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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 28, 1983)
Page 2/The Battalion/Wednesday, September 28, 1983 opinion Letters B-CS in need of a listener- responsive rock radio station Editor: Wake up, 92-KTAW. team questioned When it comes to having a good music radio staion, B/CS is a desolate wasteland. Since 92 is the only modern rock type sta tion in the area, my comments are directed specifically to 92. 92 is devoid of any sense of responsibility to its listeners. It seems 92 is only interested in earning another adver tising dollar for its sponsers. Has 92 forgot ten about its listeners? What about playing some music for a change? I thought the purpose of a music-oriented radio station was to play music with a few commercials thrown in every so often. 92 plays commer cials so often that they rarely play more than two songs without three to five commercial interruptions. I like most of the music they play — when they actually play it. Howev er, they can bag the Sunday night jazz altogether. Editor: I have a few questions concerning the 1983 edition of the Texas Aggie football team. Question #1: Why do we still lose after four supposedly great recruiting years? Question #2: Why do we still lose when we supposedly have the best coaching staff money can buy? Question #3: Why do we repeatedly run the ball on third down and long? Question #4: Why do our cornerbacks give 10 yard cushions to the receivers? Don’t tell me its to prevent the big play; i.e. an OSU 43 yard touchdown pass at the end of the first half. If anyone knows the answers to these questions, please let me know. Lawrence A. Smith ’85 In my opinion, 92’s DJ’s are pitiful. They interrupt the beginning and the end of ev ery other song with some sort of extraneous nonsense that is of no use to listeners. If the DJ’s need to say something, let them do it before or after, not during the song. Falwell defended 92 needs to wake up and realize that they are not attracting any listeners. Students merely tolerate 92 because they have a monopoly on rock music airplay in this town. I thank God for the invention of cable radio because, although I may have to listen to 92’s garbage in the car, I can go home and listen to Houston’s KLOL and 97 Rock. These stations play commercial-free blocks of music without some DJ constantly inject ing meaningless remarks. Granted, these stations are not perfect, but they are light years ahead of 92. Also, the country stations such as KILT-FM and KIKK-FM have picked up on the values of playing commer cial-free blocks of music. So I ask, “92, what’s your excuse?” Furthermore, why do you keep playing that ridiculous UPI World News every hour? If I want the news, I’ll read the paper or watch TV, but I don’t want to hear it on a rock (or music in general) radio station. True, most radio stations do have a brief news program at various times during the day, but not every hour, and especially not UPI World monotone. 92 should play com mercial-free, interruption-free, DJ-free, blocks of music and let some other medium or station deliver the detailed news. “92, wake up to what KLOL, 97 ROCK, KZEW, C101, etc. did a long time ago. If you do, you will attract more listeners and gain local support. If you don’t, I’m going to figure out a way to put cable radio in cars and pack your mudd.” Editor: Concerning the Falwell uproar: Because the very nature of the conserva tive outlook is less fiercly outspoken than that of the politically liberal or radical, the silent majority is less apt to express itself in print. Now for our side. Despite what our outraged liberals might have you believe, what actually took place at the Falwell program was the airing of some very basic political and bibilical beliefs by a respected conservative leader. Apparently, having fasted all summer, some students perceived this as an oppor tunity to rant, rave, tear their hair, and exhibit various other productive behaviors. Sorry guys, hate to burst your hot-air balloon, but Texas A&M is still, basically, a very conservative school. Of course the radicals and book-burners of this world get more press; any journalist can tell you that an event is “newsworthy” when it’s “unusual” or “different"... Outside the norm. But don’t think the norm doesn’t exist, simply because it doesn’t make front page copy for The Battalion. Finally, I would suggest what would seem to be a point of simple common sense: When questioning an individual in his field of expertise do not attempt to “trap” him unless you really know your subject. (File this away under “101 Ways to Save Face and/or Keep your Job”, you may need it.) For a student, transparently lacking any knowledge of Old Testament law, culture, or society, to demand of Dr. Falwell a 60- second capsulization of the differences be tween Old Testament and Soviet histories was completely assinine. (Ever asked a grad assistant to explain a detailed computer program to you in one minute or less? Get real!) Christ Jesus said to “suffer the little chil dren,” but when do the children grow up? D. Kuldell Petty ’85 Kim Norris ’85 The Battalion USPS 045 360 Memlvr ot Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Conference editor. Hope E. Paasch Managing Editor Elaine F.ngstrom City Editor Beverly I iamilton Assistant City Editor Kelley Smith Sjtorts Editor John Lope/ Assistant Sports Editor Joe Tindel Entertainment Editor .... Rebeea Zinnnerinann Assistant Entertainment Editor Shelley I loekstra News Editors Brian Boyer, Kathy Breard, Tracey Taylor, Kelly Miller Photo Editor Erie Evan Lee Staff Writers Brigid Brockman, Ronnie Crocker, Scott Griffin, Christine Mallon, Michelle Powe, Ann Ramshottom. Slejthanie Ross, Karen Schrimshcr, Carol Smith, Angel Stokes, John Wagner, Kathy Wiesepa|>e, Wanda Winkler Cartoonist Paul Dirtneyer, Scott McCullat Photographers Brenda Davidson, Michael Davis, (iuy I food, John Makely, Dean Saito The ButUilion ;tlso serves as a lnbomK-iy ncwspupet tor students in reporting, editing and phologruphv clas ses within the Dcpat Intent otC.onuminications. Questions or continents concerning any editmitil mtilter should he directed to the editor. Letters Policy Letters to the Editor should not exceed 300 words in length, and arc subject to being cut if they arc 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 he 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, 210 Reed McDonald, Texas A&M Uni versity, College Station, I X 77813, or phone ( f()9) 845- 201 I. Editorial Policy ihe llntlnlion is a non-protit, sell-supporting news paper opcraleil as a lonnnunity set vic e to Texas A&M Vniversil) and Htyan-College Station. Opinions ex pressed in The Battalion ate those ot the editor ot the author, and do not netcssat ily represent the opinions ot Texas A&cM Univctsily administrators or lacultv mem bers, in ot the Board ot Regents. The Battalion is published Monday through Eriday during Texas A&M regular semesters, except for holi day and examination periods. Mail subscriptions are $ 10.75 per semester, $33.25 pci school year and $35 per full year. Advertising rates furnished on request. Our address: The Battalion, 210 Reed McDonald Building, Texas A&M University, College Station. I X 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. Dorm life can be a chore for the uninitiated resident The other night at yell practice I over heard an off-campus Aggie shouting to the on-campus students, “Off Campus Aggies, isn’t it great. You get Sbisa, we get steak.” Well, since coming to A&M, I have discovered dorm life isn’t all it is cracked up to be. All my high school years I heard fairy tales about the challenge and excitement of dorm living: all-mght beer bashes, group gropes, fun-loving pranksters and just an over-all party life. Welcome to the real world. kari fluegel were Dorm life usually also includesIm and/or picky neighbors. Itisnotunra mon that a dorm dweller has loliii down the stereo to complain noisy neighbor. The other night my roommateanl were up late {flaying cards. TheradioK low, and we were talking and quietly. Suddenly our next doorneii peopiTwho robbed bor knocked on the door and askede Fried Chicken be quiet. I guess we were shufflingll cards too loudly. W1 STUDENT Y-FIS chairmen and sul in 501 Rudder 1 DIAMOND DARI be picked up in BONFIREThe las Grove. Attend o particiapte in Be IM-REC SPORTS field for the lonj THEATRE ARTS: Center box offic ductions of “Wh; in Rudder Theah at 845-2621. UNIVERSITY LL have a 10 p.m. ca Main. LAMBDA SIGMA: Tower. CANTERBURY A feast of St. Mich; Festivities begin; Jersey. MSC RECREATI ■ scheduled for 7 AdGIE CINEMA: p.m. in 701 Rud CLASS OF ’85:T-s ; Memorial Studer - the Jan. 7-14 ski TAU KAPPA-JUN bership meeting; will be served aft TENNIS CLUB:W stands of the Te: PRE-VET SOCIE school? Come to DEPARTMENT OF Wadekin, a profe W. Germany, wil European agricul Sterling C. Evans Kilg( United Press Inter KILGORE —It’s Besides not being able to rely on Mom for keeping food around, I have had to learn to pull myself out of bed. Getting up at 6:20 a.m. isn’t easy to do after spending the majority of the night at the Chicken. I also have had to learn how to do laundry. So far I have a beige shirt that has turned a peculiar shade of blue and a white shirt that is now an odd shade of pinkish-maroon. When I first moved into my dorm room, I wondered what kind of animal had lived there the previous semester. Hairballs were waltzing across the floor, while spiders were jitterbugging on the ceiling. Since then, my roommate and I have cleaned and decorated the room, but it still looks as if someone blew their nose on the wall. Not only are the walls disgusting to look at; they aren’t too successful in pro viding privacy. The walls are so thin that every time a phone rings, I have to listen to it several times before I can determine if the ringing phone is ours or the next door neighbors. Not only do the phones sound as if they are in the same room, it is impossible to hold a normal phone conversation without the neighbors being able to hear every intimate detail. When sharing a bathroom withtb [ them to death on Reynolds said the hate to see anything^: ported missing fro Texas franchise wa: would normally be other girls, it can get a little i keep track of eacJi others One time a towel hung untouchedfoi week because no one knew to whom are^aTedrspokesI belonged. It was a perfectly good!■ - so, since I waste, I finally took it down, and claimed it as mine. Activities which are constantlygoiii around the dorm tend to interfered various other habits — like studying! usually is rather difficult to concent® on the lobes of the brain when youkiw “An Officer and A Gentleman” or “St Wars” is on television in the Conunois Dorm life isn’t all bad though, hi admit it is kind of fun to short-sheetyot roommate’s bed. Kidney stone patient victim in brutal war with kidney $2,000 planned ahe; abduct five people south of town, a T< said Tuesday. In Louisville, Ky restaurant chain’s h “Normally the en required to deposit in the bank more l day.” Reynolds sai don’t know whether was made that day.’ Reynolds said h comment on whetln might have been tij out the undepositec restaurant. by Art Buchwald United Press International I had a kidney stone attack in Evensvil- le, Indiana. I wouldn’t have mentioned it except that an alert Associated Press urology correspondent picked up the story, and it made the AP wire. So many people have written in asking what a kid ney stone attack really feels like that I decided to try to explain it in terms that the layman can understand. A kidney stone is about the size of a tiny pebble to everyone except the per son who has one. To this person it is the size of the Rock of Gibraltar. In fact, many people when they get a kidney stone attack scream out, “I’ve got a piece of the Rock!” / There are two kinds of kidney stones. One is made up of uric acid, and the other of calcium. Doctors can differenti ate between the two, but patients can’t, nor at the time of an attack do they give a damn. If you’ve felt one kidney stone, you’ve felt them all. This is what seems to happen as far as the victim is concerned. He is going along minding his own business when sudden ly, out of nowhere, a mountain forms in the kidney which, as I said, feels like the size of the Rock of Gibralter. The kidney reacts angrily to this inter ference with its function and tries to push the rock into what might be described as the Suez Canal. Obviously the Suez Canal cannot accommodate the Rock of Gibral ter, and without any warning war is de clared between the kidney and the rock. An urgent message is sent on the hot line from the kidney to the rock. “Unless you get out of our canal immediatly, we will attack with everything we have in our organ.” The rock sends back a one-word reply: “NUTS!” The patient, who is a horrified neutral spectator to this exchange, tries every thing to achieve peace. He paces up and down, rolls to and fro, and eventually tries to climb the wall in hopes that the kidney and rock will come to their senses. Using diplomatic tactics, the patient tries to persuade the rock that if it will just move a few inches down the canal, the kidney will not try to break it up. But the rock is adamant and demands tremendous concessions in exchange for withdrawing from its position. will have to surrender, which meal handing over negotiatons to the Cross. It would be nice to report that a kidney stone ha. »t a battle ( would learn their lesson. But ately this is not the case. Even thoughB! kidney moved the enemy to a safepkfj distinctly heard, in my Demoral stupoi the rock say to the kidney, "I mayf down the drain, but there’s a lot mod us where I came from.” Texas Ranger G participating in the investigation, said al bery appeared to th live in the slayings F he felt the killers “k one of the employe< Officials said $50,000 in reward been collected for leading to the arres ■ lers. “How do I know,” the rock asks, “that if I move from where I am now I will not be driven into the sea?” The victim assures the rock the kidney has no intention of pushing it into the sea. All the kidney wants to do is live in E eace with the lower part of the body. As mg as the rock doesn’t try to prevent the kidney from doing its work, the rock can live in the bladder for as long as it wants to. Slouch By Jim Earle If negotiations fail and the rock re fuses to move, then a UN doctor is called in who immediately fires a volley of De merol or some other painkiller into the bloodstream. This does not stop the war between the rock and the kidney, but it gives some shelter to the innocent, while their kid ney tries to push the enemy out of its territory. This can only be done with gal lons of water which the kidney forces against the rock. If the good guy (the kidney) wins, the rock will retreat and even sue for peace. If the rock is able to repulse the water attack and hold its own, then the kidney “I just can’t keep my mind i Studies!” 5 n.M. tit st' * Bryan-C MM Univorsih 2120 Texas A\ 82!j Villa Mari