The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, March 19, 1997, Image 11
Page ch 19,l?i lot The Battalion 0 FI r ^ 1 Page 11 Wednesday • March 19, 1997 isn’t parti ile across )ol For one night only Wale sexual attitudes in need of improvement iniayi r t ere a slut, there a slut, fiord tola —I everywhere a slut slut, xedincoi . J. Whether one’s spring eofovei eak was spent on Panama Bushre ity, Padre Island, Cancun or itetotalo e Chicken, this breed of col- ge student was not difficult to h saidoi ) 0 t. That "I just want to get id’’ mentality abounded as Ag es partied until the wee hours the morning. But casual sex with random ■ople is not simply an act re- rved for spring break, nor is it J served for a particular gender. Victor J Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary, first ouldbel in 1955, defines a slut as “a Columnist m ? i inlexail i tomora David Boldt Senior marketing - management major the >f view ! id wea[ thanks iity ton poses,” w Engini te. except ■ plutoni ses 10, b cores ually rs the 'ility on vn. •OE sites J :h a fai o is all hi entiveto ; said. tirely rage. 1 I irty woman; a woman of loose character; j bitch.” But there’s one breed of slut Webster ils to mention, a breed which may be ore than one-half of the slut population: emale slut. The word “slut” is a label commonly at- ched to a female who often seeks to en- ge in sexual acts with males she doesn’t owwell. No self-respecting woman res to be labeled as such, and even those ho fit the description try their best to re- ain inconspicuous. , For some reason,however, guys are nev- |r labeled sluts. Go to any club in town and you will find jenty of guys who care little about devel oping a longterm relationship with a woman — they only want to take her home to do the nasty. If he is successful, the male slut is labeled as a hero by all his male friends. Even guys who aren’t sluts encourage these acts. It’s a testosterone thing, a male bonding thing. It happens, but that doesn’t make it right. However, if a girl has casual sex with a guy, she is scorned by men and women alike. As she takes the “walk of shame” home the next morning, she hopes no one saw her leave with the male slut and that her reputation isn’t ruined forever. This is ludicrous. Men should be just as accountable for their actions as women. Society should recognize male sluts and treat them with the same scorn as women. Everyone has different morals, and no one has the right to force his on anyone else. But casual sex usually leaves a victim. The solution is to simply isolate the sluts — to somehow pair up all the male sluts with all the female sluts. There should be Slut Night at any College Sta tion bar once a month, or maybe even a nationwide Slut Convention. Beavis and Butthead would be sure to show. All the sluts could hook up and do what ever they do without any “innocent” people getting hurt. Unfortunately, this is will never hap pen, and people will continue to get hurt. Casual sex is a stupid and selfish act. Even if it’s one-night affair status is un derstood by both parties, there are al ways consequences. Those who engage in casual sex as sume sex is purely physical and no emo tional attachment exists. Many male sluts think they can block out these emotions, but few are really successful. Also, they can’t control the emotional attachment their partners may form. Sex is designed to bond two people together, and it does whether a person wants it to or not. The other consequences are much more dangerous. Pregnancy can ruin a person’s plans for the future, and HIV and AIDS can instantly destroy the future itself. Chances are that male sluts will ei ther cause these consequences to hap pen to others or suffer them themselves. All consequences aside, casual sex is an easy, short-term high — a quick remedy to a case of the “homeys.” It simply doesn’t com pare with developing love and respect over time with someone of the opposite sex. Male sluts lack the patience to wait for something better and more meaningful. They are selfish and dangerous to society and they need to grow up. To all the male sluts out there — have the guts to keep your arrogance in your pants. riter takes a fresh look at etiquette for generation X he college years can be confusing — the social norms that apply to most Ither phases of life may not be _ Jelmnt.This column is dedi- 501 latec * t0 t h° se students in ^fearch of a beacon. , Question: Wliat’s the difference f f/O/'jbetweenakeg stand and a one- night stand, and is there anything matte wongwith either of them? rilling Answer. A keg stand is done by omeone (generally male) after de- questS lining he has no chance of en- a one-night stand. The Columnist 1 _ pa/irtihe fieito- Jill's confi- Problem with a keg stand is the participant isually exhibits other signs of being a loser ftan being able to find someone who is at- •racted to them. To them I say, “Come on, Sftwup, hard liquor is where it’s at.” The night stand is something of a paradox. 21 votes in te to orrowwta the Sent overontls we do ova A&M should take a stand and improve on campus election guidelines l Tlhe rights and liber- I ties Americans now ■L enjoy came at a peat price. For centuries, j who pe Mriots have fought and 'dfied to protect the free- orns that make this \d|ountry unique. Now, some students sdjay their rights have een stripped by the liijexas A&M election ommission. Since election regu- Hions at the University e require! mofani .doctor mentcoe ss A mi; r Up tO 01 lot reqit jarate ntf nding. EVVS ■Ch25* Noo 11 |f* kCTf t es Its defining feature, that there is no chance of further developing a relationship, can be a draw back because the person will not know if the relationship could turn into something beautiful and rewarding. But it can also be a plus (see: beergoggles; coyote- arm). Question: I eat off the floor. Is that bad? Answer: Many students’ eat ing habits degenerate upon en tering college. With approxi mately 2.3 fastfood restaurants per student and no parental guidance, the freshman 15 becomes a serious threat for the metabolically challenged. To combat this, it is advisable to occasionally shop at a grocery store because it allows one to better regulate food intake, and because barbecue sauce Mason Jackson Sebidr marketing major gets lonely in the fridge by itself. Also, splurge occasionally. Though a certain brand of “party pizza” may be cheap, it may not offer all of the essential vitamins and nutrients necessary to promote a healthy body. Question: My roommate is an ex-convict. What should 1 do? Answer: The key to good roommate rela tions is tolerance. Almost everyone is an noyed with the prospect of sharing a con fined living space with another person or two, especially in something as small as a dorm room. If something is bothering one roommate, the best policy is usually to be di rect and to the point. For example: Roommate 1: Roommate 2, you seem to have an unpleasant body odor. Roommate 2: I’m allergic to water Roommate 1: Bathe or die. Roommate 2: O.K. Question: Why isn’t sco-pro called sco-con? Answer: Scholastic probation isn’t the end of the world, take it from the voice of experience. Yet, even after becoming a Jedi Master of procrastination, one’s GPA can al ways recover. I find studying and attending class helpful, but there are other students who say cheating is the only way to go be cause it prepares one for the real world — where lying and backstabbing beat hard work and honesty any day of the week. This is true unless a student chooses as I have, to go into advertising — “the most honest pro fession since prostitution.” Question: Last week I got drunk. When I came to, I had a tattoo and had joined a fra ternity. What do I do now? Answer: Fortunately, today’s laser technology makes tattoo removal a pain less, though somewhat lengthy, process. The frat poses something more of a problem. If you wish to disjoin yourself from the collective, the first step is to get rid of all your khaki shorts, Teva sandals and any shirts that include the word “bash.” This should prompt the frat to throw you out. If not, go ahead and get rid of your Mossimo/No Fear cap. That should do the trick. Admittedly, these questions only scratch the surface of what it’s like to be a college stu dent, where the only constant seems to be the perpetual redefinition and re-evaluation of what should be common knowledge. Just when you think you’re headed in the right di rection, the magnet falls out of the compass. There is only one constant, one place to turn in times of confusion. The inside back page of your student newspaper, The Battalion. And just in case I’m wrong, it comes conveniently printed on biodegradable newsprint. Columnist David Johnston junior mathematics major fTexas have come under legal crutiny, the student body presi- ent and election commission ould carefully analyze A&M’s reg- ations to be sure students’ rights S re being protected. Each candidate in the upcoming aident body election must abide by the 20-page packet of election guidelines. These rules restrict everything from flier size and placement to contribution and spending limits. Any candidate who violates a rule is subject to fines or disqualification. Some students say these rules infringe on their basic right to free speech. The University of Texas dealt with a similar complaint in February. Like A&M, UT limits the amount of time a candidate may campaign. Anyone campaigning be fore the official start date is subject to reprimand. Marc Levin, a candidate for vice president on UT’s ACTION ticket, said their party chose to ig nore this regulation, holding cam paign rallies and writing letters to the editors of both school and local papers asking for votes. After the students were disqualified from the election, # the American Civil Liberties Union came to their de fense. A union lawyer filed a tem porary restraining order forcing the UT’s Student Government to reinstate the candidates until the matter could be decided in court. The new student body president has promised to rewrite the elec tion regulations, but Levin said if the regulations are not changed by this summer, further legal action may ensue. In light of the proceedings at UT, A&M’s election regulations deserve closer examination. Aggies have be gun questioning severed election guidelines including time limits, spending limits and the prohibition of off-campus campaigning. Jason Jaynes, election commis sioner, does not believe the regu lations are a violation of free speech, but said he would not en force the rules if rights were being breached. Jaynes says students get tired of campaigning, and 10 days is sufficient time to campaign in a university election. Opponents of the time limit argue they cannot communicate a sub stantive platform to the student body in 10 days. If candidates were al lowed to spread their campaign ef forts over a larger time period, stu dents might not be inundated with material during such a short period. This change might make elections less hectic and annoying. Currently, the challenge of reach ing thousands of students in 10 days is amplified by the spending limits imposed on all candidates. The Supreme Court case Marbury vs. Madison determined that campaign spending limits were a violation of free speech, and that the same rea soning should be applied to A&M’s student body elections. Supporters of spending limits claim the restraints make the candi dates more equal, but someone should not be stripped of their rights in an attempt to remove disparity. Besides, inequalities between candi dates will always exist. Some candi dates are more charismatic than oth ers, some are better looking. Candidates are not equal, but that is no reason to violate their freedoms. Candidates have wrestled with these guidelines for many years, but this election has presented new rules. The election commission told candidates, this semester that they may not post signs off campus, even on private property or in busi nesses. Off-campus regulation is clearly outside the scope of the election commission’s authority, and even though the city of College Station has a city ordinance pro hibiting signs, the rule is not uni formly enforced. Dale Baum, president of the Bra zos Civil Liberties Union, has been informed of the possible free speech violations and said the chapter is looking into the matter. The University has seen enough legal problems recently; this is a sit uation Student Government mem bers can resolve before it grows out of control. The election regulations should be overhauled as soon as possible, unless A&M wants to lag behind the University of Texas. i; Mail Trilogy fans upset by cinema politics I am a dedicated Star Wars fan, I always have been and always will be. If Stephen Llano’s column Monday was a joke, then it wasn’t funny, if it wasn’t a joke, then Llano should be frozen in carbon and sold to Boba Fett. The basis of the column was a “rumor” about Hollywood 16 not being allowed to show Return of the Jedi, and the rights given to the Post Oak Theater. This was not a rumor. After speaking with Jerry Young, manager at Holly wood 16, to organize a darkscreen (early morning) showing of Star Wars for my residence hall, he confirmed it was fact. The Post Oak Theater company is a larger nationwide chain than Holly wood 16, which is why they were able to secure rights for even one -third of the great saga. Fortu nately, the Force was with us, be cause Hollywood 16 regained the rights for Jedi in time. Forgive the 275 people (in cluding myself) who attended the darkscreen viewing for wanting to be comfortable and enjoy a movie we paid good money for. Apparently Llano hasn’t had the opportunity to enjoy the Post Oak movie-going experience. It has all of the requirements he list ed: sticky floors, creaky seats, the faint smell of stale popcorn, and two more he forgot: an incredibly small screen and a theater de signed like a long hallway. If the trilogy “isn’t any good unless it is shown in a brand new theater,” then why did millions buy it in video stores for $29.99 very recently? I don’t have a brand new theater in my residence hall room but I own it and watch it. Mike Hoy Class of ’99 The Battalion encourages letters to the editor. 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 vajid 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.