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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 10, 2004)
r 10,21 * Page 9 • Friday, September 10, 2004 Pace Design • MATT RICNEY tion usiasm foil ’out holdiij igh stand] t and it is erve A<SU y book, ideals a; npus speci as I am a: ditions tha ,.4. Women should be allowed or of combat with men |IM FOREMAN on this nt student Y student, g enviroi >ecial. W and the hatever i can do s before us >w. Wew low stude: e spread- d. Wewii »t groups nner ofo: ind prom; is recog- cter and That ist that is rip >osed tok L om mam lance m. The war in Irttq has been a po litical hot potato due to the upcom ing election, but while politicians and citizens debate the need lor a war, one issue goes unnoticed: the role of women in combat. Fox News reported there have been 24 female soldiers killed inaction in Iraq, 15 from hostile fire. Although the death of any soldier, is tragic, the deaths of these women have been regarded as a great stride on the long road toward gender equality. With rumors still circulating of the draft being reinstated, one would think it is time to open the ranks to women. Americans go to war with notions of serving and protecting their country, so why should women be given fewer opportunities to do so than men? It would be unfair to say women are completely denied from serving their country. Women serve as pilots, sailors, nurses and other positions that do not require them to be exposed to enemy tire. In tact, 10 Navy vessels are under female command. However, women are restricted from infantry, artil lery, tanks and submarines. The military has loosened the rules that restrict women from direct confronta tion with the enemy, but there is still room to grow. Although direct combat is reserved for men, women serving in Iraq have been allowed to par ticipate in field activities such as patrols and raids. Army Specialist Theresa Lynn Flannery was recom mended for the bronze star. America’s fourth high est military honor, for her valor. While under fire, Flannery gave medical attention to her wounded comrades and fired back at the enemy. She also received the Purple Heart. Obviously, women can handle the mental stress and pressures that are typical of conflicts such as the one Flannery experienced, but other reasons for excluding women are abundant. Some say women can't handle the physical requirements, but a study by the U.S. Army proved that women who adhere to a regular schedule of physical training can achieve the same physical standards as men. including run ning with a 75-pound ruck sack through a two mile wooded course. The Sunday Times of Lortdor reporting on a similar study, said “by usi methods of physical training, women can In to the same levels of physical fitness as men oft same size and build.” Some traditionalists claim men would instinc tively try to protect their female peers in combat an argument cleverly refuted by Medal of Honoi recipient. Dr. Mary Walker, who said “You men not our protectors... If you were, who would there be to protect us from?” 1 he fact of the matter is some men would never touch a gun, vomit before considering tly- / ing and cower at the thought of close combat and some l women are just the opposite. V Generally, women can bet ter withstand the high speeds of fighter jets, but men have slightly more control in heavy bombers. When it comes to the more grue of combat, such as Special Forces, is favored. According to Captain B USAF (Ret.), “1 think it takes a par ality type — almost on the edge of one — to even want to become a tr can have appeal for both men and \ fully very few of either sex." The ultimate question is: Why w built on the ideal that all citizens ai rights deny half of them the right tc country? Tactics and weapons used changed drastically compared to th former male-only military. As Ami and technology advances, tradition, ing must not prevent women from < if they are qualified and capable. /ini Foreman mechanical engine . ■"* • Brandi Dunn • THE BATTALION Gender segregation Are dr serves schools well in O ERIC BROWN hroughout history, society has gone through many phases dealing with i societal norms ml in areas of education, culture, religion and morals. Sometimes these phases are cyclical, which can be a good or bad thing. The recent trend is single-sex education in public schools. After nearly a 40-year ab- | sence, people are start ing to realize that the (education system that w as in place for the last part of the 10th century and the first .half of the 20th cen- Ky was successful. The bottom line is the same: Separate the | gnls from the boys. There are many factors influencing success. For instance, whenever the distrac- tl0n ot ' boys is taken away from girls or Wee versa, students no longer have o worry about how they dress, who ’ey have to impress or who their ••ends are. Instead, they are able to C0 '’ centrate more on academics. i °’ ' n single sex classrooms uachers can focus on the environ- jnent in which the particular gender ^arns better. Dr. Leonard Sax, a Maryland physician and psycholo- § ls t, found in a study that girls tend 0 eai 'n in a quiet and slower paced environment and liked to be called by , eu ^ rst names whereas boys like I mgs energetic, fast paced and pre- er to b e called by their last names. bis is a nationwide trend re-ap- Pcaring with the number of single- I j' Cx Public schools increasing from °ur to 140 over the last eight years, according to Sax. And the trend e Ps growing. CNN reported at least Slr >gle-sex schools were to open this fall in Texas, Ohio, Pennsylva nia, New York and South Carolina. This trend has such a positive im pact on public schools that the U.S. Department of Education is looking to change parts of Title IX, the law that bars sex discrimination. According to studies done by the National Association for Single Sex Public Education, over the last 40 years, co-educational schools may have done more damage than good. To a point, these schools help rein force gender stereotypes rather than breaking them down. The single-sex school trend is seen in other countries such as England, Australia and Jamaica. Stud ies have shown the difference between co-educational schools and single sex schools has been significant, mainly in the areas of standardized test scores and grades. The single-sex public schools are producing higher grades and test scores than co-edu cational schools. If these schools are as successful as people perceive them to be, one must hope that eventually colleges will continue the trend. That is where the history of the success of single sex education is, especially at A&M. The single-sex education trend should not be mistaken for some passing fad. Separating the sexes has positive, long-term impacts that universities around the na tion — maybe even Texas A&M — should consider. com remt drug ness olnn, mbc u n ha p|' , using he o comba :wer eith idictro lution to addiction? I lowever, patients and doctors must not fall into the mis taken idea that drugs provide instant cures to problems as sociated with not only physical but mental disease as well. While it is true that addiction and dependence have physical causes, they also involve a strong mental component. And while drugs can heal the body, healing the mind requires the use of psychology. Dr. David Gastfriend of Massa chusetts General Hospital exer cises this principle, as he works with alcoholics. In his treatment of these addicts, he prescribes them Naltrexone in the form of a pill. “The pill requires a daily aware ness that this is a dangerous disease and a rational disease to take the pill,” Gastfriend told the AP. “The problem with this illness is that on any given day, a person can feel, ‘No, it would be better if I could < s recreational drug 1 u >t cure unhappiness problems, using drugs t o combat addiction is of the answer either. idea, there is government z same drug ha under the nan a pre ppn Zyban en mar Wei lb If these schools are as successful as people perceive them to be, one must hope that eventually colleges will continue the trend. Ig is dnu new trick.' existing d In additio: already provide side effects. There are so addiction thera one that treats i sociated Press, sponsoring studi for other purpos Perhaps one o patients strugglir taming tede dicaper than s that have l doctors with ie medicatu y programs ocaine addii he National to lind drink.’ So you take the pill the first day, and you have to make 29 more decisions (the rest of the month).” Rather than simply giving his patients the once-a-month shot and hoping they stick to their commitment the rest of the month as other doctors do, he rightly recognizes that curing addic tion isn't just about throwing dings at people. With any luck, this new approach to treating drug ad diction will help those who have made poor decisions and become dependent on various medications, but are seeking to right their wrong. While doctors and researchers tackle this issue together, it’s ideal that they will follow the lead of Gastfriend and treat these men and women with a holistic plan that involves not just medication, but psychology and counseling that can help these people heal their illnesses and lives. Mike Walters is a senior psychology major. MAIL® CALL 9/11 rememforan* wasn’t wanted In response Call: to Sept. Eric Brown is a student of post baccalareate studies in education. The Red, White and Blue Towel Out v. created by a group of student leaders w generous help from the 12th Mar iui Foundation. These groups worked w the idea all summer long, but f jy countered substantial neg o feedt from faculty members, -tuc 1 its sd administration regarding the idea felt that although it would be a g .. . play of Aggie pride, it might take from the “specialness" of the T Red, White and Blue Out. Contro >f project was given solely to the 12th Student Foundation, and they decided go for the commemorative towels, wh ; • .onally think is a fantastic idea. <:.!U lose faith in Aggieland, Ms. Grigg. a:: Red, White, and Blue Towel - ' r came to fruition, the Spirit is still there. Stacy Reeves Class of2006 BMfire cannot be p aced by Yell 1 to Emily Guevara’s . ' .y surprise when I opened ; 1 on Wednesday to read mil was “created to replace Jo ti, camaraderie...” r:\n anyone expect one night to re- ' " year of friendship, work and unity? There is nothing on campus that can replace that. Some students may work for a few months to prepare for the night of First Yell, but Bonfire was a year round effort. Even in the spring, Pots and Chiefs were preparing for the fall. And in the fall, even the average student had an opportunity to go out and cut. Not every student can be involved in First Yell. First of all, not every student always has money to go, and not every student can get a ticket because of limited space. Aggie Bonfire was free, built by Aggies for Aggies. Not to mention no ticket told you where to sit. Don’t get me wrong, I have enjoyed going to First Yell in the past. And I agree that Aggie Spirit is lacking. But it is wrong to even think that it could ever replace the hole that has been left by the absence of Aggie Bonfire. Laura Laubach