Page 2/The Battalion/Tuesday, May 3, 1983
opinion
Don’t get mad; write a book
by Dick West
United Press International
WASHINGTON —Jane Fonda appa
rently has created a certain amount of
friction in discharging her duties as a
workout queen.
First, there was a sex discrimination
suit filed by three former female em
ployees of her San Francisco health spa.
Then a conservative political activist
threatened to organize a boycott of her
exercise enterprises on grounds that part
of the profits were used to support “so
cialist” causes.
And now comes the implied assertion
that female fitness nuts who follow Fon
da’s exercise program don’t necessarily
end up looking like Fonda.
That, at least, is the message I get from
Linda Sunshine, author of the new
paperback book “Plain Jane Works Out.”
“I bought workout books and re
cords,” Sunshine writes. “I bought video
tapes. I even bought a red-and-black-
striped leotard.
“I did exercises every day, sometimes
twice a day.
“After a few months, I looked in the
mirror and what did I see? A movie star?
No, just me.”
Anyone who has ever undertaken a
body-building program can readily
empathize with the frustration Sunshine
felt.
As a lad, I was a disciple of the late,
great body-builder, Charles Atlas.
According to his advertising, Atlas was
a “98-pound weakling” until a bully on
the beach came along and kicked sand in
his face as he was sunbathing with his
girlfriend.
That insult inspired him to devise the
“Dynamic Tension” method of muscle
development. If the pictures in the ad
could be believed, a highly successful sys
tem it was, too.
The pictorial evidence indicated that
Atlas had become a veritable tower of
strength. Muscles bulged, coiled and rip
pled all over his body. Believe me, no
beach bully would ever kick sand on mus
cles like that.
I sent away for the Atlas regimen and
diligently, faithfully practised “Dynamic
Tension” for several weeks. But, alas, I
remained far too weak and scrawny to
intimidate a beach bully before the ador
ing eyes of a beautiful sunbathing com
panion.
I realize now I should have been more
like Miss Sunshine.
“I got even,” she says. “I sat down and
wrote my own exercise book.”
The result, she claims, “is the perfect
exercise plan for every woman who
knows she’ll never have thin thighs.”
Yes. That was how I should have
reacted. I should have written a body
building book for scrawny boys who
know deep down that no matter how
much they work out they’ll going to grow
up to be scrawny men.
I could have called my program
“Dynamic Tranquility.”
Instead of taking a bathing beauty to
the beach, make a date with Plain Jane.
When a bully comes along, offer him a
tranquilizer. Then, instead of kicking
sand in your face, the bully mellows out,
borrows your guitar and plays a few folk
songs.
Some day, maybe you’ll both get in
vited to Washington to perform on the
Mall during the Fourth of July celebra
tion. Sure beats push-ups.
THESE HITLER DIMES SEEM
TO BE AUTHENTIC, BUT WHy
DIP HE DEDICATE THEMTO
Letters: Campus litter complaints
Editor:
I have spent four wonderful years on
this campus, but lately I have been
amazed by its latest additions. They seem
to come in great quantity and variety,
such as McDonald’s cups, flyers, beer
cans and, worst of all, Battalions.
Litter on this campus has become a
problem and an eyesore to this Universi
ty. Obviously it is the person’s fault that
threw it on the ground, but the other 98
percent of us could cooperate also. To
the Battalion staff; Isn’t there a more
efficient method of distributing the pap-
The Battalion
USPS 045 360
Member ot
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Conference
Editor Hope E. Paasch
Managing Editor Elaine Engstrom
City Editor Beverly Hamilton
Assistant City Editor Kelley Smith
Sports Editor John Wagner
Assistant Sports Editor J°hn Lopez
Entertainment Editor . . . . Rebeca Zimmermann
Assistant Entertainment Editor Shelley
Hoekstra
News Editors Brian Boyer, Kathy Breard,
Tracey Taylor, Kelly Miller
Photo Editor Eric Evan Lee
Staff Writers Brigid Brockman, Ronnie
Crocker, Scott Griffin, Christine
Mallon, Robert McGlohon,
Michelle Powe, Ann Ramsbottom,
Stephanie Ross, Karen
Schrimsher, Carol Smith, Angel
Stokes, Joe Tindel, Kathy
Wiesepape, Wanda Winkler
Cartoonist Scott McCullar
Graphic Artist Sergio Galvez
Thompson,
Photographers
Michael Davis, Guy Hood, Irene
Mees, Barry Papke, William
Schulz
Editorial Policy
The Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting news-
ers to the dorms than putting them in the
middle of the side walk on a windy day? I
know we can’t blame you, we could pick
them up, but some of us seem to be too
busy lying out, playing frisbee, or tossing
horse shoes.
If someone littered in our yard at
home, wouldn’t we stop and clean up the
mess? So Aggies, let’s pull together, the
the physical plant is fighting a losing bat
tle. Next time you see trash on your cam
pus, pick it up, most likely there is a trash
can within 50 feet of you. I, like many
Aggies, feel the spirit of Aggieland is
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
thor, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of
i exas 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
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Columns and guest editorials are also welcome, and
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Address all inquiries and correspondence to: Editor,
The Battalion, 216 Reed McDonald, Texas A&M Uni
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2611.
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Second class postage paid at College Station, TX
77843.
here to stay, but can we tell by looking at
the campus?
Nancy Ford ’83
Chemistry review
Editor:
A committee is now reviewing the pre
sent Chemistry 101 and 102 curriculum.
Soon, they will offer their recommenda
tions to the head of the chemistry depart
ment on whether to keep the present sys
tem or adopt a new one.
In the present system students may
attend any lecture section. They are en
couraged to visit different sections to
find the professor they like and under
stand the best. Exams are standardized so
that students are not penalized for not
attending their assigned section. If this
system is changed, each professor will
probably make and administer his own
exams without regard to the other pro
fessors.
The committee compiling the report
has neither consulted students presently
enrolled in the program, nor allowed Dr.
O’Conner, director of first year chemis
try programs, to present his views except
at a first meeting.
I strongly encourage anyone with an
opinion on this subject to contact Dr.
John Fackler, dean of the College of Sci
ence, because he can make the final deci
sion.
You may not be directly involved but
— for the sake of the incoming freshmen
who have to take chemistry next year —
let Dean Fackler know how you feel.
Becky Bailes ’86
Slouch By Jim Earli
“Do you ever wonder if there’s a possibility that l/ieL S n
registrar’s office might find a remote, minor omission on ■ iir
your transcript just before they call out your name?”
f
Convention guide
for convention citie
by Arnold Sawislak
United Press International
WASHINGTON — Now that both
major political parties have chosen their
convention cities for 1984, it might be a
service to the citizens of Dallas and San
Francisco to give them some idea of what
to expect next summer.
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one of the local types undervvritii
show, but the best way to get in ma
get a job selling hot dogs at thecoKj'
tion hall.
First, pray for a spirited nomination
contest.
This is unlikely for Dallas if President
Reagan runs again and taps George Bush
as his running mate again. San Francisco
can hope that at least two of the horde of
Democrats are still in the field at conven
tion time, but if recent presidential years
are any indication, that nomination could
be wrapped up too.
Third, don’t expect to run intoa
celebrities on the street. By the tin
convention starts, everybody impi
will be surrounded by security foil ok
they don’t let bigshots take casual ies
down city streets these days. Mosllj 1Q|
stay holed up in the conventionk i' u
During the convention, to get all
the famous, head for traffic jams
by motorcades to and from the
the hotels and the convention h:
may see somebody important,
might also turn out to be yournia
And that can mean trouble for the host
city. If the thundering media herd that
attends political conventions doesn’t
have a hot nomination contest to follow,
it will start looking around town for news.
Some may let the local host committee
show off the sights of the town, but many
will search out the grungiest slums, ghet
tos and combat zones for the “real story”
of the convention city. You may not rec
ognize your town when you see it, and
you probably aren’t going to like it when
you do. (Atlantic Beach officials say cov
erage of their town during the dull 1964
Democratic convention came close to kill
ing the place once and for all.)
Second, don’t make any big plans to
attend convention sessions.
Both parties have had so many dele
gates, alternates, convention officials,
former VIPs, families, dear friends and
media camp followers at recent conven
tions that there was very little room for
them, let alone locals.
You may be able to get in if your
brother-in-law is a party wheelhorse or
Finally, don’t expect the conveni r l)
going to cure wha\ ails your town.
If your town has a bad image,!
run convention without a lotoftn
on the streets can help, as it did Net 1
in 1976, but there still are pled
Americans who think Manhattanisi
fire zone.
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df
itei
Nor is the convention going toen
recession for your town, i f that is its
lem. You may have read that thecoi
tion is going to bring $30 million ot
in new business to the city, butfigil T
that sort are more often bandied:
before rather than after conveni
And if the past is any guide, there! 1
plenty of business people in yout
who will say when it is all over that
didn’t make a dime.
In 1968, many restaurants
mally closed for the summer renii
open for the Republican convenii
Miami Beach. When both partie
turned to the same town four years
a lot of those eating places were
tered.
MSC posters criticized
Editor:
I am writing to formally complain ab
out an approved practice at the Memorial
Student Center complex. At most times,
there are posters on display on the first
floor of the MSC which make some short
comment and solicit replies. In some
cases, the comments are legitimate, but in
others the comments are very suggestive.
In all cases, a majority of the replies are
obscene. These posters are approved by
the Texas A&M University Complex
Scheduling and Services Committee and
are therefore a condoned activity of the
University.
As we all know, the MSC is one of the
highest traffic areas on campus. Not only
is it widely psed by students, but visitors
attending conferences on campus usually
go to the MSC to relax, to shop, or to eat.
Visiting dignitaries, prospective adminis
trators, professors, and staff are usually
given a tour of the MSC. More impor
tantly, parents of prospective students
usually visit the MSC. In many instances,
the MSC is the first stop on campus for
visitors.
What impression do these people
obtain of Texas A&M University when
they view these posters on a short visit of
our campus? Is this just a continuation of
the low standards we present to out
and nation by use of crude corp
dorm yells, midnight yell practice®
nities, and the indecent gesturest>
yell leaders at sporting events?
For a university striving to bea 1
university which is generating ot
tion’s leaders of tomorrow, can we 1
afford to publicly display this type®
garity? Finally, the Memorial Si®
Center is a memorial to those Aggift
gave their lives for our country^
type of activity appropriate witht
walls of a memorial for the dead:
John W. Kubenl
Cabin history want*
Editor:
Does anybody out there knowtk
tory or fate of the log cabin at 405D 1
Dr. in College Station? It was reel
torn down. Does anyone know ho®
tree down the street by the creek
lowed the brick wall?
Tad Davi
——— ] < : • ■'''