Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 22, 1982)
Slouch By Jim Earie Rock seminar opens eyes Last Friday, a friend and I decided to go to the Maranatha Seminar on Rock and Roll. The Christian-oriented semi nar was to be about backmasking and subliminal suggestion, so we thought it might be interesting. The seminar began with a warning that anyone wishing to make comments should save them for a question-and- answer session at the end of the program. After Maranatha pastor Brady Clark introduced the program and guest speaker Lee Taylor, the show began ... show and tell, that is. For the next two hours, Taylor, from the University of Texas, denounced the rock-and-roll and country-and-western music of our gener ation, saying that they had satanic origins and are corrupting the morals of young people today. Slides of AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, KISS, Rush and the Rolling Stones album covers were projected on the screen, and Taylor pointed out va rious satanic emblems. Songs were played forward which used blatant references to death, hell and app Satan. Then, six different songs were played from rock groups that used back ward masking. Clark played parts of the songs several times until most of the audi ence agreed that they could hear satanic references. Clark said a prayer at the end of the presentation asking for protection from the evil of Satan. The last 10 minutes consisted of a question-and-answer session. Only 10 or 15 questions had time to be asked when Clark interrupted the session and ended the seminar. There were several pro rock people who stated their dis ment with the facts presented byjennife program. 1 feel that the rodai 1 . Battalion element did not have a fair diiB fhe College Sta present their side before the; em V ' V' l, /-m i -j , ! gainst the C.ent However, Clark said anyonewk Lict will see , to discuss the issue furtherwasv p vera i mon( ^ s to stay and talk with him untilllK oa rd president ing closed. a y S . “Nobody but the groups kno«[ ; ^* ie business/j ward masking is accidental,”Cki c ‘ ass 1S l . u • v . . .. lass the suit deal In my opinion, il is no lent aid . Thesuitc | ail whole sentences can be cok | 0 fp lce ( ij ( | not understood. The idea that it ism ir0 p er ty at 100 p on purpose just doesn’t hold wait a lue. The Peve 1 must admit 1 was shakenatlk reated the app that I heard, and wondered iftht ays all properi playing tricks on my senses. I a:J|pp™sed at 100 j (nit wonder at the rapidity at wt P et va * u c. have progressed from the daju I Atcol( in g < Dick Van DykeShow, withsingletil he and Laura, to the blatantsciti| AC/DC saying “I’m on a highwat Maybe they’re right. Maybe u rock and roll is a bad influence Meanwhile. I’m still listening! and roll, but classical and instre music appeals to me more each: jurisdiction recon [hange in appra “We have 500 decals like this — do you think anyone will notice?” Student seeks freeze nuclear weapons on Editor: Surprise! While w’e here at Aggieland have been worrying about whether or not we should wear our hats in Kyle Field, the rest of the world has gone right on by with some very real issues. Let’s face it, w hether our traditions go on or not, if Israel and Palestine light Reader’s Forum each other until both are totally obliter ated, whether or not the people of Po land are allowed to have a labor union, the world will go on. However, if the arms race between the United States and the USSR is permitted to go on, the inevi tability of nuclear war will also race on until there is no hope of stopping it. We live in a society which thinks “that only happens to the other guy,” hut in a nuclear attack, if it happens to anyone, it happens to everyone. T he idea of a “li mited” nuclear war is totally ludicrous. Once a nuclear warhead hits an area, kill ing the inhabitants, the radition will be carried by the wind for several hundred miles, killing many thousands more. Another way to put the situation into perspective is like this: our nation was shocked at the slaughter of a few hun dred people in Lebanon in September, most were civilians, most were women and children. To drop a nuclear warhead on just one major city could increase that number literally ten thousand times. It may be hard to believe that the whole country was mislead by the under estimation of nuclear warfare during the era just after World War II, but what is even more difficult to accept is the fact that the government is still trying to sell us on the notion that a nuclear attack would be survivahle. Do they really think that the Soviets are going to give us a three-day warning so we can all evacuate the cities before we’re incinerated by their mushroom clouds? All the “bomb shelters” and fallout shelters built during the 1950s and main tained by the Cavil Defense won’t help the problem. In the first place, the buildings won’t he left standing, and those far enough away from the blast to stay intact will be drowned in poisoned air, render ing them useless also. Aside from the fact that there will be no place to seek shelter, the ground will absorb enough radiation to kill all vegetation, leaving no con tinuing source of food. As you can see, even if by some miracle a person did sur vive a nuclear war, all that would be left is a poisoned planet unable to sustain even the most primitive civilization. If the danger of this issue still does not seem clear, think about this for a minute. On June 3 and 8 of 1980, a 46(2! computer circuit chip malfunctioned. That alone is no problem, hut this particular chip just happened to be in the advanced warning system of the Strategic Air Command, and it signalled a Soviet missile strike. The result was that our nation’s defenses were on full alert, and preparations were made to launch a counter attack that would have been the beginning of the last war — no apologies accepted. We cannot let this race for doomsday go on. We can stop it. We have to stop it if we want to survive. All we have to do is let ourselves be heard. The call for a freeze on nuclear weapons is not being run by a bunch of long-haired, dirty people riot ing for peace. It is the American Medical Student Association, the National Con ference of Black Mayors, the Federation of American Scientists, and the Student National Education Association. It is almost two and a half million Americans who have signed petitions calling for a halt to the production of nuclear weapons. It is time that Texas A&M stand up for something more than Texas A&M. It is time that we became known for more than tradition. Let’s show the world that we care about what happens to it. If we just sit back and watch, it’s going to be too you'RE ALL PRO BA SLY wondering why i called THIS PASSIVE PRESS CONFERENCE,,. Disable i by Brian Battalion Ki Forty-five ham arning disabled ryan-College Sir break from thei hool work and d |ext two weekend: in Association t he first rock c emester kicks of hen the Motels fVhite Coliseum. The Los An louring to sup} ilbum, All Four fie group’s thirc produced two hit he Lonely” and Out of Lover an The Motels’ ilbums, The Mo vl, sold poorly; lienees largely nd rock audie hem too New W; tire mainstream Taray (whose pi nclude producin he band has fori xperimental sou s the Motels’ rec Letters: Reply on bonfire safety late. Kevin Peter ’86 The Battalion USPS 045 360 Member ol Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Conference Editor Djana Sultenfuss Managing Editor Phyllis Henderson Associate Editor Denise Richter City Editor Gary Barker Assistant City Editor Hope Paasch Sports Editor Frank L. Christlieb Entertainment Editor Nancy Floeck Assistant Entertainment Editor Colette H utchings News Editors Rachel Bostwick, Cathy Capps, Johna Jo Maurer, Daniel Puckett, Jan Werner, Todd Woodard Staff Writers Jennifer Carr, Susan Dittman, Beverly Hamilton, David Johnson, John Lopez, Robert McGlohon, Carol Smith, Dana Smelser, Joe Tindei, John W'agner, Rebeca Zimmermann Copyeditors Elaine Engstrom, Bill Robinson Cartoonist Scott McCullar Graphic Artist Pam Starasinic Photographers . . . David F'isher, Octavio Garcia, Michael D. Johnson, Rob Johnston, Irene Mees, John Ryan, Robert Snider Editorial Policy The Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting news paper operated as a community service to Texas A&M University and Bfyan-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 and 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. Editor: The Environmental Health and Safe ty Committee has possibly taken the next step in eliminating an important tradi tion at this University — Bonfire. “Facul ty members from various departments” have come to the conclusion that Duncan Field, the site of the Bonfire since the late ’50s, is an unsafe location (Oct. 21, The Battalion). I have reservations about several of the issues in this judgement. I especially would like to know who makes up this committee and what their special qualifi cations are concerning the various safety aspects of the Bonfire. Have any of them ever worked on it or seen it built? How many of these faculty members even gra duated from Texas A&M? And why, when students build the Bonfire, was there no student representation on this committee? The earlier safety study re ferred to by Professor Marsh was con ducted by students, myself included. The specific safety objections motivat ing their decision have been discussed in The Battalion previously. The New Uni versity Press Building was supposedly built with Bonfire in mind. Student Gov ernment last year passed a resolution to move the press building and we were given that response in reply. Fire hazards to homes on Jersey Street have always come up, but I have not missed a Bonfire in the past 16 years and I have never seen nor heard of Bonfire setting anything else afire. The fact is that Bonf ire sj^ends money pre-fireproofing buildings and keeping firefighters on hand for just that reason. No need to fight that Jersey Street congestion, the trucks are right here. Still the alternate locations might be somewhat safer. But would a Bonfire at Texas World Speedway mean quite as much? Would fewer buildings on the west campus be endangered or would grass just become an additional fire hazard? Bonfire poses some enormous prob lems at times. The logistics are often stag gering. Thousands of students cutting in the woods along with fleets of trucks and tractors are required to brin? in the wood to build it. But students and former stu dents alike give time, money and equip ment every year so that it will continue. After all, if it were easy anyone could do it. The committee is overlooking human factors. Bonfire is a student project for all Texas A&M students. Students plan, manage, raise funds and build the Bon fire. It is a unique project that helps make this university unique, for it serves but one purpose — to symbolize the ties be tween all of us as Aggies. Nothing could ever replace it as a cherished symbol of Aggie Spirit. James Starr Redpot Bonfire ’82 been in the [process of trying tod the deadlines, since many student not aware pictures were being tall the yearbook. For more information call: I or check the Around Town ct T he Battalion. Bonn Friei Aggieland Editor-iti'l Student body president defendf Yearbook extension Editor: Attention Ags: Forget the Aggieland is a tradition- bound yearbook that wins awards for photographic excellence every year, — just remember that when the Aggieland comes out next year, without your pic ture in it, it is only because you did not take the time to go to the Yearbook Asso ciates studio at 9700 Puryear Drive and have your picture taken. What are you going to say to your mom when you bring your copy of the Aggieland home, and she asks “Where is your picture, son?“. What are you going to say to your children twenty years from now when they ask “Where is your picture, pop?” How about — “I was too lazy, I did not hear about it, or I did not care.?” The deadline for freshmen and soph omores to have their pictures taken has been extended until Oct. 29. You still have until that time to get your picture taken. This will be absolutely, positively, compound, complex, the final deadline for freshmen and sophomores. Junior and senior mugs will be taken until Dec. 17. Also, the Aggieland and Yearbook Associates studio regret any inconveni ence caused when students were turned om the studio this week. We have Editor: In response to Spunky’s letter ing the character of our less 1 beloved Student Body President, to know what affiliation she haswitl> dent Government. This letter strikingly brutal, it only made me< tion the conflict that must haveZ between of Spunk and Pearson W heave such a personal vendetta. This girl, and I assume Spunk' girl, has openly expressed some biased opinions, taking full advantaj the First Amendment but failingtol ( the method to her madness, and In' term loosely. How ’bout a chai sketch on Spunky! Granted, Pearson probably is an maniac or even a megalomaniac (l® 1 up), but can you think of anyone would run for president of anything didn’t have an ego? Unfortunately,^ who choose to be in the public eye, usually with good intent, have to be jected to the idiocy of one-sided inn ,J do — it simply goes with the tern 1 Luckily for Pearson, who cares? But Spunky has attacked “P.P.T ing that a public rebuttal is near imp hie. I’m not condoning Pearson’s 1 tionahle incompetence, nor praising accomplishments, and I under* 11 there are a few, but I just want to “Elect Spunky Student Body Preskle 1 Let’s see what she can do with thejok 1 the verbal harassment that accomp* 11 it. (I wonder if her license plate " l ' ! say, “Spunky Prez.“) “AG SONM Sp€ 5 (reg S (reg “1