$ pday • February 13, 1998
The Battalion
ERSPECTIVES
and After
alse independence, rebellion of Generation X-ers soon changes in real world
Michelle
Voss
columnist
\k\
ay adios to nose rings,
ced eyebrows, tongue studs,
lDll | ced cartilage,etc., etc.
ep, the moment the corporate
jquarters in Atlanta call for an
rview, it’s sayanora to rebel-
Or, rather, psuedo-rebellion.
[he raving trend of the past
years or so has been to
ce one’s flesh in somewhat
Dictions places,
efforts to draw attention to
's sense of anarchism, Trent
orism — which, by the way, 1 1
ild be a pop-culture refer-
in the OED — or inner-craziness, leagues of "non-
brmists” have resorted to primitive means of self-
sement.
his cultural phenomena of self-mutilation
[ngst American youth is intriguing from an anthro-
gical point of view and rather nauseating from an
dean youth’s point of view.
tempting to rebel, thousands of youth are just con
ing to a superficial standard of non-conformity,
ndeed, there is no intellectual or philosophical
nancy behind our fascination with masochis-
ehavior.
If you ask people why they pierced their eyebrow,
K tongue or belly button the answer might be, “It
this cool,” “I just wanted it” or, my personal favorite,
pi
a passive shrug.
In fact, the University truism, which we all ingest
without struggle, is that we will graduate, find a job and
remove our tongue bar and eyebrow ring because they’re
just not appropriate for the corporate offices at Compaq.
So, two points of concern present themselves.
First, it is rather disillusioning that we are not al
lowed to express ourselves once we arrive in the “pri
vate sector” or “business world” or “real life.”
In order to become an adult, we must don a pin
striped suit and a pair of wing-tip shoes; otherwise, we
have not grown up.
Associated with words such as “punk-rocker” (in my
grandmothers terms), “angsty” or bizarre, piercing are
not altogether welcome at a corporate board meeting.
Of course, the opulent corporate high-rises with
their plush burgundy carpet, Renoir prints and late-
19th century antique settees do not welcome Vans, tat
tered Levis and tongue rings.
Okay, we all know that. But, why? Why do they care
what their employees look like?
The obvious answers would be something like, your
tongue ring would ruin all the envelopes you have to
lick, or all of the metal on your head might interfere
with the reception of your cellular phone.
However, the reality of the situation is that our cul
ture says it is unacceptable to look different, especial
ly when you’re making copies of your face, hands and
bottom on the office copier.
As Dilbert makes sardonically clear, the anonymity
of corporate life dictates that we must conform.
Which brings up my second point. We are willful
conformists.
First, we conform to non-conformity. Then, we con
form to work-place etiquette.
Our little piercings are a desperate attempt to break
free from the banality and drabness of the basic mold.
But, we can never truly change societal norms if we
simply give in.
When a company dangles $50,000 and a car al
lowance in front of us, we will gladly take out the nose
ring and throw away the dingy tongue bar.
Is this pessimism, cynicism? No, this is a requiem, a
nostalgic sigh for what could have been an actual dif
ference our generation could have made.
We could have, we still could, refuse to be the same
as everyone else.
So, over our morning bear-claw and coffee, let us
pause for a moment of silence to commemorate our
last days of psuedo-rebellion.
Michelle Voss is a sophomore English major.
DICE FROM THE CROWD
STUDENT LIFE
ternatives to abortion exist
f
irufli
nces
i v
Kristy
Cranley
guest columnist
Ihis
Christ
mas
3, my
nt and
cle ar-
ed home
m Russia
th a pre-
ms new
t: a baby
y. After
ing for
ml years
adopt a child here in America,
;y finally spent $30,000 to go
Russia where they had to wait
[over a month before they
|uld adopt my cousin Jacob,
ey are not alone.
The Family Research
imcil reports that each
1.6 million adoption
, guests go unsatisfied in
T"' nerica alone. Surpris-
o« :| Jjy, there is actually a
liting list for babies
P th Down’s syndrome
D eI d spina bifida as well
[ing 1 healthy children. And
tl.5 million children
ntinue to be aborted
ah nually, as young unwed
others are fed the lie that
p ortion is their only alterna-
Some of the symptoms include
guilt, regret, remorse, shame, low
ered self-esteem, insomnia and
nightmares. Dr. and Mrs. J. C.
Willke, authors of Love Them Both,
say symptoms such as flashbacks,
anniversary reactions, hostility
and even hatred toward men are
also common, although they may
not start until five or 10 years after
the abortions.
Adoption is made out to be a
“fate worse than death” for the child,
when in fact studies in the National
Adoption Report show children
erf;
With abortion being such a hot
tfi&jpic, I’m sure everyone is familiar
th the catch phrase “my body,
ychoice.” The problem is that
ost women never get the
iance to learn what exactly their
w® oices are. They are encouraged to
st have an abortion as if that will
'U everything. The fact is the proce-
ire itself often produces physical
implications.
Moreover, people rarely hear
out the psychological prob-
ms that commonly occur after
abortion called Post Abortion
'tidrome.
adopted as infants are often more
positive and better adjusted to life
than their non-adopted peers.
If you are currently facing a cri
sis pregnancy, please don’t despair.
Know there are plenty of places
that can help you. There are 4,000
different pregnancy help centers
around the country dedicated to
giving confidential assistance to
distressed pregnant women.
The services offered can in
clude finding the mother a job, a
place to live, a new school, med
ical or legal help, clothes, coun
seling and anything else she may
need to help her carry her baby to
term. Some local ministries in
clude Hope Pregnancy Services,
Good Samaritan Pregnancy Ser
vices and Project Gabriel.
There are also many organiza
tions such as these in the Austin
area. If the first place you call
can’t help you with your specific
needs, they can direct you to
those who can.
If you have had an abortion and
are suffering from the aforemen-
r ^ honed symptoms of Post Abor-
tion Syndrome, there are peo-
pie who can help you as well.
Many of the above-men
tioned help clinics can di
rect you to support groups
for women who have had
abortions. There is also a
support network and re
treat called Project Rachel
which helps women
grieve and heal from the
hurt of abortion, and can
be reached locally by call
ing St. Mary’s Catholic
Church or nationally at 1 (800)
5-WE-CARE.
It is important to remember the
choice for or against abortion
should not have to be a choice be
tween the mother and the child. To
be young, unwed and pregnant is a
lonely and frightening situation,
and these young mothers deserve
our love and support.
In the same way, the tiny help
less lives inside of them also need
our love and support. Why can’t
we love them both?
jm
Kristy Cranley is
a sophomore
psychology major.
Gifts demand careful thought
W:;l
I
Mickey
Saloma
columnist
world was
St. Valen
tine, and
why did he
have to ruin
my Febru
ary? Valen
tine’s Day is
a holiday for
women 1 - - —
most likely begun by a woman
who wanted more presents from
her significant other.
Just as I was recovering from
the severe mental and physical
anguish I encountered trying to
get my girlfriend the ultimate
Christmas present, society desig
nates another day in which one
has to blow precious money on
that special someone they love.
I think I celebrate a part of
Valentine’s Day with my girl
friend every single day. I spend
quality time with her. I tell her
that I love her, and I mean it.
There is no reason there
should be a single day of the
year devoted to the one you
love. If you love somebody you
should show it everyday. You
should not have to shower them
with gifts on one day to let them
know you care.
I do not understand why we
do not have a holiday that hon
ors one’s best friend.
The holiday would be to cel
ebrate that special friend whom
you laugh with, gossip with,
joke around with and whom
you love dearly.
Maybe we could also come up
with a holiday to honor our cus
todian. I can see it now, dorm
residents could take up collec
tions and get the custodian a gift.
Hey, custodians need love too.
Well, that could be too ex
treme; however my point is that
all relationships should be cher
ished everyday and not be the
sole focus on one day nor an ex
cuse to give somebody a gift.
Maybe I don’t understand
Valentine’s Day, but still, my sev
eral shortcomings in the mental
capacity are not going to save
me from having to buy a present.
I, like most males, am an ex
tremely simple being. I could
quite honestly go without a gift.
Valentine’s Day is for the ladies.
I am not saying I would be of
fended to get something, I love
getting stuff I did not have to pur
chase. It is simply easier to shop
for a man than it is for a woman.
There is no denying that.
For example, if a guy would
get a shirt as a gift, he would be
happy and appreciative. He
would see the shirt as a most ex
cellent addition to his pitiful
wardrobe. However, if he bought
his girlfriend a shirt for Valen
tine’s Day, well... that would be
another story.
In my past experiences with
members of the opposite sex,
getting a woman a shirt for
Valentine’s Day would cause her
to go ballistic. She would see it
as an attack on her fashion
sense. That kind of gift would
probably cause her to throw
some sort of tantrum similar to
that thrown by your average
“Jerry Springer” guest.
My quest to find the ultimate
Valentine’s gift has been a drain
ing experience. I want to do
something different, something
fun, something at least semi-ro
mantic and most importantly,
something cheap. This is easier
said than done.
I refuse to go the traditional
route of roses and or chocolates
for many reasons.
First, that’s been overdone,
and it’s also really boring. Guys,
you can be more creative than
this. Ladies, you should expect
more than this.
Also, roses die and the recipi
ent of this rose is left with noth
ing but an empty vase and mem
ories of what once was.
Likewise, chocolate is digested
leaving nothing behind but the
guilt of eating the entire box and
a little more body to work off at
the Rec Center.
Creativity in buying a Valen
tine’s gift is essential. However,
you must be careful not to cross
the fine line between being cre
ative and being cheesy.
Cheesiness has its time and
place, but I can assure you this is
one holiday that should be fraught
with sincerity, or else you will hear
about it.
Thus, don’t go writing rhymed
poetry comparing her eyes to the
skies or her laugh to a giraffe.
Also, don’t get her a flower and
compare her to that flower. Sure
that’s sweet and creative, but
since we make such a big deal
about Valentine’s Day, the least
we can do is give a gift that has
class and style with love as the
general theme.
I am not sure that such a gift
exists, but you can bet that I and
any many other guys will con
tinue on our odysseys to find the
gifts that will send the right
message. No matter how long
and arduous the quest will be,
the ladies deserve it. Never for
get that.
Mickey Saloma is a senior
journalism major.
it i
MAIL CALL
te of paper products
jSbisa shows waste
Fs many Aggies know, at the be-
ning of last semester Sbisa din-
1’s dishwashing section was
pmplete after its renovations.
Jposable paper and plastic
T ns iis replaced washable ones
I many weeks.
I ^ visited our facility yesterday
only to learn that we are still using
throwaway paper cups and plastic
bowls. When asked why, a Sbisa
manager told me that they felt it
was easier on them.
This is an unnecessary waste of
resources and landfill space that
should immediately be halted. I
submitted a “Sbisa Report Card”
given to me by the manager to ex
press my feelings. I hope others
will do the same.
Michael D. Watts
Class of’97
Plan to modernize
dorms ignores tradition
I find it distressing that yet
again the University has reduced
the dignity of its on-campus resi
dents to that of sub-human cash
cows for the milking.
The Department of Resident
Life, that wonderful organization
that is supposed to care about on-
campus residents has suddenly
made major decisions that drasti
cally affect the communities of
Hart and Walton, without even
giving Hart and Walton a say.
We as sub-human residents be
neath Resident Life’s dignity have
been sacrificed in worship to the
almighty dollar.
By not giving us a say in the re
cent non-air hall modifications,
Resident Life and the people fi
nancially pressuring Resident Life
have revealed yet again their true
attitude toward students.
We students are trivial factors
in Resident Life decision-making.
Resident Life offers many
words to mask their callous plans,
but we residents judge them by
their aloof and damaging actions.
How comforting it is to know
Resident Life is willing to shatter
two resident families for the sake
of budgets, numbers and politics.
David Rickerson
Class of’99
Article misrepresents
religion of Hindu people
In response to the Feb. 11 article:
I am very happy to know about
the history and traditions of the kiss.
I would like to take this opportu
nity to clarify a section in the article
which appears to have been insert
ed in the middle of your dialogue.
“The Indian Kama Sutra... about
kissing as we know it today” In that
paragraph there is a factual error
stating “..Kama Sutra, a collection
of erotic and religious poems...”
Kama Sutra was never and will
never be considered a religious
work from the land and people
where is was written. It is a well
known fact “kama” means sex and
“sutra” means laws.
Such false statements hurt sen
timents of mine and many other
Hindus.
I hope The Battalion will put
proper research when writing about
subjects which it not familiar with.
And we have access to a world class
research pool right here. The article
could easily be more accurate.
Srikar Chunduri
Texas Occupational Health
and Safety Institute
Comic strip subject
matter offends, appalls
I am writing in response to the
Simel & Lewis cartoon in the Feb .6
edition of The Battalion. I was read
ing the edition over breakfast that
morning and was appalled at the
connotations present in the car
toon which compared Texas A&M
University with Communist Russia.
Your portrayal of A&M as a
communist organization is de
plorable, and you should be
ashamed of yourself for doing so.
As you already know, many
A&M students have given their
lives in numerous ways and con
flicts to fight communism and to
protect Democracy around the
world. Your portrayal has stomped
on the graves of these brave indi
viduals and insulted many current
A&M students.
I agree with your right to pub
lish whatever you deem printable,
but in this instance, you have gone
too far.
Karl Cox
Class of’00