Opinion
The Battalion Friday, Nov. 18, 1988
Page 2
Sherrill’s got to go
If today’s story from the Dallas Morning News is accurate — and
from the information given in the story there is every reason to be
lieve it is — the entire attempt at reformation of the Texas A&M
football program has been nothing short of a farce.
While portraying themselves as victims of unnecessary scrutiny,
A&M Athletic Department officials under Sherrill’s supervision were
paying off a former player to keep quiet about violations that the
NCAA apparently missed. One of the payments was received by for
mer A&M running back George Smith just four days after the
NCAA violations press conference.
It’s an insult to Texas A&M fans, students, former students and
the University itself.
It was Sherrill himself who assured the nation that he was at the
forefront of the cleaning-up program. It was Sherrill who said, “I’m
glad it’s over with. We’ll take the hand that’s been dealt to us and give
it our best shot.”
And it was Sherrill who said, if just such an occasion as this
should arise, “President Mobley will not have to fire me. If Jackie
Sherrill does something to warrant it, Jackie Sherrill will leave this in
stitution.”
If the allegation is true, Sherrill must resign immediately, and
take George Pugh, Bob Matey and anyone else involved with him.
And if he doesn’t, and Texas A&M is truly committed to integrity in
its Athletic Department, he must be fired.
Anything less makes the rest of the University look as dirty as its
Athletic Department.
The Battalion Editorial Board
Ags deserve death
A&M was given fair warning.
Along with its 1988 bowl ban, the loss of five scholarships and 15
campus recruiting visits, the Texas A&M football program received
a five-year probation with the stipulation that further infractions
could possibly result in the death penalty — the strongest penalty the
NCAA can give a collegiate athletic program.
Under the death penalty, the guilty program in essence ceases to
exist for an amount of time up to the discretion of the NCAA. Cer
tainly, if true, the recent allegations against A&M’s Athletic Depart
ment cannot rival the blatant disregard of the rules that was traced
all the way back to Gov. Bill Clements by the once-defunct and cur
rently inactive Southern Methodist University football program.
But the allegations seem to have merit. Former Aggie running
back George Smith claims to have received hush money in an over
night express envelope from A&M Athletic Department officials just
four days after the Aggies announced their NCAA penalties.
Whether or not A&M has a football team next year is yet to be
seen. That will be determined by the NCAA. And if the NCAA
chooses to make that decision, it would be warranted. Perhaps A&M
needs the death penalty to start anew and ensure a complete house
cleaning in the Athletic Department. After all, the last penalty was
only stiff enough to keep the dirt off the football program for three
days.
The Battalion Editorial Board
Mail Call ,
Butts butt out!
EDITOR:
On Nov. 21 the Class of ’89 will partake in Elephant Walk, historically an event
for seniors only.
Recently, however, the junior class involvement in this event has been
increasing. We would like for Elephant Walk to remain a sacred event for seniors,
and yet we realize that juniors want some way to spend their time during the Walk.
If the junior class must do something at this time, we suggest it is in the following
manner:
Celebrate your own new position as leaders of the 12th Man! Wear your class
T-shirt! Have your picture taken with live elephants! Go to the pullout yell
practice!
But don’t be violent and destructive. Refrain from causing injuries to your
fellow students and damage to the campus. Basically, leave the seniors to die in
peace.
Kristi Wilson and Liz Hudson
Special Events Co-Chairmen ’89
Save the trees
EDITOR:
It has been brought to my attention that in the plans for the expansion of the
MSC, nearly a dozen live oak trees will be destroyed.
This is disturbing, considering that the oaks are the sole element which unifies
the eclectic styles of arcitecture on our campus.Is it necessary that these trees be
removed? The students of A&M should have a voice in the decisions affecting the
fate of the natural and historic heritage of our university.
Kenneth Moore, President
American Society of Landscape Architects
Accompanied by 53 signatures
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.
I learned to bang my head
Last Sunday, I had the opportunity to
see grown men jump up and down on a
stage and strum a guitar with a micro
phone stand. And you know, I think I
actually enjoyed myself.
The event was a Van Halen concert,
and it was my first really “heavy metal”
concert. I guess for some people Van
Halen may not be considered hard rock,
but for a devoted Billy Joel fan, it was a
little stronger than I was used to.
The concert was fun, though. I even
recognized a lot of the songs. I may not
have been able to distinguish any of the
words, but at least I recognized the
tune, beat, rhythm, or whatever it was in
several of them. Most of them I had
heard before on the radio, but at least I
could turn down the volume then.
The music was a little loud for my
tastes, but the experience was well worth
it. I got to see little boys with hair half
way down their backs, old men wearing
black T-shirts and torn-up jeans and
teanagers nodding their heads like epi
leptic chickens.
So why was I so happy that I went to
this concert? Because it broadened my
musical repetoire, that’s why. I was able
to experience yet another form of mu
sic, and I strongly believe that there is
no such thing as bad music.
As you may have guessed, hard rock
doesn’t really fit into my natural scope
of listening music. My favorite “popu
lar” songs' are by artists such as Billy
Joel, James Taylor and Tracy Chap
man. Fine, fine, call me a wimp. But
wait, it gets worse.
jm*
Lydia
Berzsenyi
< M.m.. j. ...
Editor
I’m also a big fan of symphonic music
(I learned in my music class that classical
music is just a part of the big category
called symphonic music). If it’s a rainy
day, give me Beethoven, if I’m in a good
mood, give me Mozart, and if I really
want to shake the house, slap some
Tchaivsky on that turntable.
Elevator music is OK by me, too.
When I’m studying, I need background
noise, so I turn the dial to one of those
sappy stations that plays the music you
hear in dental offices and in your par
ents’ car.
And I like it. I recognize most of
those songs, as I did at the Van Halen
concert, but the difference is that 1 can
at least distinguish the “elevator” songs.
But listening to elevator music and
popular music isn’t really enough to
make a person well-rounded. You’ve
also got to be open to different forms of
music.
My music collection, although it isn’t
vast, contains a couple of Depeche
Mode tapes, lots of R.E.M., a few Rush
selections, some Hungarian gypsy mu
sic, a few opera records and even a col
lection of Australian folk songs.
I know several people with huge re
cord collections, but too often theyart
concentrated in only one or two formi
of music. I sincerely believe thai
broader musical tastes deepen one’sa|>
preciation of different cultures and»
cieties.
Familiarity with different kinds of
music also helps one get along with dif
ferent people. Music is a universal Ian
guage, and can transgress notonlycul
tures, but also attitudes. People all ovei
the world listen to Bach. Similarly,mam
different types of people at A&M lister
toR.E.M.
If two strangers are stuck in aneleva
tor together for several hours (a real
possibility in the Reed McDonald Build
ing) what can they talk about? If the)
have nothing else in common, theyma;
well have a discussion about music, i»
between their calls for help.
If a person is assigned to escort a visi
tor about campus, the conversatia
might well turn to music once alltheod
vious avenues of discussion are spent.
So being informed about and apprc
ciating different types of music cangeta
person through a rough spot.
I wish more people would broader
their horizons and listen to new kindsol
music. Who knows, maybe they’ll ever
enjoy it!
Lydia Berzsenyi is a senior math 0
jor and editor oFThe Battalion.
Let’s turn Magic loose on Ivan
The fact that our men’s Olympic bas
ketball team was beaten by the Soviet
Union should be unsettling to all of us
who consider ourselves flag-waving, al
legiance-pledging Americans.
Did you see the unfairness in that
game? Our team was made up of young
student athletes and we sent them up
against a team of grown men from the
Soviet Union, a few who Big Foot
couldn’t have guarded.
Basketball is our game, remember? It
was invented in the United States when
a guy named Naismith nailed a peach
basket to a gymnasium balcony and sug
gested people attempt to throw a ball
into it from the floor below.
At first, people scoffed at Naismith’s
new game because of the time factor in
volved. It took hours to complete a
game because each time someone
scored a basket, they had to call Arnold,
the custodian, to go get the ladder to
Lewis Grizzard
Columnist
climb up and get the ball out of the bas
ket so the game could continue.
“Hey, Naismith,” people scoffed,
“basketball is a stupid game.”
But after months of attempting to re
fine the game, Naismith figured out just
what basketball needed.
“It needs a hole in the bottom of the
basket!” he exclaimed to Arnold, who
was more excited than anybody else
since he no longer would have to get the
ladder and retrieve the ball out of the
basket.
Gradually, it even caught on in other
parts of the world and became an Olym
pic sport even more popular than ar
chery and synchronized swimming.
Still, the United States dominated
Olympic basketball. While the restoi
the world was trying to figure out ho*
to inflate one, we were already intosutl
advances as fast breaks, full-court
presses, and short skirted cheerleaders
So, how do we get back in chargeol
Olympic basketball?
Seal the hole in the basket again?
Instead of sending boys to play Olymp*
hoops we need to send men.
We don’t send amateurs, we sendoifl
professionals. We send Magic and Isial 1
and Dominique and Akeem and wedo*
few in-yo’-face dunkeroos, and weg {l
Larry Bird to can a few from midcourt
and it’s light-up-a-cigar time again fo [
American basketball.
If we don’t do something by thenert
time the Olympics roll around, the So"
ets might be beating us at anothf 1
Olympic sport we have dominated^
stealing cement statues from the hot®
bars.
Copyright 1988, Cowles Syndicate
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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
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resent the opinions of Texas A&M administrators, fac
ulty or the Board of Regents.
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classes within the Department of Journalism.
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