The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, September 21, 2000, Image 15
Thursday, September 21,2000 rea, work >ld tie HE BATTALION nth Korea (AP) ■cretary WilliamC Korean Preside agreed Wednesdi ns must maintain alliance despiteti ans on the divid la. courtesy call onKi ,tl security meetii an Defense Minis; i Thursday, ■ment of inter-Kon ild help stabilized ) region, not only a," President Kiir n as telling Cohe: happen, “the US itary alliance <im said. J. saying a stroc a military alliano: her developmenK ions, will contrite ity, the aides said Just plain harmless dvance- inter-Ko stations elp stabl- J region, the Kore- insula.'’ — Kim Dae-ji Corea n presided! Maxim, Man Show’ should he judged with inre the ad- its nuhlishers think anneal to the 1 l. S incethe ad vent of Maxim magazine in 1997, publishers have jumped on the bandwagon of magazines aimed at men ages 17 to 30. Though constantly under criti cism for its racy pictures and taboo subject matter, Maxim has found a home in the dorm rooms and bache lor pads of American men, making it one of the fastest-growing maga zines in the world. Even television is not safe from the newfound liberation of the male opinion. Comedy Central features the testosterone-juiced “Man Show" — a program devoted to the needs of men in America. “The Man Show” features an all male audience drinking beers and the dancing of the well-endowed Juggies” — a troupe of scantily clothed women. Magazines like Maxim and tele vision programs like “The Man Show" are not the sexist publica tions that critics claim. They are simply male versions of the ever-popular Cosmopolitan- ssque magazines and afternoon soap operas that have long populat- d the news racks and television in Seoul late Tueif 6 ^ of America. Thailand, whet Looking at the cover of Maxim, d States and Soul 3ne might be inclined to believe, imlant against con is many critics claim, that it is a threats "from th pornographic magazine. Virtually nt thaw in rein ;ver y > ssue does have a picture of two Koreas. me or many scantily clad women elations have ai )n its cover - ly since their leal l ns ’ ( J e every issue, however, are ;ummitmlunerP e 111081 interesting and well-writ- oward peace aiK ien art icles on the market. They are )n ;i , - imaginative, humorous and always an of easing- strai ght t0 the point. It would seem nisters of thetw t* lat men really do read Maxim for d their first talkoii l * ie ar ticles. md off South Ko Unlike its female counterpart, 1 / Cosmopolitan, one will not find Z, President Kiir an y s ^ e t* 16 t 1116 ” tJ 1112268 or Jorth Korea's No celebrity gossip. Instead, Maxim 'lam to visit Seou peuses its attention on things that prepare for he North’s leade: its publishers think appeal to the male psyche. Scrawled across the top of every issue of Maxim are the words “sex, sports, beer, gad gets, clothes and fitness.” These subjects make up the ma jority of the content found in every Maxim. While Cosmo has its makeup tips; relationship quizzes; and, in the most recent issue, Kama Sutra guides, Maxim features . jokes, fashion, sports, women and entertainment reviews. One of Maxim's most popular seg ments, Circus Maximus, in cludes short stories and funny quips. Another feature of Maxim each month is the ongoing se ries of “how-to” articles. These are not articles on how to build a deck or make improvements around the home, but unique and interesting articles like “How to Escape a Stuck Eleva tor” (#30, June 2000) and “How to Fight a Duel” (#33, Septem ber 2000). Thi^ fresh and original ap proach attracts readers in droves. “The Man Show” is much more blatant in its approach to what it believes the men in America want to see. In true Comedy Central style, each and every episode must be ap proached with the same attitude that would accompany any “South Park’? episode. The fact is that this is a comedy program. “Man Show” hosts Adam Carolla and Jimmy Kimmel use their unique form of unabashed comedy to make “The Man Show” enjoyable. The ideas and thoughts por trayed on “The Man Show" proba bly offend a substantial segment of the population. But, when did American society become so concerned with its im age that it can no longer approach subjects like those found on "The Man Show” with a little bit of hu- feason mor and less indignation? “The Man Show” is nothing more than a night out with the guys broadcast into the homes of America. Granted, the language, subject matter and pictures found in Maxim each month and on “The Man Show" each episode might offend some people. However, it is nothing more than an entertaining and humorous look at the way many men act and feel when there are no women around. When it comes to classifying a magazine like Maxim and programs like “The Man Show,” one must take into account the joking tone with which they ap proach every topic. As a society, people must accept magazines like Maxim in the same way they have accepted Glamour, Allure and Cosmopolitan. Subscription, sale trends and rating make one thing obvious: Maxim and “The Man Show” have successfully outlined (he desires of their targeted demo graphics. In turn, both — and products like them — are here to stay. Marcus White is a sophomore general studies major. FT : Test, schmes s Deli >929 'day until 9 pm. limum !L GRITO •lebration 2000, 6-7:30pm aider Tower luntain area 'X&StwfallW' traction et & Jnzz $60 * r*9pm' iofm Alines Oct. f ell, CS W9 college Importance of SAT, ACT entrance exams should be weighed less hen it comes to col lege admissions, it seems less emphasis has been placed on entrance exams and more on stu dents’ overall abilities and experiences. Students have learned that one test will not predict their future, but a combina tion of their overall achievements will help shape their lives after high school. The American College Test (ACT) and Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) are not the only keys to college admission. Before 1997, high SAT and ACT scores were essential for college ad mission. Many students’ scores ;'were not extremely high, so stu dents, teachers and administra tors looked for ways around the '“.single test” mentality. ! Students soon learned that scores improved as the test Was taken more times. But this got out of hand when stu dents began taking these tests as early as seventh grade to assure them a place in college emee the time came. ► The Talent Identification Program (TIP), sponsored by Duke University, recruited sev enth-grade students to take the SAT and identify talent. • Teachers also put their students ifrider too much pressure to get into col lege. At many high schools, they began teaching to the tests and neglected basic studies necessary for college admission. ; Taking this analysis into account, it is clear college entrance should not be determined by a single test score but rather by a student’s abilities and experiences. With less emphasis on SAT and ACT scores, teachers and students can focus on other important factors that encourage success in college. These college entrance scores have been relied upon, but they are not accurate predictors of success. Average overall tests scores have drastically increased because the point system was altered, students began retaking the tests, and teachers re vised their entire curriculum to revolve around SAT and ACT preparation. Two prominent politicians are good exam ples of people who have achieved great success regardless of standardized tests that supposedly reveal intellectual ability. Governor George W. Bush scored a 515 on the SAT verbal test and Democratic Sen. Bill Bradley scored a 485. Although these scores are oma slightly differ ent scale compared to today, they are relatively low for two intelligent and successful people. Bush went on to attend Yale University despite his verbal score. Bradley was accepted to Prince ton University where he graduated with honors and became a Rhodes Scholar. With less emphasis on these tests, students are less vulnerable to a single measure of abili ty. Students and teachers can now avoid the pressures and tension involved with taking these exams. Politicians have even helped play a part in redirecting standards for college admission. For instance, a Texas law now grants any stu dent graduating in the top 10 percent of his or her high school class automatic admission to all pub lic universities, including Texas A&M. This law has helped many students who did not excel on a particular entrance exam but instead ex celled in high school. A study by the University of Texas- Austin found that students who were granted college admission on the basis of their top 10 percent rank in high school tended to have higher grade-point averages than those who simply scored well on a standardized test. With less emphasis on SAT and ACT scores, teachers and students can focus on other important factors that encour age success in college. Students are becoming more active and more in volved in other activities they have realized will also be im portant to colleges. This is the way it should be. Students can now rely less on their SAT and ACT scores for col lege admission and more on their overall achievements and experi ences. These tests are misconceived as a predic tion of college success. A single test cannot pre dict college accomplishments. To survive in the real world, there is not just one test. Instead, there are series of trials and tribula tions that help create character, and this is what determines success. Cayla Carr is a junior speech communication major. Page 7B Crashing the party White House criticism of IOC drug policies questionable / f\ the face of what the Olympic Games are meant and strive to be, they are in evitably tainted. With so much to gain, many athletes try to gain unfair advantages in competition by using perfor mance-enhancing substances. And as was witnessed in the all-too-recent past, some will seek to gain unfair advantages by using questionable means to secure their chances for hosting the games. With the fallout from recent Olympic scandals, the 2000 Sum mer Olympic Games in Syndey, Australia, have been placed under the magnifying lens. The world will be watching as the athletes and the nations involved seek to have a success ful Olympic experience, restor ing some of the dignity to the Games. Unfortunately, the United States dropped a very untimely this press release are suspect. Two days prior to the White House’s press release, related information was released that suggests the IOC’s ability to self-regulate is quite competent. On Sept. 6, China announced it was cutting 40 of its own athletes from its roster. Among them were athletes trained by famed coach Ma Junren. Six of the seven athletes Junren expected to take to Sydney, in cluding former 5,000-meter world-record-holder Dong Yan- mei, were also cut. “It’s because of bad blood tests. They were above normal,” he said, justifying the cuts. The seven runners cut from the roster failed blood tests for the endurance boosting drug EPO, said IOC offi cials in Sydney. “I’m very pleased,” said IOC president Juan Antonio Sama ranch of the drug-related with drawals. “It shows the new system for detecting doping substances will work very well. The objective is to have clean Games.” The removal of the Chinese athletes was largely due to a new- The validity and motives of this press release are suspect. Two days prior to the White House's press re lease, related information was re leased that suggests the IOC's ability to self-regulate is quite competent. and deliberate bombshell that sent shockwaves through the Olympic community. In a White House-financed study released on Sept. 8, the International Olympic Commit tee (IOC) is accused of ap proaching, the fight against drug use with a passive and lack adaisical attitude. “The aura of secrecy in which these bodies squirrel test results invites public cynicism about the integrity and the meaning of record-breaking Olympic perfor mances,” reports Joseph Cali- fano Jr., president of the Nation al Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University: Released exactly one week be fore the Sydney Olympics, the 107-page report points to large sums poured into the Olympics by corporate sponsors and con flicting priorities among sports federations. It also said there was no effec tive policing system, creating an “environment that encourages dor ing anything - including doping to win.” The report suggests creating an international organization inde pendent of the IOC that would be responsible for drug testing and banning substances. Although the problem of drug abuse among Olympic athletes is a problem needing a continuing ef fort to curtail its prevalence, the seemingly deliberate timing of the announcement, coupled with a hint of vengefulness, speaks very poorly of the White House’s eti quette. The validity and motives of ly introduced combined blood and urine test for EPO at the Sydney Games. Until the IOC introduced this test, the use of synthetic EPO was virtually undetectable. The IOC began out-of-compe tition testing for EPO in Sydney and elsewhere in Australia last week. According to the Associated Press, the IOC expects to conduct 400 or more EPO tests throughout the Games. The conclusion that can be drawn is quite simple. By taking the initiative to step up anti-dop ing enforcement itself, the IOC has clearly demonstrated its ability and dedication to fight drug use in the Games. Also, the fact that China com plied with the IOC’s last-minute policy is indicative of the respect the IOC commands. One is left questioning only the legitimacy of the White House press release that implicitly stated the “IOC does not do enough to fight drug use.” It could be the White House is trying to sling some mud in the di rection of the IOC, so the blame for previous scandal is associated entirely with the IOC and not the nation with a host city — Salt Lake City in 2002, for instance. Poor timing and the evidence that these statements are false cer tainly lead one to believe that there was an ulterior motive in volved when the White House de cided to try to taint the games be fore they started. Luke McMahan is a senior industrial engineering major.