Page 114 - ThePhoenix1996-97

Thursday, February 20, 1997 - Page 2 COMMENTARY Staff THE SOAPBOX Editor-In-Chief Carolyn D. Barnes '99 --,,....--------l! Adam Dean 11------- Managing Editor Sarah Snell '97 Advertising Manager As you know, this is the first Soapbox be explained or properly examined with out history in isolation causes us to lose per- Lubomir Ondercin '00 of March. You might not know that March taking into account the stimulus which spective and creates a false understand- News Editor is also know as "Women's History Month." came from those out side his or her gender ing of history. The Boston massacre was GrantA. Rice '99 February was "Black History Month" and I or ethnicity. Would Carrie Nation have not about Crispus Attucks. The Mollie am sure there are other history months we gone on her crusade against alcohol with- Beans of the Civil War were far outnum- Assistant News Editor Kate Hampson '00 are not aware of. I myself was not aware of out the image of the drunk, abusive hus- bered by the-Billy Yanks and the Johnny the existence of "Women's History Month" band or the wasted life of an intoxicated Rebs. Features Editor until someone mentioned it to me last week. bum in the back of her mind? Would Jennifer Vick '98 The history months have another, The reason I mention this is because I find Frederick Douglas have struggled to better more important flaw. They create divi- Assistant Features Editor the implied logic behind these history himself without the background of slavery siveness within our country. By setting Nicki Kassotis '99 months disturbing. and degradation pushing him on? Without aside a special month to celebrate a Editorials Editors Adam Dean '98 Erin Howard '00 'The accomplishments of members of anyone group can not be explained or Sports Editor properly examined without taking into account the stimulus which came from those Julie Edwards '00 outside his or her gender or ethnicity. Art Editor Mike Puskar '99 Subscriptions Manager By setting aside a particular month to interactions with other groups, these his- group's history the idea that these groups Shannon Tinney '99 celebrate the history of one legally defined torical figures may have been very differ- are separate and isolated from the Ameri- Public Relations Manager "minority" (how a group which makes up ent people. can whole is given credit. This idea cre- Abbi Rudman '00 52% of the population can be considered a Ido understand why it was thought that ates the impression that these groups might minority eludes me) the powers that be have establishing a month long holiday to cel- be able to go it alone. Thoughts like these Distribution Manager created the dangerous, false impression that- ebrate the history of these groups was a Rich Suchoski '00 destroy great nations. America's minori- the groups in question have an isolated, good idea. For far too long thoughtless or ties are like the carbon and tin in an alloy Staff Writers separate history than that of the country as biased historians have ignored the contri- steel blade. Remove them and the iron Nikki Bellanger '98 a whole. Do women have a history separate butions of many subgroups within Ameri- blade is easily broken. With them the al- Morrison Benjamin '00 from that of men? Do BlackAmericans have can culture. But by encouraging the study loy blade cleaves with great force. It is time DanCallahan '00 a history separate from that of the rest of of these group's contributions to American we realize there is but one ethnicity in this Dan Gadd '00 country? No they do not. History is interac- history in isolation we do not balance out country. It is American. John Greene '98 tion. No one group within the nation exists past injustices. Rather, we tip the scale too Jim Gross '99 in isolation from the other. The accomplish- far in the other direction. Two wrongs do Adam Dean is a junior Political Science ma- Faye Ingram '99 ments of members of anyone group can not not make a right. The study of a group's JOr. Roxanne Ingram '99 Maggie Kimura '99 Jeremy Lopus '00 Courtney Risch '99 FrancescaSaylor '00 Emily Sramathis '99 Cameron Speir '97 Heather Woods '99 John Greene Photographers NathanBirdsall'99 Courtney Risch '99 Jose (Juba) Siqueira '00 Advertising Design Iam a second semester junior. It's not ter two-and-a-half years, I decided to well ... brotherhood. A brother will do Shea Henyon '98 too hard to figure out that I've been here pledge, Ithought I would be one of those anything for a brother at this school, but Laurie Jones '99 for two-and-a-half years. So I've seen a people who, at graduation, walked hap- it doesn't stop there. lot of shit go down on this campus. I've pily across the stage with my diploma and I know many freshman, and even The Phoenix is published biweekly. seen the bad, and there is a lot of it, but my independence. I guess the time just some sophomores, may think that there The opinions expressed do not necessar- I've also seen a surprisingly large amount felt right. I found a group of guys that I is all the time in the world before you ily represent those of The Phoenix staff, of the good as well. I've lived on a fra- feel strongly enough about to go through graduate. Well, I want to tell you that the faculty, or A:!mr&~ministrators of ternity floor for the last two years, and I pledging in order to call them my broth- this time will go by faster than you think WMC. Terry Dalton hang oul with at least a few representa-" ers. Of course, there tsn'r anything (ever heard that one before), especially The paper welcomes free-lance sub- rives from most of the other fralerniti~s w.rong with a~y of the OI~er fraternities. if you are a little fuzzy around the edges' missions on Macintosh disks in most (not to mention the numerous friends I I Just, at the fisk of sounding cheesy, felt on the details. You pledge for a certain word processor formats. The editor re-. have in all the sororities - yeah, Phi amount of time, but then you are a brother serves the right to edit for clarity, length, Alph's). So I know a little bit about what the IC:~:t~Oe~~~~ss t:::~i;~~:~orial is 10 forever, after college ... forever. That, to and libel and to publish as space permits. is going on with the various fraternities bring up the issue of pledging. There is me, is a very real and tangible idea to me. All submissions (excluding self-ad- and sororities on this campus. a legitimate argument against pledging, Okay, enough of the sermon. What it dressed diskettes) become the property Spring semester is well on it's way, in one which I believed fiercely, until this comes down to is this: Pledging is not, of The Phoenix and cannot be returned. fact we are starting a three week count- semester. However, there is another side in and of itself, and especially pleasant Please include a name and phone down to Spring Break. Along with an- to the story which I feel a lot of people time. I don't think anybody would dis- number for verification. Names will be other spring semester comes another op- either ignore or just don't understand. agree with that. It's what happens at the withheld only by the discretion of the portunity to pledge one of the many so- Pledging definitely is not for every- end of pledging which is what a perspec- Editor-in-Cruef. rorities and fraternities at Western Mary- body. The fact is, you have to keep in tive eligible has to think about. The Phoenix does not discriminate land College. mind the end goal. As with many hap- If that conclusion, becoming a brother, based on age, race, religion, gender, So the question on many of the stu- penings in life, the end must be worth seems worth going through pledging, sexual orientation, national origin, con- dent body's minds, these last few weeks going through the means to achieve. For then be a stud and go for it. There is, dition of handicap, or marital status. has been whether or not to pledge. It's an me, it is. Maybe for you, it's not, but I however, one small piece of advise I will important decision to make, one which just wanted to bring up the good, posi- give. That is: Don't go into anything Mail to: should been given a respectable amount tive aspects of pledging. unless you're ready to give 100%. If The Phoenix of deliberation and pondering; definitely Yeah, you may go through some there is any inkling of doubt in your mind, WMC, 2 College Hill not one to be taken lightly. stressful times, but the reward, the end just wait. There is no pressure, at least Westminster, MD 21157 So, I decided 10 pledge the Gamma goal, is one of the best things that this there shouldn't be, so just wait it out. I Beta Chi fraternity. (Get off guys. You little college ever produced. There is an did for two years, and I'm glad that I did. (410) 751·8600 like the cheap plugs?) and I'm never look- unparalleled feeling of a family away (410) 876-2055, ext 8600 ing back. I really can't explain why, af- from home, a sense of closeness and .. John Greene is ajunior English major. FAX, (410) 857·2729