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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (July 13, 1983)
Page 2/The Battalion/Wednesday, July 13,1983 opinion Magazine salesmen worst Solicitors disturb peace As I guided my ailing Chevy into the parking lot by my apartment the other day, I noticed that the ugly row of mail boxes by the swimming pool had been rendered even uglier by a small drift of bright yellow pizza coupons. There they will lie until they decom pose, which could take years. Or until someone picks them up, which could take even longer. Obviously, a pack of crazed pizza addicts had mugged some poor soul who had been hired to distribute the coupons, stuffed their pockets with as many as they would hold, and left the rest on the ground in their haste to get away. Well, maybe not. It is more likely that the coupon distributor was being paid - according to the number of coupons he - inflicted on the neighborhood, and threw them on the ground in his haste to knock off for the day and crack open a few beers. Usually, pizza coupons have no trou ble finding their way into the apartments to be stuck into our doors, which is only slightly less annoying than finding them in a pile on the ground. If I had thought to save all the coupons that have appeared in my door, along with the ones I receive regularly through the mail and in the newspaper, I could probably have a pizza for supper every night for the rest of the year and save a dollar or get a free drink with each one. Unfortunately, pizza businesses are not the only merchants who bring their advertising pitches to my front door. There is a small army of people in Col lege Station who visit or phone apart ments and dormitories offering “bar gains” on newspapers, food and a variety of other things no sensible person could stand to live without. And then there is a special breed of solicitor — the magazine salesmen. These guys are, beyond any shadow of a doubt, the most obnoxious creatures that our civilization has ever produced. Fortunately, groups of these animals are shipped into town for only limited periods of time (we are relatively safe in the summer, when there are fewer stu dents for them to feed on). No one sterns to know where they come from, but my theory is that they are recfuited from used car lots and amateur comedy work shops and given abrasiveness training at a secret facility hidden in the Rockies. The magazine salesman’s pitch has nothing at all to do with the virtues of his product. After shaking your hand thor oughly and asking sincerely to be accepted as a friend, he insists that you help him out. He tells you how he will win a cruise or some fantastic prize if he accu mulates a certain number of points, and if you will only help him, he can reach that magic total. It is only at this point (about five minutes have elapsed, but it seems like fifteen at least) that he reveals he is selling magazines, and you are asked to subscribe to one or more of them if you don’t want to hurt his feelings. Life in this town would be a lot easier if something could be done to limit the acti vities of the door-to-door advertisers and salesmen. Of course, such action would have a negative side effect — the army of people currently employed to hassle us from time to time would be out of their jobs. I suggest that a program be started to help these people. After all, there is a chance that they can be rehabilitated and sent back into society to lead normal, pro ductive lives. Maybe they could get jobs delivering pizzas. Sorry, still no Mexican weather data by Kelley Smith Battalion Staff I’m sorry to report this, but once again we will not be able to publish Mexico’s weather report. I know you’re wondering, just like me, “Why doesn’t The Battalion have Mex ico’s weather report?” The reason is that United Press Inter national — our faithful news reporter — has not been supplying us with this infor mation for the past couple of months. Instead, they just tell us that it’s not avail able. Why? I don’t know. One can only guess. Could it be a conspiracy by UPI to crip ple our newsroom by withholding vital information causing us to feel the horri ble helplessness when we realize once again that we don’t have Mexico’s weather? Or could it be a conspiracy by the Mex ican citizens and business associations? Possibly the missing data is part of an effort to discourage Bryan-College Sta tion residents from visiting Mexico. Without Mexico’s weather report, it would be hard to plan a trip there. How would you know if it was raining, snow ing, super sunny or just normal?) Or more possibly, is this incident a di rect affront to Aggies? Have too many Aggies already ruined the reputation of the many quiet peaceful border towns? Have too many Aggies taken trips there only to buy cheap food and clothing and spend wild nights there with the tequila? I don’t know, your guess is as good as mine. Or maybe it’s just the opposite. Maybe Mexico wants to garner more business for the country. Maybe officials feel that if people want to know Mexico’s weather badly enough, they will go to Mexico. Of course, while the people were there looking at the weather for themselves, they would have to eat, and this means buying food. They would also have to sleep somewhere — it’s a long drive to look at the weather for only one day. This would mean income for the hotel owners. Whatever it is we, The Battalion, still do not have Mexico’s weather report. But I guess it really doesn’t matter since we don’t usually run Mexico’s weather report even when we get it. Letter: ‘Minority’ feeling not shared Editor: This letter is in response to the fellow who wrote the letter last week pleading his case as a “white minority.” Equal Opportunity Employment and Housing were initially started to give people, such as women and blacks, the chance to have jobs and houses. The problem with these programs is that while they were well received by most people, there were and still are plenty of prejudiced people in this country who absolutely refuse to give minorities and women a chance to do anything. While I can understand your argu ment, as it is a very very old one, I can not share it with you. It is not the job or the house that people want, it’s the chance to get the job or house that people want. If you, or anyone else, do not think that people are denied things in this country because of color of skin, gender, or even a different accent. I’ve got some news for you. Prejudice is deep-rooted and cuts across a very thick line in this country. As long as people continue to join and be a part of various groups, organizations and churches that preach good vs. bad, right vs. wrong, and outright blatant hate for other groups, organizations and churches, then this country will continue to ferment prejudice. Furthermore, as long as there is prejudice, certain groups of people will not be given the chance to start jobs or own houses. A secular government that preaches freedom and equality for all, as ours does, has to insure in some way that all minorities are treated properly. It is un fortunate that in the process of guaran teeing fair treatment to all that others wind up feeling discriminated upon. Although I suspect that those who cry like yourself are just making noise be cause it almost sounds good, I can’t see how a white male attending Texas A&M can feel like a minority. Furthermore, if you are so confident in yourself, then I personally see no reason why you should feel like a “white minority.” As a strong person, you should be able to go out and find another job if you are turned down the first time. Unless, of course, you are not as strong as you boast. Slouch By Jim Bad “A class that doesn’t meet on Friday? That’s the only limit tion you have?” Ice cream honored as American desse by Dick West United Press International WASHINGTON — Old saying: “Ev erything I like is either illegal, immoral or fattening.” Although most ice cream comes under the heading of the third taboo in the above lament (in some varieties, butterfat content is as high as 20 percent), the con fection appears to have escaped the more rigorous prohibitions of the dieters’ code. To date, no “light” ice cream has caught on with calorie-conscious con sumers in the pattern of light beer and certain other products associated with waistline bulge. Apparently, it takes more than the specter of excess poundage to discourage ice cream eating. If statistics compiled by the Interna tional Association of Ice Cream Manu facturers mean anything, the stuff is con sumed by 98.8 percent of the people in this country. “What a pity this isn’t a sin,” the French novelist Stendahl is said to have remarked upon first tasting ice cream. That attitude may in part account for the fact that U.S. residents last year downed 4.1 billion pounds, which figures out to 93 scoops for every man, woman and child in the country. This, then, was the situation facing the industry as it designated July as “Nation al Ice Cream Month:” On one hand, “overwhelming positive consumer attitudes” that have put ice cream on a plateau with baseball, apple pie and motherhood as enduring Amer ican virtues; On the other hand, a guilt feeling of the type that caused one magazine writer to used the word “confessions” in the title of an article on ice cream consumption. Whatever the national frame of mind, there is little doubt the United States is in the grips of what has been called an “ice cream renaissance.” Kan., and Rep. Thomas Foley,&1 to sponsor a poll to determine^ cream preferences of membersc gress. In the survey, more than 40^ were identified as favorites, witl late, vanilla and butter pecan heai list. Cherie Pt services sea 1. Pi The choices were announced!! was billed as an “old-fashionedice party” on Capitol Hill. Thatfum the official beginning of the ^ Cream for America” observance Not a bad beginning for a whose origins are lost in the mists quity. Although people have beenecj continuous ag frozen treats since the time of AlesK' on ^ or ! V the Great, trade sources coulddoiew Quahiyin^ r f recognized by nent of Aj by Gwendc Battalio I At least seve 'owners in Braz for a prograr families who Family Land Whatever the national fmi in Novembei mind, there is little doubt (it trecf auf sun ited States is in the grips capitol. has been called an “ice creaip naissance. ” This year has seen a 5 percent produc tion increase over a comparable period in 1982. The publication Progressive Grocer lists ice cream and ice milk products as No. 1 in the frozen food department, and 33rd among the 200 best-selling super market items, edible or not. Nevertheless, the industry obviously feels that some consumers aren’t doing their part. “There is a major merchandising marketing opportunity for ice cream,” says the manufacturers association, ex plaining that increased sales is a matter of creating “top of mind” consumer aware ness. One of the first steps in that direction involved presuading Sen. Bob Dole, R- magic moment when ice cream w vered.' There was no inventor hand-cranked freezer shouting ka,” or anything like that. Ice cream just sort of evolved has been documented that some was served in America as early as Also well-documented in them appearances of various accessories ice cream cone, for example, wai made and sold at the St. Louis V Fair in 1904. Congressional tastes to the coil the latest trend in the business see: be in the field of designer ice ere! All kinds of new and non-tradt flavors have been developed in decade. Among the novelties are dill pickle, jalapeno and Adican'k cream. One modern concoction Meatballs and Spaghetti Ice 0 although that is something of a mis er, the name having more to appearance than ingredients. Even some of the lawgivers brole tradition. Besides the big three catching the fancy of senators and sentatives included “Oreo “White House Cherry” and “! Pecan Pie.” As for toppings, such as em the creation of sundaes, the only rent boundary is imagination. Suffice it to say that one of tfr sponsors of “Celebrate with Ice month is a company best known! jams and jellies. Co:- The Battalion USPS 045 360 Member of Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Conference Editor Hope E. Paasch City Editor Kelley Smith Sports Editor John Wagner News Editors Daran Bishop, Brian Boyer, Beverly Hamilton, Tammy Jones Staff Writers Jennifer Carr, Scott Griffin, Robert McGlohon, Angel Stokes, Joe Tindel Copy editors . Kathleen Hart, Beverly Hamilton Cartoonist Scott McCullar Photographers Brenda Davidson, Eric Evan Lee, Barry Papke Editorial Policy The Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting news paper operated as a community service to Texas A&Af 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 editor' ter should be directed to the editor. Letters Policy Letters to the Editor should not exceed 300 length, and are subject to being cut if they aw The editorial staff reserves the right to edit lettC style and length, but will make every effort to the author’s intent. Each letter must also besignt^ show the address and telephone number of the* 1 * Columns and guest editorials also are welcoirt are not subject to the same length constraints at k* Address all inquiries and correspondence to: h The Battalion, 216 Reed McDonald, Texas AcSA versity, College Station, TX 77843, or phone (4M) 2611. The Battalion is published Tuesday, Wednesday Thursday during both Texas A&M regular sessions, except for holiday and examination ^ Mail subscriptions are $16.75 per semester, $33$ school year and $35 per full year. Advertising' furnished on request. Our address: The Battalion, 216 Reed McD° : Building, Texas A&M University, College Statin 11 77843. United Press International is entitled exdusi' f the use for reproduction of all news dispatches to it. Rights of reproduction of all other matter reserved. Second class postage paid at College Station- 77843. Stephen Weiss ’84