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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 30, 1982)
k opinion Let’s physically get rid of Olivia Olivia Newton-John’s “Let’s Get Phy sical” is heard a lot less often now than a few months ago. This is, of course, a bles sing, and we should he thankful even for small ones. Unfortunately, it transpires that we have not heard the last of this particular miscarriage of music. The Battalion has learned that a for bidding number of imitations of “Let’s Get Physical” are in the works and will soon do their bit to help prove Sturgeon’s Law, which assures us that 90 percent of anything is junk. (Where pop music is concerned, needless to say, Sturgeon was a master of understatement.) None of the songs below has been re leased yet, but all of them seek to capital ize on the phenomenal success of Miss Newton-John’s hit. Deep Billboard, my source in the music industry, has made capsule summaries of them available. — “Let’s Get Fizzical:” a love song based on the alleged aphrodisiac powers of Alka-Seltzer. — “Let’s Get Fiscal:” OMB Director David Stockman provides a musical tour through the Reagan Administration’s 1983 budget. Stockman, a versatile voca- lizer, sings out both sides of his mouth. robert green To be released on Atlantic Monthly Re cords. — “Let’s Get Astrophysical:” Dr. Garl Sagan and his backup group, the Turtle necks, recorded this single about the wonders of space which they hope will make t hem bbbiilllions and bbbiilllions of dollars. — “Let’s Get Farcical:” The Democra tic Party presents its budget alternative to David Stockman’s “Let’s Get Fiscal” above. — “Let’s Get Factional:” The Demo cratic Party stages a musical argument over the words, key and tempo of “Let’s Get Farcical” above. — “Let’s Get Fictional:” The Washing ton Post’s moving salute to its own brand of investigative reporting and feature writing. 1 he song, about an 8-year-old heroin addict, has vocals by ex-reporter Janet Cooke, who after all has to do something to make a living these days. — “Let’s Get Quizzical:” Richard Daw son sings a new theme song for the “Family Feud” quiz program. Record ex ecutives expect the song to do well, since it deals with the only thing in American entertainment more asinine and degrad ing than “Let’s Get Physical” itself. — “Let’s Get Finicky:” Morris the Cat branches out with this single. In a rolling basso profundo, he complains that he never would have eaten the damned cat food if they hadn’t threatened to de- Morris him. — “Let’s (iet Fidgety:” A new commer cial jingle, light-hearted and upbeat, from the makers of America’s trieu-and- true favorite. Preparation H. There are more, but why go on? Hasn’t the original song suffered enough? Well yes...but so did its listeners, Oli via. So did its listeners. Slouch By Jim to by Bill BatU Supporters Don l ine have 20,000 telepl While House Ronald Reag; for Great Bril struggle betu and Argent in son. local pre tional Democ mittee. I. The group committee wii tic Party and 1 bers in Collej tween 50,(Hi nationwide. I Members < tion branch <>1 organizing tin calls and tele president to “Sure you made an A, but you did it in an unsportsm ship manner — by studying. 99 v3 1 Reader’s Forum: Aggie needed compassion An open letter to a fellow Aggie: Last night at McDonalds on University Drive, I watched you as you struggled to pull your money out of your pockets to pay for your order. I was amused when everything else in your pockets, includ ing your new, shinny matchbooks from a local pub, fell out onto the counter and the floor. Somehow, I wanted to reach over and help you finish your transac tion. Then, when the McDonalds em ployee told you that you didn’t have enough money to pay for your order and you replied that you needed the food, 1 felt like reaching in my purse and paying for your cheeseburger myself. As the lines grew longer and everyone stared at you, 1 wondered why yon couldn’t understand your situation. 1 was at your elbow, close enough to see that you were stoned, close enough to perceive that it wasn’t from liquor. I think that everyone there felt very bad for you — but we were all afraid to inter vene on your behalf. We all watched in awe when you finally picked up the order and threw it at the machines behind the counter. Our eyes were glued to you when you lit out across the parking lot and hit someone’s car with your fist. Our collective breat h caught when we saw you fall down after you stepped over the curbing at the edge of the parking lot. And we gasped as we watched you dash through the traffic on University Drive and disappear into the blackness of the campus. After you left us, the air in McDonalds was heavy with concern for our fellow Aggie. You obviously needed our assist ance but we were all afraid to come for ward because you were so unpredictable. No one there passed judgement on you or expressed any condemnation of your behavior. What you did was not so much the problem. The real problem was that we were concerned about you but we were inadequate in our experience to deal with you. We could not extend the helping hand that your condition cried out for. The real message, my fellow Aggie, is that your indiscretion put a burden on your Aggie cohorts because you did not take responsibility for putting yourself into the proper environment for your condition. Being an Aggie is a tremen dous honor and that honor carries with it certain responsibilities. In writing this open letter to you, I am exercising that part of the Aggie code that requires that we attend to our own. My only comment to you now is a request, the request that in the future you give your fellow Aggies a break. If you must get stoned again, on or near the campus, please put yourself into the proper environment for that condition. 1 doubt that you would ever even dream of walking into McDonalds with no clothes on. Yet, when you appeared there in your condition last night, you presented us with a naked soul, distorted and out of place. Gome on, Aggie! Take responsibility for your deeds and for your life. That way we can support you 100 percent — wherever you are. Betty Cowan Groves Graduate student, English the small society by Brickman o \ r was 0gTTe<ZTHAH THAT- €>1961 Kino FtMturw Syndicam, Inc. World righti reserved. The Battalion USPS 045 360 Member of Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Conference Editor. . AngeliqueCopeland City Editor Denise Richter Assistant City Editor Diana Sultenfuss Sports Editor. . Frank L. Christlieb Focus Editor Cathy Saathoff Assistant Focus Editor Nancy Floeck News Editors Gary Barker, Phyllis Henderson, Mary Jo Rummel, Nancy Weatherley Staff Writers Jennifer Carr, Cyndy Davis, Gaye Denley, Sandra Gary, Colette Hutchings, Johna Jo Maurer, Hope E. Paasch Daniel Puckett, Bill Robinson, Denise Sechelski, John Wagner, Laura Williams, Rebeca Zimmermann Cartoonist Scott McCullar Graphic Artist Richard DeLeon Jr. Photographers . . Sumanesh Agrawal, David Fisher, Eileen Manton, Eric Mitchell, Peter Rocha, John Ryan, Colin Valentine Editorial Policy The Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting news paper operated as a community service to Texas A&M University and Bryan-College Station. Opinions ex pressed in The Battalion are those of the editor or the author, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Texas A&M University administrators or faculty mem bers, or of the Board of Regents. The Battalion also serves as a laboratory newspaper for students in reporting, editing and photography clas ses 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 style and length, but will make every effort to maintain the author’s intent. Each letter must also be 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 Uni- ■ versity, College Station, TX 77843, or phone (713) 845- 2611. The Battalion is published daily during Texas A&M’s fall and spring semesters, except for holiday and exami nation periods. Mail subscriptions are $ 16.75 per semes ter, $33.25 per school year and $35 per full year. Adver tising rates furnished on request. Our address: The Battalion, 216 Reed McDonald Building, 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. con |cnuJM0D6 Vfwxowmi yy ■ The Tex; Singers will p ^■•ing conceri Rudder Audi! ■ The two-h< Bided into t ;ncy Theen The first \ will feature sj Mi sic. ■ Then, the Jce will fc mlisic, includ by Dav Battalio Ithough tl jlthy, a Tex; many oak e suffering f laUnage cause sidewalk const Sirs. J Dr. David Tfessor of p V oaks on cs ing from class We’re seei jplL of trees si eases after I placed undei said. “The ur places the tr< which makes tl Letters: Quad resident responds tible to other cause tree disi dine. I “Any time < place around ; Editor: The Battalion is a dynamic, positive and informative publication that 1 enjoy reading daily. The fact that the “Batt boxes” in the MSG are empty two hours after delivery speaks for itself about the devotion of its readership, lake all good publications, this is due to the integrety of information presented the The Batta lion. That is why I wonder who you, as editor of The Battalion, are addressing in the opinion page when you talk of the “the quad” asserting “The Battalion is ‘anti-Gorps.’” I live on the Quad. I make no such allegation. I also dislike being grouped in with a mystical glob of opin ion which I have neither seen nor agreed with. But, as the title of your April 29 Opinion page implied, that’s your opinion. I hold enough respect in your publica tion to offer mine. Miss Gopeland, I don’t think it’s your job to stop people who keep rumors “alive and flourishing.” As I understand you, you want to present the news. Do so, as you have done so ably. But please recognize that when someone charged with responsibility over many people tells you that he cannot speak for fear of harming those individuals, you ought to find out whether or not he’s telling the truth, instead of just writing about mystical allegations and wasting otherwise excellent space. Frank Knickerbocker Dorm 4 You can make the difference Editor: This letter is an appeal to all who attend Texas A&M who feel that some thing vital is missing in Aggieland. Aggies: What has happened to our self-pride and pride in our school? Why do we write letters to The Battalion'about the dying Aggie Spirit? The reason is not simple, but it is straightforward, as is the solution. In effect, we have convinced ourselves that there is something inherent in the system that is going to bring about the destruc tion of the Aggie Spirit and brotherhood that is unique to our school. It is easy to sit back and observe Texas A&M today and then predict that five years down the road Texas A&M will be just another big university indentifiable only by school colors and a good college of engineering. As long as we think this way and maintain a passive attitude, that fate may be inevit able. Fraternaties and sororities have cought a lot of the blame for our disunity, and this is wrong. I am not in a fraternity, and neither am I defending them; they can stand on their own feet. They are here to stay, and the point is: they contain some of the most spirited Aggies I’ve met. Not to say that they have more Twelf th Man in them than the rest of us, but surely no less. As a resident of Davis- Gary, I’ve seen the anti- and pro-Greek battle f irsthand, and neither side has won anything. As a Davis-Gary council mem ber, I’ve seen a refocusing of effort in a more positive direction since the anti-frat campaign, in a direction that will benefit all Aggies and help reinstate some of the spirit that we have supposedly lost. This, Aggies, is the attitude that we all must adopt. The current fad seems to be apathy: Why should 1 show interest when no one else does? The answer here is simple. If you don’t show interest, no one else will; if you do, it’s likely others will too. It’s time we quit arguing and shifting the blame and started getting the benefits out of this school that we came here for. Texas A&M has as much to offer in char acter-building as it does in academics, and that’s the reason most ofus are here. The blame for any discontenil feel cannot be put on an) indii group, but can only be ourselves. Wake up. Aggies, takepridel self and your school, and Cornell semester ready to rriiake a diffei ment is distur Appel said t Jeff of Davis'Gil Don’t say it with Editor: 1 hough neither of us wentl Muster, we wholeheartlyagree! cry thing that Nancy Cramer sa«| letter to The Battalion yesterf cerning those annoying photo) It’s true that anyone w’ thing about photography Rollie’s light ing is more thansul supply the necessary light fori film, especially when there's )| light as there is at Muster. It’s sol hand-hold a 35mm cameraatol of a second at f/2 that the needful or a tripod is totally absurd, j We are sick and tired ofl graphers always underdressing I occasion. How can you trustanw buys all their clothes at rock coil We think that the MusterCol should go one step further til Cramer suggested arid comp^t photographers from Muster. I Next time that you photogrf] out and try to “say it with picn remember that though ‘a pq worth a thousand words” fec^ emotion of the moment is wortdq more. Peter frr Dean-