Opinion
Page 2/The Battalion/Tuesday, October 23, 1984
Regent actions making joke of Texas A&M
Let’s hear it for c
the Board of Re- K
gents.
Its latest actions
are probably the
best thing that
ever happened to
Texas A&M. Now,
35,000 students
have tangible
Ed Cassavoy
proof that power and wealth can go
along with narrow-mindedness and ig
norance.
before they make Texas A&M the
laughing stock of the entire country.
So a student group, which wished
only to have a place to meet and the
right to advertise on campus, is the cen
ter of a controversy totally out of pro
portion with the group’s original wants.
Of course this is an emotional issue,
but why make the University look so
foolish?
Within the past few weeks we have
been reminded how the world works.
Or doesn’t work.
The mess does not end there. We
have the case of Melanie Zentgraf and
her request that all elements of the
Corps be open to women as well as men.
Sounds fair enough. The equal right to
participate in all campus events.
Old men, thirty years behind the
times, make decisions that affect thou
sands of young people. The next gener
ation. You and me.
I refer to the recognizing of the Gay
Student Services and the question of al
lowing women into the Aggie Band.
The Regents have chosen the usual
methods of dealing with something the
power elite can’t understand, or are un
willing to face.
But then you get the usual idiotic re
marks that always spout from some
where on any subject dealing with Teaxs
A&M. Unfortunately, the words came
from the mouths of A&M Alumni who
were in the Band. They claimed that let
ting women play in the Aggie Band
would weaken the nation’s defense.
Block it, obstruct it, fight to the death.
And I can’t even give the Regents
credit for being subtle or devious in
their campaign to stop the inevitable.
Instead we have heavy-handed, stub
born attempts to stop something at all
costs.
Fortunately, these kind of ludicrous
remarks are exceptions to the rule. And
funny as they sound to some, it just
makes Texas A&M look bad.
In the case of the GSS, the Regents
are still fighting a losing battle against
the court decision that forces A&M to
formally recognize the GSS on campus.
They want to take it to the Supreme
Court.
I just wonder what the Regents think
of the world we live in. Maybe to them it
is a struggle to build a nice shiny new
building. Or grab more money for
A&M. But I have the suspicious feeling
they have forgotten about the most im
portant element in this University — the
students.
Wisely, Texas Attorney General Jim
Maddox has chosen to stop the Regents
Believe it or not, students are people.
They have rights; they have as much
right to make decisions on campus is
sues as the Regents lording over us do.
Blocking the GSS and women’s par
ticipation in any campus event is sup
porting the status quo. Granted, the rul
ing class of any society wishes things to
remain the same. But the University is
supposed to be separated, or somewhat
sheltered, from some of the realities of
life.
istration telling us that our voice (feeble
and isolated as it is on this campus)
means nothing.
At Texas A&M, you can’t escape it.
Instead of fighting together to ex
pand and test what society says is right
and wrong, we have a University admin-
Why not remove the facade the Re
gents hide behind and just incorporate
the whole University. The Board of Re
gents would become the Board of Direc
tors. They could even sell stock.
The ancient Greeks even allowed
their gods to come down from Ml
Olympus and walk among theirpeoplt I
Mayl>e Bum Bright and Co. coui;|
learn a lesson from history. Bui
must learn to crawl before you anni
You must learn to think beforeyouui
Ed Cassavoy is The Battalion,
Editor.
VER, DURING THOSE
DEBATES IREAHV
kicked a ume
(Thames wiixoass)
lU TELL WO SOMETHIN',,
THAT FERRARO GAl IS
SOME WEALTHS
(RHVMES WITH RICH}
SO REMEMBER
GO OUTANP VOTE
FORME,,,
GEORGE 0tm
(RHYMES WITH TUSH)
The Battalion
CJSPS 045 360
Member of
Texas Press Association
South west Jou rnalism Conference
In mrmoriam
Bill Robinson, 1962-1984,Editor
The Battalion Editorial Board
The I
onday
om Te:
ient to i
thf six-m
The st
an ex-off
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LETTERS:
Women cadets: Ags
not radical feminists
EDITOR:
During my four years in the Corps, I sat
back quietly as the men and women of Texas
A&M kept trying to decide for me what
women in the Corps wanted or should be al
lowed to do. That is, what organizations
should they be part of. I am out of the Corps
now, <md have decided it’s high time that I
express what is on my mind.
Let me try and tell you what the “real” in
tent of Melanie Zentgraf s lawsuit was.
First off, we must consider the time pe
riod in which she decided to file the suit. She
was in the Corps from 1976-1980 and filed
the suit in 1979. Prior to 1980, women were
not allowed to wear senior boots (that one
hard earned prized distinction) nor were
their uniforms similar to the rest of the
Corps. The only class distinction they had
was the color of braid around their shirt col
lar.
When Melanie first entered the Corps,
women had only been there for two years.
Yes, they had to deal with discrimination
and the physical and mental harassment by
their peers. The women had not been al
lowed to become a true part of the Corps.
Melanie saw this and after her use of the
proper chain of command failed, she de
cided a lawsuit was the only way to be heard.
Also, her initial filing of charges were due
to being turned down for a position on the
color guard because she was female. It was
evident to her and others that a definite
problem did exist in ALL aspects of the
Corps.
You know what, after she filed her lawsuit
remarkable things began to happen. Women
were granted the privilege of wearing senior
boots. A bootskirt was designed and their
uniforms were updated so that you could tell
from a distance what classfication they were.
Then, a woman was accepted in the Parson’s
Mounted Cavalry and in the Color Guard.
Women began feeling more comfortable
with trying to achieve all they could in the
Corps just as their male counterparts.
Melanie has already achieved what she
was after! Therefore, when we start talking
bad about her intentions let’s consider the
time frame it all started and what the women
had then and have now. They’ve come a
long way in the past decade!
I, ana all the other women, never joined
the Corps to prove a feminist point or to
cause an upheaval at A&M. We joined be
cause we aspire a military career, it is a fam
ily tradition, or just to be at the heart of Ag-
gieland. You know, the same reasons the
other 2,000 individuals joined.
Donna Heinz
Class of ’84
A&M to fall
just like Rome
EDITOR:
The Fall of A&M: Does our Senate rep
resent the voice of A^gieland?
Just recently “our Senate passed a resolu
tion to recognize GSS. I am ashamed to hear
that “our” Senate voted for such a resolution
without bothering to ask their constituents
how they felt about the issue. As a former
Senator, I am appalled that the students
voice was ignored and furious that such an
organization shall now exist.
Some people — such as a Tom Urban —
believe “that the fact so many students are
against University recognition of the GSS
shows that we need to recognize it. The GSS
exists to inform people.” If Urban and oth
ers truly believe this then I personally will
take them down to Montrose in Houston or
Cedar Springs in Dallas and purchase for
them an education — perhaps then we
would appreciate their desire to learn.
Students of Aggieland, “our” Senate may
d our voic
new fangled “dating service” but we don’t
have to appropriate them any money. The
Fifth Circuit Court never said we nad to
fund but only recognize this form of malig
nant immorality.
Yes Aggies it truly is a dark day at A&M —
and A&M is now officially going downhill.
Edward Mallou
accompanied by seven signatures
EDITOR S NOTE: If the Student Senate
doesn’t represent the student body, it’s the
students’ own fault; less than 20 percent of
the student body voted in the last general
student government election.
pus, or distribute fliers. Our archakR
of Regents can decide that a groupie
the best interest of Texas A&Mandw
recognition. In order for its ideas E ;
heard, for members to speakoncampj.
group must be sponsored by another *
nized” organization. Members c
press the views of their group I
fliers, for the group is not recognued■
freedom of expression?
ill!
A&M administrators
creating little Russia
have disregardet
voice and established a
EDITOR:
Welcome to the U.S.S.R.
This University makes a travesty of indi
vidual rights. The first amendment guar
antees the freedom to express one’s ideas re-
gardless of their popularity, and to
peaceably associate to proffer these ideas.
The Texas A&M Board of Regents be
lieves that the University can circumvent
these rights with the power of recognition.
They abuse recognition by choosing and
regulating who may speak or meet on cam-
Too many people presume u.
recognition to an organization wid'
they oppose is appropriate. This i<i|
not appropriate, it is criminal. Ametf
founded on the premise that even''
ual or group has the right to freeli
his views. Freedom of expression^
and advances society. The Boarded
seems to have forgotten that Texas' 1
within the United States of America**
the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic
“Recognition” seems to beanaiis*
disguise for allowing the University
press ideas. I challenge the constin*
of the concept of University recogi®
Glenn Murtha
Class of ’86