COLLEGE FOR ALL

Pub Notes quote: "... a large portion of our people live in poverty here, in the shadow of the university that offers an almost free education to the sons and daughters of the well to do: the rich getting richer and the poor poorer." [Dec. 24-31]

I must say, I have read some absurd statements from you before but this one is the best one yet. As entertained as I am by it, I feel I must respond. The University of Georgia does not in any way favor rich people over poor people. It does however favor motivated, hard working people over slackers. Anyone, and I mean any person regardless of race or creed, can attend the University of Georgia if they work hard enough. Grades and performance are the important things, not the financial status of parents.

Money for college is everywhere. Pell grants, regular scholarships, the HOPE scholarship, and government financed student loans abound and are there for the taking. The difficulty is when one gets one of these forms of support they must maintain good grades and attendance. They must work hard at school and maybe even at a part-time job. They must persevere.

Granted, many people grow up in homes where they are not encouraged to better themselves and in neighborhoods and communities where getting an education is not considered a priority. This is not the fault of the University, but the fault of parents, teachers and community leaders. In Athens, one of those community leaders would be your magazine. Instead of discouraging people who might be working hard at getting their education or considering starting it, try encouraging and helping them. You could do this by running a few articles on how to get through school when you are on your own and in many other ways. For years I have enjoyed your publication. I like the way you take people to task and get behind issues you are passionate about. However, I do have a problem with you discouraging kids who might want to better themselves by getting a college education, whether that is your intention or not. Poor boy made good,

Steve D. Pettis
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WONDERFUL DAY?

December 20, 2003: Dreamed about Christmas and friends and skateboarding. Woke up with cream cheese bagel and caffeine. Mom gave me $80 for Christmas gift buying. Walked laps through house scratching head, organizing priorities. Put clean dishes away while singing at top of my lungs to Death Cab For Cutie. Ate piece of birthday cake from my 17th birthday (Dec. 19) and played guitar. Took a shower to get clean, only to get out and put on dirty clothes. Forgot the deodorant again.

Great day so far.

Tried to comb hair then opted on wearing a hat. Put on jacket, picked up skateboard, waived good-bye to house and worries on my way down the street to skate.

Breathed in dry, cold and minty December air as I turned onto Edwards St.

Met up with buddies and skated. Learned three new tricks.

Wonderful day.

Rolled to a stop. Watched a police officer pick up his nightstick and exit his car. Officer proceeded to explain his recollection of other occasions in which I was warned. Attempted to explain my own recollections but was told to shut up. Watched another officer pull up - blocking the whole street - and get out of car. Heard second officer say, "Ohhh, I've seen this one plenty of times." Recalled no memory of any confrontation with second officer. Recited my ID information and was cited a $90 fine for "pedestrian obstructing roadway." Was laughed at when asking if skateboarding is illegal now. Eventually remembered second cop from previous instance in which I was barked orders over a loudspeaker from a block away. Realized that skateboarding invokes same reaction in cops as stealing and taking drugs. Voiced frustration due to disrespect with one curse word. Threatened with disorderly person charge and arrest.

Still a wonderful day?

You decide.

Adam Bewley
Athens

THUGS EAT RACCOON

On December 25, I read an extremely disturbing article in the Athens Banner-Herald about how three members of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity cruelly tortured and killed a raccoon which had wandered onto the grounds of their fraternity house. Apparently, they beat the animal with a construction pylon and fired at it with a pellet gun until it died. Afterwards, one skinned the carcass and paraded around with it, and subsequently another ate it. At some point, officers from Animal Control arrived at the fraternity house, at which point the students claimed that the animal had been acting "erratically." What was most shocking when I read the story, amazingly, was not that one skinned and another actually ate an animal which was possibly rabid, but rather that no charges of animal cruelty have been filed against these students.

I was positively nauseated when I read about what they did, and it ruined my and my family's Christmas and Chanukah celebration. These idiots should have called Animal Control if they suspected that the animal might be diseased, but instead they tortured it to death in an almost ritualistic performance. I find it rather difficult to believe that a group of college students decided that the best course of action when faced with an animal acting "erratically" was to kill it, skin it and then eat it. In fact, I believe that these men are either some of the dumbest people on earth (which is, of course, possible but unlikely since they are, after all, students at the University) or that it is pretty clear that they are lying. My understanding of what happened, according to the story in the Banner-Herald, is that Animal Control arrived at the fraternity house after a concerned person reported a case of animal cruelty. I think it is extremely likely that these three students claimed that they thought the animal was acting "erratically" only when confronted by the Animal Control officers.

Surely these men have violated not only standards for basic human decency but also our laws which protect wildlife and domestic animals from such cruelty. In not prosecuting these thugs, the government suggests that this type of horrific behavior is acceptable, when in fact it is a criminal offense under section 16-12-4 of the Official Code of Georgia. What if that raccoon had been somebody's lost cat which happened to be acting "erratically," wandering near the dumpster looking for food? What if that raccoon had been a homeless person? Studies show that people who exhibit cruelty towards animals often act violently towards other people, and I fear for the future spouses and children of these students. At the moment, I most immediately fear for the pets of citizens who live near the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity house. If their conduct goes unchecked - and therefore sanctioned - what will these men become?

When my husband and I took our daily walk with our dogs down Milledge Avenue this morning and passed the Phi Kappa Psi house, we could not help but shiver at the thought of the gruesome crime of those men as we looked across the street and saw the dumpster where the men first discovered the raccoon. I hardly think that the image our city strives for is that we support a bunch of bloodthirsty Neanderthals who torture and kill defenseless animals (and then eat them). If these students are not charged with animal cruelty, our government not only condones their barbaric act but sends the message that members of fraternities enjoy immunity from the law.

Christine L. Albright
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