The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 87, No. 18, Ed. 1 Friday, February 25, 2000 Page: 4 of 24
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THE RICE THRESHER OPINION FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2000
Guest column
Trip gives history new life
Each spring, Jewish fami-
lies sit down at the Passover
Seder and read the story of Exo-
dus, which states, "And you shall
tell the story as if the
Uird had brought you
yourself out of the land
of Egypt." I always
knew what this meant,
but 1 never fully appre-
ciated its importance.
In January, 1 partici-
pated in Birthright Is-
rael 2000, a program
in which 3,000 Jewish
students travel to Is-
rael for the first time.
Various Hillel chapters
(the nationwide Jewish collegiate
organization) participated.
For 10 days we toured Israel.
Atop Masada, 1 realized that al-
though ruins may simply be
rocks, the history in those rocks
is anything but sedimentary.
In addition to giving students
a hands-on experience to enrich
their religious and cultural roots,
the trip provided students a fo-
rum to gain insight on the
present-day issues facing Israel
and the Middle East.
, Throughout the trip we met
with various groups of students,
members of a kibbutz, and Chris-
tian and Muslim Arab Israeli citi-
zens. These meetings not only
created a more personal connec-
tion for participants but also fos-
tered perspectives from which
students could draw their own
conclusions about various issues.
Traveling with our Hillel chap-
ters established a sense of cama-
raderie. We made new friends
from universities across the coun-
try. Many students bumped into
Ari
Briskman
old friends from their grade-
school years in Hebrew school.
, The main thrust of the trip
was to enhance the relationship
between Israel and the
Diaspora Oews living
outside of Israel) and
to strengthen the
sense of Jewish com-
munity among stu-
dents in the United
States. Based on com-
ments the Houston
group made, the trip
was a success. Many
students on the trip
will undoubtedly re-
turn to Israel in the fu-
ture. 'ITiere are several of us who
will value moments from the trip
for the rest of our lives.
I learned that religion and cul-
ture depend on people. History
lies within the memories of those
who carry it with them.
Although historical sites and
ancient ruins continue to be an
important part of that ever-evolv-
ing history, ultimately the defin-
ing characteristics of a people
depend on how its members live
their lives and relate to each
other. It is this sense of personal
responsibility that leads to the
perspective that it is "as if the
Lord had brought you yourself
out of the land of Egypt."
Some say the trip's funds
could have been better spent —
the entire trip was funded by a
group of philanthropists and the
Israeli government. But after all,
can you put a price tag on the
reaffirmation of who you are?
Ari Briskman is a VFiess College
junior.
Guest column
Fox network televises legalized prostitution
It looked like any other beauty
pageant. Impossibly tall white
women wearing dresses of question-
able taste, their smiles beaming out
from heavily made-up
faces, made their way
across the stage on pre-
carious high heels as mil-
lions eyed their bodies.
Women as young as 19
endured cheesy introduc-
tions, then an elimination
round, followed by a ques-
tion-and-answer period
and a swimsuit competi-
tion, another elimination
round, apd then the final
interview. But these
women were not competing for
scholarships, or even a chance at
the harsh world of modeling. 'Diese
women were competing for a hus-
band. Who wants to marry a multi-
millionaire? Maybe the question
should be, "How much dignity would
you sacrifice for money?"
Yes ,we, as a society, have sunk
to an all-time low. last Tuesday's
"Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Mil-
lionaire?" showcased everything that
is wrong with our society in a two-
hour Fox special and celebrated it.
But I have to appreciate Fox for its
honesty. I mean, no one wants to
admit that our culture is so material-
istic and sexist that human dignity
and marriage, an institution that is
supposed to be an expression of spiri-
tual connection between two people,
are both expendable in exchange
for cold hard cash.
But Fox has, cashing in on the
"American Greed" (1 refuse to use
the euphemism "American Dream")
that fueled the popularity of "Who
Wants to be a Millionaire?" and all
its knockoffs — on the sadistic, of-
ten misogynistic voyeurism present
in such fine programs as "The Jerry
Springer Show," "The Howard Stern
Sarah
Cloots
Ft. Worth
Trinity Commons 817-731'6824
San Antonio
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Houston
Dallas
Preston Center 214-691-5881 Preston Park/Piano 972-612-0976
Preston Park/Piano 972-612-0976
Austin
The Arboretum 512-346-2682
Show" and all of the pseudo-docu-
mentaries like "The Real World" and
"Blind Date."
Through this, programming ge-
nius Mike Darnell came
up with this gem of a
show. Now he can add to
his impressive resume,
which includes "Getting
Away with Murder: The
Jon Benet Ramsey Story."
And how ironic that Mike
Fleiss, cousin of infamous
Hollywood madam Heidi
Fleiss, produced the
show, since the result was
televised, legalized pros-
titution. Guess it's good
that the show was in las Vegas.
The similarities to the old tradi-
tion of mail-order prides was strik-
ing. The groom, real estate success
Rick Rockwell, was not seen by the
bride until he decided to marry her,
a decision made by watching each
woman from his own private screen-
ing room as they bared their bodies
and (shallow) souls to a live studio
audience. And though the 50 women
(allegedly chosen from thousands)
and Rockwell are equally culpable
in their stupidity and emptiness, I
still feel the whole premise pack-
aged old patriarchal institutions into
a glitzy, "millennium" package —
the man was still on top.
Sure, Rockwell was prostituting
himself too in that he was allowing
himself to be used for his money, as
men have for centuries, but he called
all the shots. The money kept him in
control and kept tradition alive.
Fifty women were clamoring to
share their wedding bed with a man
they had never met, tempted by the
promises of the week-long
"bachelorette party," complete with
fitted designer wedding gowns for
each contestant. They were also
hooked by the messages they have
heard from Barbie to Cosmopolitan:
You too can be a princess, and that
white gown will ensure a life of hap-
piness and completeness.
It is painfully ironic that with all
the complaints and musings over
the lack of women appearing on such
shows as "Who Wants to be a Mil-
lionaire?" this is the archaic solution
television executives come up with:
If you want to be rich, little girl,
marry rich.
How much dignity
would you sacrifice for
moneyc
Who wants to many a million-
aire? I bet there are a lot of men who
do, and plenty of women who are
actually working to become one.
What a radical concept. Not to men-
tion another question I want to ask
Fox: Who wants to marry a plumber?
Nah, that probably wouldn't do too
well with ratings.
Hell, this program did so well
that it will be featured during sweeps.
So a new slew of women can per-
petuate the myth that all women are
gold-diggers, that men can objectify
women if they can pay the price, and
that a lasting marriage is about dia-
monds and a strong prenuptial agree-
ment. God bless America.' „
las Vegas, the "Wedding Capital
of the World" and the only city in the
good ol' U.S. of A. with legalized
prostitution, has found a solution to
the whole whore/Madonna com-
plex: a prostitute you can take home
to your mother.
Sarah Cloots is a Hanszen College
freshman.
Are they laughing with me or at me?
A rose by any other name can
earn Rice thousands of dollars
The Galleria 713-961-3891 • Village Arcade 713-526-1385 • Town and Country Village 713-461-2672
Last Friday I sat on the first base
line at a Rice baseball game and
came face to face with the Wendel
D. Ley Scoreboard of Reckling Park
at Cameron Field-
Sounds kinda ridicu-
lous when you say it all
together. But this is just a
continuation of a trend
that I've noticed ever since
I got to Rice: the need to
name everything.
In Duncan Hall, many
of the classrooms are
named after companies
and individual donors.
Near the Baker Institute
for Public Policy (not
Baker College), several of the trees
have been named. The plot of grass
in front of Ixivett Hall bears a plaque
honoring yet another donor. Keck
Hall, Martel College and theballpark
lead off a new wave of building and
renovation projects rich with nam-
ing opportunities.
I'm really dreading the day I go
into the bathroom and use the
Patrick R. Jensen Memorial urinal,
blow my nose with Bernice G.
(ioodson honorary toilet paper, and
wash my hands in the Robert A.
Jacobson sink. I'm at a loss to ex-
plain all of this, but I've come up
with several possible reasons.
Explanation No. 1 is that these
things are done in the memory of
loved ones. I thought this was the
usual reason, until I saw several
people dedicate their own buildings.
This leads to a possible explanation
No. 2 — ego stroking. It probably
would be cool to have something
named after you. Maybe it's some-
thing standard the university does
after you donate several million dol-
lars. It's better than a football phone.
Maybe it's just done to avoid con-
Michael
Nalepa
fusion. When someone tells you to
go to the Farnsworth Pavilion in the
Rice Memorial Center, that's pretty
specific. In these cases, those of us
who are directionally chal-
lenged are thankful.
But what is the satura-
tion point for naming
things? How many little
plaques can we cram onto
this campus before we are
overloaded? Don't get me
wrong, donations from
alumni and corporations
are both necessary and
incredibly appreciated.
But, in effect, each of
us is also donating be-
tween about $13,000 and $15,000 a
year for tuition. And there are just
under 2,700 of us. I^et's say we each
pay $14,000. Do the math, and it
comes out to $37.8 million dollars a
year.
Yes, that doesn't account for fi-
nancial aid, room and board, fees,
books, etc. But it shows that we do
throw in a decent chunk of change.
So don't we get a piece of the
action?There are pool tables, doors,
chairs, benches, bushes and cafete-
ria tray conveyor belts that do not
know" of the pride that comes with
having a proper name.
We could each pick an item and
have a little brass nameplate made
out. I think mine would go some-
thing like this: "This concrete park-
ing space bumper given by Mike
Nalepa, who wishes good fortune to
all future cars that scrape their front
ends here."
Or maybe it would be better if my
donation were a little more anony-
mous.
Michael Nalepa is a iMvett College
junior.
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McAlister, Jett & Tam, Mariel. The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 87, No. 18, Ed. 1 Friday, February 25, 2000, newspaper, February 25, 2000; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth246669/m1/4/: accessed May 1, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.