_ Opinion
Monday, June 14,1993 The Battalion Page 5
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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
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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.
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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
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Battalion criticized
for election coverage
What little respect I had for the edi
torial board and the faculty advisers of
this newspaper has all but vanished as
a result of the non-coverage decision
that was made in Monday's edition of
the Battalion concerning the results of
the U.S. Senate race between Kay Bai
ley Hutchison and Bob Krueger this
past weekend.
This particular race was not only a
landslide victory for Hutchison, but
was also a race that contained several
firsts.
She will be the first female senator
from the state of Texas and for the first
time since the late 1800's, Texas has
two Republican senators. If any one of
these topics is not news then I am a sad
judge of what should be reported.
Journalists are taught to be objective
and to report both sides of a story.
Why is it that this story was not report
ed at all in the Battalion, the only
source of news for some people? I
think it was not reported because a
conservative candidate won the race.
Had Krueger won the race, the story
would have been on the top of the front
page with a banner headline.
I suggest that the editors of this pa
per do what they have been taught to
do and report both sides of All of the
news.
Charlene M. Helton
Accompanied by six signatures.
Free beer, ballgame
make afternoon
I got a little story for ya Ags. It is
one of the more unique experiences in
my career at A&M. It was a Friday af
ternoon and I was walking out of the
MSG to my truck. I was just thinking
about how great the rest of the after
noon would be out at the pool catching
the Aggie baseball game on the radio.
All of the sudden this nice lady
stepped out of her car and said, "Ex
cuse me sir, do you drink?"
Bewildered I said, "Well only occa
sionally." She then handed me a six-
pack of Miller Genuine Draft and said
"Well here, take this because my son
bought it and he wasn't supposed to."
Wanting to please the lady, I accepted
the cold beer. I was stunned and be
fore I could get her name and thank her
son, she had vanished. Needless to
say, Friday afternoon was great.
There is a God.
Coy Kouba
Class of 1992
Perot should fund
organization himself
On Ross Perot and United We Stand
America: Let me get this straight —
average, middle class Americans are
sending their own money to a billion
aire.
Ross Perot spent $60 million of his
own money on his presidential cam
paign. If he is so concerned about this
country, why doesn't he spend his own
money to fund United We Stand?
Chris Marquette
Graduate Student
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