Yes, Mr. Franich is actually saying that Moneyhun is worse than the genocide in Darfur. And Jonathan Swift was actually advocating the consumption of babies. Nice touch there exploiting a tragedy to make your convoluted point. What's next, a Hitler reference?

Did you ever stop to think that not everyone participating in the dorm reunion chooses to drink alcohol? Even though they are over the legal drinking age, some Stanford seniors choose not to drink. By polarizing the situation into a choice of supporting either raucously drunk seniors or noble RF's who protect your fragile little minds from such horrible influences, you ignore the basic tenet behind Darren's argument: Clyde Moneyhun acted in a condescending manner unbecoming of a representative of an institution who's underlying non-academic purpose is to encourage mature, independent thought. No one is saying your RF is unlovable. It's just that his written communication skills would be much more effectively utilized somewhere other than a freshman dorm, say drafting Cease and Desist letters for the RIAA?

I hope that the Branner freshmen who read this piece are more intelligent than little Miss Cara here. While your defense is rooted in love for your RF, Darren takes issue with the disturbing trend of University-Knows-Best that began before your time with the ban on alcohol in common areas of freshman dorms, continued with the Bike Ban, and is currently a product of the new crop of pro-authoritarian RF's. Why should Darren care when he is not a Branner alum? This incident could become the precedent upon which all future reunions are banned. I'm sure that by the time you finish up your first quarter IHUM requirement, you'll begin to realize that there is more here than whether or not seniors are allowed to come back to their freshman dorms to get you sloshed. If you'll notice in Clyde's email, he has unilaterally banned Phil from coming back to Branner for any reason whatsoever, forever. If Phil happens to date someone from Branner, he will not allowed to spend time in her room. If Phil wants to flyer for Stanford Finance (he's the current CFO), he is not allowed to do so in Branner. If Phil is in a group with current Brannerites, he is not allowed to work on a project in Branner. If Phil wants to attend a (non-alcoholic) Branner party, he will be asked to leave. And all for taking it upon himself to organize a reunion. Did you know that this year's senior class was the first class in Branner after the remodel, for which Branner was closed for an entire academic year? Congratulations, Clydie Boy, five weeks on the job and you've already managed to alienate an entire year of Brannerites. You don't deserve to be an RF in Branimal House.

Unfortunately, loving your RF's does not excuse the heavy-handed manner that Clyde chose to handle the situation. Like you said, we are in "purportedly open-minded and intellectual university environment." I really hope that by the time you finish your writing requirements, you'll have an argument that amounts to little more than OMG I TOTALLY LUV MY RFs THEY ARE THE BESTEST I HEART MONEYHUN LOL BRANNER RULEZ!!!!1 Please, such a cheap emotional defense will never hold up in an academic environment. It's like rebutting Benjamin Disraeli by throwing a teddy bear that is dressed in a fireman costume holding a heart that says "I Wuv U." Ineffective and childish. And I agree with Fugly, the only time I'd hit you would be with a stick. Bad Cara. Baddddd.

Some of you guys need to lighten up. Cara has every right to state her case - no matter how misguided some of us find it - and we shouldn't resort to invective in refuting it. Don't be jerks. I'm looking at you, fugly. That said, I found the RFs reaction troubling when I initially read about it and now, with Moneyhun's e-mail posted for all to see, I feel doubly distressed. Cara, the unannounced reunion has been, in one form or antoher, a tradition for ages. It's not like this year's seniors are some sad and nostalgic group who invade old dorms in a futile and pathetic attempt to touch the past. On the contrary, they're part of tradition and, since most of them probably experienced the very event your RF so flatly rejected, they're better able to judge the merits of that tradition than some unitiated freshman. Frankly, Monneyhun should have anticipated this event. That he did not - and, indeed, that he acted as though Phil had done something uniquely terrible - is troubling. And, Cara, I know that as a freshman at Stanford you feel as though you've got a lot figured out. Trust me, you don't. Having experienced the collegiate experience myself, and having observed others during my two years as an RA, let me assure you, freshmen don't know much and upperclassmen have a lot of share.

Cara -
Would you feel the same toward Clyde if he communicated with you in this manner?:

"No matter how you did it, you are not welcome in Branner. If I see you here again, I will have you removed."
-Clyde "Warm and Fuzzy" Moneyhun

Wow.
who said that you could speak on branner's behalf or on our feelings about the branner reunion and our RF's. please, speak for YOURSELF and only YOURSELF.

This letter is pretty bad, and obviously immature. Though multiple aspects of Cara's letter (and the RF's letter) are disturbing, I'll chime in on just one part...
Dearest Cara, Branner is as much YOUR dorm as it is anyone who has lived there! I would even extend that to anyone who has ever gone to Stanford. The beauty of Stanford is that it belongs not only to the present group of students, but also to everyone who has ever walked its halls. We all own Stanford. If this isn't true, please contact the Stanford Alumni Association ASAP, and tell them to stop calling me for donations!!!

I no longer feel welcome in Branner Hall.. Thanks a lot Clyde.

Social: that wasn't the case. Clyde didn't allow the reunion to happen because of the combination of not even notifying him it was happening and some sketchy-looking wording in the intercepted email, not because of any views towards tradition or college drinking.
Thanks Cara.

Kennell is turning in his grave.
What was once a place of acceptance has been turned into something genuinely not special.
Stanford is dying because of people like MooneyHoon, and things like the bike ban, and the band ban. Fight for her, sons and daughters! Fight!
PS penthouse 4 lyfe!

Good lord - this is the kind of tools we are admitting to Stanford now? It makes me sad - these bans will keep rolling in if this freshman class just bends over and takes it like Cara here, and hell, gives up and passes on hugs and kisses to the pitchers - this is ridiculous.
Funny note on how she will be remembered for this, because its true. The upperclass Branner e-mail lists are on fire these last few days, you're our new celebrity Cara ;)

Hello
My name is Sami Bandak and I am a businessman visiting my offices in Paris, France. While there yesterday, I came across those diehard Cardinal students exhibiting signs of the Stanford Cal game. These kids were very creative, using the Eiffel Tower as part of their sign. I sent the photos to the advertising department since it was the only email address I could find for your paper. Hope you receive them. They are very creative. Ironically, my daughter Annie Rodkins graduated from your engineering school.
Submitted by Sami Bandak
Go Cardinal

Wow, I'm surprised there are some people defending this RF Moneyhun. Seriously, are we college students or are we pantywaist tools? The day college students can't have a little party without being treated like terrorist criminals is a sad, dark day indeed. That's all I have to say.

Tape new episodes of the 'Stanford Daily Show' fill the audience with past Brannerites and Darren can interview Clyde. If we're no longer 'welcome' to come over and reminisce at Branner... let's have the reunion in Clyde's neighborhood, just perhaps we will be more welcome there. Ah, what would the world do without ZabaSearch? Hey, that's another controversy all together.

You're right Cara. No one should interrupt your IHUM time in fact you should start on your PWR1 and PWR2 ASAP. If you misinterpret something as simple as Darren's piece I shudder at what you can do/did to Achebe or Huxley.
To the poster above me, it is precisely due to Stanford's impressive reputation that I'm ashamed of Cara. While we tolerate opinions, we do not tolerate condescension, arrogance and sheer literary stupidity. I know of people who spend days writing their letters to the editor, researching and editing their piece several times before submission. This girl not only insults other Stanford students, turns her nose up at guidance from upperclassmen and alienates alumni by stating that her and other current residents now own Branner (who I hope she isn't in the Alumni welcoming committee) but writes a letter to the editor so devoid of any personal introspection or analysis of Stanford culture and traditions as well as rudimentary understanding of a simple editorial that she is deserving of any and all derision that comes her way(though not of course threats). Stanford writers and journalist are some of the most famous and accomplished in the world. The university that produced Steinbeck and Daniel Pearl should NOT have someone who is too dense to understand the Onion.