Letters to the Editor

Fraser needs to display more classTo the Editors,Last evening, I sat down to watch the Villanova men’s basketball team take on St. Joe’s on ESPN2. While I was disheartened by the loss, I am sure the team will recover to go on and have a good season.What I found most disheartening, however, was the lack of class exhibited by Jason Fraser. Following his second foul, the ESPN cameras focused on Mr. Fraser jogging back up court with a big smile on his face, putting his index finger to his mouth to tell the St. Joe’s fans to “shush.” While I think this swaggering type of behavior is ridiculous and inappropriate under any circumstances, what makes it all the remarkable was that Villanova was getting blown out at the time.I hope Mr. Fraser will begin to look to the senior leadership of the likes of Gary Buchanan and begin to represent the class of the Villanova men’s basketball program and Villanova University.Dr. Peter L. BayersClass of 1988New Milford, Conn. Diversity should lie in the individual spiritTo the Editors:Diversity is not about the color of your skin or the socio-economic background from which you come. It’s about individuals in and of themselves. It’s about what they have achieved and where they have failed, where they’ve been and where they dream to go. What diversity is not is a quantitative measure, something that can be calculated as a percentage or numerical value.At Villanova, there seems to be more emphasis on diversity than necessary. People argue that we’re not diverse because our palette is not as colorful as other institutions. However, I would advise others to look beyond the external view and look inside the individual. After attending a school with widespread diversity on both the racial and global scale, I have found more variance in my college years.Now you may look at my best friends here and see people who look just like me. But have a conversation with us and it will be discovered that we touch opposite ends of the spectrum. In contrast, at my previous school, it was difficult to reach out the so-called “diverse” population. They used their outward differences to create smaller groups isolated from the general public. Walking into the dining hall was reminiscent of a bad “After-School Special.”We can’t expect colleges to make decisions solely on grades and test scores because it doesn’t touch the person behind these numbers. Admissions and judgments should not be about number, whether it be an SAT score, racial quota or batting average. It needs to be about the person: who they were, who they are and who they will become. Now that is where you will discover diversity.Rachel AudiClass of 2005Reader compliments section’s articles To the Editors:As an online subscriber to The Villanovan, I would like to compliment the paper for generally interesting and “on-point” articles. My only observation with this week’s edition is a matter of relativity. If you consider Soundgarden, Rage Against the Machine, Nirvana and the Smashing Pumpkins to be old rock stars, how would you classify the likes of the Beach Boys or Sly and the Family Stone? Now those are old rock stars. Dust off those vinyl albums your family has hidden in the attic and listen to some “good ol’ rock and roll.”Jeff BacsikWyckoff, N.J.Textbooks are mark of true scholarsTo the Editors:The textbook constitutes a valuable and important reservoir of knowledge.  It and the supplemental readings should not only be read and consumed by college students, but should also serve them following graduation.  Sometimes students de-emphasize the text saying, “My teacher rarely refers to it, so I don’t read it.”  A few don’t even purchase it! In some cases this is a function of the failure to adjust, thinking college instruction mirrors high school teaching where the textbooks usually enjoy a more central if an often overly-relied upon role. Careful reading of the text provides a basis and foundation for the discipline under study, releasing supplemental readings and lively discussions. Furthermore, texts serve a necessary function for students in programs requiring tests for later professional licensing and certification.Oftentimes, college students lash out at the prices of texts by sharing books or not purchasing them, feeling this is one of the few components of college fees they can control. However, when one computes the cost of texts as a percentage of college expenses, it is a relatively minor expense.College readings hould form the beginings of the educated individual’s library that following graduation will serve as a professional reference source and personal enrichment resource. Clever students are those that utilize the end of the semester to purchase used books and regularly prowl used-book stores to add to their collection.Books are important.Books are valuable.Books constitute the mark of the educated individual.Dr. Ray HeitzmannFaculty Member