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12 WEDNESDAY. MARCH ‘26. ‘I OOB JL NATHAN NYANJOM A DIFFERENT ANGLE Nathan Nyanjom is a senior biology major from Columbia, Md. E-MAIL: NYANJOMOEMAIL UNC.EDU Bring up bananas to your kids earlier I'll warn you now: Today's col umn is on sex. It's everywhere in our society , from television shows and halftime performances to newspaper advertisements and hilllroanl pictures. A study released in February claims that women think about the s-word every 1+ minutes, and while the idea probably doesn't cross the minds of men every seven seconds as the urban legend claims, it's an understatement to say that we’re no angels either. Findings from a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention certainly pointed this out on Mareh 11. While most of us s[x-nt that week studying AT-LARGE COLUMNIST tin- effects of alcohol on the brain in tropical locations, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did some work of its own, releas ing its results from a study that assessed the sexual behavior and health of 838 randomly selected female teenagers. Of those young women, 2rt [x-reent had a sexu ally transmitted disease, which supported the center s claim that for eveiy four teenage girls in the United States, one has an STI). You heard right: In the United States of America right now. a quarter of American teenage girls have an STD. Some doctors said that the study’s finding “might be a reflec tion of teens’ own sense of invul nerability," but it’s not their fault at all: the first line of defense (or lack thereof) against sexually transmit ted diseases comes front parents and teachers, and the associated dogma of abstinence-only sex edu cation. I certainly remember my sex education past Asa crab-cake and football man from Howard County, Md.. I received sex education in three grades from three teachers who were scared to even mention the word "sex." For me fifth grade saw the entire class separated into boy and girl-only rooms, and once all of us stopped giggling, our pale faced assistant principal proceeded to turn shades of maroon as he rushed through words that we ran home to lixik up in the dictionary. Middle school was no differ ent. as we were shown gruesome pictures of sexual diseases from outdated videos that made us want nothing more than to never have sex our entire lives. Following the conclusion of the video, our faces took even longer to return to full color than our eve receptors, and the response to the health teacher's “Any questions?" was bleaker than the post office on a Sunday. It’s on us college students, as America’s next group of parents, to improve the landscape of sex education. It's parents’ responsibil ity —and no one else's— to make sure that their child is responsible when it comes to sex. No one likes to give the birds and the bees talk, but the respon sibility certainly shouldn't be del egated to our children’s teachers. Sure, the sex education curriculum in school needs to teach methods of safe sex, but an improved, more realistic doctrine doesn’t mean parents can stay mum. We can’t change the past The quarter of teenagers tested in the study cannot go back and lose their STD, and we can’t go back in time and snap at our health teachers for showing us cheesy videos that didn't prepare us for dealing with sex today. We can. however, be the change that the centers' study so glaringly cries out for. Let's promise to talk to our kids about sex. Don’t be my fifth-grade teacher who got his James Brown on bv talkin’ loud without savin' nothin'. Be that parent the father who sits his son down and is putting a condom on a banana when mom comes in or the mother who asks about her daughter's low life every time she calls her. Your daughter and her friends will probably think you’re a loser, but she won’t be the one of the group who has an STD. EDITORIAL CARTOON By Wayne Stayskal , Tribune Media Services ■A 1 S7eT)IJ&R>L* I 1 Let em play Easley should allow Nourish fundraiser to continue If you think your March Madness bracket pool is legal in North Carolina, don’t bet on it. According to N.C. law, any sort of gambling is illegal and is a Class 2 misdemeanor, regard less of whether it is for profit. Nourish International, a nonprofit with the goal of reducing poverty and hunger in less-developed countries, found this out the hard way last week when it had to cancel its annual Hold ‘Em For Hunger poker tournament. The group is applying to Gov. Mike Easley for an exemption from the gambling law, which would allow them to hold the tournament. Easley should grant them the exemption, as it is ridicu lous to put the Hold ‘Em For Hunger poker tournament in the same category as other forms of gambling, such as slot machines and video poker. The tournament was expect ed to bring in about 825,000 in revenue, a major part of the group’s budget. That revenue was going to be used to fund Space exploration More practice areas should be opened up for arts groups By the most recent count, UNC is home to 588 officially recognized stu dent organizations. While it’s great that Chapel Hill is home to such a wide array of groups and activities, the University should be held responsible for making sure that these groups have ade quate space and time to meet. For the performance groups on campus, this has recently become quite a problem. UNC needs to make rehears al space for student groups a priority in its current construc tion projects, such as the base ment of the Student Union and Carolina North. Until those areas are ready, however, UNC also needs to make a concerted effort to locate Summer at the Ram Opening Ram Village to conferences is a worthy trial If you happen to be walking around South Campus this summer, you might notice that the Ram Village apart ments seem a little livelier than in the previous summer. But the increased activity will not arise from the com ings and goings of summer school students. Instead it will be a product of scheduled adult conference attendees renting out the rooms. Keeping the doors of Ram Village open for conferences with some sort of University affiliation has the potential to be a wise decision on the part of the Department of Housing and Residential Education. How-ever, our final verdict rests on the cost and revenue data that will determine the profitability of the venture. Assuming the department will make money-, the benefits are clear. It offers conference attendees Opinion service projects run by Nourish, which is now forced to find an alternative source of money. Its various projects include building a water system in Peru and starting a microfinance initiative in Honduras. “This is a really strong hit," Nourish International assistant director and former Daily Tar Heel columnist James Dillard said. “Some things are going to get shorted." Even though we disagree with the state’s blanket ban on gam bling, we can understand the rationale behind it. Gambling can lead to problems like addiction and organized crime, which can be difficult problems to reverse once started. However, to deny a charity the right to hold a poker tournament to raise money for its organiza tion simply makes no sense. Some forms of gambling are certainly bad, but it is hard to see how the Hold ‘Em For Hunger poker tournament could be anything but good. Asa once-a-year event that raises money for a charity, it won’t create any of the prob- underutilized space on campus and help these groups find plac es they can use to rehearse. Many groups have practice time in one of the upstairs rooms in the Student Recreation Center, a fully equipped facility that is hard to complain about. But other groups have been dispersed between subpar prac tice spaces in Woollen Gym and the basement of the Union. Even the Carmichael lobby, which was used as a rehearsal space in pre vious years, is shut down with the dorm’s construction. In Woollen, there’s now a partition at the end of the gym to separate the basketball courts from the performance groups. Yet groups are responsible for bringing their ow-n boom boxes or other music-plaving devices. a less expensive alternative to the other locales where confer ences usually gather people. Those who prefer the luxuries of a four-star hotel can still take advantage of the accommoda tions at the Carolina Inn, but for those with different needs, Ram Milage is a good option. Rick Bradley, assistant direc tor of the housing department, said maximizing the use of campus housing facilities by renting them out during the summer will allow the depart ment to grow. Making Ram Village avail able for rent during the sum mer also gives housing an opportunity to give back to stu dents. The additional revenue generated by renting out these apartments will go toward reducing the cost of living on campus for students. However, all of this hinges on whether or not it will be prof itable to keep the apartments lems normally associated with gambling. If the state is worried about people becoming gam bling addicts, it should worry more about its own state-run lottery than it should a charity poker tournament. Indeed, it seems hypocriti cal for the state to have a law against all forms of gambling when North Carolina has a state-run lottery that milked its residents for more than 8885 million in 2007. There doesn’t appear to be a fundamental difference between a lottery that raises money for education and a poker tourna ment that raises money to help fight poverty in other countries. In fact, it could be argued that the lottery is actually- worse than the poker tournament since it is more likely to sap money from poor people. The state’s law on gam bling undoubtedly needs to be changed, but untii then. Easley should grant an exemption for Nourish’s Hold ‘Em For Hunger poker tournament. If he doesn’t, then he should take a hard look at his state’s own lottery. and even the loudest sound system can’t be heard over the racket of basketballs bouncing everywhere in the gym. And while the addition of mirrors and flooring in the base ment of the Union was a good effort on the part of arts officials, it still isn’t enough to fulfill the needs of all the groups that need time to practice there. We understand that con struction has to occur some time, and it is unquestionable that the campus will eventually benefit from all of the work that is being done. But campus groups won’t remain static regardless of how long construction takes, and something needs to be done to provide for performance groups during this time of transition. open during the summer. Before this editorial was written, hous ing officials were unable to give us final numbers on expected costs and revenue. Officials plan on charging S6O per night for a single room or 830 for a double, as well as weekly rates. At a time when the hous ing department faces budget ary challenges, it is especially important that the revenue generated by renting the apart ments outweighs the costs of keeping them open in terms of utilities and staffing. Other campus buildings normally remain open during the summer for activities such as summer athletic camps and academic programs, but this summer will be the first time the housing department will experiment with keeping Ram Village open. We are eager to see how- the experiment pans out. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “People hang nooses and think they’re eocerdsingfree speech, hut they need to he educated about the difference ” HANNAH KIRBY, UNC SOPHOMORE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Feel strongly about something that has been printed? Post your own response to a letter, editorial or story online. VISIT www.daiiytarheel.com/feedback Immigrants to America must be able to assimilate TO THE EDITOR: John Wait’s unfamiliarity with the differences between residen cy and citizenship in the United States is laughable (“Legal immi grants should not be unduly tar geted," March 25). Legal residents do NOT enjoy the same rights as citi zens (such as the right to vote, eligibility to run for federal office, etc.). Furthermore, his bleeding-heart description of the immigration process, while touching, is irrelevant. Regarding the question of assimilation, a more appropriate term would be integration. I don’t think Kevin Wise (“Immigrants don’t have the same rights as U.S. citizens", March 24) meant to imply, as Wait so boldly states, that legal immigrants to this country must “completely forget their heritage." Rather, their previous nation al identities should simply take a backseat to their current status as Americans. In other words, if legal immigrants truly want to become productive members of American society, they must cease considering themselves Mexican-American (or Japanese- American, French-American, etc.), instead substituting the reverse: American-Mexican. And yes, that means legal immigrants ‘gasp* must learn English. As to the notion that legal res idents/workers should be treated differently with regards to crimi nal offences, I totally agree. Their residency in this country is by nature probationary- in the sense that they’re trying to prove their ability to follow American laws and become good citizens; until they actually- become citizens, we have every right to reserve the threat of deportation. If you think this practice is unfair with regards to natural born citizens, take it up with the Constitution. Donnie Hill Sophomore German Americans can disagree and still support troops TO THE EDITOR: Asa relative and friend to U.S. Marines currently serving in Iraq, I found the March 25 let ter by Jeff Brubaker (“We must continue to stand in opposition to Iraq War") to be heartbreak ing, especially as an American. While most of the U.S. wants their loved ones home from the w-ar, as do I, we continue to berate our president and the armed forces, w-ho initially had our overw-helming support. Why must we continue to demean a man who is doing only what Americans clamored for so powerfully after Sept. 11? Why do w-e continue to hate the actions of our military, when it is they who protect us from attack while we sleep? As an American, I may not always agree with the actions of my president or govern ment, but I have no doubts in giving them my support for try ing to protect my freedom and life. I would hope that other Americans would be able to do the same. Tiffany Thomas Sophomore History SPEAK OUT WRITING GUIDELINES: ► Please type: Handwritten letters wiH not be accepted ► Sign and date: No more than two people should sign letters. ► Students: Include your year, major and phone number. ► Faculty/staff: Indude your department and phone number. ► Edit: The DTH edits for space, clarity, accuracy and vulgarity. Limit letters to 250 words SUBMISSION: ► Drop-off: at our office at Suite 2409 in the Student Union. ► E-mail: to editdeskOtaK.edu ► Send: to P.O. Box 3257, Chapel Hill, N.C., 27515. EDITOR'S NOTE: Columns, cartoons and letters do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Daily Tar Heel or its staff. Editorials are the opinions soleiy of The Daily Tar Heel edito rial board. The board consists of nine board members, the associate opinion editor the opinion editor and the edhor The 2007-08 editor decided not to vote on the board Shr Sailii Sar Urrl Videotaping rally was a waste of taxpayer money TO THE EDITOR: I attended the peace march at UNC and applaud those who organized a successful and peaceful protest of war and oppression. However, 1 was troubled when I noticed two men videotaping the rally. One was wearing a shirt with an “ISAAC" logo on it. I asked him who ISAAC was, and the very vague response was, “We collect information about events going on in North Carolina." When I asked for a little bit more information, he stated, “We work with local law enforcement." A little research revealed that ISAAC is the Information Sharing and Analysis Center. According to their Web site, ISAAC s purpose*, in conjunction with Department of Homeland Security, is to "protect the safety and security of all citizens from acts of terrorism." Asa researcher of social move ments, I know that government surveillance of protest is nothing new. But it baffles me that the fed eral and state authorities found it a necessary use of taxpayer money to conduct surveillance of a relatively small, peaceful, University-approved, student sponsored event. It never ceases to amaze that those exercising their rights are considered terrorists or crimi nals or that our tax dollars can't be spent on protecting citizens from real threats. Billie J. Murray Doctoral Studen t Communication Studies War protestors mention of Carson was horribly wrong TO THE EDITOR: Last Wednesday morning (March 19) I was sitting in class when I heard drums outside. My friend tells us it is Students for a Democratic Society doing a war protest. OK? It’s a little loud, but no big deal. I go outside and walk toward Lenoir after class, and someone in SDS is talking on the loud speaker. I am not listening care fully but the gist is: “I don't want to live in a society responsible for killing Iraqis. I don't want to live in a society-... etc." Then I stop: “I don’t want to live in a soci ety responsible for killing Eve Carson.” No. That has absolutely noth ing to do with your protest; leave her name out of it. If you were doing it for shock value, that is disgusting; if you did not real ize what a big deal it would be, you’re stupid. Considering SDS’s past, I think we know which one it was. To use her name in your unre lated (and yes, it WAS unrelat ed) cause was disrespectful and offensive to those who knew her and those whose lives she affect ed which w-ould be almost every person on this campus. Kellye Murphy Junior English Hhr latly ear lirrl Established 1893 , 115 years ofeditorialfreedom ERIN ZUREICK EDITOR. 962-4086 ZUREICKOEMAII.UNC.EDU OFFICE HOURS: MON.. WED.. FRI. 1-2 RM. ADAM STORCK OPINION EDITOR. 962-0750 APSTORCKOUNC.EDU JONATHAN TUGMAN ASSOCIATE OPINION EDITOR. 962-O7SO TUGMANOUNC EDU EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS JESSICA SCISM TED STRONG SARAH WHITWORTH KATHRYN ARDIZZONE SARAH LETRENT DUNCAN CARLTON ELYSE MCCOY GRAHAM ROWE DAVID GIANCASPRO
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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