At the request of some of my friends, I read an opinion piece written by Kristen Daum about alcohol ("Alcohol poisoning is not 'cool'; why must students brag about booze?" SN 9/27). They thought the column would be of interest to the group because Daum lives down the hall from us and it appears that she wrote about some of my other floor mates.

Subject matter aside, I find the piece lacking; both substance and style are poor. Facts about alcohol consumption are presented seemingly arbitrarily, and unrelated conclusions are drawn. Overall the organization of ideas is weak at best and the piece lacks continuity.

But what really made me dislike it is Daum's use of sweeping generalizations, namely about living on an honors floor.

While the incidents Daum writes about might not be isolated, she has no justification for drawing the conclusion that "If they cannot explain the sole point of entertainment they derive from drinking, then there must be no point."

I understand Daum's column is an opinion piece, but a reader expects justified opinions from a journalist, rather than baseless ranting that belongs better in an online blog than a newspaper.

Nicole Nguyen
professional writing and biochemistry freshman