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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (July 23, 1987)
Page 2AThe Battalion/Thursday, July 23, 1987 Opinion Budget battle was. irresponsible When the Texas Legislature narrowly approved a record $5.7 billion tax package Tuesday, it finally realized the obvious — the state needs a lot of money to make up for its loss in oil-re lated revenue. Since the first day of the regular session, the powers that be in the state government knew that a tax increase was inevitable, that a massive tax increase was needed to keep the quality of life in Texas from taking one giant step backward. But despite that, the state’s Republicans wailed about the evils of a tax increase and dragged their feet the whole way to ward securing the state’s future. Even Republican Rep. Richard Smith of Bryan, whose district includes Texas A&M, came down firmly on both sides of the fence by voting against the tax bill yet voting for the budget that the bill would fund. The $38.3 billion budget includes a hefty 9.4 percent hike in appropriations for the A&M system. Since the Reagan Revolution of 1980, the Republicans have been calling tax hikes irresponsible. But in the case of the 1988- 89 Texas budget, a vote for a tax increase was the responsible decision. House Democrats from conservative districts knew this. Unfortunately, they face a very real threat of not being re elected because their constituents have swallowed the Republi can line that all tax increases are bad. What’s even more unfortunate is that come election time, those who voted for the tax measure will known as the ones re sponsible for passing the biggest tax increase in any state’s his tory and not as the ones who had the courage to do what was [Tit. rigi The Battalion Editorial Board A person’s name is nobody’s business Lewis Grizzard A man walked up to me at a public gathering recently and asked if he could discuss a problgn}. “Please continue,” I said. “All my life,” he began, “Eve had the nickname ‘Bubba.’ “I’m not sure how I got it but it’s what my parents, brothers and sisters, teachers, and friends have always called me. “My real name is ‘Tom,’ but very few people know that,” he went on. “And the problem?” I asked. “I can’t be specific here,” he said, “but I took a job with a national firm, and my boss says I can’t use the name Bubba anymore. “He said it’s bad for business to have somebody named Bubba calling on customers. He says Bubba sounds redneck and juvenile, and he has insisted I now go by Tom. “I hate Tom, I’m Bubba. What should I do?” I must admit this was the first time I had heard of someone being forced to change their name by management for business purposes. Should a company, or a company executive, have the right to ask such a thing of an employee. Let’s consider this in depth: The name Bubba does conjure an initial reaction that there might be a pickup truck involved somewhere, one with muddy tires, a Confederate flag decal on the back window and a bumper sticker that says, “I’ll give up my gun when they pry my cold, dead finger off the trigger.” On the other hand, Bubba certainly could be a term of endearment, a little sister’s pronunciation of the word “brother,” for instance. And Bubba even has its place in modern literature and culture. Pat Conroy’s “Bear” called all the cadets an endearing “Bubba” in Conroy’s brilliant, “The Lords of Discipline.” There is also Bubba Smith, the former football player who now bites open beer cans in television commercials. But would anybody have a problem doing business with a man named Bubba? I can only speak for myself, but I think I could deal with a Bubba and probably have more in common with him than with a man named Raoul or Tripp. I would go to a bank to take out a loan from a Bubba, and I’d even have a Bubba for a lawyer. I figure the jury could warm up to a man with a name like that. Plus, I think that somewhere in the Constitution it probably says an American has the right to have just about any name he or she pleases. Otherwise, Liberace would have been in big trouble. And what would happen to poor Fennis Dembo, the Wyoming basketball player? I told the man to tell his boss he’d see him in court if he gave him any more trouble about being called Bubba. For the record, I also asked, “What’s your boss’s name?” “Melvin,” he said. “But around the office we call him ‘Stinky.’ ” Copyright 1987, Cowles Syndicate The Battalion (USPS 045 360) Member of Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Conference The Battalion Editorial Board Sondra Pickard, Editor Jerry Oslin, Opinion Page Editor Rodney Rather, City Editor John Jarvis, Robbyn L. Lister, News Editors Homer Jacobs, Sports Editor Tracy Staton, Photo 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 edito rial 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 stu dents in reporting, editing and photography classes w ithin the Department of Journalism. The Battalion is published Monday through Friday during Texas A&M regular semesters, except for holiday and exami nation periods. Mail subscriptions are $17.44 per semester, $34.62 per school year and $36.44 per full year. Advertising rates fur nished on request. Our address: The Battalion, 216 Reed McDonald, Texas 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, 216 Reed McDonald, Texas A&M University. College Station TX 77843-4111. Suffering from ‘La Bamba’ brail Karl Pallmeyer Like most people, you have probably heard a song that sticks in your memory, and you can’t get rid of it for days. You keep singing or humming the song over and over, driving yourself and everyone around you crazy. I’ve got that problem now. The song is “La Bamba.” Originally it was a Mexican folk song that Ritchie Valens turned into a killer rock ’n’ roll song back in 1958. Probably everyone knows the song. It goes something like this (I guess): “La la la la bamba” “La la la la bamba the poor cow say” “Norman sold-a my gorilla” “Norman’s cheese is a-telling” “Oh beat the heat” “Ya Amoeba Amoeba” “Amoeba Amoeba” “Poor key say hay” “Poor key say hay” “Bamba bamba” “Bamba bamba” I don’t know Spanish, so I’m not sure what the song means. None of my Spanish-speaking friends know for sure either. 1 can’t blame them or their Spanish teachers since there are a lot of songs in English that no one can figure out. The best theory about the meaning of “La Bamba” is that it is a Mexican folk dance. The first verse of the song says that if you want to dance the bamba, you have to have three things: grace, energy and a partner. Verse two of the song is about a sailor trying to pick up a girl to dance with. He says that he’s not like most sailors and doesn’t want to do anything but dance. If she’s a smart girl, she knows he’s full of caca la vaca. The song “La Bamba” has always been one of my favorites, and that’s good since I can remember several times when I’ve got hooked on songs I actually hated. “La Bamba” is on the jukebox at two of my favorite restaurants, and it’s on a party tape my roommates and I put together a couple of years ago. It’s strange, but whenever that song would turn up on the tape everyone would start dancing and trying to yell Spanish at each other. The song caught on up at The Battalion awhile back when a journalism student named Cindy Bomba used to visit the newsroom. Whenever she would walk into the newsroom, Assistant City Editor Rodney Rather and I would start singing “La Bamba.” That’s probably why we don’t see her around here much anymore. A couple of weeks ago, I went to see the sneak preview of a movie about the life of Ritchie Valens. The movie is naturally called “La Bamba.” Since them I’ve pulled out my old Valens albums and bought the soundtrack album to the movie and have been playing them constantly. In the movie all of Valens’ music, including “La Bamba,” is performed by Los Lobos, a Mexican-American band that makes great music. The Los Lobos version of the song has been released as a single and is shooting up the charts. Now “La Bamba” is on the radio almost every hour. I threw a party for The Battalion staff the night after I saw “La Bamba of the highlights of the party was appearance of Jerry and the Bali rock band comprised of Opinon Editor Jerry Oslin on vocals, font:' Sports Editor Travis Tingle on percussion, future Managing Ed John Jarvis on bass, and “Waldo cartoonist Kevin Thomas and guitars. After playing severaldritj versions of “Louie Louie,” “Twist Shout,” “My Generation,” “God the Queen” and other songs we know all the words to, we decided “La Bamba.” Peter Rocha, a photographer from a rival paper pretended to know the lyrics and grabbed the microphone. I pretet to know the chords so we managKi play a version of the song before the party guests passed out. For some strange reason, few seem to remember that evening’s performance, but “La Bamba’’ on everybody’s mind. It’s bad whd person is stuck on a song, but “La Bamba” is contagious. Someone start singing the song and soonthu of the newsroom will chime inwii few verses. It’s getting ridiculour I’m being blamed for the “LaB; disease. My co-workers areabooi to throw me out the window. This week I’m trying to get “La Bamba” out of my system. Maybe putting it down on paper, I canes the “La Bamba” demon. Asidefi column, you’ll find a reviewofthe Bamba” movie and soundtrackal A t Ease. Maybe next week I’ll find anoY song. Karl Pallmeyer is a journalism graduate and a columnist forTk Battalion. A few tips for incoming freshme So now you are a college student. Straight out of All- America High School. You have the world by the tail. Hal Hammons Guest Columnist No date is too obscure. No poem is too deep. No quadratic equation is too insoluble. I know. I was a freshman once. Welcome to real life. No, actually college is a preparation for real life and becoming a real person. You see, there are three kinds of people in this world: little people, college people and real people. You are now the second of these. When I was but a lad, fresh from high school and ready to embark upon the next part of my fantastic voyage through life, my father made a strange statement to me. He said the next four years were going to be the best of my life. Well, he was right, but he did not know why. No non-student knows why. Only true collegians can understand. Because the full glories of college life cannot be appreciated without the observance of traditions. Not Aggie traditions, at least not necessarily. Most of you have had Fish Camp or family for that. I mean college traditions. And for lack of a better candidate, your humble narrator will assist you in your pursuit of acceptance by telling you about a few of them. Hey, I’ve been " here three years, and I’ve almost got it. Maybe I can save you some time. Tradition #1: Lines. Particularly for freshmen, line-standing becomes an art form by the end of the first two weeks of , the semester. The police station, drop- add and Kyle Field are established fields of battle in this age-old sport. For maximum efficiency, remember the three laws of lines: The line you are in will move slowest; if you change lines, the line you were in will move faster; if you stand in one place long enough, you will make a line. Tradition #2: Skipping class. It took me a while to get used to this one, but it was worth the wait. This is the one parents find most difficult to understand. They think, why pay big bucks for classes, only to skip every one in which the professor does not take attendance? Silly parents, no concept of reality. My roommate for the first two years of my college experience had this one down to an art. While taking Economics 203 and 204, he went to class a total of 11 times. Including tests. Including finals. He made a B and a C. Slimeball. T radition #3: Parking. You freshmen with cars will get either a green or a red parking sticker. That means you may park in, respectively, green or red parking lots. If you park elsewhere, you will be ticketed. Period. Not “if you get caught” or “if it’s for too long.” Campus police are remarkably efficient in thisarfl: especially considering the efficienp the University Police waiting room Tradition #1: Lines). Tradition #4: Changing majori done it twice myself. The recordis into the double-digits. Why is major-changing such an inseparable part of Joe College Student’s career? Nobody reallyla It probably is because college a person’s perspetive on life. Thost long dreams of a career as a doctofi lawyer frequently fade into of when a person starts finding ound will take to pursue that career My brother, who last year enrol a freshman at a huge but insignifc junior college in downtown Austin for his entire life dreamed ofbeinf veterinarian. College biology is his scope of reality. I had no idea at all of becoming! journalist when I first came here biology major. T wo years later, I was in search liberal arts school which offered a bachelor of science degree. A B.S required so I would not have to tall more Spanish. Journalism happeofl fit the bill. Nice way to determine career, wouldn’t you say? But that’s the way college canal you. No matter what you put into# matter what you try to take out oft will not be the same when youlea'f Hal Hammons is a senior journals major and a guest columnist forf Battalion.