Kory Kantenga’s recent condemnation of Vital Vittles’ playing of explicit music (“Vital Vittles Needs to Show Some Respect,” THE HOYA, Jan. 25, 2008, A2) struck me as a fair complaint taken to a disappointing and, ultimately, ignorant end. That a student would feel so uncomfortable in the campus’s grocery store that he would immediately “terminate [his] shopping experience” is indeed a shame. Use of the N- and H-words in such a public area demands second thought. However, Kantenga’s ire is not directed at the employees of Vittles; rather, his is a diatribe against anyone who would listen to music containing these profanities.

I’m not particularly a fan of rap music, nor do I think it is a great indicator of our society’s progress if “ho” is interchangeable with “woman.” Nevertheless, the right to enjoy music employing such lyrics in private is unquestionable. As “disgusting” as the music may be, artistic license prevails.

Kory’s most naive question, though, lies in his discussion of fans of such music: “How the hell do these people get into Georgetown?” My guess is the same way that everyone else does: high test scores, a truckload of extracurriculars and a well-crafted essay. Does listening to a certain genre of music preclude an individual from being intelligent or articulate? During Saturday’s WVU-Georgetown men’s basketball game, I was in Alumni Lounge when I overheard a sentiment similar to the one expressed in Kantenga’s letter. One student leaned over to his friend and muttered, “Only at Georgetown would we have basketball on the big screen and the South Carolina primary on a tiny TV in the back. This wouldn’t happen at Harvard.”

Since when does attending Georgetown bar me from enjoying rap or basketball? Must we really be above such “low” entertainment? Georgetown is an elite university; it should not be an elitist one. Can a Hoya enjoy rap without perpetuating hate? Can I get excited by Jessie Sapp’s late-game heroics and still acknowledge the significance of this presidential campaign? I submit yes on both counts, and I would love to see this apologetic, pretentious subculture disappear.

Dan Bliss (SFS ’10)
Jan. 27, 2008