Sunday, October 26, 2008

Depression in College Students



By Destinee Moore

Depression and suicide are issues that have been prevalent across college campuses for years. During their college years, students experience depression on a large scale. Many times in college, students experience true independence for the first time, and are ill prepared for that experience. Students have more trouble dealing with financial issues, relationship conflicts, and academic problems without their authority figures more regularly available. These factors often lead to serious cases of depression and suicidal thoughts in college students. Colleges can take many precautions to help students cope with these issues, such as psychiatric services and more financial opportunities for students.
Virginia became the first state in 2007 to pass legislation that bars public colleges and universities from punishing or expelling students "solely for attempting to commit suicide, or seeking mental-health treatment for suicidal thoughts or behaviors." Students should not be punished for seeking help with stressful issues. This adds to students’ reluctance to seek aid in coping with their issues. The new legislation suggests that institutions have a basic duty to prevent student suicide. This opened the doors for school to face more lawsuits for students who committed suicide from depression at their institutions. An institution can be held liable if the court determines that it somehow caused the suicide.
Counseling and suicide preventive services should be regularly made available by college and universities, yet the college/university should not be held responsible for a students’ depression or suicide attempts. Regular services to help students cope with depression will lead to safer and healthier environments for students. Colleges should help promote healthier living for students but are not responsible for student’s depression. Any services that promote safer and healthier experiences for students should be implemented on college campuses.



Response By: Charise Patterson
There is no doubt that depression is often overlooked in our communites, specifically regarding our genreation. It has become taboo to speak upon and not really looked at as a "disease" more so as a disfunction. This causes many teenagres to leave their depression untreated and ignored only making problems worse. But it is not the responsibility of colleges to fix nor suffer from this personal problem. Families, friends, and the individuals should hold this stand; not the school which the individual attends.

Though a college is your place of residence for four years, it is not your home. The institution sereves to educate and that is it's main purpose. Most universities to educate their students upon mental and physical health issues. But "promoting" healthy living is in no way the institutions job to do. Students get stressed about school works, social problems, and extra cirriculars. This stress can lead to depression. But these are stress factors that student controls, not the school.

Depression is very serious, and if a student approaches a counselor at most istitutions about the depression they will be referred to someone who can accurately help them. But if the school can be blamed and possibly punished for the suicidal actions of a depressed student, it is common sense that they would want no part in fixing the problem. Colleges and universities would much rather stay out of it.

I don't look at this as being wrong or uninvolved, it is simply the best and safest measure for schools to take. No one wants blood on their hands, and when it comes to the depression of college students the college should have no part in it.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Re:Interracial Dating

K.Haley

I do believe that there is only one race, the “human race,” but from a Socio-historical perspective society has polluted that notion. The color of one’s skin has bought division amongst human beings, by judging others worth by the color of their skin. Interracial dating can be the cause of tension in relationships, and can be a reason for being social outcast. We would all like to believe that everyone has accepted the idea of interracial relationships, but I think society still has some maturing to do. NO, we should not judge others by the color of their skin; we should choose our mates by the content of their character. But being colorblind is easier said than done.

In the movie, “Something New” Sanaa Lathan, falls for a white man, but it was not willingly. She is apprehensive about the idea, solely because of the color of his skin. Once in a relationship, their continues issue was dealing with their racial difference, and the lack of acceptance by friends and family. Those issues eventually lead to the break-up of the couple. Thankfully, Sanaa was mature enough to overcome those superficial differences and found that true love does not have a color. But it was not until after she endures heart ache and pain. But, not everyone is able to work past those racial differences!

Dating outside of ones race, is a personal decision. One that should not have to be contemplated, but in today’s society, often is. Being in a relationship between two individuals, and them being happy with each other. And who’s to say you can only be happy with a same-race person?



Response by Christina

Dating outside of one's race is stigmatized because of the way Americans have been socialized. Due to different social issues (i.e. slavery and segregation) the idea of being able to date outside of one's race and it be acceptable is rather taboo. Though race is an uncontrollable aspect, who you date is and dating outside of your race will not eliminate racial tensions but instead it will cause an uneasiness between the couple; and when out in public people will frown and make judgments about that couple based on preconceived notions of who should date who.Though looking through a rose colored glass is ideal, the truth is America is not ready to face the idea of intermixing different races. It is seen as more of an insult for an African American male to be dating a Caucasian woman then is the opposite. Think about. How often do you see an interracial couple, and think dag she is taking all of our good men. I mean from the statistics we hear most of our black men are dead or in jail, we don't want to loose the rest to other races. I think one reason we think like this is because essentially if all black men dated white women then how would our race continue? One reason that white people think this way is because they have been conditioned to believe that black men are inferior to white men and should not be allowed to touch "the pure white women". Unfortunately, there is some merit to both statements. Though there are colleges like Morehouse College, that is only a small microcosm of the real world. In reality there are LIMITED black well educated black men suitable for marriage. After watching the documentary, "Black in America" I came to realize that interracial couples still have it hard. Not only are they subjected to a life of uneasiness but they also subject their children to being discriminated against and also to having identity crisis. Seeing how the white man, in the documentary, had to essentially leave his family alone in order to marry his black girlfriend shows an important thing. Even in 2008 with all of the "perceived progress" that America has made, we still can not date outside of our race, and thinking that doing so will relieve racial tensions is very ignorant and uninformed. Honestly, love SHOULD NOT be limited by the color of one's skin but in ALL HONESTY IT IS. Maybe one day we will be able to accept interracial couples because we won't look at race, but that day has yet to come.

The Message in the Music



by Shaunicie Fielder

Music is one of the most diverse, fluid forms of communication known to man. Music has the power to transcend all barriers of time, space, and language. Some of the most popular music in the world is sung by people who barely understand the language. For many, music serves as a release or an escape for the shackles of everyday life. But for some, music has become a source of pain and strife. Rap and hip hop music have become two of the world's most popular forms of expression. Yet since their infancy, the two have come under fire for their harsh lyrics and violent imagery. Most notably in the Black community, there has been heated debate over this art form for its misogynistic portrayal of women and glamorization of illegal activity. Many artists have shunned criticism that they have received from the community and tried to pass the blame along to everyone from parents to record labels. There are many factors that influence the negative impact that rap and hip hop have had on the community, however the solution must begin and end with the artists that make the songs.

Rappers must take on a sense of personal and community responsibility when they make music. Although they may write songs about drugs and crime as a way to communicate a fantasy, the bulk of their listeners cannot make this distinction. Children are impressionable and absorb much of what they hear in songs. Music is one of the most important mediums for education because it facilitates learning. Even older people hear the excess being sung about and the glamour of the music videos and seek to attain them. These entertainers set trends and have a large influence on culture. They make millions of dollars selling their music to people and must be responsible to ensure that they are leaving positive impressions.

Some artists justify the toxic language that they use in their songs by performing service and giving back to the community. Rappers like Ludacris and TI have set up foundations that give back to the Atlanta community and help children. Yet for all the money, clothes, or books they give out, these material things can never make up for the psychological damage these rappers do to the community with their music. While their foundations might be preaching a message to "stay in school" their music is telling children to go out and sell drugs or engage in otherwise illegal behavior.

The treatment of women in today's music is also unacceptable. Women are degraded and characterized as inhuman. Black women especially bare the brunt of these negative lyrics. The perception of Black women as loose, promiscuous, and worthless is being perpetuated through these songs. Many places in the world that have never experienced Black women listen to this music and will treat Black female tourists accordingly. Black women traveling abroad frequently report being propositioned and sometimes attacked because of the assumptions generated by this music. Rap and hip hop are telling the world to devalue Black women.

Responsibility is the key to addressing this issue. Artists can no longer be guided by the top dollar alone. Their actions are detrimental to the community as a whole. Even people who do not listen to rap or hip hop are facing the consequences of the language used. It is time for blame shifting and finger pointing to end. Artists should own up to their part in the deconstruction of the Black community and change the messages that they communicate through their music.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Interracial Dating




By Jessica Gibbs

Last Friday, the topic of interracial dating was brought up in class. Generally speaking, there is some type of stigma associated with interracial dating in the African-American community. Whether it involves a black male with a Caucasian female or vice versa, there will always be people who oppose the idea of dating outside of one's race. But race is an aspect of a person that he/she can not control, like age. To eliminate racial tensions and achieve personal happiness, interracial dating should be accepted in all forms and fashions.

People should not eliminate possible future mates solely because the color of their skin. As an infant, that child did not have a say in the race of his or her parents. Not giving someone a chance, or disapproving of another relationship because of the race of a person is nothing more than a modern version of prejudice or pre-judging. Many times people feel that because an African-American male is dating a Caucasian women that he is turning his back on the women of his race. I can not count the amount of times I've heard the argument that " there's so few available black men in the world and these white women are taking them all for themselves". In both of these views on this relationship, the accuser is automatically judging the character of either the African-American man or the Caucasian woman. *However I must acknowledge that there are also some people involved in interracial relationships who are guilty of slight prejudice as well. Using the example above, let's say an African-American male was dating a Caucasian female for show (i.e. because he believed she was "easier" than a black woman, gave less attitude , or something equally stereotypically of women in general).*

Apart from relieving racial tensions, interracial relationships should be accepted because the persons involved are seeking personal happiness. There might be outstanding qualities in a member of the opposite race that one is seeking in a soul mate. Why should a person sacrifice such a genuine connection just because his or her partner belongs to another race? If one has ever seen the movie "Something New" starring Sanaa Lathan, he or she could attest to the realness of the predicament "Kenya" (Sanaa Lathan) found herself in. She is a college- educated, successful, professional woman looking for someone to complement her. However, it seemed as if all the men she encountered (African-American) did not meet her personal criteria. After " letting go and letting [it] flow", a new phrase for finding love between Kenya and her friends, Kenya found herself dating a Caucasian landscaper. He was not rich. He was not black, but he made her happy. He brought out Kenya's suppressed side ( including her choice in hairstyle, style in her apartment, and certainly shortened her list of things she "doesn't" do). Once the outside pressure and opinions of her new boyfriend finally took a toll on their relationship, Kenya found herself dating a black man who exceeded her expectations in a mate, (the drop dead
gorgeous) Blair Underwood. Unfortunately Blair does not make Kenya as happy as Brian did, so she ends back up with the man who truly has her heart, despite his color (or lack thereof).

If interracial dating is accepted, it should be accepted in all forms and fashions. I do not understand how one can accept the courtship of a black woman and white man but totally oppose a black man dating a white woman or the other way around. Love is not restricted to any color, size, of shape. So why should the finding the person to reciprocate these feelings of love be restricted to a specific race? I personally have "talked" to a Caucasian male before simply because he was attractive and to get to know him better. If a person only experiences one type/
race of prospective mates, he or she may miss out on a great opportunity to form an authentic love connection. Although there was clearly no love connection, I am not close minded to dating outside of my race. As students at Spelman and Morehouse College, we are constantly encouraged to leave with our degrees and a "Spel-house" relationship, but let's be open-minded to different experiences.

Monday, October 13, 2008

Apathetic Generation: Who's to Blame Response by Raisa Tuzo

While I did find Charise comments interesting, and can completely relate to the conversation she had with her grandmother and her grandmother’s best friend, I do not believe this is we are an apathetic generation. Instead, I believe we are a generation MISEDUCATED from birth. An important thing to keep in mind while reading her article is that she was conversing with people from 2 generations before ours. 2 people from a generation rather different from ours, raised during much different times from ours, and a generation that struggles to find ways in which they can relate to much of the things our generations consist of technologically, politically or ideologically. I can agree that our generations don’t care about the same things, but to say that this generation doesn’t care at all is rather farfetched.

True say, we haven’t had the equivalent of the Million Man March or participated in as many sit-ins, mainly because we are of the generations that reap the benefits of what past generations fought for. The problems they faced, and the problems we face are very different types of problems. Should our generation march in honor of parents that work 2-3 jobs to keep single parent homes above poverty? Should we march for children orphaned, abused or neglected by their doped out parents? Should we march for ignorant people that are raised to know nothing but Dolce & Gabbana or Botox while others die daily from starvation? Should we march because the education systems found in Black communities don’t teach us things we need to know or supply us with tools we need to succeed? Should we march because Spelman cost $30,000+ and most struggle to afford it? The marching would never end… Am I saying don’t march? No! But do we deserve to be ridiculed because we haven’t marched? No! Especially since our history books rob us of any in-depth knowledge about such subjects.

We are the generation Miseducated, preceded by generations either miseducated like us, or uneducated altogether and we have somehow earned labels like generation “X” or the apathetic generation when it’s not our fault. It’s one thing to be allowed no access at all to equal education than allowed access to a system that you don’t know is miseducating you. Society has changed, societal constructs have changed, morals have been changed and/or been lost and the general focus of society today is a different one from “back in the day”. Images of racial segregation, the holocaust or world wars have been replaced by images of life when you’re rich and/or famous and Soulja Boy’s and Weezy’s have replaced Marvin Gaye’s and Al Green’s. We are simply not dealing with the same things anymore. We weren’t born this way; we learned to be this way. When society paints the picture that its more important to be rich, than equal, this is what happens. When we have learned to be selfish, instead of selfless than this is what happens. When the principle of being “my brother’s keeper” is no longer taught or seen, this is what happens. If we are not taught to do so, we won’t do it. If all I see is sex, drugs and money, than that is all I will know. Is it my fault that this is what now plagues our environments? No. When the pursuit of equality has been replaced by the pursuit of personal riches, what should anyone expect?

We’ve become the spoiled generation if anything, not apathetic. We care, just about completely different things than generations before us thanks to those same generations. We’re the generation where more negativity is heard about it, than positivity. If all we hear is that we are lost causes, doomed, misguided, ungrateful and dysfunctional what does anybody really expect? If 50% of young voters weren’t taught to value their voice, themselves or their vote, why would they care enough to vote? If they have learned systems are designed against them, and nobody tells them anything in the contrary, why would they be voting? If anything, we are the generation FAILED, because they forgot that morals are not innate but learned. It’s so easy for grandmothers, and great grandfathers to say what is wrong with our generation. My question is, what was wrong with theirs that has resulted in us being this way?

Response: "The After Effect" by S. Childs

I agree that, if elected, Barack Obama will be closely examined, critiqued, and outright dismissed by some, mostly because of his racial background. However, these people are unlikely to vote for him next month anyway. 
We must also look at the changing demographics of America. Currently, minority populations are growing at a faster rate than that of the general population. Our census bureau predicts that by 2050, racial & ethnic minorities will comprise nearly half of the population. In the future, perhaps the progress of African Americans will no longer be so dependent on the approval of one group of people, as it has been for generations now. 
Unfortunately, racism is an irrational, unpredictable phenomenon. In all endeavors, there is almost always some type of risk involved.  In addition to the normal risks involved in significant undertakings, history has shown us (as African Americans) that we also risk being subjected to racism, as a reaction to our often feared aspirations.
These risks, however, must not overshadow our optimism. After all, this spirit of optimism has lead great leaders of movements to defeat injustice, namely, the civil rights movement. Electing Barack Obama as the first black president is well worth the risk. 

Sunday, October 12, 2008

The After Effect....




By Maame'yaa


Whenever I am around my parents or their friends I am often posed with the question… “What do you think of the election?” Initially it was exciting to discuss the prospect of an African American man being the President of the United States of America until one summer evening. My parents had a group of friends over for dinner and we began to discuss the election. Only one of our guests voiced an opinion that did no support Barack Obama. She said that she was uneasy about the potential election of Obama because if he “Did not do everything perfect, he would ruin the credibility of any black man to come.” I thought this argument to be a little bit extreme. Although, when I actually sat and thought about it, my parent’s friend may not have been to far off.
There is a very real possibility that if Barack Obama becomes our president, his every move will be recorded with greater detail and criticized at a level that no other president before has had to endure. In this time where history IS happening, how often does our optimism overshadow the possibility that electing a black president could be detrimental to progress for African Americans rather than beneficial?

maforo.

Apathetic Generation; Who's to Blame?


By: Charise Patterson

I was having a conversation with my grandmother and her best friend, Rose, a few weeks ago. Rose described our generation as 'entirely too apathetic'. This statement sprung into a somewhat heated conversation in which I was obviously defending our generation whom often gets a lot of slack from elders for not caring enough and not doing enough. Maybe we haven't had the equivalent of the Million Man March nor have we participated in as many sit-ins and rallies, but I still believe we do our part.

Each argument I spat out, Rose shot down. I began to think this whole 'apathy' concept may not apply to all but it does seem to fit the majority. When concerning the AUC, I can undoubtedly say there were more people at the homecoming concert than nearly all of the Jena 6 rallies combined. This is a problem. From voting rights to civil rights our generation seems so much more apathetic and passive than those before us. Yes, the whole 'Vote or Die' and 'BaRack the Vote' slogans are cute. But the reality is there are about 44 million eligible young voters meaning between ages 18-29. Only 20 million voted in the 2004 election, that is half. What's wrong with the other half? (according to http://www.rockthevote.com/about/about-young-voters/who-are-young-voters/) When considering all of this information, I can't help but fold into the argument that our generation is apathetic and cares less about important issues, especially when compared to generations before us.

After having this conversation with Rose, the question 'why' came to mind. Why doesn't our generation care, and if we do, why don't we show it. I believe it is because so many things are handed to us. Sad as it is, most of us are spoiled in one way or another. I may have a had a nice minimum wage part-time job in high school, but anything I needed and most of what I wanted came from one source: parents. I can say the same for most of my friends. I never had to fight to eat the same restaurants as my white counterparts, I simply drive to the nearest McDonald's in the car that my parents bought for me. I complain when I have to walk more than a few blocks while my parents walked 20 block a day to school in Buffalo, New York.

Though our generation may be so called 'apathetic' and the shoe does fit, our parents and grandparents definitely deserve much of the blame. Hard work and dedication are values that many elders say we lack, but they fail to realize that these are values that must be learned through actual experiences. They don't just magically sink in from the constant repetition of stories from the old days.

Nevertheless, there are many of us who do care about making a change in the world and do take action when seen fit. But the harsh reality is, the majority of our generation is very apathetic compared to those before us and ironically those before us are the ones to blame.

Sunday, October 5, 2008

The Right Choice

by K.Haley


Living a healthy life is very desirable, but how can one go about doing so in college? There is the common warning about the “Freshman 15,” which happens to be true! Coming to college I gained about 10lbs my first year! That was such a shock. Coming from a highly physically active life and having access to healthy food on a regular basis, to the breakdown in regimen at Spelman College impacted the way in which my body functioned. Our bodies work as highly specialized functioning machines, and something so slight as a diet change could knock you off balance. The illustrious institution of Spelman College, claims they are striving for a healthy campus, but they do not focus on the health of their students. What actions are they talking better the student body physically? I know we are a Division III school, but our athletics department is not up to par of that of Agnes Scott! Our cafeteria offers a variety of foods, but most are high in sodium and complex carbs.

One does not have to be a health freak to realize that the food in the Spelman Cafeteria is not the best for your body. With the “too salty” taste that lingers on your tongue and the urge to use the bathroom, how can that be healthy? Trying to find the balance between foods that taste good, and those that are good for you can be difficult. But, if there is only one choice, the healthy choice, there is no problem. Staples of Spelman’s cafeteria are a salad bar, fried foods, pasta, pizza and dessert. How healthy is that? Ok, they do have a small, quarter-size refrigerator, all the way in the back of the cafeteria, devoted to the vegans and vegetarians, but that’s not enough. Also, depending on where you live on campus, eating healthy from your dorm is limited. The regulations on having personal refrigerators hinder most from consuming healthy and fresh foods outside of the cafeteria. Also, buying food is expensive, we are college students! Spelman is a college of free thinking woman who are often served the meals of ignorant eaters.

We come to college and learn all about our majors and minors but fail to learn the importance of eating right and being physically active. A part from eating right, there is a physical aspect of healthy living. It is essential to exercise, for your heart and well-being. Yet physical activity is not too popular on our campus. The athletics department is one of the smallest buildings on college grounds. Does that speak to you about its importance on our campus? I think so! I will commend the Athletic department for creating the “wellness center” which provides dieting and exercising guidance to students, that is a great initiative. But, the lack of access to the workout room during the day is ridiculous. One has to figure out what random time the center will be open so they can get their work-out on, it shouldn’t be that difficult. The athletics at Spelman are literally invisible. Yes, we are an all woman institution, but I believe we are still competitive. Student athletes are proven to perform better academically, as sports provide a sense of balance to their life, yet such a small percentage of our student body is involved in sports.

I’m personally tired of paying for 3 meals a day, and leaving the cafeteria hungry, because there was “nothing” to eat. As an institution Spelman should be promoting healthy living, both physically and mentally. I feel that having healthy students is just as important as having educated ones. Obesity is an ever growing problem on this campus, and the only way to fight it is to enforce healthier living standards. Many said coming to Spelman College has been the right choice, but was it the healthy choice?


...REALLY?





Response - A. Pruitt

Living healthy is very desirable. However, so is making a 4.0. Both can be obtained but take the necessary actions for achievement. Coming to college is an obstacle in trying to maintain healthy lifestyles. However, college is just an obstacle it is not a dead end. Therefore, I would not use college as an excuse for a lack of perseverance and determination.

Spleman has progressed in their endeavors of striving for a healthier campus. However, rarely do people take advantages of many of the services they provide. Read Hall, a building that is usually only frequented by first year students taking their required physical education classes or student athletes, offers a variety of programs targeted to physical activity. As both an athlete at Spelman and an active person, I consider attacking Spelman’s collegiate sports programs and their efforts to provide healthy activities is fallacious. “Freshman 15” is a choice. My freshman year of college I lost fifteen pounds as a result of Spelman's gym and partaking in Spelman athletics. As a freshman I was both broke and without transportation, therefore I ate in the cafeteria. Although the food in the cafeteria is not the best, the cafeteria does provide choices. If students can frequent the pizza and hamburger line they can also frequent the salad bar, sandwich line and stir fry line. Again these are simply choices.

Additionally, Spelman does not put great emphasis on athletics and the times offered in the Wellness center may be inconvenient. However, who is to say that physical activity is limited to the walls of just one building. I recall many days, nights, evenings running around the oval and running at Morehouse’s track. These locations do not have strict hours. The simple desire to stay healthy is not enough to stimulate the drive that it takes to achieve a healthy lifestyle.

Spelman teaches us to be free thinking women. Our classes stress the importance of critical thinking, and teach us to be women who think out the box. These analytical strengths should be used in all aspects of life. Therefore, if you go to the cafeteria spice up your salad, add some lean meat and vinaigrette, take a brisk walk around the AUC instead of using the limited Wellness center hours as an excuse, and most of all have the determination to strive for what you want. If healthy living is what you aspire, then take the necessary actions to see it happen.