Page 2/The Battalion/Friday June 14, 1985
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OPINION
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Final amen to
GSS brouhaha
By now, the letters “GSS” in a headline cause most readers to
skip to the next story. During the years of legal battles for recog
nition, especially this year, the GSS frequently found mention in
id
The Battalion and other regional and state newspapers. This
media saturation has left many people feeling generally apa
thetic about the plight of gay students at Texas A&M.
The Gay Student Services was finally recognized as a Uni
versity-sanctioned organization Wednesday. At long last, the
controversy and media hype are over. Amen.
The GSS has received the recognition it deserved 10 years
ago. Now, the students of Texas A&M have received the break
they deserve. The group will begin to function as an on-campus
organization and probably will blend in with other campus-
oriented groups.
Protestors of the GSS are still as common on campus as fleas
on a stray mutt, but ten years of opposition was more than long
enough.It’s time to put the controversy to rest.
Let’s allow the GSS to fade into well-deserved obscurity and
do what the group set out to do originally — provide services for
homosexual students.
The Battalion Editorial Board
Where did the original
Doonesbury magic go?
One of the most
popular books in
my high school li
brary was Doones
bury: The Origi
nal Yale Cartoons.
The magic con
tained in those
pages was incredi
ble. Mike the Mix,
Megaphone Mark,
and B.D. seemed
Loren Steffy
Hugs are a daily
health requirement
painfully real. The cartoons made a
statement about life, but they also made
the reader laugh.
Few comics strips have had the na
tional impact that Doonesbury has. Dur
ing the 1970s, Garry Trudeau’s social
satire graced the comic and editorial
pages of numerous newspapers across
the country. Zonker, Mike, Mark, B.D.,
Duke, and of course Jimmy Thud-
pucker became national heroes.
Then in 1981, Trudeau took a leave
of absence from the cartoon world.
When Doonesbury returned, it had un
dergone a startling metamorphosis. Ar
tistically, the strip hadn’t changed.
Zonker hadn’t shaved or gotten a hair
cut. But the content had been updated.
Mike had married, gotten a job with an
ad agency and settled into Reagan’s
America.
The characters weren’t the only ones
who changed. Garry Trudeau was also
updated for the ’80s. In the pre-sabbati
cal Doonesbury the primary objective
was humor. Naturally, Trudeau
stepped on some toes, but it was done
with the goal of a good guffaw in mind.
The strips frequently had no social or
political undertones. They were just
plain hilarious, suth as the one where
Zonker takes his huge submarine for a
ride in the tiny pond near Walden.
Since his return, Trudeau has fallen
victim to the “Gee, I’m a really great guy
syndrome.” Somewhere he figured out
that he was one of the leading cartoon
ists in the business, and that he had a re
markable flair for social satire.
By HA
Cats ar
in the '
victims of
they can
said a
ft
The neo-Doonesbury aims for social
satire and hopes that it catches some hu
mor along the way. The revised strip is
strained, frequently going out of its way
to abuse public figures, and the slick-
witted humor of the old days is lost in
the process.
Enter Frank Sinatra. This week’s
strips have dealt with Sinatra’s alleged
connections with the Mafia and the hon
orary doctorate recently awarded to
him.
his desire to go to any lengths forsoa
satire. It also shows his lack of regai H.'
for humor.
The subway vigilante spoof;
funny. The L f SA for Africa spoofla AcvM.
its moments of humor. But theSinaifj ■
abuse seems more like an expression! I
personal contempt. Why pick on Fra E' e ,‘ l 1
kie? With Reagan at the height ofli ^v{’ S S n
foot-in-mouth disease, Trudeau's W| are deceiv
ings of Sinatra seem inappropriate, require les
I don’t mind satire, even if it makesi®
point at the expense of others, k® ^
where is the point to the anti-Fi
campaign? The Sinatra strips,
below Trudeau’s par. They border Mmprira
bad taste and come closer to beingao, ices in a sii
sations than humorous social satire. 74 percei
I keep hoping frudeau will refF*^ () ^ s -
his lost wit. I long for the chance to
turn to Walden and watch Zonkertaiil
his submarine for a spin around
pond. I long for the days when Dooi
bury was funny for funny’s sake,
abusive for Garry Trudeau’s ego’s sakt
T Associauo
cent of c
Re
Trudeau should do what I usedtoci
in high school — go to the library an
check out Doonesbury: The Origimi
Yale Cartoons. Maybe he, too, can 4|
By
Obviously, Trudeau feels that Sina
tra’s recognition warrants a week’s
worth of abuse. But his scathing attack
on Old Blue Eyes merely demonstrates
Jibe Tc
gents will
cover the magic locked within tb estabHshin
pages. B Accord i
Loren Steffy is a junior journalism m/ ^
jor and the Opinion Page editor faHssional
The Battalion. Inundated
A group from Pep-
perdine University
r e c o m mends you
need a daily allow
ance of four a day to
survive, eight for
Nancy
Jumper
Guest Columnist
maintenance and 12 for growth.
The magical formula suggested
above consists of a simple hug from a
friend.
A hug means to put ones arms
around and hold closely, according to
Webster’s New World Dictionary.
My definition of a hug consists of just
plain ole fun.
I have been a hug therapist, one who
has developed the ability and techniques
to hug, for three years. During this
time, I have learned that you must be
willing to receive hugs as well as give
them.
Through my years of experience, I
have found a hug is the warmest greet
ing you can give a person because you
are sharing all of yourself with that per
son at one time.
A hug can stop an argument, console
a friend and say something you just
can’t Find the words to say.
Not only is a hug an old-fashioned
way of greeting someone and saying
“Howdy,” but scientific research indi
cates that the theory of stimulation by
touch is absolutely necessary for our
physical as well as our emotional well
being.
How about that. I knew that all the
time and I’m a journalism major.
Here are my helpful hints for hug
ging:
• Hug anybody, anytime, anywhere
(exercise caution, fellas).
•You can do it any place, from the
poorly lit breezeway of the Commons to
the elbow-room at the Dixie Chicken. It
requires no special setting although ro
mantic places do exist on campus.
•It is necessary for me to remind
you, hugging is not acceptable during a
class lecture, while you are eating or try
ing to impress a new acquaintance that
may have potential.
• Hugs can be spontaneous or
planned. Sometimes the most fun are
“just because or surprise” hugs.
•You must remember tbat not every
one enjoys a hug. They might value
their space, so always ask permission
first or indicate in advance that you plan
to hug an individual.
•It is also fine to be the huggee in
stead of the hugger. Just ask.
•The extra added “pat” can mean
several things. A note to all fellas: you
“pat” your dog not your girl unless you
are consoling her. Also, be careful
where you “pat” — some females have a
tough right-hook.
• Sometimes sound effects occur
such as: “WHOOP!,” “Thank you. I
really needed that,” (sigh) and “gosh,
you smell good!”
•Always remember a hug is free. It
doesn’t even cost a quarter.
• Hug often and
•Hug well.
If you would like to join the fun and
celebrate the third annual “Hug Holi
day” on Saturday, June 15, here are sev
eral types of hugs according to “The
Hug Therapy Book” for you to experi
ment with while you are stretching your
arms around huggable people.
•The bear hug, my favorite, which
occurs when one embraces another in
a strong, powerful grip that will last 10
to 20 seconds or more. It creates a feel
ing of warmth, support and security.
Be careful — sometimes if you squeeze
too tight it will stop the breathing
process.
LETTERS
Letters Policy
Letters to the Editor should not exceed S00 words in length. The
editorial stuff reserves the right to edit letters for style and length
Inn w ill make cvci \ elloi t t<* muintain the .tuthor's intent.Eift
ter must Ik- signed and must intitule tht address midi
numlH i of the writer.
•The A-frame hug which occurs
when two people stand facing each
other with their arms around the oth
er’s shoulders, sides of the head touch
ing and bodies leaning forward with
no touching below the shoulders.
‘Gay’ denotes
joy, happiness
EDITOR:
•A cheek hug which is tender or
gentle and expresses a spiritual quality.
It can be experienced sitting, standing
or while one is sitting and the other is
standing, because full body contact is
not required.
•A sandwich hug which is for three
people. Usually one is in the middle
and the other two are hugging that
one individual.
•A grabber-squeezer hug, my run
ner-up favorite, happens when one
hugger runs to the other, throwing the
arms around him or her giving a quick
squeeze. It usually occurs when one is
in a hurry or in a playful mood.
•A group hug which is used by a
group of friends participating in a
project or activity. The group forms a
circle with arms around each other
and all squeeze at the same time.
•A back-to-front hug or the waist-
grabber which occurs when one ap
proaches the other from the back,
wraps their arms around the waist and
gives a squeeze.
01011
Dear Editor,
We have an alarming problem in our
country today in that a vast majority of
people are defiling the use of the En
glish language.
Since when does the word ‘gay’,
which means merry, cheerful, and jolly,
apply to homosexuality?
How can a word describing a happy
and joyful life be descriptive of a life
style that is characterized by depression,
anxiety, insecurity, pain, disease, and
suicide? I liken it to the misuse of the
word ‘love.’
Love is not made in a night of sweat
and passion under the sheets, but
through a life of self-denial, giving and
concern for the well being of others. Je
sus Christ himself said, “Greater love
has no man than one who lay down his
life for a friend.”
I would hope people, especially in the
media, would use a far greater degree
of wisdom in choosing their words. I am
gay, but I’ll never have to hide in a closet
for it because I’m not a homosexual. I
live a life of joy and fulfillment, and it
comes from having a relationship with
my Creator.
Jim McMann
vets didn’t deserve the scorn and ridi
cule that they received. They didn’t de
serve getting spit on as they returned
home.
America is responding to “Rambo”
because we are tired of being humiliated
by terrorists in Iran, we are angered by
East German thugs killing our military
officers and we are tired of the consol
idation of marxist Sandinista influence
in Nicaragua.
One more thing about “Rambo.” The
bad guys who were Americans were not
portrayed by uniformed military per
sonnel. The bad guys wore the white
shirts and ties of the bureaucrat. Ameri
cans intuitively know that the bu
reaucrats lost the war in Vietnam and
they now know that the Vietnam vets
deserve our gratitude and thanks.
Murray E. Moore
faction of a job well done”).
We cannot expect excellence from#!
tual volunteers. My brother, a spring’S5
computer science graduate of Texai
A&M, earns the same amount todajp
my mother, a teacher with a mastersdi
gree and a decade of experience.
Where will the money to pay teachei
come from? From the taxpayers, o!|
course, and that is you and I. Wehaveti
make a choice: more money to attracttxij
ter qualified teachers, or continued]
ocrity. Appealing to the vague notion!
and buzzwords of “better education’ 1
“qualified teachers” without financial
committment is just so much wind.
Columnist shows
compassion
Incidentally, at least one industryi
sinking money into education. Not sut
prisingly, it is the book publishing indusj
try, out to save its own skin.
Ben Barnett
Class of’87
•A heart-centered hug, everyone’s
favorite, is considered . the highest
form of hugging. It begins with direct
eye contact, the arms of each are
placed around the waist, shoulders or
back. It may last several minutes be
cause there is no time limit. The heart-
centered hug represents care, tender
ness and support for each of the bug
gers.
The message
behind ‘Rambo’
EDITOR:
Bravo! to Loren Steffy’s editorial on
the plight of mentally retarded Texas
citizens (“Homes won’t ruin ‘stable’ com
munity” —June 7, The Battalion).
Steffy’s analysis of the housing issue
for retarded Texans reflects both in
sight and compassion. Unfortunately,
Gov. White “industrial areas” response
to the problem reveals both ignorance
of the issue and a callous attitude of
shocking proportion.
Dan H. Robertson
College of Business Administration
•A custom-tailored hug which rep
resents any type of hug an individual
requires at a particular time.
You should hug other than when
you are at family reunions, when a
buddy scores a point for the team or
when you haven’t seen a friend for a
long, long time.
EDITOR:
On Tuesday, June 11, "The Battalion
printed an editorial written by Karl Pal-
Imeyer. In this editorial Mr. Pallmeyer
commented on Sylvester Stallone’s new
movie “Rambo: First Blood Part II.” He
stated that the movie glorified war with
out portraying the negative aspects of
war. That may be true, but “Rambo” is
popular because it has touched Ameri
ca’s newly revived patriotic feelings.
The people in this country are now real
izing that the brave men who fought in
Vietnam deserve respect. One can ar
gue about whether it was right for
America to get involved in Vietnam, but
one must acknowledge that the Vietnam
‘Better qualified’
means better pay
EDITOR:
People can moan and groan until
they are blue in the face about how pre
sent teachers are not doing their jobs or
fulfilling their obligations to society to
teach “Billy” to read. However, until our
society realizes that, as with any other
occupation, the promise of reward must
be sufficient to make teaching a profita
ble profession, we will have to live with
the fact that qualified potential teachers
will seek jobs elsewhere (and I mean
economical reward, not the “moral satis-
Please remember, hugging is fun
a:nd creates a feeling of worth for all
those involved.
I am a huggable person. I must ad
mit, I have been swung, dropped and
squeezed. Even my knees have been
weakened from a hug (it was a really
good one).
These hazzards, treats and more ad
ventures come from hugging. Good
luck in discovering and perfecting the
art of hugging.
Nancy Jumper is a senior journalism
major.
The Battalion
USPS 045 360
Member of
Texas Press Assoc iation
Southwest Journalism Conference
The Battalion Editorial Board
Kellie Dworaczyk, Editor
Kay Mallett, John Hallett, News Editors
Loren Stef fy, Editorial Page Editor
Sarah Oates, City Editor
Travis Tingle, Sports Editor
The Battalion Staff
Assistant City Editor.
Assistant News Editor.
Katherine Hurl
(ialhie Anderson
Entertainment Editors
Cathy Riely, Walter Sniith
Staf f Writers
Karen Bloch,
Ed Cassavoy, Jerry Oslin;
Brian Pearson
Copy Editor
T rent Leopold
Make-up Editors.
Pal Cassavoy,
Karla Marlin
Columnists
Cheryl Clark.
Karl Pallmeyer
Photographers....
Greg Bailey,
Anthony Casper
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resent the opinions of Texas A&M administrators, faciilt)’
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students in reporting, editing and photography ebsscs
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length. The editorial staff reserves the right to edit letters
for style and length but will make every effort to muintnin
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