Opinion
Page 2/The Battalion/Tuesday, March 6, 1984
Regents willing to shell out
for a larger Corps of Cadets
Portfolio
Members of the Corps of Cadets may
be raking in the bucks next year, if a
committee formed by the Board of Re
gents gets its way.
Remember the old law of supply and
demand? When students who want to
join the Corps are numerous, they come
cheap. When there’s an over-supply, the
administration can do things like raise
housing fees and uniform fees for drill
and ceremony cadets who don’t accept a
military contract.
But when there’s a slump in Corps
enrollment, some regents start throwing
the money around.
The Corps of Cadets Enhancement
Committee of the Board of Regents met
with Corps Commandant Col. Donald
C. Burton Friday to discuss goals for the
Corps.
Burton said even though there’s been
an upswing in ROTC enrollment na
tionwide, he expects a slump in Corps
enrollment. To attract more cadets, he
wants to give 100 Sul Ross scholarships
to cadets during the 1984-85 school
year. The scholarships will be worth
$600 per semester during a cadet’s
freshman and sophomore years.
But the committee thinks 1,000 schol
arships would be a realistic goal.
Other aspects of Burton’s proposal: a
$500,000 endowment for the Corps;
elimination of the $100-per-semester
uniform rental fee for drill and cere
mony cadets; a “small scholarship” to be
awarded to all seniors in honor of com
pletion of three years in the Corps of
Cadets.
Add that up, Ags, and it comes to
quite a bundle.
But the Corps makes up less than five
percent of the student body.
How can the regents justify contribut
ing and raising so much money for such
a small minority — and one that isn’t
even underprivileged? Is the Corps of
Cadets dying so rapidly that Texas
A&M has to buy members?
M'ii I WAS VKFJR
I TOS A HEARTBKAT
ma tWM IHE
presidency:
The Battalion Editorial Board
Walking in the shoes
of handicapped students
Did you ever stop to think how big
the Texas A&M campus really is?
It is a campus dotted with multi-sto
ried buildings. What’s more, it is one of
the few universities anywhere that re
quires students to cross busy streets and
and railroad tracks to get to classes.
Sure, it’s nothing that the average
person can’t handle with a little effort.
But stop and really think for a moment.
Think about facing all of those multi
storied buildings or crossing that high
way or those railroad tracks on this large
campus with some form of physical
handicap.
When it comes right down to it, you
don’t really have any idea how difficult
getting around on the Texas A&M cam
pus really is for the handicapped.
You don’t realize how much of an ef
fort, even a triumph, it is for the hand
icapped to go to school at all.
Just about everyone would be quick to
say that it’s difficult, but in saying that
they would be speaking from stereo
typed images, not from any real idea of
the difficulty.
Until you have had to ride in a wheel
chair or use crutches to get wherever
you go — wherever anyone else could
walk with ease — it is not possible to
know.
Being handicapped is one of those
things that the average person just can
not comprehend because it’s not a part
of their life.
DonLt get me wrong, though. I’m not
trying to be critical of students or fac- _
ulty. I didn’t realize how great the trials
and tribulations of the handicapped
were myself until I had to walk (or more
appropriately, ride) in their shoes.
When I broke my hip in an accident a
few weeks ago I really gained an under
standing of the problem. And it is a
problem the University administration
needs to take notice of and take correc-
dock and gain access to the elevator — if
the custodial crew doesn’t have it locked
on some upper floor, a common occur
rence at night.
At least I’ve got it a little better than
some. Thanks to a pair of crutches, I
can maneuver up the staircase if I am
forced to. The wheelchair-bound can
not.
tive action on.
There are places on this campus that
are dangerous — if not impossible —for
the handicapped to reach. As a result,
handicapped students are being system
atically excluded from wide areas of
Texas A&M life.
Take The Battalion as an example.
In order to reach the offices of this
newspaper in a wheelchair it is nec
essary to cross through the construction
area for the Halbouty Geosciences
building expansion, some of which is
unpaved and ungrated.
If you make it that far, you can then
roll up a long, steep ramp to the loading
For the handicapped, Reed McDon
ald and The Battalion are just one ex
ample of many places and situations
that limit access to facilities and services.
Just think how depressing it would be
to find out you couldn’t participate in
some areas of University life, that you
couldn’t go by some professors’ offices
or that you couldn’t attend some classes
you need or want.
Think how depressing it would be to
face a campus this size. Think of the
many hardships the handicapped stu
dent faces.
The limitations my injury place upon
me are depressing even though I know
what it’s like to walk or run across this
campus like the average student.
It’s depressing even though I know
that I will be able to walk again in a few
months.
Just think what it must be like.
A little thought, a little reflection
deep into ourselves is the first step to
change ... a first step for the hand
icapped at Texas A&M.
Bill Robinson is a senior journalism
major and assistant sports editor for
The Battalion.
Barbie keeping up with the times
By ART BUCHWALD
Columnist for The Los Angeles Times Syndicate
I was terribly shocked to read the
other day that Barbie Doll was celebrat
ing her 25th anniversary. You can’t call
it a birthday because when Barbie was
first born she was a full grown lady with
a beautiful body and all the curves in the
right places.
I mentioned the anniversary to my
daughter who is now 29. “Bring Barbie
down from the attic and we’ll have a
birthday party for her.”
“How many candles should we put on
the cake?” my wife asked.
“Let’s assume that she was 21 years
old when we got her, so she must be 46
by now.”
Slouch
by Jim Earle
“If you really want to leave early for spring break, you've got
to practice saying, ‘My ride leaves early,’ until you can say it
and keep a straight face. Got it?”
That evening we all sat around the ta
ble and Connie brought Barbie down.
The years had been very good to her.
“Barbie, you look wonderful. Your
skin is just as smooth now as it was 25
years ago,” I said.
Barbie blushed. “I use Oil of Olay ev
ery day. No one can guess my age.”
“So tell us,” my wife said. “What’s
been going on with you since we saw you
last? How’s Ken?”
“Didn’t you hear? Ken and I split 15
years ago.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” I said. “What
happened?”
“Irreconcilable differences. He said I
spent too much money on clothes. I
guess I was a spoiled brat, but in those
days before my consciousness was raised
I thought clothes were everything.”
“What happened to Ken?”
“He found a doll that was into jeans
and tank tops, and married her. They
seem very happy.”
“What did you do?”
“I married a G. I. Joe.”
“You’re married to a soldier?”
“He was a soldier. He got out of the
Army and he’s now a defense spare
parts contractor. I couldn’t afford many
outfits when he was in the service. But
now I can buy anything I want to, I just
don’t seem to be as interested in clothes
as I used to be.”
“But what do you do with yourself?”
my wife asked. «
“I went to law school six years ago.
I’m in practice with Covington and Bur
ling. I never dreamed 25 years ago that
I would want a career at this stage in
life. But what choice does a woman
have? You can’t stay home all day long
doing what you want to or people think
you’re worthless.”
“Is there anything you want now that
you don’t have?”
“I hear Mattel is putting out a jacuzzi
this Christmas. But with the hours I
have to put in at the law firm, I don’t
know when I’d get the time to use it.”
■How of tc
pik or pun
w|y for “ji
ducked into
your car? I
your back pi
your belong
otic of the lu
■loo oftei
haopen to n
of property
problems at
■The rate
A^ M is low;
no reported
■ campus,
ertv theft hei
■'People
mss." said E
rit and trail
■'hey don't
■rlunists.”
■Universit y
senlations to
■ careful \
■alt said si
dln’t seem u
ullil they arc
■ We try Id
me -'.tge,” ht
oar words f al
■ Individual
lions about i
mgani/.aiiom
about six to 1
jpakes six or :
crime prevei
University tic
mditnen, n
Corps of C lad
■ntpus. Pam
ni>n also are
Police Depart
Gem<
nited Press
Beirut —
^eoiayel, bowii
'aands, cancek
Ke accord w
lay and agreei
ijDnal unity gov
fdoslems a bror
; ngLebanon,
n other acti<
linen shot a
tiS. Marine col
■ronl near IL
jasy, and altar
hg car fired a r
,;rliade at Fret
ng a French j:
aeli warplanes
irlstrikes on s
inian guerrilla
ftinlains soull
li Jerusalem
iimster Yit/.ha
lelined the ab
Brd as a “de
Letters
Who won the game?
Editor:
It was good to hear that the Aggie
softball team opened its 1984 season
with a win on Monday. Since they are
the only championship team Texas
A&M had last year, it is nice to see that
they haven’t lost their form.
The un-named Battalion reporter did
an excellent job detailing the Aggie vic
tory. It sounds like the Ags have some
excellent pitchers and hitters on their
squad — as evidenced by the 8-0 score.
Just one quick question, though —
who did we beat?
Erol Morey
Frank Irwin
Graduate Students
Orange phobia valid
Editor:
In the editorial of March 5 entitled
“Orange paranoia a petty complaint,”
your thesis is that “it’s so incredibly petty
to consider everything orange in poor
taste because it’s the school color!
UT Longhorns.”
Bull.
Orange is the symbol of t.u, as
as “hook ’em horns” and their
symbol they call “The Tower.’’
orange on the front page of The
ion was like saying the paper su|
t.u. and all it stands for. ^ /
Besides, Texas A&M has good
to think they are out to get us.
When the establishment of W
being debated in the Texas Legisli
one representative called Texas Ai
“cancer on the Brazos” and
that it be turned into a prison.
It was then that the Govern!
Texas, Lawrence Sullivan Ross,
the representative outside andd*
him. The next day, Ross was offer! 1
position of president of Texas
The use of orange on the froni
of The Battalion makes it looklil*
published by Rupert Murdoch an!
orange boxes were highlighting a*'
murder.
MichaelS
Class!
POLII
FOh
The Battalion
CISPS 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,
Brigid Brockman, Michelle Powe, Kelley Smith
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
Letters Policy
Letters to the Editor should not cxced
words in length. The editorial staff resets
right to edit letters for style and length W
make every effort to maintain the author
tent. Each letter must he signed and # c
elude the address and telephone number^
writer.
Reader’s Forum columns and guest edit 1 '
also are welcome. Address all inquiries to if
itorial Page Editor.
Editorial Policy
The Battalion is a non-profit, self-support
ing newspaper operated as a community service
to Texas A&M and Bryan-College Station.
Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those
of the Editorial Board or the author, and do not
necessarily represent the opinions of Texas
A&M administrators, faculty or the Board of Re
gents.
Our address: The Battalion, 216 Reed
Donald Building, Texas A&M Universit))
lege Station, TX 77843.
United Press International is entitled 0
sively to the use for reproduction of alined
patches credited to it. Rights ofreprodw
all other matter herein reserved.
Second class postage paid at College Si
TX 77843.
AP,
THI
WEC