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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 10, 1989)
The Battalion The Battalion Opinion Monday, April 10,1989 Finals schedule is fair to everyone This semester’s schedule for final exams and commence ment ceremonies, which recently was approved by the registrar’s office, does a good job of balancing the needs of students with the needs of professors and administrators. Although the schedule does not provide for a complete “dead week,” there are three “dead days” — a considerable im provement over last semester’s schedule. Other concessions by the administration include a reading day, no weekend tests and time for students who are blocked to take care of their problems and still graduate. People who are griping about the schedule should realize that not everyone at A&M has the same needs and that this schedule was designed to satisfy as many people as possible. Devising the exam and commencement schedule was cer tainly not an easy job. Those who worked toward reaching this compromise deserve to be commended for a job well done. The Battalion Editorial Board Question: What do you get when you combine body building and evangelism? Answer: A group of300-pound hulks called the Power Team who go around preaching the gospel and tearing phone books in half. Unfortunately, this isn’t a joke. The Power Team is a group of mus cle-bound guys who decided to merge preaching with feats of strength — kind of like Jim and Tammy on steroids. They smash bricks, break out of po lice handcuffs and blow up hot water bottles. They also try to win teen-agers over to Jesus Christ — and sell a few Power Team sweatshirts ($18 apiece) at the same time. Dean Sueltenfuss Opinion Page Editor The idea behind the group is that it will attract teen-agers who otherwise wouldn’t be concerned about receiving the word of God. Teen-agers today, the reasoning goes, aren’t interested in going to a church and hearing some moth-eaten preacher talk about God and hell and heaven and the devil. They’re interested in other things — things that are cool and rad and awesome. And muscle-bound jocks who bust slabs of 8-inch-thick ice with their bare hands are totally, totally awesome (thanks be to God). So far, the Power Group is doing well. They’ve been touring all over the coun try, preaching to kids, bending steel bars and generally just having a grand of time. But I suspect they’re not commu nicating with all the kids they could. In fact, they’re probably reaching a lot more teen-age girls than guys. Most 16-year-old girls are going to rush right out to see these hunks and their on-stage, evangelical antics. Teen age boys, however, won’t be quite so ex cited about watching a performance (oops, I mean sermon) by the Power Group. So in the name of fairness, I think an other group should be formed that would attract more teen-age boys. After all, 10 or 20 years down the road we don’t want all of the men in our society to be ill-mannered, heathen atheists while the women are bible-toting, reli gious zealots. The name of this group could be the Baptist Beauties (or the Luscious Lu theran Ladies, etc.). Their sermon could consist of a striptease act to organ music followed by the reading of scripture. And after the sermon is over, they could sell autographed posters of themselves in swimsuits to all the teen-age boys who are desperately seeking an encounter with God. I can see the billboard for their show now, framed with pulsating lightbulbs, with large black letters on a bright white background: Come right in! See the fab ulous Baptist Beauties as they search for the meaning of life and bare their souls (and bodies) to Jesus Christ (and you). Tickets available at window — only $7.50. All faiths welcome. Of course, groups practicing differ ent religions would have different names, such as the Hebrew Honeys, Buddha’s Beauties or Mohammed’s Hot Mammas. But the concept would be the same. In fact, all of this has given me the idea to go out and start my own reli gious act. I’ll travel to major cities and speak in large convention centers. I’ll stand on stage and tell everyone that it’s wrong for people to defraud others and that it’s wrong to use religion as a mar keting device. I’ll stand there and tell them that if anybody’s going to hell, it will be the people who misuse religion and try to make a profit by it. I’ll go out there and tell them — Nah. I won’t do any of that stuff. It’s too boring; nobody would buy it. Instead I’ll go around the country jumping motorcycles over buses, de stroying stage props and biting the heads off live parakeets. And at the end of the show, when the audience is going wild. I’ll say: “Oh yeah, by the way, God is really cool. “And don’t forget that sweatshirts are on sale in the lobby — for only $ 18 apie ce.” Dean Sueltenfuss is a junior journa lism major and opinion page editor for The Battalion. 2 ST/ Monday, April Biting the heads off live parakeets, and other religious feats Gramm b examinati rural heal Cadets should receive same treatment as other students When the respect of a tradition grows to such proportions that it infringes upon the rights of others, it is time for that tradition to either change or end. The tradition I speak of is the Corps of Cadets. Just the other day, I made my short walk to Duncan Dining Hall to eat din ner. I arrived there at about 6:45 p.m. I expected to be rushed through my meal a bit, but thought I at least would be able to eat something. When I got to the door, the lady working there told me that Duncan closed to civilians at 6:10 because of ca dets eating their dinner. I simply nodded my head and walked off. One evening I was eating dinner, and the staff in Duncan announced that all civilians who were unable to finish their meal within 10 minutes needed to move to the two northernmost tables. The Corps was coming and the cadets needed their space to eat. I simply nodded my head and moved. Another evening I was eating dinner and the cadets came in to eat dinner. All of a sudden, my meal was interrupted by a rash of “Howdy, Mr. Johnson, sir” yells from a large number of the cadets. I asked the person next to me what ex actly was going on. He said that greet ings were a part of the Corps. I simply nodded my head and continued eating. I am tired of nodding my head. I respect Silver Taps. I take my hat off in the MSC. When the Corps comes marching, I step to the side. I give the Corps as much respect as can be ex pected from a non-reg. The fact of the matter is that the Corps of Cadets is getting too much re spect here at Texas A&M. The amount ceives preferential treatmenteveryda of respect they are receiving is begin ning to infringe upon the rights of the other students here at Texas A&M. What occurs daily in Duncan could, in a court of law, be considered discrimina tion and segregation. To my best recollection, when the Corps ate in the Commons Dining Hall on Saturdays and Sundays no one made them sit at certain tables or eat within certain time constraints. All I am asking for is that same respect. I am a student just as they are students, so give me the respect a student deserves. In addition to all these “fringe bene fits” the Corps receives, let us discuss a subject that has been plaguing fraterni ties for some time: hazing. The Corps makes the cadets run every morning, do company yells upon demand, dress al ike, walk in line, and greet higher rank ing members. This is what one can see on the outside. Who knows what occurs on the inside. If a fraternity were to make pledges run every morning, it would be charged with hazing. If they made pledges do group yells and loud greetings, un doubtedly the University would ques tion these practices. But the Corps is al lowed these privileges because the higher brass here at A&M are “good Ags.” In the state law on hazing, there are no exceptions for “good Ags.” The Corps is named right alongside fraterni ties, sororities, and clubs. There are no differences. No one should receive pref erential treatment. Yet the Corps re- , hf So what am I asking for? 1 amastisj this University to stop treating il Corps as the prelude to the Secoi Coming of Christ. The Corps cdnsistsi students who pay their tuitions; tend classes just as non-regs do. An yes, the Corps is just, as racially is balanced as the rest of this University, WASHINGTON tors, hospital ad mi nurses are among volunteers being di Phil Gramm to exaj healthcare crisis in Gramm, a Texa said the task force v hearings around th junction with perso state and federal i U,S. Department c Human Services. The purpose is areas of rural heah problems, the succi ures in trying to p rural health care,” ( an interview Friday. Gramm said h C , which wa d late last wt able to draft a set < dations to revitalu health of rural medi “I’m trying to ge with a stake in t Gramm said. “I’m pie together from v; to present their cc ideas. We’ll sift thro and find the com mi tors.” Gramm said he 1 Louis Gibson of Cc chairman of the which will include ministrators, nun board members, an consumer. Some 2G will be included ar volunteers, payinp transportation costs “The primary p knowledge and com said. “Closing a rut an economic and m< fora small commun Gramm said he the possibility of ho hearings by the end in the High Plai area and East Texas “My primary co Texas problem,” < “Ultimately what ' with will be taken good ideas might tional policy. not more so. Cadets should be treated the samei non-regs are. I shouldn’t havetogeit; from my meal because ’Ol Sargewai! to eat. He can sit in the empty chair to me. And most of all, the Corps disciplined by the same people wi cipline rne. It is my understandinglli the Corps is now disciplined by Commandant of the Corps and nottli Department of Judicial Affairs. That! just another example of “seperate, supposedly equal.” 1 will say this: the Corps is somethin that is good for some people. Butiflil not put my name on the dotted then don’t put me under the restricts of the Corps. If this type of one-sided treatmci continues, there just might be tion taken on the grounds of segreji tion, discrimination, and infringemei of one’s civil rights. And, I just might!* leading the pack. So, if one day you are dining in can and you see a half-crazed Hispan yelling about wanting to eat at 6:45,)« can trust it’s me. And when I demand be served, pay careful to the waytl people react. I just might need sot witne r s. J.Frank Hernandez is a sophont general studies major and a staff asst tant for The Battalion. BLOOM COUNTY by Berke Breathed 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 Edi tor 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. 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