Dear Editor:
I was shocked to read The Eagle's feature article on plastic surgery.ÿ Inÿ1998,ÿI underwent cosmetic surgery when I split my chin in half in a tennis game. I was fortunate enough to have a cosmetic surgeon nearÿwhere my accidentÿoccurred.ÿI'm gladÿto have had today'sÿmodern technological advances availableÿinstead ofÿa needle and thread to sew my chin together the old-fashioned way.ÿÿÿ
In the five years since my "very small cosmetic procedure" took place,ÿI'm still sensitive about my chin.ÿI've not picked up a tennis racketÿand never plan to play again.ÿPrevious to my surgery I had wanted to become a cosmetic surgeon and help accident victims.ÿAfter speaking for some time with the cosmetic surgeon who had corrected my chin I realized the disillusionment of myÿdream -ÿmost of the industryÿthrives onÿpeople who get cosmeticÿsurgery for vanity purposes.ÿThis is whatÿkeeps the profession alive and well. If people feel inclinedÿto undergo cosmetic proceduresÿforÿenhanced appearances,ÿthatÿis theirÿchoice.ÿLike Ms. Veradi, I wouldn't advocate cosmetic surgery for vanity reasonsÿsinceÿ"undergoing the knife" ÿoftenÿleads toÿmore hedonistic surgery procedures.ÿÿÿÿÿÿ
ÿStephanie Furman Junior, CAS and SPA
Dear Editor,
I am outraged by the stories in The Washington Post about WAMU. At a time when the University is asking for more money, increasing costs for students at every turn and is supposed to be a forward-thinking place, how can such gross mismanagement be swept under the rug? The campus radio station could use the crumbs of misspent money that no one seems to care about at WAMU. The only people giggling now are those looking at AU from the outside. The University can't seem to find the cash to properly fund what the actual students, who in many cases have the actual parents footing the bill for this place, use.
How can it be said that American University has a great business school if it can't even conduct correct business practices within its own confines?
Instead of backing the people at the station who acted so irresponsibly, this University should prosecute them for fraud - and then offer refunds from their restitution for their gross disregard for common business practices.
Now you're going to raise more money to give to these people and take funding away from some of the more underfunded/supported departments. Give me a break. Wonder what the parents and alumni think?
Mary Burke Rockville, Md.
Dear Editor,
Being a proud member of the SJP [Students for Justice in Palestine], I would like to address Seth Kroll and Aaron Biterman's article "Israel and its fence yearn for peace" (Oct. 27). I'm disappointed by the bias of this report. As much as I denounce the suicide attacks on innocent Israeli citizens, I think better discretion should have been used when writing this article. Israel's occupation of several locations in Palestine is a direct violation of the Geneva and Hague Regulations.
Israel is guilty of "grave breaches" of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which calls for an end to the occupation. Since the start of the Al Aqsa Intifada, the world has seen pain inflicted every day by Israel against the Palestinian people living in occupied Palestine: e.g., willful killing of Palestinian civilians by the Israeli army and Israel's illegal paramilitary settlers.
On behalf of the SJP, I would like to stress that the wall built last week was not a means of disrespecting Israel. Our goals are merely to raise the public's awareness of this wall as well as other issues in Palestine, such as poverty, human rights violations and others. It is deeply saddening that the money spent building this wall could have gone to more productive means, e.g. providing health care and rations for the needy, reconstruction of Palestinian territory damaged by Israeli air-raids and bulldozing, etc. (Let us not forget the atrocities and damage caused in Jenin Camp).
We are gifted enough to be attending American University. I think this issue needs to be addressed on both sides. I vociferously praise the efforts of AU professor Akbar Ahmed in initiating dialogue and keeping a neutral stance on the issue.
Rather than showing hatred, I think the world needs to analyze issues such as this one and initiate immediate dialogue. Only then will our world find well-deserved harmony.
Ali Ayub Freshman, CAS
