Letters to the Editor

Many groups segregate in Sodexho

Dear Editor,
   
    Ever since there have been public schools within the United States of America, there have always been “teacher tables” in the school cafeteria. Why is it exactly that these so called “teachers” have the choice to sit by themselves? Shouldn’t they be obligated to sit and interact with the students they teach everyday? What if they don’t sit with the students they “should” be interacting with? Would that be racist? Sexist? Selfish? No — that would make sense.
    Fraternity boys sit with… their fraternity brothers. Professors sit with… professors — math professors with math professors, and music professors with music professors. Biology students sit with other biology students. Blacks sit with other blacks? White students sitting with other white students when there’s a black table right around the corner waiting for a white person to join? Blasphemy! Craziness!
    To believe that whites and blacks should be obligated to sit with people of the opposite race is both madness and being naive. When was the last time you were obligated to do something and accepted the change without question? I still hate turnip greens, even though my mother tried to get me to eat them, once again, this past New Year’s. You can’t make me eat them. You can suggest them and give me the choice to eat them, but you can never make me.
    Martin Luther King Jr. stood for many things over the past years, but one of the huge things he stood for, as well as the United States Constitution stands for, is the power of choice. Ana Maria says, “But the one choice we shouldn’t be making is to choose to separate — to segregate.” If you choose to make certain people sit together, and interact with one another, you might as well make all blacks go to the same restroom or water fountain. Taking away choice is exactly what Martin Luther King Jr. fought against, and making people act a certain way would completely contradict him.
    Giving people the choice to sit where they want is what America is all about. When you find a white and a black person that have things in common, often they will end up sitting together over a meal and becoming friends. If they don’t want to have a meal together, don’t make them! They always have the choice —  and that is all that matters. You can’t teach people what to like — you can only give them the option to do what they want. So, Ana Maria, to answer your question, “Why is there always a ‘black table’ at Sodexho?” There is always a “black table” at Sodexho because they want a black table —and no one has the right to stop them… thankfully.

Sincerely,
Ryan Greene
Junior
Marketing

Lugo hits nail on head with column

Dear Editor,
   
    I am writing this letter in response to Ana Maria Lugo’s article "Why Is There Always A Black Table at Sodexho". I think Ms. Lugo hit the nail on the head with her assessment.
    Many of the organizations that Ms. Lugo mentions are even worse than she mentions. Some organizations that are against discrimination are in fact among the more discriminatory organizations. For example, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People has denounced certain people like Condoleezza Rice, Rod Paige, Colin Powell, and J.C. Watts?
    Why?
    Because "they’re not black enough"…nevermind that these individuals should be the poster children for the advancement of colored people. Ms. Lugo rightly discusses Martin Luther King Jr.’s "I have a dream" speech and makes the point that we have yet to achieve his goal, that all are created equal. He didn’t intend for one group to be superior or have more rights or special rights. He intended us to be exactly what he said. EQUAL.
    Why must certain groups separate themselves from the goals that they are trying to accomplish?

Sincerely,
Jason White
Sophomore
Political Science

Black table at Sodexho

Dear Editor,

As a fan of The Colonnade, I was anxious to read the Feb. 16th issue. I wanted to read about the events planned at Georgia College & State University and the recent Homecoming festivities. Well, that soon changed as I turned to page nine to find an interesting article. The article was about black people sitting at a "black table" at Sodexho. What I find more interesting is why this is published during Black History Month?
I am sure Ms. Lugo has thought about this before time. This article was written to spark intrigue and get some people riled up (which Ana Lugo has done). If the problem is so minor, why does she write about it? There are black tables, white tables, sorority tables, fraternity tables, and any other table for that manner. I choose to sit with anybody who is my friend, which encompasses many diversified groups. People sit with who they are comfortable sitting with. It’s that simple.
In the article she writes, "Its 2007 and we have segregated tables." Yeah, its 2007 and people write misguided columns. Ms. Ana Maria Lugo talks about Martin Luther King Jr. and his ideas about "togetherness". The elite society in America right now is the white-male figure. It has been this way since our Founding Fathers fought for America’s freedom.
So, I do not see a black elite society forming and taking over the nation. In closing, Ms. Lugo’s article tried and failed. I have read her articles before and found not one fault with her passionate writing style. This article lacks true substance and is filled with holes the size of the Grand Canyon.
I would have rather read Bill O’Reilly or Ann Coulter than to have read this misguided article. I look forward to a response from Ms. Lugo and would be happy to engage in discussions on this topic.

Tavias Bennet
Sophomore
History major

The “Black Table”

Dear Editor,

 I am writing this letter in response to the Feb.16tharticle written about the "black table". I read the article and then reread it to make sure what I was reading was correct. I think the article was a poor representation of what the real problem is. People don’t segregate who they sit with at the tables. I think people sit with the people that they know. I don’t walk into a room and see a group of black girls at a table and decide that I am going to sit down with them based on the fact that we are black. That was very ignorant to say. I went online and read the article in its entirety, and then I could breath and say, oh ok that’s what she is trying to say. But I was still rather upset that this portion was decided to be published.
Either put the whole article in the paper, or don’t edit it to make you look like you are trying to come down on the black students who choose to sit together. Then to add salt to wound, the writer says that people weren’t meant to create a black elite society, and for the African-Americans that are here to outnumber the other races that are here.
>Even if the African-American students wanted to join hands and try to outnumber the other students, do you see the numbered difference of the black population being less than 10 percent? Even if we wanted to outnumber, there is no mathematical way to do such. I think this article could have been better researched, and instead of complaining about a black only table, sit down with them and make statement.
 
 
 
Gayle Peterson
Junior
Mass Communication Major

Kings Dream Unfinished

Dear Editor,
   
I thoroughly enjoyed the Feb 16th article, “Why is there always a ‘black table’ at Sodexho?”
I think the article brought a lot of truth to light and raised a lot of questions. I realized that I do ask myself why there is a ‘black table’ when I eat at Sodexho. I think it is interesting that a lunch room today, in 2007, resembles one from a very different time during segregation in the 1960’s. Then, segregation was a law, but now it is simply done by choice. Segregation in schools were ruled unconstitutional. It does still occur though, just voluntarily now. This brings many questions to my mind.
Is it a conscious or unconscious decision that we make to segregate ourselves? Are we overly sensitive about racial issues and being politically correct?
Is it maybe this way because we tend to be friends with others that are like us? Is this really any different than when the Greeks sit together?
I would also wonder if Martin Luther King Jr. were to see the way things are today if he would be disappointed, as what he fought for and dreamed of may not be completely finished, even today in 2007.

Meghan Wier
Freshman
Mass Communication

Blood is thicker than water

Dear Editor,

My letter is in response to Ana Maria Lugo’s Feb.16th article Why is there a “black table” at Sodexho.

Saga is not the only place where I have seen the willing separation of races. All through out middle school and high school, black people sat in different areas in the cafeteria and the gym before school started. Just as black people seem to group together, as do all other races.

No one is running around with white pillow-cases on their heads and burning crosses and there is not a huge sign in the middle of Saga saying “Blacks must sit here.” So why then can’t we all sit at the same lunch table? Maybe it is because we as a society, consisting of ALL races, choose to segregate ourselves. There is a clear distinction between black and white churches, Greek life, universities, scholarships, communities, even television channels.

I do not feel that is disturbing to see certain ethnic groups do the same type of work or even act the same. This is the United States and if they truly wanted to break out of their comfort zone as Indian Dairy Queen Workers and Hispanic construction workers, they can and they would.

The integrated society of America is better described as tolerant. I don’t think that Americans, as a whole, discriminate against other ethnic and racial groups maliciously. It is just a lot easier to function in such a diverse society with people that have a similar background to yours. To me it just goes along with the old saying, “Blood is thicker than water.”

The article was just real whiney and pointless. If it made the “bad Asian” feel better about not being an elite mathematician or an expert violinist then, I guess it served a point to someone. Unfortunately, that is just the way American works.

Patrick Schinella
Sophomore
Pre – Mass Communication

Make new friends

Dear Editor,

Why try to fabricate some reason about why black people sit somewhere else in the cafeteria?(Writing in concern of the Feb. 16th issue: Why is there a “black table” at Sodexho?)  If anyone is so concerned about this issue and believes it reflects our nations past or present prejudices, they should go make new friends!

Friends of all nationalities should join together to sit peacefully at the table of peace, as one unit, to further our steps toward a non-segregated nation.  If one is extremely proactive, there is an even better idea…let us fill up the Atlantic waters with sand and run joyfully to our fellow African brothers to create new friendships and bonds.  We will become the best world we can be.  Right…

Basically, if you see something you don’t like, whether it be social or racial separation in a public place.  Do something about it. 

                               
Aubrey Petkas
Sophomore
Mass Communication

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Feb 23 2007. Filed under Letters to the Editor, Opinion. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry