Letters to the Editor

Athletes are no different from anyone else

I have found many of the articles I have read in Yale publications in my three-and-a-half years at Yale poorly written and supported, but Blake Charlton's article, "Athletic scholarships unfair to athletes," [YH 10/6/00] was so inane I felt compelled to write my first letter in reaction.

First, Charlton makes it sound like his article is about scholarships for athletes, an issue on which I am ambivalent, but he hardly even talks about the topic. The article is really about how he feels athletes are different from other students, which he feels leads to an estrangement between the two.

Maybe Charlton is estranged from athletes, but as one, I don't feel any estrangement from those who are not involved in athletics. In fact, I find grouping students as athletes or non-athletes rather artificial when there are so many other groups that both athletes and non-athletes are part of. When most athletes are part of several groups, why should their status as an athlete estrange then from other students?

Second, Charlton makes the point that athletes should be held "to the same admissions standards as everyone else." In fact, the "distinction" an athlete gets on his or her application is only a way for the admissions committee to assess an applicant's ability in athletics. It isn't that other extracurriculars don't help applicants get into Yale, it is just that there isn't a system to rate them. In fact, this system of assessing athletic skill probably leads to athletics meaning even less in the application process, since those who aren't given a mark of distinction probably have their involvement neglected for consideration. Extracurriculars affect all applications to Yale, and it shows a clear lack of thought to propose that only athletics should be eliminated for consideration. Maybe he feels that the distinction some receive for athletics is too great, but in this case his article clearly shows he has confused the process for assessing an extracurricular with the weight given to it.

Third, Charlton stereotypes and insults athletes when he says, "The perspective of a student-athlete can be refreshing, especially at an institution where it's easy to get lost in intellectualism and academia." What a ridiculous comment that athletes' perspectives contrast with those of intellectuals. Racism also comes about from stereotyping, applying some real or imagined quality of one or some persons of a group to all persons in that group, just as Charlton has done above.

Charlton clearly has some poorly thought out bitterness towards athletes, but I don't believe the Herald is the appropriate forum for such invective. Athletes are just as much students as non-athletes, even though Charlton talks about "the estrangement of the athlete and student." Defining a student merely as an athlete or non-athlete is ridiculous when most athletes take part in many other activities. All Yalies are judged in some extent on their extracurriculars. In no way is this something that separates athletes from non-athletes.

—Bryan J. Corey, BK '01

YDS nutrition information helps, not harms, students

In response to Lauren Leiken's Letter to the Editor [YH 10/6/00], I disagree with the suggestion that nutritional information is harmful rather than helpful. Food sold in stores is required by law to include a list of ingredients and nutritional information; why shouldn't dining hall food? We are adults—aren't we mature enough to deal with food in an adult manner? Women with eating disorders are not infants. They need to be counseled, not protected from themselves.

I also disagree that those with dietary restrictions would be just as well served by the availability of nutrition information at the register. As a person with multiple dietary restrictions, I think that having to ask for ingredient lists at every meal would be time consuming and alienating for me and other students like me. With the nutrition information posted, I can protect myself without drawing unnecessary attention to my problem.

Moreover, I think that everyone should be aware of what he or she is eating. It is not healthy for a person to convince himself or herself that a healthy lunch consists of fried mozarella and french fries because that's what's in the hot line at Commons. In addition to fat and caloric values, nutritional information also includes amounts of vital nutrients. Few if any students pay attention to the amounts of protein, vitamins, and minerals they consume each day. Maybe this new information will encourage students to take some iron-rich spinach or protein-rich soy dish instead of a comparatively high-fat, low-nutrient cake or cookie. This is especially important for those recovering from anorexia or bulimia who need to repair the damage they have done to their bodies. It is true that much of the food offered in dining halls has astoundingly high fat and cholesterol content. But, rather than continuing to eat this way, in ignorance of what we are putting in our mouths, why don't we petition the dining services to make food healthier? There are ways to make french toast without 14 grams of fat per serving. We just need to convince dining services to try them.

Personally, I am glad that the dining services have stopped treating us like children. If you don't want to know what's in the food you're eating, don't look at the posted information. The rest of us have a right to know.

—Jacqueline Farber, BR '03

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