BUNNY'S RIGHT

Jesus, already! I just read "Effie Greathouse's" letter in this week's Flagpole. This is ridiculous! Effie's letter, combined with Frank Reddy's letter from the week before, prove that Athens music fans are as thin-skinned and apologetic as I'd hoped they weren't. Heavens forbid that someone actually say a local record isn't that good. I'm glad that Bunny Macintosh had something to say about 63 Crayons and that Flagpole actually has some balls to criticize a local release. And it's not like what Bunny wrote is all that bad, anyway. It seemed pretty middle of the road to me. Effie, she did "have something nice to say." If I remember correctly, she said the guy's keyboards or bass was really good. Thanks Flagpole for printing some actual musical review with an opinion. I guess if you want some rah-rah cheerleading with no critical viewpoints, you can pick up Frank's stuff.

Gabby Sorensen
Athens

GO, BUNNY!

Recently, a few Flagpole readers have taken issue with the articles and record reviews penned by Ms. Mcintosh, using such colorful descriptions as "tacky," "trashing" and "bullshit." I can do better: "intelligent," "dead-on" and "provocative." Music reviews are inherently opinionated. Get over it. You can't please all of the people all of the time, and that's the point. When the next issue of Flagpole hits the stands, I'm reading the Mcintosh articles first, just like I've always done. Rock on, Bunny!

Ben Garland
Athens

BAD BUNNY

I think Bunny Mcintosh is an egotistical, masturbatory, tacky, fat disasterface and a terrible writer with a negitive attitude. She got song titles wrong in both her review of The Cure at Coachella and the Will Oldham show; she uses exclamation points too often, and she is a terrible speller (especially when it comes to homonyms). She also over accessorises, and is a mouthy drunk. Apparently, she does not understand music at all. If she did, she would coddle every local band as the group of sensitive geniuses that they are instead of belligerently listening to their records and pointing out why they are very often crap. Plus, she made out with my boyfriend and I hate her. With liberty and justice for all,

Bunny Mcintosh
Athens

ANOTHER COUNTRY

I'm almost 20 years old, and I once lived in Athens. I moved to Milledgeville, GA to go to college last fall. The first year was okay; however, one of the things I missed the most was my job at Beechwood Cinemas. This year, I applied for jobs at the university and was hired at the Info Tech Center of the library and the circulation desk of the library. I went through the application process, sending out emails trying to make sure I would be able to work and concentrate on school in order to keep the HOPE Scholarship. When my schedule was worked out for my position in the school's new Information Technology Center (ITC), I went to fill out the necessary paper work.

My friend Stephen and I walked together to pick up our forms. A friendly lady named Toi handed us our applications and asked us to sit in the next room at the table.

As we were filling out our applications an older man walked through the room and looked at both of us in an odd manner and asked what we were doing. I politely explained to him that we were just filling out our paper work. He, rather quickly, snapped back, "Does Toi know you're in here?"

I remained polite, but confused, and answered "Yes."

He then proceeded to shoot each of us a dirty look as he walked into the room where Toi was working. About a minute later Toi comes in and hands Stephen the rest of his paper work and told me that there was a problem with mine. I assumed maybe my HOPE check didn't go through, maybe I had overdue library books, or a parking ticket.

When I asked her what was wrong and she wouldn't tell me. She leaned in and whispered, "I think it might be your shirt." I looked down remembering that I'd put on my new t-shirt that I got from the Xiu Xiu concert in Athens the previous Friday. The shirt read, "Xiu/Mutha/Fuckin'/Xiu." I looked at her hoping that she was only joking and replied, "but it's a band shirt. I'm not trying to offend anyone."

Toi bent down and whispered to me, "Well, I like it, but you know Georgia College is kinda picky when it comes to dress codes."

I looked up and said, "Thanks."

Stephen and I walked out of the building and toward our first classes of the semester. I was a little upset, but didn't think much of it. I went on to my first class.

When I got out a little more than an hour later, Stephen told me that he talked to Joe Windish (head of the ITC). He said Joe told him that it was not likely that I'd ever work for the university again - even though he did not agree with the situation. Even more upsetting was the fact that the CIO (whose name I don't know because he was too impolite to even ask what my shirt was about or to give his name) and Joe Windish had a meeting ABOUT MY SHIRT at 2:15 p.m. the same day.

Once Stephen told me I broke down into tears. Although I wouldn't be making the money I thought I would, that wasn't what upset me. I felt like I had been violated. These were my rights! What happened to free speech?! I quickly became angry. Who is this man to say that I can't wear the shirt? Why is it that our Vice President can say "fuck" in a condescending manner on the Senate floor, but I can't wear it on my shirt (in a non-fight provoking manner).

I understand what a dress code is, which is why I wouldn't've worn the shirt to work. I wasn't even going in for an interview - I was picking up paperwork and then going to class. If I put on any other shirt in my closet I would've been fine, but I did wear that shirt. Furthermore, I shouldn't've been reprimanded for it. Why couldn't he have asked me what the shirt was about or just simply tell me that I couldn't work in it? Instead, he simply (and cowardly) decided that since I had the word "fuckin'" which in the context it was written meant something along the lines of "right on, awesome or good band."

Have I crossed over into another country? I am, in fact, only 70 miles away from Athens, but it feels like thousands.

So, I ask you, Athens: WWJD - What Would Jamie (Stewart) Do?

Sandy Green
Milledgeville