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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 17, 1997)
onday • February 17 ^ 1URCH itinued from Page The Battalion MON Page 9 Monday • February 1 7, 1997 Modern romanticism tudents lose, focus in search for perfect relationships ie center also will., g e lobby and loungi a glass wall facing T A courtyard bei„ lew buildings willol 1 for prayer and studi ■e Lee, president of olic Students’Associat a senior speech com ion major, said be ed about the addition- f ■! /e had completelv o ’ the wake ofVa^^ n the old center; ine’s Day, many "People were aJtudents have the , in and out> and tlJortunity to reeval- never enough spac-» tl h u owthe >: a P- one ” Bach one of the most /o students will residM ortant relation ' ments within the lips in their lives. ty to provide mairff 16 ^ ea * s e services and addit JF^P the best ity for students, ther Mike Sis, directef ms ministry, said ckj rs began discussing hi 1 ity of the centei and said the grotl ing is 'just one more !ai rd the building dedil set for March 1998. |i Columnist e for a long-lasting tionship. Much igned as an obso- tradition of yes- Joshua Hill Sophomore English major ear, the idea of courtship, lis culture, suffers from and ignorance. ’he first principle of rtship is the simple logic of T e can make moresp|li lin g until the time is right, ible for student groufM here are some instances in for all kinds of n:|iieh relationships bring or- Sis said. Band discipline to students’ ie recreational space ves, but these cases are ex- ch that it will be a Jptions, not the rule, joyful environment Bn my informal survey of 30 ge students to ni!||ple, half of the males and and pray. B-thirds of the females indi- udents walking by oiited that they were prepared down the street wibrja commitment. Perhaps to see that there isfte of them are, but accord- i. In the current faciiB to the current divorce rate, :y see is a solid brichidre than 50 percent of the li be able to seeothemeople who believe they are inside, and we hopeipdy end up recanting, tract them to come. | College students have the ! said the center will nost to lose from emotional its an opportunityto(®anglements. e in church activities. I Students should use this lything new makes [:|i mc in preparation for jobs curious, Lee S! |id development of their dully the newcenier irage people to characters. People too often make the mistake of jumping into a relationship, before they know who they are. The goal is to have a life-long re lationship, a goal for which maturity is needed. A second princi ple of courtship is to save marriage for marriage. The abstinence movement has gained popular support re cently as the only certain way to avoid venereal diseases and AIDS, but abstinence also makes the marriage relation ship truly special. Ads promot ing safe sex are appreciated, but they approach the issue as a science experiment. Sex is not just a physical activity. A psychology degree isn’t needed to know that old flames leave scar tissue. Dou glas Wilson, in his article “Wake Up, Little Suzy,” criti cizes the modern dating sys tem for encouraging “emotion al promiscuity.” This term refers to the nat ural tendency to form emo tional attachments to some one during the dating process, ties that bind people before they really know one another. The courtship ideal is for people to preserve themselves, emotionally and physically, for their mates. Otherwise, both parties come into the relation ship as damaged goods. The third major part of courtship is the preservation of commitment. Dr. Ted Stachowiak, associate director for the Student Coun seling Service, said relationships have three different parts: inti macy, passion, and commit ment. Intimacy is how well the people know one another. Pas sion is the “spark.” Commitment is the decision of the will to stick with the relationship. If dating is indeed practice for marriage, one of the key el ements of marriage is not be ing practiced at all. In fact, the commitment element is se verely weakened by the mod ern dating system. “At the very least, this sys tem is as much a preparation for divorce as it is for mar riage.” Wilson said. Mark Day, head of Texas A&M Navigators and long time relationship counselor, said dating can be used as a social activity, especially group-dating. But dating is a limited activity when it comes to finding a mate because peo ple are putting their “best foot forward,” being consciously or subconsciously dishonest. Stachowiak said although the painful trial and error sys tem is necessary, every person is not an island. Students can learn from older generations, from their parents’ marriage, what is and is not desirable on both sides of the relationship. The study of history and its principles is the key to not re peating its darker side. The courtship system takes care of all areas of a relationship. Unlike dating, courting cannot be done cold-turkey. Males and fe males who have known one anoth er through the same groups and interests over a long period of time are prepared for courtship. By such time, intimacy should be well established. Discussion of more private matters can be discussed near or in a group of friends. A group of true friends should be the arena for discussion of any topic. Passion does not have to be practiced; it’s ei ther there or not. Commitment is an act of the will, not dependent on the oth er elements of the relationship. Dating has been around since cars came to take kids from parents and has always been an abused freedom. Courtship is true romance: pure partners, mature spous es, and people disciplined and unselfish enough to be real lovers. ed some more. ie recreational ce will be sud)/ t it will be a ; and joyful ironment for ege students!^ 3t, study and Y-” Father Mike Sis :tor, campus lob competition creates bitter rivalry eople want three things out of college: a good time, a good mate and a good job. Unfortu- >ly, we have over 40,000 students l Competing for the same peas in 'pod. While the 12th Man spirit :es Aggies a team during football ies, the one-man spirit of compe- m often brings out the worst in us. t recruiting events, the compe- m for a good job transforms ty Aggies into different Grea ts. For the benefit of both the erclassmen, who will seek em- Columnist Travis Chow Computer science graduate student ment, and the upperclassmen, who are lady looking, provided below is a taxono- g but a positive in lf s g U i de to these “creatures.” m those who are a p nder f am iiy Q f college recruits are as active. | genus species, each characterized by haps it will be tie |r behavior during career fairs, business :ople need to conie . Iners and interviews. i, and ma J be h 0{ I* Glutemus Maximus Smoochus. This dis people and |ct group is marked by their nonstop nvolved” L ee sal ufeses toward the recruiters and the institu- rch leaders hav re p resent Complete memoriza- lunds for the ’ 1 on of company trivia is their primary 1995. They aaV 3|]1 fcpon. As well-dressed individuals, they ban hall of the L ^inibine useless knowledge with a sustained jeded. Donatio ,|i e tQ g ain thg recru j ter ' s favor immedi- hrough indivi ^fely. Although their tactics often backfire, uions, w^iirnanil 6 ast * n § impression they make sometimes e and a golt t0 them the job. Others view them as an- sg?a n teMfort^f nganddes P erate - he new centei- my day I g roW " lent upon the g iat iis said. “We bega 3 trusting i n on and every ent upon Hisb-, t ay this project w ;; t to a successful 0 is by total depend 01 • Suavus No Credentiali. This group is a close cousin to the brown-nosers, except they exhibit more pride and composure. In timidation is their primary weapon. Through their debonair demeanor, they attempt to hide their lack of credentials by dis couraging competitors through pretension. Rico suaves move in slow motion, never maintaining eye contact. When their tactics succeed, the effects are devastat- ing — especially when a qualified candidate thinks the job is already taken. Others who see through the pretension easi ly trample over the unqualified suavus. • Nervous Wreckus. These creatures are marked by their sweaty palms, unnecessary trips to the restroom and occasional clumsi ness. Unlike the rico suaves and the brown- nosers, this group does not and cannot rely on their first impression to win the job. Despite their uncontrolled anxieties, they usually have competitive qualifications. Nervous wrecks may actually impress the recruiter since their behavior fulfill the recruiters’ expectations of a rookie college kid. They should, however, learn to mitigate their anxieties because others will take advantage of this easily identifiable trait. • Ramblus Capitus (a.k.a. talking heads). This group consists of individuals with diverse motives and backgrounds. The only distin guishing trait is their nonstop chitter-chatter about nothing. Bringing up irrelevant topics ranging from their dogs to the latest episode of Seinfield, domination of conversation is their primary weapon. The talking heads are motivat ed by factors similar to the first three groups: smooching, lack of credentials and nervousness. Others, including the recruiter, view them as ex tremely disruptive. • Credentiali Rex. These creatures rely on their resumes to open doors. They carry into the recruiting arena a sparkling set of credentials, usually including a breathtaking grade point ra tio. Although they gleam at everyone else with confident eyes, their shortcomings with people skills frequently inhibit their long-awaited mo ment of glory. Their primary weapon is their silent but deadly maneuvers toward the on-site interviews. Others often try to mimic their confi dence, but these imitators should realize their own selling points may lie elsewhere. Every spring semester, eager employers and anxious students converge at the Career Center for a two-month session of intense courting. Companies woo students with the glamour of success, while Aggies fight with one another for the perfect job. In the midst of such thick com petition, the five personalities described above will reveal themselves. When stress and ambi tion push us to the limit, we often reveal our “other side.” Jeff Hollaway, a senior business analysis major, shares his job-hunting experi ence. “It’s a jungle out there,” he said. Mail . Deeds, .to crime. Valentine's Day has lost its true meaning In regards to David Boldt's Febru ary 14th article, “Valentine’s Day ne glects the lonely”: Valentine’s Day has always been and probably will always be one of my favorite holidays. You may ask how this could be considering the fact that at 8 years old, I certainly did not have a “significant other” to cele brate it with. Actually, I did what every other normal student in my el ementary school did; I gave valentine cards to my friends. You know, friends...those people you love that have laughed with you, cried with you, fought with you and, still loving you, have come back for more. I can still recall the smiles and hugs I was rewarded with in high school. That’s right, High School, when I gave valentine cards to my friends. I’m talking pieces of paper with lollipops taped to them...but given with a whole lot of love. That’s what Valentine’s Day was all about the last time I checked...love. David Boldt is right about one thing. The privilege of having someone special is a gift from God which should never be taken for granted. Boldt says that for some students, “that warm, fuzzy feel ing has yet to reach their hearts.” Well maybe if they would stop whining and stop moping and start looking around, that feeling would reach their hearts - 1 doubt any Aggie an this campus lacks someone special in their life. Stop taking your friends for granted. Valentine’s Day was set aside to cele brate love, not just love between a man and a woman, but love between friends and love within families. Both of these are also precious gifts from God which should not be taken for granted. Carol Ann Kovach Class of’00 Laboratories provide education essentials Response to Kate Shropshire’s Feb. 14th column, “Math, science labs waste students' time.” I thought I’d write in and express some concern. Sure, Maple labs ARE totally worthless,I’ll give ya that, but sci ence labs? I’m not so sure. Science labs are tedious, and write ups suck, but I’d say it’s a little hasty to be rid of them. All the sci ence classes that I have taken have had completely mind-numbing lectures, and the Teaching Assis tants and labs were where I really learned how all that stuff was sup posed to work. , Brendan Hannigan Class of ’98 While I can not speak for the math labs, I can assure you that in chemistry, that is not the case. True, in the real world, there are instruments that make life easier. However, these instalments are meaningless without a background in the concepts they represent. If one does not know what the end point of a titration looks like or means, then the instrument has served no purpose. Also, instm- ments break and the what? One would be in terrible trouble in the could not do anything by hand. And, what if no one was educated in the “by hand” methods, who would be able to develop new equipment? I believe chemistry labs are vital to a college education. For some, they may only serve as a reinforce ment of concepts learned in lecture. But, for others, the possibilities are endless. So, ignore the goggle marks on your face and give lab a chance. You may be surprised by what you learn. Terra Dassau Graduate Student The Battalion encourages letters to the ed itor. Letters must be 300 words or fewer and include the author’s name, class, and phone number. The opinion editor reserves the right to edit letters for length, style, and accuracy. Letters may be submitted in person at 013 Reed Mc Donald with a valid student ID. Letters may also be mailed to: The Battalion - Mail Call 013 Reed McDonald Texas A&M University College Station, TX 77843-1111 Campus Mail: 1111 Fax: (409) 845-2647 E-mail: Batt@tamvml.tamu.edu For more details on letter policy, please call 845-3313 and direct your question to the opinion editor.