Letter to the Editor: Chipman's letter about the HSC magic show was 'inaccurate and unjust'

This letter is in response to the Tuesday, January 30 letter to the Helmsman about Magic Monday and the Honors Student Council. We, the members of the HSC, feel that a response is warranted because some of the things Mr. Chipman said were inaccurate and unjust. First, Magic Monday was a co-sponsored event between the Student Activities Council and the HSC. It was not solely financed by the HSC and was not intended to be a "for Honors Student only" event. Rather, it was intended to help build community on campus, letting anyone who wanted to come and participate do so. Second, there is no need to make the disclaimer, "For Entertainment Purposes Only." The event was supposed to be fun and entertaining. Just like all other events that are brought to our campus, we do not have an affiliation with the guest speakers. We do not support their beliefs nor do we repudiate them. We leave it to the students to accept or reject anything they encounter in their academic careers. Third, HSC events are not limited to "intellectual" events and never have been. We regularly have Cosmic Bowling, Movie nights, and Laser Tag. There is more to an Honors student than studying and attending edifying lectures. But, since Mr. Chipman is concerned with being intellectually stimulated, we invite him to attend any of our Pizza with the Professor series, such as the one with Dr. Wolff on February 12 about "Sex and the Science of Love." Or, on February 22, he may want to come to Maxine Maxwell's interpretation of African American women who have made an impact on our lives. Or, he may be interested in listening to Dr. Ronald Takaki on February 26, when he will speak about "Why Multiculturalism Matters." Lastly, we would like to point out past events that Mr. Chipman may have missed. The HSC has brought the President of The National Organization for Women and a survivor of the Tiananmen Square incident in China to the campus. Also, we have had "field trips" to the symphony, museums, and other off-campus locales. The HSC would like to extend our apologies to anyone that was offended by Magic Monday. There was no offense intended. As for Mr. Chipman, we invite him to run for a position on the council or to come by the office and make suggestions for what he wants to see done. We act on behalf of the students. If anyone feels we are not doing our job, nothing can be fixed unless it is brought to our attention.