USF should relax its rules prohibiting pets

Re: “Reptile roommate removed,” by David Guidi, Nov. 15.

I would like to say that the University should maybe become a little more lenient in the area of pets. The three men keeping the alligator only took it into their home because it was sick. They read about alligators, researched how to take care of them and brought it back to health. No one complained about it being there, and the men learned how to care for it.

Fish make for an OK pet, but you can’t play with fish at all. You basically just sit there and watch it watch you. I think the University should take into consideration the environment the pet lives in, the effect it has on others and the probability of it being dangerous. The article stated the boys were planning on giving the alligator to a local zoo or Busch Gardens. Obviously the alligator wouldn’t have gotten big enough to seriously injure someone before they had no room left for it in the apartment.

If someone wanted to bring a small pet, I think the University should get authorization from the roommates. If they – or their neighbors – have no problem with the pet, then USF should consider the animal’s living environment. If it has adequate living space and is small enough to fit into the apartment without crowding anyone, the University should check the probability of the pet posing a safety risk. A 22-inch baby alligator probably wouldn’t pass the third clause – but gerbils, hamsters, snakes, small birds, and maybe even small dogs would. When I say snakes, I’m thinking of ring-neck snakes, rat snakes, garter snakes – small animals that do not need a lot of room to run around in, but that you can easily take care of and occasionally take out of the cage to play with.

Animals can help de-stress a person with a busy schedule and can also help them learn responsibility. One day, perhaps the University will be able to make a few adjustments to its pet policy.

Laura Cooper is an undeclared freshman.

USF ashamed of the Beef Studs’ behavior

Re: Letters to the Editor, “The Beef Studs are revelers, not bullies,” by Scott Bergoch, Nov. 15.

I am now fully ashamed of the Beef Studs. When I first came to USF, I thought they were an awesome group with tremendous school spirit. As time has passed, they have become rude and obnoxious. The letter sent to the Oracle by Scott Bergoch sealed the deal for me.

Although I was not at the USF-Syracuse game, I have been to every other home football game while attending school here. This year, I started sitting with the Student Bulls Club, which sits in the same front row as the Beef Studs. From my firsthand experiences, I can honestly say that a majority of them are out of line. I would just like to counter Bergoch’s letter.

He said the Beef Studs are the first ones in the stadium. Actually, only about 10 or so go in and save seats for the rest, who continue to drink outside of the stadium.

He said the sick gentleman snuck alcohol into the stadium, which was why he was sick. This gentleman might have brought some, but Bergoch’s comments are nothing more then an attack on the gentleman’s character. I cannot even count the number of times I have seen Beef Studs bring in their own alcohol and share it – with underage students, no less.

He said the Beef Studs are not a dictatorship and that freshman Heather Kozabo should have handled it without Alec Smith, the leader of the Beef Studs. Does he really expect a group that size to listen to one first-semester freshman? Leadership reflects attitude.

He said the Beef Studs have never had an altercation or incident – not true. They have been repeatedly told by stadium security and police to not stand on the chairs and to control their members’ actions and words.

He then proceeded to attack Kozabo by saying she is a freshman and doesn’t know what she is talking about. He said it is nothing more than slander. If it’s slander, then why do so many people feel the same way Kozabo and I do?

The Beef Studs need to clean up their act and realize that it doesn’t take a viking helmet, body paint and a grass skirt to be a Bulls fan. If you looked at the north end zone this season, the student section was overflowing with fans bleeding green and gold.

Stewart Collins is a sophomore majoring in civil engineering.

Beef Studs think they are better fans

Re: Letters to the Editor, “Beef Studs acted rudely, unprofessionally Saturday,” by Heather Kozabo, Nov. 13.

I had a firsthand experience of the football game Saturday. In the original letter, I am the mentioned student who was threatened with a punch in the face if I continued talking.

The problem that has occurred this season is the elitist attitude taken by some of the members of the Beef Studs. They feel that stripping into grass skirts and painting themselves makes them better fans than the normal student. I have sat next to them all year – next season I plan on moving seats if the same members are still active – and several times throughout the season they have confronted my section, including starting chants of “you’re all posers.”

At the Syracuse game, several of the people in my group took their seats during television breaks and timeouts. When they saw us commit these “horrible crimes,” two members came over and began harassing us about standing the entire game.

Shortly before halftime, the same two Beef Studs approached us again with the same comments. When I asked if real fans show up in time for games – they just happened to show up five minutes before kick off, which is the reason they didn’t get “their” seats – they started issuing violent threats. I told them I was there for the game and not for the attention and television.

The Beef Studs spent the rest of the game attempting to insult my friends and me. When I walked over to try and settle the argument with words, one of the Beef Studs told me if I said another word he would “knock me the f— out.”

After the game I attempted to speak with another “senior” member of the group, but he was too drunk to listen. He went on and on about how he had been in the group for five years and that he was a real USF fan.

The Beef Studs have since shown they are wrong about how they are “better” fans, as they were surprisingly absent from both the women’s and men’s basketball home openers.

Richard Rizzo is a freshman majoring in pre-education.