OPINION
ursday. February 17. 2000 THE BATTALION Page 9
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seems that every
where one looks,
American society is
sessed with female
bits — how they dress,
sak and portray them-
ves in public situations.
Entertainers such as
itney Spears and Christi-
Aguilera seem to take
brunt of the criticism. They are constantly ac-
sed of setting a bad example for their teenage
JESSICA
CRUTCHER
standard in a bottle, baby
What a girl wants is for
critics to judge entertainers
the same, regardless of sex
dog leaching service. _ .
rethods 260-dogs lowers because of skm-baring costumes and
ggestive lyrics. In a recent interview w ith Peo-
; magazine, Britney Spears defended accusa-
ms of being “too sexy, too soon."
But Spears should never have had to defend her
in. large fenced h»Jage in the first place. The real question is why
AHord & company Reel]?! ma ] e artists should he expected to provide whole-
me examples for teenage girls, while it is pertect-
acceptable for male artists such as Ricky Martin
gyrate their hips in motions that would make
vis blush.
Critics should either complain about the bad in-
tence of both genders of entertainers equally or
avethem all alone to do their job:
t is understood that female entertainers are
:ld to a higher standard than their male conn
H Jamie castliio ? $=* Itc parts. An excerpt from a recent letter to the
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ie [Jewel] doesn't want to be a role model and
ever sought it out. but she is one ... 1 resent
ewel’s seemingly flippant and unnervingly
avalier resolutions to ‘start smoking and exer-
iseless’... her words will have teenagers light-
ig up....”
It is disturbing that a female entertainer
hould be criticized for joking about smoking
Jigarettes, while Kid Rock a much more
ligh-profile entertainer — sings about daigs
nd flashes obscene gestures at the camera with
relatively little comment from anyone. Presum
ably, people recognize that he is an entertainer,
a job requirement which he seems to be meeting
quite well. Female entertainers should be grant
ed the same respect of being left alone to do
their job in relative peace.
Female entertainers undeniably help mold
society’s idea of what the “perfect” female
should look like. However, Spears’ bare midriff
and Aguilera’s semi-suggestive dance moves do
more to mirror contemporary teen culture than
to change it.
Some people argue that it is excusable to
hold female entertainers to a higher standard be
cause teenage girls are more easily influenced
than teenage boys. This would be a logical argu
ment if female entertainers influenced only
teenage girls and male entertainers influenced
only teenage hoys. But people of both genders
listen to, and perform, pop music. Male enter
tainers have just as great an influence on
teenage girls as do females.
Ever since Elvis, male entertainers have
been known for the obsessive effects they have
had on teenage girls. One only has to look at
the many “biographies” (which happen to be
filled with color photos) of male groups such
as ’N Sync and the Backstreet Boys to realize
the fascination teenage girls have w ith male
music groups.
It is impossible to acknowl
edge this fascination and simul
taneously say that males are not
equally capable of being just as
negative role models as females.
Ricky Martin sings a song
called “Shake Your Bon Bon.”
Imagine the furor if a female artist
produced a song dedicated solely
to shaking a certain body part.
And on the subject of making
girls feel they must fit a certain
ideal, look at the appearances of
the girls that boy groups “date”
in their videos. Showing a regu
lar guy with a gorgeous woman
has more power to make a
teenage girl feel inadequate than
the thinnest super model ever
dreamed of having.
One example is the song
“Summer Girls” by the group
LEO. The song, sung by an un
deniably attractive group of men, includes the
lyrics “1 like girls that wear Abercombie and
Fitch....”
At least Britney Spears and Christina Aguil
era stop at promoting a certain image and do not
go on to lyrically recommend a certain brand of
clothing be worn in order to gain acceptance.
Female entertainers may not promote the
image every mother wants for her teenage
daughter, but they are no more deserving of crit
icism than their male counterparts.
Critics of teenage culture should either com-
RUBEN DELUNA/Thk Battalion
plain about both genders of performers equally
or leave the entertainers alone and let them do
their job.
Jessica Crutcher is a sophomore
journalism major.
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School drug tests violate students’ rights
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In response to a perceived drug
itoblem the school board of Lockney,
r exas has begun requiring drug testing
tthe beginning of the school year for
II students and random monthly testing
iroughout the rest of the term. This
dth Padre island Irom $1591 Came about because a COl.ple of
Best oceanfrom hoteis/cog earsago 13 residents who were not
ven students, were indicted for distrib-
tingand using cocaine and marijuana
tthe town of 2,243.
Brady Tannahi 11, a 12-year-old stu-
it, is the only one of 339 students re
using to take the drug test, and he is
iow being punished as if he had taken
he test and it came back positive. What
reafenergy bo“S heSch ° o1 board ° f Lockney is doing is
se delivery in B/cs. checks-’ lot only unconstitutional, it rips at the
abricofthe educational system.
Tliis policy is unconstitutional for
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wo distinct reasons. The first is that this
irocedure violates the students’ right to
irivacy. The school has no probable
:ause to force the students to be tested
or drag use.
In addition, the students have no
iioice but to take the tests. Enrollment
n school is mandatory, and short of at-
ending private or being home schooled
both expensive, difficult options), stu-
lenfs are basically required by the gov-
itybeachclub.coi]j| fffment to take drug tests. This is ille-
. Mandatory drug tests are a
requirement of some jobs and extracur
ricular activities, hut no one forces an
individual to accept a particular job or
to participate in a particular activity.
Employment and extra-curricular activ
ities are optional, and the drug test is an
unfortunate consequence of choosing to
take advantage of the option. School is
not an option, and requiring students to
take drug tests is forcing the students to
give up their right to privacy.
Further
more, this pol
icy is uncon
stitutional
because it as
sumes guilt.
The Constitu
tion guaran
tees all sus
pects are
innocent until
proven guilty.
However, Tan
nahi 11 is being
punished as if
he had tested positive for drugs. Tan-
nahill refused to submit to a humiliating,
illegal procedure, and is being punished
as if he is some washed-up dopehead.
Ain’t Lockney justice grand?
While police officers arrest and pun
ish suspects who refuse to take a breath
alyzer test, officers do not pull over
everyone on the highway and request a
test. They wait until they have probable
cause to believe a suspect is drunk be
fore they even think about testing.
Many parents, and many conserva
tives for that matter, would say that stu
dents in school do not have significant
rights, and should be quiet and enjoy
the free education. It is taie that the
Supreme Court has found students do
leave certain rights, most notably free
speech, at the schoolhouse gate. How
ever, these rights are only abridged if
doing so is in the interests of education.
Student newspapers (in high school, not
at a university) can be prevented from
criticizing the school if the principal be
lieves the censorship is in the interest of
education.
Is testing students for drugs in the
best interests of education? Is forcing
every student in
grades six
through 12 to
urinate into a
little plastic
cup, just be
cause some
people got
caught with
drugs a few
years ago, in the
best interests of
education? Is
punishing a 12-
year-old student
for standing up for himself in the best
interests of education?
Lockney residents cite the arrests
and the increasing use of drugs in small
town America as ample justification for
their policy.
This same logic states that, because
35 students were scholastically dishon
est last year, and scholastic dishonesty
as a whole is on the rise in the country,
every student at Texas A&M should re
ceive a strip search immediately before
each exam because somebody might
have hidden crib notes. Such a program
would be beyond absurd, just like Lock
ney’s drug tests.
What is perhaps worse is the
hypocrisy displayed by the school board
and superintendent Raymond Lusk.
While speaking to CNN, Lusk respond
ed to questions concerning lawsuits by
saying, “If it’s the right thing to do, you
don’t let the threat of someone suing
you stop you.”
This must only apply to grown-ups,
and not students. Lusk can do “the right
thing,” but Tannahill is condemned to
in-school suspension for upholding ex
actly the same principle Lusk is patting
himself on the back for.
The educational system serves the
triple purpose of giving students knowl
edge, instilling the ability to think, and
helping them develop character. The
constant interruptions of drug testing,
combined with the blatant lack of trust
displayed by the school toward its stu
dents and staff, will hurt the first two
tenets of education.
The hypocrisy shown by Lusk de
stroys students’ faith in the faculty,
which could bring about the moral
breakdown that the citizens of Lockney
fear. Students who feel like they are not
trusted will not be able to form the at
tachments to adults that help foster moral
character. No trust means no morals.
Lockney’s citizens are not only be
ing hypocritical and untrusting; they are
wrong. These drug tests are unconstitu
tional and must be stopped. Students in
public school are not automatically
criminals, nor should they be treated as
such just for standing up for them
selves. Brady Tannahill is being pun
ished for taking the principles he was
taught to heart by the very people
whose duty it is to teach him. At least
they are not burning him at the stake.
Chris Huffmes is a senior speech
communication major.
reat
t you run a
it you'll get
work and
l have a
to fill a job
ting less
0569.
Aggie Christians more
tolerant than stereotype
nresponse to Julia Recindus’ Feb. 11 article.
1 The article entitled “Testing the Waters of
| : aith” contains well-developed points about
low minority religious groups are oppressed by
ithers. I would not argue with these points,
lowever, the article crosses the line into
stereotyping all Christians at Texas A&M.
It seems the article failed to recognize that
here are campus religious organizations who
ire committed to religious tolerance and reli
gious rights on the A&M campus.
For example, the Campus Ministers Associ-
ition includes approximately 15 A&M religious
organizations who choose to adhere to its
‘code or ethics.”
Among other values, these organizations
are committed to respecting “the values of all
People regardless of religious background
[and] the right of every person to retain his/her
own belief system ... and to make their own
tecision in freedom.”
These groups are committed to religious
fights, namely “the right of religious groups to
speak freely about their beliefs and faith in a
Planner consistent with the solicitation policies
ofTAMU and CMA Code of Ethics.”
I would encourage editors of The Battalion
MALL CALL
to include viewpoints from organizations asso
ciated with the Campus Minister’s Association
in order to embrace the diversity of religious
perspectives on the Texas A&M campus.
Rev. Kyle M. Walker
campus minister
Mock wedding immoral,
offensive to Christians
In response to Brooke Hodges Feb. 15 article.
Valentine’s Day will never be the same. A
day that normally instills feelings of love and
laughter now brings to mind images that are
not only obtrusive and offensive, but they vio
late the very laws of nature and our God.
The mock weddings that took place on Mon
day brought not only indignation and degenera
cy to the tradition of Valentine’s Day but to the
entire Texas A&M campus. I am astonished
that such blatant disregard for both God’s laws
and the feelings of many students was demon
strated and am disappointed with administra
tors who allowed this show on campus.
Marriage is a sacred institution designed by
God to unite a man and a woman as one flesh.
In 1 Corinthians, the Lord gave us instructions
on how to conduct ourselves in marriage. They
were given to husbands and wives. There is an
obvious abhorrence for all sexual immorality,
including homosexuality.The Lord does not con
done same-sex relations, nor does he condone
a false prophet like the “reverend” who per
formed these “mock ceremonies,” blasphem
ing his name for all to see. It is not for me to
judge, but it is that for the Lord. For when the
roll is called, you will be separated from the
flock as the left is separated from the right.
Jessica Andrews
Class of '00
Accompanied by 4 signatures
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Debate on wedding
counterproductive
W hen
singing
“Spirit of Ag-
I gieland,” Aggies
tell outsiders
Texas A&M is a
university where
all students are
unified.
A&M is known for events such as
Big Event, Muster and Bonfire, for the
sole purpose that we work, remember,
and desire together as a family.
But despite these ideals, A&M
students stand divided over the issue
of discrimination against the gay and
lesbian students on this campus.
On Monday, two female stu
dents, Natalie Wilson and Amy
Hinze, participated in a mock wed
ding ceremony at Rudder Fountain.
There were two types of people at
the event: Aggies with smiles and
Aggies with frowns.
As two students pledged their
mock vows to each other, students
representing the “Aggies for Life”
organization passed out chastity rib
bons and pamphlets discussing how
“God made the woman's body to fit
perfectly with the man’s.”
So, those watching without a
strong opinion of the marriage of
gay and lesbian couples, suddenly
were laced with a decision. Either
clap and whoop for the couple bold
ly taking a stand for their life choic
es or put on a ribbon and follow the
advice of “Aggie for Life” and “just
pray for them.”
The question of whether it was
right or wrong that this event has
occurred on our campus can be ar
gued over and over, with great
points on each side. But the prob
lem at Rudder Fountain on Monday
was the division that this issue has
caused on our campus.
There should not be sides work
ing only for themselves and against
the other simply because everyone
on this campus does not share the
same opinion. It has been forgotten
that Aggies are supposed to all be
on the same team.
Yes, at the turn of the century it is
time that the world accepted different
choices of sexual orientation and the
students at A&M acknowledged
these choices on our campus.
But, at the same time, Texas
A&M is a school known for its con
servatism and to host this event con
tradicts many of the beliefs from the
student body.
The problem is no that the wed
ding occurred, it is that this group of
people feels so under represented
and neglected that it was necessary to
take these drastic measures to be
heard. How can a school that claims
to be one of the friendliest campuses
in the nation be shunning some of its
own family?
Not everyone has to take a stand
on this issue, but do not let it contin
ue to divide the campus. There is no
need to stage a heterosexual wedding
because there is an understanding
and acceptance that they exist.
This does not mean that all the
students on this campus promote and
agree with heterosexuality or that
they are “right” or “wrong” in their
beliefs, it just means that Aggies un
derstand it. The students participating
felt the need to host this wedding due
to a lack of understanding or accep
tance that they feel from this campus.
There will always be students that
desire to be at A&M for its conserva
tive atmosphere, as surely as others
desire to attend the University of
Texas because of its liberal attitude.
But, equally, there will always be
exceptions to the stereotypes, and
those people should be accepted just
the same. Vision 2020, an attempt to
make our campus one of the top ten
universities in the United States,
aims at creating an all-accepting en
vironment in which every Aggies can
live and go to school.
It also explains the hopes that
Texas A&M University will not be a
place where people leave because of
discrimination issues. The ideals
have been written to make this
school one of the best. Now it is up
to the students to let go of the un
necessary hostility undermining
these problems, and put Vision 2020
into action.
No one will ever be right or
wrong here, but until Aggies can
have an open mind, both sides of the
battle will have lost to this issue.
Texas A&M, although known for
its conservatism, is also known for
having graduates that are described
as lacking in their knowledge of di
versity. Here is the chance to change
that. It is time to prove these studies
wrong and show the world that Texas
A&M is accepting environment for
all different kinds of Aggies.
If the gay and lesbian students felt
accepted by this campus, there would
have been no need for this exploita
tion of their sexual orientation. But
there is a need for accepting the
choices of each Aggie on this campus.
A need for understanding that all
students are not the same here at
Texas A&M. Most of all a need for
the realization that this issue is di
viding a campus that could easily be
unified. It is time to be “true to each
other” and realize that when stand
ing unified as one, Aggies are at
their strongest.
Melissa Bedsole is a sophomore
general studies major.