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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 1, 1993)
Opinion iber 1,1993 w iicial con- court's de- n County 'ey from a luced sen- diver Katz* ?ort to the 1 Conduct idge John >rt money n. at a June judge's as- favorable versations /hen pros- nproperJy ying pros- nony dur- JSton and veek. week and lent Tues- His attor- id not im- message espond to wers, the or recom- h dnesday, September 1,1993 The Battalion Page 13 The Battalion Editorial Board i v % j \ CHRIS WHITLEY, editor in chief ” r Hill PHILLIPS, managing editor MARK EVANS, city editor THOMAS, night news editor ANAS BEN-MUSA, Aggielife editor iflINDA BLANCARTE, night news editor MICHAEL PLUMER, sports editor WCK HARRISON, opinion editor WILLIAM HARRISON, sports editor KYLE BURNETT, photo editor Opinion page: to agree or not to agree Columnists work to stimulate debate, not anger readers Wir ^ (#»!!/ EDITORIALS Cable controversy KBTX, TCA both acting foolish llately, television viewers p had ringside seats for the jilecontroversy that's been Sine over the airwaves and fines. rX-TV and TCA Cable of again I '’Jn-College Station are trad- ^ ' ;accusations on television radio over who's to blame if cable company drops the lo- television station from its ca- lineup. we're tired of it. Bryan- iday com- e ministry ; in which Outreach Che identi- ' face pos- 50 million compro- k" ;e Station's affiliate, peppered its logramming | trailers be- laning the that TCA 111 drop the ;idcast sta- from its .op unless itwo come to weement. llA has re- pded with die and television ads of its • ttelling the public that the idle problem is KBTX's fault. KBTX and TCA are holding ■vision viewers hostage, tinting fingers and shouting, look what the other side is do- / tto you!'' The tele The television station has sped low in its conflict with Jcable company. KBTX is running messages across the bottom of the screen, crying out that it will be dropped from TCA unless the cable company repents. But TCA is not entirely inno cent, either. Although the cable franchise has told the public about the fee in radio and televi sion commercials, TCA neglects to mention that the fee comes to 30 cents per subscriber each month — a penny a day. If both sides truly represent community in terests — as they claim to do - KBTX and TCA should stop squabbling like schoolchild ren and come to an agreement of some sort. Instead of criticizing each other, both sides should ap ply the same scrutiny to their own operations. The cable company should attempt to remedy its limited of fering of cable channels and to improve customer service. The television station should re member its responsibility and work to keep its journalistic in tegrity instead of lowering itself to the level of cheap pandering. H owdy Ags! For those of you who remember reading my columns from the spring se mester ... I'm baaack. For those of you who are new to the Opinion page, let me welcome you and in troduce myself. 1 am the resident pinko- commie-fag (although "queer" is now the preferred term) tree hugging, whining, bleeding heart liberal who will be trying to convert you every Wednesday with a witty yet thought-provoking column. Of course, most of you believe that this description could be applied to the entire Battalion staff. Contrary to this mistaken — yet popular — belief, we here at The Battal ion are some of the most diverse individuals you may ever meet. The socio-political spec trum in our office runs from far right-wing conservatives to, well, the above description. Over the semester you will most likely read columns written by these individuals that will amuse, annoy and often irritate your finer sensibilities. But that is exactly what the Opinion page is all about: controversy .... No, no. It's about getting some exercise for those dying brain cells. The columnists for the Opinion page are not being paid to convert, manipulate or mentally screw with the average student's preconceived notions of what life entails — that's just an added bonus. We were hired because we have opinions and can write in complete sentences. . .most of the time. To the untrained eye, it may seem that as columnists, all we ever do is moan and groan about things we don't have enough courage or power to change. It may also appear that we occasionally just begin spouting off with a one-track mind about something truly agi tating to a few, but of no real concern to the average college student. In reality, however, we do have a purpose — a higher goal, if you will. The columnists for the Opin ion page are not being paid to convert, manipulate or men tally screw with the average student's preconceived no tions of what life entails — that's just an added bonus. The opinions expressed on this page are designed to inspire and challenge the reader to reach new heights of mental activity. If you find yourself discussing some topic pre sented on the Opinion page because you ei ther concur or completely disagree, then our jobs as columnists have been fulfilled. Most college students enter college with be lief systems and opinions based mainly upon the influences of their parents and friends back home. For the first time in their lives, they may be coming in contact with differing views and attitudes. College is a time for experiment ing with new ideas and trying on new points of view. College is a time for change. The typical Texas A&M student may not be inclined to agree with my opinions, but with the Opinion page, we have an adequate forum to foster discussions. Once the discus sions start, real learning and understanding can begin. With this new understanding comes the realization that people are people, not labels. Labels, similar to the ones I jokingly used before, are just oversimplifications that small- minded individuals use to categorize situa tions that they are unable to fully comprehend. It is terribly sad when readers offhanded ly lump certain columnists into inaccurate and shallow categories. Eventually, those same readers may begin to label other people as well. Individuals are whole people that can never be simplified into single-dimensional caricatures. Although opinions may superfi cially seem one-sided, columnists never are. So if you find yourself fuming over some idiotic dribble that your favorite columnist- to-hate had the audacity to put into print, take a moment to first try on their point of view. See how it feels to be in a different po sition for a while. Then if you still can't understand how anyone in the world could ever believe such a ridiculous stance, write a letter to the edi tor, and let the world know how you feel. Maybe someone out there agrees with you. John Scroggs is a senior English and philosophy major TCA KBTX Editorials appearing in The Battalion reflect the views of the editorial board. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of other Battalion staff members, the Texas A&M student body, regents, administration, /acuity or staff. Columns, guest columns and letters express the opinions of the authors. The Battalion encourages letters to the editor and will print as many as space allows. Letters must be 300 words or less and include the author's name, class, and phone number, ' ••ilillll We reserve the right to edit letters and guest columns for lehith, style, and accuracy. Contact the opinion editor for information on submitting guest columns. Address letters to: The Battalion - Mail Call 01$ Reed McPonaW Mail slop lilt Texas A&M University College Station, TK 77043 Wiy do people become brain damaged around celebrities? lie watching "The iorts Den" on the line Sports ■'annel, it hit me !t there are some tigs in life I sim- Iflon't under bid. The 30- mite program iishigh priced trtsparapherna- Jover the air. ft the help of a slit card, anyone icall in and pur- «se boxes of seball cards, autographed footballs and Si Dallas Cowboys jerseys signed by DyAikman. Anyone with a spare $300, that is. Af- : some quick calculations, much like ftg to figure out how much Mr. Bill tea year, I totaled the worth of the ' available jerseys to be $60,000. As king that each jersey costs $10 to pro- MELISSA MEGLIOLA Columnist duce and that Aikman can sign his name 200 times in an hour, I concluded that ei ther HSC has found a profitable venture or that Aikman charges $58,000 an hour to sign his name. What a business. I just don't understand why anyone would pay that for a jersey. Sure, it is sign ed by the winning quarterback of the 1993 Super Bowl. But so are at least 199 others. Owning a jersey doesn't mean that you met the quarterback, shook his hand or shared your awe of his skill on the field. The jersey simply means that you had a spare $300 and caught the television at the right time. Yet, the on-screen tally of items sold proved that people are willing to pay a premium to feel just a little closer to their sports heroes. I myself am not an autograph person. I may have a huge ego, but I have always felt that I would belittle myself to ask for another person's signature — let alone pay for it. All of this booming industry seemed silly to me until this summer when I found myself in the same hotel as David Robin son, Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan. Waiting in the lobby for Barkley to head for the elevator, I learned about the $500 fee to play golf with the Suns' star. The man standing next to me ex plained the genius of each golfer's "chari table" contribution. Many of the partici pants in these tournaments bring stacks I woke from a nap and was on my way to get some free wine and cheese when I just about walked into Michael Jordan and three security guards. of pictures, several balls and everything else they can think of to have signed on the course. After the tournament, they sell the au tographed paraphernalia and make a profit on the tax-deductible event. The process seemed odd but innocent. I was disgusted, however, to learn that some dealers pay young children to run after athletes for autographs. So, when I learned that all of the ath letes were staying on my floor, I vowed not to bother them. Everyone deserves a vacation. One morning in line for break fast in the concierge lounge, I did ask Robinson to pass me a spoon for my cere al. He picked one up off the table and handed it to me just like anyone else. I was not impressed or awestruck. Very proud of myself, I never acknowl edged that he was staying in the room across the hall from me. I even managed not to stare when Jordan was nearby pouring himself a cup of coffee. But somehow things were a little weird all weekend. Whenever I heard footsteps in the hall, I wondered whose they were. My dad continually found reasons to escape his business meetings and just wander around the hotel. One night I dreamt about the Bulls. Then Sunday it happened. I woke from a nap and was on my way to get some free wine and cheese when I just about walked into Jordan and three secu rity guards. I remember the moment exactly. I had read that Jordan can never have a real conversation with people he meets for the first time. They are usually so nervous that they speak very fast, stutter or mum ble so they can barely be heard. Careful not to do the same, I confidently said/'This is great timing. Good morning." Dumb. First, commenting on timing makes sense when telling about the sur prise meeting to someone else, but Jordan had no reason to feel lucky about running into me. Second, it hadn't been morning for over six hours. Jordan just looked at me with the most perplexed expression I have ever seen. And then it was over. I, Melissa Meglio- la, held the full attention of the greatest basketball player of all time and, like everyone else, I was a complete idiot. Maybe I should see about getting one of those Aikman jerseys. Melissa Megliola is a senior industrial engi neering major St leader bit by dog worried about rabies Saturday night, while walking in ont of the biochemistry building on fet Campus, I had a dog come up and 'lap at me. The owner was apologetic, and I was in a hurry. I didn't lecture the owner on the im portance of keeping dogs on leashes, which he had in his hand but not on his two dogs. Later, I realized that the dog had broken my skin. Now, I have the huge task of finding this dog, a German shepherd. After talk ing with a doctor, I found out I was at risk for rabies. I was hardly aware humans could get the disease. The "bite" does not have to bleed, only break the skin. Rabies is 100 per cent fatal, incurable, and you die while going insane. In the next few days, I must assure myself that the dog is vaccinated or re ceived a Rabies vaccination. You might think this is funny; I did until I found out it would cost over $300. If you think your dog "bit" me or you know who the owner is, please contact the police (case # 08935007). I only want to find out if the dog is vaccinated now. Please keep your dogs vaccinated and on a leash. Any creature that has teeth can and will bite, even if just accidentally during play. Please help. Amy O'Neal Class of '96 Fall brings football. Spirit of Aggieland Well, football season is almost here. The days are hot — so hot. Arriving on campus are approximately 30 young men — anxious to be part of what has become synonymous with success — The Fightin' Texas Aggie Football Team. They come with excitement in their eyes, knowing, not only will they be part of a winning team, they are now part of a winning family — Texas Aggies. During orientation early one morn ing, we taught and led these young men in the "Beat the Hell Outa LSU" yell. Seeing them trying so hard to get it right and show their excitement in being a new Aggie was truly inspiring. Yes, the season is almost upon us. Somewhere, far off, in a distant wind — yet to make it here — is the smell of burning wood — the burning desire. Ags, it won't be long now. That first cool breeze of Fall will blow upon us, and we'll know, we'll be back in Aggieland, and we'll know why it's so great — "The Spirit Can Ne'er Be Told." Gig 'em. Darrel Pickard Class of '85 Athletic department graduate assistant