The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, February 21, 1983, Image 2

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opinion
Battalion/Pagsll
February 21, IS
^r"
Slouch
By Jim Earle
‘If’s a self-actuating device to help me study.
Blizzard of ’83
telling the grandkids
by Art Buchwald
“Well, grandchildren, I’ll tell you the
/ story once more. It was called the “Bliz-
> zard of ’83.” The white stuff came up
• from the south and paralyzed just about
> everything from Virginia to New Eng-
C land. Snowdrifts as high as telephone
^ poles buried cars, knocked out power
- lines and closed airports. Some people
* didn’t get home for days, and others
2 couldn’t get out of their houses for
2 weeks.
“When did you hit Grandma?”
“Who said I hit your grandma?”
“She did. She said you hit her about
the third day.”
“Your grandma exaggerates. I took a
swing at her, but I didn’t hit her. What
happened was I had given up cigarette
smoking about two weeks before the bliz
zard, but I knew she always kept a pack
for guests in the house. So I asked her
nicely where they were, and she said,
‘This is a good test of willpower. If you
Can stop smoking during a crisis like this,
you’ll have the filthy habit licked.’
“You see, kids, I was working for the
government then, and they announced
on television the first morning of the bliz
zard that if you didn’t show up for work
you wouldn’t get paid. So I drove in, slid
ing all over the road and almost getting
killed. When I got to my office, my boss
said the government had changed its
mind and everyone could go home.
“By then it was really coming down,
and I could hardly see. I finally got stuck
about five minutes from here in a grid
lock.
“What’s a gridlock, Grandpa?”
“That’s when several stupid SOBs go
through a red light and block the cars
that have the green light. Pretty soon no
one can move, and people start honking
their horns until they run out of gas.
“Then everyone leaves his car in the
middle of the street and starts walking
home. I got to my house about three
hours later, and the first thing Grandma
said was: ‘You’re getting my new rug all
dirty with your wet shoes.’”
“Is that when you took a swing at her?”
“No, I was very nice about it. I said: ‘If
you give me a cigarette, I’ll take my shoes
off.’ She wouldn’t do it. Anyhow the snow
w r as coming down like you wouldn’t be
lieve, and your mommy, who was five
years old then, and your Uncle George,
who was seven, thought it was the
greatest thing that ever happened in
their lives. They insisted I take them out
and pull them on their sleds.
“When I said I’d do it the next day,
they both started to cry, and your grand
ma told me to do it then, because the
snow might be gone the next day. So I
pulled your mommy and your Uncle
George in the snowstorm up to the drug
store, but it was closed. I could see ‘Doc’
inside and I knocked on the door. But he
wouldn’t open it. He shouted: ‘Your wife
said if you came up here to buy cigarettes,
not to let you in.’
“So you took a swing at Grandma when
you got home?”
“I finally tried rolling some dried pars
ley in a newspaper, but when I lit it, it
almost burned off my nose. That evern-
ing after your mommy and Uncle George
went to bed, I started to beg. I told
Grandma we were blessed to have a warm
house, and enough food, and to live in a
great country, and I would take her to the
Virgin Islands with the insurance money
I got from our abandoned car. She finally
took pity on me and said she would tell
me where she hid the cigarettes the day
the city sanitation department cleared
out the sidestreets of the snow. When she
said that, I realized she was toying with
me. And that day, children, is when I
took a swing at your grandmother.”
The Battalion
USPS 045 360
Member ot
Texas Press Association , .
Southwest Journalism Conference
Editor Diana Sultenfuss
Managing Editor Gary Barker
Associate Editor Denise Richter
City Editor Hope E. Paasch
Assistant City Editor Beverly Hamilton
Sports Editor. John Wagner
Entertainment Editor Colette Hutchings
Assistant Entertainment Editor .... Diane Yount
News Editors Daran Bishop, Brian Boyer,
Jennifer Carr, Elaine Engstrom,
JohnaJo Maurer, Jan Werner,
Rebeca Zimmermann
Staff Writers
Melissa Adair, Maureen Carmody,
Frank Christlieb, Connie Edelmon,
Patrice Koranek, John Lopez, Robert
McGlohon, Ann Ramsbottom, Kim
Schmidt, Patti Schwierzke, Kelley
Smith, Angel Stokes, Tracey Taylor,
Joe Tindel
Copyeditors .... Shelley Hoekstra,JanSwaner,
Chris Thayer
Cartoonist Scott McCulIar
Graphic Artists Pam Starasinic
Sergio Galvez
Photographers David Fisher, Jorge Casari,
Ronald W. Emerson, Rob
Johnston, Irene Mees, William
i Schulz
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 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.
Weather wonderland cliches If
by Dick West
United Press International
WASHINGTON — We were having
such a nice winter here on the Eastern
Seaboard. Compared to some years,
January was almost balmy. (I mean that
in the meteorological rather than the
phrenic sense.) Then February had to
come along and do something stupid,
like dumping a near-record blizzard on
the area.
One snowbound day, body all achin’
and racked with cabin fever, I switched
on the television to catch a weather up
date. What I caught that I didn’t already
have was the tail end of an interview with
— Are you ready for this? — the ubi
quitous psychologist, Joyce Brothers.
Along with writing “What Women
Should Know about Men” and other pro
fessional accomplishments, Brothers has
practically made a career out of appear
ing on talk shows. Availability is the
watchword.
For its Valentine special, does your TV
station need a psychological interpreta
tion of “Roses are red, violets are blue,
sugar is sweet and so are you?”
Well, be assured that neither snow
drifts, nor wind-chill factors nor the
gloom of congealed traffic is likely to stay
Joyce Brothers from the swift completion
of her studio appointments.
As I recall, she was first imprinted on
the tiny tube back when another type of
cliche was in vogue — the quiz show for
mat. Incongruity was the watchword
then.
The cab driver who was an authority
on Grand Opera. The cojj who quoted
Shakespeare. The female psychologist
who knew everything about boxing.
Quiz show producers apparently had a
rule against questions about, say, geology
being answered by a geologist. I guess the
great unseen audience wanted geological
information to come from hotel
doormen.
Anyway, they since have been replaced
by talk shows and weather updates.
When Joyce Brothers faded from the
screen, I was reminded of my first news
paper job in Waxahachie, Texas.
That was during the Great Dej^ress-
ion, and the editor, to conserve funds.
by J
The
thefts a
terhav<
kept in his desk a three-columnpfii
graving showing the WaxahachietJ
try Club with snow on the roof.
Rather than go to the expensed
inga new photograph every timeiiipjgures
ed, which was fairly rarely,hewoii § Thi
out the old “cut” and runitinthef: be noth
“All snow looks alike,” theedite ;d ent ^
to say.
In my jiarochialism, I thouehtlj
only talking about snow thatfel&i
sky. I since have learned themaspl
be applied to talk shows as w
Other look-alikes indude
waiting on airport ramps for
to clear the runways. And all airy
sengers stranded inside the tei
And all automobiles abandonedei
streets.
As television has so vididlycoi
th is winter, all snow does indetcl
alike, whether it falls in
Washington, New York, Boston,(If pjair
go, Des Moines, Denver or Waxahkvho w
Next February, let us hopekrIraimm
weather and the winter wontiJo edu
< lit lies improve. With JoyceBrotlt® 85 '^
hand to explain w hat it all meant
“No, as a matter of fact I played it very
cool. I pretended she was right and said:
‘What better time to give up smoking
than during the worst blizzard the North
east has ever known.’ That night while
everyone was sleeping, I ransacked the
house. But I didn’t find as much as a butt.
“The next day we were all snowed in.
By afternoon your mommy and Uncle
George were at each other’s throats. Ev
ery magazine I read had a cigarette ad in
it. I kept searching the house, pretending
I was looking for a paperback edition of
‘Winds of War,’ but I couldn’t find a
smoke.
DeH
imbedd
desensi
purcha
sensitiz
when tl
slore.
| All In
th< low
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second
said.
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“Unc
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watch s
see stoi
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■oced
windov
check i:
ages ar
I HEAR HE WAS HORSE OF THE YEAR UHTIL HE JOINED HIS
KIPIWPERS AND CHAW HIS NAME TO TANYA
store.
_ ‘Rati
mgs or
student
mgs in,
of mini
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for salt
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Letters: Sorority wrongly accused
An open letter to William B. McGuire
and Fellow Aggies:
The letter of reprimand that was
placed in The Battalion was very misdire
cted. The sorority of Kappa Kappa Gam
ma did not place the distasteful flyers
around campus on Feb. 11.
Mr. McGuire, had you shown some
common courtesy and inquired as to the
posting of the flyers, you would have
been informed that the Kappas had no
idea that the flyers were displayed and
had no part in it. If you would have
opened your eyes before putting pen to
paper you would have noticed by Friday
afternoon that ALL flyers had been torn
down by Kappas and other Greeks who
recognized the prank.
To the party who took the liberty to
print such announcements in our name,
we do not understand what kind of per
son would find humor in this type of
joke. Don’t you think it would be better if
you were to confront us directly if you
hold a grudge or have anger, instead of
involving an entire university? We would
think that in being an Aggie, you would
try to support the endeavors of all
Aggies, instead of bringing them down.
As Aggies, a bond exists between us that
singles us out as being willing to help one
another and uplift and encourage one
another. We do not think that you have
exemplified the true spirit of being an
Aggie.
Kappa Kappa Gamma is an organiza
tion based on Christian ideals and per
sonal excellence. Sororities are not per
mitted to purchase alcohol nor hold open
parties in their houses. The greek system
does, however, hold many functions that
support other local organizations.
“Orgies” or “housing a brothel” does not
and never will fall into this category.
Sororities and fraternities have done
nothing to harm the atmosphere or tradi
tions that occur at A&M. This prank is a
slap in the face of the Greek system and
Kappa Kappa Gamma is an innocent bys
tander. We hope the persons responsible
for this slander have gained sufficient
satisfaction from these actions so that no
other group will suffer from these chil
dish pranks.
The members of Kappa Kappa Gamma
D
Pledge kidnapping
not condoned
Editor:
In response to a letter from Rhonda
Reese which ran Friday, Feb. 18, may I
simply state that the Texas A&M Inter
fraternity Council does not condone
“kidnapping” of pledges or any other
activity which may interfere with a stu
dent’s academic responsibility. In fact, I
completely agree with Miss Reese’s point
of view and assure you that measures will
be taken to prevent any similar actions in
the future.
Don Scott Marable
President, Texas A&M Inter-fraternity
Council
AEROSPACE ENGINEERS
— High Speed Aerodynamics-H
across campus in under 30 minii
PHYSICAL EDUCATION
Survival Techniques — Finding)
ing place on campus and find:
camjjus after parking your car
forget a lunch.)
ART 304 — Advanced ArtGr
— Designing your own staff[&I
sticker.
FINANCE 407 — Advanced!'
ing and Cost Control — Payment
statement fees (parking tickets))'
$40 check return policy.
MILITARY SCIENCE 306-
gies — Keeping cadets off of«
streets during corps’ runs
MATHEMATICS 314 - Pi
— Determining the percentageof
gate tavern patrons causing
accidents after 9 p.m.
ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN
Landscaping — Revamping
parking areas by uprooting Nt
signs and creating new spaces.
Just remember, Highway 61
ways ... and one way mighttakeyo*
fish lot.
P.S. We park in New
closer.
USE
diap
YOU
'nC—-
Campus parking classes
Datt) J
Kerif
Hugk'
l
Editor:
In the past years, A&M has made
tremendous strides in recruiting and
growth. Unfortunately, the transporta
tion system hasn’t been able to keep up
with these increases. The following is a
tentative curriculum which would be a
prerequisite for obtaining a parking
sticker. Hopefully these suggestions will
expose the humorous side to the trans
portation problems facing the Univer
sity.
Statue error
Editor:
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
417 — Automotive Engineering —
Squeezing three cars into two parking
places.
The picture of the cardboard’!
a take-off on the statue besidedl
(Art at Rudder Tower — Feq
minds me once again of am
was never corrected. The statuf']
during 1976, should have bornf;
tennial slogan “Founded on the]
instead of “Planned for theFui 11 !
Office of International Cooid