Letters to the editor: Readers respond to Tuesday's front page headline

Jeffery Manning, junior creative writing major:

I am disgraced for what appeared on the front page of The Daily O'Collegian today. I would like to think (or at least did prior to today) that our school's paper was run professionally by students who consider themselves as young professionals.

It is now apparent to me that the paper is run more like a playground. Jokes like that, while have a place perhaps at your buddy's house on a Saturday night, have no place in a business. I thought most people who have passed the seventh grade would know such a distasteful headline would offend many.

For a paper who prides itself on being "award-winning," I expected a lot more. I don't know what the reason was for that headline, outside perhaps trying to be "cute and funny," but it missed the mark.

To save some sort of face for your paper for the attention this will receive, it would probably be in the best interest of the O'Colly and those who were not involved in this headline if the person who did write it was released of his or her duty.

Otherwise, it's already detestable reputation on campus and in other parts of the state will take another hit. Not only that, but with the recent problems in the advertising department of the O'Colly, action should probably be made in order to not lose as much money as possible.

If the students who work for the paper and oversaw this atrocity aren't going to take their role as journalists seriously, then look for some who will. At a university of about 20,000, I would not figure that to be too difficult. Not only has you embarrassed me and other students, it has brought disgrace upon the paper as a whole, its advertisers the university, the city of Stillwater, then some.

Jenny England, administrative specialist in correspondence education at the Wes Watkins Center:

We have had several young women in our office today who have made comments concerning the cover article in today's paper.

The title of the article is the problem.  "Muff" is a slang term that many older and younger women find in extremely poor taste, at least in this usage.  

As one young woman stated, "I would hate for someone outside of our university to see this and think that this is the way we are."  Shame on Paige Howell for not knowing better.  I hate to think this is the way she talks and the kind of language she uses on a regular basis.  You have embarrassed our university.

Dr. Z. Randall Stroope, department of music:

Editor:

Publishing a STRIP CLUB article was completely in poor taste on the front page or ANY page of the campus newspaper.  It is not in keeping with the goals and integrity of the faculty, students or goals of OSU in my opinion, and is an embarrassment.

"Graduate from OSU and become a stripper."  Yes, it IS their right to own a strip club.  But the faculty and staff of OSU don't have to condone it or give it press space.

Today, for the first time since I came to OSU to be a full-time faculty member, I am embarrassed to be associated with the institution.

Prahalad Rao, PhD student in industrial engineering:

Dear Editor,

This is in reference to the article by Ms Paige Howell, headlined "Diamond in the muff'.

It is often said that education should be a humbling and character building experience. I would like to ask the O'Colly management, in what way does this article promote character?

Before I am labeled a religious fanatic, let me assure you that I am neither. Neither is this a judgment on the concerned people in the article -it is not my business what they do for a living.

I have spent a little over seven years at our great university. As I take stock, I am amazed by how much effort OSU has put in me by way of my professors, teachers, staff and colleagues. Each evening when I leave the ATRC labs, I realize how much more I need to learn, and how fleeting my knowledge is - there is so much more to learn, and life is too short. This is my humbling experience. Observing the people I have had the privilege to work with has taught me what character and integrity is. I have had professors, well into their middle ages, whose work ethic causes me to be ashamed of my procrastinating ways.

To cut a long story short, this article is repugnant at best and characterless at its worst. Let me ask you sir, In what way does the experiences of a pole dancer reflect well upon our institution? In what way can our fellow pokes learn about character from this article?  What if, during one of the campus tours, a parent were to read this?  Will such parent be proud of sending their child to our university?

You, me and anybody who wears or has ever worn our orange, have a responsibility entrusted in us - to be an ambassador for OSU to the world. I take this role to mean "the right stuff done the right way." I ask, in what way have you at the O'Colly fulfilled your responsibility in this regard with this article?

Samantha Wilson, public relations and english senior: