I am writing to response to the letter "Students seem dumb when overusing 'like'," Oct. 27. I wouldn't consider the use of "like" to be an epidemic -- it's called change.

The word "like" has only been undergoing a functional shift for the last 50 years or so, and as with most non-traditional word use, it may be considered inappropriate in certain situations (such as the aforementioned job interview).

This is no different than "uh" or "um." Other uses of "like," such as, "So I was like, 'Hey, back off,' " or "I'm like broke" are likewise fully-accepted; they're along the lines of "go" and "pretty much." Short-short version: Language changes.