Editor:

I read the entire issue of The Maroon last week, front to back – something I haven’t done since last year, and for the most part it was the same old thing: news about some Loyola scandal, more about free market economics, something or other about the Student Government Association doing a poor job allocating funds, a criticism of a university committee, a story about the captain of the girls basketball team breaking a record and a story about some super cool new rock band. None of it really surprised me.

I’ll bet you a beer that in 20 years if I pick up a copy of The Maroon not much about the content will have changed. Still there was something in this issue that I really got a kick out of: the letters to the editor about “The Vagina Monologues.” Like a lot of alumni, I received Father Wildes’ e-mail and was very impressed that he was thoughtful enough to not only inform the community of his decision but to also explain his process.

Loyola has found a great treasure in Wildes, who truly seems to understand the definition of the word university and how that can be merged with Loyola’s Jesuit identity.

Regardless of whether or not you agree with the play, you have to respect how Wildes handled it.

Then I read those two letters about “The Vagina Monologues.” Both alumni had completely opposing views, but their letters were laced with one overwhelming commonality – criticism of the administration. One alumna was in support of the decision to let the show go on while one was not, but neither was in support of the decision-maker. I laughed out loud because all I kept thinking was that sometimes you’re damned if you do and you’re damned if you don’t.

So in 20 years when I pick up The Maroon, the issues may be different and the characters may have changed, but I only hope the president of the university is still sending the same message – sometimes you are damned if you do and damned if you don’t, but do anyhow.

Bea Forlano, A’04