In response to Professor Miscamble's lengthy and vicious open letter to University President Father John Jenkins in yesterday's paper, I would just like to make one point, shortly and sweetly:
Setting the merits of "The Vagina Monologues" aside, I take issue with your attempt at lambasting Jenkins for changing his mind on this topic. You tear into him for, as you say, "backing down" and assert that it is, "hard to understand it in any other terms." This comes as a surprise to me. On a daily basis, you teach hundreds of students in an attempt to help them round out their general knowledge and various topics. I'm guessing that on numerous occasions, you have influenced a student to change their opinion on one of these topics.
As a student, I can say from personal experience that I have done this countless times over the past 17 years of my life. (Kindergarten was particularly grueling.) I have never once thought that the reason that I did this was because I lacked a strong will, or that I was seeking to gain popularity with those attempting to educate me.
It is a bit troublesome that a professor such as yourself would be unable, as you say, to see why someone would change his or her mind based on the influx of new information. Personally, this is a trait I like to see and respect in my leaders, and I quite favor it over the apparent tyrant you would prefer. Perhaps you could take a page from some of your colleagues' books and stop vilifying Jenkins for changing his mind. He may have had a legitimate reason for doing so.
Marisa SandahlseniorLeMans HallApril 11
