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Show v c 0 and Jane Soap Dope Retired Sexual Harassment on Campuses Dick By Karen Peterson Female college students too often suffer "peer harassment" from thctr male classmates, a new report by the Association of American Colleges (AAC) in Washington, D.C., charges, and it makes it harder for them to go to college. The AAC, which in recent years has sponsored numerous reports saying college women weather an inhibiting "chilly climate" on campus that men escape, defined "peer harassment" as humiliating, unwanted sexual Innuendoes in its report, "Peer Harassment: Hassles for Women on of Massachusetts fraternity canceled a By Samantha I Dunn bikini contest last spring when the event's Dick and Jane, those energetic and sponsor. Miller Beer, was petitioned by offended students. About 50 students ageless party animals of children's picketed a University of Maryland fraternity literature will retire from California where several members had surrounded elementary schools at the beginning of next and threatened a woman who had school year, said Lynne Cheney, complained about a song they were spokesperson for the National Endowment for the Humanities. chanting about gang rape at a campus bar. More than three million California There is no question that fraternities football and sports teams in particular school children will obtain their literary and basketball teams are the worst skills from anthologies of children's literature by writers such as Aesop and offenders," Sandler said. Campus." The report accused fraternities of Maurice Sendak, and others. "Youngsters "These things happen to women all the fostering "a crowd mentality" that, when will be reading real books again, instead of time, but no one ever looks at them," said combined with drinking, can "create a plastic prose," said Cheney. Bernice Sandler, director of the AAC's potentially explosive situation (for women)." A national survey conducted in 1985 Project on the Status and Education of showed that elementary students spent The report cited other common Women, which issued the report to eight minutes reading a day. seven Involves which examples: "scoping," loudly only "Women often see these as bad things new program, however, the on a Under women's attractiveness passing but feel they can't do anything about it rating scale of one to 10, and yelling obscenities at children will read for longer periods at a Women dont complain because they see it female passersby. time and go on to discuss the literature in as normal behavior, as the way men are, or "The tragedy Is that this is seen as usual class. they don't think anything will happen." This program will cost an estimated behavior," Sandler said. "For too many students, relationships Although peer harassment probably is $48 million, and may create a ripple effect between men and women are not always widespread, Sandler said few schools have throughout the country. positive," the report said. "Too many surveyed their students to determine the However, California superintendent women experience hostility, anger and extent of the problem. of public instruction. Bill Honing said it is sometimes even violence from male " In 1986, however, Cornell University worth the cost to eliminate students." found that 78 percent of the female textbooks from the classroom. However, this is not the first attempt to change the textbooks that California school children use. Honing said that two " years ago he crusaded to step up the quality to of math and science books In their schools. And since California buys 10 percent of all no looks , textbooks in the nation, publishers readily made the changes, he said. But there are those who are skeptical of the change- - Chester Finn, director of To a lesser extent, male professors also students it surveyed had heard sexist the educational excellence network and use their power over female students to comments and 68 percent had received personal friend of the duo, said to never underestimate the vast Inertia of the bribe or coerce women to have sex with unwelcome attention from male peers. American education system. He attributes of In the another 92 male said. Other them, Sandler percent study, professors own his literacy to Dick and Jane, and said collude in sexual harassment by allowing women surveyed at Massachusetts Institute could have done it without them. he their male students to berate women of Technology had .received unwelcome He said It not will be sad to see them go. sexual attention, while 70 percent of the during classroom discussions. In exclusive an Interview, Jane said The report arrived as many campuses women surveyed at the University of Rhode have contract disputes characters had the were trying new ways to combat sexual Island reported they had been sexually the for with management years. So when harassment of students and campus insulted. to said it came were asked she retire, they Such harassment, the AACS' report employees. to no as her. surprise Pennsylvanias Millersville University, contended, tells women they're always "It will be a good career move for us for example, formed a committee in vulnerable, a message that can undermine a to retire," said Jane. "We have already and damage their October to educate students about, sexual woman's lined up a series of beer commercials for academic careers. women "Some harassment. "It will not be tolerated," said may g will be fulfilling a Doris Cross, the committee's chairwoman. change classes or majors, change schools, Spot, and Dick dream of modeling men's underwear for "This university wants to move ahead and or drop out altogether," the report stated. I my It can cause many there is no place for it here." although less the Sear's catalog, and willI pursure feel of actress. an as dream with immediate for being the men, problems report Some schools require students to we much have "When men view women as objects experience that acquired participate in sexual awareness seminars. added. will well." we the over do to find years, difficult to be men quite it demeaned, forbids now Southern Methodist University Spot, however, felt differently and amorous student-facult- y relationships, as do relate to women as equal human beings, said, "It will be ruff." the Universities of Pennsylvania and much less friends or potential romantic Delaware, and Temple, Brown, and Harvard partners. Men who do not respect women are not prepared for the working world, universities. In fact; many campuses already are where women are increasingly likely to be colleagues." operating the kinds of programs the AAC their The report also asserted schools with the to combat problem. help suggests "I never feel they're doing enough," reputations for being inhospitable to women may have trouble getting funds from Sandler said of the efforts. "Institutions are state legislatures and convincing female just becoming aware that this is a problem. students to register. It did not, however, This is just a beginning." offer any examples. Students, too, have tried. A University (CPS) . "wishy-washy- women all the These things happen one ever time but at them." Bernice Sandler self-estee- m life-lon- RESERVE OFFICERS' TRAINING rams ras tor HJS TO Effl F03 H!F CORPS By Chris Bamberger CNK TOTiiE S8C3 EITOSEI. and scholarships Army ROTC pay for tuition and provide an allowance for fees and textbooks. Find otd if you qualify. For more information, contact Lawrence Sansone at 2-y- 581-671- 6. nmi? hotc KEsr.xmESTCCiun COURSE YOU CAN TEIE. Economics Program Changed to B.S. or BJL OREST The economic program at Westminster College has plans for future change. The change will be effective in the March catalog for the 1989-9- 0 academic year. The economics program will remain as it currently exists in the 1988-8- 9 catalog with the exception that students will receive a bachelor of science degree rather than a bachelor of arts degree. A bachelor of arts degree will be offered to those students more interested in a social science orientation. "Students whose orientation is more toward social science shouldnt have to take business classes," said John Watkins, director of economics at Westminster College. "Also the intellectual origin of economics is closely tied In with philosophy, history and other social sciences." This change November 15, 1988 Issue 8 will benefit the students Daytime soap operas arc no longer Just a secret vice of housewives who supposedly have nothing better to do with their time. For the past several years, daytime soaps have been part of campus life at many colleges around the U.S. Students often schedule classes around their favorite soap, rushing home to the dormitory room or gathering in the student lounge to catch up on the antics of their favorite soap stars. This is the finding of Kathy Henderson who recently Interviewed a number of social scientists who have been involved in sociological studies of soap watching. "Soap operas have emerged from the entertainment ghetto to become a socially and intellectually acceptable way to pass an hour or so a day," Henderson said. "People who wouldn't dream of picking up a romance novel willingly admit they're hooked on "Days of Our Lives," she said. What's more, students arent Just watching the soaps. From such colleges as Stanford University to the University of North Carolina, they are "cranking them out." Such soaps as "General College" and "General Dormitoiy" are being produced by college students as part of college curriculums. Henderson said, "Actually, it makes perfect sense that campus soaps would spring up, since college is a soap opera for most young adults who are enjoying their first taste of freedom." She added that by writing, acting out and video taping stories of romantic triangles and strained relationships, students reflect the concerns of their peers while they gain experience in television production. Social scientist Dafna Lemish told Henderson that he observed college students while they watched "General Hospital" in campus lounges. During his ninermonth study he observed college-ag- e on that soap fans enjoy the emphasis relationships and the endless Lemish said, "Young viewers searching for their own identity may find answers in watching people express their emotions on such a grand soul-searchin- g. scale. Ardyth Stimson, professor of sociology In Union. New Jersey, "I think watching with Lemish. agrees a soaps is good thing," she said. "The messages are healthy. These days the actors practically step out of character to lecture against unprotected sex," Stimson added. Stimson, who has conducted research on the subject for eight years, told Henderson, The only negative message I see is that good girls lie." Henderson added, "We knew that already." "Nobody would claim that daytime soaps are totally realistic," writes Henderson, 'since they rarely depict the poor, blue-colla- r, black and elderly people, and emphasize adultery, untimely pregnancies and the Joys of eavesdropping." Henderson concluded her report by saying that Stimson feels there is nothing negative about soap watching unless a person is watching four or five hours every day. She said, "None of us are that hooked', at Kean College ( because it will be more conducive to their interest," said Watkins. They won't have to take classes that aren't as relevant are perhaps even irrelevant." Westminster has offered an ecomonics major since 1983, under the initiation of Sid Seidelman, currently the director of Westminster's MBA program. Westminster students receiving a degree in economics, received a bachelor of arts. "Whereas other business diciplines such as marketing, management, accounting and finance look out at the world from within their company economics is looking at the context of the firm related to government organizations, other institutions, Individuals and so forth. So economics is looking at the firm from the outside looking In. That is a really different perspective," said Watkins. 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