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Honors forum examines morality and the media
by Garry Walton
"For me God is the answer to the
decline of morality in the media," de
clared Art Professor Eugene O'Neal,
during the Honors Forxmi held April 2
in Johnson Hall. "Take away God and
his principles and you take away a ba
sic fovindation. Everything collapses.
O'Neal was one of several guest pan
elists for the forum, which examined
the relationship between the mass me
dia and the decline of American val
ues.
"The media industry only reflects
what's going on in society," he said.
"They will embellish some areas to sell
their products, whatever means neces
sary through sex, violent and profan
ity—you name it."
The forum focused on radio, televi
sion, rap music, heavy metal, rock and
pornography on The Internet.
Albert Walker, freshman class presi
dent, read blatantly sexual lyrics from
Lil Kim's album as examples of offen
sive lyrics in rap music.
"This music is demoting our moral
values," he said, "and something
should be done about it."
Another honors student. Chuck
Craddock, spoke about pop music, in
cluding rock, heavy metal and rap.
"This music is integrated with pro
fanity and explicit sexuality, and in
many cases it glorifies violence and
substance abuse," said Craddock. "This
type of music has been blamed for sui
by Angela Bumis
Jacqueline Casey, an ECSU junior,
was upset recently when she tried to
access her E-mail in the G.R. Little Li
brary and learned she could no longer
check her E-mail on the library's com
puters.
Casey, one of 24 students to sign a
petition protesting the library's cancel
lation of student access to their E-mail,
said she does not understand the prob
lem of checking E-mail in the library.
"It takes only a second to check your
E-mail," Casey said. "The Academic
Computer Lab sometimes gets
crowded."
Casey said the student who ap
proached her with the petition said the
librarian did not explain why she could
not check her account.
Several students who did not sign
the petition had strong views on the
issue.
"I feel we should have access to check
our E-mail accovints anyplace on the
campus," said Attiba Wiggins, a sopho
more. "Our tuition money should be
cide, acts of violence, and drug abuse.
It's inevitable that these trends will con
tinue as long as this type of behavior is
accepted by us and glorified in the me
dia."
Jonathan Williams gave a presenta
tion on pornography and on the
Internet, and how accessible it is to
children and adolescents.
"This pornography exploits women
and men," he said. "It's so easily acces
sible to anyone. They can type in FOR
or XXX and have access to over one
million pornographic sites on the
Internet.
"People are willing to pay $200 a
month to have access to pornography
in their homes. The (pornographic) sites
offer free previews, and people can pay
by credit card."
WiUiams urged listeners not to ac
cess the sites, adding "that is one solu
tion to the problem. The destination is
in your control."
Deanne Morring spoke on the way
radio and films influence behavior.
"The American Pediatrics Associa
tion in 1990 stated that by the time a
child graduates in 1996 he or she wiU
have spent more time watching televi
sion than any other single activity," said
Morring. Furthermore, according to a
study by the American Psychological
Association, "the average child watches
eight thousand murders and 100,000
other associated acts of violence."
Violence on television also leads to
able to give us unlimited access to these
facilities."
Sophomore Damon Freshwater
agreed with Wiggins.
"The Internet is not only used to look
for information," Freshwater said. "E-
mail helps us to quickly send and re
ceive mail, especially from employers
who may be sending job information."
A statement on the petition stated
that students' tuition was assumed to
cover use of "the library's computers."
However, library director Claude
Green said all fees from checking E-
mail accounts are billed to the library.
"This is nothing personal," said
Green. "It is a financial matter. When
students check their E-mail, we receive
the bill, and we have no way of charg
ing it back to the students."
Green said he first realized E-mail
accounts were being checked in the li
brary during spring break when he saw
a student checking his address.
"I clearly explained to the student
how crucial the library's budget is in
providing the basic necessities needed
more aggression, less self control and a
decrease in school progress, said
Morring.
"A poll taken by a 1996 survey of
students revealed that 66 percent of
the respondents said television influ
enced their behavior. Sixty-two percent
said that seeing sexual activity dis
played on television and other forms
of media influences children to have
sex "when they are too yovmg."
According to O'Neal people have
come "so sensitized to these areas that
it does not affect us anymore. We think
that it is normal, and with this view it's
hard to say what is right and what is
wrong."
O'Neal urged the audience to look at
their ovra lives and then ask themselves
a question;
"Are you living to please yourself or
are you living to please God? God cre
ated the foundation or morals when he
created the Ten Commandments. God's
law tells us what to do, it gives us no
power to do it. Man needs a savior,
and that's why so many people are
looking for things to fulfill them. They
are looking everywhere.
"They think it's in money, careers,
cars, houses, girlfriends, boyfriends,
but only through Christ by faith will
society have the power to convey the
law. Sin is the issue and that needs to
be addressed in one's life."
O'Neal said people have let the me
dia "transform us into little gods our
for the students," he said. "The use of
Infotrac and printing paper alone costs
us $35,000 annually. I then asked him
what would he prefer to have—all free
information on the Internet and print
ing paper that we are currently offer
ing or asset to E-mail without the free
usage of the Internet. At the end, the
student agreed with me that our cur
rent situation is better. I have not heard
anymore about E-mail accoimts in the
library ever since."
Green, who was imaware of the peti
tion, said better communication was
needed between the library and stu
dents. "My staff in the library does bad
public relations in stressing this fac
tor," he said.
Green said he has reported this prob
lem to the Academic Computing Cen
ter, where most students register their
E-mail accounts, in an effort to resolve
the issue.
"I'm not against checking E-mail in
the library," said Green. "At this time, I
just prefer students to check it where
they are registered at, in order to save
the library money."
selves. We want the freedom to do
whatever I want. Unless we change
our ways to God's ways and under
stand him, life and our moral values
wiU cause the media to decline."
At the forum Tyrell Carr and Waquita
Lane pointed out that the First Amend
ment protects "free speech" in society.
Honors Program Director Dr. Carol
Jones said that when the Founding Fa
thers drafted the Constitution and the
Bill of Rights, they could not have en
visioned free speech as exploiting
women and children on the Internet
and on television.
A student in the audience suggested
that the best way to handle the prob
lem is to "turn the television off and
don't click on it on the Internet if you
don't want to see it."
Ms. Edith Thorpe, manager of WRVS,
discussed how radio has changed since
she began her career in media.
"This year marks 20 years I have been
in the industry," said Thorpe, who
started out as a DJ in college. "To hear
some of the things I hear on the radio
as well as my CB is disturbing.
"When I first started rap music was
not as prevalent, and it has caused a
moral decline in our society," Thorpe
said. "Now that we know that, where
do we go from here? I know in my
heart of hearts that it starts with us,
and God is the answer."
The program was moderated by
Kizzy Crawford.
Poetry
Inspired by
Loneliness
He begged and pleaded of me
Not longing to pound against
But yearning for permission
Just to explore my naked body
Utilizing the main tool of sense of
touch
His journey resulted in yearning of
my own
I rolled over, spread and revealed
The overflowing moisture lying
between
His entrance seemed to be slow
motion
Ever so gently he thrust my walls
A slight grin spilled upon his face
He knew I'd fulfill his true initial
purpose
His profound penetration was his
victory
And served merely as my
exuberance
The tiny essence of a thought
triggered
A small rupture throughout my pit
Embracing about the arms and legs
My hand grasped and buried his
head
My whimpers & his moans formed a
collage
Then one after another but at the
same time
We experienced a release of such
joyous tension.
I. Sadie Rhodes
Students upset over library s
cancellation of E-nnail access