Page 2/The Battalion/Wednesday, May 1, 1985
OPINION
Free speech part
of students' rights
The First Amendment right to freedom of speech comes in
~ ‘ ‘ “ ‘ of f ' ‘ ‘
myriad forms, and instances of suppression of this right are
equally numerous. Last week, U.S. District Judge Norman Black
ordered a Spring Branch Independent School District high
school to allow the Christian Club to meet on campus. The Bat
talion Editorial Board agrees that students, too, have the right to
exercise their freedom of speech.
The purpose of the club is “to allow a small group of stu
dents who have a common interest in Christianity and the life
and teachings of Jesus Christ to meet once a week for one hour
to discuss common experiences.”
The school district denied the club a request for a room, and
the group’s planner sued the district in November. Linder the
Equal Access Act, which Congress passed last year, the outcome
of the suit was obvious. The law prohibits schools from denying
students the use of school property on the basis of religious, po
litical or philosophical beliefs.
By holding a religious meeting on campus after school
hours, the students are exercising their right of free speech, but
they are not mixing church and state. The beliefs expressed by
the club are purely their own, not those of the school district.
The district would be guilty of mixing church and state only if
the club were allowed to meet during school hours.
Students, too, are entitled to exercise their First Amendment
rights, and what better place to learn about freedom of speech
than in school?
The Battalion Editorial Board
LETTERS:
The true meaning
of being an Aggie
Chemistry department
EDITOR:
needs some help
EDITOR:
Allow me a moment; a moment to say
I’m sorry. No, I have not walked on the
grass at the MSG (or on the drill field,
though the temptation has arisen.) I
have never supported t.u. or recognized
it as the “University of Texas.” Aggies, I
am guilty of calling myself an Aggie, yet
not upholding all that the position en
tails.
I thought, prior to 3 p.m., April 21,
that I was a “good Ag.” I say “Hi” if not
“Howdy” (I was born in Connecticut,
bear with me), as I walk to class, though
not always and not to everyone. Strike
one.
I support Aggie sports. As with every
Ag, football and cotton fill my dreams in
the fall. I go to one or two basketball
games. I wanted to go to more. Honest!
I have even gone to an away baseball
game. To the female athletes, I owe a
tremendous apology. Somehow 1 have
never attended one of your events.
Strike two. Thank you for your sweat,
pain, and endurance you suffer for
A&M.
Let’s face it — if over 520 of MY stu
dents went to ONE tutor for help, I’d
feel embarassed, too . . . especially in
view of the 78% C’s, D’s, and F’s on the
first three tests.
Besides all of this, I go to the Hall of
Fame occasionally on Thursday nights,
and the “Chicken” whenever. I do not
like beer (strike three) but thank Heav
ens for long neck Coke bottles.
Yes, with 58% D’s and F’s, it must be
difficult to rationalize their teaching
methods to “outsiders.” Add to this the
fact that Rod O’Connor, the former
Head of Freshman Chemistry, had only
14% of his students under 60% (com
pared to 31.5% now) and over two and a
half times the number of A’s and B’s,
and even the most naive person might
begin to question the current program.
Even “t.u.” gives 52% A’s and B’s com
pared to our 21.5%. It’s a small wonder
that the professors are so defensive.
My fellow Ags, I even cry at Silver
Taps.
I used to think that this made me a
“good Ag,” but as Lt. General Ormond
R. Simpson (’36), explained to me. I fall
short of being the Aggie I should be.
The thought of the great men who have
roamed this fantastic campus before
awes me. How can I honor the Congres
sional Medal of Honor recipients who
line the walls of the MSC? Or the likes of
Rudder, Ross, Zachry, Harrington; the
list continues, long and impressive.
Well, I guess if all else fails they can
“curve” the grades . . . but doesn’t it
seem odd that last semester a student
who earned a 78 in Chemistry 101 got
the same “C” as a student who earned a
56? Oh well, I’m sure it is just “relative” .
. . but isn’t it interesting that Dr. Rod
O’Connor never used a “curve” (even
“t.u.” doesn’t curve in most cases). It is
too bad that grades don’t stand for
achievement any more . . . they do, how
ever, keep students “in their place.”
My dear Aggies, former, present, and
future, I am sorry for the spiteful
words, a forgotten name, judgments,
lack of consideration, and selfishness. I
love each of you, those of you I know.
The cowboys, the C.T.s, the B.Q.s, the
non-regs, my classmates, my friends.
You will always be in my heart. Those of
you I do not know personally, I want to,
and I love you for being Aggies.
Why not get honest? Why not require
16 professors to teach four sessions per
week of 50 or less students. This would
allow time for personal contact, extra
help, individualized tests, and even the
correcting of homework! Then, if the
professors had spare time after work,
they could do some research as a hobby.
Perhaps we could do some research as a
hobby. Perhaps we could then use the
term “teacher” and mean it.
And to General Simpson, I owe you a
great deal, for my first muster; for the
true meaning of what calling myself an
Aggie means.
Thank you, Ags, for listening. May
God bless you and keep all of you safe
until April 21,1986.
Kirstin E. Haas
Industrial Engineering
P.S. I also feel it was highly deceptive
to publish only the student survey re
sults from two popular teachers. Seems
pretty biased, why not explain why last
semester the freshman program was
rated below all the other chemistry
courses (question #11) for the first time
in the history of Texas A&M? Let’s be
honest!!!
Mike Goad
Accompanied by 44 signatures
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By ART BUCHWALD
Columnist for The Los Angeles Times Syndicate
The phone has been ringing off the
hook since President Reagan decided to
go to the Bitburg cemetery. Some peo
ple are not happy about it.
who are in a snit because of something
we’ve done. One more snit is not going
to hurl us. Besides, if the President has
to choose between a German tantrum
and the feelings of American ex-GIs
and victims of the Holocaust, then let
him live with the snit.”
Sylvia said, “I don’t know Kohl,
he’s such a real neat guy whyd
let Reagan off the hook by finding
some place else to go besiaesacenn
where Nazis are buried?”
lansen was
A&M grad
fees wher
V S. Army
tie younge
Sylvia Grossman called the other day.
“I read in the paper the reason the Pres
ident is going to the cemetery is because
he doesn’t want to offend the West Ger-
‘That’s correct,” I told her.
Like the King in “The Emperor’s
New Clothes,” it’s hard for the Fresh
man Chemistry Department to accept
that it has been found naked. Three
weeks ago a professor handed out a pa
per defending the freshman program
against “outside rumors.” Last week he
handed out a seven page survey that was
loaded with sarcasm to help fortify his
own personal position. The questions
were written with extreme choices, and
poor English grammatical construction.
“Tell me something. What would
happen if he did offend the Germans?”
“I’m not sure I understand what
you’re driving at.”
“Let’s say the President cancels his
visit to the graveyard where the SS sol
diers are buried, and the German’s be
come offended. What can they do to us
? Do you think they’ll stop sending Mer-
cedes-Benzes to the United States?”
“It’s not just a German snit we have to
worry about,” I told her. “We also have
to concern ourselves with Chancellor
Kohl’s political future. If the President
doesn't go the the cemetery Kohl’s
Christian Democrats will have a prob
lem winning a May 12th election in
North Rhine-Westphalia.”
“Are you trying to tell me a local Ger
man election is the reason Reagan insists
on going to Bitburg against the advice
of everyone from the American Legion
to the survivors of the Nazis’ death
camps?”
“It’s not just the Westphalia election.
The President owes Kohl a lot.”
“As I understand it the SS sol
buried at Bitburg were not realS
but just kids drafted into the service
“Who said that?”
“Chancellor Kohl. You mustreifS
her, he has a lot more to lose i
Reagan if the President doesn’t visii
burg.”
Sylvia said, “I wouldn’t betoosui
that.”
“I don’t believe they would go that
far, though an embargo of German au
tomobiles is always a possibility. Our
main fear is they could get into quite a
snit about it.”
Sylvia said, “They should have
thought about that when they started
World War II. Okay, let’s take the
worst-case scenario. They get into a snit.
We have countries all over the world
“Why does he owe Kohl?”
“Because the Chancellor took our
Pershing missiles.”
“How can the President owe Kohl for
accepting our missiles? They are in Ger
many to protect him as much as they are
to protect us,” Sylvia said.
“It’s not just the missiles,” I said pa
tiently. “Kohl has also spoken out
strongly for ‘Star Wars.’ The President
thinks he’s a real neat guy.”
I tried to be as diplomatic as p«i
“I don’t think it’s your duty or mil
tell the President of the United Si
what cemeteries he should visii
what ones he should skip. After
has very qualified staff in the '*
House who do nothing but tel
what’s good for him and what isn’t
Pregnant
Your
Contact Child Plai
call I
1-817-5!
EARL
TIRE!
TIRI
I
Two pe
‘
“Oh yeah? So where were they*
Reagan needed them?”
it
No pass, no play
93
stresses studying
Today, not only
are parents, teachers
and administrators Wayne
complaining Grabein
“Johnny can’t read,” " - i.i
but complaints of
“Johnny can’t play” are being heard as
well.
To many vocal people, the “no pass,
no play” rule prohibiting students from
participating in extracurricular activities
for six weeks if they fail just one course
during a six-week grading period is a
cruel and unjustified punishment.
These people have lost sight of the
reason students are in school — to learn
and become educated.
That’s not to say sports, music and lit
erary events don’t help round out a stu
dent’s education, but first, students
must be proficient in the basic skills of
reading, writing and arithmetic. Only by
mastering these building blocks can one
hope to excel in any extracurricular ac
tivity.
Looking back at my own high school
education, I realize just how much time
my classmates and I spent in extracurri
cular activities, whether it was band,
drama or sports. I can remember get
ting out of class for an activity with little
questioning or resistance from anyone.
I guess I was fortunate. I wasn’t in
volved in too many activities during my
high school career. Those few activities
I did participate in, though, took up
much of my time, some of which could
have used more effectively by studying.
But that’s all changed for today’s high
school students with the enactment of
House Bill 72 which limits the amount
of time a student spends on outside ac
tivities and the “no pass, no play” rule
which sets higher grade requirements
for participation.
Students at Bryan and A&M Consol
idated high schools said the reforms
have definitely made them study more
for two reasons:
First, the bill raised the passing grade
from 60 to 70 on the 100 point grading
scale. Second, and even more important
to the students, is the tough restrictions
of the “no pass, no play” rule.
With comments such as “I have to
make the grades to keep playing” and
“You can’t miss anything,” it’s clear that
extracurricular activities still are a major
factor in high school students’ lives.
However, with the “no pass, no play”
rule, the emphasis on extracurricular
activities has begun to align itself more
realistically with the students’ purpose
in school.
Opponents of the rule overlook the
main benefit of “no pass, no play.” Since
its ratification, students have a better in
centive to do well in their required couse
work.
The students themselves may not re
alize the rule has any benefits because of
the hostile manner in which people have
reacted to the law. In the Brazos Valley,
the “no pass, no play” rule has had some
positive results.
Teachers and administrators of the
two high schools said they noticed their
students were studying more and meet
ing the higher requirements set by the
Legislature.
The only disapproval of “no pass, no
play” has been the length of the suspen
sion if a student fails a class. Many agree
that three weeks suspension from extra
curricular activates would be a more jus
tified punishment.
The rule does have faults, but, with
time and revision, this law will be the
most influential measure taken to re
form public education in Texas.
Wayne L. Grabein is a senior journa
lism major and photo editor for The
Battalion.
The Battalion
USPS 045 360
Membt'r of
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Conference
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