I think Kate Ericsson is a little misguided in what she envisions a college campus being like ("Speaker series should benefit student population," Oct. 3).

Students sitting around and engaging in philosophical and political discussions at Penn State? Try joining the College Democrats maybe. The fact is, those in the 18 to 22- year-old demographic who actually discuss politics are a minority, at any college campus -- not just Penn State. In my four years at here, I spent maybe 0.0001 percent of my time discussing politics with my friends. It's not because people don't care -- but because it's a potential topic of disagreement -- that we don't discuss politics. Who wants to fight with friends over something they can't personally change?

Concerning Cal Ripken, Jr., I know there are probably 25,000 students on at Penn State who grew up playing Little League Baseball around the country, with the dream of one day stepping onto the big league field like Ripken and others. If the university is bringing in speakers that may be of interest to more than 50 percent of the students on campus, I'd say their doing a pretty good job.