I have to admit that while not a whole lot amazes me about The Northern Star anymore, I am appalled at its reporting and treatment of the Tom Ryan/Neptune Hall issue. More so, I am left dumbfounded by the idea that anyone could actually approve, no—encourage, Mr. Ryan’s behavior. The floor lounge is NOT Mr. Ryan’s room; it is a public place that is to be shared by all of the residents on the co-joining floors. If Mr. Ryan finds he enjoys being naked then he should be naked all he wants—IN HIS OWN ROOM. Chris Waugh should not be slammed for doing his job—his duty is to try to promote and provide an atmosphere in which residents can feel comfortable and secure. Should the satiation of Mr. Ryan’s desperate need for attention come at the expense of this? As a classmate as well as a former resident in a hall where Chris Waugh was an assistant, I have always found him to be extremely fair and objective in his duties. Everyone’s rights and freedoms on that floor need to be considered, not just Mr. Ryan’s, and this is what Chris Waugh needs to think about. I find it hard to believe that the general consensus of the floor is that nothing offensive occurred that night, regardless of who has spoken up. In fact, I can’t help but wonder if there are many residents that are too intimidated to say just how they really feel. Perhaps they will be ridiculed by The Northern Star for not being relaxed enough to stay in the lounge and watch Seinfeld. Worse yet, someone might accuse them of having “kindergarten values”! Well, I guess I’m just enough of a tightwad to think that maybe if we all practiced a few more of those “kindergarten values,” the world would be a better place.

Erin Fisher

Graduate Student