Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 5, 1984)
Page 2/The Battalion/Friday, October 5, 1984 Opinion Howdy tradition not dead yet “Howdy.” Some people say the Howdy tradition is dead at Texas A&M. Once upon a time you couldn’t walk across the Texas A&M cam pus without being bombarded by Howdy-tossing-cadets. Now, they say, you can walk from end to end of the campus without hearing a single “Howdy.” Though the Howdy tradition seems to have faltered in re cent years, in this final day of Howdy Week we come not to bury the tradition but to praise it. It’s uplifting to walk across a campus where you don’t have to duck your head and hide your eyes lest you be suspected of insidious intentions. In big cities — and on many other college campuses — making eye contact with a passerby is interpreted as an attack. It’s part of the game Hemingway called, “Cutting a cad.” At Texas A&M making eye contact is an invitation to conver sation and/or friendship. It’s an attitude that will hopefully for ever flourish on the Texas A&M campus. The word may be awkward, and the tradition itself a bit silly, but the friendliness it promotes is an asset to this campus. If only the rest of the world would take the example from the few. Bar owners must share responsibility for alcohol abuse Soon Happy Hours may be a thing of the past. Though cheap drinks and goodtimes seem like a good idea, Happy Hours encourage excessive drinking — and that leads to more accidents, the president of Southwest Insurance Information systems says. “When bars offer increased amounts of liquor at reduced prices, they’re encouraging people to drink faster and then get in their cars and drive home, he says. Michigan, New Jersey and Ohio already have statutes pro hibiting such encouragement of drinking sprees. The Texas Legislature should put one intro force soon.But Happy Hours surely aren’t the only cause — or the major cause of Drunk Driv- ing. Teaching responsibility, not banning discount drinks, is the solution to tne problem of drunk drivers, the manager of Gil ley’s in Houston says. “If they think happy hour is the problem, then the police need to crack down on tne clubs that are serving drunks, not on the guys who have a couple of drinks on the way home,” he says. “The club is responsible for making sure a person doesn’t get drunk whether they give the alcohol away, give him one drink, or two-for-one.” That’s right, the club must share responsibility for the drunks they put out on the road. In Liberty, Missouri, a tavern paid a $42,500 settlement to a family who’s son was killed by one tavern patron. The patron’s drunk driving robbed their son of his life. It’s time the people who profit from excessive drinking — the club owners — snare the costs and burdens caused by alco hol abuse. — The Battalion Editorial Board RELAX,.me PRESIDENT SAYS NOTTO WORRV,,. THE EMBASSY IS 75 PERCENT SECURE By LI || M s(: . 1 entertain Hob Hop mor, and oi countr Hope v humor b; in 0. R»l Seared It now ret in |me pat i J At 81 ■rong. H cult, nial and usual Bai ty on lebrities i to celebra humor. i Hope lien tno 1 movies ar the respe ans, and 1 niche in l I Hope A&M cm political temptatio dian), am In support of Gay rights and an all-male Texas Aggie Ban O n e of the problems — and joys — of writing a weekly current events column is that it requires thought. It’s easy enough to say, “Oh, I can’t sup- r-, , port that," or Robert “Yeah, that’s McGlohon great.” It’s another thing altogether to support knee-jerk reactions with reason, or at least superficially sound rhetoric. This is compounded, in my case at least, by a lack of experience, and it’s ag gravated by the sure knowledge that half of what I write will be misunder stood. I hit that wall this week when I learned that 1) gays may soon be al lowed to organize on campus and 2) the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band may soon be forced to admit women. There went my knee: “Great, it’s about time (on the issue of gay rights).” And “Are they out of their minds? (on the issue of women in the Band).” The question of whether gays should be allowed to organize was easy. The ad ministration’s arguments have been ab surd. In fact, I’m pretty sure they realize this, but are “giving it the old college try” to keep our money-laden alumni happy. The question of women in the Band was another matter. How could I look myself in the mirror after being so two- faced as to support gay rights but ignore the rights of women? Lo and behold, my knee started talk ing to me — my right knee. “Why is it,” it asked, “that women are forever clamoring for equal rights while insisting on differential treatment? Why is it that women are admitted to the Corps, but given different grooming and fitness standards? Why not shave their heads and make’em do push ups on their toes?” “Why is it,” my knee insisted “that women may have their own choir, but the Band can’t restrict its membership? Why is it that athletes can be sexists, but musicians can’t?” And so on and so on. “Could it be,” my knee finally con cluded “that women and men are equal but different, much in the same way apples and oranges are equal but differ ent? Is this a case where you simply don’t want to mix your fruit?” 1 told my knee to shut up then, be cause I could hear first hints of “High way 6 runs both ways.” I then stood back and examined those kneeish arguments. Not one of them stood the scrutiny. There’s not one logical, rational reason women shouldn’t be admitted to the Band. It is true that men and women are equal. It is also true that men and women are different. This is why an all woman choir is acceptable: the voices of men and women differ, and there’s Eight ided tin lion to tl n... tlui Sherry ;he Star • Jteba Die something to be gamed in single |jded th choirs. This is also the reason am male marching band is not accept) md esta there are no inherent difference warrant it. lexas■ nan heri This is also the reason for thedi hashing! ent grooming standards for maki “ ' female cadets. Whereas a shaved her irdayan a mark of distinction for malecadett would be an outlandish humiliation! most females. Still, something will be lost *1 women are finally admitted to the hi) We will gain something morevalui 'bratest! i,., .. .. ure m Ti in the process, but that doesn't stop from mourning the loss. Bob Mediation is a weekly Bald columnist, ills column appears on I days. ANOTHER MEDIA DiSTORTION... I DIDN'T BLAME CARTER I BLAMED THE CIA FAILURES OF THE 1970s. The Battalion USPS 045 360 Member of Texas Press Association Southwest loumalismConference ■Jo In memonam Bill Robinson, 1962* 1984, Editor The Battalion Editorial Board Stephanie Ross, Acting Editor Patrice Koranek, Managing Editor Shelley 1 loekstra, City Editor Brigid Brockman, News Editor Donn Friedman, Editorial PageEdilo Bonnie Langford, News Editor Ed Cassavoy, Sports Editor The Battalion Staff Assistant City Editors Melissa Adair, MichellePo 1 Assistant News Editors Rhonda Snider, Kellie Dworaczyk, La« Assistant Sports Editor. Travis Tins Entertainment Editor. Assistant Entertainment Editor Angel Sioh Senior Reporter Robin BW Staff Writers ...Tammy Bell, ShawnBeH# Cami Brown, Delta Brown, Dainali" Jan Leigh-Ellen Clark, TonyCom# Suzy Tisk, Patricia® Kari Fluegel, Kathy Wiesei Boh McGlohon, KarlaP 9 Sarah 0*® Perry, Lynn Rae Povec, Janies Mike® ...John Hal* 1 . Karen Editorial Cartoonist Make-up Editor Copy Writer Copy Editors Kathy Breard, KayePahnte® Cyndy Davis, Patricia® Photographers Frank Irwin, David LeyendecP Peter Rocha, Mike Sand® , DeaiiS* Editorial Policy I he llminlinn is n non-prolit, sclf-supponingnetifl operated as a community service to Texas Al'N* Bryan-College Station. Opinions expressed in The llnttulion are those lJ Editorial Board or the author, and do not ntmwi'}^ resent the opinions oT Texas A&M administrators,^ or the Board oT Regents. The Battalion also serves as a laboratory ne\\i rr students in reporting, editing and pfiototfnipni'M within the Department oT Communications. Letters Policy Letters to the Editor should not exceed 300 mw 1 length. The editorial stall reserves the right to edit $ Tor style and length but will make even elTort to 0^ the author's intent. Each letter must Designed^ include the address and telephone number of the ^ T he Battalion is published Monday through & during Texas A&M regular semesters, except far hi, and examination periods. Mail subscriptions ateW. per semester. $33.25 per school year and $35 F year. Advertising rates furnished on request. Our address: T he Battalion, 216 Reed Mcfy Building, Texas A&M University, College Static^ 77H43. Editorial stall phone number: (-1(19) 815-0 vertising: (409) 845-26IT N Second class postage paid at College Station, ’lK0 By CA This v tegitinini In HE Jlub was tl organi Octobe on-oh-th Germa F S DA- Till LOi Spon