Friday, October 1, 2010
The Daily Campus, Page 5
Commentary
Often in college, alcohol and sex are connected
W
hen thinking about the social culture that exists in college today, two things normally come to mind: alcohol and sex. It makes sense. In our years at college we live with greater freedom, fewer rules and relatively less responsibility. With the “real world” looming ahead, By Grace Malloy of course college stuStaff Columnist dents are going to party. And when young people are practically living together, one can expect the hormones to fly and engage in sex. These two activities are happening more frequently today than in our parents’ generation, and increasingly, college students are tying alcohol and sex together. But this connection didn’t just spring up out of the blue. Both young men and women are responsible for creating and perpetuating it. When you hear a song sung by a male about going to a club and getting a girl drunk, what is he insinuating that he wants? To go back to her place and play video games? Nope. To sit on the nearest bench and discuss life goals
with her? Don’t think so. He wants to have sex with her. Guys tend to think that by getting a girl drunk, she will be more likely to sleep with him. That is why when a college guy is interested in a girl, he’s probably not going to invite her to the game room in the Union. He’s going to ask her to come to next weekend’s rager.
“Often girls will drink as an excuse to act questionably or ‘sluttily.’” This is even seen in society. At a bar, when a man wants to indicate to a woman that he likes her, he buys her a drink. Not only is this disrespectful to the woman (it is essentially trying to take advantage of her), but it undermines the act of courting.
Does a guy really have to use alcohol to get a girl to like him? Women are perfectly capable of making judgments about a guy without being intoxicated. Here’s a novel idea: be nice to her, make her laugh and spend your money on buying her dinner instead of the fruity vodka drinks you keep passing her. It just might work. Some people think that the story stops there and that guys are the only ones guilty of linking alcohol with sex. But females play a part too. Often girls will drink as an excuse to act questionably or “sluttily.” Then they will blame the alcohol for their actions. We can all think of a girl who claims she had sex with someone simply because she had one too many drinks. But using excuses like that is irresponsible and it enforces the idea mentioned earlier that drinking is an easy way to get sex. That belief should NOT exist, and not only is it up to guys to eliminate that connection, but girls as well, by acting appropriately and responsibly when drinking. And if a girl does do something viewed as “slutty,” she shouldn’t immediately write it off as a result of drinking. Maybe some of you are saying, why does it
matter that alcohol and sex go together? Some may argue that drinking serves to loosen you up and make you feel more comfortable. And if that leads to sex, then so be it. It probably would have happened anyway. In my opinion, that isn’t a valid argument. Drinking (responsibly) should take place for the sake of having fun, not as a way to get sex or as an excuse for having it. And sex should take place because the two people involved love each other and both want it, NOT because they’re intoxicated. College is an intricate time in our lives when we transition from teenagers to young adults. Partying and sex is new for many of us during this time and it’s not always clear what we should or shouldn’t be doing concerning the two. But it seems that the most trouble occurs when the line between them is blurred. College is supposed to be a fun time, but it’s important to make good decisions. Don’t disrespect yourself and others by believing that alcohol and sex go hand-in-hand.
Grace Malloy is a 5th-semester political science and journalism double major. She can be contacted at Grace.Malloy@UConn.edu.
» THUMBS UP OR THUMBS DOWN Brian didn’t get basketball tickets.
More angry Letters to the Editors about the Comics section.
Still can’t watch UConn football on campus.
Totally saw that coming
Totally bad
» LETTERS TO THE EDITOR DC Still Allowing Sexist Posts
After the uproar created by last week’s comics depicting sexist and degrading comments, I am appalled at the Daily Campus’ selection of the InstantDaily on Tuesday September 28. In particular, the InstantDaily that read “On the outside I’m burning my bra with a fire made from last Tuesday’s comics, but on the inside I want to chase that ring into Alex Dellin’s bedroom,” is mocking the outcry of last week’s comic as well as continuing to promote the degrading of women. With the immense number of submissions to the InstantDaily each day, I think the DC easily could have chosen a different post that would have actually been funny without being controversial. – Dan Couture
Bball tix
I would like to inform you that in the four years I have been at this school, not once did I receive basketball tickets in the “lottery”. I understand life isn’t fair, but I pay over 40k a year to come here, and I feel entitled to season tickets. Why should my no-brain roommate who sits on his tush playing World of Warcraft 24 hours a day get tickets, and a devoted husky like myself be denied. He’s going to sell them on facebook for $200, you know. If you have any extra tickets, please keep me in mind. I believe grudges are an impor-
Stage III Drought is officially over.
tant part of life. Because of this travesty, I’m seriously considering not donating any money to the University as an alumni, ever. Heck, I still haven’t forgiven my parents for not buying me a Pokemon backpack in the 3rd grade. When everyone else had one, I felt like a sap. So they won’t be receiving any handouts either. I have so much free time this year and I was looking forward to going to some BBall games. I’m now going to have to beg my friends for free tickets, or pay way too much (supply & demand). I bet you the system is rigged. Why can’t we do what the school voucher program does, and actually have a number that we can hold in our hand? Everyone serious about getting tickets can show up to the lottery, in a building, with a spinning wheel, and a pretty assistant calling numbers. I don’t like getting an anonymous email saying I was denied tickets. Shenanigans, I say! If you’d like to get in touch with me you can find me sitting outside the Harry A. Gampel Pavilion. I’ll be the guy crying, grasping his failures tightly to his chest, wetting his pants, and yelling shenanigans. Why? Because I’m a sap. I’d like to end with a haiku: Wah wah wah wah wah give me a ticket I say I’m a big baby – Benjamin Hochron
Bring Back to Stool to UConn!
As I reflect on the past four years I’ve spent at UConn, I?m generally pleased with my experience but disappointed by the concerts we’ve had on campus.
My birthday is in three weeks!
Totally rad
After years of watching live music in both Jorgensen and acoustically unfriendly Gampel, I’ve only been pleased with last year’s visit from Girl Talk and the Matisyahu/Gym Class Heroes concert in 2006. This distaste can certainly stem from my personal music choices, however many people I speak to avoid going to concerts on campus altogether. For those familiar with the rapidly growing blogosphere, Barstool Sports, the brainchild of 33 year old David “El Pres” Portnoy has become a sensation on college campuses worldwide. Portnoy provides his hilarious and occasionally off-color musings on sports, celebrites, music and gorgeous local women. The site has expanded to two additional blogs, one which covers New York City and another similar blog for women (I admittedly haven’t spent enough time reading StooLaLa to describe the content). While Portnoy’s site has gained him local fame for his remarkable sense of humor, he has also stirred up rivalries with Boston College students and several readers who disagree with the appropriateness of his posts. Portnoy has offered a rare opportunity to change the culture of lackluster music on campus. Along with several daily posts for his readers, Portnoy has organized golf and cornhole tournaments, bar crawls, booze cruises and various other functions for the enjoyment of college-age adults. Over the past few months, El Pres has organized a series of concerts on college campuses called “Back to Stool.” The lineup offers a multitude of music including hip-hop acts Chiddy Bang, Mike Posner and Mac
Miller along with an incredible DJ team called The White Panda (among others). Last week, Back to Stool took over the UMASS campus and the student body was treated to a wild pre-party and an energetic evening of music in the Mullins Center (Check out the videos online). “Back To Stool” has been booked in Providence for students in Rhode Island on October 9th and at the University of New Hampshire on October 7th. However, ticket sales have been incredibly slow for the past few weeks and Portnoy is willing to move the show to another major New England university if enough tickets can be sold. I’m sure, like myself, many of you have been stuck in the library preparing for the slew of upcoming exams and papers coming in the next few weeks. A concert like this could be a welcome break to the monotony of all this schoolwork. Certainly, the deaths of Jasper Howard and Jafar Karzoun after parties on campus have rightfully caused the university to be hesitant to organize large events here. However, a surprise concert like this has the potential to both increase student morale and bring a feeling of unity back to campus. Plus, after various years of being upset by Providence College basketball, we should take their concert and show them that the UC can still have a good time (In a fun, respectful manner, of course). Currently, there are no events scheduled on either date in either Gampel Pavillion or the Jorgensen. With thorough planning and allocation of necessary resources from the university, we can pull this off!
I understand SUBOG does its best to provide us with quality entertainment and they deserve all due respect, but as a student body we have a chance to bring an amazing event to campus. So, as an avid music fan I urge all of you to do your best to bring Back to Stool to UConn! – Greg Knight
“Xenophobia” event a misuse of university funds
It has come to our attention that on Friday, September 24, the UConn Department of Residential Life and the Honors Program sponsored an event concerning American immigration policy titled “Immigration, Xenophobia, and Racism: Beyond Arizona SB 1070”. The UConn College Republicans strongly condemn this highly inappropriate use of University funds, resources, and time. The mission statements of the Department of Residential Life and the Honors Program are, respectively and in relevant part: “…providing quality facilities, personnel, services, and programs which contribute to the mission of the University” and “…promoting challenging academics for high-achieving students, .. a community designed for individual, social, and cultural development, and engagement and leadership beyond the classroom.” Plainly, the promotion of political and/or social causes is a legitimate function of neither of these organizations nor the
University itself. It is a misuse of University (taxpayer) resources for official University programs to deliver a slanted political message about this controversial issue under the guise of “raising awareness” and to use said resources to encourage support for partisan federal legislation (amnesty via the DREAM Act). Furthermore, crucial facts and opposing points of view surrounding the Arizona immigration law, and immigration generally, were intentionally distorted or left entirely absent, necessarily hindering a mature and scholarly “discussion [about] ways for students to become engaged around [the issue].” By implying that the 74 percent of Americans who support S.B. 1070, including those on campus, are “xenophobes” or “racists”, the Department of Residential Life and the Honors Program have employed tax dollars to foster anger, resentment and contempt toward those people. The UConn College Republicans hereby request a written apology from both the Department of Residential Life and the Honors Program to the UConn undergraduate community for precluding a fair debate on this issue hereby request a written apology from both the Department of Residential Life and the Honors Program to the UConn undergraduate community for precluding a fair debate on this issue. – Joseph Gasser President UConn College Republicans
What’s your favorite fall activity?
“Playing 2K instead of studying.”
“Drinking pumpkin iced coffee, brown leather boots and nickel night on a crisp fall evening.”
“Playing football on Thanksgiving.”
“Playing in the leaves.”
Norman Harrison, 5th-semester communications major.
Victoria Vissat, 5th-semester communications major
Jonathan Fernandez, 5th-semester political science major.
Samantha Mullins, 7th-semester communications major.