& >
Opinion
Page 2/The Battalion/Friday, April 27, 1984
Batfs spring '84
Board bids farewell
The curtain slowly falls.
The polite applause — or catcalls —
may now begin.
This is the last editorial of The Bat
talion Editorial Board for the spring
semester of 1984.
Why have the members of this
board, day in and day out, tossed their
views out into the maroon haze to be
examined by Texas A&M community?
Why don’t we start with some of the
reasons that aren’t true.
First, we aren’t agents of the Univer
sity of Texas, the KGB or the Commu
nist party.
And we aren’t in favor of cancelling
Silver Taps, or Muster or even yell
practice.
Yes, we do like orange on the front
page every couple of weeks. Color —
any color — tends to liven up the dull-
gray sameness of a newspaper’s front
page-
Our views may have leaned a bit
more to the left than those of the cam
pus mainstream. Our daily writings
were not presented for every person to
agree with. Sometimes members of the
board were divided on their opinions,
and some days we received backlash
from our staff for our opinions.
But we weren’t writing to make
friends, and we didn’t endorse a candi
date for student body president just to
get our candidate into power.
So why did we devote time every day
to write editorials?
One student leader wandered up to
a member of The Battalion Editorial
Board earlier this semester and gave us
the answer.
“You know,” he said, “what you guys
write, really makes me think.”
— The Battalion Editorial
Rebeca Zimmermann,
John Wagner, managing
Kathy Wiesepape, editorial page
Tracey Taylor, news
Patrice Koranek, city
Donn Friedman, sports
Board
editor
editor
editor
editor
editor
editor
Slouch
by Jim Earle
2-5-&A-
“It can’t be on wrong-side-outwards! I
ftc
checked it in the mirror after I put it on.
End of college days is now in sight
Elation, sadness, anxiety, relief.
All these feelings pervaded my
study-worn soul when, on April 10,
1984, I preregistered for my last se
mester of college.
I went through the motions in a
daze, for the first time not having to
wait in lines. This year, the process was
changed and instead of lines a mile
long — literally — eight people were
preregistering. About 30 obviously
bored ladies sat at their assigned tables,
not worrying about having to lead
these students through the process.
This was the seniors’ day.
Click.
I smiled my last morbid smile for my
last morbid college ID.
And suprisingly, I finished in five
minutes, not three hours.
What a way to go.
I realize some of you May graduates
might be thinking my mixed emotions
are a trifle premature. After all, I do
have an entire semester left and don’t
graduate until December.
But lately, the days have zipped by
with the speed of a Boeing 747.
In less than eight months, I’m going
to be thrown to the lions — the real
world. More and more, I find myself
counting my blessings.
Mom’s counting hers, too. Only
eight more months of supporting her
precious little college girl who flunked
economics, of all things. She couldn’t
believe I didn’t understand about the
supply and demand of money. She said
I had it down to a tee — she supplied
every time I demanded.
Thanks, Mom.
Thanks for the gas credit cards you
threaten to take away at least once a
month — when you get the bill.
Thanks for the Southwestern Bell
calling card that seems to have the
same effect on you as the gas cards.
Thanks for doing my income tax ev
ery year and sending me the tax return
money.
Thanks for paying the insurance on
my car every year and for coming
through each time of Blue throws a fit
jamie
hataway
and conks out on me.
Thanks for rescuing me every time I
call you with one month left in the se
mester — broke.
I guess I could go on and on, but it’s
starting to depress me. I’m finally be
ginning to see how much of a headache
it must have been to supporting a col
lege student.
But then, I’ve had my share of head
aches.
The first headache came from try
ing to decide what in the world I
wanted to be when I grew up. This
took about two years of switching from
major to major, sampling all the differ
ent roles I could act out once I grad
uated.
Then, my junior year, I discovered
journalism. The liberal in me was
sparked by the energy and concern of
a handful of college professors who,
for once, seemed to care. In the Col
lege of Business Administration, I was
just a number. When I registered in
the Department of Communicate
joined a family.
I guess there is a place for even; I
— somewhere.
Yes Mom, it’s been worth ill |i%
learned that no matter how mucha Rk
ligence you have, as long as you uni 1^
stand people, you can get places ! I
bef ore I tried to understand events
else, I knew I had to understands y?
self.
That almost impossible feat wasiL
complished during that summenr
Spain. Two weeks of travel and J
weeks of study in a country wheret
body knew who you were, or
cared who you were, was a priceless®^
venture. It gave me the opportun: L
finding out for myself just who ir-fein
heck I was and just exactly wl
wanted out of life.
And that is to be happy. To
those dreams that 1 once thoughudjlniv
only fantasies. *Se
What’s next? After graduating
where will I go?
I alw-ays wanted to see what!
York was like. And maybe event
plore the notorious state of Caiini|'lii
Lots of sun and lots of fun.
to college for nothing.
From there, I might head outs
Kentucky or Tennessee. 1
wanted to be a jockey. And fromtW e
article I read in Cosmopolitan,llav
learned that being a jockey ii
lot of public relations skills. ThatsE 1 |c
specialty — b.s
Oh yeah, Mom — about lawsci®
Are you sure you don’t want a deptt |or
dent daughter for three more years:
oou
Jamie Hataway is a seniorjouti
lism major.
Lett© rs
Who's Ford Albritton?
Editor:
It should be noted that the Ford Al
britton who is financing the carillon for
our campus is the same Ford Albritton
who in 1965 donated the windows and
doors for the President’s Home, who
has endowed four $30,000 scholorships
for student athletes, who has given a
$25,000 President’s Endowed
Scholorship and who is a charter mem
ber and a permanent Diamond Century
Club member of the Association of For
mer Students.
Albritton has served as a member of
the Board of Regents, as president of
the Association of Former Students and
twice as a member of the executive com
mittee of The Aggie Club.
Nelda S. Green
Office of International Coordination
We's world class now
Editor:
Ah cain’t wait ’til we git ahr bell tahr,
so’s we kin be great jus’ like Harvard ’n’
all them other schools that has bell
tahrs.
Boy, we really showed them teasips
up this time, didn’t we? Ah mean, they
think they’s gittin’s to be fuhst-class by
gittin’a $32-million endowment. And
they’s spendin’ it on professerhips, of
a\vl things.
; We’s gittin’ to be fuhst class on only
$800,000, though. And we’s doin’ it with
somethin that looks good — a bell tahr.
Ever one kin see a bell tahr and tell we’s
fuhst class.
Ain’t nobody kin see a professership
at t.u. and tell that that place is fuhst
class. Boy, jus’ think how fuhst class t.u.
could be if they built themselves a $32-
million bell tahr. Shh! Don’t tell ’em.
They might get wise afore it’s too late ’n’
see the light.
Thank Gawd Mr. Albritton didn’t do
somethin foolish with his money, like
donate 32 Prezdent’s Endowed
Scholerships. Mr. Albritton and the re
gents has recognized wut it truly takes to
be fuhst class, ’n’ Ah plan to be at the
dedication.
Ah kin see the headlines now: “A&M
dedicates bell tower; Aggies now first
class.”
Dillard Stone, Jr. ’80
One basic question
Editor:
To Woodrow W. Coppedge: Are you
for real?
Agustin Restrepo
An invitation to prayer
Editor:
From the poignancy of George Wash
ington’s legendary prayer in the snow of
Valley Forge to the dangerous times in
which we live today, our leaders and the
people of this nation have called upon
Divine Providence and trusted in God’s
_ wisdom to guide us through the chal
lenges we have faced as a people and a
nation.
On 1’hursday, May 3, students and
faculty will gather at Rudder Fountain
from noon to 12:15 p.m. to pray — a
way in which all Americans can truly
make a significant contribution to our
nation at a moment in history when we
desperately need Cod’s intervention. I
encourage everyone to take part.
Gary Slinkard
Profs publish or perish
Editor:
We do not know the policies of other
departments at Texas A&rM, but from
what we have seen in the horticulture
department, woe unto the professor
who exhibits too much interest in the
welfare of students.
We have seen two men fired, and now
another good man is being coerced into
leaving. It makes us angry. These are
people who not only show a sincere in
terest in students, but go well beyond
the call of duty to help out when we are
having problems.
Professors must set their priorities in
research, department policies and stu
dents. If they choose students as num
ber one, they can start packing.
We are tired of being second-class cit
izens at this University. We are tired of
being preempted by research. The real
future of this nation is in the hands of
the youth as well as in research.
The time has come for the old “publ
ish or perish” policy to be put to rest.
Not only are we losing fantastic educa
tors, but all the pressure to publish is
producing a huge quantity of garbage
research.
Department heads, deans and re
gents need to stop political games with
the teacher’s tenures and their lives.
Edward Cawley ’84
JoAnn Peerly ’84
Quincy Sperling
Sarah Welder ’81
John Meeks ’82
Meet Albritton halfway
Editor:
The main area of conflict in the rag
ing controversy concerning our new bell
tower is the replacement of the"®
War I memorial by the Albritton!
Bell Tower. Despite complaintst
the student body, constructionctd
ues unhindered.
I propose a compromise between
wealthy elite and the common man*
dent body. Why not a new tneffl® 1
the Albritton Memorial Bell Towel-'
This would satisfy Mr. Albri#
ego. It would also relax some of the®
sion toward the tower that has bee 1
thick and heavy as the humidity here
GletiC®
Class of 1
The Battalion
(ISPS 045 360
Member of
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Conference
Editor 7. 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 .Bonn Friedman
Assistant Sports Editor Bill Robinson
Entertainment Editor Shelley Hoekstra
Assistant Entertainment Editor Angel Stokes
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. The Editorial Board consists of the editor,
managing editor, city editor, news editor j 1
rial page editor and sports editor.
Letters Policy
Letters to the Editor should notexct
words in length. The editorial staff resert f 1
right to edit letters for style and length buy
make every effort to maintain the author^'
tent. Each letter must be signed and musi
elude the address and telephone number
writer.
Reader’s Forum columns and guest edi,
also are welcome. Address all inquiriestotht'-
itorial Page Editor.
Our address: The Battalion, 216 to ";
Donald Building, Texas A&M Universal
lege Station, TX 77843.
United Press International is entitled ef
sively to the use for reproduction of all neH c '
patches credited to it. Rights of reproductiou
all other matter herein reserved.
Second class postage paid at College Stf
TX 77843.