Blog

by Kevin Ladd

Since around the middle of the twentieth century, when more and more women began to seek careers, American culture, particularly in the workplace, has had to evolve and expand to accommodate this change. While it once was assumed that practically every employee with children had a spouse and that they (wife) handled all the "family stuff" during the workday and when said employee (husband) was on the road, now allowances for maternity leave, time-off to attend PTA meetings, school plays, etc. had to be made. It seems somewhat ironic that they’ve mostly, if not exclusively, been made with respect to womens' schedules. Apparently it is still assumed, though they are now every bit the career person their spouse is, that women are the ones who must handle all of the aforementioned "family stuff". At least, this appears to be the case on college campuses, according to a recent study.

There are many problems with the apparently common practice of making more allowances for women as parents than are made for men and I only have the time and space to get into a few of them, unfortunately. While this policy was clearly intended as a way to allow women to have the requisite career flexibility to have both children and profession, is this not still sexist? Does it not make an extremely broad generalization about all male/female relationships and the responsibilities and gender-based assignments that were common a century ago? I am sure it gets even more complicated in the case of female/female partnerships and male/male partnerships where children are involved.

Apparently, one of the problems with changing this all-too-common policy is that men generally tend to find it much more difficult to admit to being unhappy with their work/home balance. It seems that, traditionally, it is not nearly as acceptable for men to complain about spending too much time at work and not enough caring for and spending time with their family. There is the older male faculty to consider, for starters. Those who might come from a different generation and whose mother more likely was a homemaker and whose father worked six days a week. Those who would not really understand the plight of their younger male counterpart, and this could discourage a younger man to complain or communicate any sort of displeasure with this policy until he has tenure. Often, men in the employ of a college or university might even try to put off having children until they have achieved this level of career stability, making it easier for them to balance their career schedule and their family schedule with greater confidence and control. Those still trying to get tenure are much less likely to ask for time off for any reason, for fear of doing anything at all that might jeopardize their chances at this desirable, almost necessary, status at a university. It should be noted, too, that this can be much more difficult for a woman to do and is just one more way in which this policy is detrimental to both men and women.

I think it’s time we, as a society, respect and recognize both parents in any given family as responsible for the raising of their children and afford them equal benefits and opportunities not just for employment but of employment. Without either gender having to admit displeasure with the terms of their employment or work/home balance when surveyed, each person should be afforded the option to occasionally tailor their schedule based upon their responsibilities as parents without worrying it might cost them their career.

by Radha Jhatakia

It’s 6 a.m. and you just can’t conquer the writer’s block for your 20-page term paper. You didn’t procrastinate on purpose – that party was too good to pass up or the homework for all your other classes was overwhelming – but no matter what the reason, it is never acceptable to cheat. Cheating undermines the effort of your hard-working classmates who complete their work honestly and on time. Cheating also strips the cheater of his or her integrity and whether others can put their trust in said person again.

Unfortunately, there are many people who cheat in the world but you should not be one of them. You should want to get by on your own merit, not that of others. That is why there are such harsh penalties for cheaters: When a person plagiarizes in college or is caught cheating, punishments can include being given a GPA-tanking “F” in the class, being stripped of high honors, losing scholarships or even being expelled from the university. These are minor punishments compared to what happens in the real world for cheating, which could include multi-million dollar lawsuits and jail time.

I think I’ve been pretty clear here but I haven’t, just heed these two words: NEVER CHEAT. It’s not ethical and is looked down upon by almost everyone. Hold your head high and remember that doing your best and failing is better than cheating and passing. A professor would have more respect in you if you are honest and ask for help rather than if they catch you cheating. Professors were once college students, too; if you need an extension or are truly struggling, they will most likely remember their own college days and show you some compassion if you are truthful.

Radha Jhatakia is a communications major who will be transferring to San Jose State University this fall. She’s had some ups and downs in school and many obstacles to face; these challenges – plus support from family, friends and cat – have only made Radha stronger and have given her the experience to help others with the same issues. In her spare time, she enjoys writing, reading, cooking, sewing and designing. A social butterfly, Radha hopes to work in public relations and marketing upon graduation.

by Alexis Mattera

If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands. If you’re unhappy and you know it, do not take to Facebook.

This is advice Roman Caple could have used a few months back when he was barred from commencement exercises because of something he posted on Saint Augustine’s wall. He’s still mad – suing mad, in fact: Caple is suing the North Carolina school for more than $10,000 in damages.

Caple’s legal complaint accuses Saint Augustine’s of breach of contract, negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress. He claims that he has incurred extreme mental anguish and distress, including bouts of uncontrollable crying, loss of appetite, difficulty sleeping, loss of confidence and difficulty transitioning from a college student to a professional. Saint Augustine’s is standing by its decision for now.

Do you think Caple’s suit is justified or should he have just been more cognizant of what he was posting? Did Saint Augustine’s go too far in disciplining Caple or did its response fit the infraction?

by Alexis Mattera

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by Kara Coleman

Recently, 10 schools were banned from participating in the 2012-2013 NCAA men’s basketball tournament for failure to meet academic standards: Arkansas - Pine Bluff, Cal State - Bakersfield, California - Riverside, Connecticut, Jacksonville State, Mississippi Valley State, UNC Wilmington, Texas A & M - Corpus Christi, Toledo and Towson.

The NCAA rates teams according to their Academic Progress Rate, in which a team is viewed as a whole and its performance in the classroom is evaluated. If a team’s APR score falls to 925 or below and at least one player fails his classes and drops out of school, that school can lose scholarships. If the APR sinks down to 900, the penalties grow steeper and they increase each year that the team falls below par. Being declared ineligible for NCAA postseason play is a result of scoring 900 or below for three years. If the APR remains low for a fourth year, the entire athletic department is penalized. The school loses its Division 1 status and is reduced to “restricted membership status” in the NCAA.

Is this fair or too extreme? I’m not saying this just because my school – Jacksonville State – is on the naughty list, but I’m not sure that I completely agree with the NCAA’s punishment. If a student-athlete fails to perform academically, he should lose his scholarship, be suspended from the team, etc. But the players who make good grades, the coaches, and the fans should not be punished for the underperformance of the few. College students are adults – it’s up to each individual to study and work hard.

But what do YOU think? Is the NCAA spot-on with its academic standards and penalties, or does something need to change?

Kara Coleman graduated from Gadsden State Community College with an Associate of Arts degree and she is currently studying communications with concentration in print journalism at Jacksonville State University. Kara's writing has been featured in Teen Ink magazine and she is a children's author through Big Dif Books; she is also the editor-in-chief of JSU's student newspaper, The Chanticleer.

by Alexis Mattera

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