New write-in ticket joins USG race

More state funding, free class notes on the World Wide Web, lower Loop fares. We feel that all of these promises are unrealistic. That's why we aren't going to promise anything (at least anything that's unobtainable).

Of course, we like the ideas of redistributing the activity fee, better student parking and more support for USG, and we would work on these things if elected. However, we realize that we are running for a powerless position without the support of the student body.

We feel that the students should settle for smaller, more obtainable goals rather than larger goals that cannot be accomplished. That's why we want to hear from you, the student body. Write us and tell us what would make your life on campus a little easier and more enjoyable at mjl162@psu.edu. We want to make your agenda our agenda. So don't be fooled on April 1 with big promises. Write in.

Matt Lohr (senior-elementary education), presidential candidate
B.J. Werzyn (junior-kinesiology), vice presidential candidate

Article bad portrayal of Marino's intent

Patricia K. Cole, the Collegian staff writer who covered the story (after Marino invited the newspaper to her class), neglected to report that the joke was not sent in a casual "isn't this funny" kind of way, but, in fact, was a class assignment. Earlier in the semester, Marino had received a series of ethnic jokes over E-mail from one of her friends and, because she herself found the jokes offensive, felt the jokes would make a good topic for a class writing assignment about the use of derogatory language.

The assignment included the jokes and asked (and I quote directly from the assignment Marino E-mailed to her class) "What are the boundaries of public rhetoric that make language and reasoning offensive? Are we more accepting of stereotypes in humor, and why? Are we more accepting of stereotypes in a private rhetorical situation, why or why not?"

As an addendum to the assignment, she invited a panel of African American students to her "mostly white" class Thursday for an in-class discussion on the subject.

Cole's article, however, insinuated that Marino sent the jokes to her students for amusement alone. And, in effect, Cole's article insinuated that Marino was racist because of it. Cole and her editors should have had the professional foresight and ethical standards to double check the facts and sources for such a subjective, controversial and somewhat accusatory story before letting it run.

Needless to say, Marino was more than distraught at lunch on Saturday, justifiably humiliated and horrified over the fact that more than 50,000 students, faculty and staff at Penn State might actually believe Cole's inaccurate spin that Marino is a racist. I am not defending Marino -- she needs no defense. But, on Marino's behalf, I'm infuriated.

Furthermore, I'm infuriated because the Collegian, a publication I read faithfully every day, one that I trust to give me accurate news, has proven itself to be dishonorable. How can I, or anyone else at University Park or in State College, ever trust the Collegian again?

Vicki Glembocki
associate editor, The Penn Stater

Changes in daily diet can be beneficial

I would like to agree with the nutrition staff on one point. One does need dietary protein to stay healthy, but not protein derived from any animal or dairy sources. If one incorporates ample amounts of whole grains, legumes and vegetables into their diet, they will be getting all the protein necessary for optimum health.

I suspect Betz started out on this strict, regimented diet to achieve results as soon as possible to avoid further cancerous tumor growth. At this point, I am confident that she has started to incorporate additions to her diet to round out the original diet that helped put her cancer into remission.

I again agree that diet alone cannot cure anyone's cancer or grave disease whatever that may be. But, is it not clear that once a person has made a conscious commitment through dietary means to a healthier lifestyle, that they have the potential to cure whatever ails them? I have talked to too many people already in my life who have cured themselves of cancer through radical changes in their diet to think that diet has nothing to do with fighting or contracting deadly diseases such as cancer.

In addition to this, I think the key to understanding how diet can cure the deadliest of diseases is to read. There is a vast amount of literature available that describes everyday people having discovered they had cancer and changing their diet only to become healthy again.

As for scientific methodology, I do not have enough space to give accurate descriptions of the beneficial chemical changes that can be brought about by eating the right foods on a daily basis.

However, I will say this, the answer to how today's established medical practice cannot identify with the power of a restricted, healthy diet, is to examine the origins of the Hippocratic oath and discover that the medical profession has abridged the thoughts of Hypocrites to serve their own interests, i.e., diet is no longer the major focus for facilitating healing, but rather costly drugs and technology are.

Jonathan M. Rybacki
Class of 1991