Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 18, 1985)
Page 2/The Battalion/Wednesday, September 18,1985 Opinion Private business won't do the job Deregulating the U.S. Postal Service is becoming a popular topic. Postal rates are increasing and some think the quality of service is decreasing. But handing our mail system over to a pri vate industry is not the answer. In the early 1800s, before the U.S. Mail offered service to what is now the western United States, independent companies tried unsuccessfully to manage mail distribution. Without the government’s organization and funding, the mail could not go through. Today the Postal Service is suffering from too much organi zation and funding. Bureaucracy and unionization inhibit effi cient mail delivery. James Miller, who is waiting to be confirmed as President Reagan’s budget director, says the Postal Service isn’t managing itself as well as a private company would. He says that a private company would operate on a smaller budget and move the mail faster. / Rising costs of union employees and red tape hinder the ef ficient use of a government monopoly in the postal service. Before deregulating the postal system, why doesn’t Congress lower the salaries of overpaid postal workers, cut through bu reaucratic red tape and reorganize management to create a smoother postal system? Then maybe the paradox of rising costs and decreasing service will end. The Battalion Editorial Board Mail Call 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. What AIA really wants EDITOR: I was appalled and angered when I read an article in a local newspaper. There seems to be a nationwide watchdog group that has formed to fight liberal bias in college classrooms by auditing courses, then re porting their “findings of liberalism and marxism” by college professors to in form the poor, unsuspecting public of “biased teaching.” This group that goes by the menda cious title of Accuracy In Academia has said they have no immediate plans for Texas A&M, but is ready to audit and report “misstatements by professors” at the University of Texas. Such auditing will be done by a group at that university. An instructor of mine brought this potentially frightening sit uation to the attention of my classmates. Except for myself, no one else was aware of the AIA, and this complacency sent chills down my spine. This group,” if allowed to continue to heighten their asinine activities, would not only be re porting on lectures, but in a sense, ma- nipulating and stifling our very thoughts and ideas. And that is an im- pardonable sin not only in the academic community, but in the world at large. I didn’t come to this University to learn a lot of filtered, generic facts being passed through a narrow-minded fun nel. I came as an individual, seeking other individuals, with independent minds of their own, to learn in an atmo sphere electrified with so many ideas and thoughts and so much untethered knowledge. The intrusion — no, inva sion — of universities nationwide and the ensuing “witch hunt” of their faculty seems to be an Armageddon of the free doms of thought and speech. I, as a concerned student, have a sim ple request: that you, fellow students and learned professors, become aware of this travesty of the academic commu nity, your community and your chil dren’s and know what this “Accuracy In Academia” is really trying to accompl ish. David Banks ‘87 Students suffering from cablevision EDITOR: As a member of the staff at one of College Station’s predominantly stu dent-occupied apartment properties, I am appalled at the treatment being given Texas A&M students by one of our local “service” (?) businesses. Evidently McCaw Cablevision does not consider the fall semester at the University an opportunity to welcome our past students back to town or to pro vide fof our many new students living away from home for the first time a pleasant transition to “living on their own.” Apparently McCaw sees this time of year as a chance to squeeze every possi ble penny out of their young customers (who, incidentally, have no choice, thanks to the merger of our two former cable companies, if they wish to enjoy any form of pay TV). In the apartment business we spend most of our work days trying to provide the best possible “homes away from home” for the dura tion of the students’ academic years. The business practices of McCaw are a gross injustice to the very people who support not only my job, but thousands of others in Bryan-College Station. A few of the “questionable” business prac tices McCaw engages in at present are: 1. Demanding a copy of each stu dent’s lease upon request of service. A lease is a binding contract between the property and the resident. It is none of McCaw’s business how much rent you pay, who you live with or how long you nave agreed to live in your residence. When questioned about this demand, a McCaw representative stated that the lease copy, which McCaw keeps on file, is needed because they intend to charge a yet-undetermined fee upon the change of roommate names on the lease. Anyone who has ever dealt with the students knows that due to personal ity conflicts, changes in financial status, etc., roommates change constantly. What a wonderful source of revenue McCaw has found! 2. Several students have complained they were repeatedly billed by McCaw for basic cable — even when basic was f iaid by the complex where they resided. n the apartment business you may not legally charge what is considered “Dou ble Rent.” Evidently McCaw has their own laws for billing. 3. When our mass influx of students began in June, McCaw decided to change their practice of issuing boxes to the students when they signed up for ca ble at the business office. Instead, after completing the paperwork, giving a copy of your lease for their files and paying your money, McCaw now sends a serviceman to your residence to place the box on your TV and join the adapter to the TV. This enables IV^cCaw to cnarge you a $15.00 ACTIVATION CHARGE. Evidently, McCaw does not believe A&M students, many of whom are engineering majors, are capable of attaching two pieces of cable together. Or perhaps McCaw simply “enginee red” another wonderful avenue of addi tional revenue. Students, some of us appreciate your being here in our fine city. Evidently others see your stay as the ultimate op portunity to milk you of every cent pos sible. Before you sign up for any “servi ces,” be aware of your rights. YOU can be the one who makes or breaks a busi ness W. Warren College Station Reward offered EDITOR: Friday I left my brown Buick Regal parked on Throckmorton between Jer sey and Lewis St. The next morning I discovered that it had been hit on tne passenger side’s rear corner. Police Hassled freedom worth move from the Dorm Zone A s mi d n i g h t settled within the halls of the dorm, the noise level was just peaking. I had just begun to study for to- morrow’s quiz when the door burst open — again. For the third Camille Brown time that night I had someone in my dorm room for a friendly chat, and the visits came between a fire drill, a floor nacho party and a philosophical debate on the merits of Sbisa Dining Hall. This, sadly enough, was not the ex ception but the evening routine. Before midnight I was the envy of all politicians — a model socialite and happy to be there. After 1 a.m., when the muffled roar fell over the hall, I would finally be gin to concentrate on my overdue homework assignments. Life in the dorm was anything but boring. It was about 1:30 a.m. on one of those nights when the potentially wonderful, magical benefits of an apartment were finally made clear to me. I decided to move off campus. I knew at that moment that I would gladly tolerate the hassles of monthly rent payments and the pains of catching the early morning shuttle bus. I was re ady to sign my first lease. I was ready to face stereo-blasting neighbors. I yearned for the chance to park my car within a mile of where I lived. After three years of bubbly, on-cam- pus dorm life, criticism of apartment life was not going to wane my growing enthusiasm to have my own swinging bachelorette pad. But now, four weeks into my world of reality. I’m still learning all the ups and downs of being a real person living in a real apartment. I’m learning about the little things that Texas A&M protected me from during my three-year, shel tered existence in Haas Hall. In the dorm, I lived year-round in sweatsuits and sweaters, because I had a roommate who believed in arctic com fort. I’m sure my roommate just wanted to see how low the thermostat could go before icicles formed in the toilet. Ex periments like this contributed to her high grade point as a biology major. I haven’t seen my year-round sweat suit since last spring. In my new duplex, the thermostat is kept at a toasty 80 de grees, and only the strategically placed fans keep the air in our sauna just below the boiling point. And, of course, the screens on the windows have never materialized so I have to lock out any hope of a passing breeze to cool the place down for free. Which brings up a subject I was warned about — repairs. In the dorm, I turned in a work order for everything from minor inconveniences to semi-tra gic outages. As a paying resident of Haas Hall, we had the right to complain if the sink wasn’t unstopped within 24 hours. to work through. So Nc. pregi mixei bits < one ( to bn "Pad If uted Extei on p luncl Co nutn of br pus, nior 1 A non s “VN can Hum Sh less tl alum Hi luncl pack< food reser Tl Tic By So now that I have made the jump from convenient, cramped luxury to hassled freedom, I can knowingly look back and spot the most treasured and hated aspects of dorm life. Dorm resi dents should appreciate the free toilet paper and those all-too-rare “unruns," but when visitation hours and late night noise gets to you, there is an al ternative. I You ) gown to i pore. Y Ithe Tex; The | through iys Del r for tl “Tick jered tl Feb. 1,” Ticke jvhich s vent. T After four weeks in the duplex I’m still patiently waiting for the property manager to put on the screens, fix the disposal, put the hinges on the pantry door, plug the hole in the bathtub, at tach the freezer door cover and mow the front lawn. I’m sure the delay has nothing to do with the overdue inven tory sheet still lying unmarked on the kitchen cabinet. Just off campus there lies another time zone, complete with private rooms, unlimited visitation hours and most importantly, parking. , purer u service,: Murr Bhrough My new stack of monthly bills and a few inconveniences are a worthy trade-off for off-campus comfort. Camille Brown is a senior journalism major and a columnist for The Battal- Roaches are an inevitable part of life in College Station. The little monsters will find you whether you live in a dorm or a duplex. They’ll even climb stairs — there were as many roaches on the fourth floor of Haas as there were on floor one. Only one difference marks an off- campus roach stomp. If I kill a roach in my duplex, I have to pick it up to throw it away. In the dorm, I just swept the remains into the hall to be vacuumed away by the maid early the next morning. On-campus roach kill ing was almost painless. Now, as an added safety precaution, I have to use almost half a roll of toilet paper to pick up the smashed bug without touching it. I justify the in crease in toilet paper costs by counting the expenditure as a type of insurance against illness. And little did I realize that moving off campus would be a move into a dif ferent time zone. I actually get tired at midnight in the duplex, but in the dorm zone, midnight is the beginning of study hall. Bedtime in the dorm was usually around 2 a.m., but now the stillness of a private room rocks me to sleep by 12:30 a.m. This has cut study time down to about 30 minutes a day. This is one of the many adjustments I’m still trying Mail Call found blue paint on my car and match ing chips on the ground. They said without any kind of witness I would have to pay for it. Welcome backAgs EDITOR: I’m asking that anyone seeing or hearing anything about my car to give me a call. Also, if anyone sees a blue ve hicle with a dented left front end with brown paint streaks that may have been involved to please call me. I don’t have the money to get my car fixed, but I will give a $50 reward for information lead ing to the apprehension of the driver of the blue vehicle. We would like to welcome all of you back for the start of the fall semester. After a summer of fun and excitement and perhaps a little work, we’re sure you all are eager to once again resume your educational pursuits. Kelvin Deupree 260-3793 We’re sure all Aggies are looking for ward to a great fall and football season. You can be sure we will be doing our part with the 12th Man and we look for ward to visiting with many of. you this year. Once again, welcome back and good luck! Joe and Patty Hlavinka ’56 Parents of the Year 1985-86 The Battalion USPS 045 360 Member of Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Conference The Battalion Editorial Board Rhonda Stlider, Editor Michelle Powe, Managing Editor Loren Steffy, Opinion Page Editor Karen Bloch, City Editor John Hallett, Kay Mallett, News Editors Travis Tingle, Sports Editor The Battalion Staff Assistant City Editors Kirsten Dietz, Jerry Oslin Assistant News Editors Cathie Anderson, Jan Perry Assistant Sports Editor Charean Williams Entertainment Efiitors Cathy Riely, Walter Smith Art Director Wayne Grabein Copy Editors Rebecca Adair, Mike Davis, Sarah Oates Make-up Editor Ed Cassavoy Staff Writers Tamara Beil, Meg Cadigan, Ed Cassavoy, Cindy Gay, Doug Hall, Paul Herndon, Wendy Jonnson Tammy Kirk, Jens Koepke, Trent Leopold, Mary McWhorter, June Pang, Tricia Parker, Brian Pearson, Lynn Rae Povec, Marybeth Rohsner, Gigi Shamsy, Kenneth Sury Cartoonists Mike Lane, Scott McCullar, Kevin Thomas Columnists Camille Brown, John Hallett, Karl Pallmeyer Photographers Greg Bailey, Anthony Casper, Frank Hada, Jaime Lopez, Michael Sanchez 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. vSpaper students in reporting, editing and photography classes within the Department of Communications. The Battalion is published Monday through Friday dur ing Texas A&M regular semesters, except for holiday and examination periods. Mail subscriptions are $16.75 per se 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 77843. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Battal ion, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843