Letters

Letters to the EditorTo lead or not to led

Editor:Just a friendly reminder to emphasize to your staff the
importance of

proof reading. While spell check is a nifty feature on all of
our

computers, it often misses homonyms, those pesky words that
sound like

other words, but are spelled differently.

Last Wednesday, Nov. 8, was the second day in a row that one of
your

staff writers improperly used the word "lead" rather than using
the correct

"led." In "The Writing on the Wall" by Todd Arnold, he wrote:
"The diverse

graffiti … has lead some to wonder …" The day before, it was
Jennifer

Richmond who made the mistake in her article, "The funkier side
of Harry"

on Harry Connick, Jr.: "That chance sighting landed him a solo
… and lead

to his role as a piano teacher …".

And while you don’t necessarily have to change to please me,
(I’m hardly

your worst critic), it may someday be important for your writers
who submit

something to, say, Newsweek, where if an apostrophe is in the
wrong place,

an article doesn’t get published. What a bummer that would be
…

Have a nice day!

Carolina Musick

Fifth year

Anthropology

Tube ball

Editor:From 1965, when I entered UCLA as a freshman, to 1981,
when I finished

my post-doctorate, I attended all but two basketball home games,
sitting in

the student section. When I read Marlon Cicero’s complaint ("Aw,
sit

down!," Nov. 22) about students standing up during games, I
didn’t know

whether to laugh or cry. Next thing you know, he will be whining
about fans

who interrupt his nap time by yelling too loudly. I can only
surmise that

the presence of people like him in the prime student seats is
the perverse

result of the administration’s new policies on ticket
distribution and

line-ups.

I suggest that if Cicero wants a clear, unobstructed view of
the

basketball games, he should park his butt where it belongs – in
front of

his TV set.

Ben Browdy, Ph.D.

School of Public Health

Standing support

Editor:We are writing in response to Marlon Cicero’s less than
enthusiastic

viewpoint on Kimberly Babb’s appeal to UCLA basketball fans,
("Aw, sit

down!," Nov. 22).

We find ourselves in the fortunate position of being season
ticket

holders again this year. We realize how tiring a long day of
classes can be

and how after a long day, we all look forward to relaxing. But,
please be

aware that after your laborious day, if you choose to attend a
basketball

game or any other such function at UCLA, be prepared to
participate as much

and as fully as the players do. Don’t forget that those 12 young
men are

also students here. They, too, have classes to take. It’s sort
of a

requirement for them to play.

And, we are almost positive that they work out just as hard, if
not

harder, than any of us here. We feel if they can play their
hearts out for

a couple of hours after their long days, the least we can do is
stand.

The issue is not whether we can see or not, it is an issue of
supporting

our team and helping them reach an emotional high to achieve
victory.

Anyone who chooses to sit on the floor at the games better
realize that

they have a job to do. These are the people that the teams see
best. When

the fans are sitting, not only is it a detriment to the Bruins,
but it also

helps the other team. How can the Bruins get emotional about
winning if we

aren’t emotional about seeing them win? These young men play for
the fans.

The least we can do is be fans and not spectators.

Proof that the fans today affect the teams of tomorrow as well
as the

Bruin team of today: Last season, during recruitment, the Bruins
were

courting a young man by the name of Paul Pierce. He was a top
recruit and

would have been a good addition to the team (no offense to the
current

team). Pierce visited our lovely campus and also attended a game
that

afternoon. To start the half, we Bruin fans were less than
enthusiastic.

Eventually, the fans picked up, but by then it was too little
too late.

Pierce opted to attend Kansas. One of the reasons he stated for
choosing

Kansas over us was lack of Bruin support from the fans. And if
our

recollection is correct, those fans at that game stood. They
cheered, and

were 20 times better than the fans at the past home games this
season.

So, we’d like Marlon Cicero, or anyone else who doubts the
importance of

the role of the fans in aiding the team’s victory, to do this:
The next

time you see a player or coach on campus, stop them and ask them
what they

feel the role of the fan is. We’d bet our season tickets that
their

response would be similar to ours. Ask yourselves this question,
"Are you a

fan or a spectator?" If you’re a fan, not only would you stand,
but you

would want to stand. If you’re a spectator, then save yourself
some money,

leave the tickets for the real fans and watch the games sitting
at home.

We’re sure no "buttheads" will stand in front of you there.Proud
buttheadsBlanche Ramirez

Second year

BiologyShawn Mason

Third year

Biology