Young America: Don't Sell Out

STAFF EDITORIAL

RODGER OCON / GUARDSMAN

As marketing firms pour billions of dollars into new ways to appeal to us, for “America’s youth” the line between reality and deception blurs.

We watch TV shows where personalities and lifestyles are crafted to appeal to our insecure, impulsive egos.

The media — be it TV, video games, radio, magazines or movies — use tactics that hit home for young people. We want to be liked. We look for leaders and the media provide. The target demographic crosses color lines, income brackets and neighborhoods. We’re easy to sell to because we have disposable income, which means we pay fewer bills, don’t have to worry about property taxes and often receive support from our parents.

In turn, we give billions of dollars to rich, predominately white male CEOs and their shareholders.

What’s upsetting, however, is the degree to which they target what some call the “Hip-Hop generation.” Rap stars perpetuate an image of power. They appear strong, fearless and self-sufficient.

“I try to tell people to be cognizant that it’s more of a gimmick than a reality,” said Robert Clark, African-American Scholastics Program counselor and Psychology of Race and Ethnic Relations instructor. “Maybe 10 percent reflects reality,” he said, referring to the stories told by the media and in rap songs.

There is profit in keeping people down (figuratively and psychologically). “The images that are presented on TV are insidious and designed to promote negative behavior,” Clark said.

In reality we’re sold a self-destructive lifestyle that lands many in the streets or in jail. “A lot of rap artists with a positive message don’t get air time, they’re selling their stuff out of their cars,” Clark said.

Our clothes are not going to make us better off. The money we spend to be more like Tupac Shakur or Beyoncé or any of the celebrities we admire will get us nowhere. “You want to be like ‘Pac, read, shorty, read,” Digital Underground’s front man Shock G said on his solo album, “Fear of a Mixed Planet.”

In the long run, education is our greatest hope. You’re taking classes at City College so you probably realize that you’ll go nowhere sitting on your parents’ couch.

The important part is to be critical of what you see and hear, especially when it carries a price tag. Seek inspiration from those who work for the good of society and not for their own ends and resist the media’s attacks on your pride, dignity and confidence.

e-mail: editorial@theguardsman.com

More Than a Mouthful

BY JOSH LEHMAN
Contributing Writer

PHOTO COURTESY KRT CAMPUS

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism excessive drinking accounts for at least 1,400 student deaths and 500,000 injuries annually.

In light of the dangers associated with drinking and drug use, students still behave in a self-destructive manner. The root of the problem may be ignorance about why they overindulge. The sad fact is that while many people can and do drink their brains into disability, they often do not understand the amount of risk associated with their behavior; it is much easier to develop pancreatitis than to understand its biological causes.

City College offers a variety of courses covering substance abuse in the Drug and Alcohol Studies program. These courses are valuable sources of information and academicsuccess. “The classes are transferable to universities as electives, and they apply to some majors and certificate programs,” said Donna Hayes, a counselor at City College.

For students already in the grip of addiction, however, this is not enough. Scholarly knowledge about substance abuse is only one aspect of treatment. The health clinic at Ocean campus offers counseling services, but students with abuse problems are generally referred to outside facilities. “Longer-term treatment is usually required for students with real problems, and City College doesn’t have the resources in place.” Mental Health Counselor Lori Wong said.

Rehabilitation is painful and difficult. A wise man once said,“Change hurts, and people don’t change until it hurts more not to.” Many don’t notice the slow progress of dependency and their growing need for help. Students may not realize how quickly the disease of addiction can destroy their academic careers and ultimately their lives. Extended counseling and on site treatment would raise awareness and provide students with an exit from a lifetime of enslavement.

e-mail: editorial@theguardsman.com

COMING IN

Faculty Poll

Has anyone ever shown up in your class under the influence of an intoxicating substance?

Yes: 60% (15 out of 25)

No: 40% (10 out of 25)

“I am not qualified to diagnose a student's biochemical state, so I don't attempt to do so. Disruptive activity or abusive behaviors are observable and dealt with promptly.”
Charles Riggs, English

“No, in 34 years of teaching, I've never had that happen that I know of. If someone was under some sort of influence, it wasn't noticeable.”
Annette Rappleyea, Physics

“On condition of anonymity, the answer is ‘yes.’ Barring outrageous behavior, I have not done anything, since the accusation is hard to prove. I've had drunk students as well as high ones.”
City College instructor

ON THE RECORD

What was the worst cooking experience you ever had?

Spencer Witte

"I almost burned my kitchen down with an oil fire from leaving the heat on under a pan full of oil."

Molly Schildhause

"I was at work and I knocked over the overflow bucket from the sink and flooded the entire restaurant."

Souriya Johnson

"I under-boiled a pot of ribs which turned out to be inedible and I wasted $12 worth of ribs."

Rainheart Gomez

"I'm Asian so I cook a lot with oil. One time I turned on the fire very high and it caught the oil on fire and almost touched the ceiling ... and it was during a class."

Chris Jeung

"Never microwave an egg, then pop the yolk, because if you do it EXPLODES!"

Heath Kornblum

"My roommate made mashed spuds but added too much salt, so we tried to fix it. We tried to counter salt with sugar, so we put in syrup, candy sweets and peanut butter. We made it so sweet it’s not spuds anymore, and it was a different color. We left it there and another roommate came home and tried it, liked it, and asked ‘Who made the good beans?’”