Re: Editorial USF shouldn’t change registration process.
Your GPA in college is not always an indicator of success after college/university. Many employers look for the fact that you graduated — not what your GPA was — when you look for gainful employment. I am reminded of an old joke I was told years ago: “What do you call the student who graduated last in his medical school class? A Doctor.”

Think about it, Al Gore and George W. Bush both graduated from Harvard and Yale respectively and were not stellar students but both would be considered successful in their lives “after college.”

I believe we should be more egalitarian in our treatment of everyone: students, staff and faculty.  I was not a stellar student during my undergraduate years, but I went on to be a successful schoolteacher, earned a master’s degree and am in the process of completing a doctoral degree. I was not the smartest but I am still here and as an alumnus of USF, I would like to see more equity, not less. That’s just my two cents.

Lynne Carlson is a doctorial student in social science education.

Re: Peace Week
First, the level of funding Peace @ Large requested is actually quite reasonable. Numerous organizations receive approval for more than twice the total budget Peace @ Large requested. In our 33-page budget proposal, we itemized carefully, observing all Student Government rules. We also took the growth of the organization into account: last semester there were around 20 members, and currently there are 70 (not 53 as published in the article).

Editor’s note: The organization had 53 members according to Peace @ Large’s interim budget request, which was submitted to SG about three weeks ago.

Secondly, contrary to the article’s implication, the amount of money requested for food is not outrageous. We are planning numerous events and counting on significant participation from the university community and beyond.

For example, Peace @ Large is sponsoring Peace Week on campus from Sept. 29 through Oct. 4. The group will have numerous events during the week, including two international experts who are being flown in by community organizations. These organizations provided the money for the speaker, saving us a huge expense. Hence, Peace @ Large requested funding to provide simple refreshments to encourage discussion after the speakers.

Peace Week will end with a party on Oct. 3 at Crosswinds. The party is open to all students and is designed to build community by providing students with an informal place to gather and have fun. A DJ for the party has agreed to do the event pro bono, therefore Peace @ Large only requested money for food. Peace Week is just the first of many events we are planning that will benefit the entire USF community, most of which involve sponsorship from external organizations.

Third, there is nothing inappropriate about a member of our organization attending the meeting. The meetings are open to the public and members of the SG senate have spoken openly about their desire to increase the attendance of senate meetings. In my further discussion with senators, there was agreement that no impropriety was present in the actions of any member of Peace @ Large.

James Hudson is a senior majoring in biology and international studies.