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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 27, 1984)
( Page 2/The Battalion/Tuesday, March 27, 1984 Opinion Page 2/The Battalion/Monday, March 26, 1984 Forth© best deal, mark ballots for 1(b) The University Center needs money. Since 1973, the fee to raise revenue for upkeep of the complex has stayed at just $10 per student. For that amount, each one of Texas A&M’s 36,000 students gets a share in the Me morial Student Center and the Univer sity Center Complex — a place to eat, meet, be entertained or just hang out. But that $10 doesn’t even begin to cover the expenses of maintaining the facilities needed to serve the student body. In the last ten years, expenses have escalated due to the rapid growth of enrollment, rising costs of mainte nance, legislature-mandated salary in creases, and the impact of inflation. Item 1(b) on the ballot in the student elections would give the center the money it needs by doubling the amount of student financial support it currently receives. The proposal would up the fee to $20 over the next three years. Of the added $10, $6 would go to the University Center and $4 would be put in a reserve fund. The reserve fund will theoretically provide for more student input into the University Center services by pro viding a source of money for student priorities. The Student Senate and stu dent leaders from the MSC Council, Off-Campus Aggies, Residence Hall Association, International Students As sociation and the Corps of Cadets have voiced their support of the proposal. The referendum may provide for greater student input into the adminis tration of the University Center. Then again, it may not. Students have never had much of an opportunity to participate in the man agement of the University Center. This proposal may not be strong enough to turn that around. But even though student leaders may be overly optimistic about the ad ministrative effects the proposal will have, students at Texas A&M should at least make the gesture of supporting Item 1(b). Student input or not, the University Center needs funds. If it’s a choice between a $20 fee to support a top-notch facility with a min imum of student input and a $10 fee for the current overcrowded, under budgeted facility, the $20 fee would still be the most logical pick. With Item 1(b), students will get their money’s worth. — The Battalion Editorial Board Demand more; you'll get more do “Student Covernment is a farce.” “Student Government doesn’t anything.” That’s been a common phrase among students in the past few years, and it has provided a convenient excuse for stu dents who didn’t vote in student elec tions. Student government is a farce — if we let it be. But at a school with about 36,000 stu dents, it doesn’t have to be. This year’s student elections are vital — and we as students need to realize it. Only about 4,600 students voted in rebeca zimmermann last year’s election. But if you didn’t vote, you have no room to criticize Stu dent Government. Unless we let our leaders know that we expect things from them, life will go on as it has. We as students must put aside our ap athy. We need to tell our leaders that we care about what happens to this Univer sity. We need to help set Texas A&M on the right track for its growing up proc ess. Texas A&M is having some growing pains: student fee increases, parking crises, the emergence of the Faculty Senate and talk about a core curriculum for all students. These issues and others — such as the statewide referendum on the Permanent University Fund in No vember — are of vital importance to the University. Because these issues will be so impor tant in the coming year, we have to be alert and concerned about our student leadership. We need to elect informed leaders who are willing to take stands. In the past, we’ve seen the Student Senate pass bills on such issues as eating during meetings and spend hours de bating whether to debate a resolution. These types of behavior have contrib- ' uted to a poor image of Student Gov ernment. Slow response to the senior final exemptions issue this year and a poten tial misunderstanding of the Faculty Senate have hampered Student Govern ment’s effectiveness. Because the Stu dent Senate is merely an advisory board, some people feel the administration doesn’t take the group seriously. But to some extent, the fault lies as much with the student body as with the leaders. We seem to have a misguided view of representation. We elect student leaders to take stands. But when they don’t take a stand, we don’t pitch a fit because they’re not representing us. And that’s our fault. They can’t always run back and take polls to find out what students think — even if students know about the issue in question. We need to let our leaders know that we expect action from them even if we aren’t completely aware of ev erything involved in a situation. After we elect them to represent us, - they should be able to stand up and say, “We have 36,000 students with us.” You can’t tell me that won’t get some sort of response. The first step is simply to vote. But it doesn’t stop there. We have to continually let our leaders know that we _ expect more from them than debate about debate. Rebeca Zimmermann is editor of The Battalion and a senior journalism major. The Battalion CJSPS 045 360 Member of Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Conference Editor Rebeca Zimmermann Letters Policy Managing Editor John Wagner City Editor Patrice Koranek Letters to the Editor should not exceed 300 Assistant City Editors Kathleen Hart, words in length. The editorial staff reserves the Stephanie Ross right to edit letters for style and length but will News Editor Tracey Taylor make every effort to maintain the author’s in- Assistant News Editors Susan Talbot, tent. Each letter must be signed and must in- Brigid Brockman, Michelle Powe, Kelley Smith elude the address and telephone number of the Editorial Page Editor Kathy Wiesepape . writer. Sports Editor Donn Friedman Reader’s Forum columns and guest editorials Assistant Sports Editor Bill Robinson also are welcome. Address all inquiries to the Ed- Entertainment Editor Shelley Hoekstra itorial Page Editor. Assistant Entertainment Editor Angel Stokes Photo Editor John Makely Editorial Policy Our address: The Battalion, 216 Reed Mc- The Battalion is a non-profit, self-support- Donald Building, Texas A&M University, Col- ing newspaper operated as a community service ^ e S e Station, TX 77843. to Texas A&M and Bryan-College Station. United Press International is entitled exclu- Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those sively to the use for reproduction of all news dis- of the Editorial Board or the author, and do not patches credited to it. Rights of reproduction of necessarily represent the opinions of Texas other matter herein reserved. A&M administrators, faculty or the Board of Re- Second class postage paid at College Station, gents. TX 77843. Slouch eed Mon 1 ,blem of d in tl Peace eed on I jblem. erlang, v for t n eu wheat'va |er lies in d iultural wa Lduction. IyTHERI 1 K ■The Colie Lid adopu Kr high/hig II approve be junior hi ,rs and iiing Mon |rhe schoo the reqt ;|ls days clool days, fcider, the ■ be Aug. Wai. 1M5 a lool, May 2 ■The board ej acement lool exteri ‘If he wants to be elected that bad, maybe we should vote for him. By SALLY Letters 15-hour rule unfair Editor: The Battalion is a source of news for students, and in a sense a forum for dis cussion of ideas and topics related to students’ life. Therefore, I would like to bring up an issue of interest to at least a few of the top-notch students here: the rule re quiring a minimum of 15 credit hours for students eligible for the Dean’s Honor List and other honors. This requirment probably originated because the majority of students were taking 15 credit hours each semester. According to University regulations a fulltime student must take at least 12 credit hours per semester. Yet this is not enough to qualify a straight-A student for the Dean’s Honor List. Some students make all A’s and still are not eligible for honors. It appears to me this rule adds unnecessary pressure on those who like to do excellent work and learn more. It would interest me to know how many other universities have similar re quirements. One of the reasons so many students do not perform well is because of un necessary hardships imposed on them, such as short time schedules or too many credit hours each semester. When advising students, I have al ways encouraged them to take fewer courses per semester, enjoy these beau tiful years in their life and do better as far as grades are concerned. The 15-credit hours minimum rule is contrary to my philosophy. George Raczkowski Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering this publication to read like the Morning News, but it would be ini ing to see a staff writer take on tablishment. It wouldn’t have taken that mi search to find out how long its since the lethargic Board of Ri have reviewed a solution tothiseiii R ihe MSC J regular n Sunday nigh no : sly to su 'lie council v t an evalu activities ing to he bbers in t What price victory? Editor: This statement is addressed to Texas A&M Board of Regents Chairman H.R. “Bum” Bright: Well, “Bum”, we had a losing football team, so you bought a coach; we still have a losing football team (their record last season was not all that good). Is that why you bought the Dallas Cowboys - to replace the Aggie football team? Matthew Simpson Class of ’84 Investigate parking Editor: Well, Ms. Oates, you hit the nail on the head. We definitely have a towing alert. Instead of rambling a repeat of Cam pus Cop idealogy and the University Motor Vehicle Regulations, why not kick up some journalistic dust about this less than new problem? I don’t expect firic Conn preside! [ii and stiu ini coord ii (which isn’t correcting itself and slr^ ing the register over at the stationip ing in the profit.) Here’s the kicker: 250 cars towel month alone. We have to bandit They’re doing their job chargind college students a minimum tent] for driving across campus (andyeil do keep wreckers on campus i times). Frank Kalimec (owner of Aj you’re reading this, I’ve come incoj with one of your ten-dollar leechf and as an Aggie I can’t say whatll happens to your business. I can say to the KK that you’tt hurting either, at ten dollars a pop talizing on the situation furtherbys ing out your fleet of ticket totersio everything standing still (drivingb new Bronco ITs, no less). On-can ^ law enforcement must be highlyi lenging. Ms. Oates, if you think you’re) nalist enough to tackle it, I’d say)® found your calling. Remeberthepf of the pen. Ken Hoo Class oil Failure of prayer amendment upholds Constitutional freedoms The first amendment begins by stating, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibit ing the free exercise thereof.” Apparently the majority of Senators feel this portion of the constitution needs amending, however, for 56 voted in favor of an amendment authorizing “voluntary” prayer in public schools. This was shy of the necessary two-thirds needed, no thanks to our Senators Tower and Bentsen who voted for it. There are several reasons that the amendment failed. For one thing, orga nized prayer in front of a captive audi ence is not considered by everyone to be purely voluntary. The alternative to captivity, letting the children who of fended leave the room, would cause stigmatization and divisiveness. More over, such a practice that so obviously caters to only a portion of the students has no place in the curriculum of a pub lic school. room activities. It seems to me that these proponents want something more. They want to spread their religion to children who would otherwise not be exposed to it. My claim is supported by some of the statements these people use in defense of their view. They regularly associate everything from increasing juvenile reader’s forum writing the prayers, but that would] resulted in no real difference. Something else which isoftenS that a little prayer never hurt anl Jerry Falwell says he participate prayers while in school and thatitj| hurt him. I will let the readert that for himself, but seriously, I ingly insignificant aspects of a rtf can lead to divisiveness. Just looW continued fighting between Cadj and Protestants in Northern Irelai between different Islamic sects! Middle East. Furthermore, I question the motives of those who are so fervently calling for such an amendment. Although they claim that all they want to do is allow children the right to pray, the fact is that the children have always been able to do so as long as they didn’t disrupt class- crime to widespread pre-marital sex on the absence of prayer in public schools. Thus these proponents implicitly ad mit that they aim not only at children who are already active enough in their religion to pray on their own initiative, but they intend to make society as a whole more moral by the imposition of their religion. Any prayer that is likely to be® ingful would certainly lead to di' 1 ] ness, while one that would be accep to all would have to be so blancN would be essentially meaningless. Of course, they had carefully worded the proposal to leave out any mention of a particular religion and to forbid the national or state governments from I have to agree with Dr. Maples tor of the First Baptist Church ofBrj who wrote that a far better answer] let religious groups have access tosj facilities before or after school jusl any other group. Anything morej involve the school in “establishnif 1 ! religion,” while anything less is to! hibit the free expression thereof." Brian Stet| Class®!