lursday • January 22, 1998
s
Ire
iENDERSCOPE
'’eminist agenda
«n education
I
iisrupts balance
Donny
Ferguson
columnist
liildren used to come home
I from school proudly clutch-
ing spelling tests, book re-
^rts and math quizzes as proof of
iei| hard work.
£ N( iwadays kids are coming home
ith gender-neutral dating meth-
is,jkites proudly proclaiming their
hdtphing of sex roles and a lot of
^ftsteem. Not surprisingly, they
feo <>wn rock-bottom test scores
idtliplomas they cannot read.
P Tlte culprit is “gender equity.”
junded on the belief low test
:ort's (specifically among girls) are the result of low self-
stefem due to institutional sexism, it is committed to
^■nating all “gender bias,” and the latest fad among the
Efmfnist fringe is doing more damage to schoolkids than
le patriarchy they believe oppresses them.
Supposedly, differences between men and women are
lerely anatomical, and any masculine or feminine behav-
>r is the product of an evil male-controlled society. It is up
> the omnipotent and all-caring public schools to correct
;xist behavior and reprogram gender roles.
Gender equity is simply a vehicle feminists use to sell
icir anti-male, anti-Western culture snake oil. The reason
rls lag behind is not because a conspiratorial patriarchy
anjts to make them second-class citizens, but because
minists infuse an ideological agenda into education,
roducing classrooms of girls and boys who cannot read
r write, but instead “feel.”
If gender equity were a religion, then high self-esteem
its nirvana. Long hailed by feminists and other leftists
the key to learning, more classroom time is being de-
|e footed to raising children’s confidence than actually
, :wring them.
I) However, as study after study shows, American chil-
ren consistently rank highest among all other nations in
C0l owj intelligent they rank themselves (the result of liberal
:aching methods). Unfortunately, they consistently rank
ist or next to last in actual performance (again, the result
s (liberal teaching methods).
be i Children in the District of Columbia rank themselves
ilaifighest in math skills, but finished dead last in mathemat-
oe 'al prowess. Clearly, self-esteem is not central to learning.
Imf Even more disturbing than gender equity’s goal is its
utrbgeous methods. Proponents employ extreme meth-
ds In their quest to abolish all perceived gender bias.
|d a? From bashing etiquette to blurring sex roles to turning
sl anguage and textbooks into a politically correct mine-
Co: eld, gender equity is destroying public education and
stcr istorting children’s views of everything from relation-
lips to American history.
According to “Comparisons of Traditional Social Cus-
>ms and Gender Equity,” traditional male-to-female eti-
erc-uftte can be degrading and urges students to question
Te rotocol. The guide refers to acts such as men paying for
est inner, seating the woman, offering his chair and opening
me ie door for her as stereotypical and offensive and even at-
icks wedding attire (perhaps they would be happier if the
Ipefoian wore the dress and the woman the tuxedo).
Michigan’s Department of Education’s Office for Sex
quity suggests children build a personalized kite with
ienly of room on the tail. Children are awarded a bow for
cyifie tail whenever they do something “nontraditional” for
nt heir sex, such as boys playing with dolls. The children are
d is ild, “My kite tail grows as I do.”
nt The long arm of gender equity even extends to text-
yopaboks and language. History books must depict equal
yea'um bers of men and women, even if history occurred
ie to herwise and evil words like “fireman” are replaced “fire-
nd otghter.” Gender equity obviously has nothing to do with
oftt iucation and everything to do with indoctrination.
L For example, California’s textbook guidelines state “il-
coo ; strations must contain approximately equal proportions
socmen and women” and “the contributions of men and
omen ... must appear in equal numbers.” Though femi-
sts may think men and women contributed equally to
story, the facts read otherwise,
asThe history of America and the world is dominated by
s 5 ' en, though sexual discrimination played a role in that
3m i nance. However, feminists cannot correct the ac-
ns of the past by rewriting history and any attempt to
Ijjpict equal numbers of men and women in historical
shortchanges history and cheats children out of a
tftmlity education.
$ Not even speech and language are safe from feminists’
i2. Many teachers are required to speak in “gender inclu-
e language.” They must operate from a “speech code”
ich strictly forbids the use of words like “weatherman”
lid “manhole.” Teachers must say “weather reporter” and
tilily/access cover.”
John Broyles, former editor of the left-wing Educator’s
•bulletin, writes, “The day is fast approaching when
,«y hools will be acknowledged for what they are becoming:
ciety’s agreed-upon vehicle for social change,” and
/larx and other theoreticians of social change ... have all
oken of the necessity of destroying the fabric of family
e in order to accommodate the needs of society under-
)ing... transformation.” Feminist educators have taken
Boyles and Marx’s words to heart by exploiting public ed-
:ation to practice gender equity.
* Gender equity fails to solve the problem of low test
C jores because it addresses self-esteem, not education
id wastes time teaching children to be “gender sensitive”
id adopt the role of the other sex, instead of teaching
ading, writing and math.
da) 1 The problem with falling test scores is not a lack of self-
j( p||fteem or an oppressive patriarchy, but a gaggle of far-left
“‘‘ lists who place their agenda ahead of the education
-nschoolchildren.
ml Gender equity education is not the solution to our edu-
tional problems, purging public schools of feminists is.
I.
Donny Ferguson is a junior political
science major.
The Battalion
Opinion
PERSPECTIVES
Ads target 'fashionable' depression
A merica — land of
the free and
home of the
brave. And increasing
ly, of the mentally ill.
That does depend
on perspective, of
course. If the standards
of mental illness,
namely depression,
were taken from a psy
chiatric journal or man
ual, then symptoms of
depression are some
what drastic. However, if the standards are
taken from an advertisement about Prozac,
depression is more prevalent than sex on
prom night. An excerpt from the Prozac ad:
“...You may have trouble sleeping. Feel
unusually sad or irritable. Find it hard to
concentrate. Lose your appetite. Lack ener
gy. Or have trouble feeling pleasure.”
I was somewhat offended, admittedly.
That just described half my week.
With those standards, maybe we should all
give our local psychiatrist a visit. Because we
are sick. Yes, yes, I am unhappy sometimes,
you are unhappy sometimes. That must
mean something is wrong with us, right?
As it turns out, no. Yet, more and more
Americans would rather have a prescription
for Prozac than face the fact that life is not all
sunshine, and pharmaceutical companies
could not be happier about that. According
to Eli Lilly, the company behind the produc
tion of Prozac, by June of 1997, 17 million
Americans received prescriptions for Prozac,
making Prozac not only a very profitable
drug, but almost a fashionable one.
This fact should not come as a surprise.
As a nation with an increasingly short atten-
Beverly
Mireles
columnist
tion span, we need solutions that work at a
breakneck pace. Prozac is just one more
product that has gained social approval
because of society’s quick-fix mentality.
More and more, this mentality is encour
aging people to try and diagnose them
selves for illnesses such as depression, and
ads for products such as Prozac, if taken at
face value, can make a person feel very sick,
if only by means of rationalization. That is
disturbing, considering the fact that ratio
nalization is almost a national pastime,
coming second only to generalization.
Depression, as diagnosed by a profes
sional, is a serious illness that affects the
sufferer physically as well as mentally. For
the people who are actual victims of de
pression, Prozac is a very helpful drug.
However, being simply unhappy, or irrita
ble, as the ad suggests, does not mean
everyone should jump on the over-med
icated bandwagon.
Easy fixes are nice to have, but they are
not always practical. Popping a pill will not
end war, hate, discrimination, nor will it
find a solution for these problems. Some
times suffering through a problem will ne
cessitate an idea for its solution.
Of course, people who exhibit actual
symptoms for depression — self loathing,
suicidal thoughts, sudden and drastic
changes in personality and other symptoms
— should get help.
But for those of us who simply are not
having a great day, contentment might be
found in the admittance that we cannot al
ways be happy, not even at the bottom of a
Prozac bottle.
Beverly Mireles is a Jreshman
microbiology major.
CAMPUS CONNECTION
Students should embrace activism, involvement
I f you are a freshman, you
should not be reading
this column. And you
certainly shouldn’t be hold
ing a newspaper.
In fact, according to the
University of California at
Los Angeles’ annual study
surveying college freshmen,
this year’s class is the most
apathetic, bored and lazy in
a generation. An inspiring
commentary to say the least.
Academically, students
spend fewer hours on homework, miss more class
es because of oversleeping and are more bored in
class than freshmen in previous years. Civically, in
terest in political affairs has dropped over 13 per
cent since the begin ning of the decade, social ac
tivism has decreased and although volunteerism
has increased, only 19 percent of students say that
there is a “very good chance” they will continue
this type of community service in college.
This seemingly indifferent attitude toward gov
ernmental and social issues is not a new trend.
Over the last decade, the interest shown by incom
ing freshmen about politics, government, racial
understanding and the environment has slowly
decreased, particularly when these issues targeted
personal involvement.
In an age where access to most anything is at
one’s fingertips, it is easy to fall into a pattern of
laziness. Bank transactions can be conducted via
computer, Web sites can be accessed for informa
tion that once had to be looked up in a card cata
log, fajitas can be delivered right to one’s front
door — it is amazing.
Because of these advances, America has be
come an impatient society, bemoaning the fact
that it takes three whole minutes to nuke a pot pie.
Is it a wonder that college students have picked up
on this attitude?
It would be nice to think that the results of this
survey do not apply to students at Texas A&M. Af
ter all, A&M is known for its leadership, its school
pride, its tradition.
Of all schools, A&M should be one of the few
that enjoys political and social activism. And with
such a wealth of knowledge available through re
search, libraries and faculty, no student should
ever find themselves bored. Unfortunately, this is
not always the case.
There are many things to worry about as a
freshman — studying, working, adapting to col
lege life. It does not, however, excuse the total lack
of initiative students take to positively manipulate
the world around them.
Boredom was highlighted as one of the biggest
academic concerns. Students report finding it
harder than ever to find classes stimulating. Most,
however, plan to continue their uninspiring edu
cation. Close to 40 percent say they plan to seek at
least a master’s degree. Academic credentials seem
to be the primary motivator for staying in the edu
cational system rather than knowledge.
So what can be done to rekindle the desire to
learn? Granted, there will be times when it is un
avoidable to take a less than inspiring class, but
students can influence their education by taking a
little time to flip through a course selection guide.
Every student at A&M is required to take hours of
science, humanities, social science and history.
However, instead of choosing standard classes like
Introductory Biology or History of the United
States, take introduction to zoology or American
society and culture. Or, if a college requires certain
standards like Introductory Biology, select an in
teresting elective each semester, not just a course
that is purported to be an “easy A.” If a course is
not interesting to a student, the work becomes dif
ficult by default because there is no motivation to
study, to read or to learn. By becoming excited
about one subject, it is easier to see the overall
benefit of education.
As far as social and political activism are con
cerned, there is a wealth of opportunity available
both at A&M and in the Bryan-College Station
area. Whether a student has tons of time to do
nate or hardly any, becoming part of an organiza
tion or movement that has a larger goal in mind
can be thoroughly rewarding.
For example, Big Event is a time when students
can donate one day of their year to helping out in
the community by cleaning parks, painting homes
or repairing buildings. If a student can spare more
than one day a year, they should consider volunteer
ing at a nursing home once a month or volunteering
once a week at a crisis hot line. Whatever the organi
zation, it should be something that a student enjoys.
Volunteering is the easiest way for college students
to become involved in their communities because
they choose how much or how little they do.
To become involved in governmental issues,
students can join a club on campus that supports
their political views. They can campaign for a lo
cal government official or join Student Govern
ment on campus.
But the easiest way for students to combat the
apathetic trend of incoming freshman classes is to
pick up a newspaper. By reading about local, na
tional and global events, students are automatical
ly involved in their community. Once made
aware, it becomes virtually impossible to turn a
cold shoulder and stay uninvolved.
Jennifer Jones is a senior
psychology major.
Jennifer
Jones
columnist
Alcohol and athletics
promise to be bad mix
Aggies are not like, nor do we want
to be like everybody else. So, why are
we rushing to be like the University of
Texas, Louisiana State University or
some professional football program?
Have we given in to the pull of the
world to put money above all else?
One of the things we Aggies always
pride ourselves in is that we respect
our campus and all of the memorials
and traditions on our campus (includ
ing Kyle Field).
We, and rightly so, blast our neigh
bors at Austin and Baton Rouge for
their rude behavior and attitudes at
ball games; for their slashing of oppo
nents’ tires and being drunk at their
ball games.
And how often have we seen t.u.
and LSU fans trashing our campus
with liquor and beer bottles when they
come to Aggieland? And, in essence,
acting like rude and crude imbeciles.
And now, with the expansion of Kyle
Field, those “in charge” have decided
that in order for “us” Aggies to be “on
top shelf” and “world class,” we must
offer alcoholic beverages in our stadi
um to keep up with the others and to
bring in more of the almighty dollar. I
think they refer to it as “a full-service
open bar.”
And this comes on the heels of a re
port that says 53 percent of vehicle-re
lated deaths on Texas highways involve
alcohol. I’m confident that if we looked
into the reason for a majority of Silver
Taps events, we would sadly find that
many of them involved alcohol also.
Is this what we want; the message
that we want to send to our children?
Do we really want to put our selves in a
position of support for a full-service
bar on our campus? Has drinking and
athletics ever been a good mix or creat
ed a positive situation?
Aren’t Aggies still about doing what’s
right? Can we not make a decision that
doesn’t have at its center the major fo
cus on “making money?”
Besides, can somebody explain to
me how those in “the club” can have
one eye on the game and one eye on
the Yell Leaders and be involved as a
part of the 12th Man and be ordering
drinks at the same time? Come on
Aggies — wake up.
Build the “End Zone” if you must
— but let’s leave the alcohol off cam
pus. It is simple—just do what is
right. Somebody make the tough de
cision — one that will benefit the stu
dents and Aggieland. Make the deci
sion that will make us different.
Frank Cox
Class of’65
Freeze on permits
creates parking woes
I want to voice my opinion about
the lousy parking situation. It stinks,
as usual.
My husband was in New Mexico
for two weeks before the semester
started working on a project directly
related to his Ph.D. He didn’t have a
chance to register for a parking pass
for this semester over the phone sys
tem, so he called later to arrange to
purchase one.
Much to our surprise, we learned
that Parking, Traffic and Transporta
tion Services is no longer selling
parking permits. What a great way to
treat students. Due to logistics, he
can’t ride a shuttle bus, walk, or
bike to campus. So where is he to
park? The only solution we were
given by a “parking counselor” was
that he could park in a visitor
garage. Those same garages where
all the spaces are filled and you
have to wait several hours for a
space during class hours — yes, I
think that’s a viable option.
Thank you, PTTS, for your wis
dom in handling this situation so
well. It’s exactly what I’ve come to
expect from dealing with you for
seven years.
April Nolen
Class of’95
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