The Battalion
Viewpoint
November 17,1981
Slouch
By Jim Earle
I vc got n dozen potatoes buried under it that ought to be
done next week. "
President’s issues
always predictabl
e
I'nitccl Press Intcrniitional
\\ AS 111 \ (rr()N — rhinos tluit sc'c-m to hap
pen to every president:
j. After a period ofAiood feelings, they he,yin
to spat with Con.nress.
JininiN Cancer s "hone\moon was so short
some people never notieed it. hut Konald
Heanan had sexen full months of Warm relations
with C.'on^ress. But since Congress returned
from summer \aeation, the temperature has
heen dropping.
1'he official end of the Keayan hone\moon
prohahh was last week, when he told his news
conference. “Fiscal \S2 is already five weeks old,
hut 1 have not received a single regular approp
riations hill.
This comment was tantamount to a declara
tion of White Ilouse-Capitol Hill war: the
Democratic-eon trolled House has passed all the
appropriations hills; the Republican-controlled
.Senate has heen holding them up to wait for
further budget-cutting strategy from the Presi
dent.
2. They are embarrassed by something one of
their aides has said or done. Sometimes the
offender is forgiven; sometimes cast into outer
darkness.
Hamilton Jordan did this to Carter with his
after-hours barhopping expeditions and table
talk at state dinners, but he kept his job. But
when Dr. Peter Bourne goofed by writing a
prescription for a White House aide, out he
went.
In this administration, Ed Meese provided
comedians a mother lode of jokes when he let
slip that Reagan s aides did not bother to awaken
him when a U.S. fighter plane shot down a Li
byan aircraft. Meese was not banished.
It came as a surprise to main grizzled
Washington observers when David Stockman
survived the publication of his confession that
The Battalion
USPS 045 360
MEMBER
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Congress
Editor Angelique Copeland
Managing Editor Marcy Boyce
City Editor JaneC. Brust
Asst. City Editor Katin () 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
Staff Writers Cn Barker
Frank L. Limstlieb, Banco elements
Case 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
7Yic lUittiilion is u non-profit, sclf'-supportiiif! newspaper
operated ns n community service to Texas A&\f l-ni\ ersity
and Hryan-(.'ollef{e Station. Opinions expressed in The Bat
talion are those of the editor or the author, and do not
necessarily represent the opinions of Texas Adc.M Uni\ersi-
ty administrators or faculty members, or of the Board of
Hcf!cnts.
The Battalion also senes as a laboratory newspaper for
students in reporting, editing and photography classes
■ within the Department of Communications.
Questions or comments concerning any editorial matter
should be directed to the editor.
LETTERS POLICY
Letters to the Editor should not exceed 300 words in
length, and are subject to being cut if they are longer. The
editorial staff reserves the right to edit letters for ste le and
length, but will make every effort to maintain the author's
intent. Each letter must also he signed, show the address
and phone number of the writer.
Columns and guest editorials are also welcome, and are
not subject to the same length constraints as letters.
Address all inquiries and correspondence to: Editor. The
Battalion, 216 Reed McDonald, Texas A&M University,
College Station, TX 77843.
The Battalion is published daily during Texas A&M's fall
and spring semesters, except for holiday and examination
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Our address: The Battalion, 216 Reed McDonald Build
ing, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843.
United Press International is entitled exclusively to the
use for reproduction of all news dispatches credited to it.
Rights of reproduction of all other matter herein reserved.
Second class postage paid at College Station, TX 77843.
Cynicism in letters contagious
h
Editor:
The Texas A&M Battalion reaches a
higher percentage of people involved in
Texas A&M than any other publication on
or off campus. Because of this, what is
printed in the Battalion greatly affects atti
tudes and ideas on prevalent issues that
involve the University and the community
around it.
It has become a trend to criticize one
thing or another in the editorial section. It
is important that students and stall criticize
that which can and needs to be improved
upon, but there must also be an emphasis
put on the good aspects of Aggieland.
An everyday negative attitude printed in
the Battalion has serious consequences. It
makes the campus seem all bad to those
who don’t have much more contact with the
school than the Battalion, such as visiting
guests or alumni. It can and has produced a
bandwagon effect of cynicism in the articles
that appear in the editorial section. It
makes people cynical towards the school,
and it’s depressing to read the same thing
every day.
Examples of common topics are bonfire.
Readers
but upset prople or make them mad. lit
fire, (FSSO and the greeks all havi'slroi
points, both pro and con, hutcalliiig|)e^ ^
frat rats, sorority bitches, fagj^ofs. orhn ibblc fi
Forum
the greeks and GSSO. People speak of the
bonfire as too dangerous, or they say it s a
waste of time, or that it should be abolished
all together. People say that greeks will ruin
the Aggie way of life, or they claim it’s
already here, so tough if you don’t like it.
The GSSO has become an angry topic, with
one group saying they can t be denied their
rights while another group is saying they
won t have those rights imposed on them.
After the facts have been presented in
the first few articles, there is no longer any
thing substantial to sax about the topic, ex
cept when the facts may need to be "re
vised. It is then that the editorial column
in the Batt turns into space* for shouting
matches. The articles no longer do anything
percenters is not going to net amt!
solved.
Instead, students need to try to mu wllas
nize good points and see if they caiit'l “''dual
stressed more. Offer a little bit of conslra ™ t . s '
.. .... . iormK.
two criticism to some group on Cjiiip
thank a dorm for a good party, connrjula ^^
the band on their half time peii)i:maiic( «tk's,t,
or encourage the* team towards beatingll ichfroslr
hell out of t. u.
There is plenty of room for eneounij urn t'ton
ment or congratulations in theeohnmu hu
it might just make somebody s day. Il||
is a problem, and it is approachedlormll
positive side in the sense of howitiwf
solved, as opposed to how bad orinnoraiil y v j(j t . s
is, much more can be accomplished.
The editorial is somethingavailablctii;
Aggies. If used correctly, it can he a pinu wlphom
fill tool in shaping Aggieland the way
members want it
( hi'is Slanlt
Aston Hi
0<
Hi
By J0Y(
Bui
Its not
tuts to ha
irtimrsi
fore fina
At least
Any stn
service, 11
nt nn
rial Stride
yngh tii
tutoring s
lire said. 1
choose a n
tlic tutorii
tutors
courses in
physics an
(jhicforfei
In Sit) per
.These
indents a
dcpartmei
the Reagan tax cut plan was a "Trojan I forsc to
get a high income rate cut and that supply side
economics is really the old "trickle clown
theory.
3. Members of the cabinet or staff fall to fight
ing among themselx es. The president always
says there is no friction, hut someone usually
leaves town.
The Nixon administration had the classic- ex
ample of this. National security advisor Henry
Kissinger did not get along with Secretary of
State William Rogers. Kissinger ended up as
Secretary of State and national security advisor.
The replay of this drama stars Secretary of
State* Alexander Haig and national security adv i
sor Richard Allen. Haig learned his w ay around
the White House from Kissinger. Does anyone
want to bet how this one* w ill come outr*
4. The* press, after making much of the first
family s commendable* personal traits, eventual
ly turns on it and begins finding evidence that
living in the White House has produced preten
sions, if not delusions, of grandeur.
It happened to John Kennedy w hen the repor
ters discovered he* had stopped permitting a
critical newspaper from being delivered to the
White House and to Richard Nixon when he
decided the White House* police needed fancier
uniforms. Kennedy joked about it, Nixon junked
the new duds for the cops.
Now the Reagans are under fire for buying
expensive new dishes for the White* House with
donated funds. The President says Nancy got a
had rap; there is no sign that the Reagans will he
eating oil plastic dishes.
What next? Next year at this time, the presi
dent s party usually loses some seats in the mid
term congressional elections. This usually is fol
lowed by politicians and the press solemnly
announcing they have discovered that the presi
dent has no “coattails. Watch for it.
PPFFFFFFFFFFffp
It’s your turn
Early game exit shows no spirit
Editor:
Last Saturday, many of us had the*
chance to watch as our football team was
outscored by the University of Arkansas.
However bleak our memories of the hall-
game are, they shouldn’t he* our greatest
concern.
Our concern should he directed toward
the thousands of Aggies who. because of
their many years of experience at this
school or lack of experience, don’t find it
necessary to stay for yell practice after the
ballgame. As far as I know, it’s still a tradi
tion and always will he! Sure, we can make
excuses and say r we have to meet someone
right away, or have to go home and study.
But, I feel if we can take the time to go to a
ball game, we can spare the extra minutes
to stay and preserve this important Aggie
traditon.
\V r ill we, as students ol this great Univer
sity, uphold this fine tradition on support
ing the Aggie spirit even after a disappoint
ing ballgame. Or is Texas A&M destined to
be like every other average university
where the* fans hit the road at the* first hint of
a loss. According to those loyal Ags who
stayed Saturday, Texas A&M is not des
tined to fade into oblivion. But, the line's
streaming out of Ky le Field in the late
fourth quarter indicate that there* are those
students who just don’t care.
Boh Bandas ‘82
Dunn Street
up, helped negotiate*, and finalized a#’
tract for purchase* of a mobile* home* liirmi
wife and myself in mid 1980. In early M
Mr. Locke gave* me ad vice* on a hiisincsi
plan, and even offered to research one*par
ticular legal aspect of it at the Texas Atoll
library. Again in mid 1980, he respoiiefc'dlii
my question about lemling fraud, and
offered to look up names and phone ininij
hers of agencies which could possibly assist
Lawyer praised
Editor:
This letter is in reference to the services
provided by the Student Legal Adviser,
James Locke. It is not meant to flatter, only
to point to an individual who responds to his
job demands in a superior fashion.
Mr. Locke has rendered extremely valu
able advice to me several times. He drew
Mr. Locke does something that even-
one should. He does his job in a complete
manner, with a real interest in fnlfillinj'tlir
purpose for which his job was created.In
addition, he does it all in a way that slum
he is utilizing his abilities to the (ill lest ex
tent. "This combination leads to complete
customer satisfaction, and that is the ulti
mate goal of any concern.
In conclusion, I only ask that theewl-
lent execution of duties by Mr. Jamfi
Locke, Student Legal Adviser, not go un
noticed.
Michael J. Sauragel
Warped
By Scott McCullai
HERE'S TEW ONES
KEEP THE CHAUt.Ft
/YEW NEIL DIAMOND
RECORD.
The!
Society
Capertoi
ripient e
This
single le*
(rated ui
port for
leisure
Texas.
In a
the lion
said: It
Texas’ p
life ani(
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