_ Opinion Monday, June 14,1993 The Battalion Page 5 ILLt&eKAl. A*T$ My M(SirTefS.ri£oe.', A^fric. 1 eJu.'^K iac?A, The Battalion Editorial Board Jason Loughman, editor in chief Mark Evans, managing editor Stephanie Pattillo, city editor Kyle Burnett, sports editor Dave Thomas, night news editor Anas Ben-Musa, Aggielife editor Mack Harrison, morning news editor Billy Moran, photo editor The Battalion 100 years at Texas A&M : opened the oot par putt later, Shee- 12 to take a / on No. 16, he dramatic cond of the rd Register re. Her pre- A Champi- e 1992 U.S. 77. Defend- an the tour- vas among red succes- go 7-under, s to join the l extra "lassie iy Singh, a r tour from a hole in a the Buick Editorial Culture shock Multicultural policy not needed Under the guise of a new title, 'United States and International ulture," the Texas A&M Liberal Arts Council passed a resolution ast week to push cultural diversity on new students. The new policy will require Lib eral Arts students to take six hours of courses in international and do mestic areas, half of which must in dude race, ethnicity or gender is sues in the United States. To put it bluntly, such a policy is simply another attempt at the politicization of edu cation and has no place at Texas A&M. Cultural diversity is an admirable goal that should be reached — but not by cramming it down students 7 throats. Dr. Richard Stadelmann, an associ ate professor of philoso phy and humanities, is right in saying that forcing students to take these classes could result in in creased hostility rather than in creased understanding. It has been accepted for some time that the current curriculum does not adequately reflect the con tributions of minorities or other cul tures. In an attempt to correct this, the Liberal Arts Council has made the mistake of simply requiring stu dents to take specified classes. The answer, of course, is to redesign the existing courses. Students should not have to take 77 Black History 77 or "Women's History" in addition to "White Male History." By segregating minority and eth nic studies into their own classes and departments, the University may be establishing havens for "po litically correct" activities rather than the educational forum it is seeking. In addition, it is ironic that only the College of Liberal Arts is requiring its stu dents to take these courses. Liberal Arts students are already more likely to learn about cultural di versity than stu dents of other col leges because of the classes they are re quired to take. The resolution does not need to be implemented by the College of Liberal Arts or by the rest of the University. To ensure that students receive an education in cultural diversity, the University does not need to force students to take specialized courses. The re quired courses just need to be re designed. And if minority and eth nic studies are to remain specialized departments, then enrollment in these classes must remain a matter of choice. a brilliant tion of the ;ht a slope feet of the r o holes of vo-putted ole. Singh sart of the ?h and his thought it America," tie bit ear- start in the :d a shaky n the first an 8-foot e to win at vo games in Ties back to md seventh -hicago Sta- ight. 'sing for the )ff games at writes in the g the first itory to win rk the road, postseason; luding 5-4 Students suffer when research comes first I have one question. Is research so important that teaching should come in second? Granted, it is necessary con duct research in order to remain com petitive with other universities but is it not one of the purposes of a university to provide higher education for stu dents? I, like many other students at this university, came to Texas A&M to pursue an education and a degree. While I believe that research is just as important to education as teaching, it is obvious, within some departments, that research takes precedence over teaching. This past spring, I took a course in a foreign language. On the first day of class, the instructor said that research tyas more important than the class. As a result, this particular instructor gave three weeks (10 days) worth of "walks." This included canceling class for an entire week, two weeks before fi nals! While, to some students, this sounds great, not every member of the class thought it was terrific. Because of her excessive absences due to either re search or presentation of research pa pers, our class had to teach ourselves for the most part. This is a very diffi cult thing to do in a foreign language. If instructors are not here to teach, don't let them. I am struggling to pay for my education and I don't appreci ate having to teach myself. If I wanted to do that, I would have taken corre spondence courses. Besides, this uni versity would not exist if it weren't for all of us annoying, complaining, and paying students. Just think about it, OK? Jennifer Rooth Class of'94 'And all bitches are created equal' Degrading songs paint women as objects of lust "... In reality a fool is one who be lieves all women are ladies; a nigga is one who believes all ladies are bitches. And all bitches are created equal. To me all bitches are the same, money hungry scandalous, groupie hos, that's always riding on a nigga's d —, always in a nigga's pocket..." — N.W.A., "One Less Bitch" "... Wdnt be good not good at all to meet a tall short black brown young manfulla his power in the dark..." — Ntozake Shange, "For Colored Girls Who Have Con sidered Suicide" T he lyrics in the songs of certain rap artists are not all fun and games — nor are they harmless. They are bla tantly degrading and assuming; yet they are permit ted by some misguided sense of "freedom of speech;" they have "good beats" and they are humorous to some people. However, it is not the style of the music that is objection able, rather, it is the content. It is surprising to discover that some rap fans are col lege-educated. Even some college women listen to this garbage, humming right along to tunes that have changed every (black) woman's name and personality disposition to "bitch," tunes that constantly denigrate and dehumanize them through explicit descriptions of violent sexual acts — all because they have good beats and they're comical? The attitudes and actions that this music enhances and/or even inspires affect us all in some way, whether di rectly or indirectly. For one, this music significantly affects the already delicate self-esteem and self-image of many young women who reside in these poor, alienated commu nities — young women who often do not have the encour aging, supporting role models that middle-class kids of all colors usually enjoy. Without any positive role models to consult, these women are forced to adopt definitions of self-worth from other sources. One source is this sexist music; since it is so close, so plentiful and so accessible, more likely than not, it becomes one of their most salient figures of authority. A young woman is constantly fed the idea that women in general are emotionally devoid, mindless, faceless whores to be passed around as profanely and interchange ably as cheap property. These songs never speak of a woman's intellectual capacity, thoughts or intimate feelings as a part of her . Women are presented as mechanical, al most inhuman objects that have only breasts and lubricat ed vaginal walls to offer. The young woman is not offered alternatives that teach her she has much value just the way she is, and doesn't deserve to be penetrated in the fashion of a "rabid mongrel dog." Over time, the woman starts to internalize the value (or rather, the lack of it) placed on others like her. The women in these alienated environments who in turn feel a deep sense of worthlessness and helplessness — a condition which this music contributes to — are often the same women who fill welfare rolls, commit crimes and suffer from depression. In addition, it is a serious injustice to communicate the message to impressionable young men that their worth de pends on the devaluation of others. It is not coincidental that rape and sexual assault arae among the most frequent ly committed crimes by adolescents. I do not doubt by any means that there are women who aptly and easily fit these lyrical descriptions. However, it is not characteristic of all women and it is irresponsible and moronic to present it as such. These lyrics have severe social implications. College stu dents, who supposedly know better, do not need to sup port these artists. Instead we need to serve as positive liv ing examples and practical role models to those who are young and encased in neighborhoods with little or no posi tive alternatives to offer them — especially because rap music is marketed much more aggressively in these de tached areas than in middle-class America. A "bitch," a female dog that lapses into heat at certain times of the year, is mounted feverishly from behind by any and every animal present at this time, and is at the be hest of a domineering master. What could possibly be so flattering and humorous about being a "bitch"? Jones is a senior psycology major TRACEY JONES Columnist IM /LOtle.LU*?[0*A . WJP TU& APt>tTWS?iJAl £’'1 "rue J&E/WTtFtCATlOM AMO ^TALL Aute>vJ tc? LEV£Lt> of Kre«*6ARdH FUMdikU;,AMJ7 havf. TO KEEP TV