6 The Loquitur Thursday, Oct. 28, 2010Perspectives

M o r e predomi-nantly than most in We s t e r n c u l t u r e , body im-age plays a huge roll in many p e o p l e ’s lives. With the cul-

tural perspectives being shoved down our throats as a society it is hard to view our own selves as acceptable. Many people strug-gle to find what makes them feel accepted or comfortable and the perception of skinny versus fat has waged an all out war on the men and particularly the women of our generation.

Instead of feeling united with each other in a particular gender many turn their heads to people they believe to be physically in-adequate to themselves. Being fat used to be a sign of wealth and power. However, now being overweight is a sign of laziness, sloppiness and even incompe-tence. On the other hand if you are skinny one might make com-ments about being anorexic, self-centered or mean, not in shape or happy.

The stereotypes of both of these body shapes are completely ridiculous however it is interest-ing to see where these labels come from and why they have become part of our culutre. I believe these comments, critiques and judg-ments come from a culture that is insinuating the fact that indi-viduals are not good enough. Not

good enough to look like people displayed in magazines or on television and as a generation we strive to be in this image of per-fection. This is where the defen-sive side comes into play when we feel our physical appearance is under attack.

Due to the defense some peo-ple have about their personal im-age, it takes pressure off of one’s own self to criticize another per-son. I have heard many critiques in my life from fat individuals to thin and vice versa, ranging all over the board from “eat a sand-wich” to “six packs of rolls” to “tub of lard” and “body like a 12-year- old boy." These insults are ones that are common and bring out a side of each individual who is struggling with their own body perception.

Understanding both sides of the spectrum is easier said than done especially when it comes to the fashion world. Thinner people fit into any clothes they want to wear. This is a common misconception. Many thin people struggle with the self confidence that comes along with not having curves and are often frustrated when items do not fit in certain areas, bringing their self confi-dence down.

Self confidence is also drained from larger people when they do not fit into the clothing at the same stores thinner people shop at. Having to go to special stores and not fit in with the “norm” can be hard on an individual who is only trying to seek acceptance.

Many believe that there is nothing more annoying than a skinny girl referring to herself as

fat, as well as there being nothing more confusing than a bigger per-son squeezing into sizes that are clearly not the best fit.

In my opinion skinny girls who constantly talk about them-selves as being overweight have a serious self esteem problem and they are trying to fish for compli-ments from whoever is listening. This is a major problem and a sad issue that women never feel hap-py with themselves regardless of their weight.

Large people trying to fit into clothing that clearly does not fit is frustrating to me. I believe that doing this injustice to yourself is only going to cause negative at-tention your way. Who cares if you wear a larger size and look good? But squeezing into jeans that are three sizes too small will not fool anyone into thinking you are actually that size.

Regardless of what store one shops at, it is extremely impor-tant to know your body, and how to make it look its best. Knowing what size you are is crucial. Span-dex is not acceptable for every body type and if nothing is hold-ing your halter top up, you will just look ridiculous. Just because something is in style does not mean it is your style. Dressing the best way for you and your body will increase your self esteem. It is easy to see why some would put others down to feel happy or adequate with how they are viewed by the outside world.

Certainly I believe that people put others down because they feel unhappy with themselves as a person. Regardless of body im-age, people may find themselves

constantly trying to be like some-one else. Judging someone or being judged is something that everyone has gone through in their lives, it never feels good and making fun of someone makes you feel in power for an entire 10 seconds. The negativity fac-

ing our society needs to stop. We need to come together and accept each other for who we are and we need to put ourselves in a position to look our absolute best, inside and out.

kma69@cabrini.edu

G r o w i n g up I was al-ways taught

that everyone was equal. It doesn’t matter whether you’re male or fe-male, black or white, Jewish or Catholic, everyone is the same and deserves the same rights.

By this I mean they deserve to be married, have jobs and kids. Just as long as it agreed with their re-ligion, race or if they are heterosexual.

In reality, if you marry outside of your race or have a same sex marriage you will not be accepted by everyone. So really be-ing taught that everyone is equal was a lie.

In elementary school we all learned about slavery and the Holocaust, and how the world grew from inequalities like that. I was led to believe that since then there was not much of a problem with race, faith or sexuality, and that none of that mattered if you were happy. After almost 15 years of Catholic education I can say that I was led to believe something completely false. In today’s world people do judge you on religion, race, sexuality, everything. There is no such thing as equality in any parts of the world.

It’s hard to believe in the Catholic re-ligion because it is so back and forth. The Bible says that God will love you no matter

what; however, the church will not allow same sex marriage. While I do appreciate the fact that I was sent to Catholic school because my parents thought it would be a better education, I can’t help but wonder how I was so naïve to the world.

Gay marriage is one of the most con-troversial topics right now. Only five out of the 50 states in America allow gay mar-riage. So what about the other 45? What is so wrong about gay marriage? These are questions that I constantly ask myself.

While today’s generation is more ac-cepting of gay marriage, interracial mar-riage and all types of religion, we still have those from previous generations who are set in their ways. People of older genera-tion believe that we should marry within

our religion and race, and also marry the opposite sex.

It’s sad to think how many people could have been happy, if they could have broken away from the norm. An article from MS-NBC says that just in the past 40 years how different things have become. As of 2005 more than 7 percent of Americans are in a interracial relationship compared to 1970 where it was only 2 percent.

Many times I often wonder if this change will help same sex marriage be-come legal. I believe that anyone, no mat-ter who they are, should have the right to get married. After all isn’t it our right to be happy? What people need to start realizing is that this is 2010, things are ever chang-ing, and same sex marriage is really not a

big deal.Being gay does not make you any less

of a person. In my opinion it makes you an even stronger individual. One of my good friends struggled for years with coming out. Because being gay is such a contro-versial subject, a lot of gays are so fright-ened to come out due to what may happen to them. I believe that the prejudice against gays needs to come to a stop.

With the recent suicides because of sex-uality, it makes me wonder how long until we are done this battle? We have overcome, for the most part, interracial marriage, so why can’t we accept same sex marriage?

Last month a 13 year old hung himself from a tree and a 18 year old jumped off a bridge because of their sexuality. Add three more boys under the age of 19 and that’s how many lost their lives just in the last month.

Are we going to sit and let this happen? These innocent children are killing them-selves because they are constantly made fun of or have a fear of rejection because of their sexuality. Every suicide is a loss to the world, who knows that person could have made a big difference.

Think about the parents of these vic-tims, having to live with the fact that their child killed themselves because they were gay. These parents will never be able to forgive themselves for letting this happen. How is society okay with this?

mas439@cabrini.edu

Still surprised by inequality in America

Warped body image an issue on campuses

By Melissa SzymborskiStaff Writer

By Kelsey AlvinoStaff Writer

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This is an example of a common exercise that identifies warped body image. Participants draw what they think they look like and after are traced on top to compare.

Without the legal right to marriage, same sex couples lose their right to health care coverage, family leave, child custody protections and tax protections.

Thursday, Oct. 28, 2010 The Loquitur 7Perspectives

Despite be-ing a small school, diversity at Cabrini Col-lege has never been much of an issue. Accord-ing to the col-lege’s website, there are 1,600 undergraduate students on-campus, many

of whom come from a variety of back-grounds and cultures. These students represent different genders, races, reli-gions and some are even international students.

Wait, international students? At Cabrini?

If you haven’t encountered any international students at Cabrini then you are probably not alone. On its website, the International Student Ex-change and Study Abroad Resource Center lists the number of internation-al students at Cabrini College at 23.

If you combine undergraduate and graduate students, those 23 interna-tional students make up fewer than 1 percent of the student population.

Another way to look at this is through class size. While Cabrini’s average class size is 17 students, it is not out of the ordinary to see classes with up to 25 students in them. Imag-ine walking past a full classroom in Founder’s Hall, knowing that inside was the entire international student population – what would you think?

The bigger question to ponder is quite simple: how would the addition of international students enrich the campus of Cabrini College?

In my opinion, there is no one solid answer to this question, but there are certainly a number of possibilities to ponder.

Cabrini College may not have the name recognition that other colleges boast, but they still put a lot of effort into bringing international students to the city of Radnor.

In addition to the detailed applica-

tion process for international students, information about the college’s Inter-national Club, run through the Stu-dent Diversity Initiatives office, can be found on Cabrini’s website. The International Club allows the interna-tional community to gather as a whole and discuss their interests and back-grounds.

I think that the enrollment for in-ternational students could potentially increase if changes were made to the current study abroad program. Once a student begins the second semester of their freshman year, the opportunity to study abroad is available, regardless of major. Time for studying abroad can range from eight to 10 days all the way up to a year.

Now, imagine if the word “ex-change” was added to the study abroad program. If 10 Cabrini students opt to study abroad for one semester, then there are 10 less students living on-campus. While those students learn about the lifestyles and cultures of other countries in a foreign setting, there are no new international students learning in our classrooms or studying in our library during that time period.

Students who study overseas in

countries like England, Greece and Italy are learning about the cultures of those countries and relaying what they learned to their peers upon their return back to America. What if an interna-tional exchange student was doing that all along during one’s trip overseas?

The benefits of having a larger inter-national student population at Cabrini would be tremendous, regardless of whether that student is here short-term or to receive a four-year degree. Meet-ing someone who lives a different life, has different hobbies and speaks a dif-ferent language can go far in terms of better understanding life outside of our country.

More international students would also mean an increase in diversity. People from different ethnic back-grounds adapting to a new lifestyle in a new country. College students could be roommates with an international student rather than simply meeting them during a trip abroad.

As much as we learn in the class-room at Cabrini, we could learn so much more just by having a larger presence of international students on campus.

nal42@cabrini.edu

Whenever you plug your hairdryer in or turn on that light you’re using energy. It doesn’t matter where that en-ergy comes from, there’s some sort of consequence. In recent years, there’s been a push for green energy but it’s impor-tant to understand that while some energy sources may be cleaner than others, someone is still feeling the effects of it.

I personally am a witness to the drama unfolding behind looking for new re-sources. My family’s cabin is in a rural part of Penn-sylvania where gas companies are searching for en-ergy sources. In fact, our 17 1/4-acre plot is being surveyed right now. The company comes in, leases the land, pays a nominal fee and then observes to see if there is potentially anything there and then if there is they will drill. So far nothing has been found on our land but miles in the distance is an energy gold-mine.

Right across from my cabin’s deck is a scenic view of upstate Pennsylvania where the green trees enliven the hills for miles on end. There’s nothing except green, not even a single cell phone tower or utility pole. It’s stunning to see a piece of nature un-scathed by human development.

According to the grassroots environmental jus-tice organization, ActionPA’s website, in 2005, Japanese developer Marubeni and Cincinatti, Ohio-based Duke Energy Generation Services came and proposed windmills be built along this thrilling stretch of scenery in Lycoming County. Naturally, the neighbors around my cabin started to protest the destruction of the scenery they’ve grown up with or moved to the area specifically for and have done so ever since.

Some might tell me that such a proposal would bring in good jobs and help America’s sustainability. I see that side of the argument and honestly if this hadn’t happened so close to what I call my second home, I probably wouldn’t have batted an eyelash but it’s here in my backyard. Everything is a threat when it’s in your backyard.

Those who push for wind power may also point out that windmills impact the community less nega-tively than say a nuclear power plant or coal power plant but asthetically, windmills are equally as dis-pleasing as a nuclear power plant's monstrosity of a cooling tower or a coal plant's smoke stack. While a wind-powered turbine may not have as many nega-tive effects as a nuclear power plant or coal plant, the point is that it is not a miracle power source. A wind-powered turbine may not be as much of a risk to a meltdown or terrorist attack or releasing danger-ous toxins but it has effects on the local communities that it is placed in, no matter how big or small. Ev-erything has a consequence, it's just a matter of what we personally consider a consequence.

For example, I may not fear nuclear meltdowns so I may fight for nuclear power but it's only because I don't live near one so I don't necessarily think the consequences impact me. Ultimately, those con-sequences affect me in some form or another and clearly affect someone else.

It is very easy for me to say that energy from windmills is good and that the windmills be built somewhere else, but after arguing against them in my backyard, do I have a say in them going in some-one else’s backyard? I do believe this country needs to use less fossil fuels and wind and solar power are the way to go but how do we combat aesthetic and light pollution in the process? As we go green, we need to think these things over but most importantly, we need to think of consequences that everything, no matter how seemingly innocent, has on all of us.

ego722@cabrini.edu

Windmills: an ugly way to get clean energy

Cabrini can only gain from more international studentsBy Nick LaRosaStaff Writer

By Eion O'NeillStaff Writer

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One option for traveling abroad is to exchange families with a student in another country so an American student can experience another country while an international student is attending their school.