Editor’s note: the length restriction on letters has been waived.

Don’t disrespect surrogate mothers

As many college students near their final school days before the big graduation date, they often think about their futures and how their lives will continue on in the “real world.” Creating and having a family is a priority for several people; some couples prefer marrying and having children as soon as possible, while others want to wait for their careers and marriages to take off in the right direction before doing so. Either way, sometimes starting a family can be difficult due to infertility and/or health issues. Problems with producing children often lead to numerous types of medical treatment, different hormone therapies, but there is also another popular option for having a baby: hiring a surrogate mother.

Surrogate mothers in the United States are women who are hired and paid to carry the fetus for a certain family or couple. Fertility treatments are provided so that the surrogate mother is able to carry both the paying woman’s egg and the paying man’s sperm. It is also common for gay couples to hire a surrogate mother who is willing to use her own egg for the baby’s creation. In the Universal Studio film Baby Mama, which was shown on N.C. State’s campus, Amy Poehler stars as a surrogate mother and introduces the world of surrogacy’s ups and downs to the mostly unfamiliar public audience.

Although Baby Mama does briefly show how a surrogate mother is selected, it does not go into nearly enough detail with the specific processes the surrogate must take. Surrogacy is a serious process and all involved must go through a long and very particular procedure. The chosen surrogate mothers must agree to go through lengthy medical tests as well as psychological evaluations. Different states in the U.S. have different regulations of surrogates, but they are all very similar. To name a few of the requirements, the Surrogate Parenting Center of Texas states that a surrogate mother must be between the age of 21 and 35, a non-smoker, not receiving welfare, willing to attend counseling sessions, and free of all sexually transmitted diseases.

Baby Mama does not give surrogacy justice in showing how legal matters are handled either — papers are shown being signed, but that is about it. Surrogate mothers have meetings with attorneys and the intended parents to discuss what is best for all involved with regards to financial and legal decisions. The entire process for the surrogate mother is intended to make both parties feel comfortable and happy with the decisions they are making together.

With the previously mentioned faults of Baby Mama and its portrayal of surrogacy, it is fair to say that the film demonstrates the pros and cons of the practice well. The intended mother in the movie, Tina Fey, acts positively throughout the process, but she is truly saddened within because she is unable to give birth herself. Emotions and stakes are both high when something as serious as surrogacy is at hand, but it is important and necessary to realize that surrogacy is a way of expressing hope and help to those who long to have a family. Surrogate mothers often receive hurtful opinions of others about their decisions to have babies out of wedlock or for giving up something they have worked hard for. Women are privileged in the United States and have the right to perform surrogacy; surrogate mothers are helping, not hurting.

Krysta Jones,

freshman, English

Forgive and forget

It is amazing how many unforgiving people there are on this campus.  Four students made a mistake by acting rashly out of anger, and everyone has done that at some point since starting college. We all have regrets, but fortunately there is such a thing as redemption. The students responsible have admitted to what they’ve done and are ready to accept their punishment. What more can we ask? Some want these students expelled. An expulsion would keep these students from ever gong back to any college, and could ruin their future. Are we so unforgiving that we would let one mistake ruin the rest of someone’s life? If we expelled every single student who makes a single dumb decision, then we’d lose at least half of our population. We don’t expel students for drinking underage, which is against federal law. So why expel students after multiple levels of authority stated that no crime was committed? College is meant to give us educational experiences, which is why I agree with diversity education and community service being an appropriate punishment.

The problem on this campus is no one seems to care about any group to which they don’t belong. Where was the demand to expel the writers of “Crush the Gays” last year? What about the “Happy Birthday, Hitler” messages that show up every year? Unless you are willing to stand against these comments every time they are written, then you have no right to be demanding punishment for the individuals involved in the current situation.

Furthermore, the names of these students need to remain private. Should their names be released, there is no doubt that offended individuals will seek retaliation against them. Although there were violent words written, no violent action has been taken thus far, I am certain that would no longer be the case if those names became public, only because some can’t find it in them to forgive others for stupid mistakes.

Ben Mazur

senior, religious studies