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| Reader clears indie music confusion |
To the Editor:
This letter is in response to Bill Cutler’s article
on the snowballing popularity of independent music. I hardly
read much if any of The Appalachian, but couldn’t resist
taking a close look at your article.
First of all, with the endless amount of bands that can be
considered independent, (NOT including Blur-all of there
major releases have been on Virgin; not a big deal, but just
so you know) I would not in any way whatsoever consider myself
an indie music guru, but the majority of the bands that I
know and love are independent.
Are you in favor of the prosepect of indpendent music overrunning
the pop industry’s virtual monopoly? I’m guessing/hoping
that your answer is no. The close-knit “underground”
atmosphere of the independent music community (overwhelmingly
evident if you’ve ever been to a show at cat’s
cradle or such a venue) is what many people find so welcoming
and attractive. Also-I’m hoping that you don’t
rely on filesharing as your only means for finding/listening
to music. Don’t get me wrong, it IS an amazing tool
in broadening one’s horizons, but I believe purchasing
CD’s/Vinyl/Whatever, is the way to go-ESPECIALLLLLLLLY
with independent music (if you disagree, we’ll have
to agree to do so-because god knows arguments of this sort
can go on forever).
Anyway-good article-it just left me a little confused and
frustrated.
Ben Klinkner
Freshman, Graphic Design
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| Ethnocentric attitudes lend to collapse
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To the Editor:
I disagree with the opinion Anna Oakes wrote because it counters
EARTH’s history and the role Americans play in a global
community. Although I distrust Bush, NASA’s search
for a Martian colony could propel solutions to “real
problems”. ASU’s boring World History sequence
opened my eye’s to the probability that the US could
collapse if hampered by egocentric opinions.
Our barbaric ancestors turned their backs on global progress
and focused ‘on a myriad’ of internal problems:
breakdown of Roman family values, corruption within the Chinese
Qing court. In each case, well intentioned, reformation plans
neither ‘made lives a little easier’ nor saved
the nation. Rome buckled under its own world supremacy as
Germanic “savages” killed mother and child; Peking
lost citizens to drug abuse as Europeans exploited opium.
I do not argue that exploring Mars will cure disease or feed
the poor. Instead, my historical perspective allows me to
foresee the possibility of bettering human life by pushing
America towards the next New World.
If Columbus never risked sailing off the edge of the world
while his fellow Italians starved, Ms. Oakes might be writing
her opinion for Cambridge University’s newspaper --
if at all.
An explorative, exocentric risk produced a nation where citizens
freely print opinions against their rulers. That freedom
is more progressive than increasing the quantity of undergraduates
who yet comprehend the interdependency of their world. An
Amero-centric attitude will only rush the collapse of this
Neo-Roman Empire in which we pseudo-democratically live.
Justin Pittman
jp59031
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| Ending exploration won't alleviate poverty |
To the Editor:
I am a reader of the Appalachian, but you are really testing
my patience. I read the “Proposal for NASA distracts
from real problem” article and I nearly fell out of
my seat. I was shocked by the uninformed and unintelligent
nature of its author, Anna Oakes. Now, I am avidly against
Bush and his policies, and dream of the day he is out of
office. And I also believe that his proposal to return to
the moon and go to Mars is a complete ploy and a weak attempt
to attract votes.
But her arguments made me almost ashamed to be a liberal.
Almost.
Does Miss Oakes honestly think that if we tell NASA to close
up shop, the rest of the world’s problems will be solved?
Exploration is important. It’s what we do. Europe wasn’t
a beacon of perfection when explorers began sailing the high
seas in search of what is out there.
Now here is a news flash that is sad but true. Poverty is
a byproduct of life. There is always a bottom of the barrel.
I am not stating that we end the fight to aid those who find
themselves down on their luck, and those whose lives are
absolute hell.
But that does not mean that we stop all other activity to
try to end a problem that will always be a part of society.
But if we stop everything that strives to further advance
our society and cease to continue growing, it will never
enable us to find new ways to solve the problems we have
now. Without growth new solutions would never present themselves.
If we found a planet just like Earth we would have new resources
to feed the hungry and impoverished people of this planet.
Make sure you are using intelligence and logic, with your
facts, so that your arguments would stand a chance. If you
will only spout gibberish and stupidity, get down. You aren’t
helping anyone.
Kim Taylor
Sophomore
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| Additions to the Parthenon of Suck |
To the Editor:
I would like to stand up and give a big hug to Kevin DeLury.
Well, I don't even know the guy but anyone who can write
an opinion article in response to an opinion letter in response
to an opinion article should get a hug.
My favorite part of his article was the ever-going list of
the Parthenon of Suck. I finished the paragraph with a side-ache
and a light head from laughing so much. Mr. DeLury listed
basically everything that my generation is about-MTV, Dave
Matthews, belly button rings and my favorite, forced volunteerism.
And because Mr. DeLury asked for students to write in, I
would like to throw some things into the "Suck"
list: emoticons, reading assignments over twenty pages, diet
colas, dog collar bracelets, sports fan maniacs, Britney
Spears, loud dorm neighbors, billboards from God, Jackass
wannabes, Kurt Russell movies, "whatzzuupp?", spin-off
shows from other series (CSI: Miami), mullets, back hair,
and just to back up Rasimas and DeLury, Vera Bradley bags.
But, I digress so back to the article. The idea that I got
from reading both Leslie Rasimas's and Kevin DeLury's articles
was that being an individual is getting harder these days.
College is supposed to be the time for us to distinguish
ourselves for the future, but really all we do is join groups
and hang with people in order to be accepted. I guess the
harder we try to be individual, the more we end up like everyone
else.
Courtney Cooper
Freshman, Graphic Design
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