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Opinion
5B
Thursday, March 7, 2002
EDITORIAL
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The Faculty Senate Academic Affairs Committee on Monday
reviewed the current grading policy for students who retake courses.
Tpe present rules allow for a student who received a C or lower in a
class to repeat it and have the two grades averaged on their official
University transcript. The new proposal would amend that to allow for
grade forgiveness, where a student could retake up to three courses
and reveive credit for the higher grade.
■ Q-drops, however, would be eliminated. That is unacceptable.
There should be no connection made between two completely differ
ent policies. Students should be allowed to keep their three Q-drops
and should also push for the new grade replacement policy.
■ The Faculty Senate’s recent review of a proposal to allow students
to retake a course and replace the old grade with a new one has right
fully been met great approval from students. It is crucial that the
administration pay attention when students and faculty come to such
an agreement and call for a long overdue, and necessary, change.
I This is not a chance for students to get away with bad grades. There
are limits to prevent abuse of the new system. It would be a second
opportunity for students who understand their mistakes and make
tfic effort for more success in class the second time. The students
pnderstandably favor an opportunity to rid their transcripts of a par-
fcular blemish. It is understood among Aggies that good grades are
ibne factor in a successful job or graduate school search. A couple of
mistakes in picking a class, however, are inevitable.
Administrators likely realize that when the Faculty Senate provides
support for a change in policy, with many students in agreement, it is
a good indication of a necessary change. Unfortunately, the Faculty
Senate is insisting on connecting two completely separate policies.
Why can’t each be debated and considered on their own merit?
Perhaps the underlying motivation is a desire to get rid of Q-drops
altogether. If this is the case, then say so and begin a debate.
Likewise, it is imperative that Aggies make their voice heard on this
matter. From a students perspective, having the option of both three
drops and the ability to replace a bad grade is an academic plus.
Perhaps it is too much. But the matter should be debated honestly.
THE BATTALION
EDITORIAL BOARD
Editor in Chief Mariano Castillo
Brian Rule Member Melissa Bedsole
Cayla Carr Member Jonathan Jones
Sommer Bunce Member Jennifer Lozano
Brandie Liffick Member Kelln Zimmer
Namiging Editor
Opinion Editor
News Editor
News Editor
30!
The Battalion encourages letters to the editor. Letters must be 200 words or less
and include the author's name, class and phone number. The opinion editor
lieserves the right to edit letters for length, style and accuracy. Letters may be submit
ted in person at 014 Reed McDonald with a valid student ID. Letters also may be
mailed to: 014 Reed McDonald, MS 1111, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
17843-1 111. Fax: (979) 845-2647 Email: mailcall@thebatt.com
ADRIAN CALCANEO • THE BATTALION
The bad roommate
ResLife is not responsible for exposing sex offenders
es, all ft
CHRIS JACKSON
W hen assigning roommates to
students, Texas A&M’s
Department of Residence Life
does not consider an individuals past
sexual offenses. Apartment complexes
and apartment locators in College
Station do not either, and this raises a
question to anyone who is to be an
assigned roommate. Should there be a
system to screen past sex offenders from
the roommate assignment process?
Screening for sex offenses when
assigning a roommate is unnecessary,
and can lead to complications involving
misrepresentation of character. Sex
offender screening would raise questions
of how much more past information
should be collected. If a pot-luck candi
date is concerned about a potential
roommate, then an inquiry into the per
son’s past should be a private matter
between those people, and not one for
the school or any other entity to handle.
Classifying a person as a sex offender
is dubious in itself. Certainly, individu
als convicted of rape or aggravated sexu
al assault are members of a group right
fully marked dangerous to society. It is
known that sexual predators show repeti
tive criminal behavior, and that previous
offenders are likely to strike again.
However, an 18-year-old can be con
victed for indecency with a child if
involved with a consenting 16-year-old,
and will be labeled a sex offender by the
state. In this way, a situation involving a
junior and a senior in high school can be
misconstrued to imply something crimi
nal. Adding this infonnation to a housing
application would not correctly identify
Screening for sex offenses
when assigning a room
mate is unnecessary, and
can lead to complications
involving misrepresenta
tion of character.
the type of person it is describing.
Though some sex offenders are harm
less, many convicted sex offenders are
legitimate dangers to society. This does
not, however, give any more weight to
the argument that roommate services
should be responsible for finding and
weeding these individuals out.
According to the Texas Department
of Public Safety sex offender registra
tion database, the majority of sex
offenders in Bryan and College Station
are over the age of 25, making it highly
unlikely for a student looking for a room
mate through a finder service to be paired
with a registered sex offender. Asserting
that it is the service’s responsibility to
check each applicant's background
information for a doubtful qualification
is ludicrous.
When it comes to on-campus living,
many freshmen go pot-luck for their
roommate and are paired with a person
they do not know. This is a different sit
uation from pulling roommates from the
Bryan-College Station area. Most incom
ing freshmen come from areas outside
Bryan-College Station, where data on sex
offender age may be different. Again, the
responsibility of criminal screening should
not be on the Department of Residence Life.
It is not its job to search for convicted sex
offenders, just as it is not its job to search
for and bring attention to convicted felons.
There is no guarantee that a potential
roommate will be everything they are
expected to be. By using a roommate serv
ice or letting A&M pick, a student auto
matically assumes the risk that their room-
' mate could be any type of undesirable per
son, including a sex offender. It is up to
the student, if concerned, to find out per
sonal infonnation about a potential room
mate for themselves. The chance of room
ing with a dangerous felon is pretty slim.
Chris Jackson is a sophomore
business administration major.
>WI
imsui 1
MAIL CALL
Aggies need to learn
some respect
I attended an informational meet
ing given by Shell Oil Company and
left embarrassed and appalled at
the behavior of more than half of my
fellow students who were there. By
the way these students conducted
themselves, I would not be surprised
If Shell shied away from hiring Aggies
together.
Students showed up 20 to 30 min
utes late. It is obvious that you are
not interested in seeing the presenta
tion: you only want to be there in time
for the question and answer and eat
ing parts of the session. Many who
Wore sandals, jeans, t-shirts and
sweatshirts. The invitation clearly stat-
odthat the dress was business casual.
Students who asked questions that
someone else already asked or, worse
yet, repeated a question they them
selves had already asked. I overheard
a recruiter say to one student, “you
have asked me that question twice
a nd | have given you the same
a nswer both times. If you do not
believe me, call our main office."
People took stacks of 3 or 4 pieces
°f pizza and wolfed them down like
farving animals. There was more
pn enough for everyone, regard-
i|s of whether you ate one or three
Pieces at a time.
Please remember that the way
you act at these events is represen
tative of the entire Aggie student
population. Is this really what we
want recruiters to think is normal
behavior for Aggies? Recruiters really
do expect you to know these things
in addition to the technical knowl
edge you have gained at A&M. Many
of you do not think you need job
search advice. Think again.
Stacey Richter
Class of 2002
Jenson criticism is
unfair
In response to a March 6 mailcall:
It is our duty as citizens to question
the actions of our government in order
to improve its future policies. Apgar
states that Jensen feels that we should
"discard our "plush" middle class
lifestyles" as a solution to what he thinks
Jensen feels is an abuse of American
military power. No, Jensen did not sug
gest that we 'discard 1 anything.
He suggested that we reevaluate the
way we live and develop more sustain
able ways of existing in the world.
Therein lies my problem with Apgar's
response: it was not constructive, but
derogatory. Let's talk about the issues.
Joy De
Class of2003
Northgate parking causes danger
CATHERINE RICHARDSON
C omplaints about
Northgate parking
meters have been
floating around campus all
semester. The meters have stu
dents and Northgate merchants
in a frenzy and some are chal
lenging the City of College
Station to have them removed.
The parking meters are slowing
business and demanding more
money from University stu
dents, but more importantly
encouraging drunk driving.
Jon Mies, a fire marshall
representing the City of
College Station, said he
believes the parking meters
should assist businesses, but
merchants in the area have
quite a different viewpoint.
Places such as Hole In the
Wall and Fitzwilly’s have
found that business during
lunch has slowed, and many
students are choosing alterna
tives to avoid parking fees.
As stated on the meters,
during daylight hours from 6
a.m. until 7 p.m., there is a
90-minute parking limit at
$0.50 an hour. From 7 p.m.
until 2 a.m., there is a 4-hour
limit at $1.50 an hour.
Students obviously are
being taken advantage of by
the rise in nighttime cost,
when Northgate attracts the
most business. If Texas A&M
was not located across
University Drive, Northgate
would probably not be as
prosperous as it is today.
Northgate is a spot where
students go to relax, celebrate
an accomplished week, gather
to watch entertainers or con
tinue traditions such as ring
dunking. The city realizes
what a popular hangout it is
and is trying to take advan
tage of its regular visitors.
Take a drive within the
city limits and you will find
that Northgate is the only
public place with parking
meters. If the meters are so
necessary, they should be at
all public sites, not just one.
Northgate was the first
business district in town and
the need for renovations and
enhancements are obvious,
but installing parking meters
will not bring more visitors
and will fail to make the area
more attractive.
The biggest issue pertain
ing to the parking meters is
the encouragement of drink
ing and driving. All cars must
be removed from parking
meter zones at 2 a.m. Before
the meters were installed, if an
The city is trying to
take advantage of *
its regular visitors.
individual felt he or she had
too much to drink, the indi
vidual had options such as
call CARPOOL or getting a
ride with a friend. Now the
city forbids cars being left
behind with threats of towing,
causing more drinkers to drive.
In response to this issue,
Mies said the Northgate park
ing garage is available 24 hours
a day. But no one wants to pay
up to $10 to leave their car in
the garage.
According to the December
2001 statistics posted on the
City of College Station Police
Department Website, there
were 315 DWI/DUI arrests
made in 2001 compared to 489
in 2000. DWI arrests decreased
by 34 percent while DUI
arrests increased by 41 percent.
These numbers show violations
have improved. It is important
that the city realize the magni
tude of this situation and coop
erate to continue this decrease.
College Station and Texas
A&M have had their share of
grief with alcohol-related acci
dents. With a community
wide effort, citizens can keep
these devastating accidents
from occurring. This effort
will include not only the
responsibility of residents but
also the help of city officials.
Giving Northgate visitors
the option to leave their car
parked instead of driving
after a late night is the best
solution. Northgate needs
renovation, but the parking
meters are a nuisance in
more ways than one.
Catherine Richardson is a
senior journalism major.