Ongoing parking problem frustrating

So, while I was putting my car in the parking lot where it belongs, I thought back to a documentary I made in my first film class. In one of the segments, we asked people what they hated about Penn State. Parking was the top of the list.

So, this wound has been festering for me, facing another year as I live in West Halls, and in the depths of February's temperatures, (Can anyone say 10 below with the wind chill?), occasionally make the trek out to Lot 83 to visit my car. Lot 83 seems to been oversold not once, but twice. The lines are too close together. That's once. And from the difficulty I had in finding a space today, I guess it's been oversold twice.

The University is not going to do what I would consider the rational, but expensive solution; building parking garages near the individual dorms. This expense could be $1 million or more per garage. But the students continue to suffer.

Hating opinions without solutions, I'm going to offer one. Add two or three stops to The Loop to get us nearer to the parking; a stop at Park and Bigler, another out at Lot 83. Put up a small weather shelter as well. Or a third Loop that went past the HUB (gasp!) as well as out to the parking garages. This is an immediately solvable problem.

There is no great math necessary here, and I realize the solution isn't perfect. But as I was walking back wet from Lot 83 yesterday morning, this was one of those "needling college things" that could be fixed.

Jeff Greenberg
senior-film and video

Falsehoods surround Scholars housing

n  The Schreyer Honors College is a residential college (unlike any other academic college at Penn State) with the concept of a living-learning community incorporating both in-class and out-of-class learning and experience at its core.

n There are no plans to convert Atherton Hall to all-Scholars housing, nor are there plans in place for changing any other space on campus.

n There is a need for more dormitory space for Schreyer Scholars, beginning in the 1998-99 academic year and the demand will increase for the next three to four years.

n  The planning process for Schreyer Scholars housing is just under way; a task force to identify, evaluate and recommend options will be announced shortly. The task force will include representatives from at least Residence Life, the Office of Housing and Food Service Operations, Schreyer Scholars, faculty and staff from the Schreyer Honors College.

n  We look forward to finding a fair, logical and equitable solution to the demand for Scholars housing for all parties involved. The most important outcome, however, and one which has been lost in public dialogue so far, is the creation of a living-learning environment that maximizes the productivity, academic accomplishment, civic and social responsibility and overall quality of a dormitory experience.

As we embark on the this experiment, we are hopeful that its results will provide useful ideas and models for other residence halls at Penn State as well as for other residences in colleges and honors programs across the country.

Cheryl Achterberg
The Schreyer Honors College acting dean

Advertisement a bad portrayal of Asians

My initial reaction was, "I don't get it." After a few days of contemplating over the purpose of the advertisement, my reaction has not changed much. My questions ranged from: What are they selling? Whom are they targeting? What is the point?

It struck me as somewhat ironic that a white male band would choose to advertise their concert by depicting Asian paraphernalia. I went on the Phish World Wide Webpage to see if there were hints of this theme on their albums, on their tour, anything. I came up with nothing. I did not see the connection between the group and these visual images. My next question was: Is it necessary to advertise this concert in this way?

Do I see this advertisement as overtly racist? No. Is it possible that someone could interpret this ad as xenophobic and promoting cultural appropriation? Yes. If you ask how that is possible, I ask you to consider this: The ad says, "Phish destroys America."

The visual representation of Phish exists in the form of an Asian man. If you examine this image critically, it would not be too far fetched to see how someone could interpret the ad as saying that Asians destroy America. Underneath the playful images and words, there lies a subliminal xenophobic attitude.

I do not think the advertising and marketing team of this band intended to promote any negative image.

I believe they were attempting to associate the kung-fu character as a certain persona, and in doing so, sell Phish as that persona. I am quite sure they did not know that the kung-fu image is a stereotypical image of Asians, and that an advertisement like this only perpetuates those stereotypes.

I do not think this advertisement was overtly racist or that it hurt or offended many people. I do not think it intentionally promoted any type of appropriation of Asians.

But, I do feel that at first glance, audiences will not necessarily see the connection between the band and the Asian man. In fact, it is likely that the ad will confuse some people, as it confused me.

In the future, perhaps Phish should choose visible imagery that is clearly related to them in their advertisements. This, more than anything else, will end all unnecessary confusion.

Cindy del Rosario
Asian American Student Coalition president

Clarification: A letter to the editor in The Daily Collegian Monday by Josephine Gonzalez was the opinion of Gonzalez as a student at the University and was not meant to serve as the opinion of Latino Caucus.