COMMENTARY

Festival reveals double standard in parking rules

Ian Hutchinson

While I admire and respect the efforts of those who dedicate their lives to gaining Olympic gold, I'm a tad frustrated that it is disrupting my TV viewing habits.

Saturday, I tried to tap the bliss that is Saturday Night Live reruns, but it was unfortunately pre-empted by the China vs. USA Women's Volleyball game. Monday, I tried to tune in to The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and rather than enjoying another "Headlines" segment, I got a drive-by Leno monologue and the Sydney Olympics quickly returned.

This isn't a new problem for meÑmy favorite shows have been bumped by sporting events before. Countless episodes of Star Trek, The Simpsons and other shows have been been bumped from my regular veiwing habits because of sports.

Is it necessary to bump shows people like to show something not everyone cares to watch? And how do you justify skeet shooting as a olympic event? So what if it is a test of skill? Chess is a test of skill; are you going to start handing out medals for that?

This may sound like a shallow gripe, but in reality, it is a reflection of a very real issue. Why would a sporting event get priority over a regular TV series? The answer is simple: the networks will make more money from big sporting events because advertisers will pay more for that prime-time slot.

Unfortunately, that problem is not exclusive to TV Land, it exists at Appalachian State University as well. Every time there is a football game or a High Country Festival, it seems that my coveted Stadium parking space becomes prime-time advertising space for the university.

Even if the visitors aren't paying for the parking space, it seems I have to move my car so the university can make more money. Since I live on campus and pay my own tuition, I not only find this to be inconvenient, but inconsiderate as well. After I have paid nearly $3,000 in tuition and $65 for that Stadium parking space, I am told that I must move my car.

Well, if the kids parking over at Legends donÕt have to move their cars whenever there is a show, then I shouldn't have to move my car for a football game.

That Jump, Little Children show tonight will not have the same parking priority and the cars in the Legends lot will stay.

So let's get this straight. For a football game that is free to the student body, I must move my car so the university can kiss alumni butt and make a sweet mint. However, for a Legends event, which students must pay for, the parking is not cleared for easy access. Does anyone smell a double-standard? I do.

Just like some of my favorite shows get bumped for sporting events, I am bumped from my Stadium parking space for a football game. As a senior, and a PAYING one, no less, I think this is not right. If the university is not freeing up parking spaces at Legends, then they should not force me out of my Stadium parking space when there are football games?

This is not an issue of economics or alumni donations, it is an issue of equality. I see another situaton where the almighty football gets priority over everything else.

Do they clear out the Raley lot for a recital in the Broyhill Music Center? No. If memory serves me correctly, music majors have to take countless one-credit-hour classes to even graduate. They work as hard, if not harder, than any other student to perfect their craft. I think the least the university could do is make parking easy for the people who want to see our musicians perform live.

Even many of our athletes do not get the same attention. I don't recall having to move my car for soccer or field hockey. Do they work any less?

I'd prefer that the university respect my investment in them and let me keep my parking space. However, if all student events received the same attention, maybe I wouldn't complain as much as I am now.

Our Perspective......

Family Weekend 2000: a chance to embrace ASU and each other

This weekend marks one of our favorite times of year. Beautiful blue Boone skies on fall days that make us crave football. We've had a few cool days to tempt and tease; it is football season and the cold weather is on its way. This time of year is intoxicating.

Whether you are a parent, student or alumnus, you know the feeling well. It is one best had in a place like Boone at Appalachian State University.

Family Weekend provides the perfect opportunity to enjoy the sights and feeling of this place with friends and family at a time of year that shows off the beauty of the mountains and the excitement of a new fall season.

Enjoy the Town of Boone for its unmatched hospitality. Eat at Dan'l Boone Inn and shop in the antique stores and that favorite Mast General Store as you stroll down King Street.

Be sure not to miss the football game against The Citadel. The thrill of an Appalachian victory in Kidd Brewer Stadium is reason enough to make the trip up the mountain. Our students embody all that college football fans should be.

But mostly, enjoy your students. Be proud of their accomplishments and their decision to attend Appalachian.

It is one of the best schools in the country for more than what can be seen on paper or charts. One weekend on campus and in our town will prove it.

ÔSoon enough there will be no need to wear clothes at all'

Jenny Trest

Wherever you might be reading right now, stop and look around. I am willing to bet there is a backless shirt, a spandex top, low-cut blouse or a vinyl skirt somewhere in sight.

Perhaps it is because our society was so sheltered for so long about nakedness and the human form. Perhaps we are enjoying the freedom of the new millenium by proudly strutting our stuff. Perhaps that is all that sells these days. Surely, fashion has gone out of control.

Judging by the clothes on the market, and the elaborate methods in which we prepare ourselves for viewing by the opposite sex, I say for sure that now we are all WAY oversexed.

I am a big fan of modesty, which is a far cry from conservatism. I do not appreciate being looked at as an object, so I would rather not make my assets obvious to everyone.

Someone has replaced all the reasonable, tasteful clothing, with sheer, tight material which not only doesn't cover, but graphically accentuates every shape, color, size, texture and crevice that other people donÕt necessarily want to see.

Clothes cover the bare essentials and that is all. Moreover, many of them simply have no purpose. Everything is backless, sleeveless and mid-riff baring. Necklines are falling and skirt lengths are rising. Soon enough, there will be no need to wear clothes at all.

Take summer clothing, for instance. It's hot outside in the summer, but some of the clothes I saw (or rather, the lack thereof) were outright vulgar. There seems to be no more room for those with refined, simple tastes.

The fashions available for us to wear are dictated by popular culture, which is basically popular music. Everything is acceptable, nothing is alternative, and there are very few things left to be surprising. The next time they leave the house, Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears may as well run on over to the Playboy office.

Believe it or not, MTV is telling you what to wear. Everything you see in the videos, or on the live dance club show, will be coming soon to stores near you. How about the Spring Break shows? Every year that they air is an extra pound of flesh we get to see.

The next time you go to the grocery store, take a look at the recent edition of People magazine. The story this week is about the best and worst dressed stars of the year. I'm sick of looking at a picture and seeng nothing but cleavage and skin all over the page.

Am I the only one who finds any of this shocking? Some parents don't even seem to be surprised by their 13-year-old daughters' requests for vinyl mini skirts and tube tops.

Guys, I know that you probably arenÕt complaining about this. But here's a thought: pretty soon, youÕll forget what exciting was.

Barely-there clothes are a disgrace to the wearer and an insult to the innocent passerby who happens to take a glance. Just because you feel good doesn't mean that everyone else wants to see it. It is all about self-respect and free will. Have some class and don't believe them when they tell you it's hip. Jenny Trest is a Features Beat reporter. She can be reached at: theapp@appstate.edu.