Branner RFs clear up misconception

The article about our decision not to allow an impromptu gathering of seniors at Branner (“For Resident Fellows, a constant balancing act,” Oct. 25) was mostly accurate, but we’d like to correct one important misperception. Far from not welcoming Branner alums to the hall, we hope alums will use Branner for reunions and for networking with current residents. Even as new resident fellows, we already see that Branner must hold good memories for Branner alums and that they’d like the chance to gather there and share old times. We want to help them do just that.

What we objected to was the way these specific seniors proposed doing it: unannounced and uninvited, without the permission or even the knowledge of the current residents or staff. Several seniors have emailed me to express their concern over our decision, and out of my replies to them (as well as a follow-up meeting), we have hatched a plan for a nice reunion, with refreshments, publicity and the participation of current residents and staff. A representative of the seniors is in contact with one of our RAs to find a date and make the arrangements. We think this is how it should have been done in the first place, and we welcome future proposals from Branner alums to gather at the hall.

Clyde Moneyhun

Resident Fellow, Branner Hall

Reiterating the need for a Stanford blog

I was quite flattered to see the new Facebook group I created, “Blog for Stanford,” get a mention in The Daily (“Bloggers steer clear of politics,” Oct. 26), but was a little sad that it was downplayed as having “only” 20 members. After all, the group was created just four days ago, and as of Thursday night, we were already at 26 members.

Also, the point of the group isn’t necessarily just to unite people who are bloggers — it’s actually to start a whole new student venture. A Stanford Blog, if you will, that will be a forum for all kinds of student media and commentary that would be interesting and entertaining for the Stanford community, but which doesn’t really have much of an outlet among our current set of student publications. My hope is that students will get to vote for posts they like, so that the stories that rise to the top and are featured are actually a reflection of what students care about.

I am constantly reminded of the need for such an outlet. Last night, I was watching the Moonsplash video, thinking, “Wouldn’t it be cool to have somewhere for students to post stuff like this for all to see?” While the video has received wide e-mail circulation, there is so much cool stuff that we aren’t capturing in any of our other student publications, because there just isn’t a forum for it. While we may see a few Moonsplash or Mausoleum or Synergy pictures in The Daily and even get a somewhat cantankerous report about how they were all too crowded, or whatever, would that really capture the experience? And would we get to hear from more than one perspective?

Of course, talking about parties wouldn’t be the only thing a blog for Stanford could accomplish. It might also be a forum for students to start expressing their thoughts about tough issues, like torture, or even just a place for students to try out an idea and see how it catches on. Either way, we’re still in the very early planning stages, and would welcome the participation of anyone who is excited by the concept.

Galen Panger

Senior, Public Policy

Daily deserves applause for coverage of Middle East

I have a small correction to Whitney Sado’s article defending The Daily’s journalistic balance in reporting campus events that deal with important issues pertaining to the Middle East (“Whitney Sado’s Report,” Oct. 27). Rami Khouri’s talk was attended by roughly 250-270 people, not the 80 people that were mentioned in the article.

The Daily makes an admirable effort to cover campus events that have large audiences or are sponsored by large student groups. Coalition for Justice in the Middle East (CJME) has nearly 800 people on its announcement list, and we work very hard to promote dialogue and awareness by organizing extensive speaking events with authors, academics and journalists, among other types of programs.

We are appreciative for The Daily’s articles covering our events, not only because we work hard as a student group to put them together, but also because they further our group’s goal of promoting discussion on campus about topics pertaining to human rights and injustice in the Middle East and to Western involvement in the region. I am encouraged that so many comments are generated on The Daily’s Web site about articles on CJME events.

These are vital issues for people to discuss at a time when the U.S. is becoming further enmeshed in conflict in the region. The Arab-Israeli conflict, though “controversial” and capable of evoking strong emotional responses from people of different political persuasions, merits deep consideration because of its importance to U.S. foreign policy and the vital human rights issues at stake. Thanks again to The Daily for its diligence in reporting events on the Middle East at this critical time.

Olivia Sohns

Co-president, Coalition for Justice in the Middle East

Response to Khoury letter

Daniel Jacobs’ reference to The Daily Star as the Lebanese “Pravda” is just more proof of the unfortunate ignorance that besets those whose vision is instantaneously blurred when criticism of Israel surfaces (“A critical note on Khoury,” Oct. 27). The Daily Star (like other newspapers within Lebanon) has constantly criticized various aspects of Hezbollah without facing the so called “physical threats” that Jacobs claims. It would indeed serve well if individuals such as Jacobs did some preliminary and constructive research (instead of just reading ideologically extreme blogs such as littlegreenfootballs.com) concerning the realities of the Middle East before using ill-fitting analogies in their attempt to exonerate Israel of all actions.

Manar El-Chammas

Ph.D student, Electrical Engineering