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Page 2AThe Battalion/Wednesday, August 8,1984
Opinion
Recognition criteria
subjective, unclear
If nothing else, students are in
debted to Gay Student Services for
calling attention to the haphazard
methods Texas A&M University uses
to determine which student organiza
tions will be recognized and which will
not.
Texas A&M administrators have
used highly subjective criteria to deny
recognition to various groups for
years — most often citing a group’s
“social nature.”
GSS took the University to court
over Texas A&M’s recognition crite
ria, winning on appeal to the 5th U.S.
Circuit Court of Appeals. The Court
rejected the University’s reasoning,
stating: “At (the) heart of the First
Amendment is the freedom to choose,
even if such choice does not accord
with the state’s view.”
The Court’s decision applied to GSS
but has relevance to other groups of
Texas A&M students as well.
Dr. John J. Koldus, vice president
for student services, says recognized
organizations are allowed to use Uni
versity facilities and services, can ad
vertise on campus and use on-campus
mail. Recognized groups are required
to maintain accounts at the Student Fi
nance Center.
In normal circumstances, Koldus
says recognition is based on whether
the organization duplicates another
group and if it is predominately a stu
dent organization. Koldus also says a
group must tie in with University goals
and objectives.
According to Texas A&M’s prelimi
nary long-range plan, the University
exists to assist “its students in their
search for knowledge, helps them un
derstand themselves and their cultural
and physical environments, and at
tempts to develop in them the wisdom
and skills needed to assume responsi
bility in a democratic society.”
Student organizations by nature
help students “understand themsel
ves” and provide development possi
bilities.
The Greek system at Texas A&M is
a prime example of this.
More than 10 percent of the stu
dents at Texas A&M claim mem
bership in Greek organizations, yet the
University has steadfastly refused to
recognize the Greeks’ presence. The
“social nature” of the groups has been
cited as a reason for the denial.
But we’re hard pressed to find a
reason to deny recognition to Greek
organizations under the criteria Kol
dus lists.
To prevent discrimination in recog
nizing student organizations and to
clarify requirements, Texas A&M
must take a serious look at the subjec
tive methods it uses in the process.
Vague references to “social organi
zations” and objectives just aren’t
enough.
— The Battalion Editorial Board
High culture often
a foreign language
SANTE FE,
NEW MEXICO —
It’s quite unnerv
ing to listen in on a
conversation that
you can under
stand absolutely
nothing about.
It could a dis
cussion between
two physicists
about the relative
value of relativity
or it could be at a
pueblo with two Indians speaking in a
tongue foreign to your ears.
It’s quite disturbing to me when I
can’t understand what people are talk
ing about. Are they talking about me?
But some people must enjoy be-
fuddlement. What else could explain
the full house at the Sante Fe Opera’s
peformance of “II Matrimonio Segre-
to.”
Donn Friedman
In a state where more than 85 per
cent of the terrain is above 4,000 feet,
they call it high culture.
“It’s relaxing,” I was told.
Not being one to argue, I fell in and
out of the state of sleep three times
during the first act.
“Read the story in the program,” I
was told. “It’ll make the story easier to
follow.”
I did as I was told. The plot of “II
Matrimonio Segreto” — translated,
the Secret Marriage — went some
thing like this:
Boy secretly marries girl. Rich dude
rides in and courts girl. Rich dude and
secret husband fight for her affection.
Family really goes for the rich dude.
Finally rich dude is told of secret mar
riage, so he marries another wench
who just happens to be hanging out at
the castle. Everyone lives happily ever
after.
Sounds like you could fit the whole
story into a 30-minute sit-com episode
or maybe a 2-minute Music-Television
video.
Two hours 15 minutes later the first
act ends. There’s another coming up.
Some people seemed to be able to
follow what was going on; they
laughed at the opera singers’ acting
from time to time.
“Opera is an acquired taste,” I was
told, and as much as I wanted to expe
rience high culture under the stars in
the mountains of New Mexico, I
couldn’t bear another two hours of ut
ter confusion.
I left at intermission, leaving the
second act for those people who could
watch and understand, those people
who could act as if they understand
and those with the best reason for at
tending the opera: so they could fall
asleep in high culture rather than in
front of their color TV.
(Donn Friedman is a senior journa
lism major and The Battalion’s roving
columnist covering the plains of Texas
— with a few side trips.)
The Battalion
USPS 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
Brigid Brockman, News Editor
Kathleen Hart, News Editor
Travis Tingle, Sports Editor
The Battalion Staff
Assistant City Editor Robin Black
Assistant News Editors Dena Brown,
Bonnie Langford
Staff Writers Ed Alanis,
Kari Fluegel,Bob McGlohon,
Sarah Oates
Copy Writers Karen Bloch,
Cyndy Davis
Copy Editor Tracie Holub
Photographers Peter Rocha,
Eric Evan Lee
Editorial Policy
The Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting newspaper
operated as a community service Co 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 rep
resent the opinions of Texas A&M administrators, faculty
or the Board of Regents.
The Battalion also serves as a laboratory newspaper for
students in reporting, editing and photography classes
within the Department of Communications.
United Press International is entitled exclusively to the
use for reproduction of all news dispatches credited to it.
Rights of reproduction of all other matter herein reserved.
Letters Policy
Letters to the Editor should not exceed 300 words in
length. The editorial staff reserves the right to edit letters
for style and length but will make every effort to maintain
the author's intent. Each letter must be signed and must in
clude the address and telephone number of the writer.
The Battalion is published Monday through Friday dur
ing Texas A&M regular semesters, except for holiday and
examination periods. Mail subscriptions are $16.75 per se
mester, $33.25 per school year and $35 per full year. Adver
tising rates furnished on request.
Our address: The Battalion, 216 Reed McDonald Build
ing, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843.
Second class postage paid at College Station, TX 77843.
V00 HEARP M£, J/M/.r I HAVf AN AMERICAN HERB WHOM
TO OSm A SriMUOAHT BACH OF HIS EV6NTS
HI
Readers' Forum: GSS at A&M
“Tl
but
Pandora's box opened by recognition
Editor:
Over the past several years, I’ve
been exposed to the subject of gay
rights through media and demonstra
tion. From people I’ve conversed with
and from what I’ve seen, I’ve come to
accept the gay population for what
they are, a controversial group who
have found sanction in the technical
loopholes of our Constitution. If God
wanted men to sleep with men, then I
suppose he would have made Adam
another spouse named Jody,
Well boys and girls, it seems that a
new subject is hot on the press this
week, SEX. But this time it is in our
own backyard, Texas A&M Univer
sity. The question here seems to be;
“Should our money (taxes, tuition,
etc.) support a Gay Student Service?”
If the answer is yes, then why doesn’t
the University list GSS on our tuition
fee slip next to Health Center fees?”
After all, the money we’re paying for
an approved education and degree is
now being funneled for a group most
don’t even support. I hardly call this
freedom under the very same Consti
tution they quote from. If the GSS
wants funding, they should acquire it
from their members, not at the ex-
Acc
u
pense of students and taxpayers.
In recent issues I’ve enjoyed articles
by Steve Thomas, whom I think is an
effective writer and competent
speaker. Steve brings out some very
interesting examples that some may
discount as ridiculous, but in actuality
could conceivably be constructed. He
uses the premise that if the University
recognizes one sexual group, then all
of them have a fair shot at being rec
ognized. Example, what if the Bryan-
College Station Society for Necrophi-
liacs wants an organization acceptance,
how does the University tell them no
and the gays yes? Or better yet, should
we have a local chapter of the Ku Klux
Klan on campus and enforce all for
eign students and blacks to support
the organization through financial
funding? I think the point begins to
become more clear. I have no problem
with homosexuals entertaining them
selves in the privacy of their own living
establishments, but why all the push
for funding and facilities? It begins to
take the shape of an organization for
recruitment as would a cult or the U.S.
Air Force. This is where they begin to
overstep their “freedom.”
I guess we now see the prioriiie
public higher education in this an
Deny harmless Cireek organic
recognition, but recognize the k
sexuals. It begins to become ami
at the double standards in
On one page of a newspaper, Cil
for Decency picket 7,300 71
stores for sales of what they term
nographic” magazines — read
Battalion and homosexuals are
recognized on campus. Soifthisl:
versity, which prides itself on
tions, wants to recognize gays ona
pus, why don’t we just put a nicei
segment of GSS film and literatim
the freshman conference f
along side the films of the Corpsji
Field and Reveille? Let’s see howraz
students are enticed then. Theds
sion this school is about to makec
mistake in capital letters but as
erything else, they’ll learn the Ik
way. And to The Battalion Staff":
said, “The University should'vered
nized the group years ago,” 1 onlv:
terject, have them save you a seal
the next GSS assembly.
Steve Patti' 1
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Funding arguments absurd, offensive
Editor:
In the past I have enjoyed the work
of columnist Steve Thomas on your
opinion page, but his article Tuesday,
“Taxpayers shouldn’t fund sexual
groups” truly offended me.
Mr. Thomas usually defends his
opinions from a rational, physical basis
(as he did with this one), but this arti
cle contained some rather outrageous
and immature material also. Since his
comments on “atypical sexual fac
tions” are tasteless enough to speak for
themselves, I must refute his factual
argument.
First, taxpayers in this country pay
for all types of services to minority
groups (such as gays and lesbians) and
idealogical camps that they may nei
ther support nor condone. Just as in
our legal system, although we may not
agree with every statute, we do agree
that the body as a whole is worth more
to society than its absence. Otherwise,
we allow some of our personal opin
ions to be submerged for the good of
the group.
Second, Gay Student Services is not
a sexual group; it is a minority group.
That minority is not even based on our
sexual orientation, but on others’ prej
udice towards it. Our sexuality does
not reflect on our social interaction,
rather some members of society prefer
to regulate our interactions so the sta
tus quo will not be disturbed. (Refep-
ring back to the last paragraph, I am
willing to subjugate some of my free
doms to the state, but I will not toler
ate the removal of a basic component
of my existence.)
Third, as the argument presented
by Mr. Thomas applies to Texas
A&M, student groups on this campus
do not receive any money from tax
payers unless they seek private dona
tions (SCONA, Endowed Lecture Se
ries, and OPAS). Some campus groups
are funded in part by student service
fees and the profits from their own ac
tivities. (Several groups turn quite a
large profit from their programs.)
At the fall rate of $54.50 per se® l .
ter, a student spends $436 ineighti
mesters toward this fund. Even mu
shocking, that means that gay studei
pay $327,000 annually (based oni
3000 estimate reported in The Bal»
ion). Although campus gays certair:
take advantage of other activitiespsi
for with this money, one very imp:
tant one has been denied consistent
— their own support group,GSS.M
you tell me who is not getting equitaK
returns on their money. Of court
this is not even computing the Studt:
Complex fee or the thousands (
Texas A&M students who support til
group but are not gay.
Finally, Mr. Thomas, as a
presumably middle-class male, p
haps you should experience prejudi
a little bit before you begin denyii)
rights to those that live with it. Besi
just how many student groups
denied recognition for being hetert
sexual?
J. CarySteg
Anne Burford,
, '•v.-
BEHINP EVERY
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duilpresidEntia!
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