Letters to the Editor
Campus Times
February 28, 1997
Dear Editor,
I was outraged when I read the article about David Riffle being convicted
of violating Jamie Bigornia's civil rights ["Verdict
reached in Bigornia case," Feb. 7]. I cannot believe that this
case even got this far. What occurred on March 29, 1996, was simply a bar
fight, no different than those that occur every night at hundreds of bars
across America. I don't see many bar fight participants being convicted
of civil rights violations. Jamie Bigornia chose to make the case a gay
issue and that was unfortunate. It only hurts those people that really have
a claim against "real criminals." Nobody disputes that Riffle
should not have hit him in the first place, but the charge of violating
Bigornia's civil rights is nothing more than a publicity stunt and, in my
and many of my friends opinions, a complete farce. How could Eric Britton,
who "supposedly" did the same thing to Bigornia, get off while
Riffle was convicted? Furthermore, Bigornia's story constantly changed and
he conveniently answered, "I don't know" and "I don't remember"
during critical parts of his testimony. How could a jury hearing this find
him a credible witness? Between the puzzling and erroneous outcome of this
case and the O.J. Simpson case, I have lost all faith in the judicial system.
I once had respect for the judicial system, I even wanted to become a lawyer,
but now I have nothing but contempt for the whole system.
Robert Aguirre ('96)
via Internet
Dear Editor,
I am a very supportive alumnus of the University of La Verne (B.S. 1990,
M.S. 1993). I am currently a doctorate student at another university. I
was showing a prospective benefactor our new library yesterday, and I picked
up a copy of the Campus Times [Feb. 7]. The quality of your publication
is outstanding. I commend you on the upbeat tone and objective nature of
your publication. The articles on Ralph Nader ["Nader
addresses local issues at dinner"] and the biology team Baja trip
["Biology
team travels Baja California"] were excellent. Your column about
the O.J. trial ["Press
shines Clinton for O.J." by Raechel Fittante] was quite professional
and well done. Keep up the good work. God bless.
Timothy L. Stanley ('93)
via Internet
Dear Editor,
Echelle Avelar's column ["Seniors
must pay for memories," Feb. 21] was accurate. Senior retreat will
cost an estimated $2,700 and through our effort, we have managed to raise
only $1,800. In the past, revenues for this event came from ASF and departments
around campus. This year, the Senior Retreat Committee has attempted to
solicit funds from departments around campus. ULV is taking a 2 percent
budget cut, therefore departments cannot afford to donate to extra programs.
As the University begins to feel this domino effect, one area has gone untouched
-- ASF. Yes, ASF did donate $1,000 of the student body's money this year
and we are grateful for that contribution. Last year, they donated $2,000
to help fund the event. Does ASF find this year's senior retreat half as
important as last year's retreat? If you ask the seniors who attended retreat
last year, we are sure they would say it was well worth the funds.
The class of '97 adopted the spirit of ULV. They overwhelmed Pilgrim
Pines with their size. They became OWLs their sophomore year. They embraced
sports teams, cheer, Greek organizations, LSF, ASF-the list goes on. The
class of '97 took full advantage of what the University has to offer. This
class knows ULV traditions, can sing the alma mater and never walks on the
seal.
There is no pot of gold waiting at the end of our rainbow to pay for
senior retreat. The class of '97 may have to sacrifice on the extra amenities
this year. There may not be t-shirts and we may have to limit the number
of guests. Thank you, Echelle, for giving this issue the attention it deserves.
We are not here to bash ASF, but we are merely attempting to gain insight
on the financial allocation process.
Don't worry, class of '97! With or without the proper funding, we will
manage to pull off a worthwhile event for such a dynamic group of students.
However, it would be a more successful event if we knew that our student
government supported our culminating college endeavor.
Alma Barrera, Junior
Claudia Jimenez, Senior
Shannon McCrea, Senior
Student Representatives on the Senior Retreat Committee