SGA president is a member of the fraternity?
Decisions like this should be impartial. By letting one fraternity off the hook and shutting down another, the university officials clearly show they are playing favorites and are beginning to devalue the integrity of the institution.
Douglas Brtalik
Junior
Biochemistry
Out in the NIT again
After another exit from the NIT for the men's basketball team, I have some questions. How do we let in-state talent scatter elsewhere? After a national championship and the recruitment treasure it promised, why can't we snag even one or two of the likes of Maryland residents Jarrett Jack (Georgia Tech), Rudy Gay and Josh Boone (UConn) and Carmelo Anthony (Syracuse)? Why do we draw the attention of top prospects such as Brian Walsh (Xavier) and Jai Lucas (Florida) only to see them go elsewhere because the program doesn't pay attention?
To those who say young stars are naturally attracted to the big programs of North Carolina and Duke, I say it doesn't have to be that way. We are as big as UNC and Duke put together. To those who scoff that those kinds of players head to the NBA early, I say I'll take a year or two of what they offer - and note that as far as graduation success rates, we have an embarrassing 0 percent - certainly not something one expects of the largest "world-class university" in the conference. Terp fans are perhaps the most loyal and psychologically resilient souls on the planet. Still, there seems to be some clandestine experiment underway to see just how many excuses the fans will swallow, how many successive must-win games we must endure, how many home-court embarrassments we must suffer and how many NCAA Tournament stars from Towson, Westminster, Mount Airy and Baltimore who we must watch play for other schools.
Our academic reputation is going up, and we have become increasingly polished in every other respect, but we aren't achieving commensurate success with our marquee sports programs. We are the University of Maryland, and we can do better.
Randolph Waesche Jr.
Alumnus
Class of 1978
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Letters can also be submitted online here.
After reading about Delta Tau Delta getting its charter revoked, I could not agree more with the decision. Hazing, though often meant to be fun, frequently escalates into people doing gross and abnormal acts just to be accepted by a group. I am glad that, finally, something was done and their charter was revoked. I stress the word "finally." Just a semester ago, Zeta Beta Tau frequented the pages of The Diamondback with hazing allegations against it. Student Government Association President Andrew Friedson may have gone to bat for his fraternity, and as a result, the fraternity was let off with a "warning." Apparently, pouring detergent and bleach on someone's head and watching it drip down his face and the rest of his body is not worth a charter revocation but force-feeding someone food is. Who decided this? Both were classified as hazing, but only one had a "real" punishment. Is it because Zeta Beta Tau is full of outstanding university students who were simply acting out of their element? Or is it because the SGA president is a member of the fraternity?
Decisions like this should be impartial. By letting one fraternity off the hook and shutting down another, the university officials clearly show they are playing favorites and are beginning to devalue the integrity of the institution.
Douglas Brtalik
Junior
Biochemistry
Out in the NIT again
After another exit from the NIT for the men's basketball team, I have some questions. How do we let in-state talent scatter elsewhere? After a national championship and the recruitment treasure it promised, why can't we snag even one or two of the likes of Maryland residents Jarrett Jack (Georgia Tech), Rudy Gay and Josh Boone (UConn) and Carmelo Anthony (Syracuse)? Why do we draw the attention of top prospects such as Brian Walsh (Xavier) and Jai Lucas (Florida) only to see them go elsewhere because the program doesn't pay attention?
To those who say young stars are naturally attracted to the big programs of North Carolina and Duke, I say it doesn't have to be that way. We are as big as UNC and Duke put together. To those who scoff that those kinds of players head to the NBA early, I say I'll take a year or two of what they offer - and note that as far as graduation success rates, we have an embarrassing 0 percent - certainly not something one expects of the largest "world-class university" in the conference. Terp fans are perhaps the most loyal and psychologically resilient souls on the planet. Still, there seems to be some clandestine experiment underway to see just how many excuses the fans will swallow, how many successive must-win games we must endure, how many home-court embarrassments we must suffer and how many NCAA Tournament stars from Towson, Westminster, Mount Airy and Baltimore who we must watch play for other schools.
Our academic reputation is going up, and we have become increasingly polished in every other respect, but we aren't achieving commensurate success with our marquee sports programs. We are the University of Maryland, and we can do better.
Randolph Waesche Jr.
Alumnus
Class of 1978
Air Your Views
The Diamondback welcomes your comments. Address your letters or guest columns to the Opinion Desk at opinion@dbk.umd.edu. All letters and guest columns must be signed. Include your full name, year, major and day- and night-time phone numbers. Please limit letters to 300 words. Please limit guest columns to between 550 and 700 words.
Submission of a letter or guest column constitutes an exclusive, worldwide, transferable license to The Diamondback of the copyright in the material in any media. The Diamondback retains the right to edit submissions for content and length.
Letters can also be submitted online here.
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Viewing Comments 1 - 4 of 5
David Wright
posted 3/25/08 @ 11:25 AM EST
Douglas made some excellent points above and I am proud to have him as a member of the New York Mets Fan club.
Steve-O
posted 3/25/08 @ 11:36 AM EST
I have to disagree with Mr. Brtalik as force-feeding is much worse that having bleach poured on your head and I know from experience. Now being force-feed while have bleach poured on your head would rock and make a great stunt for Jackass 3, once I check out of the nut house. (Continued…)
Greg
posted 3/25/08 @ 12:49 PM EST
Randolph, the fact of the matter is that many of those recruits that we "lost" have any number of reasons for picking one school over another. Some of the MD guys you mention wanted to go to school out of state. (Continued…)
yeah
posted 3/26/08 @ 12:17 AM EST
yeah
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