Barclay’s letter is no apology

Re: SG president faces investigation” and “SG enforces convenient discipline”

Dear Student Body President Barclay Harless,

Thank you for apologizing to the student body in Thursday’s edition of the Oracle.

I’m glad you didn’t resign before taking punishment – as you were contemplating over the summer – and decided to stick it out, because it shows you’re not too much of a coward. However, I’m not entirely convinced you were sorry for not letting us know what you did, and whether you were actually sorry about what you did in the first place.

You offered your “sincerest apology for not discussing the issue with (us) sooner.” I still don’t get why you waited. Was it out of fear, or were you trying to avoid the issue entirely?

You described your misconduct as a “learning experience” and said it helped you “humble yourself.” But you can’t take risks like breaking University policy to create a learning experience or to humble yourself. Being the student body president should be educational and

humbling enough.

But if you think you still want to describe your mistake in euphemistic terms, consider how much the student body’s outrage can teach you about about politics, in which I’m sure you are interested. The most prevalent tool in politics is now being used against you: free speech.

But don’t take my letter as a verbal whooping. It’s not. I’m dissatisfied with you and am voicing this opinion, and feel that you have the right to know so that you can confront it. Right now, I am unsure whether you are sorry or not. Regardless, I am disappointed. But if I am wrong – and you are sorry – you should prove me wrong.

The student body, in addition to losing trust in its leaders, lost their trust of the brothers of Beta Theta Pi as well. You and your frat brothers now see yourselves reflected in the metaphorical guillotine, but do you really see why?

They brought alcohol to the SG suite. Whether it was consumed or not doesn’t matter. You said you didn’t drink, but it matters a great deal that you intended to. You said you drank at the Devil Rays’ game earlier that day. You’re of legal age, so that’s fine. You can drink as much as you want in every legal sense, I don’t care. This issue is not about drinking, it’s about breaking deliberate and obvious University policy.

You’re supposed to be setting an example for the students of USF – especially young freshmen who have never been to college before – but instead are just setting an example of the typical frat-boy.

Greek life should not be about boozing and partying: It’s about networking and philanthropy. Unfortunately, neither were the case that fateful evening.

Your and SG’s missteps didn’t evencontinued with the abuse of USF’s SAFE team.

According to a story in Thursday’s Oracle, SAFE Team was allegedly busing freshmen from a Bulls Night Out to the Beta Theta Pi house the same night of your incident. The only conclusion that comes to mind is that it was for partying, and not for trying to encourage students to rush in the fall. I hope you understand how this seems connected to you. It was your fraternity and it happened the same night. True or not, you appear to be connected. I hope, for your sake and for the school’s trust in you, you weren’t.

I understand a big mistake was made. I understand you’re sorry for not telling the student body sooner, but you’ve yet to apologize about what you’ve done.

You haven’t apologized for setting a horrendous example, breaking University policy and overall ignoring your responsibility as student body president. I hope that you’re sorry for what you’ve done, and I hope the rest of the school will get an apology from you.

Don’t be afraid to write back.

Sincerely,

Amy Mariani

Oracle columnist

Amy Mariani is a

sophomore majoring in mass

communications.