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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 7, 1983)
Page 2/The Battalion/Wednesday, September 7,1983 opinion Unprepared could No one ever prepared me for Texas A&M. I thought my transition from Amarillo College, a small junior college in the Panhandle, to A&M would be relatively simple because I had been in a college atmosphere for two years already. But no one ever prepared me for this. I should have been forewarned that I was unprepared when I tried to obtain my paid fees receipt, that without which a student is not officially allowed to eat, sleep or breath at A&M. I had mailed a check for my fees to the University two weeks before my arrival on campus, but had never received the receipt in the mail. Wandering around the campus, quite disoriented, I first proceeded to the wrong area of Rudder Tower and was then incorrectly directed to the Pavillion kari fluegel where I was again directed back to Rudder. When I finally found the right place I proceeded to the line marked “Sent pay ment, but not received receipt.” The student behind the table looked for my records, which could not be found in his basket of paperwork. Then, in true get lost in Aggieland Aggie spirit, he searched other area bas kets until he located my records in the unpaid fees line. My receipt, I discovered, was being held because I had written my check out for $1777.93 instead of $1777.95. After putting in my two cents worth, I was fin ally admitted to A&M. I realize A&M is a school full of tradi tions, but why didn’t someone warn me about everything? I understand and appreciate tradi tions like the Twelfth Man, not walking on the MSG grass and midnight yell prac tice, but no one ever told me about the other traditions. No one ever told me it was a tradition at A&M to sweat. In my home town of Amarillo the temperature frequently rises over 100, with no humidity; there fore, residents are used to being hot and dry. The transistion from the dry Panhandle to College Station has left me hot and wet. I was recently complaining to a friend about the humidity when I was reminded that girls don’t sweat, they glow. Well, I have glowing like a pig ever since I got to A&M. Also, I was never informed of the hur ry-up and wait policy of the University bureaucracy. Unbelieveably, the only place I don’t have to wait is line is in the restroom. Rain is also a new experience for any one from the Panhandle. My brother, of the Aggie Class of ’82, warned me that the insignificant little sprinkles I was used to in Amarillo was nothinglt rain storms here. Being an ex-girl scout, I decided! would be prepared and purchase! umbrella. I should have boughtaSi suit. Sore leet seem to be a traditiom Standing at football games isn’t so after walking a mile to class, a mih MSC to discover there is no mailaoi and a mile back to the dorm. Another tradition I wasn’t warned out is that walking on the sidewil between classes is the same as shoulii want to be run over by a bicycle.” It is unfair for new students too Aggieland completely unprepa therefore I’m taking the initiative. I New and future Aggies, watchoitl. the things Mama didn’t tell you. Reagan out of commissions by Dick West United Press International WASHINGTON — President Reagan is being credited in some quar ters with raising the government-by commission concept to the level it en joyed during the Eisenhower administra tion. I personally am not entirely convinced that Reagan is all that devoted to the com mission form of problem-solving — or roblem-ducking as the case might be. ut Ike’s allegiance was unmistakable. Not for nothing did his years in the White House (1953-61) become known as the golden age of presidential commis sions. So what if some of them operated behind signs that said, “The duck stops here.” Every time a hot potato was tossed in his lap, Ike would announce he was appointing another commission. “We’re going to get the best brains in the country to look into this matter,” he would say. Then he would name the president of a breakfast food company as chairman. By coincidence, the chairman’s name might have been drawn from a list of “I Like Ike” fund-raisers during the pre vious presidential campaign. But don’t get me wrong. I’m not sug gesting that the brains of breakfast food moguls are not among the best in the country; or that presidential commis sions might be a way of paying off politic al debts and cooling hot potatoes. It is, however, somewhat axiomatic that by the time a commission appointed to study a certain problem makes its re port, the public may have lost interest in the issue. Moreover, a president is under no legal obligation to abide by a commis sion’s recommendations. Nevertheless, the popularity of com missions began to fade during, as I recall, the Nixon administration. The usefulness of commissions as a governmental tool is at least question able. There is, however, one sure way to settle the argument once and for all. That would be for Reagan to appoint a presidential commission on presidential commissions. In fact, he wouldn’t even have to name a new commission. The study could be turned over to the bipartisan Scowcroft commission, whose life Reagan recently extended. This group originally was appointed to recommend ways of deploring the MX nuclear missile. If invited to testify before the group, I would recommend that some of the new MX missiles not be equipped with nuc lear warheads. Instead, they would be armed with copies of old presidential commission re ports. It could be the only way to get the Geneva disarmament talks off dead cen ter. The prospect of being bombarded with old commission reports would, I sus- ect, bring Soviet negotiators to their nees. Slouch by Jim Earle “We’re the ones who are stand ing ready to go in and play, in case we’re needed as a Twelfth Man on the kickoff team. “ 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 Lopez Assistant Sports Editor Joe Tindel 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, Michelle Powe, Ann Ramsbottom, Stephanie Ross, Karen Schrimsher, Carol Smith, Angel Stokes, John Wagner, Kathy Wiesepape, Wanda Winkler Cartoonist Paul Dirmeyer, Scott McCullar Photographers Brenda Davidson, Michael Davis, Guy Hood, John Makely, Dean Saito 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 telephone number of the writer. Columns and guest editorials also are 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 (409) 845- 2611. The Battalion is published Monday through Friday during Texas A&M regular semesters, except for holi day and examination periods. Mail subscriptions are $16.75 per semester, $33.25 per school year and $35 per full year. Advertising 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. Letters: Appeal made against DWI Paul Basse] and Rhode White Hous former pro! his honor a on Tuesday Editor: I am writing this letter from my hos pital bed and I’d like to direct it to the A&M students. Last Thursday night (Aug. 25) around midnight I was unfortunate enough to be involved in an automobile accident on Harvey Road. Not only ws the driver of the other vehicle speeding, but he was also drunk and did not have his headlights on. With in a matter of seconds, he crossed over two lanes, and traveling down the wrong side of the street, hit me head on. My car, being only a Datsun 210 was no match for his Ford LTD. My car was completely totaled and had there been anyone in the car with me, they would have surely been killed. Unbelievably, I came out of it alive. I did, however, sustain two fractured ribs, a broken hand, a possibly re fractured collarbone, lacerations on my cornea, and many other cuts on my body. Had the other driver not been so drunk, I would not be wearing a neck- brace and riding around in a wheelchair as I have been. In the future, I hope that everyone will think twice before they attempt to drive while intoxicated. It is a terrifying experi ence to be involved in such an accident and to undergo the misery I am presently going through. Just thankful to be alive, Arnold Weil ’83 Rules of college life Editor: Here are a few rules that you may find relevent to the student body. I know they brought back memories (good and bad) for me: Sen’s Law of Higher Education — The one course you must take to graduate will not be offered during your last semester. First Law of Class Schedules — Class schedules are designed so every student will waste the maxim time between classes. Second Law of Class Schedules — A prerequisite for a desiredco|. St hanie M will be offered only during the semes following the desired course. First Law of Applied Terror — When reviewing your notesbefe an exam, the most important ones will illegible. Second Law of Applied Terror Battalion Staff ll want to be able to t rent payments,” r student Paul Ha \ at a reception gi icr. That's an unit [nt for a Rhode: ite House Fell bder of a national i The more studying you did fori pnization to say. Paul Basse has just irofbeinga White I ,one of four Agg leive the honor. A one year and mi lb cabinet member Is for informal dis Hasseworked fort exam, the less sure you are as towli answer they want. Third Law of Applied Terror — 80% of the final exam will be has ssewasabletowor on the one lecture you missed or then '“^nt agency at book you didn’t read. Fourth Law of Applied Terror — Every instructor assumes thatsi iwi t have nothing else to do except stud) 1 ft'ndoijini'enTor the that instructor’s course. ■ background and Fifth Law of Applied Terror Inmaking to restor — If you are given an open-bo« a cataloging s exam, you will forget your book, wmrican films mad Corollary: ,B|’. . If you are given a take-home exT h | ( >t> involved you will forget where you live. 0 vwood tc G- . /• ■mos and filmmak Sixth Law of Applied I error I en c harleton „ — At the end of the semester you Mining at the White- recall having enrolled in a course at tiled for Hasse beginning of the semester attending. Duggan’s Law of Scholarly Research — The most valuable quotation wiM the one for which you cannot determii the source. Rominger’s Rules for Students 1) The more general the title of course, the less you will learn from it 2) The more specific a title of acoufl the less you will be able to apply later Greg Cizik 'Si — and ne jj'J lmw ( l . st ! ie mai pluses, Michael A n g but God, Hasse said, si shing slightly. Remember ‘fish’ days by Dave Spence It’s not fair — it really isn’t — how the upperclassmen automatically dismiss the incoming freshman as a bunch of unstu- dious, pubescent hedonists to whom the word “study-lounge” is a paradox. Certainly it hasn’t been so long since most seniors were freshman (though for some, I know, it’s been quite some time) that they can’t sympathize with the fresh- Reader’s Forum man in their struggle between chemistry and the Chicken, calculas and Coors, geography and the Greeks. Sure, as the infinitely responsible senior I am now, I’m already immersed in homework this early in the semester, but I can remember back to my freshman year when there were, let’s say, “distrac tions": (Bam, bam, bam.) “Hey, knock softly like the sign says, will yuh? I’m studying.” (Bam! Bam! Bam!) “Oh, c’mon in then.” “Dave! Man, how ’bout some pizza. I’m starved, and already tired of Sbisa.” “Yah, OK, John, call Domino’s. But quietly, huh. Gotta study.” “Hello, Domino’s? I need three large pizzas delivered to room 309 . . .” “What? Try one small, John.” “Oh, I forgot to tell you. Barry and three buddies of his are coming with tons of beer and maybe one girl.” “John, they can’t. When my roommaif gets back, we’re gonna study this bid (Bam, bam, bam.) “If that’s you Barry, go away!” (Bam! Bam! Bam!) “C’mon in, he’s just kidding." “Dave, man! Party, man! Beer, ma Oh, and this is Belinda Crawlwell.” “Hello, Belinda. Nice to meet yoj Barry, you can’t stay. I’ve got to ...” “Not until you’ve heard Belinda it you about being rushed by the Deltas “Oh, wow! It’s so exciting. See, firs they called me.” “John, dammit, leave your hands oi my roommate’s records.” (Bam, bam, bam.) “Go away!” “C’mon in!!” Hi, I’m Frank. Live next door anil heard the party. Thought me and fli) eight friends would join you.” “Hi, I’m Belinda! You’re cute.” ^ B'nai ^xasA& fy Conti ^ Year Everyone i “John, would yuh turn the music do" 1 please. The RA will hear it!” (Bam! Bam! Bam!) “Go away!” “Open up! I’m the resident advisor! “Oh, s-sorry. P-please do come in.” “I’m afraid the music’s way too loud Going to have to write you up.” “No, no, please. This is all a big mis take. Y’see, I never . . Rosh Ha Wedn Thun Fridas Voi n Kip Lida) ^atuix 6:00 F (Bam! Bam! Bam!) “Sounds like more guests, buddy. “I’m sure it’s just my roommate. Hr swear that we were just going to stud tonight. I’ll let him in.” “Domino’s, sir!”