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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 3, 1997)
1 The Battalion iw ON Page 11 Thursday • April 3, 1997 A/omen's work ereotypes keep women from science jobs i X / Columnist Kate Shropshire Freshman biomedical science major bmen are less encouraged _ than men, es- ally in junior high high school, to |ue careers in math dence.The ma- r of women have conditioned to ;women in math science are geeks do not lead nor- ives. They also re- e impression the difficulties ten face in math and science are unavoid- I and incurable. ^ :|jAlicia Simpson, a sophomore molecular and ef biology major, has experienced these stereo- :al expectations. [I’ve always been taught that women were not iosed to be good in math, that men were bet- she said. “My roommate last year was really 1 at math and that influenced me to think women could be as good as men in math.” he origin of this damaging thought ess must be sought out and remedied if self-respect of women is to be savored as as heightened. e conditioning process starts early—boys chemistry set from Santa; girls get Tinker- makeup. From the beginning, the majority ys a girl receives encourage her to be an shopper who wants to bake cookies and house. Even Barbie propelled this image n the proportionally impossible plastic doll given the freedom of speech and started ing abominations like “Math is tough” and let's go shopping.” espite the conditioning process, an interest ath and science still is apparent in young Is. Once puberty hits, though, the interest is orted as girls realize they are different. Dr. Wendy L. Keeney-Kennicutt, a chem- otstry 102 lecturer and a TAMU Mentor, recog- lizes the pending impact of this distinction. I "It’s something about hormones,” she said. !®henyou realize that you’re different you w'wonder if being a woman is a curse or some- § thing special. You have to have real strength of /fdtaracferto overcome stereotypes and not d being a science geek.” In this uncertain time, young girls become ac customed to the idea of inferiority in certain sub jects. Peer pressure also makes it difficult to break the mold and believe it is okay to be bright and a woman. The attraction of math and science fields is extinguished for some adolescent girls when they are not exposed to women role mod els or have teachers who are more likely to call on guys than girls. Keeney-Kennicutt also recog nizes this lack of exposure and the potential damage it can cause. “I think students should be introduced to working scientists to know that they can be scientists and have a full, well-rounded life,” she said. “When in junior high and high school, students do not come across scien tists, and therefore are not familiar with math and science and the fact that these are normal women leading normal lives.” Despite the junior high and high school in fluence, some women still move on to math and science careers. These dedicated women comprise 52 percent of the math and science students at Texas A&M. Although this statistic is promising and serves as a light at the end of the tunnel, those young girls who are discouraged from math and science pursuits should not and cannot be ignored. Women should not use old stereotypes as a reason not to en deavor the somewhat intimidating areas of math and science. One good thing about the status of women in math and science careers is that women are becoming more productive and industrious despite prejudices. At least society worries now about moving in the right direction and is con scious of it. It is getting better all the time, and with this in mind it is mandatory to make women believe this also. By utilizing the right conditioning process, women can excel far be yond society’s expectations, as well as their own. A rebirth of self-respect and a rejuvenation of pride in being a women and a scientist will come with these processes. Keeney-Kennicutt emphasizes that we must understand the presence of women can improve the fields of math and science. “The influence of women improves the overall atmosphere when you’re in it,” she said. “Women make the atmos phere more human.” Women need to unite and strive to dispose of stereotypes. / / / rx .V HftfK Ih. Mail mbiguity hinders II leader run-offs Robert Kimmel was right to be icerned about the people who ed for the run-off referendum, ras too vague. The J-board has no right to nterpret it to serve their own eds. The referendum must be rified and voted on again. The idea of four candidates in a loff for two positions is prepos- ous. There are two things that rst be done to justify the run- referendum. 1) Run for “places” (i.e., Place 1 Yell Leader, Place 2 Sr. Yell ader, etc.) or: 2) Admit that the referen- mwas created to punish the Corps for winning too much . These are the only two ways a run-off for two or three positions could be justified. Mike Lednicky Class of 96 I am writing to express my ut most respect for former junior yell leader candidate Robert Kimmel. It is clear by Kimmel’s decision to withdraw from the run-off that he is of the highest moral fiber and is un willing to allow pride to get in the way of doing what is right. Obviously, there was a clear mis interpretation by Student Body President Carl Baggett. This is af firmed by the unanimous decision given by the Judiciary Board late Monday night. Kimmel, who, along with one other junior yell leader candidate was not to be a contender in the run-off according to the in tent of the authors of the referen dum, was the only candidate who unselfishly chose to drop out of the race because he felt it did not com ply with the referendum we, the stu dent body, approved twice. Robert Kimmel is a true Aggie, willing to sacrifice all and give of himself in the name of fairness and justice. I think we could all learn a lesson from his honorable and admirable decision. Kaycie Swain Class of’99 Profanity prospers in students vocabulary 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: 111.1 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. MiteUxI Wm, I WANNA 6ET AN ENGLE WooeD oN MY CHEST. THEN, I WAMHA 6ET A Hose me. THEN, i WANNA compete m k'tight &WS’' contest/., <VN P rofanity peppers the vocabulary of many Texas A&M stu dents. From the sounds of some conversations heard on campus, one might think A&M is a uni versity full of sailors. Moreover, students who do not curse seem unwilling to ask those who do to refrain from doing so. This tolerance of pro fanity has allowed un seemly language to flour ish on campus. This casual use of profanity does not belong in the voic es of Aggies. Words have an incredible poten tial to anger. For example, when Tom Short visits Texas A&M, many individ uals are offended by his fiery mes sage. When an opinion columnist pens a controversial story, he is visited with piles of scornful mail. Yet vulgar words which should elicit an emotioned response no longer do so. Curse words should make listeners flush with anger, or at least blush with embarrassment. Un fortunately, most students do not even flinch when profanity graces their ears. It is amazing how the American people demand civility in the behav ior and language of our politicians and yet refuse to provide that civility themselves. We allow others to in dulge in vulgarity at our own expense because we lack the courage to ask them to not do so. Now, the first defense of profane individuals is to claim it is their right to curse, guaranteed by the First Amendment. This argument is based on the idea that cursing is a means of expressing oneself. But little is truly communicated by expressing oneself in common four-letter words. These words bludgeon the hearer with their vulgarity, working as a distraction from what is being said. A clearer, more original expression is made by using novel words. The problem is students have be come desensitized to profanity. They have heard curse words so many times that all emphasis and meaning have been lost. Construction of Bonfire site is well-known for the “colorful” lan guage of its builders. David Booth, former Moore Hall Yellow Pot and a Columnist I, John Lemons Engineering graduate student sophomore agricultur al systems manage ment major, said pro fanity is part of the Bonfire atmosphere. “When you're carrying a log, its caUed “finking a log.” When you need a group to carry a log, they’re called your ‘f**k crew,”’ said Booth. “If you say you need a log-carry ing crew, nobody’s going to know what you’re talk ing about.” Within the context of Bonfire, these words do not hold their common connotation. They are the lingo of the activity. Profanity serves as codewords to instruct participants what to do. “You don’t think of them [curse words] as being bad out there [at cut site],” Booth said. Ironically, when overused, pro fanity begins to lose its meaning. To use curse words repeatedly de fies the very definition of profani ty. Profane words are profane be cause they have been set apart as unacceptable. These words be come acceptable as individuals use them more frequently. These words must be used spar ingly to protect their integrity, so they do not further deteriorate into cliches. Profanity is designed to be used under appropriate circum stances, such as when you stub your toe or when the Board of Regents approves another fee increase. The key to stopping profanity is understanding why students use it. Somehow, in the minds of the profane, cursing projects an air of rebelliousness by defying society’s verbal taboos. But words, when used well, poses the power to motivate individuals to do great things. The Constitution pro tects and unifies our nation. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I have a dream” speech inspires us even today. Unfor tunately, words are often wasted. By using profanity so liberally, stu dents destroy the very words they use. Students need to save us all an earful by carefully considering what comes out of their mouths. Perhaps the safest bet is to remember if you can’t say something in front of your mother, it should not be said at all. Crumbling values in US A nylexas A&M student who JL\ observes the world around JL \them is sure to notice the de cay of the old, stately buildings which visually define this campus. With careful introspection, the same student also would observe the parallel between this decay and the rotting moral Opinion Editor Alex Walters Senior journalism major fiber of the American culture. The April 1 edition of The Dallas Morning News told a story of 23- year-old Todd Allen Rasco, a Whitehouse, Texas, man who pleaded guilty to the May '96 slaying of a homeless black man. Rasco claimed to have suici dal thoughts after an argument with his wife. He also said he had been drinking. Rasco testified to his lawyer, ER. “Buck” FUes, that his friends had ad vised him to “just kill a nigger” to alle viate his depression. Unfortunately, it was not a sick, unprofessional April Fool’s Day joke on the part of The Dallas Morning News. It was the true, tragic tale of a depressed twenty something who got drunk, bought a shotgun, shot a homeless man because he was black, and left the victim bleeding on a deserted Tyler street. When most individuals in Ameri can society feel “under the weather,” they do a number of things to pick themselves up. Some buy flowers, others take a day off, while some treat themselves to ice cream. Unfortu nately, some people choose to re spond to depression and bad days by making people around them feel their pain. This is human nature. Human nature also colors soci ety’s ideas of human worth. For instance, the Febmary edi tion of fashion magazine Marie Claire contained an article entitled, “The Ups and Downs of Big Breasts." In the article, three women (each of whom underwent a costly breast augmentation) described the joy and self-worth they realized with the pur chase of nine to 15 pounds of im planted silicone. Kim Chambers, a Las Vegas adult-film “actress,” whose bust went from a size 36DD to a 36FFF, said she feels better about herself since the operation. “In total, my breasts cost about $20,000,” she said. “But I’ve been paid back a million times over in self-con fidence. I have a competitive edge because 1 feel good about myself.” If Rasco and Chambers were an average representation of American society, there would certainly be something to worry about. No Amer ican with any sense of decency would want to be grouped with someone who killed a homeless man because he was depressed. Hopeful ly, no one would want to depend on the size of a random hunk of flesh for their self-worth. But sadly, Rasco and Chambers are a closer representation of American society than anyone would like to admit. Most people would readUy con fess they have sworn under their breath at a person who stole their parking space, and most A&M stu dents would proudly admit the desire to take revenge on the person re sponsible who made campus park ing spaces so rare. In short, private thoughts are the core of being, and if the core is taint ed, then so is the whole. Although most don’t agree that the Bible is absolute truth, the moral code it prescribes is accept able for many Americans. In fact, a pat answer to an inquiry of faith is often, “Well, I’m a good person, and I haven’t killed anyone.” The original version of the “wives' tale” known as the Golden Rule was found spoken by Jesus in the Gospel of Mark, chapter 12, verse 31. Despite the differences between Christianity, atheism, Judaism, Islam, and so on, it is obvious that American culture and the human race could stand a little more “brotherly love.” That may be difficult, because love begins with self-sacrifice and de votion to others, with no hope of a re turn on the investment. The world certainly would be a better place if everyone made an ef fort to replace the malice in their hearts witlr genuine love and respect.
