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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 20, 1987)
Page 2/The Battalion/Tuesday, October 20, 1987 The Battalion (USPS 045 360) Member of Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Conference The Battalion Editorial Board Sondra Pickard, Editor John Jarvis, Managing Editor Sue Krenek, Opinion Page Editor Rodney Rather, City Editor Robbyn Lister, News Editor Loyd Brumfield, Sports Editor Tracy Staton, Photo Editor Editorial Policy The Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting newspaper oper ated as a community service to Texas 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 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 Depart ment of Journalism. The Battalion is published Monday through Friday during Texas 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, 216 Reed McDonald, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-4 111. Second class postage paid at College Station, TX 77843. POSTMASTtR: Send address changes to The Battalion, 216 Reed McDonald, Texas A&M University, College Station TX 77843-4111. Stock shock Comparisons to the Great Crash of 1929 are inevitable fol lowing the worst day in stock market history, but the free-fall isn’t cause for panic. Monday’s statistics are morbidly fascinating: The Dow Jones industrial average plummeted by 508.32 points, or 22.4 percent. By midday, panic selling had smashed the volume trading re cord set Friday. The “CBS Evening News” reported investors lost an estimated $500 billion, and markets in Europe and Asia posted record losses. But don’t be too quick to declare this another Great Depres sion. Other factors make it unlikely the drop will trigger an epic economic downturn. The economy is stronger now than it was in 1929, and regulations now prevent many of the speculative practices that gave the 1929 crash its devastating impact. Most bankers and economists are declaring the drop a needed adjust ment in a market where prices were artificially inflated. The Great Depression permanently scarred our nation, making it unlikely that we will ever view a market plunge with anything other than trepidation. It’s tempting to draw parallels between 1987 and 1929, but it’s more important to realize that sometimes history really doesn’t repeat itself. Vietnam redux? President Reagan’s decision to bomb Iranian sea platforms in the Persian Gulf further escalates tensions in the already-vola- tile area. More important, it points out the folly of entering a re gion without a clear-cut policy. Administration officials have said they underestimated Ira nian resistance when making the decision to reflag Kuwaiti tank ers in the gulf. Because of ineptitude in planning, the nation is in a no-win situation. If we stay, we risk escalation into a Viet- nam-style war. If we leave, we appear to have caved in to the ter roristic threats of a third-rate nation. The dilemma could have been avoided had there been a coherent policy for gulf intervention, but President Reagan in stead has used a “make it up as you go along” strategy that now is endangering American lives, perhaps needlessly. It’s time for the uncertainty to end and the War Powers Act to take effect. The act would force the United States either to make a firm commitment — backed by Congress — in the region or to get out. The decision will not be easy, but at least if the War Powers Act goes into effect there will be a decision — and that is some thing the American people deserve when there’s so much at stake. Mail Call Liberal bias? Couldn't be EDITOR: Once again I’ve read an article in your rag newspaper about why Pat Robertson is unqualified to be president. Your columnist points to the following reasons: a) He is a preacher, and no preacher is qualified. b) He has no previous experience in government. c) He has an illegitimate child, an obvious morality problem. The strange thing is that Jesse Jackson’s characteristics are as follows: a) He is a preacher, and no preacher is qualified. b) He has no previous experience in government. c) He has an illegitimate child, an obvious morality problem. Could this possibly be an example of liberal bias in The Battalion} Naaa, couldn’t be. Kevin Albright grad student Right to free sleep? EDITOR: Now that we are in college and have freedom to establish the lifestyles best suited for us, how many people get up at 6 a.m.? Most try to sleep later whenever possible, except for two groups of students: the unfortunate 8 a.m. class attenders and the Corps of Cadets. The students in 8 a.m. classes often are forced there by scheduling problems, but the cadets are there by choice. Since the rest of the student body is not in the Corps, why should the Corps or its outfits dictate the times at which non-Regs wake up? I am referring to the Corps’ early-morning “sing and run.” Hart Hall, one of the oldest dorms on campus, seems to be the best route for this event. In the past month, residents have been awakened by singing 12 times, always between 6 a.m. and 6:45 a.m. The culmination occurred at 6:20 a.m. Oct. 13, when an outfit leader yelled, “All right, let’s wake these non-reg m— -f—-sup!” 5 Repeated efforts by. Hart’s staff through the Area Office and the Corps of Cadets leader has not improved the situation. I know Highway 6 runs both ways, but can’t the Corps run elsewhere? Rusty Rowe ’90 accompanied by 63 signatures Althougi and s icmbershi [>f the almo I’t offu J Diversity. Panhelle |>ody for ti s, has m bgnition at bear futur President N “Panhell \ view on r< enior com “We war he sororit fanhellenic Elaine h liser, saic Icial recog lause most through ru Ignized. There is bsearchinj Ifficial re< Student apathy apalling but you get used to it m Four years ago, I entered Texas A&M to study engineering. I expected to be challenged by professors who would demand my best. I expected to be surrounded by dedicated students who Brian Frederick would stimulate me to greater achievement. I thought college would develop my mind. Two semesters in college was enough to deliver me from this delusion. how to plug those numbers into the proper sequence of formulas in order to arrive at the correct answer. For those who can’t handle this, there is always a handy solutions’ manual to lean on. Besides, the professor often subsidizes the incompetence by curving the wretched test scores up to respectability. I thought that engineers too often displayed a disdain for the correct use of the English language. Again and again I heard them abuse it and then excuse themselves saying, “I’m an engineer; I’m not supposed to use good English.” At first, the apathy of students toward acquiring knowledge appalled me. The Latin root for “student” means to be zealous for something, in this case for knowledge. Many Aggies were zealous only for partying and football games, and I hadn’t realized that these things were worthy of such diligent study. I wondered why it was necessary to come to college to study them. This is the result of training that leaves them almost wholly ignorant of any subject other than engineering. Why should they learn English if they won’t need it on the job? I initially failed to appreciate such important considerations. . , , —p M1DLAI would try to take the toughest | ^ tesle( j professors who would truly chalkij on Monday him. But again and again, IsawsiuiSgery, it ha drop a course in droves if theyhadrj P l| Hed Iron misfortune of getting a professoniB^ J < ^ OI j t expo led them to leai n somethi:.;j. neJsTonle order to pass the course. Those.'..: “] think, we knew that there was more toeduci® Tl' e than book learning, while mycor.;: the well Fri education was apparently hopelesslf ^ * lours > v outmoded. afu ;' M,,n said In all fairness, 1 must confesstkB Jessica’s desire to learn does remainintlic anc ^ classroom. Students still want tola Bg cu * at ' on the answers to the importantquc9:H of life: “What is on the test?Dow® to know this for the test? Isthefini| comprehensive?” I ntellectual curiousity isdearlT and well at Texas A&M. In addition to disdainingli many students hate and envy excel. 1 know several peoplewhott I discovered it was necessary to come to get an education. Actually, the education itself doesn’t matter as long as students acquire a piece of paper that says they have an education. This is what magically opens the door to what they really want: a job. These attitudes and the narrow curriculum encouraged me to change to liberal arts after my sophomore year. As much as engineering interested me, I could not bear the thought of being a number-cruncher tied for the rest of my life to an HP calculator. Besides, history had always been my first love, and I still hoped to find the education I had first come for. Even though most jobs don’t really require a college education, everyone still expects you to have that little piece of paper that says you have an education. If you don’t, they won’t hire you. I was not so enlightened when I began my study of the mysteries of engineering. I thought I would have to work hard. But I soon found that engineering hardly merits its reputation for academic rigor. The curriculum includes basic math and science courses whose theoretical content is greatly diluted. I discovered the same kind of students in liberal arts. There they seek the professor with the shortest reading list and the multiple-choice exams. God forbid that they should have to read more than two books, take essay tests, or (horror of horrors) write a paper. As a matter of course, they generally avoid real math and science courses too. Because engineering is supposed to be practical, studying theory is discouraged. Heaven help the professor who dares require that his students derive a formula or understand the theory behind it. All that is truly necessary is to learn Engineers are not alone in desiring curved tests. In my second-semester Latin class, we had a graduate instructor from Belgium who expected us to learn Latin and whose tests reflected that expectation. The class did poorly on the first exam and asked her if she would curve the grades. With bewilderment on her face, she asked what a curve was. My classmates were shocked and have maligned her ever since. Poor woman! She mistakenly thought she should teach us something. I had thought that a good student classmates have hissed at them b B| their superlative grades wrecWi* | ? class curve. Have mercy! Wedidi* 1 1 know it was a sin to do ourbestits t i you can take comfort in the fact til S would put us to shame in Pamiri g Ref using to take responsibility K their failures, these same stude® 1 |i hate excellence always haveancssH for their own poor performance^ I- have I heard a student confesstil 1 1: earned the “D” on his testbeautej failed to study; it was always some’H else’s fault. Perhaps a general lad* * study explains the universal Wit’ll' luck” before a test. Subconscious? I students know they willneedit f Though oases still exist in the I educational desert at Texas APB those who want them, Icametotf k 1 had been wrong to expectcofe develop my mind. It’s not even | important that one may fmdeif || ; who respect the Englishlangua? |- what if they can read their dipt i The important thing is to geld I little paper that says you’reedu^ | and entitles you to ajob. I must confess. After 1 saw it'll cheated. I could not complete, j my ideals, so I studied a lit: own. I hope nobody minds. Brian Frederick is a senior fiisij Russian major and a column^' Battalion. BLOOM COUNTY by Berke Breai Yfi'W'YA' W ■ /\ THIS !5 (T'.-rme WALKOUT/ no OFFeNse. NONe TAK6N. / 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 classification, address and telephone number of the writer.