The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, March 19, 1997, Image 11

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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
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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
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Noo 11
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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.