2 | March 9, 2011

Opinion The Rambler | www.therambler.org

Texas DPS warns against spring break in Mexico

than those who don’t?
I think it is important to be
Barry Grubbs aware of the drug cartels and the
Opinion editor violence associated with them. I
bgrubbs@mail.txwes.edu just don’t see the point in govern-
ment agencies creating panic over
the issue.
I guess students who travel to
a beach in the U.S. are not taking
The Texas Department of Pub- any risk.
lic Safety issued an alert on March I will admit the risk of being shot
1 warning college students to avoid by a drug cartel decreases, but there is
travel to Mexico during spring break. danger everywhere.
This is at least the fourth such If the government wants to worry
warning in the past year. Apparently, about spring break, why not warn
the wording of the message suggested kids about the dangers of getting
with Texas by the way. It also happens
to be a very long way from Cancun,
which tends to be the epicenter of
spring break activity in Mexico.
By warning college students to
avoid Mexico altogether, the DPS
covers their bases.
It will be easier for them to say “I
told you so” the next time someone
becomes the victim of violent crime
in Mexico.
Yes, Americans have been killed
in Mexico recently, but the cases are
isolated.
I was only able to find two recent
instances of deadly violence toward
Program is a great source of infor-
mation for those traveling abroad. It
provides the latest information and
warnings for destinations all around
the world.
Of course we have to use caution
no matter where we are. You can fall
off a curb and land in the path of a
bus if you’re not careful.
The warnings may strike fear in the
hearts of some Texans but I am will-
ing to bet most college students will
make the same decisions they always
have.
A cheap flight and cheap beer on
one side of the scale might just weigh
a little more than a DPS warning on
the other side.
Thanks for looking out for me DPS,
but I will take my chances.

!
students should “avoid traveling to blind drunk and having unprotected Americans and neither was anywhere

G
Mexico during spring break, and stay sex. Honestly, there is a far greater close to the Yucatan area where spring

IN
alive.” chance of that happening than there breakers generally visit.

N
They seem to be predicting death is of cartel violence, no matter where I have been traveling to coastal
for those who do not heed the warn- you vacation.
ing. I don’t think we need DPS or any DPS Director Steven McCraw said
Mexico for 10 years for spring and
summer vacations, and never wor-
A R
agency scaring us anymore than we that worsening drug-related violence
already are. has spread from border towns to oth-
Is the DPS actually suggesting that er parts of the country, specifically to
ried about my safety. Making the
right preparations for international
travel should include registering your
W
people who vacation south of the bor- the state of Tamaulipas. trip on the Department of State web
der are somehow more likely to die That is a state that shares a border site. The Smart Traveler Enrollment

SafeSite condom initiative promotes safe sex on campus

In a country where the Cen- “SafeSite” inhabitants early in the afford-condoms” excuse. hind closed doors in Elizabeth,
ter for Disease Control and fall and spring semesters. Students at some colleges have Stella and the West Village.
Jonathan Resendez Prevention estimates that 1 If selected, the students receive even set the condoms in Hallow- Why not have a place students
Multimedia editor million people are living with a free box of 500 Trojan condoms een buckets outside their doors can go to pick up preventative
jlresendez@mail.txwes.edu HIV, 1 million condoms can and a sticker to place on their with the SafeSite sticker, provid- measures before they play?
make a difference—especially doors. ing even more anonymity. According to the American So-
among sexually active college The sticker notifies peers that I think Wesleyan, and every cial Health Association, one in
students. the room is a safe place to receive other university and college in the five people has a sexually trans-
It’s not simply the distribu- condoms and oftentimes sexual U.S. that doesn’t already have one, mitted disease. That’s about three
Here’s a new one for college stu- tion of condoms that impresses health literature. would benefit from a SafeSite pro- people per average classroom at
dents to think about daily, and me; it’s the manner in which they A SafeSite prevents shy stu- gram. Wesleyan.
especially while they gear up for do it. dents from having to awkwardly It’s no secret that college stu- Two-thirds of all STDs occur in
spring break—wear condoms. College students from across deal with store clerks, and other dents have sex. people ages 25 and under. College
I was poking around on the the country can apply to become students from using the “I-can’t- And yes, it does take place be- campuses meet that demographic.
Internet looking for topics to If Wesleyan continues to grow
write about which didn’t involve like many believe it will, an influx
parking, food or alcohol, and I of students coming straight out of
stumbled upon an ingenious or- high school is inevitable.
ganization that is truly making a Providing condoms to sexually
difference— the Great American active students is as smart as hav-
Condom Campaign, with more ing healthy options available in
information at amplifyyourvoice. the dining hall.
org. I can understand the compli-
The GACC is “a youth-led grass- cations that may come with the
roots movement [which aims] to school offering condoms, in fear
make the U.S. a sexually healthy that it may look like it’s promoting
nation.” sexual conduct.
According to its website, each But if a student applies to run
year the GACC members give out a SafeSite on campus—he or she
1 million Trojan brand condoms can definitely say they did their
on college campuses across the part to make Wesleyan a healthier
United States. campus.

Campus housing policies fall What do you think about

short on student privacy issues practicing safe sex?
If this was free in and should be my own “It helps to prevent STDs and it helps to minimize the
Eliana Mijangos housing or even personal space. risk of pregnancy.”
Sports editor sensibly priced If legal, I should be able to - Alyssa Delgado,
emmijangos@mail.txwes.edu housing, I proba- drink as I please as long as freshman, Business Management
bly would be more it is not a disturbance to my
willing to allow neighbors. “If you want to have a sexually active lifestyle, you
a resident assis- With security constantly should take safe sex into consideration”
tant to search my patrolling the hallways and - Christena Welch,
Three thousand dollars room. RAs searching rooms, resi- sophomore, Political Science
seems like a fair price for However, at a price of dents feel uncomfortable
freedom. $3,000 I could easily move even hosting a couple of so-
“If you’re going to have sex, you have to use
Paying this amount to live off campus, have more pri- ber friends for the night.
protection. Abstinence is the best.”
on campus and enjoy the vacy, have the freedom to Attending college is a way
- Kyle Fritz,
true college experience, caf- invite guests at my own con- to prepare you for a life of
junior, History
eteria food and all, may be venience, and perhaps even independence and security.
feasible. afford a pet fee. It is a time that you are al-
As a campus resident, I On top of that, some fac- lowed to make mistakes as “I think it’s irresponsible to have unsafe sex, because
find it to be a waste of my ulty are allowed to have pets long as you learn from each there are too many risks involved.”
money living in dorms in on campus. and every one of them. - Lisa Puente,
which I am searched. Although these pets are If these room checks are junior, English
To me, living on campus an exception because they absolutely necessary, per-
should be as similar to the are a part of their contracts, haps ensuring residents are “Since there are so many diseases out there right now,
real world as possible and in it would make sense to al- inside their rooms when everybody needs to wrap it up.”
the real world, room search- low pets in all of the dorms room checks occur would - Rolandra West,
es off campus are unheard if a fee is paid. help them to feel that their freshman, English
of unless it is a drug-related With regard to alcohol, possessions are not at stake
issue. this campus is dry and and that their privacy is re-
To me, searching my should be respected as one spected. “I think it is something that is a necessity. Many
room, especially my refrig- in public. This is no disregard to- people have become really lax in that regard.”
erator, is disrespecting my However, a room is a pri- ward the RAs, simply a per- - Susannah Phillips,
privacy. vate area for which I pay an sonal precaution that I feel senior, English
I pay to live on campus. extravagant amount to stay is respectful.

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
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