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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 16, 1984)
A A Opinion Page 2/The BattalionATuesday, October 16, 1984 Rape: a reality at Texas A&M Rape — it’s a reality that too often people here try to deny. But unfortunately, rape does occur at Texas A&M. Last week, a 25-year-old from Bryan was found guilty of ag gravated rape of two Texas A&M students. Judge Tom McDonald Jr. said he will decide punishment in about two weeks. The maximum sentence for this crime is life in prison. Life in prison doesn’t seem nearly enough for what this man to did to these women and to their families. But since it’s all the law will allow, we’ll have to settle for it. Judge McDonald shouldn’t settle for anything less. Let’s make sure that this man doesn’t rape again. More importantly, let’s make sure that all Texas A&M stu dents are aware of the dangers of rape; that it can occur to them. Many fine programs are presented from time-to-time on the Texas A&M campus. Attend them. The office of Student Affairs presents rape awareness pro grams throughout the semester. To hold such a program for your dorm, organization or just a group of f riends contact that office. The programs are free. We must acknowledge that our area is not a crime-free oasis. The best defense is to be aware. The Battalion Editorial Board Thee I Institute [Technol' I reported [Battalior I the error m you BETTER OFF,.. BEEP.., Ml NO NEW TAXES,. NO NEW TAXES,, BEEPCLICK. there you 60 m AGAIN..,WHIRL £0! HUM BETSY Wtt, CLICK BUZZ, THE NUMBER WO HAVE REACHEP IS / NO ICN&ER IN (SERVICE,..BEEP to I State c rill be he neeting c (lie Texa. 1 iffairs. 1 ors to the -hich the ents estal lembers intonio 'ort Wort ransporl Ihil Wils layor Lu Dr. Wc fthe cem ted to pr die urban An unnatural fear of insurance salesmen [ Roesele Kgional [ lit) facult lie center pined al: lencies ; provide as ban probh I Preside! Biscuss the mission. F center’s s< louncil wil paion by rsed of i I’ve always heard about in surance salesmen in whis pered conversations by adults. Insurance was grown up stuff and I never listened. I never thought I would have to deal with LIFE insurance. But it happened two weeks ago — my first encounter salesman. Angel Stokes with an insurance He called me at home. Using all the arts of per suasion, he convinced me I should find out more information. We set up an appointment. I (ahem) missed it. He called again. I thought I was prepared. I’m not a push-over. I’ve interviewed all kinds of people. I knew he wouldn’t be able to rattle me. But I was wrong. First of all he was young. Now when I think in surance salesmen, I imagine a rotund, bald (Gre cian formula on the fringe) man, who’s just a little too slick. But my insurance salesman has an aver age build, lots of dark wavy hair, and is just a bit too slick. “I want to get to know you a little better, so let me begin by telling you a little something about myself,” (or something to that effect) he said. Now I know this stranger a little better. An A&M graduate, class of ’82, with one of those busi ness degrees. He worked in a bank for a while, now he sells LIFE insurance to the college market. Then he asked me about myself. Such in-depth questions as: What investments do you have — stocks or bonds? A savings account? What are your plans for the future — dating anyone special? When are you graduating? Are you interviewing? How much money do you ex pect to make when you get out? Well, money and I have a roller coaster relationship. On paydays and whenever Daddy de cides to send money, I’m a happy person. But by the time the end of the month or the end of money (which usually comes first). I’m not a happy per son. In other words, I have never invested in stocks or bonds or anything else. (Unless it’s wearable, ed ible or makes me happy.) At least I can say I have a savings account. Never mind that it only has $11.54. Also never mind that I haven’t balanced my check book with my monthly statement in live years. It gives me a headache; I’ll do it when I graduate and become a real person. * • I refuse to answer the “dating anyone special” question. I’ve been avoiding my grandmother on that one for years. No, I’m not interviewing. Graduation isn’t until December. Why plan ahead? And I’ll be lucky ill start out at $12,()()(). (He looks amazed at thaiout Then we got down to business. Foramen ,atten( ^ $56.55 per month, I could have an insurancepd icy complete with disability rider, accidental deal! rider and many other benefits. All this so ihi when I die my beneficiary can get $50,000. What a bargain. I gathered up the nifty brochures with numlieii and graphs and arrows, thanked the man and sat idpresk “I’ll call you after I think about it.” (Equal totli ng Ass proverbial “the check is in the mail.”) Just in case he calls I've trained my roommaiet say: “Are you the LIFE insurance man?0h,Aif depend just moved to outer Mongolia.” irgeon ales; Dr lanner f : Water an, plani Angel Stokes is the assistant entertainment K tor of The Battalion. And no thank you, doesn't want a piece of the rock. irs. Other ( lanager D., pro rsitv of Take advantage of MSC programs c a r p e diem (Latin: enjoy the day) - theme, partic- —— —— ularly ofpo- Reader’s Forum etry: enjoyment Reader’s Forum of the pleasures Reader’s Forum of the moment without con cern for the fu ture. Aggies can one-up the poets of old. There is a way that we, here at Texas A&M, can enjoy the pleasures of to day in order to enhance our future. Of course, I am talking about the smorgasbord of campus programs that are available. Don’t give in to the lazy man’s lie that A&M is intellectual and cultural wasteland. That’s bunk! The Memo rial Student Center, through its thirty-three committees, will sponsor over thirteen hundred all-campus programs this year. These programs educate, entertain, culture and chal lenge. Take advantage of them. Instead of becoming a TV basket case over Bobby Ewing’s blindness on “Dallas,” open your own eyes and check out the upcoming Buckley- Galbraith economic debate, the myr iad of Political Forum speeches this fall, the SCONA China lectures, and the challenges during Racial Aware ness week. There will be hot bars and cold beer until you’re too old to dance and drink, but you won’t always have the opportunities to laugh with Bob Hope, take great ski trips with MSC Travel, jail your best friend at the All-Night Fair, or buy your whole Christmas list at the Lost & Found Auction. Culture. Let’s face it: if you don’t learn cultural competence here, where else will you get it? Drop by the MSC Art Gallery and Rudder Exhibit Hall and learn about art by seeing it. Don’t complain that your curric ulum doesn’t allow for music appre ciation courses: get dressed up and go experience the London Philhar monic with OPAS in Rudder Audito- rium. Learn now that, even in friendly Aggieland, you don’t ap plaud when the orchestra conductor pauses between movements. The costs in time and money are too great to pick up these “educated people” skills later on. I read over the past few weeks that columnists Cyndy and Karen want to go on a “wholesome” date. What could be more hip than an Aggie Cin ema movie favorite or a Cepheid sci- fi classic? The Town Hall And Base ment concerts are unbeatable. An MSC Craft Shop class or an After Hours short course (in older days, Free U) has sparked many a friendship/romance. The Madrigal Dinners are perfect ways to say “Merry Christmas.” If for no other reason, treat your self to something special because you deserve it. Your friend or your pro fessor probably does, too, so invite him/her along to that Broadway play or that Great Issues lecture. Just re member, college is a fantastic oppor tunity to try for pennies what you’d have to take a 12 percent loan out for later on in life. The MSC programs here are to reach out and touch your mind and heart, not your pocket- book. Are you really learning, seeing, and experiencing everything a col lege student should? There is a whole lot more to life than books, beer, and ballgames. Find it all right here at your student center. See you at the show! Pat Wood, a senior civil engineer from Port Arthur, is President of the Memorial Student Center. LETTERS: Bible quotes used incorrectly in attacks EDITOR: I would like to comment on Daniel Holland’s rather typical anti-homosex ual letter. Daniel quotes the Bible in sup port of the nonrecognition of gays. I usually disregard such letters as quoting the Bible out of context and go on to the next letter about hazing or some other perpetual topic. But as I had some extra time while my wife was fixing dinner, I decided to see exactly what Daniel left out. He quoted Romans 1:27 as saying “ . . . The men abandoned the natural func tion of women and burned in their de sire toward one another, men with men commmitting indecent acts . . and verse 32, “ . . . and although they know the ordinance of Cod, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give heartly approval to those who practice them.” I dug out a Bible to see what was in verses 28-31, which conveniently were left out. These verses speak of men who “did not see fit to acknowledge God . . ., who “are filled with every kind of wicked ness: maliciousness, greed, ill will, envy, murder, bickering, deceit, craftiness. They are gossips and slanderers, they hate God, are insolent, haughty, boast ful, . . .” etc., etc., etc. Then comes verse 32 (the one Daniel quoted) which says they deserve death. The most interesting part is the verses immediately following, in Ro mans 2:1-3. “That is why every one of you who judges another is inexcusable. By your judgment you convict yourself, since you do the very same things. ‘We know that God’s judgment on men who do such things is just. ” Do you suppose, then, that you will escape his judgment, you who condemn these things in others yet do them your self? Why didn’t you give us the whole story, Daniel? The one which says that any of us who have had greed or ill will, who have boasted or gossiped, also de serve death (and therefore, nonrecogni tion). Perhaps we judged a bit too quickly, isn’t that so Daniel, or have we never had that taste of envy. You should know better than I (being a very religious per son, that is) that he who is without sin can cast the first stone. Joe Becker Graduate Student Many responsible in abuse of booze EDITOR: In regards to the letter written by Kim Manganaro: I agree that adults should be respon sible. 1 also believe that adults should be responsible for their actions. However, there are people who claim to he re sponsible and are not. It makes me just sick to think that one of our responsible adults might just be served one more drink by a responsible adult bartender that knows for a fact that he/she is drunk, then that responsi ble adult gets into his/her car, has a head on collision, kills not only themself, but whomever he/she hits. Now I believe that there are possibly two people that are responsible. One being the bartender for not hav ing better sense than to continue to serve a drunk, two, the drunk who no longer has responsibilities. Another pos sible person or persons that were irre sponsible were his/her buddies that let the drunk get into that condition or en couraged it and let him/her drive a car. Yes, it is true this is a Me Generation, it is pretty obvious you are a part of it. Sometimes it is our responsibility to look out for our friends and loved ones, even the drunk in the bar. Sometimes others put the drunk on the road. I would hate to think that one of those “responsible adults” was looking out for my best interest, espe cially if I was incapable of doing so due to the responsible condition I got myself into. Yes, people should be more responsi ble, all people, including bar owners. I choose to believe that we all share in the responsibility when a person’s life ii danger and if you know this issoa choose to do nothing, are you notyoi self being irresponsible? o May I add that it is illegal to sew drunk. Responsibility does carryovers others Kim, it is called maturity. Terri L. Oliphant Bryan The Battalion (ISPS 045 360 Member of Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Conference In memoriam Bill Robinson, 1962-1984, Editor The Battalion Editorial Board Stephanie Ross, Editor Patrice Koranek, Managing Editor Shelley Hoekstra, City Editor Brigid Brockman, News Editor Donn Friedman, Editorial PageEdiior Bonnie Langford, News Editor Ed Cassavoy, Sports Editor The Battalion Staff Assistant City Editors Melissa Adair, MichellePo»t Assistant News Editors Rhonda Snider, Kellie Dworaczyk, La® Recst Assistant Sports Editor Travis Tinglt Entertainment Editor Bill Hutke Make-un Editor .John Halid 1 Copy Editors Kathy Breard, KayePahmeid Cyndy Davis, Patricia Flu 1 Editorial Policy The li.ill.,1 it)ii is a non-profit, self-supporting nenplf operated as a community service to Texas MM* 1 Bryan-College Station. Opinions expressed in The Banalion are (hose ol* I ' ' ®§frd Editorial Board or the author, and do not necessai resent the opinions of Texas A&M administrators,M or the Board of Regents. I'hc Battalion also serves as a laboratory newstupn students in reporting, editing and photograph) tl« within the Department of Communications. • • « Letters Policy Letters to the Editor should not exceed 300 * lengt h. 7 In • editorial staff reserves the right to edit let** for style and length but will make every effort tonu^ the author's intent. Each letter must he signed and ^ i include the address and telephone number ofthetnif l The Battalion is publisned Monday thmurh ftf'l during Texas A&M regular semesters, except for hdi'i f $ and examination periods. Mai! subscriptions art 0" . per semester, $:I3.25 per school year and f3S pt'' * year. Advertising rates furnished on request. J # Our address: The Battalion, 216 Reed M*?. 1 ] a Building, Texas A&M University, College Siam ® 77843. 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