2 | February 16, 2011

Opinion The Rambler | www.therambler.org

Drinking on campus reduces DWI risk influence more with minors is one rule that well to verify their legal age. could also save the resident be allowed to drink.
likely. needs to enforced, but it would If the student breaks any assistants time when doing Giving legal-age students
Emma Fraette Drinking off be up to the university as to rules of the contract, they room checks. the right to drink on campus
Sports writer campus at univer- what other rules should be in should be punished. If students are 21, the RAs could keep them safer and off
ekfradette@mail.txwes.edu sity functions is place. Allowing the campus to would not have to search their the roads, not to mention it
allowed if a third A copy of that student’s driv- be wet, which means alcohol rooms so much for alcoholic might make Wesleyan a more
party licensed er’s license should be on file as can be consumed on campus, beverages because they would sociable university.
person distrib-
utes the alcohol,
A number of students at the use of the alcohol does not
Texas Wesleyan have con- violate federal or state laws,
sumed alcohol before, espe- drinking cannot be the only
cially those students who are focus, and the alcohol cannot
of drinking age. be the main advertisement.
Let’s be honest, everyone What I do not understand
knows college students drink. is how students can drink off
It may not be every week, campus at a university func-
but it does happen, and not tion as long as the rules above
allowing students that are of are followed, but when it comes
drinking age to consume on to drinking in their rooms on
campus is not fair. campus, which would not re-
According to the Wesleyan quire them to drive anywhere,
student handbook, drinking they are not allowed.
on campus is prohibited ex- When students who are of
cept in situations and in loca- legal age are filling out housing
tions authorized by the univer- applications, there could be an
sity president. alcohol use agreement, which
It seems that by preventing states they can consume alco-
on-campus drinking, the uni- hol in their living quarters as
versity is forcing students to long as certain provisions are
drink elsewhere which makes followed.
the risk of driving under the Obviously drinking alcohol

Helping shelter residents requires courage, compassion

had left in the car, day in February when I vis- time were just like us, work-
with no valuables ited a homeless shelter. At ing and living a decent life.
Rachel Peel showing at all. I the moment I came face to When I was at the shelter I
Staff writer opened the car face with my fear, I knew in met an amazing young boy,
rlpeel@mail.txwes.edu door and stepped my heart that I was doing the named Hunter, and he lives
out into the cold. right thing, and I could make at the shelter with his dad,
I looked up, and a difference in someone else’s Edgar.
there on the steps life. He likes Pokémon, play-
Stepping out of your com- I was faced with my fear, a It took less than 30 minutes ing cards with his father, and
fort zone can be scary and homeless woman shivering out of my day to do some- had a smile that could light
rewarding at the same time. in the cold. thing meaningful for some- up a room. When I saw him
As I drove my car to a local I walked up the stairs, one else. I couldn’t help but brush the
Salvation Army recently, I watching out for the ice that As a college student we tears away from my eyes.
admit I was feeling nervous hadn’t melted all the way, I say “I have too much home- He didn’t choose to have
and afraid. passed the woman, and she work, maybe another day.” this life and yet he is still
Once I arrived it took some didn’t pay any attention to “Not today I have to study smiling and not complaining
courage to follow through me as I went on my way. for a test, maybe tomorrow.” about anything. He does not
with my plans. I was sent to As I entered the building, I Tomorrow turns into days, have any choice. It was the
take photos for a Rambler was greeted with a warm face days turn into months, and street or a shelter, that’s it.
story we were working on, so and a smile and I knew then months into years, and still Some people won’t read
I didn’t really have a choice that I would be safe. we are too busy to donate this, and that’s fine with me,
whether I wanted to go or I have always wanted to some clothes or work in a but imagine if he was your
not. It was a mission that make a difference in some- kitchen for one night to feed child, or brother that had
needed to be completed. one’s life but never really had one warm meal to our neigh- no place to go, wouldn’t you
I made sure all my be- the guts to journey past my bors who are suffering. want him to have a warm Rachel Peel | Rambler Staff
longings where hidden un- comfort zone and take in the We don’t often realize that blanket, warm clothes and Eight-year old Hunter plays cards with his father Edgar at the
derneath a sweatshirt that I surroundings until that cold some of these people at one dry shoes? I know I would. Salvation Army shelter at 1355 E. Lancaster Ave. in Fort Worth.

Democracy emerges in Middle East What do you think about students’

still working to es- cents that would ever happen use of alcohol on campus?
tablish democracy in my lifetime.
Barry Grubbs in places like Af- What we should take away
Opinion editor ghanistan and Iraq. from these remarkable events “Not allowing it on campus only encourages drinking
bgrubbs@mail.txwes.edu That process has is that peace was born out of and driving.”
been an uphill strug- peace. - Suzanne Fordering, junior,
gle for more than In case you haven’t been Theatre, psychology
seven years. When following the saga for the last
I compare these two few weeks, you might be inter-
What a week it’s been in the cases, I see very quickly that ested to learn that the Egyptian “I think alcohol should be allowed on campus because
Middle East. Hosni Mubarak the approach taken in Tunisia military aligned itself with the it would encourage people not to go off campus. ”
was unceremoniously chased and Egypt was more success- Mubarak opposition through - Rachel Benham, sophomore,
out of office after three decades ful, and less costly in terms of most of the campaign to oust theatre
in power. lives lost for one reason. him. This was a key to the suc-
This historic event followed The move toward democracy cess of the opposition’s efforts. “Students that live on campus have it in their dorms
close behind a similar revolu- was born in the hearts of the Sure, some people lost their anyway, so it doesn’t really matter.”
tion in Tunisia just weeks ago. people instead of airdropped by lives in this struggle to create a - Rebecca Moore, junior,
I have to pinch myself some- some foreign military power. free society. Many more would English
times because I never believed If these countries are suc- have been lost in violence.
democracy was possible in this cessful in their quests to estab- The people won because
“I just think it would be better if they left it the way
region of the world. lish democratic systems, it will they were united for their
it is.”
The most surprising thing is be a natural and healthy transi- cause, they were determined to
- Gladys Childs,
that the citizens of these coun- tion that serves the people who succeed, and they came forth
professor of philosophy/religion
tries are calling for democracy, fought to make it real. in great numbers to be heard.
rather than having some West- If there is a lesson in all of I believe that other Arab
ern democratic agenda forced this turmoil, I think it must be countries that suffer under “I’ve seen worse things done on campuses, especially
down their throats. that freedom and democracy similar autocratic systems of in dorms.”
It only took 18 days for the cannot be installed on a people government will be tempted to - Daniel Martinez-Torrez, senior,
young idealistic Egyptian pro- for their own good. test the same tactics in search Psychology/religion
testors to secure victory. The historic events we are of social justice.
I should point out that it was observing in the Middle East I for one, applaud the brave “I think it should be allowed because if you can han-
a victory made from peaceful will, if they succeed, bring sta- and victorious people of Tuni- dle your stuff, you can handle your stuff.”
demonstrations, not violence. bility and improved relations sia and Egypt. - Kody Thiebaud, senior,
The last time I checked, the between the Arab world and Hey Saudi Arabia, Yemen exercise science
American government was Israel. I might not have bet five and Syria; it’s your turn.

The Rambler
Shauna Banks, editor-in-chief
Barry Grubbs, opinion editor
Eliana Mijangos, sports editor
Meisa Keivani Najafabadi, photo editor
Stephanie Mejia arts & entertainment editor
Jonathan Resendez, multimedia editor
Erica Estrada, graphic designer/cartoonist
Wendy Moore, faculty adviser
Dr. Kay Colley, faculty liaison
Member of the Texas Inter-
“We are not afraid to follow the truth ...
collegiate Press Association,
wherever it may lead.”
Associated Collegiate Press,
— Thomas Jefferson
Student Press Law Center,
Address all correspondence to: College Media Advisers and
College Newspaper Business
Texas Wesleyan University
and Advertising Managers.
The Rambler
1201 Wesleyan St.
Opinions expressed in The
Fort Worth, TX 76105 Rambler are those of the indi-
twurambler@yahoo.com
vidual authors only and do not
(817) 531-7552 necessarily reflect the views of
Advertising Inquiries:
the Texas Wesleyan community
(817) 531-6525 as a whole.
R ambler Contribution
Please send all news briefs to
twurambler@yahoo.com. Sub-
missions due by noon Friday
to see brief in the following
week’s issue.
Letters to the editor: The
Rambler, a weekly publication,
welcomes all letters. All submis-
sions must have a full printed
name, phone number and sig-
nature. While every consider-
ation is made to publish letters,
publication is limited by time
and space.
The editors reserve the right to
edit all submissions for space,
grammar, clarity and style.
Letters to the editor may be
subject to response from editors
and students on the opinion
page.