Class controversy a case of false advertising

Brett Erickson's April 1 article on would have been more accurate and more complete had he contacted me personally. First, the letter to which he refers, was not written to Sen. David Petersen. I do not know Mr. Petersen, nor does he represent me in the legislature. My letter was addressed to the Arizona Republic editor and Mr. Petersen obtained a copy from my legislator, Rep. Linda Gray.

Our complaint with the course, was twofold. First, the course description in the class schedule led my daughter to believe that she was going to read a wide variety of literature by and about women. After all, she had the option to register for a class called Gays and Lesbians in Literature. She knew by the title and description that she was not interested in that particular course. When the focus of ENGL 418 continued to be about the sexuality of women and did not broaden its focus to emphasize the many facets of women in literature, my daughter was disappointed. She had registered for this class with great anticipation. She was looking forward to enjoying a wide variety of good literature and thought it would be an enjoyable class as well.

The conflict with her moral and religious beliefs was another issue. As a young adult, she expects to be exposed to those ideas which conflict with her beliefs, but she did not anticipate that the entire focus of the reading selections would encompass these topics. After all, women in the 90s are recognized for more than their sexuality, aren't they?

Then, she had to go to a private bookstore to purchase the books. There were eight books for a total cost of $105. What if she had a scholarship or grant that required her to obtain her books with a voucher at the bookstore? We simply believe that all books required for classes at the university should be available at the school bookstore. Students are free to shop anywhere they want; no one is denying them that right. We just want the books to be available on campus.

Our point in all this was simple: We paid for one product, we received something else. It's really about "truth in advertising." Teach what you say you will teach and there won't be dissatisfaction.

Melanie D. Sahli
Phoenix, AZ