All students do not fit stereotypes

Yesterday’s article, “Class Couture,” offended me as a student. The author picked out stereotypes by major and then picked at their clothing. If the author didn’t notice, most of the majors she broke down had a relaxed or a professional side. A lot of college students dress for comfort or don’t have the time to dress to impress. She also wrote the very stereotypical aspects of each major that are brought to mind when thinking of these majors.

As an art major myself, I do not see everyone dressing in “the artist” style clothing. I myself take a laid-back approach, as I do not have to impress people in the department. The article only further emphasizes the differences between majors and students in general by pointing out the stereotypical ones. What the reporter may have wanted to do is point out general fashions across the board, not show the similar relaxed aspects most majors have and their more time and money-consuming counterparts. I am offended she would stereotype the well-known majors without stating ALL the generalizations most people may have been able to conclude upon themselves already, without looking into the student body as a whole. Not everyone fits into the noted stereotypes, and the article was a broad generalization that for some is a great misconception.

Amy Lawson

Junior

Art

Illegal immigration issue is not clear-cut

Let me pose a question to all the people who believe the issue of illegal immigration is a clear-cut yes or no question: How old are you, and have you ever had an alcoholic beverage before? Last I checked, the legal age for drinking in the United States is still 21. So anyone drinking under the age of 21, whether they get caught or not, is breaking the law. So I suppose we should arrest, detain and punish all the people on this campus who have had any alcohol before their 21st birthday, because illegal is illegal right? Sounds kind of silly, doesn’t it? How about all the people who smoke pot? Or maybe the rioters from two weeks ago? Now I am sure no one has done any of these activities because we are all law-abiding citizens of the United States, right?

It’s not that easy, is it? There was once a time in this country when it was illegal for women and non-whites to vote. I think we can all agree the country is a better place because those laws were reconsidered and overturned.

If there are 11 to 15 million illegal immigrants in the United States, something is wrong with the law, either with its structure or its enforcement, and people need to reexamine it to see if it can be improved for the betterment of our country. “We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men were created equal.” I don’t see any clause in there that mentions equality based on birthplace, just like there was no clause that mentioned equality based on gender or skin color. Maybe in order to make this country what it is supposed to be, we need to reexamine the way the law considers all people and not just people who happen to be lucky because their parents gave birth to them on U.S. soil. But either way, stop taking a stance based on the letter of the law and try and think of the reasons for and consequences of the law to decide whether it is actually a good law or not. Or else watch out for the University Police the next time you are drinking in your dorm room.

David Travis

Senior

Music