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Thursday, August 26, 2010
Perspectives
Stone-age Sex Education By: Jamie Santoro Perspectives Editor I went to an all-boys high school so I never had the joy of really awkward co-ed sexual education classes that some of my current classmates did, but I’m going to assume that “Mean Girls” has a completely accurate portrayal of sex education in America. I’m kidding. A little bit, at least. Schools in this country take one of three approaches when it comes to sex ed. One, abstinence, is mostly chosen by Catholic institutions but encourages the idea of no sex as the best sex. Second, the most utilized version, boils down to putting all the scary facts on the chalk board and then handing out condoms (à la “Mean Girls”.) Finally, the third type of education is no education at all. Now we are in a state of panic as new reports show that handing out free condoms increases STDs amongst teens. You know what else probably increases STDs amongst teens? Abstinence-based sex ed. Abstinence is like doing a Powerpoint on fasting and including a picture of a cheesesteak on every slide. Now it’s time for the grim facts. Speaking as a former teenage boy, there is no way to keep teens from having sex. They might not, but I don’t think it’s ever because of anything a teacher or parent said. Left to their own devices teenagers are terrible people and I’m speaking from experience there.
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Too much information or need to know information? The best-case scenario is a teenager with all the facts. Teens need to know all the gruesome facts about STDs and more importantly, the lack of sex you will have after being diagnosed with one. Teens need to know that condoms and other forms of protection aren’t always completely effective. Any time you have sex there is a risk for STDs, HIV and pregnancy. These facts are the only weapons we have. Condom distribution is one aspect of sex education that has raised a lot of eyebrows, especially now that STDs are still on the rise. I think that without these condoms, STDs would be tripled. Handing a kid a condom is not a guarantee that he or she will use it, but isn’t it better to know they have it? Parents don’t like to hear there is nothing they can do;
I know that if I have a daughter, that soundproof locked room is going to seem awesome. While you might not be able to keep your kids from having sex, you can keep them from having sex without the knowledge. Teens know everyday in high school is a battle for a million different reasons. Before you leave for the day, you put on your armor and get your weapons ready. Proper sex education should be one of those weapons. Now I sound like a pamphlet your doctor hands you when your voice changes. American schools need to overhaul their sexual education programs just slightly. The bigger change needs to come from American parents. I don’t think it is the school’s responsibility to teach our kids about sex. Everyone, take a minute and imagine your ninth grade gym teacher talking about genital warts and gonorrhea. That is not a thought you keep prevalent when things are getting intimate. Granted, neither is the thought of one’s parents, but I don’t think Eva Mendes is planning on teaching sex ed anytime soon. Back to the point. A teenager is more likely to take the advice of a parent than anyone else. Maybe they say they won’t or blast whiny rock bands with really long album titles in your face, but it does get through. ajs343@cabrini.edu
You’ve got heartbreak By: Elizabeth Krupka A&E Editor “It’s not you, it’s me;” “I think that we would be better off as friends;” “ I just need some time to be my own person.” All of these tell you one thing; it’s over. After moping up the crocodile tears that just poured out of your tear ducts, you quickly log onto Facebook in order to do the dreaded deed: change your relationship status. We live in an age where young adults spend about 20 percent of their time on social media sites. Translation: The 500+ people who follow you now know that you are crying your eyes out over a bowl of ice cream in footie pajamas tonight. Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, Foursquare and Linkedin are just some of the social media sites that keep couples completely connected and in sync; what happens when the happy couple decides to call it quits? Social media keeps you ultimately tied to your ex-partners life. Most social media sites began as a way to chat, message, and talk to people who you haven’t seen in years. Now, sites like Facebook have the application to post pictures documenting your weekly where-
Welcome to all students from Cooperative Education, Career Services, and P.L.A.C.E.! We hope you have a productive and successful year
abouts. Don't doubt it, I love Mondays to check out all the pictures of people's crazy weekends. However, there is a downside to all of that. Not only when you break-up with someone do you have to sever him or her from your life, but you have a daily reminder of 140 characters (or less) of what they are up to. True, you could dejamie Ssantoro / perspectives Eeditor friend, de-follow, Breaking up is hard to do. And even harder is having your entire friends list notified. and ex-communiadult it is a no-brainer that you need one. date while keeping the personal informacate them. But you’re still connected to their friends and it also Plus, no one wants to be that black sheep tion for your journal. Being a young adult and trying to find seems very immature to not be able to han- that says, "I don't have a Facebook," and people seem stunned. your way is hard enough without the presdle the break-up online. But as websites become more advanced sure of wondering what your followers So instead, you find yourself weeding through photos trying to remember if you and more information is at the users finger- think of you after a break-up. Hopefully the next big social media site met that girl who he is gawking at and try- tips, the fine line between privacy and staying to contain your anger when some gor- ing connected is vanishing. Our generation won’t involve personal pictures or depressgeous piece of man tweets about how he doesn't seem to leave anything up to the ing statuses from sappy song lyrics or else, imagination. We write statuses about how we are all stuck in break-up hell known as had an awesome time out with your ex. Social media is looking better and better we feel, post depressing song lyrics, and Facebook. upload emo twit-pics. now isn’t it? The only solution to the problem is for efk722@cabrini.edu There are so many positives to networking with social media sites, that as a young you to try as hard as you can to stay up-to-
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Thursday, August 26, 2010
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Perspectives
The Twilight Saga: Obsession How far is too far?
By: Holly Prendergast Sports Editor
By: Nick Guldin Sports Editor
SEX Yes, it is true; Bella does try to have sex with Edward in the third installment of the Twilight Saga, “Eclipse.” However, it simply ends up being an innocent attempt between two people in love. Yes, they are young, and yes, some of the audience may be a younger crowd but honestly, what romance movie nowadays doesn’t have a sex scene in it? Look at “The Notebook,” “Dear John” and “The Time Traveler’s Wife.” All of these movies have had sex scenes in them, and in my opinion, they have been far more detailed and I am sure that the some of the same “Twi-hards” have seen these movies. Some people may think that the sexual content shown in “Eclipse” may be inappropriate, but honestly, it is something that is going to happen between teenages whether “Eclipse” depicts sexual content or not. ROMANCE As a former teenager and a current twenty-something, I can honestly say that I have been completely and utterly wrapped up in romance books, movies and TV shows one too many times. But what I can tell you is that I have never tried or strived to be like these characters in any way. I would never think that just because Edward and Bella become engaged at such a young age means that I have to or that I would even want to. I think that movies are movies and people realize that they are not real life. Romance is in everyday life, and sometimes it does happen that people fall in love at a young age but I do not think that watching these movies effects the way that people look at life. BOOKS & FILM Goodreads.com claims “Twilight” is one of the best reads of the decade and I completely agree. Although I do love the movies, I do not think that they do the books justice. Yes, this is a fictional series, but Stephanie Meyer is such a creative individual and she truly does have a way with words. When it comes down to it, there is nothing more I can say about the Twilight Saga books, other than I love them. For those of you who decide to judge them before you have even read them, you need to sit down and read them because I can assure you that your opinion will quickly change once you read the magic that is “The Twilight Saga.”
SEX Bella tries to get Edward to have sex with her? Say what? It is true. In the third book and movie “Eclipse,” Bella wants to have sex for the first time before she is transformed into a vampire, so she can get the full human experience (add wink face here). According to Arts and Entertainment web site, “Twilight’s” target audience is “female tweens (10-12-year-olds), teenagers and early twenty-somethings.” Premarital sex is not the message “Twilight” should be sending to this young and impressionable audience. Thankfully, Edward denied Bella while she was on this hormonal rampage or else our younger viewers may have been without tickets to the possible ratedR film. ROMANCE I can’t say I know how it feels to be a young teenage woman but I’ve seen time and time again, through friends and family, how wrapped up young people can get from movies and books. Young people strive to be like the characters they see and admire. In this case Bella (18-years-old) and Edward (human years, 17-years-old and vampire years, 107-years-old) plan their marriage at an extremely young age, which I’m sure does not bode well with the parents of tweens and teens who want their kids to refrain from making such a major decision so young.
BOOKS & FILM Goodreads.com claims that “Twilight” is one of the best books of the decade. Something about this just feels wrong to me. The majority of the United States sits and reads worthless literature about supernatural creatures falling in love with humans. No wonder China is so much more technologically advanced than we are. Stephenie Meyer, author of the “Twilight” series, should feel blessed that she caught the attention of the horny females in this world because her poor writing would have gotten her no where otherwise.
hmp35@cabrini.edu
ngg27@cabrini.edu
jamie santoro / perspectives editor
Corporations should pay their fair share By: Eric Gibble News Editor There is one five-letter-word that has had a significant power for a number of years. From the transformation of the political tea-party to the determination of past, present and future elections, it continues to strike fear in the minds of millions of Americans. That word is taxes. Raising or lowering taxes has become a key issue in the midterm election debates. With federal stimulus funding set to end after this fiscal year, states will be forced to address massive deficits. Pennsylvania alone is expected to face a $5 billion deficit in 2011. Balancing a budget appears to be black and white; you can either cut spending or raise revenue. Unfortunately over the past two years, legislators in Harrisburg have made drastic cuts to essential community services that benefit working families and our most vulnerable citizens. These programs include mental health services, child care assistance and autism prevention services. Simply cutting the budget by $5 billion is not the answer. Layoffs to the public sector will only further weaken the commonwealth. Pennsylvania is the sixth-most-populous state, but already has fewer state employees than most
states. Many people complain about the quality of our roads, the poor quality of our public education and the terrible quality of our public transportation. Six thousand bridges in the state are considered structurally deficient and need immediate attention. It’s like listening to a 5-year-old complain non-stop; no one seems willing to find the funding for these programs yet can find everything wrong with them. Legislators must look at revenue enhancements. But taxes shouldn’t be raised on the middle class. Instead we should look at updating our tax structure so that big corporations like Wal-Mart, Best Buy and Exxon Mobil pay their fair share as well. Seventy percent of corporations in Pa. do not pay one penny in income taxes simply by creating a subsidy in a tax haven state like Del. and shifting their address there. Twenty-three other states have closed this loophole by enacting combined reporting which has corporations file their taxes based on their income nationwide. In Wilmington, Del. there is a non-descript one-story building that holds the address of more than 2/3’s of Fortune 500 companies. There isn’t one representative from these companies; it’s simply a mailbox for them to use to avoid paying taxes in the state. Combined reporting hasn’t dampened the economic prosperity of these states either. Nintey-seven percent of Pa.’s largest private employers operate in other states that
have enacted combined reporting. According to Michael Wood of the Pa. Budget and Policy Center, the state loses between $400 million and $1 billion by not closing this loophole. These companies are using our roads, bridges and receive millions of our tax dollars in subsidiaries. It’s time to close the loopholes so that corporations are held accountable for the services they use and preserve our state programs. erg722@cabrini.edu
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