Jazzercise cool for all ages
I was there in the Jazzercise(c) class that day "Stephanie Ryan," as she likes to call herself, attended aerobics ["Jazzercise" 1-25-05]. And I think she needs to get her observations straight.
She claims the class was attended by "women ages 30 and above." Well, excuse me, but I am 23. There were various other 20-somethings in the room that day, constituting about a third of the class (which is, admittedly, more than some days).
Furthermore, since I am 23 and I Jazzercise(c), Jazzercise(c) is therefore not lame but rather hip. Cool, even. So what if it was my mother who first "turned me on" to Jazzercise(c)? I have kept going and I have even brought my friends to class with me on occasion, although many of them declined to return for a second class.
Perhaps "Ms. Ryan" should try coming back to Jazzercise(c) again, without that cute photographer shooting pictures of her awkwardly trying to execute the moves. Yes, Jazzercise(c) takes grace and practice to look so good. But I think if she gave it another go, even she might find that Jazzercise(c) is not aerobics only for "women ages 30 and above," but rather an exercise routine for the whole world.
Audrey DeCoursey
SE Portland
Democrats doomed by dumbed down drivel
I am ashamed to go to a school where "educated and intelligent" people publish these kind of insulting lies ["How to talk to a conservative," 1-25-05]. That’s why with this kind of attitude, you demoncats will ALWAYS lose!!!!
Diana
Ed. Note: The column referred to was printed on the Opinion page.
PSU not representative of U.S.
PSU in its own little bubble separate from Oregon and the rest of the country ["How to talk to a conservative," 1-25-05]. I attended PSU for one year, and I have never seen so many liberals all together in one place. People who attend this cool and are liberals need to branch out a little more from this environment and see if they still believe all the propaganda this school presents. I know all the liberals who read this are laughing or don’t believe me, but there is a reason why most college students and professors are Democrats … they don’t have any money.
Eric
Ed. Note: The column referred to was printed on the Opinion page.
Why the apathy over protests?
I would like to applaud the folks who organized the Jan. 20th anti-inaugural events at PSU ["Thousands protest Bush," 1-21-05]. They put a lot effort into the event and tried to make it informative, fun, and also gave respect to those who were trying their best to not spend a "damn dime" that day by offering free snacks and drinks.
Kudos to the three gals who drummed up a few folks to march around the campus voicing their opinions. It takes a lot of courage to stand up publicly for your beliefs.
I was very disappointed though by all of the passivity of most of the students and faculty. Where were you? While the speakers were giving informative speeches and others were giving support to each other, most of the students and faculty just looked on. Some as they passed by and others from the cafeteria and lounge windows. The issues that are affecting us now are serious. You cannot stand by and watch. If you were an on-looker, why? Even if you did not want to march around the campus, you could have come out and gave respect to those were speaking. Or you could have joined in with the pro-Bush, pro-war group.
Bottom line, there should have been many more students and faculty participating in Thursday’s events at PSU. As it has been said many times before, democracy is not a spectator sport.
Terri L Caldwell
Alum
Vegan options great
It’s wonderful that so many Portlanders are flocking to Veganopolis for its delicious, animal-friendly menu ["Put It In Your Mouth: Veganopolis," 1-26-05]. And it proves that vegetarian eating doesn’t mean skimping on flavor – it simply means choosing the cruelty-free versions of your favorite foods.
Luckily, vegetarian options are sprouting up in restaurants and supermarkets all over the U.S., making it easier than ever for each of us to stand up for animals every time we sit down to eat.
Erica Meier
Campaigns Director
Compassion Over Killing
PSU decision making process flawed
I appreciate President Bernstine accommodating PSU students who do not wish to choose the Higher One option. What President Bernstine has failed to address, however, is how one person, specifically Dee Wendler, can make an executive decision such as she did, without his knowledge, the board of director’s, or the student’s of this public institution. I want to know what the president is going to do to ensure me that a "railroading" of this caliber will not happen again. As a side note, I believe Wendler was sincere in wanting to save the university money. Nonetheless, PSU is a public institution and should be held to a standard of a public and transparent process.
Peter Young
Senior