4 I THURSDAY March 17, 2005
Campus leaders looking to fi
By Akoksy Maloney
COLLEGIAN STAFF'ININER I adm23s6psu.edu
"We're trying to change a [student] find specific policy changes they can
culture inside and outside the class- present to the Board of Administration
room," Ace Ekhtiarzadeh, head of the and the Board of Trustees.
Leaders from 10 different student Undergraduate Student Government Rosa Eberly, assogiate professor of
groups met in Bourke Building last (USG) Social Awareness Committee, communication arts and sciences and
night to discuss a problem they all face said. English, said the land grant mission of
how to overcome students' apathy 'All groups have the interest in get- the university is to preserve democracy
toward community involvement on cam- ting students to care about issues. and civic engagement.
pus. "None of us could do it individually, "Civic engagement ... is what you
This was the second of a two-night but now when we're all coming together learn in class, you bring back to your
session run by the Undergraduate Stu- we have a lot more power to create this community" she said.
dent Government (USG) Social Aware- kind of change," he added. "How can we work on energizing peo
ness Committee, which started Tuesday Ekhtiarzadeh said the USG commit- ple who are not already energized?"
and brought together a total of 24 tee is seeking to learn what groups can Eberly added.
groups. do together and individually, as well as Explanations given for a lack of stu-
Standards
of beauty
considered
by panel
By KlSlln Welk
COLLEGIAN ST* WRIER I kac39s@psu.edu
The clothing a woman wears, the tex
ture of her hair and the shape of her
body often reflect societal ideals about
femininity and perfection, four pan
elists said last night at a discussion
regarding the definition of beauty.
Two professors, a campus minister
and a plastic surgeon spoke to about 60
people in HUB Auditorium last night.
Behind them hung images of beauti
ful and scantly clothed women, creating
a foreground to their discussion.
" 'Body beautiful' standards are con
veyed to us in many ways," said
Stephanie Shields, professor of
women's studies and psychology
"Achieving this 'body beautiful' has a lot
of costs."
The panelist discussion marked the
end of the HUB Gallery's provocative
exhibit, Calculations for the Perfect
Woman.,
Throughout their discussion, the
panelists spoke about today's en vogue
look for women, and the importance of
critically examining this ideal.
"We really need to think about what
is beauty," Aaronette White, professor
of African and African-American Stud
ies and women's studies, said. "Ask
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All Ferguson (sophomore-English) writes her thoughts about women in advertising
before attending a panel discussion on Standards of Beauty.
yourself: What is the particular type
you are attracted to, and how did you
develop that?"
White said a beautiful woman is often
considered to be white or light-skinned,
and thin with long hair.
She added that this ideal often pres
sures women of different ethnicities to
look more like a white woman.
"In ads, you see colored women with
light skin," she said. "Colored women
are rather invisible unless they appear
white or light."
White also spoke about the impact of
the "male gaze."
"What men prefer dictates and
shapes what we consider beautiful,"
she said. "Most of us accommodate
these standards of beauty in some ways
and resist them in some ways."
Rena Miraliakbari, plastic surgeon
for the Hershey Medical Center, said
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about one-quarter of his patients come
for cosmetic reasons, many striving to
achieve standards of beauty based on
the look of white Anglo-Saxon women.
However, he said women must go
through an assessment process before
he approves surgery "It's never a five
minute consultation," Miraliakbari said.
"We try to assess the reason they want
to be that way"
During a question-and-answer peri
od, one audience member protested
that she should not have to feel guilty
for wearing makeup and eyeliner.
"It's because I like them," Rose Her
nandez (graduate-materials sciences)
said. "Every time I get ready in the
morning I feel great."
White said women do not have to
reject feminine ideals, but should con
sider why they may want to look a cer
tain way.
ght
student apathy
dent involvement were that groups mandatory volunteering or going to
weren't making themselves available East Halls early in the semester to
enough, or that students think college is "recruit".
the time to party and not give back to "It's the beginning of a dialogue,"
their community. Beth Hardy, president of the Global
"Everyone has a fourth-grade idea of AIDS Initiative, said. "Obviously this
civic engagement that it's mandatory, isn't going to change tomorrow, but it's
[buti it's also very fulfilling," Vicky the best thing to do."
lion, president of Rescue Childhood, Ekhtiarzadeh said after the meeting a
said. survey will be sent out asking how the
"How can we convey that to the rest session can be improved and whether it
of the community?" should happen again.
Many of the student leaders posed Depending on feedback, the sessions
suggestions, such as talking to people could continue monthly, Ekhtiarzadeh
individually about their cause, having added.
Speaker tells troubles
of U.S. welfare system
By Halle Stockton
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER I hbssooo@psu.edu
Star Parker told a crowd of about 50
people about her past life of criminal
activity, sexual promiscuity and the
failures of the welfare system.
She said she eventually turned to
faith, broke out of the welfare system
and attended college.
Parker, president of the Coalition on
Urban Renewal and Education, spoke
in an event sponsored by the Young
Americans for Freedom (YAF) with
community members yesterday about
her experiences.
"It is very admirable," Jocelyn
Brown (sophomore-earth sciences)
said.
"She is willing to go back to this
time of her life. It enhances her ability
to explain her views," she added.
Parker said the welfare system has
created an "environment for illegiti
macy"
"It gives you a meager life, shotty
schools for your children and prisons
waiting for them," Parker said.
"That's liberalism in work."
In her speech, Parker outlined five
steps that need to be taken to get out
of the welfare system.
"She pointed out clearly that there
needs to be hard limitations on [wel
farel so people can transfer out of it
easily," Kelly Keelan, YAF secretary,
said.
Time limits and work requirements
are needed to develop a work ethic,
Parker said.
THE DAILY COLLEGI
"The answer to poverty is freedom
and personal responsibility," she
added.
Parker said there is a need for
school vouchers because they will
place children in better schools with
competition.
Shauna Moser, YAF chairman, said
Parker had a great combination of
ideas.
"Education is extremely important
because, these days, it is the only way
to get ahead," she said.
Parker also stressed that people
need to be able to save and invest,
which is something many people are
not capable of under the current
Social Security system.
She added that charity, which
should always be private and person
al, is also important in the process of
escaping the welfare system.
"Most people often leave out charity
and personal responsibility," Moser
said.
Although many members of YAF
and the College Republicans attended
the speech, Moser said she did not see
many new faces.
"They don't want to open their
minds to all ideas," she said.
"I wish people would have come to
ask difficult questions," Moser
added.
Charles Gable, College Republicans
staff adviser, also said the crowd was
very conservative.
"It would have been better if there
were more people on the left side of
the aisle," he said.