Page 6 The Lion's Eye Opinion March 22, 2005 An editorial Respect hard to come by with use of racial slurs + It's the day after Valentine's Day and you live in State College. You pick up a copy of the Daily Collegian, the independent, student-run newspaper of Penn State’s main campus, and you see, on the cover, two couples kissing. Upon closer inspection, you see it is a les- - bian couple and a gay couple kissing. At this point you may have one of three reactions: 1.) Aww, that's cute! I'm glad that the Collegian can show people of all different diverse backgrounds. 2.) That's interesting. Now where is the crossword puzzle (flip page). 3.) That's disgusting! Why are they on my paper? Just what I want to see in the morning when I wake up to ruin my day! Chris Kovalchick of University Park had the third response. He was so perturbed, he wrote a letter expressing his disgust to the Collegian. The letter and the torrent of letters of sup- port and opposition published in the Collegian since only top off what is happening at State College. There have been instances of African- American students walking by the dorms and another student shouting obscenities at them from his window; a black student who came home to his dorm to see racist remarks scrawled on his door in red marker; even death threats to students by other students. But that's at main campus. This stuff does- n't happen here, right? Oh, it does. Have you ever seen a group of people sitting around laughing in the Lion's Den or the Main building lounge, or walking down the path, and as they look over their shoulders, they lean in and laughter erupts? Ever played cards and when the person next to you makes a bad move, the response is, "Oh you're such a nigger!" or, "What a fag?" What if you are walking through the cafe- teria and you absent-mindedly pick up a penny off the floor, and the person you're with calls you a Jew? If these seem like harmless comments or expressions, our generation is in a sorry state of affairs. If you are gay, black, Jewish, etc., and someone makes a comment like that, you can't help but feel hurt. It's a personal attack. Calling someone a name like the ones men- tioned, is offensive. Whether in anger or mak- ing a tactless comment in good-humored fun, you could seriously offend. Whether we agree with a way of life or think something is offen- sive, there is no way to be sure it will not offend someone. They can be prevented by thinking before you speak. By having more discretion before telling a joke, or calling someone a derogatory name, we can stop this chain of hate. Only then can we reach the ultimate goal, and Aretha Franklin described that best: R.E.S.P.E.C.T. A stoplight at the Dorms. Sometimes Real football. No intersection of 352 | don't feel like and Yearsley Mill going home. Road. to hit somebody! Brad Yankanich Engineering Natalie Delva Biology Jake Gambino Liberal Arts flag football. | want More student involvement. Have the campus Lower tuition feel less like 13th grade. Jason Moon HRIM Michelle Rocha Liberal Arts John Tajirian Employee No Y100 means there's no alternative The only home for alternative rock in Philadelphia has been sold. On Feb. 24, 100.3 FM, WPLY, Y100, was taken off the air. Many listeners were surprised by the abrupt end to such a popular station with so many listen- ers. The move made Philadelphia radio the only top five market without a modern rock/alternative station, according to billboardradiomonitor.com Many alternative rock fans are disgruntled about the move and hope for a new alternative rock station. : “I have nothing to listen to on the radio any- more,” Michael Convery, a longtime Y100 fan complained, “We have four stations that play the same kind of music. There needs to be a balance.” Radio One is the owner of Y100 and is fully responsible for the move. Radio One moved WPHI’'s R&B/hip-hop format from 103.9 to WPLY’s finer 100.3 signal just before midnight Feb. 24. After the switch, 103.9 played the same promos for days informing listen- ers to the new R&B/hip-hop station on 100.3. In 1996, Radio One turned another of its alternative stations to a hip-hop for- mat when 103.9 WDRE was turned into R&B/hip-hop station in hopes of attract- ing more listeners. The Philadelphia area now has four radio stations playing the same genre of music and no alternative rock. I person- ally was not a fan of Y100 but the station had a huge fan base and deserves to be on the air. Y100 was active in helping out the community with charity work and held popular concerts such as their Sonic Sessions and The Feastival. There should be a good variety of music on the radio. Who wants four stations playing the same exact music? An avid Y100 fan, Curtis Vandetti says “they’re forcing the youth to listen to rap. I guess pop culture has changed over the years.” Fans will not give up on their beloved station, and some still have hopes for a return of Y100. A Web site, Y100rocks.com, has been set up for Y100 fans and staff to voice opinions and share thoughts. The Web site also has a petition that radio-less fans can sign. in hopes of a return of Y100, or at least a station like it. Radio One obviously believes that there is more money involved with the hip hop genre than alternative. Pop culture has changed dramatically over the years. The days when long hair and rock bands ruled the world is over. The newly appointed king of pop culture is hip hop. Rap and R&B own the airwaves and don’t seem to be leaving anytime soon. Just as rock 'n’ roll and heavy metal have been pushed out of pop culture, alternative music may be heading in the same direction. Let’s face it, kids care about rapper 50 Cent more than any band that’s out there right now. Hip hop fan Sean Ryan states, “50 Cent 1s the future and tearing up the charts. You can’t argue with that.” The fan base for the hip hop genre is huge and looks like it will continue to flourish for many years to come. Alternative music still has a chance | to survive if there is a big enough fan base for the genre. The point is, if there is money behind alternative music, radio will play it. There is no need for four of the same stations and Y100 fans need to be active if they want a triumphant IEEE oturn of their beloved station. One way to get involved is to sign the online petition and tell your peers to do so as well. Bashing other stations will not work because they are playing what the majority of the people want to hear. : Be patient and keep your head up, Y100 fans, because it may take a while for an alternative rock return. Maybe it would be helpful to try a new kind of music such as country or techno. Music fans can also try out the underground music scene. Another option is to listen to the new 100.3. You never know. You might enjoy it. 50 Cent isn’t going anywhere, so maybe you should get to know him. PENNSTATE Editor-In-Chief: Jennifer Rufo Contributing Staff: Katie News, Dan Delaney, Dave Hardison, Amar Ganti, Lauren O’Neil, Martin Beatty, Sharon Achilles, Jeff Huber, Anthony lezzi, Managing Editor: Photography Editor: Julia Hagan, Kevin Krauss, Wayne Williams. Gerry Dungan Matthew Kelly si : ’ Copy Editor: Business Manager: Contact the Lion’s Eye: JLR397@psu.edu or 610-892-1258 The Lion's Eye Stephen Watson Matthew Aragona Anything submitted to The Lion's Eye is subject to editing
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