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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 18, 1988)
Page 2/The Battalion/Monday, April 18,1988 Opinion Deaf, dumb and blind It didn’t seem possible for the situation to get any uglier, but it did. Thursday night, two A&M seniors hung dead birds and a sign with a racist slogan inside the anti-apartheid shanty built by Students Against Apartheid members. Need we ask why? Well, if we did, this would be the answer (as told by one of the seniors): “The reason I did it, personally, is because of a break-in at my house and it involved black people, and we have a lot of problems with them around where I live.” Oh. And to top it off, he says that the slogan found in the shanty didn’t say, as the police reported, “There will be no peace until all niggers are dead,” but instead, “There will be no peace until there are no niggers.” What a difference. We can’t afford to tolerate such blatantly racist attitudes. Unfortunately, A&M’s Board of Regents has done little to ad dress the underlying problem, refusing to meet with students who want the University to divest. A meeting doesn’t seem so unreasonable — unless you share the view of Bill Presnal, the Board’s executive secretary, who says the regents are not ex pected to make moral, social or political policy decisions. “Policy change with regard to these kinds of issues are dealt with in the Legislature,” Presnal told The Battalion. “The Board is in the business of maximizing the income of the University, and if they fail to do that then they’re not living up to their re sponsibilities. . . .” Presnal added that he’s sure the Board mem bers detest apartheid — but that has nothing to do with their re sponsibilities. By designating apartheid as an issue not worthy of its atten tion, the Board belittles the efforts of Students Against Apart heid and others who seek divestment. By abdicating any moral or social responsibility in dealing with such issues, it fails in its responsibility to the University. After all, if only financial guidance is needed a squad of CPAs and brokers could surely do the job. The Board has an obligation to consider the moral, social and political issues surrounding its financial decisions. Failing to do so is even more intolerable than defacing a shanty with dead birds and racist slogans. — The Battalion Editorial Board Mail Call Some constructive criticism EDITOR: In reading Russell Johnston’s letter concerning Aggies against Aggies, I was forced to speak my piece. Russell is basically right. Each of us is an Aggie, and we need to stop “attacking the Corps of Cadets” as a whole. The Corps stands for many things; eternal pride and tradition, leadership and excel lence, courteous and kind and an officer and a knightly gentleman. These are all qualities that all Corps members hope to obtain. However, not all of them are successful . Let’s examine the situation. I had the privelege to attend my first parents’ weekend. What an honorable and distinguished occassion — all the sharply dressed parents anticipating the beginning of the ceremony. The president of A&M spoke, parents of the year were awarded and then the presentation of the Corps of Cadets Awards. I happened to have the best seat in the house; right behind a flag held high by a distinguished cadet in the middle of the auditorium strategically placed so I could not see half the stage. Everyone waited patiently for all 80 cadets (45 minutes — half the program) to receive their awards. After their presentation was over the audience applauded all the outstanding members of the Corps. Then people began leaving almost in herds, flocks . . . no, it was squad rons, units, and battalions. The doors were not wide enought to accommo date all of the courteous, well-mannered cadets who noisily stampeded out during the presentation of the Gathright Awards by Dr. Donald McDonald. If this was an uncommon event (the Corps embarrassing A&M yet another time), I would have been amazed, but instead, I was appalled. Since the Corps is such a highly visible segment of the A&M population, it carries the extra burden of representing all Aggies. These alleged attacks are not attacks at all, but constructive criticisms from the rest of us, pointing out the actions and behaviors of those individu als who are not worthy of representing A&M or the Corps. Douglas Scheiding ’88 Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 ivords 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 classif ication, address and telephone nu mber of the writer. • The Battalion (USPS 045 360) Surviving the rigors of the LSAT E Today, I will venture into the realm of the un known and misun derstood, the mys terious and the arcane. Today, I will talk about Standardized Tests — namely the LSAT. My universal dis claimer: I cannot make you feel a little better and go to the next question, which is remarkably similar to the one you just passed, only harder. Mark Nair Member of Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Conference The Battalion Editorial Board Sue Krenek, Editor Daniel A. LaBry, Managing Editor Mark Nair, Opinion Page Editor Amy Couvillon, City Editor Robbyn L. Lister and Becky Weisenfels, News Editors Loyd Brumfield, Sports Editor Jay Janner, Photo Editor be held responsible for any heart attacks or other gruesome things that this dan gerous subject might cause, and I re serve the right to change the syllabus at my every whim. Ahem. The LSAT. This jumble of let ters means the same thing as “Law School Admissions Test” or “What a bruiser, eh?” The test is supposed to measure how well you might do in law school by testing your analytical and log ical reasoning abilities. These abilities are measured by convoluted questions designed by sadistic pointy-eared fel lows who live under bridges and walk around telling people to live long and prosper. For example, a certain question might follow these lines: There is a class of 200 students. Each seat is numbered, with numbers ranging from 1 to 300. There are 200 seats in the classroom. Bobby wears a red shirt and Betty only wears a green bandanna while Bruce recites only Chapter Four of the arithmatic book by memory. If Barry sneezes several times in succes sion then and only then can Bill, who is not related to Billy but is the second cousin removed of Bertha, break the bit of blue chalk. Mrs. Banner, the teacher, only teaches on Tuesday and Thursday and every other Friday except when she works at the car wash on every even day. Who sits in seat 187? What is the last name of the person in the pink socks? It is about now that, if you are bud geting your time wisely, you discover that you have appoximately 3.47 sec onds to answer this question. They say that you are not penalized for guessing, so you fill in “C” and then scribble some thing unintelligible in the margin to Now, on this Law School Admissions Test (which is supposed to show that you will do well in law school. Doing well in law school, I take it, is supposed to make you a good attorney. 1 refuse to touch this one; there are just too many good jokes here.) I have discovered that there are certain ways to figure out the answers to certain questions. This has to do with a construct called the Venn di agram. For instance, you have a ques tion that says something about all Apj)les are Pears, and all Oranges are Pears, but not all Apples and all Lima Beans are not all Pears or Apples but are all Oranges. You are supposed to figure out what is what without going insane. large individual. 1 hope 1 leaveihe with only a few broken ribs.Thatioj be lucky. He-man reads the rules of theta No electonic-beeping-c aleulator-for Jre> language-type timing devices albf ipp Ch eat. I have an electronic-beepinw culator-foreign language-type clod hope my medical insurance is paidi, We must put our thumbprintwii test to show that we are who we are, |i thumbprint looks like a Rorsc 1 n\ again. 1 he Hulk tells me to i wr my thumb down gently. 1 pres thumb on the paper violently.Thepri looks like a smeared Rorsd 1 lulk growls. I fear for my life It is soon break time. Mr. Mu walks up to the test-taker next to® points at the n-si and says: “Youtoj Te that’s you future.” I groan and In * 1 ,1 Venn diagrams are helpful here. To put it simply, a Venn diagram looks like a bunch of circles overlapping each other, some shaded, some not. These circles are supposed to help you to tell what is what without going insane. Un fortunately, what usually happens is that a gung-ho test-taker stares at the concocted diagram for too long and be comes a victim what we in the trade call LSAT Self Hypnosis. He sits, bemused, until Meefisto, the LSAT/LSDAS handy helper with his newly laundered gold watch comes to the rescue. Helpf ul hint: if you see anyone who is suf fering from LSAT Self Hypnosis, run away immedi ately. As a matter of fact, if you see any one taking, wanting to take or even thinking about taking the LSAT, run away immediately. As another matter of another fact, if you see anyone who looks, wants to look or is thinking about looking slightly like a lawyer, run away immediately. OK, OK. What does all this mean, anyway? Well, what I’m leading uj> to is — My Experience With The LSAT. First, I register. It costs somewhere around $980. I escape cheaply. Then, after waiting months and months, I go to the test. The proctor is a very large individual. The proctor is a very, very that you guessing. KM realh aren’t penalized ft ;ho aad L And then, suddenly, the test is on 1 he poor soul next to me says: wasn’t there supposed to be reai comprehension on that.” 1 say:"Ks' And he says: “Uh, oh. So, when's GRE?” 1 hen, weeks later, my score come the mail. I open the envelopefurioia My score is DELETED FOR SE( RI l Y REASONS out of a possible l.E I ED FOR SECURITY REASON T hat puts me in the top DELEH! I-OR SECURITY REASONS pen ile. 1 hat means maybe, just maybe,! be accepted at DELETED FORSEO RITY REASONS or maybe evenD LETED FOR SECURITY REAM But then again, maybe not. And thus concludes mylifewitbi LSAT (what a transition). Staytua folks. Next week, ifthe responseisyti enough, well take a look at the Appi tion Process: Exj»laining Your El !0, Life I nto 300 Words Or Less. Either that, or some sloshycol about lt<>w I’m graduating and til" 1111 the* last thing I’ll ever write and I’ll up to be* a bum and never get to be pi: idem and et cetera, et c etera. Youb the* same old same old. Mark my wots Lu Mark Nair is a senior politicalscitrt major and opinion page editorkl |: j Battalion. 5 l Jen Pul S ff< fAMz&ouez BLOOM COUNTY by Berke Breath) Editorial Policy The Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting newspa per 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 rep resent the opinions of Texas A&M administrators, fac ulty 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 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 request. 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