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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 16, 1981)
Viewpoint The Battalion November 16, 1981 Slouch By Jim Earle So l decided if it helped me see better, why not? By DICK WEST I'uited Press International WASHINGTON — Minii Sheraton, re staurant critic for The New York Times, recently devoted several hundred words to an unflattering rev iew of the Senate dining room s cuisine. Here are a few excerpts: Hot roast beef sandwich — “Gray slices of curled-up meat ... floury brown gravy ... what surely must have been whipped, de hydrated potatoes. Bean soup — “Needed several dashes of salt and pepper to bring it to life. Hints of ham hocks and braised onions it is said to contain seemed missing from our portion. Boiled shrimp — “Tasted of iodine, indi cating they were past their prime. Broiled fish — “unidentified and unrec ognizable ... reeked fishiness. Apple pie — “Syrupy canned apple slices in a papery, slightly salty crust. Pecan pie — “Long on sugary filling and short on pecans. Clam chowder — "Looked as though someone had combined the tomato-based Manhattan chowder with the creamier New England variety, to the detriment of both. Uncle Samburger—“Dreadful coleslaw ... soggy sesame seed bun ... a limp slice of caustic pickle. There s an old saying that “you are what you eat. To the extent it is valid, Miss Sheraton s comments, which sent my taste buds diving into their fox holes, might ex plain why the Senate sometimes behaves as it does. I know several senators who appear “past their prime and look as if they might have been “kept hot on a steam table. In fact, I often feel that way myself, particularly right after l have eaten lunch in the Senate restaurant adjacent to the dining room. Certain other senators, who shall here be “unidentified if not “unrecognizable, definitely are “slightly dry and exhibit a "dried-up tasteless forensic style. We also have senators who are “starchy looking,” senators “pallid in color and fla vor,” senators who are "musty, senators who are “soggy” and whose syntax is “as difficult to chew as a rubber band. Some senators undoubtedly are “sugary and “syrupy. Others are “limp and “caus tic. Some could be described as “papery” and some do indeed have a “salty crust. Moreover, senatorial activities at times reek of fishiness, as when a senator who speaks out strongly against the sale of AW ACS to Saudi Arabia winds up voting in favor of the transaction. Too bad Miss Sheraton didn’t visit the dining room on a day when there was floun der on the menu. She might have given us some clues as to what the Senate will do on the B-l issue. But just because a senator appears a bit “curled-up” and “dehydrated, it doesn’t necessarily follow that he is “short on pecans. You can never tell from the public record what a senator might have squir reled a wav. the small society by Brickman Warped Shuttle rouses patriotic feelinj 1 cried when the shuttle lifted off Thurs day, and I’m proud I felt that way. Sometimes patriotism creeps up on me in the strangest ways — a flag I see every day suddenly causes a catch in my throat on an autumn afternoon; a song which usually sounds harshly in my ear can fill my eyes when sung by the right group on the right day. Seeing that ship rise up, so steads', smooth and ponderous, struck me in that special way and at first I didn’t understand why. I d heard the arguments for years: — We should spend our space-program money on the poor, the sick or the insane. — We should try to improve this planet before we conquer others. — We should explore ourselves before we explore the universe. Those arguments can be very persuasive, and sometimes I ve come close to agreeing with them. Until, that is, I’ve seen another rocket ascending into the sky and realized that we, truly, are going where no one has gone before; that we, unique in all human his Daniel Puckett tory, have set foot on an airless world our ancestors have wondered about for thousands of years. We have, through television and robot ships, seen the craters of Mars as closely as if they were at our fingertips. We have ex plored the rings of Saturn and have flown past the* Jovian moons. Even aside from the real benefits we have received from space technology, through space travel we are experiencing a momentous adventure. This is the real Age of Discovery, the time our great grandchildren will look back upon and think grander than am before it. This is the era in which humans break the bonds which have fettered them for so long aml ti their first steps into a boundless frontjei And more than any other single mouj people, it is we Americans who are le the way into space. American iiii'eiini technology and determination are I>1» ing a path all mankind can and ultiimti will follow. If for no other reason, we Americium feel very proud that we were the oncsl showed mankind how to reach the plain! and soon, I believe, the stars. So 1 don’t feel ashamed ol my tears seeing Columbia disappear into tliesis and I don’t try to hide the emotion when I saw that ship glide to an easy ing. I have seen history'being made,just surely as if I had been present at Colim landing or Charlemagne's coronation. But I am not just a spectator. Thmiidn votes and my taxes. I am a participant some of the most momentous events tory. In my own small way, I helpedp Columbia where it was; I helped pillar of fire and smoke upon which it rod Don t von think Columbus anti his i]|« felt that triumphant lump in their Partial punishment a problem U.S. Senators: Are they exactly what they eat? In August, five cadets were relieved of their command positions in the Corps of Cadets. ‘Why is not the issue. What mat ters is that four of those cadets are still in positions of authority. Four cadets are members of the Boss Volunteers, the elite of the Corps. One of these four RVs is presently a yell leader — all revered positions. The Corps supply officer, the second battalion commander (who is presently a yell leader), the company commander of M-l and the company commander of F-l (all RVs) and the B Battery commander were relieved. Because it was handled “in-house through the commandant’s office, we will never be able to judge whether the punish ment fits the crime. If the disciplinary action had been hand led through the department of student affairs, the outcome may have been diffe rent. Their laws say when you do some thing bad enough to be reprimanded, you lose all offices. It is the ultimate responsibility of the commandant to appoint and relieve person nel, said Col. James R. Woodall, Corps commandant. Woodall refused to give the reason for replacing the cadets. He said that all disci plinary action taken in his office, stays in his office. Randy Clements - /' Iiunor. a ( MS (ll'dic tin* Wateifl mum in liil'iits I la sloiatcd i pus. It is i mitorii's • loinlier; t llull.islm The cadets concerned aren’t willing to talk about it. Partial punishment, which seems to be present in this example, encourages wrong doing, if in fact anything wrong was done, because the cadets are still in highly- esteemed positions. These cadets were and are leaders, set ting an example for the underclassmen in their units and for the rest of Texas A&M. Being in a position of authority' carries with it a responsibility to set a proper example. It’s only fitting these “leaders” be prop erly punished, if they did something war ranting punishment. Unfortunately, there’s no way of knowing under the Corps present disciplinary policy'. The Corps’ house-cleaning technique, ‘sweep it all under the carpet, would be all right if it didn’t affect anyone else — like the [impus. Gov credibility of the University and fheqili of the officers who will be charged wi|j leadership of our nation’s defense. If the job’s being done effective expose yourself to public scrutiny? One reason is it breeds approach to life — cover it up quickly deny it ever happened. This isn’tthekk example that should to be set. The underclassmen are learningwk takes to be in the Corps — perfecttheait cover-up. They will obviously be abletoi this talent should they decide to go into! military. There seems to be an everyone.sum get the Corps so let’s pretend nothing? goes wrong, kind of thinking tli growing. This is to the detriment of the Texas A&YI and the .rest of the nation will depend on some of these people their defense. This kind of attitude isn t new the Army for more than five served with honorable and dishonon men and women, both enlisted person! and officers. I have witnessed the kinJ action being displayed at Texas A&M it doesn’t benefit the overall intenttut care of problems on an in-house basis. The Corps needs to he close-knit should be able to do its own laundering, whv den\ dirtv laundrv exists? It’s your turn University discipline questioned Editor: Tin only a freshman here, but I thought I had enough sense to figure out how this school works. Obviously, I was wrong. In the Nov. 10 Battalion on page one, there was an article about how Greg Hood was suspended by Texas A&M University' for wielding his saber. On page three, a small article stated that no charges would be filed against the students who flooded the band dorm. If Texas A&M kicked some one out of school for pulling a saber, which cost the school nothing but hurt pride, surely to God they would at least slap the hands of the vandals who caused $875 in damages to a dorm. Does an act of violence have to make all the papers before it is qualified to be punished? Does Marvin Zindler have to broadcast it to thousands of people before the University will take action? I can see how the University can dismiss some things as just college pranks. I hardly think flood ing a dorm is a college prank. If the University is afraid to take action against these students, then the next best thing they can do is to publish the names of the vandals. Then those band members who were affected could see that justice, or revenge, could be carried out. Dale Douglas ‘85 qualifications of teaching assistants JV here at Texas A&M. Some of tin* qualil tions a TA should possess are beingul)! speak English clearly, being able towi problems in the courses he is instnidiit! TA’s need to meet raised qualifications and simply being able to teach. Itisdiffid to learn anything when a student caiii* understand his TA, or when theTAca even work a simple problem. Editor: I feel there is a definite need to raise tin Dwayne .Melov By Scott McCullar WELL, THE TEXAS AfLM BONFIRE A TOPir 0 F V',?:VSSI0N again; some claim it's ST/LL THE BEST PHYSICAL OUT P0URIN6 OF THE AGGIE SP/R IT. . . WHILE OTHERS JUST AS DEVOTED TO T RADITI ON S/MPLY ASK! IS THERE A LESS WASTEFUL AND SAFER WAY? ANP WHAT OF THE PROPOSED NEW UNIVERSIT Y PRESS BUILDING ON THE &0NFIKL SITE? IN RESPONSE. TO THESE ISSUES A COMPROMISE NAS BEEN REACHED BETWEEN BONFIRE SUPPORTERS AND UNIVERSITY OFFIC I ALS. .. STARTING NEXT YEAR, AND ANNUALLY THEREAFTER, A UNIVERSITY PRESS BUILDING WILL BE CONSTRUCTED OUT OF LOGS ON THE PRESENT SITE, AND THEN BURNED TO TUI GROUND. ii 3M li ill 0 / 1/ The Battalion USPS 045 360 MEMBER Tcxa.s Press Association Southwest Journalism Congress Editor Angelique Copeland Managing Editor Marey Boyce City Editor Jane G Brust Asst. City Editor Kathy O’Connell Photo Editor Dave Einsel Sports Editor Ritchie Priddy Focus Editor Cathy Saathoff Asst. Focus Editor Debbie Nelson News Editors Phyllis Henderson Bernie Fette, Belinda McCoy Diana Sultenfuss StafFWriters Gary Barker Frank L. Christlieb, Randy Clements Gave Denley, Nancy Floeck, Tim Foarde Colette Hutchings, Daniel Puckett Denise Richter, Mary Jo Rummel, Rick Stolle Nancy Weatherley, Barbie Woelfel Cartoonist Scott McCullar Graphic Artist Richard DeLeon Jr. Photographers Brian Tate Daniel Sanders, Colin Valentine EDITORIAL POLICY 77ie Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting newspaper operated as a community sen'iee to Texas A6c\f University and Bryan-Collefte Station. Opinions expressed in The Bat talion are those of the editor or the author, niiih 1 necessarily represent the opinions ol Texas A&M ini’ ty administrators or faculty memhers. orol ihrU Hcf'cnts. The Battalion also sen es as a laboratory students in reporting, editing and photograph) i- 1 " within the Department of Conununieatiom. Questions or comments concerning any edfeiW should he directed to the editor. Gov. Gov ( Bn 1 Gov. Bi iKill'd tli Mtlirduv % of] Dvailli ■Villi' 19 |it)ii is 5 wars and!. 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