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Scurrilous flyers incorrect
Dear Editor,
Last Thursday evening the full-house crowd
at the Aquila Theatre Company's performance of Shakespeare's
Othello in Markel Auditorium came into the lobby at intermission
to be confronted by a badly written diatribe hastily printed
and taped all over the lobby and in the bathrooms. In high righteous
anger the unknown author (not brave enough to append his or
her name) exhorted patrons not to return to the theater because
the production was sponsored by The National Endowment for the
Arts, and then went on to accuse the college administration
of hypocrisy for taking federal dollars with one hand while
pretending to deny those funds with the other hand.
Since the performance began with a prerecorded
announcement that the company's tour was sponsored by the NEA,
I can understand how a listener might jump to the conclusion
that the college was accepting federal funds for the performance.
However, I am here to tell you that the conclusion was not only
a jump, but a veritable leap, and the conclusion was also simply
wrong. Aquila's national tour is indeed funded by the NEA, but
their performance at Hillsdale most emphatically was not. The
extent of NEA funding for this tour of Othello is to provide
funds for communities to pay for the production and to provide
tickets for community students who cannot afford to attend otherwise.
When Hillsdale College booked Aquila for this performance we
were offered these grants, but in the true spirit of independence
of which all of us are justly proud, we turned the offered money
down and paid full price for the performance.
Of course the offer of free tickets was meaningless
to us, for as you may have noticed, admission was free for everyone
who came, since Hillsdale College takes its cultural mission
to the community so seriously; elsewhere across the country
people paid anywhere from $25-50 for a ticket to this production.
Whoever chose to put up these scurrilous flyers
without bothering to check any of the facts essentially vandalized
the production. I am happy to say that nobody seemed to pay
any attention and the theater was still full when the second
act began. I am sorry to think that the author might be a student
at the college. I would like to think that our students, however
zealously conservative, would not commit such an act without
at least ascertaining the facts. I would also like to think
that our students would have the same pride in our independence
as those of us who work and teach here do, and that they would
know without having to ask that we would not sacrifice our institutional
ideals for the proffer of a few federal dollars.
Sincerely,
George W. Angell
Chair, Dept. of Theatre and Speech
Petting zoo fees, photos
Dear Editor,
While we would not ordinarily publicly admit
that we agree with Dan Greene, we found his article on EAR-macking
to be stimulating. Specifically, we object to the following
activities in the EAR: French kissing, face sucking, couch-twister
and general molestation. Perhaps an expedient way to raise the
necessary funds for the new student center would be to charge
admission to the petting zoo.
Second, in response to Sam Gedge and Andrew
Jones' letter stating that recent publications of the Winona
are not sufficiently provocative, we propose that there is one
unfortunate pornographic picture appearing in the 2003 Winona
on page 156.
Sincerely,
The ladies of the Halfway House: Brittany Deeds, Jeanna Miller
and Michelle Steffen
Francisco intolerant
Dear Editor,
It truly must be a comfort to both Hillsdale
College faculty and students to know a self-appointed censor
actively lives and works among you. Both parties have the knowledge
that one M. Francisco will watchdog everything going on at Hillsdale
College, and if that activity does not meet his personal criterion,
he will be most happy and diligent in setting those involved,
and the record, straight.
Trivia games and their genre are just that,
games. They do not pretend to be part of Hillsdale College principles.
However, they do represent the opportunity for someone to exercise
their innate freedom to play them. Mr. Michael Francisco's censorship
activity does in fact fly in the face of one Hillsdale's primary
philosophies and policies: LIBERTY, the right to choose, as
so wisely and succinctly expressed by Lauren Yuille. Thank God
someone understands the correct thought and openly expressing
it!
To Mr. Michael Francisco, I am quite certain
you neither endeared nor ingratiated yourself to the school
authorities or the student body with your truly adolescent "tattle-tale,"
"buttinski," "running to Mommy" behavior.
The Collegian noted you are a senior, meaning someday,
maybe soon, you will be joining the "real" world.
I sincerely recommend you have a very serious "face to
face" with yourself and your ideas of how other people
should live their lives before you graduate. The "real
world" of business and living has rules, and just because
these rules will not always match with your philosophies does
not mean they are wrong, illegal or dishonest. But they do mean
you will have to understand, be tolerant and go on about your
own business. I strongly suggest you begin practicing the right
of "liberty for all," and what it most definitely
means-immediately.
Sincerely,
Sandy Mac Mechan, class of '61
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