Thursday, March9,5
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(AP) — Dennis Rodj
an a month to wear on!
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icks gave up on theirbij
Wednesday, giving him:
after he lashed out as;:
OPINION
Thursday, March 9, 2000
THE BATTALION
Page 9
RE PASS OR DUMBASS?
Students promote spring break stereotype
through actions, make regrettable decisions
‘S
pnng
break
RODMAN
which
: move
: before
nent, said it would
irsdav morning.
,vas no immediatecok
A University of Florida student
named Cody posted that informative
message on a college Website message
lis Los Angeles-fe board under the category “What does
spring break mean to you?” Thanks
for the information, Cody. Lots of girls
are sure to be ecstatic if they run into
ith the Los Angeles lib you at Charlie’s next week, because
they must be looking for exactly what
you have to oiler. After all, that is
irepanng a response,
stint in Dallas isthesk:
i's career. He lasted Mi
cks were 4-9 since Rotfc
. He was ejected twice,® what spring break is all about, right?
and lined $ 13,500 b;’I So what is spring break really all
about? It has always been a long-
ad only been on a losij awaited post-midtenn holiday that col
lege students begin to yearn for as
soon as they return to the classroom in
re in his 14-year career,
feats wore on him.
straight loss Tuesday me January. Apparently, it now comes at-
uban, who had personal
n and even was brietlylt
had given Rodman per®
ictices and show'uplatefi
an wants to win, buthe'ss
6 loss in Seattle. “Hete
tanging around the playa
h or something. That’sfc
J it’s dumb. That’s w
ick and put people ini
m in the right direction,
icks play again Thursi
against Minnesota. Atiet
von’t be as high as itli
nan wearing No. 70.
means
having lots of
meaningless sex
with random peo
ple and blaming it
on the alcohol in
the morning. See
yaat Charlie’s!”
MELISSA
JOHNSTON
(ached to slightly different goals and
expectations than those of the past.
OK, so today’s college students are
spontaneous. They are adventurous,
they are fun-loving and they are
slightly influenced by their hormones.
But these characteristics are no excuse
ilayer,” Rodman said:- for the level of depravity to which
spring break has sunk, not only for
Cody, hut for many other college stu
dents as well. The media may be re
sponsible for creating spring break’s
down. He needs to bell sex-drugs-and-alcohol riddled stereo
type, but it is students themselves who
promote that stereotype by choosing to
participate in its debauchery without a
second thought.
The rest and relaxation of spring
break appears to have been replaced
old out four games this si by the hype and hysteria of a shack-a-
e the hometown nativek thon bikini-fest during which males
lue and green. He cf/a* and females alike seem to magically
ice for the locals to see In forget about their significant others,
their morals and their brains in favor
of very little clothing, lots of alcohol
and well, you know. Of course, the
break can be a complete blast without
any of this mess — but one would not
hairdo featuring the tea
man’s career may be ova
hampionships, three wil
/o in Detroit, and seven r:
ything he accomplished*
I be remembered for ol-
:h as showing up at a
g a w'edding dress.
know this from what one sees. This
type of orgy-esque description is often
the only portrayal of spring break ac
tivity one can find. Because spring
break is all about the hookup.
Take a look at MTV Spring Break
broadcasts airing from every hot
spot around the world.
There will likely be more
skin than speech in
most of the broad
casts, and how else
are the cameras to
get this footage than
by filming students
who are taking part
in it? Shows like
“Beauty and the
Beach” and “Singled
Out” tend to empha
size the more physical
aspects of spring break,
and therefore overlook
the plain old relaxing fun
that many other students are
probably having. Instead, view
ers can see lots of girls and guys
in little clothing strutting up
and down catwalks and grind
ing against each other at pool-
side. It is no wonder Cody
and thousands like him natu
rally think spring break is all
about drinking and sex: they
can watch the foreplay on
television.
This reckless decision
making, though, is not just some
perception one gets from a TV screen.
It is also a reality. In a 1997 poll by
Durex Condom Company, 64 percent
of college students admitted to at least
one random hookup (and we’re not
talking just a random mug) during the
break. Thirteen percent of the students
admitted to having live or more. But
to reveal an even more disturbing sta
tistic — 47 percent oflhe whole group
said they did not use a condom at any
time, and out of the students who
claimed five or more hookups, 73 per
cent never thought to use one either.
Cody’s definition of spring break
might not be so warped after all.
There is no reason spring break
should not be fun, especially when it is
an extremely necessary vacation from
school and classes. But there is also no
reason why fun and responsibility can
not go together. If anything, college
students should want to prove the
Spring break hype is not justified, offers
well-deserved vacation for college students
A s midtenns
loom omi
nously in
the immediate fu
ture, the only light
many college stu
dents can see at
the end oflhe tun
nel is Friday,
March 10. Aggies
Over the years, spring break has
gained a questionable reputation. It is
narrowly viewed by some people as a
wild, drunken, hormone fest where
college students over-indulge them
selves in alcohol and free love. The
idea that spring break is a wholly nega
tive event is incorrect. It is crucial that
college students dispel the myths sur
rounding spring break, because it truly
is a positive and worthwhile event.
First, it is narrow-minded to think that
the status of a vacationing college student
denotes an intoxicated, sex-crazed mani
ac. Not all students get dangerously
i V,. drunk every night, get thrown
I cxe-I ' nto a Mexican jail or show their
iSvr i breasts for free
.3 beer.
Besides,
| the students
I that do get
media wrong when it comes to how
responsible they are actually being
during spring break. Really, how smart
do students look when they are too
drunk to think for seven days in a row
or they cannot remember the names of
people they have slept with? Being re
sponsible is not actually the drag it is
always made out to be. All students
really have to do for a start is make
Si re all the tried-and-true slogans ap
ply for the following week: think
when you drink, use protection, don’t
drink and drive — and stay away from
Floridians named Cody.
Melissa Johnston is a senior
English major.
think to themselves, “If I can just
make it until then, everything will be
all right.” Spring break is seen as a
well-deserved, one-week vacation
from classes, tests and studying.
Unlike those unfortunate enough
to have entered the real world, stu
dents are blessed with the opportuni
ty to leave worries behind and relax.
The prospective road trip or beach
vacation symbolizes all that college
students hold dear — the chance to
experience life outside the class
room. Spring break often represents
the last opportunity to take a vaca
tion with friends before entering a
job that offers three days a year of
unpaid vacation.
into trouble while
on vacation are those
that would maybe exhibit
the same negligent behav
ior if they were to remain in College
Station. If a location becomes a breed
ing ground for hedonism, chances are
the students would have acted in the
same manner anywhere else on any
other given occasion. Irresponsibility
on the part of students results from the
lowered maturity level of the individ
ual, not the location itself.
If anything, popular vacation spots
become safer during this time be
cause oflhe preparation of businesses
and an increased number of police.
Most business owners and law offi
cials are experienced and knowledge
able concerning the activities of vaca
tioners during spring break and
anticipate problems in advance.
The false representation offered
by movies and television contributes
to the common stereotype that all
students will return from South Padre
pregnant or with a criminal record.
The common story line of drunken
boy meets tipsy girl and the two
spend “quality time” together is one
that creates fictitious ideas about
spring break and the dangers it sup
posedly poses.
Another common misconception
is that the only scheduled activity for
students during spring break is wait
ing in line for the beer bong. In actu
ality, there are many other options for
vacationers. Students may choose to
spend time on the beach, go swim
ming, scuba diving or parasailing.
Fishing trips, jet ski rentals and shop
ping are other alternatives to camping
around the keg buried in the sand.
Spring break presents an opportunity
to participate in many activities that
are unavailable to students in the
Bryan-College Station area.
Spring break offers students the
possibility of taking a discounted va
cation with friends to locations that
are not included with Disneyland on
the family’s list of places to see. All-
inclusive trips organized by travel
companies offer airfare, hotel accom
modations and other amenities for a
fiat rate.
This arrangement saves students
time and leaves travel preparation to
experienced professionals. Students
are offered information about local
restaurants, clubs and bars as a safe
alternative to wandering dark alleys
in a strange town searching for
Senor Frog’s.
Aggies need to act responsibly
while on vacation in order to ensure'*-
their safety and dispel the illusions a^r
sociated with them. Spring break is a*
great opportunity to leave school be-! -
hind for a few days and unwind. A
good tan and the chance to stare at
girls in bikinis is just a bonus.
Summer Hicks is a senior
English major.
W
Six-year-old shooter deserves punishment regardless of parents
oftball team
Bobcats
vranked Texas
jam defeated
'exas State University
. Wednesday in San
) in the sixth innit
>more second base-
am hit a two-run 1
ne Aggies in the
shed the day 2*3
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ted three innings ol
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struck out six.
tinned from Page
is, giving Watkins anus' 1 '
>n the floor.
merica once again looks at a
school shooting with dismay.
This time, though, the situa
tion seems more tragic. A six-year-old
girl in Mount Morris, Mich., lies dead
after being shot in the chest by her six-
year-old classmate Feb. 29.
In the past, school shootings occur
in middle schools and high schools.
Older students killed each other over
large issues, like feelings of isolation and troubled rela
tionships. What issue did Kayla Rolland die for? None —
that is why this particular school shooting raised so many
eyebrows.
Bill Clinton only considered the issue for about five
seconds before spouting his solution to the problem —
more gun control legislation, according to CNN. Howev
er, there are more issues surrounding this incident than
just guns.
Elementary schools are not as safe as people think.
Though reports usually focus on high schools and middle
schools, crime and violence do occur in American elemen
tary schools. In fact, 45 percent of elementary schools report
ed one or more violent incidents in the ’96-’97 school year,
according to a study done by the National Center for Educa
tion Statistics. Four percent reported one or more serious vio
lent crimes, such as assault with weapons and murder.
While the statistics are much lower than they are for
middle and high schools, the study’s findings prove that
elementary students are capable of being violent.The
fact could not be more evident as it is in the Mount Mor
ris case. The boy acted violently when he shot Kayla in
the chest with a .32-caliber semiautomatic handgun.
The boy’s violent be
havior must be punished
in some way. In this case,
though, serious questions
abound over who needs to
“get it.” Do you detain
the child, the mother or
the uncle?
The boy lived in his un
cle’s home, which contains
guns and illegal drugs. Flis
father is in prison. His
mother lives somewhere
else and marijuana was
smoked in the uncle’s house daily.
This child probably sees the world a little differently
than others. The child definitely needs help. But the
child also killed a girl, and slapping him on the wrist
could have terrible consequences.
The boy understood crime and punishment enough to
know to deny pulling the trigger in his police interview.
He claimed he gave the gun to another student before the
shooting. He also knew to drop the gun and run to the
bathroom to hide after shooting Kayla. Actions such as
these indicate knowledge of crime, and understanding
crime means the child is old enough to be punished.
The boy’s father knew his son was capable of
such an action. When he
heard about the shoot
ing he feared his son
was involved, according
to CNN.
“He said a sickening
feeling came over him ...
because he knew his son
and knew the type of
problems he’d been hav
ing,” said Genesee County
Sheriff Robert Pickell.
Punishment should be
doled out when even the
father in prison knows his son could act violently.
Chris DeWitt, the spokesperson for the state attorney
general’s office, claims the boy could be charged under
Michigan’s law allowing children to be prosecuted as
adults for murder or other violent crimes.
According to most reports, however, the boy will
likely receive no punishment. The county Family Inde-
The fact that the murderer
was six-years-old should not
have much influence in
determining his punishment
because he showed signs of
understanding the crime.
pendent Agency will determine whether the government
should take custody of the boy or release him to his
mother, according to the Detroit Free Press.
The only official punishment mentioned at this point
will go to the person responsible for allowing the boy ac
cess to the gun.
The police have charged Jamelle James, 19, of involun
tary manslaughter, but the boy should be punished as well.
How he should be punished would also pose a problem
because there are no facilities for detaining young prisoners.
Putting the boy through a program teaching about the im
pacts of violence, the value of human life and of the conse
quences of crime would solve the problem.
If they are shipping the boy to a program, they should
also send the mother to a few “Parenting Responsibly” class
es, and the father to “How-to-stay-out-of-prison-and-be-a-
real-dad” class.
The death that occurred in Mount Morris was tragic. It
was caused by negligence and bad parenting. The fact that
the murderer was 6 years old should not have much influence
in determining his punishment because he showed signs of
understanding the crime.
Punish the boy and his parents for their wrong be
havior. The parents of little Kayla deserve at least that
much retribution.
Jill Riley is a senior journalism major.
ika game highlighted! 1
Ti the A&M seniors. F*'
Brown and Paul Jacc!
jcrformances to close* 1
the inside perform^
ack and freshman M
Local publications
draw criticism
'dless, the Aggies arek
Hop strength in
s led by senior
4 points and 4.7 reboi#
e, the Buffaloes rely oap
1 os ley who averages
m rebounds,
nber what happened 1 ;
t,” said Walls who si
1 points against A&M
to get some revenge
npleting its second yea 1 '
ler Watkins. The Agg^
nt win as the next level 1
irocess.
e the next step,” Jack ^
r the first Big 12 To#
ould be real important!
overall program
ers, right now.”
response to Mariano Castillo’s
March 7 column.
find it extremely ironic and
outrageous that in an editorial
complaining of the unprofes
sional nature of other publica
tions, The Battalion referred to
one of the other newspaper as
written as if its readers are re-
ji tarded." Can The Battalion be
anymore unprofessional?
Besides sounding as if they
are still in junior high, The Bat
talion’s use of “retarded" is bla
tantly offensive and insensitive
to the plight of the handicapped
individuals in our society.
Furthermore, The Battalion
editors should be the last ones
to talk about journalistic profes-
MAIL CALL
sionalism, given their history of
displaying a picture of where an
Aggie — who tragically commit
ted suicide — landed, rather than
showing sensitivity towards his
friends and family.
Until the Battalion gets it act
together, I believe that it should
not criticize other publications.
Frankly, Texas A&M deserves a
better newspaper than the un
professional Battalion.
Timothy Shelby
Class of ’99
In response to Aaron Lauver’s
March 8 mail call.
In response Lauver, The Touch
stone is by no means held to pro
fessional standards. I’ve been
reading that rag for years now,
and I’ve seen plenty of typos and
mistakes accompanied by more
insults than arguments.
Its “professional and infor
mative” articles are simply one
sided looks at issues its staff
thinks is relevant.
Most of what it publishes are
attacks on anyone not as leftist
as its writers. Anything else, as
Lauver mentioned, is corre
spondence written by others.
The Battalion, on the other
hand, is more than just a big
opinion page. It reports news
on local, state, national and
world levels. It does not have a
political agenda, merely a jour
nalistic one.
So, anyone who thinks that
the Batt is a liberal piece of
trash, I encourage you to pick up
a copy of The Touchstone the
next time you pass one of their
bins around campus and read
the two month old “news” and
judge for yourself.
Then, for anyone who thinks
the Batt is a conservative piece
of trash, pick up the next copy of
the Aggie Review.
Congratulations, The Battal
ion. You're the moderate source
of news on campus.
Michael R. Lakin
Class of ’98
The Battalion encourages letters to the
editor. Letters must be 300 words or less
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 McDonald with a valid student ID. Let
ters 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: battletters@hotmail.com
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suns to Police mm'm hold them-