Issue 06 - Student Newspaper - Texas A&M Corpus Christi

PAGE 10 VIEWPOINT / FEBRUARY 16, 2012
JOSEMARTINEZ
managing editor
Is “he said, she said” still a
thing in college?
You would think that
was just a problem for
teenagers in high school,
yet it seems to have found
its way onto campus.
Not to be too specific,
but in one of my classes, I
overheard a conversation
between two girls talking
about a rocky relationship
one of them was in, and I
heard a phrase that would
make my blood boil.
“Well, I heard from [so
and so]…”
Really?
Are you really that selfconscious
about your relationship
that you need
someone else to tell you
how it is and what other
people are saying?
Personally, I find it really
juvenile and immature
that someone gets their
kicks by feeding information
(true or false) to
someone to see what kind
of a reaction they’ll get,
especially information in
regards to a relationship or
something meaningful.
With Valentine’s Day
already in the past, rethinking
your relationship
based on what other people
say and what you don’t
see, to me at least, is the
wrong plan of action. Trust
is a huge part of revery relationship,
and if you’re
taking what someone else
said about your relationship
seriously, that indicates
some level of insecurity.
In the end, if you find
yourself questioning right
and wrong in your relationship,
whether on your
own initiative or because
of what someone else said,
ask yourself why
you are questioning
it in
the first place.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Use your rights: Write us
a letter. Letters should
be no longer than 500
words typed and signed,
with an additional copy
sent electronically.
Letters must include the
author’s name, phone
number, and the last four
digits of your Banner
I.D., all of which will be
withheld. Letters should
be edited for profanity
and vulgarity, Associated
Press Style, grammar,
libel and space. The
content will remain that
of the author: Send letters
either to the Island Waves
physical address or to
editor-in-chief.
islandwaves@tamucc.edu.
“Congress shall make
no law... abridging the
freedom of speech, or
the press of the right of
the people to peaceably
assemble, and to petition
the government for
grievances.”
Parking Handicap
an opinion of
MIKEHENNEBERGER
entertainment editor
When I got out of the Army,
I was declared to be 50 percent
disabled based on the
results of my out-processing
physical. It’s not that big of
a deal and the details aren’t
really relevant. But because
of this, I now have the “privilege”
of parking in handicap
parking spots (“Yay! I’m so
lucky to be handicapped!”).
I try my best to never
abuse this. I am pretty capable
of walking distances
near and far, so I never drive
directly to a handicapped
spot, and in fact, I rarely
park in them. But Wednesday,
Feb. 8, was one of those
times when the convenience
of parking in a handicap
spot was absolutely necessary.
I had to deliver something
to the UC, and walking
a long distance, carrying
items that were too large for
me to handle myself, from
whatever spot I’d eventually
find, just wouldn’t have
worked for me. So, I drove
up to the small parking lot
next to the UC driveway.
The “Minnow Lot” has 5-10
handicap parking spots, as
well as approximately 25
regular spots. Normally, under
the circumstances of this
weekly delivery, I’ve never
had a problem getting one
of these spots. But this week
was different.
As I drove up to the parking
lot at the corner of Dolphin
and Seagull Lane, I
noticed that it was blocked
off by orange traffic cones
and guarded by a University
Police officer. There was
no getting in to the lot that
was mostly empty except for
two or three vehicles—none
of which were occupying
handicap spots. The officer’s
gesture made it clear that I
would not be entering the
lot. So, I arranged for someone
to meet me at the driveway
to pick up the delivery,
and then I went and found a
regular spot. On my way to
the UC, I asked the officer
the reason for the blockade.
an opinion of
LAURENGUTIERREZ
reporter
If you were one the few that
attended the Pack the House
Challenge, you would agree
it was anything but packed.
In the last 2.4 seconds of the
game, senior Myeisha Myles
made the winning jump shot.
Unfortunately, there was only
the small roar from the small
crowd to celebrate her shot
and the Islanders victory.
During the homecoming
game, I was sitting not too far
from Blue Crew. The student
section was loud and, some
“This lot is reserved for the
Board of Regents,” he answered.
Of course it was.
Now, I am not whining
about this because I didn’t
get to park in a close spot. I
am bringing this up because
other people who need
those spots more than I do,
and other people who have
paid for those spots, did not
get to use them for at least
two days. (I don’t have class
on Friday, so I wasn’t able to
check it then.)
The Board of Regents is
made up of ten regents and
the chancellor of the Texas
A&M University system.
That’s approximately 30
spots reserved for 11 people.
Unfortunately, by press time,
I was not able to find out
how many of our regents are
handicapped. This means
that at some point, there was
a conversation about how far
these people should be expected
to walk. And in this
conversation, “not far at all”
seemed to be the conclusion.
So, at the expense of some
of our handicapped students
and every other student who
has actually paid for a parking
permit, the decision was
made to reserve that lot.
This isn’t the first time I’ve
noticed where the students
stand on the priority list of
the Texas A&M University
system. Years ago, as a student
at Texas A&M Univeristy-Kingsville,
I wrote a
similar opinion piece when
the university blocked off
hundreds of parking spots
for the annual King Ranch
Symposium. For a few days,
students were restricted
from one of the biggest
lots on campus, because the
folks from the King Ranch
needed somewhere to park
their Dualies.
So why was this necessary?
Yes, I understand the
necessity for available spots
for such important people
during such an important
event. However, we just
built a fancy new parking
garage that has more than
enough open parking spots.
The information packet
about the Board of Regents
meeting actually directed
people to the new parking
garage, which makes perfect
sense. The garage—that
was originally intended for
faculty and staff only—still
has many available spots,
even though pricey privilege
of parking there has also
been offered to students. So,
why was some of the most
prime parking real estate
that belongs to the students
blocked off and just given
away?
This is why young people
have problems with authority.
This is why it’s hard
to find young people who
trust politicians or CEOs.
This isn’t any different than
banks being bailed out after
screwing over the people
who paid them for their
services. This isn’t any different
than politicians taking
the power and money we
have given them and sticking
a big middle finger in
our faces. We pay for our
parking spots. We pay to go
to school here. We are the
customers. All I’m asking is
that we get the same respect
we would get from a Burger
King cashier. Sure, right
now we are only students.
But pretty soon, we’ll be the
alumni that your newsletters
will be seeking donations
from.
JOSE MARTINEZ - ISLAND WAVES
Minnow Parking Lot was closed off during the Board of Regents
meeting on Feb. 8-10.
might say, obnoxious. One
student was even escorted
out of the game by a police
officer for offensive language.
Nevertheless, you could hear
chanting and cheering from
the students.
Attending the women’s
Pack the House Challenge
was a different story. Blue
Crew did not attend, and
there wasn’t even a student
section. I was sitting in the
front row, and students from
Ray High school took up
three rows behind me. They
were all wearing matching
red shirts that said Ray High
as if they were there on a field
trip. It was a little discouraging
seeing the majority of the
people in the stands wearing
red instead of blue and green.
Being the new sports reporter,
I have gone to the
majority of the basketball
games this semester. I enjoy
the men’s basketball games,
but the women’s basketball
games are just as exhilarating.
The Pack the House Challenge
game was your cliché
of a nail biter, but no matter
the athleticism those girls
brought to the court, there
was no one in the stands to
share it with.
Even when the games are
held at the Dugan, you rarely
see a crowd. Blue Crew in
particular is dropping the
ball. They are a student organization
that has one job:
supporting their school.
Editorial: The
Struggling Star
Whitney Houston, a music
legend and icon with record
sales skyward of 100 million
worldwide, passed away last
Saturday, Feb. 11. Houston
rose to fame in the 1980s, although
her most memorable
and successful hit, “I Will
Always Love You,” wasn’t
released until 1992. Despite
the massive success and
worldwide fame, Houston
struggled with drug abuse,
including marijuana and cocaine,
causing her to check
into rehabilitation in 2004.
Initial reports of her death
did not include a cause, and
while it’s easy to speculate
about possible connections
to her troubled past (which
the media has already begun
to do), such speculation
seems inappropriate.
Earlier in the week, photos
of former childhood
star Macaulay Culkin and
Lindsay Lohan emerged.
The 31-year-old Culkin
looked gaunt and perhaps
even elderly, while 25-yearold
Lohan’s sunken eyes and
weary facial expression made
her look years past 40. Both
stars have legal records of
drug problems, with Lohan
most notably serving several
in-and-out stints in rehab.
Lohan’s problems have
been much more publicized
in the media than Culkin’s;
in terms of photography,
Lohan’s problems are much
more documented. Houston’s
struggles with drugs
were certainly publicized,
with Houston denying allegations
that she suffered of a
crack addiction in an interview
with Diane Sawyer in
2002.
News of Houston’s death
hit Twitter fast, just as news
of pop superstar Michael
Jackson’s death did in 2009
and Amy Winehouse’s death
did in 2011. When pictures
of Lohan leaked, Twitter
likewise erupted over
the shocking nature of the
photographs. Average Twitter
users can communicate
with celebrity users, and
although celebrity users seldom
respond to such tweets,
they have the ability to read
Granted, they spend more
time talking trash about
the other team than they
do cheering for the Islanders,
they are still students in
the stands who “Rallies the
sporting spirit among fellow
Islander fans,” as said on
their website. But why don’t I
see them at women’s basketball
games boosting up some
sporting spirit?
Women’s sports deserve
the same attention that we
give the men’s. They are athletes
who work hard for their
school, and win or lose, they
deserve our support. The Pack
the House Challenge should
have had a loud student section
on their feet celebrating
the Islanders win. Blue Crew
them – and likely do. Reaction
to the photos of Lohan
was overwhelmingly negative,
with Lohan receiving
a barrage of negative tweets
directed at her Twitter account.
What this suggests is
that not only does the media
and the general public
participate in a paradoxical
glamorization and victimization
of celebrity downfall,
but also that social media is a
tool that both groups use in
that process. And, it is likely
to the detriment of celebrities.
Houston did not have a
verified Twitter account, and
the majority of her moment
in the spotlight came before
social media of today’s age
existed. Nonetheless, like
Lohan and other fallen celebrities,
the media and general
public were borderline
obsessed over her struggles
with drug abuse, and even
after her death, that attention
has not stopped. Even
in the years leading up to
her death, Houston faced
a mixture of adoration and
condemnation for her live
performances, where audience
members flocked to
see her but left highly dissatisfied
after her voice was
shaky. Now, the media suspects
drugs as the cause of
death. It’s sad that even
in her death, Houston is unable
to escape from a paradox
of loving memory and
detached condemnation.
Is it truly a wonder why
celebrities who struggle
with drug abuse and alcohol
problems never quite seem
to recover? Lohan’s life over
the past five or six years has
been incredibly tumultuous,
with court appearances, jail
sentences, probation violations
and unflattering photos
plaguing the star. Yet, it
seems like stars such as Lohan
and Houston get caught
in that paradox that the media
creates – a mixture of
feeling glamorized and victimized
simultaneously. Just
as a paradox is seemingly
inescapable, so the problems
must appear to the struggling
star.
School Spirit Lacking: Blue Crew and Women’s Sporting Events
should have been there as the
school’s “spirit boosters,” like
they are at the men’s games.
Even an event where they try
to fill the seats should not
have such poor attendance.
I will have to accept that
men’s sports will always get
more attention than women’s.
However, I encourage
students to go to women’s
game. Cheer and support
them because ultimately they
are playing for our school.
Blue Crew should also not
limit themselves to just men’s
games. Women athletes are
athletes and they represent
our school. They cannot pick
and choose Islanders they
want to support. They should
support Islanders, period.