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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 31, 1987)
Page 2/The Battalion/Tuesday, March 31, 1987 The Battalion (USPS 045 360) Member of Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Conference The Battalion Editorial Board Loren Steffy, Editor Marybeth Rohsner, Managing Editor Mike Sullivan, Opinion Page Editor Jens Koepke, City Editor Jeanne Isenberg, Sue Krenek, News Editors Homer Jacobs, Sports Editor Tom Ownbey, Photo Editor Editorial Policy The Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting newspaper oper ated as a community service to 1 exas A&M and Bryan-College Sta tion. Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those of the editorial board or the author, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of T'exas 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 Depart ment of Journalism. The Battalion is published Monday through Friday during T'exas A&M regular semesters, except for holiday and examination periods. Mail subscriptions are $17.44 per semester, $34.62 per school year and $36.44 per full year. Advertising rates furnished on re quest. Our address: The Battalion, Department of Journalism, T'exas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-4 111. Second class postage paid at College Station, TX 77843. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Battalion, De partment of Journalism, T'exas A&M University. College Station TX 77843-4111. Voter services Today’s Battalion provides students with several voting aids to help make their decision in the upcoming student elections. First is the Voter’s Guide supplement, which includes a collection of candidates’ statements explaining why they are running for office and what they hope to accomplish. It is designed to provide readers with a convenient summary of candidates’ views — a ready-reference resource of political platforms. Second is the editorial board’s endorsement of a student body presidential candidate, which appears below. The endorsement is made not to sway voter opinion but merely to provide readers with who, in the editorial board’s opinion, is the best candidate for the job. The endorsement is based on personal in terviews with all the candidates, as well as other campaign events that The Battalion has covered. Political endorsements in newspapers are still a gray area in jour nalism. Critics of the endorsement process say that papers should not engage in partisan support. But we feel that student elections, the only elections in which we make endorsements, are not a partisan event, but a student event of concern to all. However, we should explain that only the editorial board has in put into the endorsement. The reporters covering the election have no part in the endorsement process and it doesn’t influence their coverage of election events. We hope these services will help students make their decisions in the student elections. Hogan for president Electing a student body president doesn’t rank high on most stu dents’ priority 7 lists. Reading The Battalion's endorsement, voter’s guide and evaluating candidates based on their platforms — rather than posters — ranks even lower. Most Aggies simply don’t care about student government. After all, what tangible benefits do each of us reap from our student poli ticians? The answer to that question explains the historically pitiful voter turnout on election day. Perhaps you’d like us to tell you that this year’s crop of candi dates is determined to change all that. Well, because they want to win the student body president’s seat, almost all of the candidates did tell us what they thought you wanted to hear. While interviewing the candidates, we kept their motives in mind and tried to sift through some of the rhetoric and determine how realistic the candidate’s goals are, their attitude, how well they will be able to communicate and implement their plans and, most of all, whether they are interested in representing students at A&M. After careful consideration of each of the above criteria, The Battalion has decided to endorse Mason Hogan for student body president. Hogan isn’t a politician. He is a student. Arfd he is the best-qual ified candidate to represent the rest of the students. He doesn’t want the Student Senate to spend a lot of time passing resolutions against apartheid. Expressing opinions are fine, and the Senate should do so, but campus issues should be Student Government’s primary concern. Hogan doesn’t believe a Senate resolution can single-handedly wipe out South Africa’s troubles. He’s more realistic than that, but at the same time, he’s an optimist. Hogan understands student apathy toward student government and his plans focus on issues that are of concern to students. Hogan is hell-bent on student issues like getting the A.P Beutel Health Center to stay open 24 hours and working to reschedule se nior final exams. Hogan’s not so blinded by Aggie faith that he won’t organize a protest “on Frank Vandiver’s lawn” if he has to. Had we such spirited leadership when the final exams policy was being drafted, the out come might have been different. Hogan’s spirit and determination to make the student body’s voice heard doesn’t stop at the idea stage, however. As speaker pro tern of the Student Senate, Hogan said he saw a lot of good legis lation die from lack of persistence. One of Hogan’s primary goals as president will be to follow up that legislation and make sure the resulting policies are implemented and not forgotten. With an attitude like that, the class of 1988 acu- tally might make a difference. Being able to relate to students as a student will make Hogan an effective student body president. Hogan will be able to work inside and outside Student Government to establish a solid, unified student voice on this campus. While the other candidates had their share of good ideas and en thusiasm, none had Hogan’s combination of candidness, determin ation and realistic goals. It is this combination that makes a good stu dent body president. And Mason Hogan is the student for that presidency. Opinion “Right will] the ting aci < other, ea (caliber) chamber. Hr," saic II, autho olthe Sal ■Earle s Hople ai Hograni Hions M ■ ' Neithi the triggt death sp; Hied," E; This i ■uses b< ■lenses, ■ "As loi tiou that with Star ■ve red fact, we a instrateg ■ This is Finals decision is final The newly adopted manda tory finals policy for seniors has ig nited the biggest controversy on the Texas A&M cam pus since SWAMP threatened to set foot on the MSC lawn. Aggies man aged to muster enough student m concern to generate event to get the student body’s attention — such as violation of the sacred grass. It took final administration approval on the finals policy to wrench students away from their daily tediums. sors have less time lor figur and, most unrealistically, no lowed for computer malfunc | Eight dtntial ci an in fori Fountain Loren Steffy an anti-SWAMP rally and form a human fence around our beloved foliage. But the fear of footprints on the grass incited more re action than the test-taking f uture of ev ery A&M student. Usually Aggies, through the distorted lenses of tradition, focus their sights on a mythical past and try to live accord ingly. But tlie final signature on the fi nals schedule altered a “tradition” of se niors being exempt from their last battery of exams. So, after the policy is approved, students decided maybe it’s time to leap into action. A crov Wl 1 I ESII tv. 1 , , , I Hite beg; it s the same < < tmputei tnau | answer s< dm >ugh a registiation or ?M aU( ij eil without crashing.) sues, in< I Student concerns were r: I* 1 pletely — and the strengthoi^ Government’s power reveak But if students want to do something about the mandatory finals policy, they’re going to have tq come to terms with present-day reality. j “That’; eminent, “How an For its part, the Traditions Council of Student Government has been trying to lobby opposition to the new finals pol icy, but their efforts have only agitateef the administration, not helped create a solution. For the most part, outrage over the finals policy has come too late and is too unorganized. Of the nine candidates for student body president, eight mentioned senior Finals in recent interviews with The Bat talion. But the candidates were divided on whether to oppose the finals com pletely or just denounce the idiotic scheduling set forth by the Faculty Sen ate. It doesn’t matter how long seniors have been exempt from finals, the man datory policy was written into A&M s destiny years ago. It has been President Frank Vandiver’s pet project for as long as he’s been living across from Duncan Field. It has the support of most faculty, not to mention the obvious approval of the Faculty Senate. Most other colleges, especially those of the “world” status that we so desperately seek, already have senior finals, and therefore most incoming faculty is going to support the measure. In short, opposition to the pol icy from anyone other than students can only dwindle. Jose (I j ,H 1| b in 'I ractllt \ Sen.lie s 141 IT,), g ( . n , that established the (ime:• f ()rm j^j|| A < <>ii 11 n ii lee <>! Mude I' v ^ 1 ' < w<l t rpi esentatives worked Sattw^® e m a develop a workable solution ■ groups. But the FacultySenatl subse<|uent 1\ Vandiver,patdwl the committee’s hard uoit K does the senate s actionrafeci i student opinion countsonthisJ it also shows a lack of concern!! fellow f aculty members. Hit § stupidity will haunt themasHtHi And it is this ridiculoush ! I that we still have a chance of til But we need to approach the;* nation not as whining kids 1 out of some tests — thatwill j sympathy or support — buu-F genuinelv concerned with the! the new schedule on thefuncti f University. We must takeour f mils for seniors — and try to best of it by working for a lx;f schedule. Such indecision is not limited to stu dent leaders of the future. In recent meetings of this semester’s student lead ers, the topic has been brought up on several occasions. The only concensus is that something must be done — exactly what must be done eludes them. If students were going to oppose the implementation of mandatory senior fi nals, the time to do it was three years ago. The Faculty Senate made its official recommendation for senior finals in May of 1984. Now, it’s a dead issue. The entire protest procedure has a remarkable similarity to a Pink Panther movie — the players pretend to know what they’re doing, but when it conies to protests at A&M, students fall over themselves. But students do have a legitimate gripe — the way the finals policy is be ing put into effect. The schedule shows not only a complete disregard for grad uation-time functions, but also for the normal academic processes. A&M is not known for its social con science. It takes a truly catastrophic Students have about four hours to clear all blocks. Final Review for the Corps of Cadets is out of sync, profes- The recent T-shirt sales ai r r calls to Vandiver’s house sp | the Traditions Council wefe r albeit tactless, methods ofslioI dent outrage. But the focus of® forts should be the schedule,mil nals themselves. Studentleadef l and tomorrow’s, need to consoSI this goal. If SWAMP’s actions can | such strong student oppositionf dent body ought to be incensEI about the scheduling of senior* get off their grass and dosorarfl Loren Steffy is a journalism i- and editor for The Battalion. Mail Call Lost my discs EDITOR: I wrote a research manuscript on the sunflower-like plants of Louisiana. The manuscript was scheduled to be sent to the reviewers in another two weeks. On March 24, a box of computer discs containing this research manuscript was lost in the 6th floor of the Sterling C. Evans Library. The value of those discs is very little, but the matter they contain is of immense value to me. The manuscript runs for about 400 pages. I have put notices in the library and advertisements in The Battalion. I hereby request the finder of those discs to kindly contact me at 845-4328 or 846-7931. A reward will be given with gratitude to the Finder. public office. So they throw their hats in the ringanik out the carpentry tools and paint brushes. From therfl campaign becomes the Bat t le of the Signs. WhoeverMI the biggest, nicest sign with the most “Gig ’em”thim^ ATM logos, “Howdy’s” or most inane slogan wins.Bt l | here in Aggieland, to actually take a stand on andissq equivalent to political suicide — and who wants ton; chance to beef up the old resume? We have some entries this year: 1st Place, “Gig-em” Thumb Category: Craig Met! 1st Place, AI M Logo Category: Matt Sellers 1st Place, Inane Slogan Category: Jaime Galvan K. N. Gandhi Like, whafs your sign? EDITOR: Well Aggies, in case you haven’t noticed, it’s that time of year again. No, not just springtime but the time of the Annual Campus Wide Sign-Building Contest, otherwise known as the student government and yell leader elections. I think a special award should go to the persoiina 11 ! Eichor. The Eichor sign near Sbisa is really cool. Itsof 1 ! looks like a giant toilet paper spool standing on end! propose we move it to the area near Harrington and Academic Building after the election. However, thed'l signs ever were the windmills somebody named Holt 11 g built a few years ago. Remember, this contest is open to anyone with a f set of tools, paint brushes, and creativity. (Maybemot E.D. majors should run?) May the best artist win Ted Hudacko For you freshmen unacquainted with this, yet another great Aggie tradition, let me tell you what it’s all about. Each year, many of our fellow students feel it their bounden civic duty to serve their community through a Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words in length. The editoni serves the right to edit letters for style and length, but will make mi) maintain the author’s intent. Each letter nmst be signed and must inclvit [ sification, address and telephone number of the writer. \