Page 6 An editorial Give yourself a good Break Spring Break is coming, and Spring Breaak Fever has already broken out on the Penn State Delco cam- pus ... in epidemic measures. That means that, shortly, college Studeiits across the Penn State Delco campus and across the U.S. will flock to the nearest balmy beaches. Popular vacation spots are Atlantic City and Ocean City in New Jersey; Rehoboth Beach in Delaware; Myrtle Beach, S.C.; Daytona Beach, Panama Beach and Fort Lauderdale in Florida; and Cancun in Mexico. Spring Break vacations benefit students with much-needed respites from the grind of nerve-wrack- ing college courses. They provide new scenery, a pos- sible new place one has never been, a refuge from the routine and ... freedom, freedom, freedom. But beware of the hazards, as well. We've all heard of "Girls Gone Wild," "Spring Break Uncensored on MTV," the thugs of Cancun, and fraternity-like parties in popular Spring Break vacation areas. But there are other, less obvious dan- gers, as well. Did you know that a sophomore from West Chester University drowned in his own blood when he fell off a hotel balcony onto concrete during: his Spring Break vacation to Cancun, May. 18, 2000? All it takes is a few, harmless beers. The U.S. Consulate in Mexico said that, in 2002, there were two deaths, 360 arrests, four injuries, one rape and 495 reports of stolen property from college students during Spring Break in that country alone. Let your guard down, and you could be one of those statistics: Imagine what a cool thing it would be to hang out with MTV and celebrities during Spring Break. On the other hand, imagine you are partying and going so wild that you strip nude or flash everyone and end up on a “Girls Gone Wild” tape and everyone, including your family, sees you. How embarrassing would that be? It’s fun to go out and party during Spring Break. However, rohypnol, or "roofies," is often slipped in women's drinks these days by seemingly harmless men, especially in Florida, where the drug is mostly acquired. Rohypnol slows motor skills, eventually blacks you out and causes temporary amnesia. Who knows what happens during the blackout period? Rapists know. All that freedom is fun. However, most states' drinking ages, including Florida’s, have been raised to 21. There is a new law in Fort Lauderdale limiting the number of students allowed on the beach. Open containers of alcoholic beverages are not allowed in vehicles within the state of Florida. Daytona Beach has two new laws: One banning thong bikinis with a hefty $500 fine going to violators, and another ban- ning alcohol consumption within 100 feet of Atlantic Avenue. Traveling to a foreign country is exciting, too. But one thing that's not so exciting is an unex- pected run-in with the local authorities. What's that you say? You're a law-abiding traveler? Well, some- ‘times when you're in a foreign country you can break the law .without e ven knowing it. And landing in a Mexican jail is not fun, because Mexican laws are harsh and not at all the same as those in the United States. You can end up in a Mexican jail for offenses ranging from obscene gestures to carrying drugs. You may have to wait up to a year for a trial on drug charges and the U.S. Consulate cannot get you released from jail. There are dreams of Spring Break ... and there are nightmares. We’re not telling you that you shouldn’t live out your dreams. We’re just hoping you won’t have to experience any of the nightmares. A little common sense is usually all it takes to make your dreams come true and leave the night- mares for someone else from some other campus. So, be safe and alert, and not stupid, during Spring Break. And we'll see you all tanned and rest- ed, in a week or so. : The Lion’s Eye pinion “I’m going to North Carolina to visit March y 2003 “Working . . “I’m going to New York.” . or going to Ocean City, family.” Maryland.” Shana Goldston : Marjari Ghati Kyle Potter Freshman, Political Science Sophomore, Psychology Sophomore, Nursing “Frolicking on the sandy beaches of Cancun with fine female specimens.” Jeff Wild & John DiBuonaventura Fion's Epe Slission Statement we are the newspaper of he Penn State | ~ Delaware County campus, serving the students, faculty, administration, staff of, ‘and visitors to, our campus. We vow to entertain and inform all of our audiences, and we will strive to make each edition better, so that we remain a vital part of ‘the Penn State Delco experience. We also strive to be professional, and follow the highest standards of good journalism. Title IX: Controversial and misunderstood ... but fair Title IX is the portion of the Education Amendments of 1972, an addition to the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which pro- hibits sex discrimination in educational institutions that receive any federal funds. In brief, Title IX states: No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimina- tion under any educational program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance. What does that mean? Basically, the programs avail- able to men and women must be equal in quality. It d oes not mean that because the guys have a hockey team, the ladies must have one, too. Also, it does not mean that all sports get the same amount of money. It is proportional to what is needed insofar as equipment, field, and referee } expenses. A male football player is going to get | more money, per capita, than a female soccer player, simply because of all the padding com- pared to shin guards. Seems like something everyone can agree on, doesn't it? Not so. Many critics say Title IX is causing Men's sports to decline. By placing more money into women's sports, they say, men's sports can't get the funding it needs because of the larger crowd they draw. People believe that Title IX is difficult to understand and poorly implemented, especially in the world of athlet- ics. The current controversy involves a three-part test that the Office for Civil Rights uses to see if a school is in com- plience with Title IX. The first part of the test is propor- tionality - and says the number of athletes from each sex should be roughly equivalent to enrollment percentages. Much of the controversy surrounding Title IX comes from this. In order to achieve proportionality many schools have added women's teams, but some have also sought to reach the goal by cutting men's teams and imposing caps on their rosters. The second part is that school should show a his- tory and continuing practice of adding women's sports. The third part is that schools should be able to show that the athletic interests and abilities of women on campus are being fully’ and effectively accommodated. It brings it all down to one point. What is the purpose of school sports? Are they there to simply bring in money to fund whatever? "You learn from sports," said Doris "Tiz" sess (11 ffith, PSU Delco's athletics director. "I'm a bit of a purist. I'm an educator." Griffith was a student-athlete, an all- Alnericah at Temple University before Title IX. She said there's an unbelievable difference between the times. "There were no scholarships for women. at, all, "said Griffith. Playing sports, for her, was "The best Spetience [ had in life." To contact Jared Szymurski, e-mail JRS952@psu pi PENNSTATE | Delaware 533 County The Zion’ 5 Ere. Editor-in-chief: Anteia Consorto = Copy Editor: « - “ Meredith Becker 2 : ‘Staff writers: Ronde Bléatd’ Gerry Dungan, Sarah Gallati Shawn Manderson, Jennifer |Amanda Trombetti |Contact tine Lion’ s Eye: By phone: 610-892-1258 , Karen Karaszkiewicz, ufo, Jared Szymurski, By email: AAC136@psu.edu
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