Campus should be outlet for all voices and opinions

Dear editor:

I am writing because I attended last night’s town meeting given by Vets for Freedom and Ohio Families United, and I must say that I was very interested in what both of those groups had to say. I also noticed that the always interesting Kent State Anti-War Committee was there in attendance handing out fliers for a rally that they are holding. I was shocked by the attitude given to the speakers by the members of the Anti-War Committee. They sat and giggled at points as if we were at a junior high dance and not at a town hall meeting.

There was a gentleman that came across as smug and arrogant that claimed he was an Iraq War veteran, but did not give any answers as to the rank that he held or any other information about himself. Furthermore, the said gentleman acted smug and arrogant when he was asked about his service. I’m sorry, but I do not believe that being an Iraq War veteran gives anyone a free pass to act in the manner that he did. I graduated from Kent State University this past August, and I am proud of my alma matter. I believe as an institution of higher learning that the university should be a forum for all voices, and that those voices should be listened to charitably and not with smugness and arrogance. The questions that the Kent State Anti-War Committee sent toward the speakers were old, outdated questions that had nothing to do with the debate. (Side note to the Kent State Anti-War Committee: Kent State offers classes in both logic and critical thinking – maybe you should look into taking them. They might make your arguments better, or at least intelligible).

If I had to give a score for the debate that I watched, this would be it: Vets for Freedom and Ohio Families United 10, Kent State Anti-War Committee 0.

Frederick L. Ebersole, Jr.

Class of 2007

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The problem at the game was lack of student support

Dear editor:

I am responding to the article titled “What an ugly mess at the Rubber Bowl” in Monday’s Stater. The second paragraph in this article is ludicrous. You don’t have the right to bash the only students who have enough pride in their school to make the short trip to support the football team. The chant, “F*** you Akron” was not said throughout the game. As one of the students that attended the game, I recall that only being said once. Do I think it was right? No. But don’t write an article that makes it seem like it was constantly repeated. We were actually complemented by an Akron usher about how our student section has some class compared to Akron’s. And as for the alumni, they repeatedly gave us high fives as they walked in front of our section.

And as for “allegedly trying to rip out some bleacher seats,” this was also not true. The piece of garbage that is the Rubber Bowl showed its true age when a piece of the bleachers broke when we (the students) were jumping up and down before one of the kickoffs. That’s right, the bleachers snapped. Nobody sat there and attempted to rip apart the bleachers during the game. So before you make any more allegations about the only people who have enough spirit for their school, get your facts right. The real black eye was the lack of support for our great football team.

Dan Knopp

Junior business management major