Editor, Daily Nexus,

Every Wednesday morning, the students at UCSB wake up, get dressed and grab themselves one of the greatest newspapers in the world: the Daily Nexus. Now, why is it that Wednesday morning is the one day that we especially want to read the paper? Is it for the excellent world news and sports coverage? Maybe for some, but not all.

No, the reason why is a column known as “The Wednesday Hump,” a superior column whose writer, Beth Van Dyke, has the incredible ability to say what almost everyone is thinking. Now, the reason that I say almost everyone is because there are those with the immaturity and stupidity to be disgusted or offended by this impressive article.

I am clearly referring to a letter to the editor entitled “Daily Nexus Content Should Show More Responsibility and Maturity,” in the Daily Nexus on Oct. 24, 2002. The author of this letter, Elaine Johnson, expressed her downright hatred for Ms. Van Dyke and her article, and also proceeded to slander the editor of our beloved school newspaper. Ms. Johnson even tried to argue that our college is “but a higher high school” and that Ms. Van Dyke can only communicate ideas by relying on “taboo terms and sexual details.”

The terms and details used by Ms. Van Dyke are not that taboo, and I have the utmost confidence that she could communicate without sexual details; the articles just would not be as entertaining. There should be no end or change to this excellent column, and if you don’t like that, then don’t take a newspaper on Wednesday. It is hard enough to find one as it is. So to Ms. Van Dyke, keep up the good work. And to Ms. Johnson, lay off and let the students of UCSB have their fun. If you don’t like it, don’t read it.

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