Still PUTTIN DA TEAM ON HIS BACK!

For all you Tim Tebow haters I hope his recent streak of victories have made believers out of you. Tebow has revamped the dead Denver Broncos and they are currently in the hunt for the division Title. Yes, his methods are unconventional. He is not putting up big passing numbers like Brady or Brees, but at the end of the day he is putting a W in the Win column and that is what professionals get paid to do. Can he run the table it is unlikely, but I am a believer. For a modern day professed Christian athlete he has received a lot of attention and some have even poked fun at his faith at times. Thru all the adversity he has remained humble, kept his mouth shut, gone out on the field and flat out won games. If you still dont believe in the Tebow magic you are entitled to your own opinion. All I have to say is that although he is not even a top 10 QB in the league, he is a top winner and I look forward to continued success from Tebow.
In the words of DJ Khaled "JUST WIN BABY WIN" and thats all Tebow is doing.

Who Will Feast in the NFC EAST?

As the playoff picture is beginning to shape up, one division that continues to be an enigma is the NFC East.  The Giants and Cowboys are tied atop the division at 6-4. No team has managed to remain consistent, as the soaring Giants lost their past 2 games after a long win streak. Also the Cowboys are on a 3 game win-streak despite their early season struggles. The dream team that was the Eagles are mathematically alive, but their playoff hopes are basically over. As for the Redskins they have lost many a close game most recently an overtime loss to the Cowboys on Sunday.  Analysts are split on whether the Giants or the Cowboys will be the eventual winner. I believe the Cowboys have he easier schedule in terms of remaining opponents, but the Giants are the better team. Currently no term in this league has lived up to expectation, but the one team out of the two (maybe 3) teams that have the possibility of the playoff will probably be a non factor in the playoffs. In the playoffs there are no second chances, and mistakes and inconsistencies that these NFC East teams are showing will have them sent home very quickly. My Final Prediction: The Giants will find a way to be the team at the top at the seasons end. Bold, but Ill keep you up to date.

Venezuelans used intelligence operation to find missing catcher

About a week ago I heard the story that MLB catcher Wilson Ramos had been kidnapped in his hometown of Venezuela, and as I was viewing CNN I came across this story. According to authorities
"Ramos was rescued Friday night after a shootout between his suspected captors and rescuers in the mountainous region of Montalban, about 60 miles from the north central Venezuelan city where he was last seen."  
I was relieved to see that he had been found with no harm done to him. This story made me think about the role of stars in America and their relationship to their native countries. Especially in baseball where there are many players of Latin American descent, these players are not only heroes in their native land but are also the targets of gangsters and others seeking money.
Naturally Ramos was thankful to those who were involved in his rescue.

Butt Grab is Immoral??

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2011/11/02/pkg-moos-iran-immoral-butt-grab.cnn

While on CNN I came across this video in which 2 players on an Iranian soccer team were fined for a celebratory butt grab. After one player scored a goal one of his teammates gave him a playful butt-squeeze. The second incident occurred in a pile after another goal. Iranian soccer officials deemed the actions immoral and banned both players indefinitely. Both players were also fined the US equivalent of $40,000. Members of the Iranian Parliament chimed in and called the act gross and immoral. As someone who has played on a sports team, the occasionally butt tap can be a very friendly and encouraging gesture. Even if its an opponent that you have knocked down, you pick them up give em a little tap and back to the game.  Clearly Iranian culture and Western culture are on different wavelengths when it comes to issues of homosexuality and male interaction, but this news is absurd and a bit upsetting. Maybe if I was raised in an Iranian culture or household I would be disgusted by the act as well, but since that is not the case I think the players should appeal their bans and fines and use this as a way to promote some tolerance in Iran.

Are we there yet? No.... we are about Halfway

As we approach Week 9 of the NFL season, we have witnessed some significant changes in the league that very few people could predict. After the lockout, the rules imposed such as moving up the kickoff and other player safety rules have not disrupted the game too much, besides the occasional hit that makes you wonder if the refs are being a tad bit too cautious.
We have seen the once might Colts be completely dismantled and without a win all season. The Detriot Lions who were a gross scab in the NFL are now a dominant force to be reckoned with and have the potential to make the playoffs. Teams like San Francisco, the Redskins, the Bills and the Raiders (teams who usually underachieve) are all in the hunt. It seems as if this season any team can surprise you on any given week, and as a fan of the game it has made every matchup exciting to watch. If I had to make a mid season Superbowl matchup prediction, I would go Packers vs Patriots. As a Pats fan that pick is a bit out of optimism, but I believe Brady can get it done. As for the Packers, they are the only undefeated team in football and look like they will score every time they have the ball. Their D is stellar and as the reigning champs their confidence must be sky high.
I look forward to the crazy developments in the next 8 weeks of the season!

Less Fratty?

After our discussion in class about the possible social changes that might take place at Trinity, I was very interested in reading the Presidents paper. Naturally I skimmed to the part I cared about most, the social life. Let me preface this by saying that personally I think Trinity is a school in which the students know how to have a good time and that is why many other people from other schools come here on weekends (even Thursdays). What I got from reading the social aspect part of the paper was that it seemed as if the president and faculty want to get rid of frats and replace them with "cultural houses", however the definition of a cultural house was not exactly clear. The president referred to the Mill and the Fred as an example of some of the positive social life, and seemed to find the prevailing frat culture as a sort of a negative tool. Personally I enjoy and look forward to going to frats on the weekends. Although there is a negative stigma attached to the word frat, I believe this not completely accurate. Now Im not going to deny that sometimes some of the actions that go down are questionable, but I don't think moving the party to a cultural house would make it any better. Also since we want to keep all students interested, if you are not a frat person maybe we should focus on expanding the other social outlets instead of replacing one that more than half of the campus enjoys. Im interested to see how this plays out over the coming years and hope that the administration doesn't rush to an inaccurate conclusion

4 minute Presentation

http://www.nfl.com/videos/the-shame-report/09000d5d82341ca2/The-Shame-Report-Week-6?module=HP11_content_stream

This video is clearly meant to target more of the male football watching population. Initially the added cameo of supermodel Brooklyn Decker is an instant attraction, add that to football and you will get some hits. Although Miss Decker was in for literally 3 seconds it was a good strategy to lure me in. The information is presented in a different way than your standard ESPN or Internet sports video. It has more of a humorous flair and as the message is the shame report it is poking fun at others misfortunes, which always gets a good laugh and keeps people interested. The sound effects, (the banners and fighting sound) the highlights, clips of other coaches and voice overs all meant to make this unique

The way this is presented is clearly meant more for entertainment than lets say how a newspaper or a clip of bad NFL plays on CNN would approach this. For example compare the first 20 seconds of this piece to how Sports center begins they are very different yet both want to share a sports story with you.

True Enough Draft

From Farhood’s analysis it is clear that humans in this modern era believe whatever is in-line with their preexisting views.  Naturally we are drawn to things that click with what we like. This is how we make friends and choose what activities we participate in etc. Because modern mass media is so vast there are many sources from which we can choose our information.  What Manjoo highlights is the fact that America is growing apart and becoming more partisan. People are sticking to sources that tend to approve of their views. Due to the large array of media that people view daily, whether it is the TV, internet, radio people feel as if whatever they hear that opposes their view, whether consciously or not is false, so thus they stick to the media sources that support them

A great thinker JS Mills once wrote in his book On Liberty  “To an ordinary man, however, his own preference, thus supported, is not only a perfectly satisfactory reason but the only one he generally has for any of his notions of morality, taste, or propriety.” This was evident in the tests that were conducted involving static and the other test involving what sources of news certain people rely on. We all have unconscious biases, and they manifest themselves in different ways. As Farhood demonstrated in the Dartmouth game we tend to see, whether in actuality it is there or not, what we would like to see.

A Device Called Fear

The themes in 1984 will always be valuable to humans as they pertain to different aspects of human nature. In this book, Orwell explores lust, fear, power, language (in the public sphere!), history and other themes that are relevant in today’s society. Throughout the novel, I was hoping that the Brotherhood or another source of resistance would arise, and that Big Brother would be destroyed; however this never came to fruition. The masses never revolt or inquire as to why most of what Big Brother said didn’t make sense, and the main reason for their acceptance of the lies they were told is their fear of punishment. Fear makes humans do irrational things, and limits our ability to reason and to fulfill our potential. In 1984, George Orwell tries to tell the reader that in life fear is an emotion that dominates all others, and is a tool of manipulation and power.

The reason for Big Brother’s total control is the use of fear to manipulate. In a society where everyone does not want to be punished for insolence, the rulers can enjoy sovereignty while brutally suppressing any opposition. The public executions and displays of Hate are a clever way to remind the citizens of their possible fate if they do not submit to Big Brother. Winston believes that there are many like him who sometimes question the Party, but their emotions of confusion and worry are clouded with the emotion of fear thus keeping them silent. Winston’s early belief in O’Brien and the Brotherhood attests to his understanding of a probable form of resistance. Earlier in the novel, Winston thinks of O’Brien as “the commander of a vast shadowy army, an underground network of conspirators dedicated to the overthrow of the state”(14). He hangs on to this hope because he wants to have a sense of his identity, but in his day to day he goes about his work quietly for fear of not drawing unwanted attention.

Fear and power go hand in hand. The great Italian philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli once said, “It is far safer to be feared than to be loved.” The party realized that suppressing all other emotions and replacing them with fear would foster obedience. After Winston is captured and is going through his punishment and eventual transformation, O’Brien tells Winston,

“"Never again will you be capable of ordinary human feeling. Everything will be dead inside you. Never again will you be capable of love, or friendship, or joy of living, or laughter, or curiosity, or courage, or integrity. You will be hollow. We shall squeeze you empty and then we shall fill you with ourselves" (265).

 Winston is only able to become what the party wants him to be after he enters Room 101 and cannot face his fear, and thus denies his identity, giving the party the authority to mold him into whatever they see fit.

Everyone has fears, and they affect our interactions to varying degrees. In the case of Winston, he is never able to overcome his greatest fear and in the last line of the novel while at the Ministry of Love, he submits to the will of Big Brother. “But it was all right, everything was all right, the struggle was finished. He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother” (308). He denies himself and his love for Julia in Room 101 because of his human desire to not want to suffer through pain and fear. The ability of fear to completely change the thought process of someone is frightening. I’m sure everyone has his or her “Room 101”, yet at what point is facing that fear better than becoming a mindless pawn? The truth is there is no universal answer, but Orwell shows that we are all slaves to our fears.

Fear is an intrinsic characteristic in American society. We listen to those in positions of authority; teachers, parents, police, government, for fear of not being punished. We choose to drive instead of fly for fear of heights. From a young age we are taught to fear and respect those in power, whether in actuality they deserve it or not. Winston knew that there was something wrong with the Party, however his fear of being vaporized would not allow him to openly defy the Party even though in his diary he writes “Down with Big Brother” (19).

 Orwell is reminding us that human nature is inherently weak and flawed. To prove his point, he describes a society in which there is no courage or initiative from the masses. He shows us that it is in our nature to desire contentment over all other things. Despite what people say, their self interest and their comfort almost always comes first. It is what has plagued civilizations for centuries, until someone made a sacrifice that promotes change. Think of the billions of people that inhabited the world during the times of slavery and other atrocities. They were okay with the status quo because they did not want to inconvenience themselves for the benefit of others. Those who did make that effort and suffer extreme pain and hardships are the ones that history remembers. Dictators and all other great rulers all employed fear in order to achieve greatness. Orwell alludes to the fact that as long as a person or persons can instill fear, they will have power, and once fear is in control there is little room for any other emotions.

Its Tebow Time!

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/7087660/tim-tebow-replaces-kyle-orton-denver-broncos-starting-quarterback-john-fox-says

The struggling (1-4) Broncos made it official today that Tim Tebow would be the starter for their Monday night match-up against the Miami Dolphins. QB Kyle Orton originally had the job, but after a dismal start, he was replaced by Tebow at halftime in Sunday's game. Even though Tebow didn't get the W, he showed great promise and a good grasp of the offense. When asked why he is making the switch now Fox said

"Well, I think 1-4 has a lot to do with it," Fox said. "We haven't gotten it done as a football team. It's not one guy. It's not all Kyle Orton's fault. But we do have to make adjustments, we have to change and we have to do something to win football games."

The fans also seem to be behind Tebow as many have been waiting for the former Florida star to prove himself in the NFL.  As the Broncos trudged off the field, the stadium shook with a thunderous roar of "Tebow! Tebow! Tebow!"

When Tebow was drafted, many analysts said that he could not play QB in the NFL, and he definitely has a chip on his shoulder. Watching Tebow from Florida till today, I believe that he has the ability to lead the Broncos in the right direction. Football is not a one man game, the defense and offense have to work together to get a win. There are many who will expect instant success, but that might not be the case. I'm curious to see the outcome of the Broncos Monday Night showdown vs the Dolphins.

People are Fed up with Big Banks

http://money.cnn.com/2011/10/11/pf/bank_fees_switch/index.htm?iid=HP_LN

It seems as if recent increases in back fees are causing people to change from the major banks to more small business banks. Banks that received a lot of scrutiny included Bank of America, Citigroup, and Chase Bank

"Prime targets: Banks of America, which slapped a $5 monthly fee on debit cards, and Citigroup (C,Fortune 500), which will start charging $20 a month for some checking customers who don't maintain a $15,000 balance on their combined accounts."I dropped Bank of America like a hot potato," said Tim O'Brien a partner in a Seattle-based television advertising agency. "I felt like I was getting nickel and dimed." 

Many bank customers feel as if these big banks are taking advantage of them and they have had enough. A man who took his business to a small business bank said of it."They rolled out the red carpet for us," O'Brien said. "The difference really is amazing." 

The banks defend these increases because they are dealing with a new cap on the fees they can charge retailers when customers swipe their debit cards. 

"While banks used to charge an average fee of 44 cents, now the maximum is 21 cents. They are looking for a way to make up the difference. Smaller banks -- those with less than $10 billion in assets -- are exempt from the new regulation. No matter the reason -- there isn't a lot of sympathy for banks."

As someone who was considering opening up a Bank of America account I think I might have to think twice about this. I barely have money as it is, and at this stage every dollar counts. Unortunately small business banks dont have many ATM's in the area, so as of now it seems that i may have to be at the mercy of a Big Bank.

True Enough Reflection

I can already tell that I am going to enjoy this book. Unlike its predecessor 1984, this book seems normal from the start. The author has presented the case of how one group essentially destroyed John Kerry's chance for becoming president through utilizing the media as a destructive tool. I followed that election relatively closely, and had heard that John Kerry's military record was in question, but I had no idea that there was a single force behind it that was trying to destroy him. The book is an enjoyable read thus far and I'm very interested to see how it progresses. This book reminded me that our nations politics is still severely flawed. Politics is a dirty game, and it is shameful when the truth gets twisted for personal gain. This book seems to be more of a research book than one with a defined plot, but the ideas are still very interesting and relevant to our modern politics.

Digital Bullying, A Thin Line Between Harmless and Harmful

http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/27/tech/web/online-bullying-poll/index.html?hpt=us_t4- READ THIS

As I was casually strolling the CNN website I cam across this article that I feel is very relevant to our age group. To summarize the articles says that more than half of teens and young adults have been harassed online.

"That's up from 50 percent in a similar 2009 survey.Some of the most common forms of harassment include posting something online that's not true, writing things online that are "mean" and sharing texts or other messages that were meant to stay private, according to the results."


1 out of every 3 students also said they had partaken in the act of "sexting" which is basically sending and receiving lewd texts and possibly nude images. Personally I dont see the issue of sexting as harmful as that of online bullying but it is a growing issue that a lot of parents are worried about.


MTV has started a campaign called "A Thin Line" to help address the issues of online bullying. They explain the campaign as one that " is built on the understanding that there's a 'thin line' between what may begin as a harmless joke and something that could end up having a serious impact on you or someone else," MTV writes on the campaign's website. "We know no generation has ever had to deal with this, so we want to partner with you to help figure it out." 


As someone who had suffered minor bullying in my middle school days I know what it feels like to be targeted online. It is a very hurtful feeling and one that can destroy ones confidence and self-esteem. Everyone handles bullying differently and we need to wake up and realize that sometimes a joke might be more than just a joke to someone else.

Change in Power?

The New England Patriots domination of the Buffalo Bills ended today as the Bills mounted a 21 point comeback to defeat the Patriots 34-31 on earlier today in Buffalo. Tom Brady threw an uncharacteristic four interceptions! in the loss. Coming into this contest both teams were undefeated and this win for Buffalo might be very important later in the season. Teams that were perennial losers, such as the Bills, the Redskins, the Lions seem to have a new level of swagger in the early part of the season. Is this just early luck or are these teams for real. Only time will tell, but so far these teams are shaking up the power structure of the NFL.

1984 Paper

Is Big Brother Still Watching?

At the conclusion of 1984 I am very pleased that I took the time to actually read the whole book, instead of just skimming it like I sometimes do. The themes in this book will always be valuable to humans as they pertain to different aspects of the human nature. In this book Orwell explores, lust, fear, power, language (in the public sphere!), history and other relevant themes to today’s society. There were many moments in the book when my jaw dropped in awe of the society portrayed, especially the moments when the “child heroes” would turn someone in for being different or when people would suddenly disappear and have their records “vaporized.” As the plot progressed the book became very hard to put down at times. Throughout the novel I was hoping that the Brotherhood or some form of resistance would arise, and that Big Brother would be destroyed; however this never came to fruition. The masses never revolted or inquired about why most of what Big Brother said didn’t make sense, and the main reason for their accepting whatever they were told is fear. Fear makes humans do irrational things. Fear limits our ability to reason and to fulfill our potential. Another component that comes out of fear is that of brainwashing. Ingsoc and Big Brother worked together to first place fear in the masses then systematically brainwash them till they could not think for themselves.

The people’s submission to Big Brother for fear of being killed or tortured made me take a look at how fear affects daily life. Everyone has fears and it affects all their interactions to varying degrees.  In the case of Winston he was never able to overcome his greatest fear and in the end he submits to the will of Big Brother.

“But it was all right, everything was all right, the struggle was finished. He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother.” (308)

The ability of fear to completely change the thought process of someone is one that scares me. I have some fears that if I was faced to deal with immediately I would probably submit to whatever was being asked, and I’m sure everyone has their “Room 101”, yet at what point is facing that fear better than becoming a mindless pawn? The truth is there is no universal answer, and I am glad and hope I will never have to live in a society like that of 1984.

Some other themes that I think our class should pay special attention to, are language and technology. As our seminar is all about language it was interesting to explore a world in which the ability to express oneself would be severely limited. The systematic destruction of language would not only diminish the ability of people to grow intellectually, but it would destroy the potential of future generations. The next theme that is very relevant to not only our class but to modern society is the use of technology. The world of 1984 in which telescreens and microphones are strategically placed to monitor the masses is not far fetched. We have street cameras on basically every street, we can have our phone calls monitored by the government, and the Internet is never completely private or confidential as everything can be hacked into. Although there are some parallels I don’t think we have too much to worry about; at least for now.

To conclude, 1984 was a pleasant surprise and reading it was a lot more enjoyable than I thought. I had many laughs at the awkward moments and cringed at some parts. The variety of themes and questions that arise from this book could be discussed for pages on end. I believe the reason that this book is still so widely acclaimed is not only because it is entertaining as a story, but because it is a book that analyzes human nature, emotion and intellect, and that is what makes it appealing and a classic. 

NFL Week 1 News

The opening week of the NFL contained many exciting storylines. Some teams seem to have risen to prominence, others seem to have lost some steam, and some capable rookies are looking to make an impact for their team this year. In terms of disciplinary action against players the only event in which the NFL took action was in fining Green Bay Corner back Charles Woodson for a punch he threw in the third quarter against Tight End David Thomas of the Saints in the season opener. According to the new NFL rules Woodson should have been immediately ejected, but luckily for him he only received a standard 15-yard penalty. Woodson said after the game

“Yeah, I threw a punch," he said. "Just got frustrated, the guy was holding me a little longer than I wanted. Nothing was said about it, referee-wise; quick enough, and I reacted. It is what it is, I guess."

As Woodson expected the NFL dished out a fine of 10,000 dollars for his disorderly conduct. Woodson also stated that after the incident he expected the fine. The commissioner has these fines in place so that the athletes will remember that the media and adoring fans of all ages watch their conduct on and off the field. Incidents happen, players sometimes lose their temper in the heat of the battle, but the NFL wants to maintain a positive image so next time a player gets frustrated hopefully the threat of a fine will help keep their emotions in check.

Another issue in the NFL was concern over the moving of the kickoff from the 30-yard line up to the 35-yard line, and if that would take away the effectiveness of the kickoff in the game plan. Although there were many more touchbacks than at this point last season, there were still many exciting kickoff returns and even some touchdowns. I’m curious to see how that rule affects the outcome of games as the season progresses.

1984 Section 1 Reflection

Initially I was skeptical about  if I would enjoy this book but after reading the first 10 pages or so I quickly became less worried. From the first section I have seen that knowledge is power and freedom is essential to keep us from becoming mindless and ignorant. The whole backward society with Big Brother ruling and everyone looking to catch someone being dishonest to the party is not unlike the times of Hitler and Mao. In those regimes people were made to believe that the men and party in power were always right and anyone who questioned them had to be "vaporized."  Although I have discovered many interesting themes in the first section the one that I think is most relevant to our class is that of the power of language. On Pages 53-54 Syme says 


"Dont you see that the whole aim of Newspeak is to narrow the range of thought? In the end we shall make thought crime literally impossible, because there will be no words  in which to express it. Every concept that can ever be needed will be expressed by exactly one word, with its meaning rigidly defined and all its subsidiary meanings rubbed out and forgotten." 


The importance of language to express oneself, to motivate, to destroy, etc have been paramount in the world history. Although many of the other measures that Big Brother uses to control the populace are terrible, the destruction of language would be the most disruptive in the long-run. If people have no way of expressing themselves then they will remain aloof and ignorant to the fact that they are exploited, as is the case with the proles. Im looking forward to how the plot develops and what other themes and ideas we will discuss.

The NFL

As a sports ambassador the sport I will choose to focus on is the NFL, specifically the ongoing debate about player safety and how the new rules of the collective bargaining agreement will affect the play of this season. As the season progresses I will not only discuss scores of exciting games, but their implications for the League. I will also discuss any on-field and off related fines and player relationships with the commissioner.

I will follow espn on Tv and on the net. I will also follow NFL.com and also various sports analysts.

4. Given Farmer's extreme empathy, can a normal individual replicate what he did? 


I believe that a "normal" individual posses the ability to replicate what he did, however very few people are willing to sacrifice in the way that Paul did. Paul sacrifices time with his friends and family in the States to travel to some of the worlds poorest areas to give free medical care. As a Duke and Harvard grad Paul could have made a lot of money working as a doctor in the States however he felt as if his talents were much needed elsewhere. On page 23 of "Mountains Beyond Mountains" Paul's bookkeeper says  "Honey, you are the hardest workin' broke man I know." All of Paul's colleagues and co-workers realize that his dedication to helping the poor goes above and beyond what is required. Farmer's experiences growing up and at Duke shaped his desire to help the poor in third world countries, especially Haiti. Is it possible for another person to feel the exact same way that Farmer felt about helping the poor? Yes it is possible, but the difficulties lie in how much one is willing to sacrifice to help others while reaping basically no luxuries or monetary benefits. I think a passage on pg 244 answers this question very appropriately, it states,


"Paul is a model of what should be done. He's not a model for how it has to be done. Let's celebrate him. Let's make sure people are inspired by him. But we cant say anybody should or could be just like him. Because if the poor have to wait for a lot of people like Paul to come along before they get good health care, they are totally fucked." 


Like Tracy Kidder stated in his talk Farmer was a family man, a regular joe even. Its just that his desire to help others surpassed his selfishness. So in my opinion, I believe everyone, if they can dig deep enough, possess the ability to do what he did.

After Class, Skimpy Equality (NY Times Article)

This article is one that is very relevant to all college students today. Both sides of the arguement hold merit, but my view is you are the only one who can let someone have power over you. If you are a female and you feel that the men are degrading women and rating them all in the name of fun, then dont go to the parties they throw because you will most likely not feel comfortable. One of the many things I found interesting was the fact that despite the email sent by the Duke frat throwing the party, many girls still went and showed up as asked to. In that instance no one is to blame but the girls. I dont think its fair to say that men are "in charge" just because they are the one's throwing the parties and social events. One interesting view is that of the male student who stated

"On the other hand, he asked, isn’t that a kind of female power? “A guy is more or less dependent on the women receiving his advances so if she is not interested, then tough luck for him,” Mr. Griffin said. “I think that in a way the girls relish that power. They can pick and say, ‘I’m not interested in that guy.’ ” 


I believe that statement is very accurate, everyone (boy or girl) wants to feel as if they are important or wield some power. Although the men ususally throw the events, the truth is they are not throwing parties to hang out wth other dudes and "chill"; they are looking to "fraternize" with women, and the women do wield the power because if they choose to reject the males advances there is nothing he can do about it except walk away in shame. Both sides share the blame, no one seems to complain until someone gets offended. I bet you if the Duke frat brothers had sent out the email without such lewd descriptions the girls still would have dressed that way. In short, college students have just accepted the reality of what todays college social life is. Is it good? Is it bad? who knows? but like I said earlier, only you can allow yourself to be degraded.