Letters, May 2008
Students’ apologies should be valued, not vilified
I was dismayed to read Mr. Kincaid’s letter (“Keep contrition clear and concise”) in the March issue of The Bridge. This was a discouraging attack that failed to acknowledge the students’ efforts or the purpose of their statements. Their contributions are not meant to be scrutinized for their writing, but rather appreciated for their content and honesty. Public apologies for one’s behavior, like the ones in the February issue, also take enormous courage.
As a student at the University of Minnesota and resident of Marcy-Holmes, I am committed to my community and addressing the impact of student drinking behavior. I volunteer with the restorative justice program these students went through — one that holds offenders directly accountable for their actions, instead of slapping their wrists with a fine. Restorative justice recognizes how seemingly “small” crimes can hurt communities, and it stresses the obligation of offenders to repair the harm done. The original offenses committed by these students may have been careless, but their responses are astonishingly thoughtful. They not only owned up to their actions, but also challenged fellow students to recognize their place in the community and to be responsible for encouraging a respectful environment.
These students are confronting a larger culture of unaccountability. We as community members need to support their strivings, instead of only highlighting their faults. I wonder what Mr. Kincaid’s response would have been if he had devoted equal thought, time and energy into his contributions to our ongoing community dialogues as these students have?
— Renée Wegener
Marcy-Holmes
Rock on, Marcy kids!
I thoroughly enjoyed Linda Lincoln’s story about the Marcy Open School’s rock bands. It is so very exciting and encouraging to see kids — and especially girls — gaining both the skills and the confidence they need to play rock music at such a young age. Eight years ago, I graduated from the Perpich Center for Arts Education in Golden Valley, and now I am proud to say that a number of my friends and classmates have broken into the local music scene with their own bands (including Best Friends Forever, Kill the Vultures and Roma di Luna.) I can only imagine the explosion of new bands we will see when these Marcy students get old enough to form their own groups in a few short years—I for one am looking forward to it!
— Lauren DeLand
Prospect Park
last revised: May 15, 2008