Opinion Page 2/The Battalion/Wednesday, February22 1984 End of parking lot an inconvenience Rest in Peace, Parking Annex No. 7. By day it served well as the parking lot for geology and journalism faculty and staff, and by night it served as a refuge for the cars and trucks of engi neering, business and journalism stu dents. but pedestrian traffic — an island iso lated from off-campus students. A chain link fence now stands as a barrier across the former lot entrances as the smooth black asphalt pavement awaits the jackhammer’s cracking fury. The Halbouty Geosciences Annex that has been built on half of the lot is certainly a nice building. With space at such a premium on the Texas A&M campus, the added classrooms and lab oratories will get full use. But the disappearance of more in ner-campus parking lots will cause hardships at night. The As the inner-campus parking lots become tracts for buildings, the library will become an island at night in a sea of buildings and walkways closed to all Since the shuttle buses only run pe riodically — once an hour after 7 p.m. — and not at all after 10 p.m., that is not a reasonable alternative to driving. Students who wish to use the library will be forced to endure long, dark walks from the outlying parking areas. Maybe shuttle buses should be run from the outer parking areas to the li brary from early evening until it closes each evening. iled on l mother’s f lope, hap ually sorr Three lied in a 1 ital Feb. eiving a li For his on Lehm ect on hich thf cli any pe Students who really want to use the library will always find a way, but why should they have to endure circum stances caused by poor planning? Battalion Editorial Board mourns the passing of another fine WAITER,„THE/?E$ AN EPB IN MV SOUP Their bad fougl liver ail desperate plant doci jive him ; (ife. During first for |donor, tl Jonathon ffrom om monument to the automobile. We will always remember Lot 7’s service to the cars of Texas A&M students. — The Battalion Editorial Board Opportunities are made Buchwald insulted USIA blacklist by By Art Buchwald Whenever the government comes up with a blacklist I immediately rush out and see if I made it. The other day it was revealed the USIA kept a list of Americans who were not to be sent abroad as part of the propaganda department’s speaking program. Among the blacklisted were Walter Cronkite, the most trusted man in America; David Brinkley; economist John Kenneth Galbraith; Lester Thu- row and Paul Samuelson; Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee; former Secre tary of Defense James Schlesinger; for mer Director of the GIA Stansfield Turner; former National Security Advi sor McGeorge Bundy; and feminist Betty Friedan, as well as about 80 other outstanding citizens. The reason given for the list was that top officials of USIA did not believe for eigners should be exposed to any kind of ideology that was remotely in conflict with that of the president’s. Since some of my best friends were on the list I was embarrassed I didn’t make it. It was the second major blackl ist I’ve missed. In 1974 I failed to make the famed Nixon “enemies” list, an oversight that cost me any clout I might have had in this town. I called and demanded to talk to the agency’s ideological czar. “How come I didn’t make your speak ers’ blacklist?” I asked him. “We had to limit it to only the best and the brightest.” “And how were they chosen?” I de manded. “Very carefully. Whenever a name was submitted to us to represent the United States in our overseas speakers’ program it went upstairs to our Blue Ribbon Ideological Review Board. If there was the slightest policy, or just plain conservative philosophy, he or she was listed as a questionable spokesper son and one who could not be trusted to carry America’s message to the world.” “The whole thing smacks of McGar- thyism,” I said. “That’s a typical liberal knee-jerk re action,” the man said. “The truth of the matter is that the USIA is the propa ganda arm of the president of the United States, and our nation’s credibil ity would be seriously questioned if we sent Americans abroad who disagree with his policies.” Given: many minorities attend inner city schools and therefore do not have the opportunity to receive a high quality primary and secondary education. Given: many minorities come from very low income families who'in no way have the economic resources to send their children to college. Given: many scholarships at Texas A&M and other universities are ear marked for whites and exclude minori- wasn’t very broad. No trigonometry, no physics, no foreign languages and a chemistry class of three students. Not only that, but my family’s annual income is low enough to qualify us for federal aid like food stamps. That’s not an attempt to make you pity me, just to illustrate that all kinds of people are poor. By M No one made a special effi cruit me because I was poor a#'j have a high quality education.! k I’m going to college hereonliL A bill of the financial aid 1 receive 11 dormitoi aid was made available to niel*| ties. “All right, I’ll accept the fact that the USIA does not want to send any speak ers overseas who are not in tune with Reagan’s conservative philosophy. But where does that leave those of us who never made the list?” “There was nothing personal about the blacklist,” he replied. “The reason you didn’t make the list is that your name was never submitted by anyone as a candidate for our speaking program.” “Is it too late now?” I asked. “Too late for what?” “To make the blacklist. I have several friends at the USIA who would submit my name if they knew it meant that much to me.” “I’m afraid it is too late. We just had a directive from upstairs that since the blacklist is now public knowledge, we can no longer keep it.” “Does that mean the Blue Ribbon USIA Ideological Board is going to be disbanded?” But, what about “majorities”? What about those who come from in ner city schools? from low income fami lies? from small town high schools that don’t offer the broad spectrum of classes of bigger schools? Should we make special recruiting efforts in small towns just like we are making for mi- pg.ntie*v? „ , .? > A J* :% •% ■' ^ > I don’t think so. I’m one of those students who comes from a small town high school that didn’t have a high quality of education. The education I got was good, but it uate stuc , , ... J to the S my financial need, scholasttcsaiB phi| OSO p curricular involvement. 1 knt»■ McDerni wanted a college educationSenate k to work for it on my own. patrice koranek Why should Texas AH make special scholarships at minorities just because we“ enough here.” It seemsthatiln be able to receive financial aid need, test scores or special tali many majorities do. solution over 70( pus hou students housing. At p dents ar dorm sp I guess what I’m tryingtosaii feel that I overcame a lot ofol There are seven children in my fam ily, but we all somehow managed to get an education beyond high school, whether it was a 2-year degree from a business school or a master’s degree in chemistry. get to a major university.' eryone else work just as what happens? Given: much, n ground. hard work can aiii, S > matter what y«| ^ Letters Down with racism “Of course not. But the blackballing will be done verbally, and no Ipnger by printed ballot. We have no intention of throwing out the baby with the bathwa ter.” “One more question. Did Gharles Wick, the director of the USIA, know you people were keeping a blacklist of loyal Americans who didn’t agree with the president?” “Not to my knowledge. He was so busy taping the telephone calls of his friends, he left the day-to-day blacklist ing to us.” Editor: There are students at this University who have racial problems. I am not referring to the minorities in this case. For years I have tried to ratio nalize that maybe parents have not in- stucted their children on the fundamen tals of other’s feelings, but this is no excuse for allowing racism to be dis played as it is at Texas A&M. Do bigots understand how it feels to be hated by strangers? Strangers yelling racial comments from moving vehicles are not equipped to handle the world as reasonable and responsible adults. This is not how well-educated people should act. If people have something to say to one another they should sit down and talk. I have lived in Europe and many places in the United States only to find that racial problems are the worst in Texas. One cause of racial problems is stereotyped ideas about groups of peo ple. People should try to communicate as much as possible and deal with each other as individuals rather than catego rizing each other. We all came to this university for an education; therefore, eaefe student is equal regardless of eth nicity. When we learn to work and live to gether, we can achieve a common goal. Henri Harris Class of ’85 Lisa Coffey Class of’87 Time for Big Event “A new tradition. Great. Jusi university needs.” Well, this should be welcomed byeveryont Yes folks, it is almost timefe roll please) the second annual, /College Station, everyone-jump help Big Event. To some people. Event is just a bunch of work to! you don’t even get paid.” W one lazy person to another, bull. The Big Event is the largest^ 1 community help project in At was fortunate enough to draj out of bed and down to help first Big Event in 1983. In that I met friends that I still see re helped older people fix up their and contributed with pickingnf our area. I did all that in jus 1 short hours. Slouch By Jim Earle BA ^ bers, or of the Hoard of Regents. The Battalion also serves as a labor,non^ for students in reporting, editing and photim ses within the Department of CommunitairA Questions or comments conccrningany^y ter should be directed to the editor. Editorial Policy The Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting news paper operated as a community service to Texas A&M University and Bryan-Collcgc Station. Opinions ex pressed in The Battalion are those of the editor or the The Battalion is published Monday tWH during Texas A&M regular semesters, cxtfrl day and examination periods. Mail sub#n| ,ll l $16.75 per semester, $33.25 per school years!’* 1 full year. 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