Opinion
HIS MASTER’S VOICE
The Battalion Wednesday, Dec. 7 i^ag^
o
Mail Call
Dorm residents demand satisfaction
EDITOR:
This letter is being written in response to a letter written by Mr. Tom Murray
and addressed to the residents of Moses and Davis-Gary halls.
As is widely known, both Moses and Davis-Gary are being closed for
renovations next semester. Earlier this semester we residents were told that we
would be able to leave our belongings in the dorms until noon on Monday, Jan. 16,
1989, the first day of classes. This was an acceptable solution to all of the dorm
residents; it was certainly better than taking our property home and then hauling
it back next semester.
On Nov. 29, we residents received a letter form Mr. Murray stating that our
belongings had to be removed from the dorm by noon on Jan. 13. This is totally
unacceptable. Several people on the second floor of Moses have already made
plans to work until Friday or even Saturday evening. Others in the dorm are from
out of state and will not be returning until Saturday or even Sunday.
Mr. Murray maintains that there was a “misunderstanding” between our hall
councils and himself. There certainly was: Even Moses’ resident director was led to
believe that we would be allowed to check out until Jan. 16. In summary, the
assistant director of student affairs promised us one thing and is going to enforce
another.
Mr. Murray, we will be happy to move out by Friday, but in turn we would like
you to compensate us for lost wages and plane fares.
We residents of Moses and Davis-Gary halls would like to request that the
original date of Jan. 16 be reinstated.
Andrew Fischback ’90
Accompanied by 52 signatures
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Give this man a candy bar
My name’s Timm. I’m a chocoholic.
I can say that now — a little over a
year ago I couldn’t admit it. I’ve been in
therapy for many months, and the C.A.
meetings (Chocoholics Anonymous) on
Tuesday nights are a constant reservoir
of support.
Of course there’s no such thing as a
“former” chocolate addict. I’ll always be
a “recovering” chocoholic. Once I had
become hooked on the magic stuff, all
the therapy and treatment in the world
couldn’t make me straight permanently.
I fight a constant struggle every week,
day, minute — every second of my life
to stay off of chocolate.
Hershey’s Kisses binge, and not know
where I was, how I’d gotten there, or
where my next Milk Dud was coming
from. I even dabbled in prostitution
turning Twix to support my habit.
Timothy F.
Doolen
Columnist
was getting harder and harder, so I
started dealing. My dad would ask me
what was in the daily packages coming
in from Columbia and Brazil. I’d lie and
say they were narcotics, which he be
lieved at first. I didn’t want him to know
what was really in the boxes —unre
fined cocoa beans!
I was in and out of jail on a regular
basis. Once I was arrested for attacking
a vending machine that was selling
candy bars. As I sat in jail, looking at the
other wretched, destitute people who
had suffered similar fates, I knew ]
needed to go clean. I had let this sub
stance take over my life — it controlled
me — and I didn’t like it.
I remember how the tragedy started,
so many years ago. A high school kid got
me hooked on the easy stuff — candy
bars. At first it was just one or two every
now and then, but before I knew it I was
up to a six-pack of Milky Ways a day.
My craving for chocolate grew on a
daily basis, but I tried to hide it. I
thought nobody would notice me sneak
ing an extra piece of chocolate cake for
lunch. They didn’t, not at first.
I had a lab set'up in an abandoned
building near our house. I’d refine the
cocoa beans and sell the processed choc
olate on the street. For a long time, I was
known for having the purest stuff in
town. I was riding high on my own sum
mit, but my days of pleasure were soon
to come to an end.
I called up my mother and father and
told them I needed help — I wanted to
get off cocoa and go straight. They lo
vingly took me back, and checked me
into the Oprah Winfrey Clinic for Re
covering Chocoholics. I stayed there
several weeks, going cold turkey. My
body went through marathon withdra
wals, but I kept telling myself that in the
long run it would be for the best.
Picture prices ridiculously high
EDITOR:
CO-<
By Ri
There are undoubtedly many factors of which I am not aware in deridingwho
obtains the contract for the yearbook pictures. However, I am very aware of the
cost to me.
I have not been overjoyed with the prices charged in the past, but thisyearl
am appalled. For your information, a “family package” (1-8x10, 2-5x7 and9-
wallets) with Yearbook Associates is only offered in their “Master’s Touch" series
for $79.95, plus $10 for retouching and $4.50 to package and insure for atotalof
$94.95.
AR Photography, which has done this in the past, says this same package from
them is $54.95. Unfortunately, I was not aware that the students could have their
pictures taken elsew here and still be in the yearbook.
But soon my friends and family
started noticing some peculiar idiosyn
crasies that hadn’t existed before. I’d al
ways get chocolate ice cream when we
went out, and I started drinking only
chocolate milk. Sure, the chocolate was
diluted, but I needed the fix.
My addiction was worsening. I was
drinking chocolate syrup straight from
the bottle — it was the fastest way to get
the chocolate into my bloodstream. I
tried the fancy designer chocolates for
awhile (Godiva, Neuhaus), until their
price exceeded my financial limitations.
My constant passion for candy bars
was increasing. I would take a Three
Musketeers, chew off the chocolate and
throw the nougat away. I needed pure
chocolate — there was no way around it.
So in desparation I turned to Hershey’s
bars.
Not long after that came M&M’s. I
couldn’t stop popping the magic little
pills that made me feel so godly, and
soon I was up to 3 or 4 packs a day —
King Size! Before I knew what was hap
pening I was dropping Big Blocks. My
trusting and somewhat naive parents
didn’t suspect much; they found a few
candy wrappers around my room, but
dismissed it as youthful experimenta
tion.
My life was starting to go downhill as
a result of my problem. I lost most of my
“straight” friends because they knew I
had become “different”. They were cas
ual users of chocolate (they’d do some
M&M’s at parties), but I was an addict,
though I couldn’t admit that to myself at
the time. Some of them tried to help me
curb my addiction, but it was too late; I
was hopelessly hooked, hitting the bottle
of Hershey’s on a daily basis.
I checked out of the clinic and re
turned to school. The ensuing weeks
and months were some of the hardest of
my life. Candy machines would taunt
me with their displays, snickering as I
walked by. I’d see commercials on tele
vision for instant breakfast drinks (choc
olate) and start to quiver. The urges
were there, but I had to resist them. My
family and friends supported me
through these troubled times and with
will power, I stayed straight.
I haven’t touched chocolate in over a
year, but I still consider myself a recov
ering chocoholic. I continue to attend
the weekly Chocoholics Anonymous
meetings that have helped me through
out the past year.
And the stuff was so easy to get — I
could find it almost anywhere on the
street. At first it was relatively cheap,
but as my addiction grew, so did the
cost. I soon found myself paying up to
$100,000 for a candy bar.
Then one night at one of the lowest
points of my life, my dad caught me
free-basing Nestle’s Quik. He put two
and two together, and was so outraged
to learn his son was a chocolate addict
that he kicked me out of the house.
That day my life changed drastically. I
was out on the streets, in the same shape
as the pitiful junkies to whom I had
been selling chocolate just days earlier.
Presently, in my recovering state,
whenever somebody asks me if I’d like
some hot chocolate, I calmly say “no” as
I remind myself how easily the night
mare could start all over again. At res
taurants when the waiter asks if I’d like
any dessert, I say “No thanks, I just
don’t need it anymore.”
Getting money to support my habit
With my dealing days over, I spent
the next several months wandering the
streets, getting chocolate wherever I
could. I’d wake up some mornings in an
unknown alley, covered with bits of alu
minum foil from the previous night’s
I learned a lot of universal lessons be
cause of my problem. Most important of
which is, if you’re having a problem with
a controlled substance, like I was, please
go for help. And if somebody offers you
chocolate, even casually, please do your
self a favor, and just say no.
Timm Doolen is a sophomore com
puter science major and columnist for
The Battalion.
What I am trying to get across is that possibly, just once, you could contract
with someone on the basis of giving the parents a break first, instead of whether
the UNIVERSITY is getting the best kickback or most money. Yes, we want to
chronicle our children’s passage through this time of their lives, but must every
fee, picture, etc. practically double in price each year? Please consider this a
complaint against your choice for this year.
Mrs. K.W. Varner, Jr.
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Please keep off the grass
EDITOR:
This is an open letter to the students of Texas A&M University.
As all good Ags know, it is a time-honored tradition not to walk on the grass
surrounding the MSC. I propose a new tradition; no walking on the grass
anywhere on campus!
As of late, I have noticed numerous good Ags cutting across grassy corners,
riding bicycles, skateboards and mopeds across these same areas, and also locking
their bicycles to trees in these grassy areas.
Richard
Meehan
The effect of all this negligence is there are now many worn spots around the
campus. Some worn spots have been trotted on for so long that they are completel)
devoid of grass. One example is the northwest corner of the O&M Building.
Danny J
Health
If you doubt the seriousness of my words, please take a good, long look arou
on the way to your next class. Currently, the University is experiencing
tremendous growth with new buildings going up all over campus. With thisgroi
comes temporary destruction of the campus grounds. Therefore, the University
does not need 35,000-plus students trampling over the grounds to add to the
problem.
George
Biochei
Michae
Econon
Sue Be;
Health
So please stay off the grass. You won’t lose any time by staying only on the
sidewalks. It’s common courtesy.
Charles Q. Simpson II
Graduate student
James I
Mather
Chris B
Educat:
Jon Boi
Engine
EDITOR:
Walter
Mechai
As a former member of the Aston Hall Escort Service, the safety of our women
is a big concern of mine. Not a night goes by when I’m running on the fitnesstrai,
or walking on campus that I’ll see women by themselves —especially on the fitness
trail. The possibility of an attack is extremely high, as it is not very well lighted,and
there are not that many people around. There are also hundreds of dark, hi
places on campus for would-be assailants to hide.
Maynai
Educat
James 1
Occam
Scott B
Veterii
How many times must you be told not to walk on campus alone? Don’t taketb
attitude of “it won’t happen to me,” because it very well could be that you’re the
next victim. If you run on the fitness trail, take a friend with you. If you needtof
somewhere on campus, and don’t have an escort, call the Aston Hall Escort Sen®
at 845-9822 or call the Guard Room at 260-6471.
Camilli
Health
Jon Bu
Econoi
Jack C;
Educat
Don’t take your safety for granted. Heed this warning and do somethingto
protect yourselves — you owe it to yourselves, if not your friends and family.
Brian McGregor ’91
Oral C
Agricu
Andre
Electri
Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words in length. The editorial staff reserves the right to edit lettersft
and length, but will make every effort to maintain the author’s intent. Each letter must be signed and must inclid" 1
classification, address and telephone number of the writer.
Mark (
Biolog
The Battalion
(USPS 045 360)
Member of
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Conference
The Battalion Editorial Board
Becky Weisenfels, Editor
Leslie Guy, Managing Editor
Dean Sueltenfuss, Opinion Page Editor
Anthony Wilson, City Editor
Scot Walker, Wire Editor
Drew Leder, News Editor
Doug Walker, Sports Editor
Jay Janner, Art Director
Mary-Lynne Rice,
Entertainment Editor
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.
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