Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 5, 1988)
Page 2/The Battalion/Wednesday, October 5, 1988 Opinion Regent Mobley keeps public’s trust in mind During the Texas A&M University Board of Regents meeting Friday the building and planning committee selected a route for the relocation of the railroad tracks. The proposed relocation would cost more than $58 million. Most of the regents agreed the funding would probably not ar rive and that the tracks would stay put. John Mobley was the only regent that voted against approving the site. He disagrees with giving the impression the project is mov ing forward when it does not look like funding will ever be found for the project. “I think we are deceiving the public if they’re making plans based on what we do,” Mobley said. Mobley also told The Battalion that in this time of budget re straints even if A&M could work with the local, state and federal gov ernments to find $58 million, the money could be put to better use. In an age when many Americans have lost faith in public officials it is refreshing to see a member of our Board take a stand because he wants to keep the public’s trust and spend the public’s money wisely. Thanks, John Mobley. The Battalion Editorial Board I Mail Call Sophomore sets fish straight EDITOR: I just read Ms. Keller’s reply to the Sept. 15 column on tuition and fees, and frankly, people like her are a disgrace. Listen, fish — how else do you think that Texas A&M is able to provide you with the quality education that you can get here? You stated that you paid $442 in tuition and fees for a semester. That’s $47 more than one month’s rent on my apartment. There wouldn’t even be enough left over to pay the bills. Feed the squirrels? Come on! I work 30 hours a week for the privilege of attending school here. I’m getting the best education that my money can buy. If you’d pull your head out of the ground, I’d have one thing to say to you. Highway 6 runs both ways. Why don’t you get on it and go get a no fee, $12-a-credit hour community college education. I think it will suit you just fine. Yet another Fish Camp rebuttal EDITOR: This letter is in response to Becky Weisenfels’ column in the Sept. 29 Battalion. In one instance at least, she is correct — Fish Camp is not enjoyed by every single person who attends. However, I must disagree with her other major assertions: That Fish Camp is unenjoyable for most people and serves no useful purpose. Ms. Weisenfels has not attended camp. I have, both as a freshman and twice more as a counselor. I was neither outgoing nor popular in high school, and I got a great deal out of camp. For the first few weeks of classes, it was the presence of fellow Fish Campers who kept me from feeling lost and alone at A&M. In fact, just about everyone I know loved Fish Camp. They did not find it a worthless experience, either. Both as a freshman and a counselor, I had the opportunity to observe my fellow campers for three years, and the vast majority did find it to be the “soul-moving, hear-stopping, ultimate Aggie experience” it was supposed to be. The only folks I ever saw not enjoying themselves were the kind of cold- hearted cynics who would not enjoy having their dream lover appear, tell them that they had loved that person from afar for years, and invite that person to join them on their yacht in the Bahamas. No, Fish Camp is not for everyone, unfortunately. No one ever claimed it was. But useless and worthless to all but those who don’t need it? I think not. Next time, Becky, when you trash a generally loved institution, I hope you at least go and see for yourself. Jimmy Miller ’89 Why corner markers? EDITOR: Driving down Texas Avenue a few days ago, I was puzzled to notice yet more campus construction taking place — on the golf course. Upon closer inspection, I found that the project at hand is the building of campus markers, so that all corners of the campus will be clearly designated as the property of TAMU. My question is why? Is there someone out there who is confused about where the campus is? Are people have trouble finding their way to school and w ork? I have nothing against campus beautification, or against easing the w'ay for those who visit TAMU, but these markers seem utterly extraneous. Surely there is some better way for the University to expend its vast resources: deserving students could be provided with scholarships, for example; and the library has some journals that are badly in need of adoption. Mary Beth Butler Graduate student 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 eve>y effort to maintain the author's intent. Each letter must be signed and must include the classification, address and telephone number of the writer. The Battalion (USPS 045 360) Member of Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Conference The Battalion Editorial Board Lydia Berzsenyi, Editor Becky Weisenfels, Managing Editor Anthony Wilson, Opinion Page Editor Richard Williams, City Editor D A Jensen, Denise Thompson, News Editors Hal Hammons, Sports Editor Jay Janner, Art Director Leslie Guy, Entertainment Editor Editorial Policy I'he iiattiilion is a non-profit, self-supporting newspa per operated as a comnumitv service to Texas A&M and Brvan-Ciollege Station. Opinions expressed in The lioiudion are those of the editorial hoard or the author, and do not necessarih rep resent the opinions of Texas A&M administrators, fac- ult\ or the Board of Regents. I'he linttnlion also serves as a laboratory newspaper for students in reporting, editing and photography classes within the Department of Journalism. I he lintlnlion is published Monday through Friday during Texas A&M regular semesters, except for holiday and examination periods. Mail subscriptions are SI7.4-1 per semester. S34.62 per school vear and $36.44 pet full tear. Advertising rates f urnished on request. Our address: The lintudion. 230 Reed McDonald, Texas A&M l niversitv. College Station. TX 77.S43-1111. Second class postage paid at College Station. TX 77843. I’OS I MASTF.R: Send address changes to The liattul- ion. 2 Hi Reed McDonald. Texas A&M L’niversitv. Col lege Station TX 77843-4 111. <&>\<?8e> BOSTON " 44 For heaven’s sake, Georefe, turn off the liffht... There are no ACLU members under the Bed !... Give him that ol’ time rod &-roll and hold the Tiffany 1^ _ In this decade the greatest down fall of civilization has begun. I’m not talking about AIDS, the crime rate, the loosening moral fabric of our society, or anything of that sort. YV h at I ’ m speaking of is a fundamental Timm Doolen change in our society that is an indicator of the breakdown of our civilization: popular music has deteriorated to an embarassing point. Yes, the music that our generation is growing up with is far inferior to that of generations before. Elvis, Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, and a handful of other American greats cre ated rock-and-roll music in the fifties, transforming popular music into music for the young and young-at-heart. In the sixties, rock music greatly acce lerated. History says the Beatles domi nated the decade, yet most of the great groups and individuals of rock-and-roll began their careers in the sixties, such as the Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Eric Clapton, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and the Who. During that decade, rock music was transformed from the purely popular (and mostly superficial) into an art form. Rock music was being hailed as an art form, not just an annoying hobby of the young. Even older people began ap preciating the sounds of rock-and-roll music. In the early seventies, rock music had its heyday. The bands who started in the sixties, matured in the seventies to give maximum quality. New music from Rush, the Eagles, and Boston continued to bring us to new heights of musical ex cellence. But by the end of the seventies popu lar music was on a downward trend. The Bee Gees were at the top of the charts — disco music was king. It car ried over into the eighties when music kept sliding down the long and winding road of demise. We now have artists like Madonna, Tiffany and Prince, whose musical abilities are roughly equivalent to their last names. I’m not saying the new music is bad, or unpleasant. I’m just saying the quality of rock music as we know it has gone down the tubes. Rock artists from the sixties and sev enties wrote their own music and lyrics. Ed be surprised if Tiffany could write simple chords or lyrics having to deal with something besides teenage ro mances. Many current artists have little talent in the areas of music or lyrics. The gui tars which defined rock in the sixties, have all but disappeared from the rock scene, being replaced by heartless syn thesizers and drum machines. Rock ly rics used to be real, but the quality ol pop lyrics today, mostly concerning sex or romance, have become almost as bad as country music’s lyrics. Earlier rock artists had theme albums and concept albums. We had quality music coming from The Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper’s” to Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon.” Today’s albums aren’t al bums, they’re just a collection of songs that the record companies want to re lease as singles. Can you imagine a Deb bie Gibson concept album — “Don’t Nuke My Teddy Bear,” full of songs about teenagers who are desparately trying to protect their beloved stuffed animals from the ravages of nuclear detsruction? Once on a KANM radio show, a per sonal friend and music afficianado, Matt McBurnett, commented on the de cline in the quality of black musicians. Speaking in regards to the slide down hill from Jimi Hendrix to Prince, he said, “From Purple Haze to Purple Rain, that’s a letdown folks. What caused it? No one can honestly say they know for sure, but several fac tors aided the decline. The listening au dience of radio has changed. Currently, the target audience for commercial ra dio is 18- to 35-year-old females. The kind of music which many of these fe males like is Madonna, Whitney I lous- ton, etc. These individuals get more air play, which means that other artists start to copy them and soon all of rock is headed downhill. In a way, it’s also a product of our conforming society. Some people feel they should conform and listen to what the “in-crowd” is listening to. Top 40 (or is it Pop 40?) provides the best conduit to that end, because it is so mainstream and few risks are taken. More and more groups are “selling out” and making albums full of ballads and dance songs, which pleases the re cord companies. The last few Chicago albums sound like lullabys compared to :ean un: the driving music of their early aln Luckily, main of the classic groups^ up before they sold out. In the sixties and seventies,mini entered their profession because loved music and had a strongaii for plaving tgood music. The cum artists get into music as a sourceoln the nue. Not to sa\ that many greatai ire never made money. But they In deeper desire, a sense of conveying of themselves to the world througi sic. On a purely musical level, in past, musicians would copy greatdn mers like Neil Peart, JohnBonnam Alan White. In tl lis age of technoJ one hears lew people complimei the man who programmed thedi machine on the latest pop single, There are still a few groups am who retain their sound. But somd it's just not the same. And there art eral heavy metal bands who esi great musicianship and really pu into their music, such asMetallica, Priest and Iron Maiden. The decline shows no signsofn sal, but there are alternatives.! large cities have music stations dial classic rock, further showing that! is a desire for the old musicthatf being satisfied by the new. There is an alternative to the local Popl tions in College Station: KANMstm radio, 99.9 EM cable. The music pi* on the commercial-free KANMw be heard on any commercial ra tion. Rock-and-roll will never be "I once was as long as we can hearT! ny’s “I Saw Him Standing There’ never realize that twenty-five yean! Her that same song (with a di word or two) helped launch theo of an upstart, hard-driving, rod roll band who dared to be differed forgotten age of conformity^ Beatles are no longer with us, music is still enjoyed, as is the mill# of songs generated by the mus* 1 from the sixties and seventies. Asl into my headphones and listen M old music — the good music-I* long for the golden era of rock, and I regret rock-and-roll’s unfortiinaK mise. Timm Doolen is a sophomore puter science major and columM 1 The Battalion. BLOOM COUNTY by Berke Bread who afte Sati A.P, ■I er ) wl