| System Change
TCU is one of more than 420 colleges around the nation that are scrambling to meet Y2K deadlines with PeopleSoft's integrated system software. PeopleSoft, a dominant supplier of human resources operations software, entered the higher education market in 1994. Since then, schools around the country have been complaining loudly of the system's shortcomings. Last summer, company managers hosted a conference in New Orleans where they publicly apologized to more than 14,000 PeopleSoft users for "poor customer service and troublesome software," according to a Sept. 24 article in The Chronicle of Higher Education. But Dave Edmondson, assistant provost for information services, responded to the article in TCU's Information Services newsletter, saying TCU's "implementation has been hugely successful." That is, of course, if "hugely successful" means making it more difficult for some staff members to navigate within the new system. It's great that administrators want to prepare TCU for Y2K. And it's certainly a good thing to want to improve the university's computer system. But when it costs both time and extra effort to do everyday work, a better solution must be found. TCU has already committed a lot of money to PeopleSoft and making it work. When does it start working for the university and not against it? It's been 16 months, and it's already taken too long. TCU should come up with real solutions, not try to save face because they may have made a poor decision. When so many staff members grumble about PeopleSoft, that's a pretty clear indication that it's not working. University officials should find another system that works both for and with the staff. There's no reason to settle for a system that, by so many appearances, isn't serving the university.
Behavior toward gays puzzling I lost two friends to homosexuality. I let two people I care about slip away because I could not handle what they revealed to me. What's more, I felt no regrets about it. I felt nothing but relief when my attempts at trying to appear distant but not cold paid off, and I knew we would never speak again. It didn't pain me to know that after all we shared, we would only see each other in passing. As a matter of fact, it's never really bothered me until just recently. In the wake of the controversial National Coming Out Day, I've begun to question my motives for abandoning two promising friendships. As a Christian, I've always thought I had an excuse for my utter disdain of homosexuals. I was taught very early that homosexuality is a sin and an abomination in God's eyes. I was told that it is perverse and that people who engage in homosexual acts are going to hell. As a member of society, I've always thought I had an excuse for my outlook on homosexuality as well. Homosexuals are ridiculed in the media, in our homes and in the workplace. They are caricatured on television for our amusement. It's OK to tell gay jokes in many social spheres, as no one so much as cringes when the question is raised, "How many fairies does it take to screw in a light bulb?" But from both the standpoint of a Christian and a member of society, the hypocrisy of our views on homosexuality are quite evident. For instance, Christians do not hold rallies protesting the lifestyles of liars and adulterers. And I have never turned away from close family members or friends who I've known to be liars. And as far as society goes, if a television show grossly caricaturized Hispanics, we'd want it off the air. If a man was fired from a job after 20 years because his boss just realized that he was black, not only would there be great public outcry, but we would say it was absolutely ridiculous. So why is it acceptable to scorn, ridicule and ostracize homosexuals? The answer is clear. Fear. It's not so much that we're afraid of the homosexuals as we are of the stigma associated with them. We feel uncomfortable around homosexuals not so much because we think they're attracted to us, but because we don't want anyone to think we're one of them. A man couldn't bear it if the girl in line in the cafeteria thought he was a hand-tipping, fashion-designing, hair-cutting bonafide homosexual. Ironically, the very stigmas we are afraid of are those we perpetuate. Even more than the stigma, we're afraid of the mere idea of homosexuality. We erect walls of hatred or tell jokes about homosexuals to keep a safe distance. We fear that if we get too close, we'll think about homosexuality, as if thinking about the concept makes us gay. Looking back, I realize I wasn't the sole destroyer of my relationships with my friends. I was only the catalyst. They became more of a curiosity to me than anything else. I remember a conversation I had with one of them. It went something like this: Me: So you really like women? Her: Yes. Me: Really? Her: Really. Me: All right. I'm OK with this. Let's talk about something else. Her: Fine. Me: So are you dating anybody? I now realize they wanted to get away from me and my questions and disapproving looks as much as I wanted to get away from their sexual orientation. Instead of treating them as people, I treated them as sideshow entertainment. Instead of being their friend, I turned my back at a crucial time in their lives. My behavior puzzles me. How could my sincere affection turn into contempt in a matter of minutes? It simply makes me sad. You see, anyway you cut it, I lost two friends. And those aren't easy to find.
Shavahn Dorris is a junior English major from Joliet, Ill. She can be reached at (msvon19@aol.com). Protection of free expression necessary in the arts TCU is way too conservative. Fort Worth isn't much better. Those are the complaints I sometimes hear from students chowing down in The Main or lounging out on the mall between Sadler and Reed Halls. Some students have now even started up a new organization, the Leftist Student Union, designed to draw in the "subversives" from around campus and unite them to fight the Man. However, recent events at Kilgore College in Kilgore, Texas, have made me realize how progressive our community is in comparison. The theater department at Kilgore College opened a play last week that has been called "one of the 10 best plays of the century" by London's Royal National Theatre. It is a play that received the Pulitzer Prize, two Tony Awards and a slew of other accolades. The play is "Angels in America," a two-part epic that is loosely based on the life of San Francisco lawyer Roy Cohn and his "red-baiting" activities of the 1950s. The play has been controversial because Cohn was a known homosexual, and the script, set in the late 1980s, deals frankly with the themes of AIDS and the gay lifestyle. The script contains some explicit references and several displays of non-gratuitous nudity. Ever since it became known that the college was going to produce the play, Kilgore church and community leaders have been working to keep it from happening. A recent article in the Dallas Morning News reported that petitions were circulating around town asking the college to halt the production. A local businessman even bought more than half the tickets for opening night in an effort to keep them unavailable to people wanting to see the play. More recently, Gregg County commissioners have threatened to pull a $50,000 grant if the production went ahead as planned. Kilgore mayor Joe Parker also threatened to cut city funds to the school, saying the production infringed upon his rights "as a Christian." This type of public outcry is nothing new to the arts world. "Community standards" watchdogs and religious groups have often become involved when they feel something being presented can be offensive to members of a community. The recent controversial exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum of Art in New York City is a good example. There, Chris Ofili's depiction of the Virgin Mary with elephant dung led to conflict in the community, and New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani threatened to block all city funding to the museum if the display was allowed to open. But the fact that Gregg county officials are trying to halt the production of such a commended work is inexcusable. Public schools such as Kilgore College have a constitutional right to produce this kind of play, even if some people have a problem with its content. Tony Kushner, who wrote "Angels in America," said in a 1995 interview that he hoped the play will make people think and strengthen their feelings about issues they believe in. The subject matter is something that may offend some people - the issue of homosexuality is something that is not often discussed here in Fort Worth, much less Kilgore - but the college has every right to present this subject matter before an audience. The best way to present a value system to others is to live in a way that others can respect, which includes having a consistent respect for people of all backgrounds. Narrow-minded, hateful, ignorant efforts to block freedom of expression, such as this effort in Kilgore, seem quite contrary to the Judeo-Christian system of values that some of these protesting religious groups claim as their own. I applaud the president of Kilgore College for standing behind his theater department, but I think the people bashing this production need to ask themselves why they have chosen to focus their energies in this manner. Here in the United States, "one nation under God," do they really believe in equal freedoms for all Americans?
Alan Melson is a senior broadcast journalism major from Richardson, Texas. He can be reached at (mamelson@delta.is.tcu.edu). Search for knowledge begins at the University Pub When I was a freshman, Mom and Dad told me I had four years to have fun before I graduated and entered the dreaded real world. They also told me that I had better make good grades and behave myself while I did. Now, with barely a semester and a half left to go at TCU, I have been doing some reflecting on the whole college experience. Education is central to a person's college experience. Although the knowledge you gain in the classroom is important, I don't think that is where you really learn how to live in the real world. When I go out to live on my own and work for a living, it will not be some long-winded scientific theory or the underlying metaphors in an outdated novel that will ensure success. It's all the little things that go along with college life, such as getting along with people, living on a college budget and juggling your time between class, activities, clubs and free time. There is a place where I have learned all of these things. Not in the library or a dorm room, but at the University Pub. The place has taught me more about human nature than any psychology class, more about time management than any day planner and more about budgeting than a semester of accounting possibly could. You see, the Pub is to many 21-year-olds what Colby or Milton Hall are to many 18-year-olds. A home away from home. This is a short list of the many invaluable lessons I have learned at the Pub: n Time Management - I've learned that it is imperative to have your studying and other work done before you go have fun. No matter how long you intend to stay, one hour always turns into two. n Budgeting - I've learned that sitting at the Pub for five hours can get expensive. It is best to take cash and know how much you are going to spend before you walk in the door. Leave or quit drinking once that amount has been reached. n Socializing - I've learned that my friendships are the greatest thing I will leave college with. You meet new friends at the Pub, and you always see someone you know there. It's good practice for the real world where much of your business will be done at cocktail parties and on the golf course instead of in meetings and on conference calls. n Curbing Excessive Con-sumption - I've learned that it is not necessary to drink to have a good time. You can sit and socialize with friends and have a Coke. I've also learned that if you happen to imbibe too much, Dave, the owner, will give you a look of fatherly disapproval, and you know that it is time to stop with the beer and start with the water. n Patience - I've learned that on those busy nights, it is near impossible to navigate from a table (if you are lucky enough to get one) to the bar. It takes self-control not to shove back when you get pushed along in the crowd. It can also be frustrating when the line for the bathroom is longer than your bladder is big. I've also learned to take minor annoyances like these with a grain of salt. I know the friendly bartenders, Lee, Beth and J.P., will take good care of me. I hope that I have taken my parent's advice well. I have gotten an education both in and out of the classroom. And I have definitely had fun. So I guess Robert Fulghum had the right idea. Everything I need to know about life, I learned at the Pub.
Kim Hinkle is a senior advertising/public relations major from Overland Park, Kan. She can be reached at (parottthed@aol.com). |
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