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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 29, 1985)
Page 2/The Battalion/Tuesday, October 29, 1985 Opinion Male chauvinism and recruiting: Two age-old Aggie traditions Mail Call wlag < By A friend — I’ll call him Rock — would like to be an athletic host. Un fortunately, one particular prereq uisite presents an obstacle to an otherwise over- qualified candi date. He’s male. For some incom prehensible reason the Athletic Depart ment would like females to serve as ath letic hostesses. “I just don’t understand why you have to be a female to show the recruits around,” Rock said. ‘‘What can they do that I can’t? (No, Rock’s not gay. He’s an enthusiastic Aggie who would like to do his part to help the football team.) I wonder what they did when this Univer sity was an all-male institution?” “That’s a good point,” I responded. “I don’t know what they did then to en hance recruiting, but I recall something about players taking free excursions to houses of ill-repute from time to time.” “So do you think that A&M officials want young women to compromise themselves for the sake of A&M?” Rock asked. “No, not really. But many students perceive it that way. Perhaps it’s a mis conception, but I think the women who have played such an important role in the recruitment of athletes have had a disservice done to them by this policy. To imply that men just can’t do the job makes you wonder just what they expect of these women.” “It’s a kind of reverse discrimina tion.” “No, it’s not reverse discrimination, it’s the continuation of the age-old Ag gie tradition that refuses to die — male chauvinism. Women aren’t discriminat ing against you — it’s men. ... “But they don’t see it as discrimina tion. They take the traditional view that women are better suited to entertaining and that it is their duty. Serving as an athletic hostess is one of the few activ ities in which a female can participate that doesn’t have old Ags turning in their graves.” After Rock left, our conversation lin gered in my mind. Why female hostesses? The Univer sity doesn’t feel they are necessary for recruiting National Merit Scholars or high school valedictorians, so why does the football team need them? It’s a sad reflection on the University when the Athletic Department feels it must pro vide a dating service as part of its re cruitment program. I don’t believe that Athletic Department officials encourage the hostesses to do anything other than to serve as legitimate escorts for high school athletes during weekend visits to the University. But somehow, I doubt if they discourage overzealousness. John Hallett is a senior political sci ence major, a columnist and News Edi tor for The Battalion. 1C SOME THING ISN'T PONE about people WITH AIPS Ml THOSE AIPS CARRIERS WILL INCECT , US ALL l POLKS WHO ENPAN6ER SOCIETY SHOULD &6 , quarantined! Umfd ft Hurt Syndictit MAR6ULISS Journalists don’t sacrifice their humanity for their jobs John Williams Guest Columnist The editorial 1 board of The Battal- ion recently sug gested that my ac cepting the role of president of the — Bryan-College Station Chamber of Commerce is a breach of professional ethics (Oct. 11). They stated that Eagle readers will no longer be sure they are not receiving a sanitized version of local news. This suggestion, that my primary allegiance now will lie with the Chamber of Commerce rather than with the newspaper, deserves comment. When The Battalion editorial board met with me, after the editorial ran, they expressed their concern that the in tegrity of the Eagle’s news columns would be compromised. This is a proper concern for them, and for every reader as well. Although I applaud their thoughtful examination of the function of the newspaper and its publisher, my feeling is that they have a fundamental misunderstanding of the nature and sources of pressure to which the media are routinely subjected. Divergent pressures upon publishers, editors and reporters are intense and constant, emanating from a number of different sources. I have had demands from advertisers to fire reporters or see their ads withheld from the newspaper. I have had requests from those in city government to refrain from intrusion. At least one judge criticized our report ing as an “orgy of coverage.” Many peo ple have asked that we not “air their dirty linen” in our pages — people from officials at Texas A&M, to school boards, to families whose members have had brushes with the law. But these same reporters are still writing for the Eagle, our own personal losses in revenue not withstanding, be cause I believe in the importance of the integrity, objectivity and fairness of news coverage. The Battalion USPS 045 360 Member of Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Conference The Battalion Editorial Board Rhonda Snider, Editor Michelle Powe, Managing Editor Loren Steffy, Opinion Page Editor Karen Bloch, City Editor John Hallet, Kay Mallett, News Editors Travis Tingle, Sports Editor 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 represent the opinions of Texas A&M administrators, faculty 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 Monday through Friday during Texas A&M regular semesters, except for holiday and examina tion periods. Mail subscriptions are $16.75 per semester, $33.25 per school year and $35 per full year. Advertising rates fur nished on request. Our address: The Battalion, 216 Reed McDonald Building, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843. I could list repeated examples of chal lenges, real or potential, to editorial in tegrity. A newspaper could easily and quietly bow to such pressures for short term gain, but it would reap long-term disaster. The growth of the Eagle circulation of about 40 percent in the five years I have been publisher suggests that the community finds the Eagle to be a credi ble source of information which is re sponsive to the needs of its readers. Newspaper people, like all other citi zens, should be involved in their com munity. Obviously, members of the me dia have some constraints upon the extent of that involvement. I should not run for elective office, for example, and though I have been invited, I choose not to serve on a bank board. But I do not live a monastic existence. I am a part of this community and many of its institu tions: I live in Bryan, and my children attend school there; I belong to the First Baptist Church of College Station, the Rotary Club, the local chapter of C.P.A.’s; I serve on the boards of the United Way and Brazos Beautiful; I jog and scuba dive. Any of these involve ments could potentially bias the cover age of the news, but they do not. Before I accepted the job of Chamber of Commerce president for 1986, I met with the Eagle editorial department to emphasize that there would be no change in business of chamber coverage as a result of my election. I asked for their thoughts and concerns, and we came to a good understanding that in no way would the editorial integrity of the Eagle be compromised. Again, I fully appreciate the concerns of The Battalion board and encouiage them to continue to wrestle with the function and role of the newspaper in the community. John Williams is publisher of the Bryan-College Station Eagle. Letters to the Editor should not exceed 300 words in length. The editorial staff mtm right to edit letters for style and length but will make every effort to maintain then intent. Each letter must be signed and must include the address and telephonenu© the writer. I Bold fl) fArts conn students fc mus!” Litn magazine; eai li studei Saturday Night Special is a person “It’s a nt published,’ of the En$> young writ tures at h (ally perst Along iction pie graphics, a [researched some conti [Susie B EDITOR: The Battalion’s editorial opinion on Oct. 16, concerning Night Specials was yet another case of ignorance in print. We have been told the Saturday Night Special is an inexpeiilstudents n poorly made, readily concealable, and readily available handgun.HI jpphic ar we are never told is that no one or combination of these factors malfi" gun a tool of crime. There really is no such gun as a Saturday Night Special. TheSaiu;; Night Special is a person. T he Saturday Night Special is a mulliplt fender. The perpetrator of not just two or three, but many crimesofinagazine. lence. The Saturday Night Special is usually, but not always a malta Brned in t under 25 years of age. He could come from any financial, racial,oreili °r atI he se background in our society. ^ B" 1 Pr<) tf r T he Saturday Night Special has learned that threats of violences [ i m s ticularly armed violence, can be quite profitable, take little time,ariiii Lstargete penalities if caught are often tn&ignifk ant. publication Saturday Night is the night of the victim. Entertainment andra Bowen, coi businesses are open late. Much of the population is away from homo; ■The nui full pay envelopes. On Saturday Niglit, money and victims aresm in each cat greater quantity in every community than on any other night. The word “Special” refers to a special code of criminal juste served for these Saturday Night Specialists and ignores the rightsofl cent members of society. With this definition, 1, too, hate the Saturday Night Special. However, a gun law that would restrict or ban any firearmissj sumption that if you own that particular firearm, you arelikelyto guilty of doing something illegal with it. That is a presumption thaic; ametrically in conflict with the presumption of innocence in this« It is a violation of the basic freedom which we possess as Americai^Because zens. Hucwcd in jral light, ( lent of nuality of s ■ “If we g going to p A& Byjc Jay Merkley Just doing their job EDITOR: Once and for all STOP PICKING ON PALLMEYER Aoa column is supposed to express the opinions of the writer, andiftotsil stepped on, the column has served its purpose. Karl steps on lots of sq ■ tie must be doing one helluva job. Hail Ka rl Pallmeyer, for tellingii lished one so ne must be doing one helluva job is and like it should be. And as for the writers and cartoonists who occasionally deridetni tions at A&M, good for them. They don’t do it often enough!So Texas A&M traditions have become jokes over the years. WHOOP self! You want tradition, I’ve got your traditiejn right here...! Rob Roberts ■ydome re the Langfo 1:Built in is 28 feet Ugh, is ae Ee image toconstruc Confessions of an ice-thrower EDITOR: It has come to my attention that some people disapprove ofce® antics at the Baylor-Texas A&M football game, namely ice-throwinp taunting. Well, Ags, I’m good 99 percent of the time, but I’vegrownffi of the rest of the SWC attitudes toward us. So, yes, Ags, I let out trations by throwing things only because I was not close enough top the field and deliver a personal message. By the way, the girl that tapped me on the shoulder and told mend! be a bad Ag screwed up my aim! . ‘JM The reason I was engaging in such activity is because we had suck rific seats that we couldn’t see anything else. Craig Browning Class of’87 The wrong kind of support EDITOR: After reading an article in a San Antonio paper a few weeks ago, 1 alized that we probably have the most polite audience at our games^ at home and away. Aggies are known around the nation fortheirem siastic support of the athletic teams with our Twelfth Man. I, ho« have two complaints about our student body at this season’s fooi* games. First, being a freshman this semester, I have the “privilege" ing on the third deck. At the past three home games I nave been at the behavior of several Ags regarding the tradition of “uncovering removing hats during yells. These “supporters” of the Aggie football team seem to take pride in yelling, “UNCOVER!” than they do in yelling for the team are determined to embarrass the fans with hats on, many of whomart r itors who are not familiar with our traditions. I distinctly remember NLU game when a father of an Aggie was attending the game will daughter. He naturally was unaware of our traditions, and whena dent behind him yelled, “Take your damn hat off!” I wantedw! “BEAT THE HELL OUTTA YOU!” to the student who was so 1*1 mined to uphold the traditions of Texas A&M University.” This Aggie parent had to suffer through this torture throughoui rest of the game when all he wanted to do was keep the sun frombei down on his head. Then I thought to myself that these studentsareft men who are trying to show off at the game, either to impress their^ or their buddies. But when I stood on the first deck for the Tulsa^ just as many people were wearing hats, mainly to stay dry, ar many students were yelling, “UNCOVER!” There was one “Good Ag” who later went up to the visitor at the!' 1 game and apologized for the rude behavior of the student body and 1 ' calmly explained the tradition of removing hats before yells. Second, I was taught at Fish Camp and reassured at All-lW Night that Aggies DO NOT BOO, especially their own team. Howetf seems that many Ags have forgotten this. With the recent problems# 1 had with our field goal/extra point teams has come a decline in tbf keep of this tradition. I agree that the kicking game has not been up to par lately, built 1 no reason to abandon our Twelfth Man spirit when what the teamJ* 1 more is our encouragement and support. Nothing is more de and nerve-racking for a field goal kicker than to be booed whencof 1 out on the field. If we can give the team our support, then they# pass our greatest expectations. Eric Franklin proved thathehasthea^ to perform when he nailed a 42-yard field goal against Houston. Come on, Ags, let’s support our team in the true spirit of the I#'' Man instead of stooping to the tactics of t.u. Rob Henderson ’89 Trip Grant ’89 Scott Wonderly ’89 2 CC BE DF “1 T\ #£2 ^ SS Berko and ot RI