LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Last week an interesting situation arose for my college sophomore

daughter. With community spirit in her heart and youthful exuberance on

her side, she applied to join a volunteer group known as the Hoag

Hospital Auxiliary. We are all familiar with these cheerful gals in blue

who pleasantly direct you to the cafeteria, gift shop, Aunt Lou’s room

(well, you get the picture). A radical idea for a college girl you might

say -- well, apparently it was to the well-seasoned Hoag Hospital

Auxiliary.

My daughter’s volunteer help was politely declined due to the fact that

she is -- now hold on to your hats, folks -- a college student. What will

those crazy kids think of next? Before too long they’ll be infiltrating

Meals on Wheels.

As the sweet-voiced auxiliary member on the telephone told her, “college

students are generally unreliable. Nothing personal,” she added, to ease

the blow.

The hospital volunteer ventured on, offering up discouraging repartee as

to the mundane tasks (such as filing) that would have been in store for

my daughter had she displayed the responsibility quotient needed for the

job. As my daughter confided in me after the conversation, it was a

devastating blow to find out that she wouldn’t be allowed to perform

brain surgery. While the gal on the telephone assured my daughter that

keeping college students out of the Hoag Hospital Auxiliary was standard

policy and that she was just doing her job, it sounded a little bit on

the fishy side to me. While I am positive that some college students are

unreliable, I am certain that to use a gross generalization about a

population of people is illogical reasoning.

If we are to follow this line of reasoning, then all New Yorkers are

rude, all Californians are kooky, and all senior citizens are menacing on

the roadways.

In applying for this volunteer position, my daughter included her resume

with the standard application so that the auxiliary would have a little

more information than the short form called for. The application asked

critical questions, such as are you strong enough to push a wheelchair

fully loaded? Can you walk a mile without resting?

Here are some highlights of my madcap offspring: college sophomore,

biology major, National Mathematics Honor Society, California Community

College Honor Society, member of The Association of Women in Science, 4.0

grade point average, currently studying piano and dance. Oh yes, she also

works Saturdays and Sundays (for more than one year, no misses) at Balboa

Yacht Club.

As you can see, she is just the kind of shifty character that raises fear

in the hearts of volunteer groups. It seems to me to be incredibly

shortsighted to decide -- sight unseen -- that a particular person

falling into a particular populace should be routinely dismissed without

any discernible thought as to the individual.

I can just visualize members of the hospital auxiliary complaining to

family and friends, “What is wrong with kids today?” Well, hospital

auxiliary, to be perfectly blunt, you are. Here is an example of an

outstanding young woman who wants to play a larger part in her community.

Shame on you for discouraging her.

Apparently the only way this young woman will be getting into Hoag

Hospital is through admitting, or better yet maybe some day as a doctor.

My money is on the latter.JANE BACKUS

Costa Mesa