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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 21, 1985)
Page 2/The Battalion/Thursday, February 21, 1985 1; IF Abe l jiicdiY wzrG ppcaktevt todb^... r ^ HE SURE IS IOUS/OK mvisPK. 'QCWERNWENT OF THE PEotvE.ermEreopiE, FOR THE PEOPV£.;EHP MORE. Bis gowerhvaeht/// A&M officials continuing to deny free speech on University campus “We hope the resolution will make the Board ( Texas A&M’s Board of Regents) look beyond their own bigotries and accept GSS.” Tom Urban made that statement after the A&M Student Senate passed a resolution supporting the GSS. Evidently, someone didn’t like it. Urban was placed on conduct proba tion by the University on Nov. 27. Urban was informed in a letter from Brent Paterson, Judicial Affairs Super visor for Student Services, that he was placed on conduct probation for accu mulating “an excessive number of un paid parking violations” and failure to “register the vehicle with the U.P.D.” Urban received 16 parking tickets during the fall semester but paid them on Nov. 7 and bought a parking sticker on Nov. 14. But, during the 1984 spring semester Urban received — and paid — 12 parking tickets and no disciplinary action was taken against him. Bob Wiatt, director of Security and Traffic, said having more than nine parking tickets is excessive. But, does that constitute conduct pro- The Battalion USPS 045 360 Member of Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Conference The Battalion Editorial Board Brigid Brockman, Editor Shelley Hoekstra, Managing Editor Ed Cassavoy, City Editor Kellie Dworaczyk, News Editor Michelle Powe, Editorial Page Editor Travis Tingle, Sports Editor The Battalion Staff Assistant City Editors Kari Fluegel, Rhonda Snider Assistant News Editors Cami Brown, John Hallett, Kay Mallett Assistant Sports Editor Charean Williams Entertainment Editors Shawn Behlen, Leigh-Ellen Clark Staf f Writers Cathie Anderson, Brandon Berry, Dainah Bullard, Ann Cervenka, Michael Crawford, Kirsten Dietz, Patti Flint, Patrice Koranek, Trent Leopold, Sarah Oates, Jerry Oslin, Tricia Parker, Lynn Rae Povec Copy Editors Jan Perry, Kelley Smith Malce-up Editors Karen Bloch, Karla Martin Columnists Kevin Inda, Loren Steffy Editorial Cartoonist Mike Lane Sports Cartoonist Dale Smith Copy Writer Cathy Bennett Photo Editor Katherine Hurt Photographers Anthony Casper, Wayne Grabein, Bill Hughes, Frank Irwin, John Makely, Peter Rocha, Dean Saito Editorial Policy The Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting newspaper operated as a community service to 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. 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 include the address and telephone number of the writer. The Battalion is published Monday through Friday during Texas A&M regular semesters, except for holiday and examination periods. Mail subscriptions are $16.75 per semester, $33.25 per school year and $35 per full year. Advertising rates furnished on request. Our address: The Battalion, 216 Reed McDonald Building, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843.. Editorial staff phone number: (409) 845-2630. Ad vertising: (409) 845-2611. Second class postage paid at College Station, TX 77843. POSTMAS'I ER: Send address changes to The Battal ion, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843 bation? Few A&M students have been put on conduct probation for having too many parking tickets. Being considered a candidate for conduct probation de pends on the way you interpret Univer sity regulations. According to the Texas A&M Univer sity Regulations Handbook, conduct probation is defined as follows: • An official warning that the stu dent’s conduct is in violation of Texas A&M University Regulations “Basic Po licy”, or the Penal Code of the State of Texas but is not sufficiently serious to warrant expulsion, dismissal or suspen sion. A student of conduct probation is deemed “not in good standing” with the University, which includes certain re strictions. One restriction affects Urban more than the others. That restriction is the ineligibility to hold an office in any stu dent organization recognized by the University or to hold any elected or ap pointed office of the University. Urban was forced by the probation to resign his position in Student Govern ment on Jan. 23, but a federal re straining order issued Feb. 6 enabled him to retain his posistion. You might ask what constitutes con duct probation under that definition — well, just about anything the University wants. LETTERS: Bicycling should be encouraged at A&M EDITOR: The so-called “parking problem” (Battalion, Feb. 14) here at the Univer sity is one primarily of semantics. It’s not a “parking problem” but a “car problem.” There are just too many of the damn things on campus. Instead of giving more tickets, and building more parking lots, why are we not encourag ing more alternative transportation? Specifically, bicycles. Sure, bicycles in themselves are a problem and I will not defend my fellow cyclists’ skills or judgement in traffic, but bikes are quiet, pollution free, pro vide exercise, and don’t require the 60- plus square feet of parking space of a automobile. So what has been done by the University and city of College Sta tion to encourage bicycle commuters? Bikes routes have been set up, which is to be commended, but they are too re stricted and not respected by motorists. How many cyclists out there have found themselves face to face with an impa tient S.O.B. tearing down the bike lane on Jersey during rush hour. Some suggestions to improve condi tions for cyclists: 1) a sidewalk should be constructed extending from Zachry Engineering, east around the polo grounds, continu ing parallel to Texas on the east side of the polo grounds and golf course, to the running track. This sidewalk could be used by joggers, pedestrians, as well as cyclists. 2) a sidewalk could also be con structed on the west side of Wellborn Student Body President David Alders said he hopes the University doesn’t deny a student his civil rights but he also said government interference in the University’s internal affairs could set a dangerous precedent “It would set a dangerous precedent if the government reversed the Univer sity’s decision because a student dis agreed with the decision. The Univer sity needs to be able to maintain its independence,” Alders said. I guess it doesn’t matter to Alders if the University is denying someone his First Amendment rights. By no means should we let the government mingle in University affairs. Just because the Uni versity Disciplinary Appeals Panel upheld the University’s decision doesn’t mean the University was right in putting Urban on conduct probation. This is an obvious attempt to shut someone up. Officials won’t admit it — but that’s what they wanted to do. It seems as if the regents like to deny peo ple their constitutional rights (remem ber the GSS and women in the band?). I hope the regents, the University, or anybody directly involved in putting Tom Urban on conduct probation will look beyond their own bigotries and ac cept free speech — this is getting old. Kevin S. Inda is a senior journalism major and a weekly columnist for The Battalion. road to allow bicycle travel in that direc tion. 3) all future road repairs and con struction should be initiated with the re alization that College Station is a college town and not Houston. Attempts should be made to expand the shoulder areas of roads whenever possible. Finally, 4) if cyclists are required to think and act as motorized vehicles on campus (we often don’t), then motorists should be penalized when they don’t treat cyclists as such. (Try acting like a car at a four way stop while on a bike, some time.) Robert Jones College Station Why was Chinese ambassador at A&M? EDITOR: I question the propriety of bringing to A&M that ambassador from Commu nist China. The government there holds the all time world record for mass mur der. (See Guiness Book of World Re cords, Bantam Books, 1983, page 430.) The Red Chinese make Adolph Hitler look like a small time punk. Furthermore, they continue to prac tice genocide against Tibet and have turned their own country into a gigantic slave labor camp from which people can escape only at risk of their lives. It is hard to understand why Texas A&M or any other institutuion which values human life or any sort of decency would provide a forum for a represen tative of that government to propagate Kevin Inda Students can work to A prevent budget cut tt Editor’s Note: This is the second of a two-part se ries on the effects of the proposed budget cuts on Texas A&M. Reader’s Forum Reader’s Forum Reader’s Forum In light of the severe effects which would be felt at Texas A&M in the event of any reduction in state allocations, concen trated efforts are underway which are intended to prevent these budget cuts. These efforts have been given a high priority by the System Chancellor’s of fice, the Board of Regents and Presi dent Vandiver. Student Government has also become involved in these en deavors, gathering information and making the students’ voices heard in Austin. President Vandiver’s efforts aimed at avoiding severe cuts in the University budget have recently received a great deal of attention in the media. Dr. Van diver has begun a large-scale attempt to inform the people of Texas (as well as the students of A&M) of the impacts of budget cuts such as were discussed in yesterday’s article. Although he has sometimes been criticized for these ef forts, he has succeeded in making many people aware of the gravity of the bud getary problem facing higher educa tion. Perhaps most importantly, the press in the state has begun to address these problems, in part due to Dr. Van diver’s vehement opposition to cuts in University funding. The Board of Regents has also un dertaken efforts to prevent these cut backs. The Board’s Executive Secretary, Bill Presnal (who also serves as the Sys tem Vice-Chancellor for State Affairs), has been actively involved with pleading the University’s case in Austin. As the former chairman of the powerful House Appropriations Committee — which will eventually decide upon the levels of higher education funding, Mr. Presnal is in a unique position to be our advocate in the State Legislature. Also representing the interests of Texas AMm in Austin are Representa tive Rich£d Smith and Senator Kent Caperton, both of whom represent Bra zos County in the Legislature. Both of these men are committed to avoiding the proposed budget cuts in higher edu cation because they recognize the im pact that these cuts would have on their constituencies. Rep. Smith states that since the start of the session the size of the proposed cuts have been reduced from 26 percent to between five and its views. What was the point of bringing such a person here? To hear what the Red Chinese have to say? Why bother with what they say; just look at what they do! A1 Dobey Staff writer just too perfect for words EDITOR: In response to Patti Flint’s ignorant assumptions about “most of the stu dents” she probably doesn’t even know: Thank you Patti, for so miraculously reading my mind and probably the minds of “most of the students” at Texas A&M. Please Patti, tell us something we don’t hear every day. Your remark about students believing in God because our parents told us to, wins the award for “the most overused cop-out in the world.” How shallow of you to assume some thing about people you don’t know. As far as I know, the essence of life should be something that fulfills each person differently, so if you don’t mind, I’ll read my own mind from now on — Thanks! As far as materialism goes, has it ever occurred to you that instead of criticiz ing people for earning money, you could encourage them to spend money planting trees so we can all watch the movement of the sunlight through the trees (if you can be sure we don’t notice these things). I am happy for you, though, that you are so far-removed from “most of the eight percent and that he willconij to work to reduce the impact of« Texas A&M. Senator Caperton fid: : dorsed a plan proposed by Lit Hobby which would result in ant only six percent from the highertc. tion budget. Both men state t will work toward the complete retj tion of f unding to higher education: Texas A&M. Another organization which is v ing to represent the interests of I: A&M is Student Government.Hire; the efforts of the* Legislative $tjj Group (LSG), Student Govemmei working to lessen the economicir that budget cuts and tuition ino« would have on the students ofl: A&M. Michael O’Quinn, Administrr Director of LSG, says that another: cern is the implementation of a increase. Presently, money raised university tuition is not provided: rectly to universities as funding: rather is classified as general ret LSG is working to ensure that ar ition increase would be usedtofurc creases in higher education (or e the restoration of any budget g Thus, any adverse economic irapa: students caused by a tuition inert! would have the effect of improvinn quality of education. A final mention must be made powerful, untapped resourceii could be used to help prevent thee:: mentation of budget cuts to higher:: cation. This resource consists of die dents and former students of Id! A&M. A number of former studena eluding Rep. Smith and Sen. Caper are working to persuade their fe legislators in Austin that the uniieit budgets should not be cut. Each ami: ery student and former studentcam should be involved in this process as v — for it is the very future of ourtin^ sity which is at stake. Take the write, call, or send a mailgram lot; legislators who represent yourloC town, and express to them yourtt on university funding. Write a the editor of your hometown newspif® expressing your concerns. Haven: parents and their friends do thesair: and the end result will beanincrei* awareness of the effects of budget: for both the people of Texas and State Legislature. Many Univet? agencies are working to present' king-term future of Texas A&M any assistance provided by student! mer students and Aggie : Te to g( chan dent eis - sium “Y\ dent: these all wi Aldei I Me any < ators who t I Ah does icy, amoi; to rui I Ah he di: loan most I “It ranee dents pei ie govei By,” h Ale tions nateh self v only small Stu lose h „ A,c is the body dent < Aid plishn ment the ri oppos and si as the Ale probl Texa! I “T1 A&M plural major He come than t pose ion. throughout Texas would be invalrf Mike Kelley is the Student Govenif vice president for finance. students” that I’m sure there i* 1 chance of even a trace of materiafc your lifestyle. Thank you forbeini bold as to admit your perfection Sherry Tofte Class of ’87 Too many football fan whiners at A&M EDITOR: Dear Dick: In response to your letter onFel I would like to point out that youk very little about coaching football' pecially at A&M. Don’t try to place' 5 over-wrought frustrations onthesl ders of Jackie Sherrill. Sure, he’s« paid and his teams haven’t perfc consistently well, but in nowaydoe' prove your point that he’s a poor Just because the Dallas Co" didn’t go the the NFL playoffs this !| do you believe that Tom Landn lousy coach? “Bear” Bryanthadsf not-so-good seasons here at A&M I 5 ever, it was the narrow-mindedoui of Aggies like you that sent himeni" to Alabama. Do you think he was* coach? Right. If Jackie and the Aggies fail to I* their 6-5 record of last fall, I'm 5 there will be even more whiners 5 there are now. But, please, stoppo 1 and take a hard look at the parity' teams in the SWG. Any team of given day can beat any other team Besides, I do believe there is # ter Football.” I hope that A&M0 the remainder of the Class of $ same thing. Rl P/ SE C( Kevin Henderson Class of’88