Letters & Opinion
Letters to the Editor
Dear Editor:
After reading the March 12 publication of The Pointer, I have lost appreciation for this school. Maybe not the school, but the people themselves. The comic by Joy Ratchman entitled “Rabble Rousers” was very upsetting. I am an out-of-state student from Iowa and having to read about people making fun of Iowa is almost worse than being made fun of to my face. I get judged because I say “Wisconsin” differently, call it “pop” and not “soda,“ and say “water fountain” instead of “bubbler.” Chances are people do not know anything about Iowa and they only judge us based on the fact that our main production is corn. This is extremely biased, and to make fun of the 2008 flood situation is not funny; many people lost their homes in this tragedy. Also, all of the major schools in Iowa, such as Iowa State University, University of Iowa and University of Northern Iowa are all in cities much larger than Stevens Point. If people educated themselves, they would see that Iowa has so much to offer, and I will be glad to be returning there next year to continue my education where I am welcomed by the student body.
I am shocked of the intolerance to outsiders at this school. I am also surprised that “The Pointer” published this comic that was not funny by any means.
-Bailey Paulsen
I apologize for my error in judgment last week in my comic "Rabble Rousers." It was meant to show the bitterness one feels when one of the best graduate programs in the country rejects you. I in no way meant to offend Iowans or imply that their state is in any way inferior to Wisconsin. The University of Iowa is known for its writing program, which is the oldest and most prestigious in the country. This was my character's first choice for graduate school, and the rejection hurt.
For the intent of the comic, I could have put any other school in any other place in the country, Harvard, the Twin Cities, UC Davis, etc., into the "Do you really want to live..." section of the comic. I chose Iowa because their graduate writing program really is known as the best in the country, and my character wants to be a poetry professor. It made sense. The school’s graduate program is also really hard to get into, so acceptance is quite an achievement in the literary community. As anyone who has been rejected by their first-choice school, no matter where it is, knows, a rejection letter makes one feel bitter and "not good enough."
When we're upset by such a big disappointment, our friends often say ineffective "sour grapes"-type things to try to make us feel better. In trying to capture what friends say, I said some offensive things by downplaying some of the serious consequences of flooding last year. For this, I offer a sincere apology. Please forgive my error in judgment.
Sincerely,
Joy Ratchman
