The Battalion
OPINION
Monday, April 24,1989
2
The Battalfr
ST
Monday, A
Mail Call
Not responsible
EDITOR:
Why is there a sign in the parking garage that says
“Not responsible for theft or damage,” (something to
that effect) when I pay $ 150 for security?
Jon Williamson ’92
Baseball team deserved front
page
EDITOR:
What does it take for the Aggie baseball team to
make the front page of The Battalion?
The baseball games last weekend were a key part of
the Aggie 1989 baseball season and we think they did a
damn good jobl
The April 17 issue of The Battalion didn’t even give
the Aggies front page mention.
Winning two out of three games against our biggest
rivals deserves some credit.
Even ESPN broadcast one of the games nationally.
These games had more support from the student body
and the Bryan-College Station community than
undoubtedly any others this season and yet our own
campus newspaper doesn’t realize that a team that is
ranked No. 1 in the nation should get some front page
recognition.
Give them the credit they deserve.
Loretta Rayburn ’90
I’m telling you to shut up!
EDITOR:
In response to Carol Landry’s April 17 column
criticizing J.Frank Hernandez, I’m telling you to shut
up!
I knew about the traditions of this University before
I came here, and enjoy them.
However, I do not see the correlation between
traditions and the problem J.Frank Hernandez had at
Duncan Dining Hall. I arrived at Duncan to eat at about
6:10 and got two plates of food to avoid the long lines
after 6:15 when the corps comes in. The manager came
over and rudely told me that I could not get two plates.
I told him it would not happen again.
Well, when I went to eat earlier the next day, corps
members were getting two plates of food right in front
of the manager.
I told the manager aobut this and he respnded by
saying, “It’s common for corps members to get two
plates when they eat chow because they have a habit of
doing so.”
Habit my foot. If I can’t get two plates at once, they
shouldn’t be able to, either. I realize that this is not the
Corps’ fault, but rather staff members and others, such
as rude managers, who are biased toward the Corps.
J.Frank Hernandez had a good argument, but it was
not directed at the right people — the Corps can only
get away with what is allowed by this school.
Raymond Jackson ’89
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.
You won’t find any
sappy columns here
Well, this is it — my last column as
opinion page editor for The Battalion.
The Fall ’89 staff takes over next week,
and I’m outta there, gone, finito.
Well, I won’t be gone, exactly. I’ll just
be changing jobs.
And no, this is not going to be one of
those sappy goodbye columns where I
get sentimental and cry all over the com
puter keyboard.
This column is going to consist of all
the things I’ve wanted to say during the
past year, but, for one reason or an
other, didn’t.
This is my chance to get in the final
word, and I’m going to use it (even
though the people who write letters in
response to this column will be the ones
who actually get in the last word).
• To the people who call The Battal
ion a Communist rag and think that all
Batt staffers are peace-loving, hippie,
flower-child, liberal freaks:
Shut up.
• To the 2 percent of the people at
A&M who occasionaly say something
nice about The Batt:
Thank you. You make up for the
other 98 percent.
• To everyone who has a friend
named Bubba:
My sympathies.
• To Ronald Reagan:
We still miss ya, big guy.
• To the jerks who (on several occa
sions) called me at 3:30 a.m. and
screamed profane things into the
phone:
I know where you live — and I have
an AK-47.
• To the officials of Exxon for the
job they’ve done cleaning up the Alas
kan oil spill:
I know where you live — and I have
an AK-47.
• To President William Mobley:
Damn good job so far.
• To President George Bush:
Well. . .
• To the snobs in this world who
think they are better than everyone else
and refuse to acknowledge “inferior”
people:
• To the people who constantly point
out errors in my writing:
Hey, I like to split verbs.
• To those who promote racism:
Have you ever thought about what
you’re doing? I doubt it.
• To those who try to find racism
where it doesn’t exist:
Lighten up.
• fo everyone who will graduate
soon:
Take a year off and go see the world;
You’re only young once.
• To my professors who don’t realize
I’m in their classes because I hardly ever
attend:
It’s for a good cause.
• To everyone who listens to Top 40
music:
Madonna makes me ill.
• To the hydrogen fusion boys at
A&M who deperately are trying to bring
in those big research bucks:
Good luck.
• To Jackie Sherrill:
I hope you’re spending our money
wisely.
• To George Smith:
Don’t mess with Texas A&M, you
★ &$%#&%★#!!
• To people who still watch the Mor
ton Downey Jr. Show:
Geeeeezzzz.
• To those damned black birds that
fly around campus terrorizing innocent
pedestrians:
Where did you come from? A Hitch
cock movie? ^
• To everyone who is opposed to any
kind of change because it violates “tradi
tion”:
Use your brains.
• And finally, to everyone who dis
agrees with something they read on to
day’s opinion page:
Tough.
Dean Sueltenfuss is a junior joum-
lism major and opinion page editor for
The Battalion.
Photographs tell the story in a way words cannot
T he worst accident in British sports
history occurred on April 15 in Shef
field, England when crazed soccer fans
crowded into Hillsborough Stadium to
watch a Football Association Cup semifi
nal match between Liverpool and Not
tingham Forest. At least 95 spectators
died and more than 200 were injured
when the crowd rushed into a standing-
room-only area, crushing those in front
into a metal anti-riot fence.
The incident occurred right before
the beginning of the game when police
allowed fans without tickets into the sta
dium to relieve overcrowding in the
streets outside. Six minutes into the
match, officials finally answered the
trapped fans’ cries for help and opened
the gates to relieve pressure. By that
time many people already were dead.
Most of the victims were young Liv
erpool fans who suffocated or were
trampled when the gates were opened.
A horrifying photograph was taken at
the scene and appeared in newspapers
around the world. The picture showed
in graphic detail three panicking specta
tors gasping for breath. Their faces
were distorted against the wire mesh
fence, and fear was in their eyes. It was
difficult to look at the picture.
Photography is the strongest and
most direct form of mass communica
tion. The photograph of the trapped
fans told the story in a way words could
not, because it showed the human side
of the tragedy, simple and true. It
showed the individuals instead of the
statistics. Although the picture is upset
ting, everyone should see it.
The photograph probably offended
some people, but it served a valuable
purpose. It has raised public awareness
The Battalion
(USPS 045 360)
Member of
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Conference
The Battalion Editorial Board
Dean Sueltenfuss, Editor
Becky Weisenfels, Managing Editor
Jay Janner, Opinion Page Editor
Scot Walker, City Editor
Mary-Lynne Rice, Wire Editor
Doug Walker, News Editor
Leslie Guy, Sports Editor
Drew Leder, Art Director
Anthony Wilson, 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.
Mail subscriptions are $17.44 per semester, $34.62
per school year and $36.44 per full year. Advertising
rates furnished on request.
Our address: The Battalion, 230 Reed McDonald,
Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-1 111.
Second class postage paid at College Station, TX
77843.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Battal
ion, 216 Reed McDonald, Texas A&M University, Col
lege Station TX 77843-4111.
about the complete lawlessness at En
glish soccer games. Something needs to
be done about the rowdy fans and poor
crowd control at these games to prevent
another accident.
England has a history of soccer riots.
After 39 were killed in Brussels, Bel
gium in 1985, all British teams were for
bidden to compete in Europe. The ban
was lifted just two weeks ago, but is now
being reconsidered. In addition, En
glish lawmakers are demanding changes
in stadium designs, including a ban on
anti-riot fences.
Pictures can make a difference. When
I see a picture of a mangled car, I think
more closely about drunk driving. And
when I see pictures of young people ly
ing dead in the streets of Los Angeles, I
see more clearly the evils of drugs and
gangs. Combat photography shows me
the truth about war. The pictures seem
more real than the headlines.
or dying people, but 1 know it is just a
matter of time before it happens. When
the time comes, it wi\\ disturb me. M
death is an everyday occurrence, and it
is my job to record the events of the day.
If my picture will lead to a change for
the better or at least make people stop
and think about a change,' then I have
done something worthwhile.
Jay Janner is a sophomore joum-
I ism major and art director for The
Battalion.
I never have taken pictures of dead
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