Page 2AThe Battalion/Thursday August 8, 1985
Batt loses its mentor
College newspaper staffs undergo drastic changes every se
mester. With each new editor, a new staff is hired. The Battalion
is no exception. However, through each staff change for almost
a decade, Bob Rogers, has remained The Battalion’s unofficial
adviser.
Tuesday, Rogers was named as the new editor of the Bryan-
College Station Eagle.
“Rog” has been more than merely a journalism professor, he
has given guidance to many students. He critiqued The Batt for
our weekly review sessions and brought new meaning to the
words “learn from your mistakes.”
His advice sometimes has been solicited, sometimes not, but
he always has respected The Batt’s independence. Sometimes he
has defended our independence against people who felt the pa
per should be under University censorship or control.
His presence in the newsroom, either to offer advice or com
ments or merely to exchange casual conversation will be sorely
missed. No longer will Battalion editors find a copy of the paper
on their desks with “AAARRRGGGHHHHM!” written on the
top in red ink.
Many students have had a dramatic impact on The Batt, and
their graduations often leave the remaining staff feeling a little
hollow. But Rog’s unexpected move to the Eagle is an even
greater loss.
We can sum up our feelings in Rog’s own words: “Yuckers!”
We’re sorry to see him go, but we wish him well. The Battalion’s
loss will be the community’s gain.
The Battalion Editorial Board
Mail Call
If pets reduce stress,
why am I on edge?
Letters to the Editor should nut exceed 300 words in length. The edito- signed and must include the address and telephone number of the
rial stall reserves the right to edit letters Lor style and length but will writer,
make every effort to maintain the author’s intent. Each letter must be
Cheryl
Clark
I’ve read studies
about the relaxing
effects of owning a
pet. People with
high blood pres
sure are told that
watching fish in an
aquarium can help
lower their blood
pressure rate. Pet
ting a pet is good
for slowing a heart
rate. Walking a dog is good way to relax
after a stressful day.
I have a kitten — Samantha. She is all
the things a kitten is supposed to be.
Cuddly, cute, playful, frisky. She be
haves in the correct kitten manner. She
chases her tail. She goes where she
doesn’t belong. She has managed to kill
a rather large house plaint, much to my
roommate’s dismay. She knocks things
off the table and behind the bed. She at
tacks anything that moves under my
comforter, including me when I’m try
ing to sleep. She instinctively knows that
better food comes from the refrigerator
than her Kitten Chow. I have already
spent a small fortune on her shots and
other ailments. I can’t understand why
I’m not more relaxed.
I compared notes with my fellow pet
owners. Were they relaxed? Did they
experience a lesser degree of stress after
playing with their pets?
One kitten owner is constantly wash
ing her pet to try to get rid of the fleas.
Have you ever tried to wash a one
pound kitten? It’s not easy.
She has had the pet for about two
months. In that time, she has climbed a
tree several times to rescue the kitten.
She and her kitten have had a definite
clash of wills as to what the kitten is al
lowed to get on, such as the kitchen ta
ble.
The kitten wanted to play with her
owner during Tom Cruise’s dance scene
in “Risky Business.” I don’t think my
friend has an ounce of stress.
I know a new kitten owner who has
yet to give his kitten a name (good sign,
huh?). So far all he says is how much the
kitten meows and how clumsy the kitten
is. He has definitely relaxed since get
ting the kitten.
Of course, cat haters will say these
problems come from having a cat. Cats
can’t be disciplined or controlled. Any
one who has a cat can’t expect to be re
laxed.
So, I checked with dog owners. Are
you a happier, more relaxed individual
after taking care of Fido?
“Of course we are,” yipped the dog
owners.
One dog owner has strung barbed
wire around her yard and put cinder
blocks around the bottom of her fence
to keep her pet from digging its way out
of the yard.
Another dog owner has spent many
early mornings chasing after her dogs.
She has not one dog, but three. One dog
would distract the owner while the other
two escaped. While the owner was chas
ing the two escapees, the distractor took
off. Yes, this friend is relaxed.
My roommate has a dog. One night
she took the dog with her when she
went to wash her car at the car wash.
She pulled into the car wash, got out
and went around to get the dog. The
dog was pretty pleased with himself
when he managed to lock the door all by
himself. The keys were still inside too.
Uh-huh, real relaxing.
Maybe I keep ignoring some of the
more positive benefits Samantha pro
vides because I keep having to take her
to the veterinarian. She does love to
cuddle. She’s nice to come home to. She
never questions or criticizes me. She’s
pretty loyal to me.
I can safely say that most of my pet
owning friends think the same thing
about their pets. Most of the time they
wouldn’t want to trade their pets for
anything in the world. Except when the
pet locks itself in the car.
Cheryl Clark is a senior journalism ma
jor and a columnist for The Battalion.
Good journalists are
Christian journalists
EDITOR:
It seems The Batt and journalists in
general are constantly being attacked
for various reports and articles. Being
such a powerful medium in service to
the public, journalists should be under
scrutiny and for the sake of the journa
lism profession, as well as the public,
false reporting must be revealed and
severely punished.
One of the services to the public by
the press is its continual surveillance
and reporting of activities of elected of
ficials. Journalists who have exposed
“big time” wrong-doing include politi
cal cartoonist Thomas Nast’s expose on
New York City’s Boss Tweed, and
more recently, Watergate.
The press can’t afford to report only
what people want to hear. This idea
closely parallels an event from the Old
Testament of the Bible. The ancient
nation of Israel had rejected God’s
laws; consequently, God called a young
man named Jeremiah to be his
prophet, i.e., to “tell it like it is.” He
said, “A horrible thing has happened
in this land — the priests are ruled by
false prophets, and my people like it
so!” (Jeremiah 5:30-31). People were
hearing what they wanted to hear, and
they liked it. As Jeremiah said, “You
can’t heal a wound by saying it’s not
there” (Jeremiah 6:14). Therefore, I
applaud the Batt and journalists who
“tell it like it is.”
This brings up another problem
which I alluded to earlier — what
about when the press is wrong. Is the
press to blame for that? Yes, but it is
also the public duty of every citizen to
watch the press and take action to cor
rect the wrongs of the press. Lawsuits
against newspapers and reporters are
appropriate when the press has over
stepped its bounds. The First Amend
ment doesn’t guarantee the right to
print anything about anybody, any
time, with impunity. False reporting
deserves punishment.
Recently, there was a Batt editorial
which criticized the Boy Scouts for tea
tioortf^vl—
ching reverence for God. The journalist
who wrote that piece was wrong in his
thinking. If the editorial had simply said
that the Boy Scouts teach reverence for
God and let the reader draw their own
conclusions about the rightness or
wrongness of that fact, then the edito
rial would have been acceptable.
If the editorial had said that teaching
reverence for God was right, then the
editorial would have been commenda
ble. I am disturbed by this anti-Go-
d/anti-Christian editorial opinion. It
would be much better for everyone if
journalists simply stated objective facts
or at least presented both sides of the
story, rather than expressing un
grounded (and even destructive) opin
ions which erode public confidence in
the press.
“To be truthful” should be the cor
nerstone of a journalist’s work. Let the
evidence be gathered and the truth be
brought out for all to see.
Too often journalists attack Christian
principles (and principles/morality, in
general) with little understanding of the
issues. American freedoms, such as free
expression and free press are founded
on Christian principles.
In conclusion, I applaud the press for
uncovering deceit and making truth
known. I admonish the press for cre
ating deceit and attacking principles
which are the foundation for a free na
tion, for free expression and a free
press. If a journalist wants freedom of
expression, then he or she should be
embracing Christian principles, not at
tacking them.
A Christian wants to know the truth
as much as anyone. Of course the ulti
mate truth for a Christian is derived
from the Bible. It was Christ who said,
“If you abide in my word, then you are
truly disciples of mine. And you shall
know the truth and the truth shall make
you free” (John 8:31-32). How often is
this “truth” distorted to only the last six
words?!
Murphy Smith
Philosophize, but
don’t vandalize
EDITOR:
We feel that the free expression of
personal, political viewpoints is one of
the great freedoms offered by this
wonderful country. But when this ex
pression takes the form of the deface
ment of public property, we think it’s
“bad bull.”
Such were our feelings Tuesday,
August 6, when we were greeted by
the “Shadow Family” painted on the
ground in front of the Academic
Building. Along with the “family,” va
rious messages concerning Hiroshima
were scrawled on the stone benches
— even old Sully had a message
strewn in front of him.
Was vandalism necessary to get the
message across?
Greg Schulle ’84
Ariel Tarrago ’87
Looking for Peter
EDITOR:
I was wondering if you can help me
find a high school classmate. We have
heard from almost all of them but
Peter Ghiglieri, born October 14,
1936. His parents were Mr. and VI:
James Ghiglieri. Our last contactvt I
him had his home listed as College^
tion, Texas. He was going to or»
tended University of Texas in 1
(medical school). Would anyone
your town happen to knowoHiinu:
where he might be contacted?
He attended Beeshnell PrairieCi
High School in Beeshnell, Ill. hosi
be very happy if anyone can tellmei
formation of him.
Joyce Brewer
413 W. Adams
Abington, Ill. 61410
China’s nuclear step
EDITOR:
Too often in today’s press therefei
ence to nuclear power is associate:
with nuclear proliferation, and
July 25 Battalion Editorial Boards
no exception.
They said, “China says the technoi
ogy will be used to develop a comme;
cial energy program, not to enhanct]
its existing nuclear arsenal” and the:
try to persuade the reader that C
will not hold to their side of the
gain.
In reality China is getting little,t
anything, that could be used for
production of atomic weapons. 1 sa'
“little” because the shipment of
nium might be included in the
Yet even if this fuel is delivered, iti
presence there is inconsequential
they have domestic resouces for re
trieving uranium.
To a country that already hasthf
bomb, any technology that might assist
them would already be known»
them. Even if this knowledge was den
ied them they could gain it by sendini
students to American universities.
As was mentioned, this is a business
transaction. One that I believe to 1*
very important to the nuclear poitf
industry and to society. Nuclear poitf
is a step forward to a society that is en
ergy independent.
Robert Martin
Class of‘87
The Battalion
USPS 045 360
Member of
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Conference
The Battalion Editorial Board
Kellie Dworaczyk, Editor
Kay Mallett, John Hallett, News Editors
Loren Steffy, Opinion Page Editor
Sarah Oates, City Editor
Travis Tingle, Sports Editor
Editorial Policy
The Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting nempaptr
operated as a community service to Texas A&M ltd
Bryan-College Station.
Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those of th
Editorial Board or the author, and do not necessarilrrep
resent the opinions of Texas A&M administrators, fmiitl
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.
'The Battalion is published Tuesday through Friday dur
ing Texas A&M regular semesters, except for holiday anl
examination periods. Mail subscriptions are f 16.75perse-
mester, $33.25 per school year and $35 per full year. Ad
vertising 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) 845-3316. Ad
vertising: (409) 845-2611.
Second class postage paid at College Station, TX 7781}.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Battal
ion, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77813