Dear Editor:
“If I’m going to die,” the late “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin said in a 2002 interview, “at least I want it filmed.”
The op-ed submission “Blaze of Glory” (Sept. 6, 2006) by Geoffrey Schaefer blatantly crosses that fine line between comedy and crassness, and should not have been printed by Student Life. Not to get overly dramatic about the death of Steve Irwin, a self-proclaimed hunter of wild animals, but Schaefer’s treatment of his tragic death lacked so dearly in humor that it induced in me only cringes. The least Schaefer could have done is gotten the circumstances of Irwin’s death correct. Irwin did not die while filming for “Ocean’s Deadliest.” That would, perhaps, have been fittingly ironic, but he instead died while filming a piece on coral reefs for a children’s show for his daughter. He also did not die awaiting help to get to him – he was being rushed ashore to a waiting helicopter amid resuscitation efforts, and died en route. Facts aren’t very important in the service of humor, I suppose, but the forced use of Jon Bon Jovi lyrics to belittle Irwin is ingratiatingly cruel, and points to an utter lack of respect for a man who gave fully of himself to both animals and the viewing public. Irwin may have lived as an icon of self-parody, but at least he could be funny. Schaefer’s article was not.
-Joshua Trein
Class of 2006
Sustainability IS sexy
Dear Editor:
It’s one thing to criticize aspects of the Earth Day celebration, but to argue that it is obsolete on our campus is a strange claim (“How the old printing policy made Earth Day obsolete,” Aug. 30, 2006). In fact, we would argue that the opposite is true. Project Earth Day is a new Student Union group, formed just last year by people who recognized there was a lack of environmental awareness on campus. As co-chairs of Project Earth Day, we always appreciate suggestions on how to make environmentalism more accessible to all students rather than condescending dismissals of its purpose.
Personally, I see no connection between the printing policy and the need for Earth Day. We can always improve our environmental policy, and awareness is necessary to do so. Everly made a good point by saying that lack of willpower is prominent on the Wash. U. campus; however, we believe that willpower is the result of effective education and awareness which groups like Project Earth Day are always striving to achieve. The library chose not to consult with environmental groups last year in an effort to reduce paper waste and save money, and their campaign proved to be ineffective. Project Earth Day, and several other student environmental organizations, would have been more than happy to consult with the library and develop a creative education initiative to reduce paper consumption.
To say that awareness is already prominent on campus gives students an excuse to ignore the real environmental problems Wash. U. has, such as excessive energy use and recycling contamination. Everly cited our recycling program as a “phenomenally successful” aspect of environmentalism on campus. Although our rankings in Recycle Mania have improved in recent years from last place to 50th out of 87 schools in 2006, there is certainly room for improvement. Green Action was able to help Wash. U. move up the ranks through awareness and the use of creative advertising, like the “Sustainability is Sexy” campaign. In this fashion, we will continue to raise awareness in hopes of encouraging willpower and environmentalism on campus.
-Elina Tselepidakis, Project Earth Day treasurer
Debra Siegel, Project Earth Day president
Class of 2007