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The Battalion
V IE WPOINT
December 7,1981
oc
Slouch By Jim Earle
‘7 just came in to assure you, now that football season is over,
that I’d have full time to devote to my studies for the entire
remainder of the semester. Could you refresh me on the
assignment that was due before the SMU game?”
Questionnaire may do
more harm than good
editor:
My mother recently received a ques-
ionajjre from the Aggie Moms. Contained
n this questionnaire were questions re-
;arding teachers who could not speak prop-
•r English. Specifically, it asked if your son
>r daughter had any teachers they had a
lard time understanding, and if so, what
vas the effect on their learning process.
This problem, like many, is complex; and I
yonder if the results of the cure would be
vorse than the problem itself if, in fact, a
Problem exists.
Reader's Forum
The first picture a questionnaire such as
his brings to my mind is that of a bunch of
;word rattling Aggie mothers ready to chop
)ff the heads of all those “foreigners” inter-
ering with their son’s or daughter’s educa-
ion. Although this is not a truly accurate
lescription of what the group could do with
he results of such a questionnaire, it does,
tiowever, express the alarming danger of a
aasty conclusion derived from the results of
Such a questionnaire. We cannot allow a
anguage barrier to exclude fine professors
kid students from the campus.
One question we must first address is,
low accurate can a survey such as this be.
\fter all, what is the natural human re-
>ponse to a mother who is calling up her son
ifter receiving grade reports and asking
vhy he is failing calculus? Of course the
lest choice would be an excuse: “But mom,
[ can’t understand a word my lab professor
jays.” This response, this attitude is the
major block in finding, first of all, if a prob
lem even exists.
There are, however, other factors
nvolved in an analysis of this problem and
me of these is the effect these teachers have
in the student himself. The first and most
prevalent effect I see is an attitude of stu
dents that the teacher is just plain dumb:
“He doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
He can’t even speak good English.” This
attitude is very easy to come by and causes
the teacher to lose the respect needed from
their pupils. In addition, it causes the buil
dup of all the all too common stereotypes so
prevalent in human nature. These atti
tudes, however, can be changed with time
and patience as the semester wears on. At
the onset of the semester I felt just such
attitudes toward my Chemistry Lab T.A.
who is Oriental. But as the semester wore
on, and as our language barrier became
bridged by understanding and respect, I
began to see other qualities in him; qual
ities of humor and caring. They were there,
only I had been shut out from seeing them
because of the language gap. In the end I
came out learning not only chemistry, but
learning that these stereotypes can be
broken with time, patience, and above all,
an open mind.
In conclusion, I would say that instead of
making a rash, hasty decision that could, if
handled improperly, do irreparable harm
to this University and the learning process
as a whole we should carefully screen all
applicants who are going to be teachers in
the classroom; yet at the same time we
should place a burden on the student to
show compassion and respect for such a
professor and allow the experience to be
one of great learning from which we can all
benefit greatly.
R. Scott Kuhn
700 Dominik
The Battalion
USPS 045 360
MEMBER
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Congress
Editor Angelique Copeland
Managing Editor . Marcy Boyce
City Editor Jane G. Brust
Asst. City Editor Kathy O’Connell
Photo Editor DaveEinsel
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 Gary Barker
Frank L. Christlieb, Randy Clements
Gaye 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 De Leon Jr.
Photographers Brian Tate
Daniel Sanders, Colin Valentine
EDITORIAL POLICY
The Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting newspaper
operated as a community service to Texas A&M University
and Bryan-College Station. Opinions expressed in The Bat
talion are those of the editor or the author, and do not
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ty administrators or faculty members, or of the Board of
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Questions or comments concerning any editorial matter
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Address all inquiries and correspondence to: Editor, The
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Second class postage paid at College Station, TX 77843.
The lesson of Pearl Harbor —
don’t let history repeat itself
Forty years ago today. Aggies weren’t
sure if they’d ever take another exam or see
another bonfire.
Forty years ago today, men our age —
our fathers, our uncles or our grandfathers
— were anxiously listening to their radios
and then rushing off to volunteer for service
overseas.
Forty years ago today, the Japanese
attacked Pearl Harbor.
And today, we are reading reports that
one out of every six adult Americans does
not know what Pearl Harbor Day is or why
it is important in American history.
We live in a country where every person
older than 18 has the right to a voice in
deciding public issues. This democratically
controlled country has amazing talents for
preserving and extending life — and unpre
cedented powers for destroying it.
This powerful country is walking a fine
line in foreign policy; it possesses the means
to destroy all life on this planet several
times over. The problem is — so do other
countries. And several more countries
could obliterate the city of their choice.
The result is a crowded, confused world
where the slightest wrong move could re
sult in the death of us all, with no hope for
any future; a world which is more compli
cated and more dangerous than it ever has
been.
Yet one-sixth of the people who control
this country’s destiny do not know what
event propelled it into the bloodiest war in
human history.
“Those who cannot remember the past
are condemned to repeat it,” 20th century
philosopher George Santayana said, and if
it takes a repetition of World War II to
remind the American people of the past,
then that will be a lesson which teaches
nothing.
A corpse cannot learn anything.
Whatever that poll means, whether
an indictment of American education
American complacency or Americanadi
tion to television, it presents us will
genuinely frightening statistic. If one-si!
of our people cannot remember PearlHsi
bor, into what nuclear nightmares arefc
capable of voting us?
On this 40th anniversary of the attacli
Pearl Harbor, we should try to remeralu
what the phrase “Horrors of War me
and we should understand that when
parents’ generation used it, they di
know what a true horror of war was.
In the 1930s, no one yet knew al
nuclear fallout or radioactive poisoning
thousand-year half-lives. Now that we
we need more desperately than ever
member how close we stand to unleash
all that upon the world; how easy that W
ton is to push.
And how it is that a world gets
point of pushing it.
We all need to remember Pearl Hark
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By JOHN
It s your turn
Police need help patroling campus
Editor:
I find it hard to believe the amount of
criminal mischief that happens on this cam
pus. In view of the recent rape attempt,
theft of the megaphone from the Quad, des
truction of the turf on Kyle Field and num
erous other crimes, most of which go un
publicized, questions of the strength and
efficiency of our campus police force are
brought to the surface.
Texas A&M has 9,526 students, includ
ing the 2,235 member Corps of Cadets,
living on the approximately 1,000-acre
campus.
With this dense population, would it not
make sense to have an appropriate police
force on duty during the late night and early
morning hours when most of these crimes
occur?
Instead, the Campus Police is concen
trating on ticketing those who violate their
ever so valuable parking places. They have
even resorted to hiring students to write
tickets. Would the money spent to pay
these students not be put to better use in
strengthened night security?
Come on KK, we know you’re trying, but
let’s get real. When a girl is scared to make
the trek from her car to her dorm at night,
something is seriously wrong. I sure hope
that something will be done before rumors
that A&M is unsafe after dark start spread
ing to prospective A&M students.
I am referring to the housing situation.
Back in my high school days, I was lead to
believe that if I applied for housing 15
months prior to my first semester at Texas
A&M, I would more than likely be housed
on campus.
At the time, I was ignorant to the long
lines and endless waiting lists of Texas
A&M. At any rate, I was not accommo
dated.
I recently stopped by the Housing Office
to find out where I stand on the list. I was
surprised to learn that there is no longer a
waiting list for the Fall of ’82 (or so I am
told).
In fact, chances are that I could arrange
to be on campus for the Spring semester.
The problem now is that I am committed to
an apartment lease until May.
As it was, finding a suitable apartment
after being declined on campus housing was
hectic. Should I refuse a Spring housing
offer, I might well be on the bottom of the
list again.
Although my deposit has been tied up in
the office for 19 months, I am still not
guaranteed a space for next fall. It is ricicu-
lous that anyone must be kept for so long in
the uncertainty of such a situation. I do not
know exactly what the means for housing
will be in the future, but I sincerely hope a
more successful solution can be achieved.
always has plenty of food to offer even
there is no electricity on campus. Notoni'
that, Sbisa has a super efficient crew. Tk
constantly put up with smart remarks aii
wrinkled noses. We may complain a lot,
we do come hack for more. So Ags, let’sgi«
Sbisa a hand for a job well done!
Carmen Torrfl
Clements
On the other hand,,
Karen Lodico ’85
Scott Ortolon
1601 Holleman
Housing hassles
Three cheers for Sbisa
Editor:
I realize my problem is not an original
one, but I want still want to express my
feelings.
Editor:
As I was leaving Sbisa, I realized how
fortunate the Northside Aggies are to have
one of the finest college dining halls. Sbisa
Editor:
We all have criticized the food i
campus cafeterias at one time or anothe*
and maybe we even had a right to.
think most Aggies will agree with me
I say that the food is usually very go
However, the cafeterias do haveasinglf
and most noticeable fault — the unfriend
ness of the cafeteria workers. I don’t mean
to say all of the workers do not pay
attention to the customers (students) ores-
press any courtesy towards them. Theatti
tude of the workers makes it seem as thong
we students are forcing them to perform
job which they totally dislike. Perhaps
change in attitude is in order. I realize ii
might be unpleasant and even difficult
the cafeteria workers to do, but if the;
would put a smile on their face and polite!'
ask the students, “May I help you?’’ thf
students would really appreciate it. I
with this small change in attitude out
cafeterias here at A&M could be thebestit
the United States.
This is a campus of friendly students
well as friendly employees. Let’s keep
that way.
Alan Logan
Aston i
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