American citizens need to be more aware of other nations

I would like to inform U.S. citizens about the outside world. Don't be shocked by this provoking letter. I am an international student, which gives me credit to discuss how most Americans' minds are too narrow from not knowing about the outside world. When I met some new "American friends," because I can speak English fluently, in the worst case, some Americans had never even heard about my country, which is one of the developing countries in Asia. I found it awkward that the citizens of a big country like the U.S. have limited information about the world. On the contrary, the citizens of my small country have ample resources about every part of the world. Do you guys think that your country is so superior that you didn't have to know about other people's cultures? There is much more interesting stuff that you probably never expected out there. The American education system should be improved by adding a geography subject from at least high school like people from other countries have. In spite of knowing only about your big country, you should make an effort to know about others in prominent countries such as Brunei, Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia, etc. It would be beneficial to you. So, open your mind! There is a lot more out there.

Kamalia Kay
business administration sophomore

Writer free to drive her Îtiny, fuel-efficient piece of shit'

This is in response to Jessica Suarez's article "SUVs target the vain and the selfish." Ms. Suarez, who are you kidding with your article? I honestly couldn't believe some of the things that I read.

I don't know what fraternity guy screwed you over or called one of your friends a "fag," but get over it. And why do you seem to think that every sorority woman has "two super cute toe rings" and a lei hanging from her rear-view mirror? If you were actually in a sorority, you would know that wasn't true. FYI: Not all people that drive SUVs are the way you describe them to be. My dad drives a Chevy Tahoe, and he is neither nervous about his 22-year marriage to my mother or uncomfortable about parenthood, considering he raised three children.

I think it is such an assumption for you to say that SUVs are marketed toward the rich and stupid. What about most of our law enforcement around the country that are trying to "serve and protect" you but drive SUVs? What about our government officials that run this country but drive Chevy Suburbans? You're gonna say that they are rich and stupid? Exactly, that's what

I thought.

So, yeah, people may drive SUVs because they feel safer; let them. You claim that the occupant death rate is 6 to 8 percent higher in an SUV anyway. So now, Ms. Suarez, you can keep driving around in your tiny, fuel-efficient piece of shit while I pass by you in my supposedly unsafe, more likely to kill me SUV, and not feel bad.

Janae Bousema
communications junior

Don't use SUVs as a disguise for hatred of Greek students

This letter is regarding the Arts column written Friday by Jessica Suarez. While the column was entitled "SUVs Target the Vain and the Selfish," it seems as though Ms. Suarez has used it as a disguise to show her dislike for the Greek system. Over half of her column expresses her disgust at the "rich and stupid · people who pay lots of money to instantly have friends," i.e. Greeks.

At a risk to sound clichŽ, Ms. Suarez, don't knock it until you've tried it. The Greek system is, overwhelmingly, a great thing to be in. I'm sure you've seen the statistics, but we are by far the most involved, successful people on campus. However, like most things, people dwell on the negative. Sadly, our stereotypes bring us down and give most people, like you, the wrong impression. Have you ever gone through the recruitment process? Have you ever actually been to a sorority or fraternity house before? I'm sorry that you feel that you must drag us down to make yourself feel more down-to-earth. But please don't poke fun at something that you, most likely, have never even given a chance.

If someone wrote a column about angst-ridden, against-the-grain, artsy Wildcat columnists, I'm sure it would not go over well. No one is stereotyping you, so please don't stereotype us.

On the issue of safety, why wouldn't parents want to buy their child an SUV? Like many students here, my home away from school is a reasonable highway drive away. If my parents chose to buy me an SUV, I wouldn't be surprised; they would, like most parents, want me to be as safe as possible in my travels.

Although you have a right to put whatever you want in the Arts column, the views expressed show nothing more than small mindedness and generalization. Ms. Suarez, I hope you reconsider your feelings about Greeks and let us be nothing more than "normal" students like yourself.

Susan Stokes
pre-business sophomore