opinion
Battalion/Pap;
November 8,1!
Slouch
By Jim Earle
“You’re absolutely right! They are fifty-yard line tickets,
and I’m sure that you will have the seats that are listed, but
next time, don’t buy tickets when we play ‘Open Date.’”
Communications 104:
Intro to football cheers
by Dave Spence
I went to the football game last
weekend.
I hadn’t gone to one in a long time.
Once in the stadium, I found that just
as an athlete’s muscles would have
atrophied in absence of training, so had
my “rooting” abilities fallen into a shame
ful state of stuttering during a two-year
lay-off from football.
“Err, Go Team!” I said uncomfortably
after we lost yardage on a broken play.
Disparaging eyes of more fluent Ags
hushed me after that remark.
Finally, the gentleman next to me —
clad in maroon, a Class-of-’46 ring, and
horn-rimmed glasses — turned and
asked sympathetically, “You’re sorta new
at this, aren’t you?”
“Well, just a bit out of practice, I guess,
sir.”
“Would you like some tips? I mean,
I’m no yell leader, but I’ve had years of
experience.”
“Oh, that would be super!” I eagerly
replied.
Mr. Garner — as he later introduced
himself — beamed with delight at the
opportunity of instructing me in the fin
er points of “Stadium Etiquette.”
He was able to boil the whole “system
of optimum crowd response” into three
simple rules, which he taught me be
tween fits of hysteria directed at the line
of scrimmage.
“First,” be proposed, gesturing not
with his forefinger, but with an erect
thumb, “you hate the referee! The ref is
always an idiot. He’s blind. He’s a tea-sip.
You hate ’im, and continually let him
know it during penalties against us — all
of which, of course, are in the wrong. He
was most likely bribed by the other team,
y’know.”
“You bet he was, the swine!” I par
roted.
“Good, good. You’re catching on.
Now for rule two,” he proceeded while
beckoning a roaming Goke-boy over to
our seats. “You always reflect on what
would’ve happened if ...”
“If what?” I paid for the Cokes.
“If anything! Say ... if we hadn’t fum
bled the damn ball last quarter, just
think, we’d bedah, dah, dah. If that safe
ty wasn’t so lucky to be down field, our
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 Gary Barker
Assistant City Editor Hope E. Paasch
Sports Editor Frank L. Christlieb
Entertainment Editor Nancy Floeck
Assistant Entertainment Editor Colette
Hutchings
News Editors 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 Tindel, John
Wagner, Rebeca Zimmermann
Copyeditors Elaine Engstrom,
Chris Thayer
■Cartoonist Scott McCullar
Graphic Artist Pam Starasinic
Photographers David Fisher, Jorge Casari,
Ronald W. Emerson, Octavio
Garcia, 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 Bryan-College Station. Opinions ex-
boy would’ve gone all the way. If only—”
“If only we’d had the sense to keep
Bear Bryant when we had him,” I de
clared pedantically, “we’d be where
Bama is today!”
“Hell, yeah!” he agreed.
I began to enjoy this very much.
“Now for the last rule. Before I tell
yuh, gimme a good response to the situa
tion on the field. We’ve got the ball on
our own five, and the Bears are tackling
hard, hoping to knock the ball loose. Go
ahead. Give it a try.”
“It is imperative, fellas,” I screamed,
“that you embrace the football cau
tiously!”
Mr. Garner’s red face fell into his cu|>
ped hands as the crowd around us jeered
at my awkward verbosity.
“Not quite,” he finally criticized. “But
the right idea. The third, and most im
portant rule, is to always speak monosy
llabically. Even ‘football’ should be re
duced to ‘ball.’”
I was surprised to hear Mr. Garner say
that. He obviously had command of a
broad vocabulary and had explained this
stuff to me colorfully and with inspira
tion. People around me would think I
always spoke like a simpleton.
“No they won’t. Don’t be a snob, boy.
You’re not talking to them anyway;
you’re bellowing at the football players.
Keep it simjde. They don’t have dic
tionaries in the huddle.”
I nodded and he continued, “Try your
last yell again, but reduce it this time.”
“How ’bout ‘drop ball, no?”’ He
nodded.
The ball was still dangerously deep in
our territory. I went over the cheer again
in my head. Planting my feet on top of
the aluminum seat, I drew in air, cupped
my hands, bulged my eyes, and shrieked,
“Drop Ball, No!”
All heads instantly turned to me. I felt
like a fool and shrunk with embarrass
ment. But to my utmost surprise, the
crowd began to clap and to echo my spi
rited cheer.
Soon, the entire stadium resounded
with my inspiring words: DROP BALL,
NO! DROP BALL, NO!
And to all our satisfaction, the team
dropped ball, no.
pressed in The Battalion are those of the editor or the
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Columns and guest editorials are also welcome, and
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Second class postage paid at College Station. TX
77843.
Election may not affect future
'tff,
by Helen Thomas
United Press International
WASHINGTON — President Reagan’s
economic revolution has not been totally stop
ped in its tracks as a result of the midterm
election. But it won’t have the clear sailing he
yed in his first year in office.
The operative word until the returns
are fully digested is “compromise,” with
the Republicans controlling the Senate
by a slim margin and the Democrats con
trolling the House by a large margin.
Reagan, who has been rigid in his con
servative idealogy since the mid-’60s,
may have to moderate his views and
programs, and that won’t be easy. His
agenda calls for more cutbacks in social
spending and clearly will involve changes
in the social system, either by cutting be
nefits or raising taxes.
In the coming days, the president will
have to sit down with his key policy mak
ers and decide where he is going for the
next two years. Reagan’s top aides are all
convinced he will run again. The im
pending selection of Sen. Paul Laxalt, R-
Nev., his close friend and key 1980 cam
paign strategist, as campaign chairman
of the Republican National Committee, is
another sign that Reagan likes being
president and wants to remain in the
White House for another term.
White House chief of staff James Bak
er, in analyzing the returns, said that the
electorate is going with Reagan’s appeal
that he needs more time for his programs
to work. He insists that there has been no
repudiation of Reagan policies or prog
rams.
On the other hand, the vote in the
hard-hit Midwest shows that the blue col
lar workers he had with him in 1980 have
rejected his slogan, “Stay the course.”
Nor did he offer any new hopes for
the millions who are in the unemploy
ment lines, excejit to promise a better
future and “a greater America.”
The president believe he has a man
date to keep on doing what he is doing,
according to Baker.
Reagan’s vigorous campaigning over
the past few months has focused on a
defense of his economic policies and a
strong attack on his predecessors, parti
cularly Jimmy Carter.
He also laid heavy blame for die de
ficits on the Great Society jurograms, con
tending that he has done much better for
the poor by bringing inflation down.
Reagan has never mentioned the cost
of the Vietnam War in the ‘60s and early
’70s as a contributing factor to the de
ficits, or LB J’s failure to raise taxes to pay
for the war.
In the closing days of Congress,
Reagan’s relations with Speaker Thomas
O’Neill, for all the overlay of Irish
humor, became downright acerbic. The
lines are definitely drawn for all the ex
planations that “we’re friends after six
o’clock at night” facade.
There definitely will be a continuing
clash of ideologies in the next Congress.
Baker told reporters he expects the
House coalition of Southern Demon Bat
and Rejiublicans to hold on sefe A lectim
issues Reagan may pursue despilt M busine
Democratic gain in congressional so |j e ^ n ^ e(
But other observers believei ' ex ‘ is ‘
Reagan will have to be more flexible;
more amenable to opposition sug p r ^ a |
lions to get any new programs® metal
Baker also told reporters ogeled jrofessora
night the returns showed (hat Ik ecture tear
will be able to lead the countryelfetlii Update Ft
in the next two years. Christian p
-,, , • | | Ifiic subject;
he president scored m several pis | de a ^
where he campaigned for individii [-helecture
particularly in what is called “Rei| j ea i s to |
Country,” such as California and\t [teas. Mos
da. He also lost out in some areas wit brum hold
he had put in appearances forGOPc Bub he
didates. ects where
I lis hopes that the ideologoicalo* ,0 ' I i j l ,' s nwt
vative sweej) in the country thatm .. u ' lt .’
ifested itself in 1980 would continut f u, l ects " 11
... . . . . . fcetive rea
course were dissipated by the election jnv d jf'f ere
ihformatior
suits.
But unless he wants togovernbv ,
which was done by President Ford
lowing the 1974 midterm elections,!
going to have to jrlay ball tosomee
with the Democrats.
On the other hand, the powerd
White I louse cannot be underestimi
nor can Reagan’s ability to take his
the country on national television,
The betting is that he will not bend
easily. He was not nicknamed “Dm
for nothing.
Christian pi
lid.
esl n
Sp'
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gar
Spectrum
End which
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deverythii
Letters: Definition of freedom
Editor:
Dear Tom:
Thanks for your apology and the clarifi
cation of a Head Yell Leader’s responsi
bilities. However, certain comments in
your letter disturb me. First, the Memo
rial Student Center is dedicated as a
memorial to the men who gave their lives
in defense of this nation and the f reedom
it represents, not in opjziosition to
homosexuality or the ideology of com
munism.
We have fought wars against the
forceful spread of communism, but not
against communism as an ideology, and I
know of no military conflict in which
‘who had sex with whom’ was an issue.
The freedoms that this nation is founded
on and which so many people have died
for do not cease at the entrance to the
bedroom.
If two mature individuals of the same
gender consent to have sexual relations,
nobody, not even a Head Yell Leader,
has the right to tell them they cannot
exercise their free will. These same free
doms also allow the people to choose
their own form of government, whether
it be democratic or communist. The
words ‘communist’ and ‘Soviet Union’
are not synonymous, so please do not get
them confused. Having been in the
Corps myself, I know there is a tendency
to assume all socialist countries are auto
matically our enemy, which, of course, is
not true.
Second, this nation began because a
group of people fled their homeland in
search of religious freedom. It is your
privilege to believe in the religion of your
choice (which you profess to be Christ
ianity), but DO NOT force your “Godly
princijDles and morality” on me. It is also
my privilege to choose my own religion
and formulate my beliefs.
The Bible may say homosexuality is
wrong (which is questionable and very
much in debate among Biblical scholars),
gut that makes it wrong only for Christ
ians, not for the world. Do not use the
f acade of religion to spread your jDerson-
al beliefs throught the United States.
The United States enjoys a degree of
freedom unequaled in the history of this
planet. The only way we will continue to
enjoy this freedom is to keej4 our minds
open to opinions and points of view that
differ from our own. A free and open
forum where all issues can be intelligent
ly and rationally discussed is the best
method of ensuring this democracy con
tinues.
Only suppressed ideas are dangerous.
We must be tolerant and respectful of
other peoples beliefs as long as they do
not infringe on another persons rights.
PROVE to me that homosexuality is a
threat to this nation. Don’t give me emo
tional outbursts or religious dogma.
Show me reliable, documented FACTS
that demonstrate homosexuality is harm
ful. Provide evidence that another form
of government is a danger to our free
doms.
NEVER quietly accept another jDer-
sons beliefs. ALWAYS ask questions and
research the subject before adopting a
stand on an issue.
If you are going into the military, and
even if you aren’t, before you risk your
life defending this nations freedoms, I
strongly suggest you study the following
definition:
Freedom: The quality or statu
being controlled by others. (Mera | exas
Webster Dictionary).
I also suggest you seriously read
think about the Constitution of tliel
ited States. Maybe then you will! companiest
some idea of what this nation isft«- Dr. Leon
about.
David Gaskill
Thanks
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Edwards, Ted Crisp, Suzy VincentJ through the
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dez. It is encouraging to see so manb
dents from Texas A&M involved ini
zos County politics. Thank you for
support and help.
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