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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 4, 2002)
t NATIG HE BATTaL! )tic , Opinion The Battalion Page 5B • Wednesday, September 4, 2002 t beat- mon An unwelcome inter title bestowed Princeton Review has good and had to say about A&M A&M nets mixed reviews ^P)-The id •: admitted toy * nil atrial fiy irratening dai union among % ,s <-‘s dramaiyj r nionths, ites. Hind that anJ 75-K4. ho^l atrial fibnlk| fill higher ^ winter, and si higher than >5 and older | presented ^ meeting of J StK'iety 1 ''O found 3^ condition m affects pet is pank'ir : the dder ; percent of p 7 5. mcludi’s fined State* mg popux; )fK>rtion of ps heart atnai that the fihnllaiKt| ise in the :c in ate th \ anable. and the lik domic of itni ic near hSE ignifkant k Simon Sir*if. nvestip&x. e. for eur^e is can fie w patients ct equate ha- ; need fori I the need intake." » ,»ir of cards'^ een EliraSr; ude. Australu I LINDS YE FORSON advice: shot and t is the easiest test you will ever take. With categories such as ‘lots of beer” and "major frat ari l sorority scene,” the Princeton SBeview asks thousands of college students across the country to rate th, ir schools in various ways, according to the American Medical Association (AMA). Every ^Bar. the company known for test preparation also releases its notorious Best Colleges guide, including the "Top Party School” cl issification. The AMA claims being recognized Best Party Sk hool will eventually become a self-fulfilling prophecy, and will go a long way towards legitimizing dangerous drinking activities. I The AMA recently asked The Princeton Review to remove His category from its guide. Its objections are two-fold. First of Hi. Princeton Review's methodology is unscientific, at best. The IMA reports the Princeton Review polls approximately 65,(KK) Students in all. The problem is. they it does not poll schools p oportionally according to size. The AMA’s press release even Higgests some schools have attempted to manipulate results by Hnding the online poll to students who would answer in a pre- Hctable manner. I Secondly, the AMA purports the guide to be flawed for Hasons other than poor polling. More importantly, the AMA Hgues “printing such a category validates irresponsible drink- Hg patterns and sends the message to potential collegiate stu- ■ents that excess drinking is necessarily a part of the college perience.” The newly-crowned Best Party School of 2002-2003, the University of New Hampshire (UNH). objects to the guide on Hnilar grounds. UNH submitted a response to the Princeton Review on Aug. 20 criticizing the unscientific nature of the sur vey. UNH claims that contrary to the Princeton Review's find- ■igs, it has labored to decrease the amount of high-risk binge di inking in recent years. Being labeled the Top Party School is like flaunting to the nation a grave problem the University already knows exists. UNH's brief rejoinder is concluded with tlmoM urwcv |^ n acknowledgement of, and implied agreement w ith, the peak AMA’s recent plea. pn.ils m air CBS reports one Princeton Review official, Robert Franeck, dodged responsibility by retorting “don’t shoot the messenger,” Franeck claims the Princeton Review is merely an objective source of information for those seeking it. After all, Franeck is quick to point out. the Princeton Review also presents a list of “stone sober schools.” Another Princeton Review official was more frank, accord ing to the AMA's press release. Former editor-in-chief of the Princeton Review. Evan Schnittman. acknowledged in 1997 that ousting the controversial category would leave the guide “zero press.” Finally, the heart of the issue is uncovered. Schnittman essentially admitted the Princeton Review is not primarily con cerned with distributing responsible info, but like all businesses, aims to make money. It is probably true the category increases sales, but at what cost? It benefits the Princeton Review via higher profit margins In the short run, but is that enough to justify the long-term detri- ^Snent it may cause to the school? illation is or; David Wechsler, of the Harvard School of Public Health. roke and htf the most cos sabling of df ential to sa is enormous. have alreac heart attacl heart-relaif' r e more cent conducts an ongoing survey called the College Alcohol Survey (CAS). This survey studies the extent of binge-drinking on col lege campuses, and also examines problems that stem from alcohol abuse. Many statistics cited in the CAS are quite sobering, literally, he survey discloses that 95 percent of violent crimes commit ted on campus are associated with alcohol, and 90 percent of all :ampus rapes have been linked to alcohol use. The CAS even leclares the primary cause of death of young adults is accidents issociated with alcohol. It is unlikely one category in Princeton Review's petty col- ,*rts were ixl lege guide will really turn the tide of college binge-drinking hidings, it* ^patterns one way or another. However, it does make light of a evere problem. Alcohol abuse not only poses a threat to those irinking; the real victims on the campuses of the "Top Party chools" are unsuspecting women, and whoever happens to be ehind the wheel of the other car. It is understandable the Princeton Review wants to turn a profit. However, it needs to ecognize the gravity of the issue it is touting, and sell its books y advertising something other than a life-or-death issue. Lindsye Forson is a sophomore journalism major. ic first todfr influence im. ne for fluaiKl we know tuse of 3trill d Dr. Jearj an atrial fiM at the Pier 7 1 University M MAIL CALL 120 hospi^ to chaotic 93 admis- Midnight Yell jokes inappropriate At the Aug. 30 Midnight Yell, a junior and senior yell leader each told jokes touching on stereotypes of women. These jokes seemed to have no mali cious intent, leading many to find the jokes amusing. However, just as jokes dealing with ethnic stereotypes open an emotional wound for some, similar jokes incorporating stereotypes of women are also hurtful. While these jokes may not seem to be derogatory in and of themselves, we must take into mind the climate that exists on the campus. Texas A&M has struggled with issues of sexual inequality. This inequality can be seen in such traditions as Bonfire and the Corps of Cadets, as well as other activities. Jokes such as those told at yell practice con tinue to facilitate and under mine the role and importance of women. Texas A&M has been called a community of respect in the past. If we are to use such a word to describe the Aggie community, we must first begin by showing respect for all fel low students, including those in minority groups. We can and should preserve and uplift our traditions, but it must be done in a manner that is inclusive to the entire A&M community. Tracis Ziebro Class of 2002 The Battalion encourages letters to the editor. Letters must be 200 words or less a nd 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 submit ted in person at 014 Reed McDonald with a valid student ID. Letters also may be 'mailed to: 014 Reed McDonald, MS 1111, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-1111, Fax: (979) 845-2647 Email: mailcall@thebatt.com COLLINS EZEANYIM T he Princeton Review company recently released its 2003 edition of “The Best 345 Colleges.” The report included 63 categories organized into top- 20 lists. These lists represent a double-edged sword for Texas A&M University. On one hand, A&M placed well in many excellent categories, such as a healthy twelfth in the “Best Academic Bang For Your Buck” category. The energy and enthusiasm exhibited at Kyle Field every football weekend gave A&M a commendable eighteenth spot on the “Students Pack the Stadiums” category. However, A&M’s appearance on other lists is both sur prising and disappointing. For example, A&M has built a decent academic reputation, yet the University placed fourteenth in the “Their stu dents (almost) never study” category. And while many Aggies will testify to the joyous atmosphere of A&M. the University still placed a surprising twelfth in the “Least Happy Students” category. The Texas A&M community should congratulate itself for placing well in The Princeton Review’s positive categories, but must work to correct the problems pointed out by the publication. Of course, many Aggies who hear about The Princeton Review’s rankings will be inclined to dismiss the results out right. But according to The Princeton Review Web site, its rankings are “unbiased and uncensored” and based on what “current college students ... say about their school.” Other Aggies may tend to blame A&M’s negative rankings on “two-percenters” who have nothing better to do than bash their school. Ironically, it might be this attitude that con tributes to A&M’s place on the “Least Happy Students” list. The community at A&M constantly lauds this campus as “the friendliest on Earth.” But the A&M community is notorious for its limited defini tion of what constitutes a “real” Aggie. In fact. The Princeton Review Web site quotes a student who says A&M is a school for “white, heterosexual, Christian students.” Indeed, The Bryan-College Station Eagle reported on a research project conducted by the Race and Ethnic Studies Institute on minority students at A&M. The results of the proj ect were disturbing — some 65 percent of enrolled minority stu dents had a negative view of A&M. This corroborates the conclusion A&M might be one of the least happy schools for minority stu dents. Also, students who attend A&M for its academics and not necessarily for its traditions are ridiculed as “two-percenters.” It can be difficult for members of these groups to find their place in Aggieland. Critics will probably point out the vast majority of Aggies are friendly people who don’t care about one’s race or whether he or she stands for the whole game in a Kyle Field blowout - and this is undoubtedly true. But a vocal minority can still make it uncomfortable for those who are “different.” A&M’s place on The Princeton Review’s “Their students (almost) never study” list may seem sur prising at first. This is a school known for its aca demic rigors where many students seem happy to escape a course with a ‘C’. But this result is not so surprising when one considers the rampant cheating occurring on campus. Aggies like to convey the impression that their integrity is impeccable. But, according to The Battalion, a 1997 academic integrity survey revealed that 88 percent of Aggies cheated in some form during their time at A&M. This was well above the national average of 80 percent for large public universities. If more A&M students took the Aggie Code of Honor seriously, A&M would not be faced with the embarrassment of being pointed out for their deficient ethics. The Princeton Review correctly identifies A&M as an excellent school that still has room for improvement. Aggies can help by eliminating A&M’s infamous tunnel vision and being more open to differing points of view and members of different minority groups. A&M students can also prevent any further muddy ing of A&M’s academic reputation by treating the Aggie Code of Honor as a creed to live by rather than just a catch phrase. With a minimum amount of effort. Aggies can turn A&M into a school worthy of only praise. THE BATTALION Collins Ezeanyim is a senior computer engineering major. Dr. Phil gives therapy new twist New “Oprah” spinoff places responsibility on the individual M illions of viewers tune into “The Oprah Winfrey Show” to see Dr. Phil McGraw in action every Tuesday. Self-improvement has been a major trend in the 21st century, and Dr. Phil offers what he would refer to as “real” advice. His tough-love approach to psychology has audiences enthralled, and Newsweek magazine reports viewership of “Oprah” on Tuesdays is 24 percent higher than any day of the week. Now, McGraw is saying goodbye to “Oprah” and hello to “Dr. Phil.” McGraw is known for his blunt, no- holds-barred style of therapy that forces his guests to face reality. Since the self- help craze first began, many gurus have focused on codependency, dysfunction and the ever popular “inner child syn drome” — all of which are based on blaming problems on someone else. Dr. Phil’s emphasis on personal responsibili ty sets him apart. Rather than taking peo ple through a maze of endless excuses. Dr. Phil says, “You are in control of your life and only you have the power to change it.” Audiences all over the world have KELLY WOLFENBARGER been dedicated to “Oprah” for years. Although viewer- ship is predominantly female, Dr. Phil has attracted many male viewers on Tuesdays, according to Newsweek. Most “Oprah” fans will be “Dr. Phil” fans, so he’s going into the new show with a huge fan base. But Dr. Phil’s fame goes further than “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” His self-help books are bestsellers, and he holds lectures and conventions all over the country. The show is destined to be a success because it has three key components: real people, conflict and emotion. Turn your television on at any time of the day and you’re guaranteed to witness at least one of these three. The fall lineup is full of reality shows — “Survivor,” “Big Brother,” “Real World,” “The Bachelor” - the list goes on. Not only do these pro grams showcase the average Joe, but show that Joe has problems too. Viewers will tune in to watch “Dr. Phil” for the same reason. Whether it makes people feel better about their own problems or gives them something to relate to, people love to see the lives of others. There have been many occasions on “Oprah” in which guests left in tears, but not only guests become emotional. Exchanges between Dr. Phil and his guests are moving for the audience as well. It is common for the cameras to cut to a mass of weeping faces. Real people experienc ing real emotion is touching to watch, yet another reason people will become addict ed to “Dr. Phil.” McGraw’s approach is not for every one, and he’s sure to ruffle a few feathers this fall. Some people argue what he does isn’t real therapy. Others say he’s too harsh. Dr. Phil admits he comes off strong, but doesn’t apologize for it, and he’s the first to admit what he does on television doesn't compare to the kind of guidance a patient receives in a thera pist’s office. To one of his guests on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” he said, “This is just a wake-up call. The real work starts when you get home.” During an interview on “The Nightly News,” Dr. Phil said the goal for his new show is to “teach people to live by design." If Dr. Phil’s success is in any part due to this design, his show is worth a look. Kelly Wolfenbarger is a sophomore journalism major.
