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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 16, 1984)
Opinion Page 2/The Battalion/Thursday, February 16, 1984 Chamber dispute not good for B-CS •Texas A&M students sometimes are too wrapped up in their own worlds to think about the community they live in, and that’s understandable. After all, Brazos Valley is just a part-time home for many Aggies. But a major battle has been going on between Bryan and College Station, and perhaps we should be aware of it. What started out as a simple reloca tion of the Chamber of Commerce building has turned into a war. A vote among the Chamber members Mon day fell short of the two-thirds majority needed to amend the Chamber’s char ter to allow moving the main office to College Station. The College Station City Council al ready had voted to contribute $400,000 toward purchase of the pro posed site for the new building. Now that the Chamber office will not be moved to College Station, some City Council members are unwilling to put up that much money unless Bryan con tributes half of the costs. Here’s the tricky part. College Sta tion allocates $100,000 a year from ho tel-motel tax revenues to the chamber. Bryan allocates $30,000. Travis Bryan Jr., a chamber mem ber and Bryan resident who opposed the move, said he didn’t fell his actions have rekindled old rivalries. Hogwash. College Station Mayor Gary Halter referred to College Station as “the mi nority partner” in the chamber. He’s right. College Station contributes more money to the chamber — and based on both cities’ growth patterns, will con tinue to do so — but that didn’t seem to matter in the final vote. Not every Bryan official was against the move. Mayor Ron Blatchley fa vored the move, but now that the vote is over he has expressed hope that ev eryone can “go on from here.” Unfortunately, it’s not going to be that easy. Too many feelings have been hurt and too many principles have been violated. The Battalion Editorial Board fer vently hopes the two cities don’t tear themselves apart forever over this is sue, but it seems that may be unavoid able. — The Battalion Editorial Board mm SIMDFm, H to By ^ Stuck make B neater, to live 1 to sign com] clean u by Stud The schedu starting Beca success for hel been cc Yard v pair jo accepu “We anyboc Maritz Any be dor call th office help, 1 Stuc 31 Hire the top nation 1 Letters lonal > lently ; petitior How |imply Texas / Save the memorial Editor: Thanks to the Physical Plant the memo rial at west gate no longer exists in its original form at the west gate entrance; thanks to a gift by a former student — the “Albritton Bell Tower.” What is the significance of the carillion tower? To peal at Aggie victories? Not a bad idea, but one which I believe does not have ■ the right to supercede the importance of the memorial iTIsTeplacih^. The me morial is to commemorate those brave sons of Texas A&M who died in World War I, a much nobler cause than an nouncing Aggie victories. It’s not the bell tower or its ideas I dis like, again, I think it’s a marvelous idea. It’s the lack of respect and thought given to a gift of former students which predates tljfe graduation date of the new gift’s sponser by 17 years. There was — as usual — no planning by the Planning and Facilities construction department as to the disposition of the monument. These are the same people who are allowing the destruction of A&M’s ar chitectural Heritage: 1) the gutting of all terra cotta art work of the Civil Engineering Building to be replaced by gypsum board. 2) the soon to be started “renovation” of the Halbouty and Animal Industries Buildings. Again, both buildings to be gutted and the artwork destroyed. As of today there is no permanent site for the monument that has been re moved. It now lies in storage at the Physical Plant until a new site can be de cided upon. project and not state tax payer funds for the University. 1) Locate the monument in the circu lar flower bed which is on the axis of Old Main drive and the old military walk (between the Coke Building and the YMCA Building). The floral star representing Texas could still be land scaped as the size of the monument is small. The is the first site proposed for the carillion. 2) Put it back in its original space un der the arches of the bell tower. Don’t let the Physical Plant or Plan ning and Faculty’s construction dictate the outcome. Traditions such as those deserve a better fate. Jim Vandenberg Class of 83 Memorial should stay Editor: “In recognition of the splendid partici pation ...” For years there was a Memo rial Day ceremony at this reminder of man’s sacrifices in the Great War; a holly wreath, desiring peace for the fu ture generations of Texas Aggies. are more pressing things — like a Freudian monument to vanity. Argu ments of “everyone else has one” (so why not buy a chair and get a Nobel lau reate to sit in it?) and “the bells will have our university seal on them” (at 140 feet who is tall enough to read them?) don’t hold. You who fought for the Memorial Student Center (that splendid memorial to our “soldier dead” of the Second World War) grass should start yelling again; before it’s too late. Just think, some day if the bucks are there, Law rence Sullivan Ross could disappear and some man with a big wallet be in his place. The tower is one such praise of the mighty buck, but this is not an issue of vanity (“vanity of vanity, all is vanity”) this is an issue of the memorial to 55 Americans. What do we tell them in their Aggie Vahalla? “Sorry, but this achievement in business is more impor tant than your dying.” To all those in volved in this abomination I have just one thing to say: “Shame on you; shame on the lot of you.” Matthew E. Raney Class of 1980 Fight for justice In order to restore the monument to a position of notoriety, may I suggest two sites for its placement? It will then no longer be in storage but again viewed by the public. Funds for its placement should come out of the Albritton tower The Great War was the first mass commitment of A&M Cadets to serve their flag. The citizen-soldiers left Col lege Station (the class of 1917 enlisted en masse) and 55 did not come home. After the Armistice the world made many memorials; from the Arc de Tri- umphe to Westminister Abbey to Ar lington National Cemetary. In Texas there are like memorials; from the Texas Memorial Stadium of the Univer sity of Texas to our 55 flags over Kyle Field, the name plates on the oaks around the Main Drill Field, and the granite marker on what was then the very front gate of the campus. But now times have changed. Wars are memories (usually bad), and there Editor: Although personal freedom and justice were established as a basic part of this society, there are always those willing to abridge justice and fair treatment of others. As a student in one of the largest engineering colleges at this University, I’ve become increasingly aware of this reality and the fact that this institution is no sanctuary from “real world” prob lems. After going through the official ranks for the past 13 months on the matter of a grade appeal, my feelings are bor dering on contempt for those individu als who privately admitted the existence of an injustice, but publicly turned their heads the other way. Without pointing any fingers, this ordeal pertained to one section of a sophomore engineering course in the fall of 1982 in which 42 out of 59 students received failing grades. These figures revealed a 71 per cent failure rate as compared to 26 per cent failure of all other sections of the same course. Even though these figures were way out of line, the responsible, or may I say “irresponsible” department officials chose to sweep the affair under the rug. As a final resort, after many let ters and conversations of appeal falling on deaf ears, I brought my case before the University Academic Appeals Panel. At last, my appeal for a grade change was upheld by a receptive panel of con scientious, responsible individuals. Now, it’s not healthy to have a bad at titude, but being naive or eternally opti mistic will not always feed the bulldog. As a result of this episode I have been educated on a few things which I would like to pass on to others free 6f charge. It seems that the larger the college or department, the less accommodating they tend to be, especially when they are trying to shrink their swelling ranks. When dealing with the masses, those who make decisions do not always act with a conscience. There are no student advocates, per se, at this institution to look out for the good will of each stu dent. And finally, justice is neither free nor an automatic process. As a result, there is often no check exercised over unfair circumstances unless you stand up for yourself. It would be nice if no one ever fell vic tim to such injustice as encountered by myself and many others, but in the event that you do, I encourage you not to be reluctant in opening your mouth and pursuing fair treatment. We may have to submit to higher authorities to get an education here, but we need not bow silently to their abuse and indigna tion. Alan Edwards Class of ’84 decisions are too sensitive to for debate in this election year. The jor parties have determined that, the issues are too volatile for formal cussion, the political arena wouldki better policy molder than taking ( position of being responsible in representative roles. Congress is sit once again upon the “lame duck pression at our expense. This tii strikes into our future. In Congress’ decision to stand from establishing substantial measi for controlling the problems of the get and its deficits, they fail to grasp urgency of the situation. To take stance of spectators instead of makers, Congress assures that tl rent economic recovery would be stil by a potential recession which w claim valuable election-year jobs much longer period than the rece: of 1981-82. Current interest rates havebeenki at alarmingly high levels by the fori of increasing deficits without a consti tive policy towards controlling the pi lem through 1989. Against all advice from government regulatory agem as well as private industry and econoi analysts — Congress and the Presidi seem prepared to wait on the issue after the elections. Meanwhile, the interest rates keep the dollar ai strongest level in decades, causing foreign trade deficit to grow. My intent is to inform you, theavi age apathetic voter, of the need to derstand the situation at hand. Take initiative this election year and rest to make an impression on your future We are all here at Texas A&M in der that we may be able to live in manner in which we choose. To and see what is offered would belt “Cer [schola ;ood,” [ram E 1'but w lexas; In (.1 Versity Jniver 123 mi to Bar Tex ration rrs, an [155. 1 finishc [nive rankec Congress ducks issues Editor: We are seeing the established system de termine that important policy-making on our part. A postcard, phone call, telegramil 1 letter to your President, your congn man, your senators, or your state resentative would, today, involveyoi determining the world in which you live in. We no longer can afford to» ! and see what the government will do us. Break away from the tradition o [ become involved. Charles M. Stegemoell f Class of'! : The Battalion USPS 045 360 Member of Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Conference Editor Rebeca Zimmermann Managing Editor John Wagner City Editor Patrice Koranek Assistant City Editors Kathleen Hart, Stephanie Ross News Editor Tracey Taylor Assistant News Editors Susan Talbot, Wanda Winkler Editorial Page Editor Kathy Wiesepape Sports Editor Donn Friedman Assistant Sports Editor Bill Robinson Entertainment Editor Shelley Hoekstra Assistant Entertainment Editor Angel Stokes Photo Editor John Makely author, and do not necessarily represent the opining Texas A&M University administrators or facultyt& bers, or of the Hoard of Regents. The Battalion also serves as a laboratory ncv/spA for students in reporting, editing and photograph)^ scs within the Department of Communications. Questions or comments concerning any editorial ter should be directed to the editor. Editorial Policy I hc Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting news paper operated as a community service to Texas A&M University and Bryan-CoHcgc Station. Opinions ex pressed in 77)c Battalion arc those of the editor or the The Battalion is published Monday through Fw during Texas A&M regular semesters, except foil** day and examination periods. Mail subscriptions' 5 $16.75 per semester, $33.25 per school ycarandJlW full year. Advertising rales furnished on request Our address: The Battalion, 216 Reed McDow Building, Texas A&M University, College Station, 77843. United Press International is entitled exclusive!' 1 the use for reproduction of all news dispatches crcdi® to it. Rights of reproduction of all other matter heft 5 reserved. Second class postage paid at College Station, E 77843. r