One of the benefits of attending a large university is the wide array of opportunities that a person can experience. For example, on Feb. 21, the Penn State community was honored by the presence of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. who came to enlighten us on issues of environmental awareness. He urged us to act through local endeavors such as letter writing and membership in protective environmental organizations. Mr. Kennedy also empowered us to acknowledge and respect the divine beauty of nature.

We would like to thank the sponsors of this wonderful event. But on the other hand, we were disgusted with these same sponsors on many occasions throughout the presentation. The introduction by Colloquy president, Starr Peoples, was incompetent and disrespectful to Mr. Kennedy. Taking the time to prepare a speech would have been a nice gesture. In addition, the faculty microphone served as a rude distraction for the speaker as well as the audience. Interrupted by Eco-Action representatives, Mr. Kennedy was not given the opportunity to make closing remarks. Most importantly, Colloquy and Eco-Action failed to thank Mr. Kennedy for his presentation.

These displays of "bad manners" embarrassed us as the members of the Penn State community. In the future, organizers in Colloquy should take into account professional organization, preparation and crowd regulation for sponsored programs.