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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (July 16, 1985)
'*'#*’*’*'if t » + * 4 a/> a Keep the hunger aid ball rolling Live Aid, the megaconcert in Philadelphia and London to feed the hungry in Ethiopia, was without question the greatest musical endeavor of all time. The project raised about $55 mil lion, according to its producers. Bob Geldof, the man behind the globe-spanning concert, has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. Geldof is certainly deserving of the award. But more importantly, the governments of the world should heed GeldoFs words: “This is not the end of the effort. It should push governments into doing something.” Geldof said he hopes governments will follow Live Aid’s lead. He wants them to match the musicians’ donations to the starving Africans. Substantial government aid to Ethiopia has been too long in coming. What aid was sent usually got tied up in political red tape. The Ethiopian government seems reluctant to cooperate with the relief eff ort. It’s admirable that Geldof took the initiative and did what world leaders could not. The relief offerings from Live Aid will not be sent through government channels. Direct lines of food and developmental aid won’t be slowed by politics. Now that the road has been paved, we must not allow it to go untravelled. It’s time for governmental convoys from around the world to start rolling. Geldof has shown us how to get aid past politics, and now government relief must be sent along the same route. Private citizens have shown their support. They have taken the first step. The stage has been set. The band has already played. Now the governments must go on for the encore. The Battalion Editorial Board Mail Call Too late already EDITOR: From Kara Brown’s letter appearing in Thursday’s “Battalion:” “. . . I hope that something is done before Aggies are too embarrassed to be Aggies.” Kara, letters such as yours ensure that it may already he too late. Greg Parnell Class of ’76 A&M deserves better than bigoted image Whitney White Senior, Electrical Engineering EDITOR: In reading The Battalion Thursday, I noticed Kara Brown’s letter indicating her displeasure with the GSS for “mock ing our band, our traditions, and our university.” Apparently, she does not approve of the “Fighting Texas Aggie Gay March ing Band.” It seems that the GSS de serves to use the word “fighting” far more than the original band does, as they have fought for a decade on cam pus and in the courts for the rights accorded to numerous other groups. Also, Ms. Brown believes that GSS members are “ridiculing and belittling Texas A&M.” Although I find their type of sexual ity extremely distasteful, I believe that their actions with respect to the Univer sity have been meritorious. By establish ing themselves,as a recognized student organization, they have forced Texas A&M to fulfill a major role of a univer sity: that of a forum where dissident views may be freely expressed. It seems that those that have dam aged the University’s image are the indi- viduals who repeatedly appealed court decisions in the GSS’s favor. Because of these people, Texas A&M is now’ known nationwide as a place where unpopular groups are harassed to the limit of the law, and beyond. Where’s the support? EDITOR: . Nowhere in your letter do you offer any evidence or support to your allega tions of the GSS slandering A&M, or how their members do not support A&M. Your letter was a collection of unsubstantiated, narrow-minded statements. It is Aggies with bigoted attitudes like yours that embarrass and belittle A&M. Georgette Nicolaides Baft phones changed Tlie Battalion re-arranged its newsroom over the weekend. Consequently, our phone numbers have changed. The new numbers are: Editor 845-2647 Citv Editor (for story ideas) 845-33 16 Asst. Citv Editor , 845-3314 Opinion Page Editor (for letters and columns) 845-3315 Sports , 845-2688 845-2630 Reporters 845-2665 845-3313 At Ease :• 845-33 12 _ WE RE SORRY, TEP TURNER, YOU NUSSEP THE BIG PRIZE. ...BUT...FOR BEING SUCH A GOOP CONTESTANT... CBS HAS A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR YOU... ■■*/#** O’" Some days you just can’t get rid of an old receipt Letter* to the Lclitor should not exceed 300 words in length. The editorial stall reserves the right to edit letters Lor st\ le and length but will make every ell'ort to maintain the author’s intent. Each letter must he signed and must include the address and telephone number of the writer. I have faced a few moral dilem mas in my life, but none were as dev astating as the one I faced last Thurs day night. I left Half Price Books in Bryan with my purchase, an old album by an old band, in my Karl Pallmeyer Ms. Brown herself, by calling the gays “little fairies” and by advocating that they “shouldn’t be tolerated” promotes the worst possible (and traditional) image of Texas A&M: one of a back ward southern school filled with pro found bigots. A&M deserves a far better image, one which represents many of its current students. It deserves an image of change and tolerance. right hand and my sales receipt in my left. As I walked to my car, parked in the back lot, I contemplated methods of getting rid of the sales receipt. I consid ered just throwing it down on the ground, I mean what’s one more tiny piece of paper in an already filthy alley- way? Then I remembered the lessons from my youth: Sunday school sermons on how' God didn’t want His beautiful world made ugly by trash, 4-H Glub demonstrations on how good Ameri cans always conserved our nation’s natu ral resources, Boy Scout lectures on how good campers respected their camp grounds, pictures of an overgrown owl in grade school classrooms that says: “Give a hoot, don’t pollute.” This letter is in response to Kara Brown’s anti-gay letter of July 11. Ms. Brown, what ever gave you the idea that the members of GSS “don’t care about A&M” and “obviously dislike” it? If, in fact, they did not like A&M why would they carry a banner that proclaimed their affiliation with this school? You called this a “disgusting exhibition.” Since when is Aggie pride considered disgusting, unless this pride is associated with the prejudiced actions of some of the groups that exist here on campus. I’m sure that their banner was not to mock the A&M band. If any of the other student organizations — say the Pre- Law Society — entered a parade with other pre-law societies in this state and carried a banner saying, “The Fightin’ Texas Aggie Pre-Law Society Marching Band,” would you want to kick them off campus? I decided to hold onto that little piece of paper until I got back to my apart ment where I could dispose of it prop erly. But then I realized I would proba bly lose it once I got in my already messy car. I remembered listening to the Beach Boys. One lesson I’ve learned from the Beach Boys is that a car is a man’s best friend. I didn’t want to mess up my car. Confusion. Guilt. What should I do? Then I saw it ... a trash dumpster! My problems were over! I could put my sales receipt in the dumpster and God, my county agent, my scoutmaster. Woodsy Owl and the Beach Boys would be pleased! But there was a problem. On the front of the dumpster wus a big yellow sign with huge black letters that read: IT IS UNLAWFUL TO USE THIS CONTAINER UNLESS YOU ARE PAYING THE MONTHLY COLLEC TION FEE. CITY OF BRYAN CODE CHAPTER 12, SECTION II. I remembered the lessons of my youth: Sunday school sermons on how God would punish those who broke the law, 4-H Club demonstrations on how good Americans always obeyed their na tion’s laws. Boy Scout lectures on how good campers respected the rules of their campgrounds, pictures of an over grown dog wearing a trenchcoat in grade school classrooms that says: “Take a bite out of crime.” Confusion. Guilt. What should I do? Should I forget what I had been taught by God, my county agent, scoutmaster and McGruff the Cn: Dog anti become a criminal by using dumpster? Or should I forget wlu had been taught bv God, my com agent, my scoutmaster and Woa Owl, and become a Jitterbug? Orshoi I forget what I had been taught by Beach Boys and not be truetomyo The question would baffle the great philosopical minds of the world. W would j>oloinon do? What wouldS crates do? What would Schopenha do? What would Spock do? Conf usion. Guilt. What shouldld( Af ter a long debate I made mv sion. Now as I write this column, faced with another moral decision good journalist is supposed to presf the facts, fairly and acurately. Buti closure of these facts could have da gerous repercussions. The questi would baffle the greatest journafe minds of the world. What would Oi Rather do? What would Walter Cro kite do? What would Woodward Bernstein do? What would Lou Gn do? '1 have made my decision.E though my next column maybewriti from my new home at the Brai County Jail, I’ll tell you what I did I th rew that damn piece of paper! that trash'dumpster! Kari PaUmeyer is a senior major and a columnist for The ion. Bonus mile build-up made eas By ART BUCHWALD Columnist for The Los Angeles Times Syndicate I see where several airline companies are being taken over. Frankly, I don’t know why anyone would want to buy an airline nowadays. The way they’re all handing out free tickets I predict in two years everyone wall be flying for nothing anyway. What happened was that some sales promotion genius thought up the idea of awarding frequent flyer mileage credits equal to the number of miles the passenger flew. These credits, when built up, could then be exchanged ei ther for free flights or upgrades to a better class of travel. For example, if you earn a credit of 60,000 miles you can fly coach to any destination in the United States; for 100,000 miles you can fly first class. And for 150,000 miles, you get to take your entire family, plus the dog, anywhere in the world. If the airlines had just stuck to the original idea it would have made some sense. But they started giving out “bo nus” miles, not just for flying, but for renting a car, staying in a hotel or eating a certain kind of pizza 30 days in a row. I hadn’t realized how easy it was to build up bonus mileage until I went into an airline office on Fifth Avenue last week. I told the lady behind the counter, “I’d like to ask about a trip to Paris.” The lady handed me a coupon. “What’s this?” I asked. “You’re entitled to 5,000 bonus miles for coming in and inquiring about our flight to Paris.” “That’s wonderful,”! declared. Then she gave me another coupon for 5,000 bonus miles. “This is for wearing a tie. Are you an American?” she asked. “Of course I am,” I said hotly. “Then I can credit you with 10,000 more bonus miles. Do you have a hotel room in Paris?” “Yes, here is my confirmation.” “People with confirmed Paris hotel rooms are entitled to 7,500 miles.” “Listen, can we forget all this mileage stuff? I want to buy a ticket.” “Are you going to pay by check or credit card?” “What’s the difference?” “If you pay by check you will receive 10,000 extra miles, while a credit card only entitles you to 9,000.” “Okay, I’ll pay by check. Are there any seats available?” “Smoking or nonsmoking?” “Nonsmoking.” She gave me a bonus coupon for 13,500 bonus miles. I was getting embarrassed. “I don’t want to look a gift horse in the mouth, but I haven’t even taken off yet and you’re crediting me with thousands of flying miles. I feel like a fraud.” “It’s not out of my pocket,” she said. “I’m just following instructions. The air line business is very competitive, and if we didn’t issue extra bonus miles you would buy your flight from one of our competitors.” “Well, as long as you put it that w'ay I guess I’ll accept. I’ll be returning on Au gust 6.” Damned if she didn’t give me another coupon. Fifteen minutes later she handed me my ticket. I got out my checkbook. “How much do I owe you?” She hit the keys on her computer sev eral times and then said, “There’s no charge. You have enough credited miles now to entitle you to a free round-trip ticket to Paris.” I took the ticket and shoved it in my The Battalion USPS 045 360 Member of Texas Press Association Southwest )ournalisni Conference The Battalion Editorial Board Kellie Dvvoraczyk, Editor Kay Mallett, John Mallett, News Editors Loren Stelf y, Editorial Pajje Editor Sarah Oates, City Editor Travis Tingle, Sports Editor The Battalion Staff Assistant City Editor Katherine Hurl Assistant News Editors Cathie Anderson, Trent Leopold Entertainment Editors Cathy Riely, Walter Smilli Copy Editor T rent Leopold Make-up Editor Ed Citssavoj, Editorial Policy /'he Biitnilion is n non-prolh. st‘lf-siii)i>nning n[)enitc(l ,/s u * 'ivicc m l('\as TXA/W Bt vun-( ttllcut' 'it.ition Opinions expressed in I lie Battnlion are those of the Editorial Board or the author, and do not necessarily Kjh resent the opinions of Texas A&M administrators, Atull) or the Board of Regents. The Battalion also set \ es .is a lahoratorv new snajirrfoi students in repot ling, editing and photngrapm tiiissf' within the Department ol (annimmuations. I lie Battalion is puhfished fuesdai ti/toi/glj Eridn (lin ing Texas A&M t egular scinestet s. exc ept for ImliH'ivaiK/ examination periods. Mail siihsc riptions arc SHi. 7.3/kt’-l inester. pen sc hoo) seat and $'.la jht full uw. M xertising rates f urnished on tecftiest. Our addr e ss: I he- Battalion. 2Hi Reed McDimtf Building. Texas A&M L riixersiix. College Station. 77H4'I. Editorial stall pltotie number: (40*1) S-ia-JliM. Ad vertising: (409) H45-2B11. Second class postage paid at College Station. IX 77MX BOS TMASI ER: Send address c hanges to The Ilnil.il- ion. Texas A&M L’niversitx. College Station. Icxas 77<W St Tex Mar gres day ernt H ciall for said the H non Sep t ing lege f P H< who chan said agre« ingt oldc U Way term prov J u hear the cour on t Tex; the systt Pi with cult, strai T liatr not dep pus Tut S Rot ske| goit F the enti not U out i ficia the 38,C foui P that will pocket. “Gan I ask you one questiol How’s business?” “Wonderful,” she said. “Before ol frequent flyer bonus program we w| carrying less than 25 percent passenjjj loads. Now that we’re offering flights you can’t get a seat on planes.” \ Me tha coti tic) ant pri tesi hoi sor