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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 23, 1982)
: ■4 opinion Slouch By Jim Earle “I guess it had to happen — three bikes are chained to mine!” Library study habits sometimes strange by Denise Patton The Sterling C. Evans Library has a variety of places where students can study. But, being creatures of habit, Aggies tend to find a place where they like to study and there they stay. Occa sionally though, habit must be broken and a new place to study must be found. An appropriate time to pull up your roots and re-establish yourself in a new environment is when you get to know ALL of the people in your neighbor hood. Although it is nice to see a familiar face, often times that face becomes a friend and well ... friends talk and often times no studying is accomplished. Some times, it is not enough to simply switch sides of the library, but becomes manda tory to move to an entirely different floor. Another reason to move, though it is a little-known reason, is in the case if you mention to someone (who you think you might like) where you study, because that person cares to seek your company or study in your presence. A week later, you might know that you don’t like that per son, yet you find yourself haunted by someone who is always willing to suggest a study break. Maybe one of the reasons you hear so little about these cases is be cause one party is not particularly eager fo spread the word that they have been “dumped,” or the other party does not want to announce their new location. If you are an Off-Campus Aggie, studying in the library can pose different roblems. Oh, sure, Off-Campus Ags ave to worry about where they will study, but in addition to that, they have to worry about catching the last shuttle-bus. And what happens to those poor souls who actually do miss the shuttle bus? Well, to some, it doesn’t matter, because they drive, either a bicycle or a car. But what of non-drivers? Well ... maybe they have a nice friend or a study partner who is kind enough to drive them home. If you do end up walking, down un-lit streets, just keep telling your self that things could be worse; you could be walking down un-lit deserted streets in New York City. For walkers, it is advis able to carry a heavy book-bag and walk down the middle of the bike path and most importantly, hope for the best. In order to make studying even more difficult, Evans Library has employed a “Library Monitor.” My observation’s lead me to conclude he is being paid (assum ing he is not doing volunteer work) to guard the exit of the lounge. He repri mands those illiterate Aggies who try to smuggle food and sodas past the sign re questing that “all food and drink be kept in the lounge.” Of course, not all students who engage in smuggling are illiterate, but the “Library Monitor” does not make the distinction — you will be treated as an illiterate, even if you are carrying the most complex looking books. There are cases where students make it back to their seats, undetected, but I understand they are becoming few and far between. Some Aggies are smart enough to out wit the “Library Monitor.” It was last night when I saw a young man in a Corps uniform, making admirable use of his little hat; he nonchalantly hooked it over his finger and let it dangle at his side. Closer inspection revealed a Dr Pepper nestled within the hat. Hmm! Pretty clever! It seems as though one more general observation can be made about library inhabitants. Those students who study at a large desk, seem to be people who can concentrate on their studies even if they were at a desk, in the middle of Kyle Field, at midnight, on a Friday night, during football season. A truly enviable personality trait. This trait is usually en vied most by people at the opposite end of the spectrum. They are the Aggies who sit in a cubicle — with walls on both sides — similar to horse-blinders. The negative aspect of their personality is that they have an attention span of zero. The positive aspect of their personality is that they acknowledge the fact that they think better when they are surrounded on three sides by walls. These Aggies usually prefer a cubicle in some dusty forgotten corner, where distractions are at a minimum. The Battalion USPS 045 360 Member of Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Conference Editor Diana Sultenfuss Managing Editor Phyllis Henderson Associate Editor Denise Richter City Editor.. BernieFette Assistant City Editor Gary Barker Sports Editor Frank L. Christlieb Entertainment Editor Nancy Floeck Assistant Entertainment Editor Colette Hutchings News Editors Rachel Bostwick, Cathy Capps, Daniel Puckett, Jan Werner, Todd Woodard Staff Writers Jennifer Carr, Susan Dittman, Beverly Hamilton, John Lopez, Robert McGlohon Hope E. Paasch, Bill Robinson, Dana Smelser, Joe Tindel, John Wagner, Rebeca Zimmermann Copy editor Elaine Engstrom Cartoonist Scott McCullar Graphic Artist Pam Starasinic Photographers .. . David Fisher, Octavio Garcia, Jane Hollingsworth, John Ryan, Editorial Policy The Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting news paper operated as a community service to Texas A&M T, niversity 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. 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. Voters: Satisfaction, by Clay F. Richards United Press International WASHINGTON — Unemployment is the highest since the Great Depression, interest rates have put home buying beyond the means of most Americans, businesses are failing daily ... and there are signs the voters are not alarmed. According to all the polls, a majority of Americans do not think they are better off today than when Ronald Reagan took office. But those same polls show there is no strong indication the voters will throw the Republicans out of office in the 1982 congressional elections. And the turnout in the long string of summer primaries show that in these eco nomic troubled times the voters aren’t coming out to show their displeasure at the polls. Those that do turn out are not in a mood to throw the bums out. Only two House members and one governor were defeated in the primary. “Where’s the passion?” a Democratic Party official asked recently. “Don’t they care? There doesn’t seem to be any ex citement in this election.” As a result of what the polls tell them, in the past months Democrats have pri vately scaled down their expectations in the fall elections and now say they don’t expect to gain more than a dozen House seats. That practically amounts to a vic tory for the GOP, since the average loss for the party in power in recent years is 38 seats. Reagan can take a large share of the credit if his party has minimal election losses this fall. It’s no accident the Repub licans are running ads saying, “lets give the guy a chance.” The same polls that blames the admi nistration for the nation’s economic polls show the country is still has high personal regard for the great communicator in the White House. There are also indications that voter reaction to the nation’s problems will be to stick it out with the guy you got, rather than vote for a change in the mid-term. The long string of one term presidents has convinced some voters that continun- Battal ion/Page 2 September 23,198; ¥< b< or apathy ity may be important after all. The voters also seem less interesi this year in radicals of the right orl The multimillion dollar effort of the!\| Right’s Natio.naal Conservative Po| Action Committee has thus far not threatened any of its targets and tin hasn’t been any upsurge in them®! Hexas of successful liberal candidates eithei fellow; Also while economic conditions bad, they are not as bad as theGi Depression. Then when dad lost his there was no money to put food on Hig! caused many attract She Deceir gree ir table. Today, in the age of two pa|dt |; tr y in S families, one spouse can still feed family when the other is laid off. Or maybe it is the year of the si try an< in her startin $24,OC voter. The pollsters have been foolei dellow; the voters before. Just as recentlyasi years ago no one was predicting a Reas landslide over President Carter andi Republicans woidd sweep intocontro! the Senate. That’s what’s making the polititi uneasy as they move into theheartofi campaign offeree influei “If to gra< 1, I a tantsh She aged t now b the ob pjob. “Ha would ary by dollars But an as school The fellows SURE l‘M SERIOUS ABOUT IPUTPONOVAN IN THE LABOR PEPARTMENT, ? ' ing sti educat monet dividu tries funds. Dr. the gr; 50 fell out. H for fel and fe time w Fell form said, need f to gra sponsc from i those mic are us Mo: but th three Fell throuj to gut towshi vice, b to ma: Letters: Lebanon situation continues w< one-fo teachii semesl mer st hent a for 12 semest Editor: In light of recent developments in Lebanon and the publicity it has gener ated, I decided to write The Battalion in order to present some observations. First, I would like to say that the Mid dle East as a whole is a volatile areas and will probably continue in the same fashion for years to come. Atrocities have been committed against innocent civilians in Lebanon be fore; this is not new. The culprits have been from many different factions, both pro and anti-Israeli groups. Both Israelis and the PLO will con tinue to retaliate against each other for what they perceive as acts of terrorism, which will lead to more deaths among civilians on both sides. The PLO barricaded themselves in heavily populated Beirut knowing that many innocent civilians would become victims of the Israelis-PLO fighting. The Lebanese people should be left to control their own destiny, this means the withdrawal of Syrian, Israeli and PLO forces from their country. In closing, I would like to say that the blame cannot be laid on any one group for the terrible situation that now exists in Lebanon. I would like to suggest that rational thinking is needed, not decisions based on fanatical religious and cultural biases. Joe Howard Frey Graduate student Political Science Why did it happen? Editor: After hearing and watching the news about the massacre of the hundreds of innocent civilians in Lebanon, which used to be a peaceful country, I am asking myself questions to which I can’t find answers. Why? Why? Why does such a thing happen, the scene of slaughtered men and children are inconceivable under any moral or immoral code. Women crying for their lost husbands and chil dren and still no one understands why! No religion on earth, no law, no prin cipal allows this. Could humanity be reduced to such barbarian savageness? Can man become such a beast? I wonder! Dalia El Sayed Agricultural Economics Protest posters Editor: After seeing the PLO supporters’ de monstration on Tuesday, I feel that it is my duty to speak up on the Israeli-PLO situation. I must say that I couldn’t be lieve my eyes when I first saw some of the posters that PLO demonstrators were holding. For example, a Star of David with a swastika inside — that is the worst insult to not only the Israelis, but also to Berry s World all the Jews around the world,, includl the ones going to Texas A&M. Another poster was equating Bef with Hitler. Now, how can a ratioro half-educated person even compare! gin, who has not been accused of at thing, to Hitler, a mad mass killer andi darkest figure in Jewish history, apparent to all that instead of sit voicing their protest, the PLOsuppoif maliciously attacked the emotionsofjf' ish people with their tastelss signs, luff gard to their protest, I feel that no(® should make such strong accustatt® without substantial evidence to M them up. As Matthew wrote in Chapter verse 3: “But why notice the splii your brother’s eye without taking no® of the beam in your own eye?” week s Suz; studer E Liza Ostrovsi ) 401 Anderset (coi physic; Nee Brazos reappi becaus volved amour do the “We hire p< they ( dently the int and b taxing turn c hecess: apprai our lo’ “Ift us the would' Was.” | The ; for 19 idiotic — in short, it’s DYNAMITE!”