The J-TAC (Stephenville, Tex.), Ed. 1 Thursday, October 24, 1991 Page: 2 of 6
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Page 2/Thursday, October 24, 1991/theJ-TAC
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Women still
the object of
discrimination
Campus
Marginalia
Lisa Hendon
Lanell Gonzales
Yes, this is another article about
the Clarence Thomas confirmation.
Well... not really. We want to ad-
dress more explicitly the issue of
what it means to be a woman in this
country. Don't get the wrong idea.
We don't want you to think that we
are bra-buming feminists. God for-
bid! We will have feminist ideas,
feminist heroes and feminist dreams;
but of course we are not REALLY
feminists.
There are, however, some un-
comfortable issues that have resur-
faced with the Thomas confirmation
hearings; issues which the feminist
part of us cannot ignore. Our soci-
ety, despite our claims of sexual
equality, remains unyieldingly pa-
triarchal. Watching a dozen self-
righteous middle aged, slick haired,
white men question an educated black
woman rather poignantly highlights
the real power structure of this coun-
try. Both of the groups who could, in
the essence, be considered her cul-
tural peers were conspicuously ab-
, sent.
Moreover, it seemed inconceiv-
able to the good old boys that a
woman would tolerated demeaning
behavior from an employer in order
to further her career. A man being
groomed for an executive position
would have been expected to put his
career first However, the delicate
American woman is expected to put
her "honor" First, career be damned.
The senators' treatment of the
female members of the press corp
also reflected a great deal of male
chauvanism. Women reporters were
subjscted to patronizing remarks such
as "Oh, come on, now," and "Really,
Ms. Mitchell," while the senators
and the male reporters jocularly
tossed about pornographic phrases.
In short, the male reporters were
treated with comradery: the female
journalists were presumed to be
precocious children who didn't know
when to stop asking embarrassing
questions.
It seems that the legislators,
despite the laws created to promote
fairness and equality, cannot control
attitudes - not even in their own
ranks. The hearings have reminded
us that while the laws have been
altered to improve our status, old
attitudes continue to permeate
American society and influence the
way in which women are treated.
Thus, it is too threatening for us to
come forth with charges of sexual
harassment, or even cry rape. We
knpw that somehow the woman will
be blamed for instigating the unac-
ceptable behavior. We cannot even
associate ourselves with the feminist
movement without being accused of
, hating or wanting to be men.
Anita Hill should not have been
surprised at the less than dignified
treatment she received. We weren't
(although some of the tactics used by
the senators exceeded even our wild-
est nightmares.) Guilt or innocence
of'Thomas aside, the hearings told
the old story of what it's like to be a
woman in a world dominated by
men.
Lanell Gonzales and Lisa Hen-
don are students at TSU.
What's your view?
Share your views with the
J-TAC. Letters to the
editor should be sent to the
J-TAC, P.O. Box T-98,
Stephenville TX, 76402
or delivered to the third
floor of Davis Hall.
ADVISOR - Charlie Reyr/olds
FEATURES EDITOR - Tina Horton '
PHOTO EDITOR - Marc Parks
STAFF WRITERS - Pmanuel Aivear, Kelly Boren,
Brig Lopez III, Eric Lang
^EDITOR - Julie Grider
The J-TAC
MANAGING EDITOR - Christy Moore
SPORTS EDITOR - Mike Marbach
ADVERTISING COORDINATOR - Meredith Foster
CIRCULATION MANAGER - Justin Boswell
EDITORIAL CARTOONIST - Jordan Cannady
Midterm is a time for coping and hanging on
Midterm of the fall semester was this week and
grades will be mailed out soon. This particular time of
the semester can sometimes be trying to many stu-
dents.
Midterm grades often are the cause of slacking
efforts in students. An "A" on a grade slip can decieve
a student into believing he or she is home free for the
semester, therefore, they slack off in the effort depart-
ment. While a "D" might make a student try harder, it
could also promote students to give up.
Also during this time of the semester all the pres-
sures of major tests and term papers seem to build up.
It is veiy easy to become depressed and fed up with
school.
However, student should try to hang in there and do
the best they can. Over half the semester has gone by
and not too much more is left to go. It is important not
to slack off now and blow a grade from boredom.
College is too expensive!
Many activities and even Thanksgiving break are
coming up to brighten the end of the semester. The
time will fly by, so stick with it and keep trying.
Around the 3end J. Jordan Cannady
'tart hert fair
Pianist envy afflicts columnist
Jordan Cannady
Around the Bend
Last Friday I attended, a concert
in the Clyde Wells Fine Arts Center.
It was a guest recital featuring the
renowned pianinst Eugene Pridonoff
playing on the recently purchased
Steinway conceit grand piano. Much
has already been written about this
piano but I can tell you that while the
name Steinway is synonymous with
excellence, Tarleton sent our own
Dr. Lipke out to personally audition
for our university the best of the best
Eugene Pridonoff has played
with some of the finest orchestras in
the country and has appeared in some
of the grandest concert halls includ-
ing the world-renowned Kennedy
Center. In other words, he knows his
pianos. He commented after playing
ours that it was one of the finest he'd
ever played and was good enough
for Carnegie Hall.
There was a wide diversity of
people there that evening, dressed in
everything from jeans and boots to
suit and tie. Many of us appreciate
classical music and also enjoy listen-
ing to Garth Brooks. Yet, while
Garth Brooks writes and sings that
"Thunder Rolls", last Friday the au-
dience heard the real thing.
In Debussy's Pour le Piano "Prel-
ude", Pridonoff punished the key-
board with a driving, steady pound-
ing that drove bass notes like a roll-
ing thunder and tore high, scintillat-
ing trills from the upper register that
flew about the auditorium.
The finale of the evening was a
piece by the Russian composer Ser-
gei Prokofieff. He composed music
as if he had a deep-seated anger
towards those who would later per-
form the piece.
We watched as Pridonoff
stretched and strained in impossible
chord changes, insane rhythms and
giant sweeps in tonal changes. In
last year's Van Clibum competition,
the winner Aleksei Sultanov broke a
string during a Prokofieff piece.
Like a Louisville Slugger shat-
tering as it sends a baseball sailing
over a stadium wall, these things
happen. This was not music for the
weak hearted. Simply stated, people
were moved.
I can play piano. I particularly
enjoy playing an oriental concerto
that cusicologists have described as
one of the most simple, understated
works composed by the king of the
minimalists, Sir Edmund Wally
Newton.
His composition, "Chopsticks",
has the stark somber frankness of the
Warsaw Concerto and yet the light
heartedness of the theme song to
"Petticoat Junction." Until we hear
"Chopsticks" executed properly by a
master such as Van Cliburn, we
cannot comprehend the true genius
of the man who composed this work.
The fiery passion of the first ten
notes of this piece are surpassed only
by the heart-wrenching pathos in the
other eight They speak to the lis-
tener a simple message "War is bad,
poverty is no good, French people
make lousy tourists and a nine to five
job without at least one fifteen min-
ute coffee break is a job not worth
having."
Is there one among us who is not
familiar with the terrible irony of
Ludwig van Beethoven composing
his greatest works while being to-
tally deaf? What about Elvis and all
those diet pills?
Let's face it The world of music
is filled with tragedy. Yet, in the list
of composers who have overcome
adversity who could forget the
composer of "Chopsticks" who, at
the age of twenty-seven, wrote the
world's most often performed piece
of music - with only one finger left
on each hand. He'd lost the other
eight in a tragic accident when he
was a young boy working as a type-
setter in his uncle's printing shop.
Despite his digital deficiency,
he later went on to invent Hunt n'
Peck typing, the rotary dial telephone
and that fingertip to fingertip method
of making a little floating weenie ap-
pear in front of your crossed eyes.
I don't just play "Chopsticks", I
live it. This brings me to the second
point of my article. I wrote this in
hopes that, having paid tribute to the
wonderful concert sponsored by the
Department of Fine Arts and Speech
and pointing out the terrific asset
Tarleton has procured in that supeib
Steinway, that Dr. C. John Keith will
call me up someday and say "Jordan,
how would you like some solo time
on the Steinway while you give a
symposium of "Chopsticks" to some
of our more gifted graduate stu-
dents?"
Would I!!
Jordan Cannady Is the Editorial
Cartoonist for the J-TAC.
The J-TAC is published on Thursdays during the regular semester, with the exception of university holidays and
examination periods. The printer is the Stephenville Enipire-Tribune.
Only articles in the Opinion section of this newspaper express the opinion uf the J- TAC staff. Columns and/or news
articles do not necessarily express the opinion of this university or this newspaper.
Inquiries regarding deadlines may be made by telephone to: Editor: 968-9056; Newsroom: 968-9057; or the Faculty
Advisor: 968-9058. The offices of the J-TAC are located on the third floor of Davis Hall, rooms 303 and 304.
Midterm stress
affects students
Drastic measures taken
Michelle Cox
With only six weeks left in the
semester most students are experi-
encing post mid-term anxiety attacks.
It doesn't take a genius to recog-
nize the stress-related symptoms of a
panic stricken student.
As a matter of fact, most of you
can probably attribute many of the
following characteristics to your
present lifestyle.
Here are a few of our college
experiences which we'll be happy to
forget:
*Going to bed at 2 a.m. and
setting the alarm for 4 a.m. to finish
that report which is worth forty per-
cent of your grade.
* Frugal attempts toward a so-
cial life that all but destroy a mid-
term G.P.A.
*Visits to the library on Satur-
day (yes, Tarleton does have a li-
brary.)
*A place of residence that looks
like a pig-sty until the night before a
major test. This always seems to be
the perfect time to clean and do two
weeks of laundry.
*Phone conversations with your
family telling them what a great
experience college is.
*Eating generic cupcakes for
breakfast and stale potato chips for
lunch (while analyzing why manu-
facturers feel compelled to put ridges
on a simple slice of potato.) This diet
gives validity to the term malnutri-
tion.
*Finding yourself in a daze and
unable to communicate. It doesn't
matter who asks, "What's going on?"
Your reply i$ always, "Oh nothing -
-studying." ' ' *
: *Walking aimlessly "into class
(when you go) wearihg boxer shorts
and a ripped t-shirt that you found in
the bottom of your closet Fashion
tends to take a dramatic turn as the
semester lingers.
And, last but not least you're
probably continually asking your-
self, "What has happened to my life?"
At this point it probably won't
help to recall your parents words of
wisdom, "You'll understand when
you get older." We are older and we
still don't understand. Is that sup-
posed to happen after the degree?
But, I assure you (as I'm trying
to convince myself) that all of these
frustrations will pay off.
Our lives in college will be irre-
placable-even the rough spots. As
with every experience in life it cre-
ates the person we are today.
The anxiety and stress you feel
today will prepare you for the con-
tinual struggles throughout your life.
The list above may be aidless but the
rewards will be as well.'
And, remember you're not in
this alone. There are over 6,000
other students in TSU who are also
experiencing sleepless nights too.
Michelle Cox Is a reporter for
the J-TAC.
cflccrs
and Jccrs
The J-TAC is
introducing a new
segment called
"Cheers and Jeers" to
be run monthly on
the Opinion page. It
will be published on
the last Thursday of
each month with the
deadline falling on
the previous
Monday. The staff
reserves the right to
not print a Cheer or
Jeer due to lack of
space or taste
considerations.
Please submit your
name with the Cheer
or Jeer as we cannot
print a statement
without a name.
Deadline for
this month is
October 28.
■.i;, m. ij.
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The J-TAC (Stephenville, Tex.), Ed. 1 Thursday, October 24, 1991, newspaper, October 24, 1991; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth141761/m1/2/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Tarleton State University.