I TUESDAY, OCT. 5, 2010
TII E D‘ILY
Collegian
Elizabeth Murphy
Editor in Chief
Kelsey Thompson
Business Manager
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Real world not reflected in change
The Interfraternity
Council chapter presi
dents agreed last Tuesday
that all IFC violations
should be determined by
a formula that is based on
the number of men in the
fraternity.
According to the new
rules, a smaller house
would theoretically have
to pay a lesser fine for a
violation than one of the
larger houses.
The new policy seems
positive on the surface,
but underneath the appar-
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offYr,447TE lIII H
Events show need to embrace gay rights
By Michael Oplinger
CONGRESS features three
members who are open
ly gay. Gays are widely
accepted and
embraced in
the entertain-
ment industry.
Yet, as a soci
ety, we don't
seem ready to
accept gays in
everyday life.
Congress
demonstrated
MY OPINION
as much two weeks ago when it
wouldn't even vote on repealing
"Don't Ask, Don't Tell," sending
the message that gays aren't
equal to others.
Recent events, including big
otry by a government official
and an unfortunate suicide by a
gay college student, show that
Congress may be more repre
sentative of the population than
previously imagined.
In a display of baseless
hatred, Michigan assistant attor
ney general Andrew Shirvell has
started a blog devoted to attack
ing Chris Armstrong, the openly
gay student assembly president
of the University of Michigan.
Shirvell has called Armstrong
"Satan's representative on the
student assembly" accusing the
student of advancing a "radical
homosexual agenda."
That agenda consists of
extending the hours of the din
ing halls.
Shirvell's job further demo
nizes his despicable actions. As
a member of the government,
his views have no place. While
Shirvell justifies his blog
because he produces it as a pri
vate citizen, not as a public
authority, government officials
tend to be held to higher moral
standards.
ent leveling of the playing
field is really just means
of making it easier for fra
ternities to bend the rules
While it seems plausible
and fair, it is not an accu
rate representation of real
life.
If you get a speeding
ticket your fine isn't deter
mined by your yearly
salary or the number of
children you have it is
a fixed rate for the crime
committed.
IFC policies should
reflect the way the judici-
1 ; '
Their actions, both public and
private, are constantly scruti
nized
Shriven also states his blog is
protected by the First
Amendment. But just because
something is legal, doesn't mean
it's right.
Armstrong's election signals
progress toward tolerance and
could serve as another example
in the differences in attitudes
between generations.
But the events surrounding
the tragic suicide of a Rutgers
student show that younger gen
erations may not be as tolerant
as assumed.
Tyler Clementi, just weeks
into his freshman year at
Rutgers, jumped off the George
Washington Bridge into the
Hudson River, ending his own
life. He did so after his room
mate allegedly broadcast a video
of Clementi in a sexual
encounter with another man
over the Internet.
Clementi's tragic death marks
at least the fifth suicide in the
past month following bullying
regarding sexual orientation,
signaling a disturbing trend
among young people.
We're supposed to be the ones
who are tolerant. We're sup
posed to be the ones who are
open. We've lived in a culture
where openly gay people have
been prominent.
We've been put in a position to
accept everyone as equal
regardless of orientation.
It's our generation's civil
rights movement. It may be a
campaign that lacks the strong
central leader that Martin
Luther King Jr. was in the racial
equality movement, but there
are powerful people who could
become the leader, such as
Ellen DeGeneres, who released
an emotional video after
ary system works outside
of the greek system.
Really, this just seems
as a way of leveling the
playing fields for breaking
the rules. The IFC should
stop creating policy
changes benefiting rule
breakers and start think
ing of ways to reward
those fraternities that do
not get in trouble.
If you're going to have a
judiciary system, have one
that represents real world
responsibilities and conse
quences.
UNGEMAND
lag ANXIETY/VP
MUM
miterix
Clementi's suicide. It shouldn't
need a leader, though.
Eliminating intolerance starts
at a personal level. We must
change the way we act. Our
actions should start matching
our words about gay rights.
Tolerance starts with small
actions such as discontinuing
the use of "gay" as an adjective
to describe something that's stu
pid or corny. Just like any other
slurs, gay slurs must be elimi
nated from our daily vocabulary
if equality is ever to be achieved.
Ignorance also must be elimi
nated. The hatred of gays and
denial of equal rights is based
on nothing more than unwar
ranted fear. Very little evidence
exists to show what gays did to
provoke this treatment.
Small personal changes could
lead to a progression of public
opinion. Trends suggest that tol
erance of gays will eventually be
achieved, something Ellen
expressed in her video.
"Things will get easier, peo
ple's minds will change, and you
should be alive to see it," the
popular talk show host said to
gay teens who are struggling to
find acceptance.
Over time, society should
become more tolerant, just as it
did regarding racial equality.
But equality can't be achieved
fast enough.
Equal rights aren't something
that can be put on the backburn
er. We must continue to
progress to a world where no
one is bullied about their sexual
orientation.
And we should all be alive to
see it.
Michael Oplinger is a senior majoring
in media studies and political science
and is the Daily Collegian's Tuesday
columnist. His e-mail is
mjoso7l@psu.edu.
THE DAILY COLLEGIAN
Tuition money should better
Commonwealth Campuses
Have you ever wondered where our
tuition money and other expenses go? I do
every day while attending Penn State
Harrisburg. I love the school, but I feel we
should have more things going on for the
students to do, as well as more buildings on
campus, such as a recreation hall, for stu
dents during their down time.
Tuition anywhere isn't cheap these days,
but many families struggle to make the
income to pay for their child's education. I
think the least we could do is put more focus
and money on the Commonwealth
Campuses and give the students a little
more incentive. We want people to have a
great experience while at any Penn State
campus and I believe having more events
like concerts and a rec hall for students to
interact and shoot pool and get to know
each other would be great for the school.
Constant energy use won't
yield a greener environment
In response to Monday's letter, "PSU
should divulge on energy" we would all like
to save the environment, but we all keep
using more and more energy. We cannot
have it both ways. Do you have a goal to
use 10 percent less energy each year? That
would do more to save the environment
than anything else would. Remember the
batteries you buy in stores, anything that
you plug in and even your trusty computer
uses energy. Plus it took energy to make
your computer, your iPhone, your food and
your clothes. If we all used less energy it
would make it easier for the university to
go greener and greener.
Coaching and team lagged in
all facets of the lowa game
The lowa game was sad to watch almost
from the start. Penn State made no adjust
ments, showed no enthusiasm or creativity
and squandered all its second string talent.
My friends from other Big Ten schools tell
me, tongue in cheek, how sad the Big Ten
will be when JoePa (and company) leave.
The way we are going, they are perfectly
satisfied with him as head coach.
Joseph C. Korsak, Esq.
Class of 1971
CAN YOU DIG IT?
Rankings remain
Despite two sweeps of Big Ten teams,
the Penn State women's volleyball team
(13-2, 3-1 Big Ten) remained in the No. 4
spot in today's AVCA Coaches Poll.
In fact, the entire top four remained
intact, with Stanford yet again garner
ing all 60 first-place votes.
Illinois (12-2, 4-0), which beat Penn
State in the Big Ten Opener two week
ends ago, jumped up one spot to No. 6.
Other Big Ten teams in the Top 25
include Minnesota (13-3, 3-1) at No. 16,
Michigan (14-2, 3-1), which was swept by
Penn State Saturday night, at No. 18
and Northwestern (13-2, 3-1) at No. 24.
Ohio State and Purdue are also receiv
ing votes.
The Nittany Lions next test comes on
the road as they travel to face Purdue
and Indiana on Friday and Saturday,
respectively.
Jake Kaplan
Women's volleyball reporter
FOOTBLOG
News in brief
In Penn State football
-The trenches were dominated by
lowa on Saturday, and, as a result, so
too was the game.
-Another slow start doomed the
Nittany Lions in lowa.
-The Last Word takes a look at the
sequence of plays that led to lowa's
game-changing goal-line stand.
-Tom Bradley and the defense are still
looking for a game-changer. The unit
has not forced a fumble in five games.
-The Lions appeared to be showing
improvement from the Alabama game,
but another road loss by the same score
indicates otherwise.
-Andrew J. Cassavell writes that Rob
Bolden's grace period is finally over.
In the Big Ten
-Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio
was released from the hospital and is
expected to appear at his weekly press
conference on Tuesday.
-Michigan quarterback Denard
Robinson is the player of the week
again.
In the NCAA
The rankings are out and Penn State
isn't the only traditional power notice
ably absent. USC and Texas are both on
the outside looking in.
-Boston College's quarterback prob
lems only got compounded when Chase
Rettig suffered an ankle injury in
Saturday's "Holy War" loss to Notre
Dame.
-Marcel Dareus had an agent recom
mended to him by former North
Carolina assistant coach John Blake
Football reporters
Read more of The Daily Collegian's blogs at
psucolleglan.com/blogs.
Kenton Alston
junior-criminal justice
Jai Cee
Class of 1975