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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 9, 1985)
Page 2AThe Battalion/Monday, December 9,1985 Opinion Why isn’t football treated like any other major? just when we thought Kevin Murray’s contro versial Datsun had driven into the sunset for good, the Dallas Times Herald prints an “expose” of every one's favorite ma roon and white team. ethical activities. Some rumors say every school uses money or gifts to encourage young athletes to join theit team. • If so many institutions violate the rules, perhaps it’s time to rethink those rules. Why shouldn’t collegiate athletes get paid?* gray lines of textbook type. Others, such as myself , try to supplement their book time with hands-on experience. Loren Steffy The paper has accused Aggie players of receiving “thousands of dollars in signing incentives and bonuses, weekly allowances, performance payments, car deals and other favors from A&M coaches and boosters . . .” following a two-month investigation of the 1985 Southwest Conference Champs. College journalists, such as myself, get paid for working for the school pa per, as do the advertising representa tives. Collegiate hard laborers, such as hamburger flippers, bookstore cashiers and construction workers (some Aggies worked on the new chemistry building this summer) also get paid. Some cam pus police officers, who obviously get paid, are students as well. Whether A&M is g-uilty of violating NCAA rules really isn’t the issue. Other schools have been accused of similar un- Most students enter college to pre pare for the career of their choice. They study subjects which pertain to that pro spective career and subjects that have nothing to do with it. Some students spend their college years scanning dull Imagine 5 years after his death, Lennon's message lives It was five years ago today when mv mother came into my room to wake me up for school. Usually she said some thing like: "time to get up,” or “how many eggs do you want?” On this day she said: “John songs: Peace and Love. I began to ap preciate Lennon and the Beatles even Karl Pallmeyer Lennon was killed last night.” The news was shocking. I had just discovered the Beatles about six months earlier and had devel oped an acute dose of Beatlemania. I bought all of their albums, read tons of books on them and learned how to play several of their songs on the guitar. Since I was drummer for the school band I picked up the nickname “Ringo” and adopted his drum playing manne risms. I would stay up late to catch Beatles’ movies on television and was usually seen wearing a Beatles T-shirt. 1 he Beatles made some of the best music in the history of mankind. Their music was both commercially and artisti cally successful. The Beatles, as an image, had an influence that changed human culture for years to come. When the Beatles broke up they persued indi vidual careers. George Harrison more or less retired from the spotlight and concentrated on developing his spiritual self with an occasional album. Ringo Starr has had a §emi-successful career in music and film. Paul McCartney went on to make millions off songs and al bums that are highly popular but intel lectually and spiritually empty. The news was shocking. 1 turned on the radio. The disk jockey was playing "All You Need Is Lo ve” — a Beatles’ song. After the song the Dj gave the details of Lennon’s murder and put on another song, Lennon’s “I- magine.” John Lennon spent his life as an artis tic and philosophical statement. He and his wife, Yoko Ono, would hold various “happenings” in the cause of world peace. Lennon’s music, which didn’t make as much money as it used to with the Beatles, told of a better way of life. Although I had heard “Imagine” be fore, this is the first time I really heard it. I realized that “Imagine” was more than a song — it was a philosophy. I re alized that Lennon was more than a Beatle—he was a prophet. Throughout the day the radio played several Lennon and Beatles songs. They played "Help!,” “God,” “Revolution,” “Happy Xmas (War is Over),” “Julia,” "Give Peace a Chance,” “If I Fell,” “Ins tant Karma,” “Dear Prudence,” “(just Like) Starting Over,” “Across the Uni verse,” “Mother,” “In My Life” and “Lo ve. I began to realize that two major themes permeated all of Lennon’s 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 >hn Hallett, Kay Mallett, TVeu'.s Editors Travis Tingle, Sports Editor Editorial Policy cll-supporting newspaper operated , eoinimmitx service to Texas AX.M and The Battalion is a non-proTn. Bn an-C 'ollctfe Station. Opinions expiessed in The Battalion are those o! the Editorial Board or the author, and do not necessarily rep resent the opinions ol Texas AS:M administrators, iacoltv or the Board of Regents. I he Battalion also serves as a lahorator\ newspaper Tor students in reporting, editing and photography classes w ithin the Department nT Communications. I In- Battalion is published Alonda\ through Trida\ during. Texas A&M regular semesters, except Tor holiday and examination pei iods. Mail suhsc tiptions are Sib. 7;> per semester. per school vear and 5.1) per Tull \ear. Ad vertising rates Turnished on m/i/cs/. Oltr .tddiess: The Battalion. ‘Jib Reed Mi Donald Building. Texas A&M L 'niversitv. College Station. TX 77H4B. Editorial staTTphone number: (-KW) S-in-S.tlb. Advertising: (40 ( .l) S4a-Jbl I. Seuntd class postage paid at College Staiitm. IX 7TS4H. BOS TMAS TER: send address changes to The BultObOn. I'eXuS A&M l lih'efsih. CdliegV Station. TexhS 77S4B • . ' - : * > • The Battalion staff gets paid a regu- s paid lar — albeit minisucle — salary, but the terback Sneaks 521. Punt Blocking 140 and Special Topics — Unnecessary Roughness 485. Once the athlete chooses a specializa tion. he is eligible to apply for the team. jobs are in addition to coursework. Many journalism majors graduate with out ever working for The Ban. So why can’t college football be han dled the same way? Incoming students would pick their major — football —and choose an area of specialization, such as offense, def ense, or special teams. If hired, the athlete is paid a starting salary — $20,()()() a year. The pa^ may not be great, but this is college. It’s the experience that’s important. The money for the team's salaries would come from ticket sales and, of course, donations from f ormer students. A degree plan would then be worked up in which the players would have to take at least 30 hours of non-athletic courses. This would ensure a broad ed ucational base f or our athletes. Within the Athletic Department courses would be offered in specialized areas like Pass Receiving 10b, Penalty Prevention 101, Handoffs 211, Quar- After four years the student grad uates with a well-rounded education, hands-on experience and a familiarity with his future career. This experience would be great to put on a resume. "Th ree years experience, quarterback. Texas Aggies, Texas A&M." Of course, the students who study football for four years but don’t play would be at a disadvantage, unless they w ere looking for jobs as coadiel cateei in coaching, however,ti -p| ie y ra dent would first have to get bison Mothers Ag certificate. hold its lot Vigil tonigf V , , L , f the College 1 he \ IT. could enhance'thtb le , lege football program b\ offeriiiMlKirk Bn: nsliips in .spuing collegiate pi MADIT s;i 1 lie voting atlilete would getfef will jom contact warming benches,mixitij; w h° * u U e . tade .md washing dntv jodstrafi; an MADD air Vnd think what a nice adfc service, sar players’ diplomas w ill make it#on the step locker rooms. Of course sdto^W <)n h.m- u> ili uiU „ h, ihc! loutlfLi. PC, loi of science or a bachelorohi) t ]|e street, gree ,Aj» As each ( >i\en the scope of the projiwfjame will I most ( ollc-gex It would fallunt&IH hie ne: those no lo and streng Loren Steffy is a junior journik the pain, V jor and the Opinion Page £d|!| The Battalion. Lennon was killed by Mark David Chapman, a disturbed man. Chapman was the product of a society that often scorns those with new and different ideas. Many other men before Lennon were killed because their ideas did not fit in well with the stagnant society in which they had been trapped. Socrates, Jesus Christ, Joan of Arc, Mahatma Candi, Martin Luther King Jr. and Ste ven Biko are just a few who were killed because they said or did something that would have helped the world if only more people would have listened. John Lennon wanted the world to be a better place. If people would give peace a chance or realize that all you need is love, the world would be a better place. Imagine. Karl Pallmeyer is a senior journalism major and a columnist for The Battal- Mail Call Vandalism experienced Defeating their purpose? EDITOR: I’m writing in response to the letter submitted by Elaine Pahrniyer and Angie Buechler. I, too, have unfortunately experienced vandalism done to my car. And although I don’t agree with everything Elaine and Angie said, I do agree that it has to stop. As far as paint scratches go, I would have gladly traded that in for the damage done to my car! Now, I don’t drive what these ladies termed “nice cars;” in fact, I drive a 1979 Ford Maverick. However, I’m proud of it because when 1 bought it, it had no dents, no rust, it ran great — and 1 paid for it all myself. Today, however, that story is a little differ ent. About a week and a half ago, I walked out behind Davis- Cary and Moses Hall where my car was parked, only to find a disaster. The entire roof of my car had been caved in (by force), bending the frame inside my car and chipping the paint off the exterior. In addition to that, a large dent was put in the rear of the passenger’s side, also causing the paint to crack and chip from that area. Now, I don’t know of anything that might prompt any one to do tins kind of damage; but the repairs will be com ing out of my pocket, and like Elaine and Angie said, “Come on, Ags, this has to stop!” Teresa Mallary ’89 EDITOR: Karl Pallmeyer, in his Dec. 5 column,-assertedlii movie “The Canterbury Tales” uses sex to id statement, therefore it is art” and not pornograpkH less of a film producer’s intentions, however, willl : sider pornographic is a characteristic notofthell jected on the screen, but of the film that rolls inthei? the viewer. The assessment is private. But if my intentionfeif a film is pornographic, it doesn’t matter what the S' And 1 don’t want to fool myself into believing that Ik ested in a film for the sake of its “artistic stateme® 1 my true motives are quite different. The Student Art Film Society would befollowiif recruitment policy if, as Pallmeyer reports, it is“usil ! . to attract more members.” I think that the studeti have viewed “The Canterbury Tales” but have show terest in the activities of the Society prior to thesk»: this film are probably interested in sensual entertk not art. And if the Society’s goals are as noble asitsik would perhaps have us believe, they may actuallyhtl ing their purpose. Although “The Canterbury Tales” is obvknisljfef the actors and actresses on film are quite real. 1 foil they were performing “The Canterbury Tales”®| stage, would it still be considered art? . SAN I friends paint twi of the r bomb at jet. The o friends c homebu and an ; involved crusade ber. The ( the FBI who rat month < edly pla a Dallas wife am “It w Bill Bai Marcos. News. Resting easier Paul R. Koch Graduate Student EDITOR: I feel compelled to offer my sincerest thanks to the brave and vigilant University police officer assigned to the third deck, 50-yard line area at the game on Thanksgiving Day. This man courageously made his way through the beer- and wine-drinking fans down to the young woman who sat in front of me. He sternly lectured her on the dangers of throwing cotton balls, warning her that someone could get hurt (perhaps a stray cotton ball could fall in one’s beer or Coke causing one to choke after a particularly large guzzle). Later this same dedicated officer braved the crowd — again making his way past open beer cans and wine bottles, not to mention the whiskey flasks making the rounds — and removed a banner (I am certain it, too, was posing a great health risk). I don’t know about anyone else, but just the idea that this officer was being ever-vvatchful to be sure we were safe from killer cotton balls and banners helped me rest easier. Pallmeyer’s obsession EDITOR: I’m tired of Karl Pallmeyer’s obsession withplif Webster. Please stop it! (I’m referring specifically^ umn of Dec. 5) Karl, plagiarism is defined as taking and usin^ own the ideas or writing of another (Webster’s 11,k erside Dictionary, p. 534 — the same dictionaryyo^ use for your column). Patrick Eidemiller EDITOR'S NOTE: Actually, Karl prefers Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. E.L. Taylor Letters to the Editor should not exceed 300 words in length.^'' stall reserves the right to edit letters for style and length try effort to maintain the author's intent. Each letter must bef must include he addt e ph ol'the ivritfr.