I was saddened by the situation described in an Associated Press story April 12 about students at Randolph College in Nevada visiting a brothel on a field trip as part of the “American Culture Project.” I just felt I couldn’t let the story go without a comment. One of the defenses used in various circumstances is sometimes “Well, there were no complaints or comments.”

That the instructor and college felt this trip could be classed with past annual trips that included the Civil Rights Memorial in Montgomery, Ala., is a disservice to the students and education itself. The story pointed out that prostitution is legal in Nevada, though not allowed in Las Vegas, which is an interesting omission if the state really believes it is a good thing.

I wonder how many of the parents (and other family members) of the participating students would be happy if those students went into what is sometimes called “the sex industry” as a career.

Marilyn Crowley, Harrison