mion
Mail Call
Calling all counselors
EDITOR:
I am probably addressing an old problem, but I felt one more letter in the
already overflowing pile wouldn’t hurt. The issue is the availability of counseling
for students, or better yet, the need to expand this service. To those who are
waiting to use this ever valuable service, it alone is a cause for severe depression.
Texas A&M University seems to be slow in responding to the needs of its
students. On-campus housing has been a need for many years, and now we finally
see dorms growing before our very eyes. Parking has been the greatest challenge
of every student enrolled at Texas A&M, not Chemistry 101. Now, after umpteen
years, we finally see a multi-story parking garage. Don’t you think it is time
someone appropriated the necessary funds to extend such a valuable service as
counseling?
For any student with a professional or personal problem, counseling can
provide a means to acquire self-assurance and direction. Isn’t that what this whole
thing is all about — becoming an Aggie with a degree and becoming qualified for a
job? To an incoming freshman, this is the perfect opportunity for guidance. But if
someone were to seek this guidance they would be asked to wait and call in at two-
week intervals, and then maybe they could receive the help they requested.
Is this acceptable? What can be done to expand this service and make it more
readily available to all students? I wish I knew because I would do it. I hope that
someone who has the power takes the “bull by the horns” and extends a helping
hand to students who are in need.
Tammy Gabriel
It just doesn’t compute
EDITOR:
As I sit here in my graduate student office waiting for 10 to 20 minutes to get
on the computer system, I am faced with a few minutes to think about life and this
“world-class university.” After a few calculations, I am faced with a question: what
happened to the approximately $1.8 million that the University has been receiving
each semester for the last couple of semesters via the computer access fee? (40,000
students, 15 hours per semester, $3 per hour.) Maybe it’s going to other systems or
something, but I have accounts on three systems here on campus and there have
been no visible or obvious changes in any of these three (ZAC, THOR, and
ORION).
Well, maybe the “computer access fee” was just a new, modern, world-class
sounding name for a fee that the University could institute in order to raise the
tuition without “raising the tuition.” I mean, all those building use fees and student
services fees were starting to sound the same. But a computer access fee? Now
there’s a fee no world-class university should be without. Which brings me to
another point: what exactly is a world-class university and how are we going to
know when we achieve this great status? Personally, it sounds like politician-talk to
Thirty minutes and still waiting.
David Branyon
Graduate student
Student Senate neglects duties
EDITOR:
Working on better communication and cooperation with the student body is
something that the Student Senate should be openly and actively concerned about
At least we, the Texas A&M class councils, think so, knowing that effective
representation is not to be taken lightly nor is it easy to accomplish.
As fellow student leaders on class councils, which consists of each class’s elected
officers and selected chairmen, we approached the Senate to hopefully work
together on communication and cooperation for these two representative bodies.
Unfortunately, our efforts were defeated on the Senate floor. It was our
intention to form an official liason by having a representative of each separate class
to serve as an ex-officio member to the senate. This would aid the effectiveness of
both organizations, yet not alter the voting structure or power of the Senate.
Unfortunately, some (in fact, most) senators felt this official communication
link to fellow student leaders was absolutely unnecessary. Some senators remarked
that Senate meetings are open and we can come to their meetings and ask for them
to grant us speaking privileges.
It is unfortunate that some senators take such a passive attitude concerning
their duties. Others commented that, in addition to representing their
constituency, they can represent the class council as well.
This idea seems irrational when one considers that it is a huge and often
neglected responsibility to represent and inform one’s own constituency, and that
we did not elect them to be the voice of class council.
We would like to encourage all senators to continue to work for better
communication, as some senators are trying to do presently. Furthermore, the
students of Texas A&M should be more active in ensuring that the senate’s voice is
truly a reflection of our student body voice.
Katherine Smith
Class of ’90 president and council member
Accompanied by 36 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.
The Battalion
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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
The Battalion Thursday, Dec. 8 PagelP
The needy deserve our help
The plight of the poor, the hungry
and the homeless is an abomination to
the people of the United States.
We are the richest, most caring peo
ple on Earth. Any time a natural disas
ter occurs in the world, from the recent
earthquake in Mexico City to the mas
sive floods in Bangladesh, the United
States sends aid in the form of economic
funds as well as skilled relief workers to
better the situation.
able, as are the people and the toolsa»]|
the money, if funds are redistribute
from defense and foreign aid. Thedf.
sire to solve the problem, however,!
simply non-existent.
Todd
Honeycutt
Columnist
distribute these items, but does all of
this actually help the underpriviledged?
Yet, here in America, one of every
seven people are living at or below the
poverty line. Thousands sleep in sub
ways and bus stations, in trash dump
sters and along alleyways, having no bet
ter place to go. Many among America’s
children are malnourished due to a lack
of a proper diet. Not every child will
have a Christmas with a tree, or gifts
from Santa, or a turkey with all of the
trimmings. And all of this occurs in the
land of supposed prosperity and wealth
— and hope.
In the short term it relieves some of
their suffering, but most of the aid we
give does not raise them from the pool
of poverty. Our aid is momentary and
fleeting and does not increase anyone’s
standard of living at all.
The problem of the homeless andtb
hungry was ignored in the recent Pre:
dential election by both political parties
The. problem is consistently overlooked
by Congress and state legislatures. He
only reason for this is because we, tlit
American people, mostly middle
(but a step away from poverty), ignore!
ourselves. We close our eyes and forjet
any problem exists. During the holidai!
we give money to charity because iti
the season to give. But people neet
money throughout the year, not jus
during November and December.
It is no great wonder that there exists
a poverty problem. Approximately ten
percent of the people hold 90 percent of
the wealth, which translates into 90 per
cent of the populace sharing the other
ten percent.
We have above us a government
which spends over 50 percent of its gen
eral taxes on a defense which already is
more than sufficient for our land’s pro
tection. Our government is quick to bail
out companies, banks and foriegn coun
tries, even those contrary to its own
ideologies— all of which have failed.
But it is hesitant to help the needy
among its own people.
The U.S. government should be try
ing to implement plans to help the poor:
a revised welfare plan which restricts
funds to those who choose not to help
themselves as well as to those who have
children for the purpose of obtaining
more welfare money, programs to moti
vate the poor to learn and to help them
obtain a higher education, free daycare
for parents who need to work though
unable to afford daycare, work projects
to provide employment for those with
out jobs, programs to help the homeless
re-establish themselves in the commu
nity, and food banks to maintain a
proper nutritional level among the pov
erty stricken.
The solution lies within us. We in
make poverty an issue and force I
government to take effective measure
toward abolishing it, though realistical
it can never be fully extinguished ini
class system. Senators and congressi®
will do nothing until we force themit
heed us, until we threaten totakethei
jobs away from them (which says i
for the political system we have allowed
to evolve).
The private sector can and does do
much to help, but it does not have the
power that the government has, nor the
responsibility to use its power.
Americans and their government do
much in the name of poverty, but most
of the aid is superficial — cosmetic in a
sense. We give food and toys, millions of
dollars for the upkeep of shelters and
food lines, and untold hours of time to
The U.S. government is responsible
because a significant minority of its con
stituents are in need, because it is obli
gated to help its own people before it at-
tempts to solve other countries’
problems, because the problem will in
crease if ignored. The ideas are avail-
This holiday season, be thankful foil
what you have and perhaps even foil
what you do not have. If you havesouiil
spare change, give it to the Salvadotf
Army bell ringer who is standing ou;
side in the cold by the stores wherevc
shop. Any aid received is greatly appte I
ciated by the poor who are fed atcl
cared for. And if you have some tin
and a twenty-five cent stamp, write you
political leaders and demand thatihtj
do more. A poverty problem doesexts.I
and it’s one that we all need to address.
pn an
keir r
tcupa
Mor
een n
|on th
Last
Todd Honeycutt is a sophomorepsj'
chology major and a columnist forlk
Battalion.
NCAA needs death penalty-
Let’s forget about the allegations;
what Jackie Sherrill may or may not
have done, and what George Smith
might have received or might have lied
about. Let’s look at the heart of the mat
ter — the National Collegiate Athletic
Association.
The NCAA essentially sets rules and
regulations that all college sports pro
grams must abide by in the spirit of “e
thics and fair competition.” They limit
the amount of recruiting activities and
restrict the compensation players can
receive (scholarships and other bene
fits).
Letting the universities run free-rein
with their sports programs would turn
college athletics into a business. Schools
would be spending millions of dollars
each year on recruiting and maintaining
their players, but they would also be
earning millions of dollars in ticket reve
dent, the athletes should not be com
pensated because, as students, they are
receiving a “priceless education.”
Last week I got the bill for my “price
less education.”
Suppose a school had a team that
could easily win their conference. How
much money would this team generate
in ticket sales, concession sales, and tele
vision rights? This team could gross mil
lions of dollars in a season.
What we have are players who are
worth several millions of dollars to the
university getting maybe a few thousand
dollars a year in terms of tuition, room,
and board. No other business enterprise
treats its employee group with such con
tempt. Any other group that tries to
limit compensation to its employees
would be considered to be operating il
legally. I wonder what Samuel Gompers
would think of this situation. Doesn’t it
only make sense that athletes are paid
what they are worth?
If the NCAA and universities wen
serious about amateurism in the firs
place, then coaches shouldn’t be paid.
Perhaps a solution would be to com
pensate players at least minimum
or set a limit of $1000 a month durini
the year that they play. At least#
might be close to their worth to tlit
school. But one important aspect ofi
solution is that the universities involve!
ought to come to an agreement theycas
all live with instead of the NCAAfoit
ing rules on the schools.
In principle though, many peoplf
disagree with the whole idea ofcompeii
sating athletes. They see these athlete
as just students who happen to bet
volved in extra-curricular activities
(you’ve heard the one about “athlett
scholarship” being an oxymoron).#
such beliefs are blind to the facts ofth
matter.
Now consider a college team that
would have trouble besting a 4A high
school team. How much money would
this team generate? Let’s say about $15
in a season.
Obviously, a school would not spend
a great deal of money year after year
ona team that consistently loses. The co
lieges with the better teams will spend
more because there is obviously more
demand from the public for those
teams, and more money to be made be
cause of this demand. So, what about
the athletes, the ones who work to make
the money for the universities?
Well, according to the NCAA presi-
Now, you might be whining that “col
lege athletics isn’t a business, it’s ama
teur sports for entertainment!” That’s
what the NCAA says — “amateur
sports.”
But here, amateurism is an ideologi
cal instrument used to keep athletes
from sharing in the wealth they create.
This ideal is propagated by the myth
that being paid for athletic achievement
is immoral or unethical. If it is immoral
then the American public is encourag
ing this immorality by providing the
money. Does the NCAA want to punish
millions of Americans; give them the
“death penalty?”
Our society places a great deal of't
lue on sporting events. Consider
hundreds of thousands of dollars col
lected from ticket and concession sale
at the A&M-UT game. Thisgameisal
ways played on a traditional he
and not even bad weather will drive#
mobs away.
Are these the values we want fro«
our society? I don’t think so, but dial
not the issue here. The fact is that#
public is willing to spend a great dealof
money to watch a pigskin move up
down a field. The players in thisg
ought to benefit from their work W
on the value the public places on it. Tit
NCAA can’t regulate the value thep#
lie places on college sports,sol
shouldn’t attempt to regulate the rf
teams receive this value.
James Cecil is a senior econonitt 1
major and a columnist for The 1
ion.
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