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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (June 28, 1984)
Opinion Page 2/The Battalion/Thursday, June 28, 1984 Tuition hike not fair Amid the flurry of tax increases and education reforms now before the state Legislature, a new propo sal has crept in. It’s one college students should be aware of. Until now, most college students probably haven’t paid much atten tion to the special session of the Legislature. The education reform measures are for state public edu cation, not state higher education. You may think that’s interesting but not something that concerns you. The tax measures proposed to finance the reforms, however, should concern you. The latest proposal calls for phased-in tuition increases at state colleges and universities. Tuition is now $4 a semester hour — about 4 percent of the actual cost. The proposal would increase tuition by 2 percent a year until students are paying 15 percent of their college costs. Out-of-state students would go from the 40 percent they pay now to 75 percent. Obviously, if the state has to put in less money for a student’s col lege education, that leaves more money for other purposes, such as public education. Granted, tuition at Texas uni versities is low — almost ridicu lously low. Perhaps an increase isn’t out of line. But almost quadrupling what we pay now — and doubling what out-of-state students pay — is out of line. Hitting students with in creases such as that either will pre vent some students from going to college or it will force colleges to come up with more scholarship money. If the proposal makes it to the Legislature, The Battalion Edito rial Board hopes legislators will scrutinize what the measure would do to college students. It would be a shame to make legislators choose between higher education and public education. — The Battalion Editorial Board Spiraling ...THINGS WE’LL PROB&BLY HEAR IN A REAGAN- MONDMll DEBATE we know wnetfs lue BALONEV IS... I DISAGREED STRONGLY WITH PRESIDENT CARTER 1 ON THAT ISSUE-.. 1 PRIVATELY. Searching for the ideal running mate By ART BUCHWALD Columnist for United Press International I was walking down the street minding my own business when I passed the “Mondale for President” headquarters building. There was a long line out front and I asked a man what was going on. “The candidate is interviewing peo ple to be his vice president,” he re plied. “What did he do — put an ad in the paper?” I asked. “Not exactly. But he put out word to all the leaders of the unions, women and minority groups that he’d talk to anyone who wanted the job. I heard about it from my cousin who works with ‘Hispanic Joggers for Mondale.’” “I didn’t know Mondale had time to see everyone who wanted to be vice president.” “He has nothing else to do until the July convention. By interviewing vice presidential candidates he can keep his name in the paper. You want to get in line?” “It looks awfully long.” “That’s what I thought, but it moves pretty fast. Every once in a while a vol unteer brings out coffee and dough nuts so it isn’t as bad as you would think.” I had nothing to do for the af ternoon so I went to the end of the line. There was a woman senior citizen in front of me. “You going to go for it?” I asked her. “Why not?” she said. “He’s going to need a woman on the ticket, and he also needs the senior citizen vote. I could be a twofer.” “Do you think you’re up to being vice president of the United States?” “As far as I can tell, a vice presi dent’s main function is to go to fune rals, and I go to a lot of funerals.” “I understand the vice president also serves on the National Security Council.” “I thought it was the Social Security Council,” she said. “That was one of the reasons I came down for the job.” “Not to worry,” I assured her. “You have to go along with the president on national security anyway, so you just agree with everything he says.” “I hear the job pays pretty good.” “You don’t get what you would as vice president of General Motors, but you won’t starve to death.” “Well, that’s better than being on Social Security.” Two hours later I wgs escorted into the candidate’s office. He was sur rounded by advisers. He shook my hand and told me to take a seat. “What can you add to my ticket?” he asked. “Well, sir, the way I see it the only way you can beat Reagan is if you have the media behind you. If you make a newspaperman your running mate, I can deliver CBS, ABC, NBC, and George Will.” Mondale seemed interested. “Are you sure?” “I have the Eastern Establishement media in my pocket,” I told him. “We’ve been dying to have one of our own in the White House for years.” “Well, it’s something to think about. I’m very impressed with your qualifi cations. Leave your name with my sec retary and we’ll get back to you.” “Thank you, sir,” I said and left. I met the little old lady out on the sidewalk. “How did you do?” She said, “He was very impressed with my qualifications and told me he’d get back to me. Do you think he means it?” “I’m sure he does. But I wouldn’t give up your Social Security check un til you see what happens in San Fran cisco.” upwards with romance One of my goals in life is to write a cheap, tawdry ro mance novel. I think it would be fun to write a romance novel. I can see it now — a bottle of cheap wine on one side of my typewriter and a bag of Oreos on the other. You know the kind of books I mean. The books that are laughably unrealis tic. And the books that sell by the mil lions as soon as they hit the stands. I’ll admit it. I read romance novels, but only the good ones. My favorite author is Kathleen E. Woodiwiss. I like the fact that with her books the predictability is unpredict able. In her books, the heroine usually hates the hero at first, quite often be cause he raped her. But somehow they get married only to thwart the plans of the villain, who pops up threatening to destroy their happiness, once the cou ple discovers that they have loved each other all along and are deliriously happy. Anyway, love conquers all, they have a kid and live happily ever after. The trick is getting the couple from hate to love. She does it every time, but no plot twist is ever the same. The only thing you can count on with Woodiwiss is that in at least one love scene in every book, she has the heroine’s emotions go “spiraling up wards.” Romance novelists are better writers than most people give them credit for. They just have to embellish life more than the Washington Post. In romance novels, life simply isn’t as clear cut as real life. Take a kiss, for example. That’s right, a simple little kiss. In romance novels, characters don’t just pucker up and smack each other on the mouth. For example, in “Sweet Savage Lo ve,” (Yes, that’s what I said, “Sweet Savage Love,”) Rosemary Rogers writes, “She had been kissed before, but never like this! Nor had any man dared hold her so closely that she could feel the entire length of his body against hers. His mouth was hard and merciless. Instead of merely touching her lips gently, it seemed to sear into them like a flame, forcing them apart under the onslaught of his kiss.” Find me something like that in the Washington Post. Kisses aren’t the only reason to read a romance novel. In such books, life is more — for lack of a better word —ro mantic. Kisses are searing at the same time joy is bubbling, limbs are quiver ing, touches are lingering and sex, well, I’ll let you read the book to find out about that. Why would an intelligent, modern college senior want to read, much less write, a torrid romance? After wrestling all day with every thing from Piaget’s theories of child development to the theories of read ability in a magazine layout, I enjoy curling up with a relaxing, non-intel lectual book. I go to movies for the same reason. Such activities don’t require a lot of mind power. You sit and absorb. You don’t have to digest or analyze the material. Whatever way a college student can find to relax, whether it’s reading books, watching television or jogging, he should take it, enjoy it and savor it. Textbooks and homework are not the most relaxing way to spend the evening. Personally, the third edition of the “Preface to Econometrics” never did send my emotions spirally upwards. (Kari Flucgel is a staff writer for The Battalion and a senior journalism major.) kari fluegel Car adept at breaking in new driver By KATHLEEN HART What’s blue and white and black? My new Toyota Corolla! Well, it’s not really new, but it’s new to me. I’ve only had it a little more than a week and we’re still getting used to each other. It’s got a manual transmission, and I’ve always driven automatics, so our major problem is getting Tutti (that’s the car’s name) to change gears when she should. If I just knew when she should, we’d be in good shape. But I tend to do things like stalling at a stop sign at the top of a hill — what am I supposed to do then when I only have two feet and need three? (One for the accelerator, one for the clutch and one for the brake.) Well, I can conquer that little problem — somehow. But really, that’s the only problem Tutti and I have. Well, that’s not the only thing. The seat is a little too low and I do have to sit on a pillow to see out, but that’s OK. And I do have to open the glove box to work the radio, but it’s there be cause it’s too big to fit in the hole in the dash. Besides, nobody can see it to steal it. So I can’t change stations while I’m driving. I can wait for a stoplight. And I guess Tutti doesn’t want me to leave her, so she makes the lock on my door stick sometimes — usually when I’m in the car, which means I have to open my window and try to unlock the door with the key. Of course, if that doesn’t work, all I have to do is crawl over the parking brake and get out the other door. No prob lem as long as I’m not wearing a dress. But other than that Tutti’s a good car. Really, she’s better than the last car I drove, which was my parents’ — a 1964 Plymouth which looked like a junkyard reject. The radio didn’t work at all — in or out of the glove box — and the speedometer jumped around like it was having fits — fits which were completely unrelated to the speed at which the car was traveling. The heater worked in the summer, and it had 460 air conditioning — open all four windows and go 60 mph. And then there was the trunk key. It looked exactly like a screwdriver. And I’m not saying it leaked water or anything, but once a passenger swore he saw minnows swimming around on the floor of the back seat. But at least the engine worked well, even if the exhaust system didn’t. I usually had to stop once on the way home to Houston because the exhaust fumes would make me dizzy. Really, it wasn’t the exhaust system. That was in great shape. It was the foot-long holes in the bottom of the trunk through which the exhaust fumes would swirl back in that were the problem. But then that car is 20 years old and still runs. Nellie Monster, Nellie, or the Ratmobile, decided to go live with the man from whom I bought my car. My buying Tutti left him with no car. I think I got the better end of the deal. (Kathleen Hart is the news editor for The Battalion and a senior journa lism major.) Letters: Column writer has reality gap Editor: Clay Richards’ column “Amerio: facing ‘reality gap’” says thatonelt tion day if we decide to believe il anti-Reagan rather than pro-Reagi rhetoric, the president could be4 feated. As brilliantly insightful as it is, does it rate creating the newmtj label “reality gap’”? New labels a help express new concepts, but lie Richards just gives us the same old m nure warmed over. He goes on to say that the De® cratic strategy holds that Jacksot support of Mondale is importantl< cause he’ll get newly-registered bbd and feminists to vote “in asystenukf have generally ignored over il years.” The newly-registered acco® for less than two percent of all vottn their importance is marginal at best Recent events don’t bear out it strategy in which Mondale courtsJad son’s support. At the state conventi the Mondale camp wasn’t endearedl the newly-registered blacks and fa nists supporting Jackson; wewereid to take a back seat and leave thedi? ing to the party chairman andsu committee. Texas’ caucus systenu firmed by Mondale, largely shutsi out. For instance, the 21 percenti Texas Democrats who favored Jad son resulted in only seven percenti the delegates to the state conveniia — if Richards seeks a reality gap ! need look no further. A winning Democratic strategy a eludes more than anti-Reagan rhetoi with a dash of labels like “yuppie"ai “reality gap” — Richards didn’t sa to spot this. Analyzing the candidates’ posilio: on issues of the day, petty astheym seem, tells us more about them tin do columns regarding this week'u perficial label. We deserve bettercs umns than Richards’. B. Mecm Gay opposition won't hurt Gramm Editor: (An open letter to Phil Gramm) Deal Rep. Gramm: Regarding your recent renffli about the gay community and thesul sequent letter by Mr. DePalma, 11* lieve that a few comments are inordfl First, any anti-gay remark issuretol nothing but increase your alrenl strong support. Having the couragti speak out against this group of J( viants is commendable. It is indicatti of your strong moral conscience wtiid is so much needed among our coffi try’s leaders. Secondly, Mr. DePalma’s assertatid that there are 3,000 homosexuals* Texas A&M or that this groupcoi have any affect on the outcome ofi upcoming election are highly impni able. Rep. Gramm, you have rep resented us honestly and faW through the years, and becauseoftl» representation, you’ll be in the # ner’s circle as a senator in November Mark W. Harris* Class of H The Battalion (ISPS 045 360 Member of Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Conference The Battalion Editorial Board Rebeca Zimmermann, Editor Bill Robinson, Editorial Page Editor Shelley Hoekstra, City Editor Kathleen Hart, News Editor Dave Scott, Sports Editor The Battalion Staff Assistant City Editor Assistant News Editor DcnaBrt)' , | Staff Writers Kari f\w Sarah Oates, Travis W Copy Editor Trade Photographers Peter Rf* 3 Editorial Policy The Battalion is a non profit, self-supporting news paper operated as a commu nity service to Texas A&M and Bryan-Collcge Station. Opinions expressed in The Battalion arc those of the Editorial Board or the author, and do not necessar ily represent the opinions of Texas A&M administrators, faculty or the Board of Re gents. The Battalion also serves as a laboratory newspaper for students in reporting, editing and photography classes within the Depart ment of Communications. United Press Interna tional is entitled exclusively to the use for reproduction of all news dispatches cred ited to it. Rights of repro duction of all other matter herein reserved. Letters Po* ic T ,, Letters to the ^ should not excec ^ i j, words in length. rial staff reserves the hr edit letters for style ^ length but will tnake effort to maintain thor’s intent, ftdi dude the address phone number of the The Battalion ,s ^ Jished Monday tJ> roU £. day during Texas ^ uJar semesters, excep 1 tioof ...Tf ind 0 ^ holiday and examine riods. Mail subscript! 0 ^ $16.75 per semester, l>er school year ant full year. 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