To the Editor:

I'm writing about the Scottish Country Fair. I work for Maria Baker and the Scottish Country Fair office, which, as was pointed out in the "Scottish Country Fair is no more" article (Feb. 21, 2003), is in severe danger of being cut.

The Fair is indeed expensive, but also very valuable to our community. Many of the people who live in the surrounding area have been coming for years. There is one man I spoke to who has come since the Fair began, 32 years ago! The Fair is an extraordinary way for Macalester to be involved in the community and to showcase its Scottish heritage. I understand that the Fair is expensive and the economy is bad, but it is in times of economic and political distress it is extremely important for a community to stay together. Getting rid of the Fair will seriously and negatively affect the community of St. Paul, even from an economic standpoint. Tour buses come with lots of people, who need to eat at restaurants and are likely to spend money in other places; other people who drive in need to buy gas, stay in hotels, etc. The economic impact of the Fair on our surrounding community is vast.

For these reasons, and also because many think that the Fair is one of Macalester's best programs, I feel that it is very important for us students to see if there is a way we can preserve it. I am working on some ideas now, and if anyone would like to join the Save-The-Fair movement, I can be reached at akirschner@macalester.edu.

Sasha Kirschner '05
 

To the Editor:

I don't know if any cows subscribe to your newspaper, but if there are bovine readers out there, I just want to thank them for cheese. Sweet lord, I love cheese. I know, technically, you cows don't actually make the cheese, but the process starts with you and I want to show my gratitude. So I wrote a poem:
Cheese, cheese, in my tummy,
How I drool; you are so yummy

Well, actually, that's as far as I got. I've always been very bad at poetry. Anyway, if there are any cattle out there, kicking back and reading The Mac Weekly, thank you dearly.

Jonathan Scheff '03
 

To the Editor:

As Volunteer Coordinator for the Minnesota chapter of the Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS (DIFFA), I'd like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of the Macalester students who volunteered for the "Diva UB2 - Sexy in the City" fundraising event. Over 65 Macalester students donated their time and energies to what turned out to be a record-breaking event. Over $300,000 was raised for Minnesota HIV/AIDS care facilities. The students were professional, worked hard, and looked great. We couldn't have done it without you. Thanks!

Jamie Graham '82