The Battalion
OPINION
Friday, September 15,1989
Fr
Police not part of
parking problem
The University Police Department
has been unjustly accused — unjustly ac
cused of issuing too many parking tick
ets.
As a matter of fact, (all you angry let
ter writers out there better sit down for
this one) the UPD no longer issues park
ing tickets.
Yes, you heard right. As of May 1, the
Department of Parking, Transit and
Traffic Services assumed responsibility
for all parking-related matters, includ
ing parking administration (the sale of
parking permits and collection of fines),
bus operations and traffic planning.
The Department, created in the sum
mer of 1988, was established to alleviate
some of the parking problems (namely
the lack of parking) on campus. The ad
ditional task of issuing parking tickets
was given to the Department after an al
most two year operational review of the
UPD revealed that parking administra
tion should not overlap with law en
forcement.
Juliette
Kizzo
Opinion Page Editor
I agree wholeheartedly. The Univer
sity Police has better things to do. Isn’t
saving lives and protecting property a
little more important than standing in a
parking lot, pen in hand, waiting to
scrawl the license plate numbers of re
peat parking offenders?
Bob Wiatt, director of security and
the University Police, said the UPD
would rather not overlook the primary
duties of a police force for duties that
have, in the past, been called somewhat
demeaning. He said the UPD can now
concentrate more on crime prevention
on campus.
But the UPD may not get the chance
to focus on anything else if the calls
about parking tickets don’t stop coming
in. The idea of separating the two de
partments will work out nicely only if
more people, especially students, realize
the two departments are separate.
Although actual ticketing was passed
on to the Department in May, the De
partment was still housed in the same
building as the UPD, thus causing utter
confusion for many.
To clear matters up and direct those
concerned with parking to the correct
office, the Department of Parking
Transit and Traffic Services is located in
the Southwest Savings Building on Uni
versity Drive. The office handles the al
location of parking spaces, ticket ap
peals and traffic complaints involving
routing and flow problems. Tickets can
be paid at the office or dropped off in a
drop box in the main lobby of Rudder
Tower.
The UPD, on the other hand, is still
in the same old place, on the southwest
corner of campus. All issues involving
University law enforcement and Texas
law enforcement should still be directed
there, including reports of car accidents
on campus.
And as far as the availability of park
ing on campus goes, the Department of
Parking, Transit and Traffic Services is
working on it. Literally.
Juliette Rizzo is a senior journalism
major and opinion page editor of The
Battalion.
Granny Grizzard — a good gal
A relative sent along a very special
package to me. It is a large black-and-
white photograph taken at my paternal
grandmother’s 65th birthday.
Granny Grizzard had 12 children.
Eight are with her in the photograph.
What a tiny woman she was. And that
smile. I wish I had known it in life.
- il Lewis
Grizzard
Columnist
Granny Grizzard died in 1945 — a
year before I was born. I’ve been told
that the one thing she longed for in her
last months was for her baby boy, my fa
ther, to return home from World War
II.
She got her wish.
One of my aunts told me, “Mama was
such a gentle person. She was soft and
kind and hardly ever raised her voice
above a whisper.
“And she spoiled her boys. And they
loved her so much. When one of them
came to visit her you couldn’t believe
how she’d light up.
“And your daddy. He was her pre
cious baby. She didn’t let him have a
haircut until he was 12. He had long
blond curls, and it nearly broke mama’s
heart to see them go.”
What a special relationship there is
between a grandparent and a grand
child.
assuring me constantly, “Everything is
going to be all right.”
Contrary to what some may think, I
do have certain disciples, and Mama
Willie sculpted many of them. When she
died it hurt.
But there’s also a certain pain in not
having known a grandparent. I wonder
what my relationship with Granny Griz
zard might have been.
Would she have rocked me and con
soled me? Would she have read Bible
stories to me and taught me great les
sons of life?
How would having known her have
made me any different than I am today?
Like everybody else, I’ve got a part or
two missing in my personality. Could
she have given me some of the qualities
that slipped by?
But there is this one thing. I hesitate
to bring it up here because I’ve never
been one to put much into alleged con
tact with the great beyond.
When I was 3, my mother became
gravely ill with an infection. Her doctors
said the fact she lived was a miracle.
Grandparents seem to have a little
more time to listen and to answer a mil
lion questions that begin with the word
“Why.”
My maternal grandmother had a lot
to do with my raising. After my parents
divorced when I was 6, I went to live at
my grandmother’s house.
Mama Willie was soft and kind and
gentle, too. A child suddenly removed
from one of his or her parents is con
fused, maybe even a little bitter and in a
great deal of pain.
Mama Willie must have rocked me a
thousand miles in her rocking chair, re-
My mother told me so many times of
a dream she had during her most crit
ical moments:
Mail Call
Student Senate speaks out
EDITOR:
“I was standing on one side of a lake
and you were playing in the water. I
looked across the lake and there stood
Granny Grizzard. She said to me, ‘Don’t
come across. Your son will need you.’
“Maybe that’s what got me through.”
Maybe. So draw your own conclu
sions as to whether or not the tiny
woman in the photograph did have
something to do with the way I turned
out after all.
Copyright 1989, Cowles Syndicate
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The Battalion Editorial Board
Scot Walker. Editor
Wade See, Managing Editor
Juliette Rizzo. Opinion Page Editor
Fiona Soltes, Citv Editor
Ellen Hobbs, Chuck Squatriglia.
News Editors
Tom Kehoe, Sports Editor
Jay Janner. Art Director
Dean Sueltenfuss, Lifestvlcs Editor
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lege Station I X 77b 13-1 III.
I am writing in response to a column that appeared in
The Battalion on Tuesday, September 12, which addressed
the issue of the University Center expansion. The columnist
indicated the Student Senate will discuss the issue on
Tuesday, September 19. Furthermore, he encouraged
students to attend this meeting in an effort to influence the
senate’s course of action. Since this may be misleading to
some students, I would like to clarify the issue.
On Tuesday, September 19, Steve Hodge, manager of
University Center, will present the expansion plans to the
Student Senate. The expansion plans, however, willnotbe
debated at this time. This is solely an informational meeting.
Following Mr. Hodge’s presentation, the senators will be
allowed to ask questions for clarification purposes. Although
all Student Senate meetings are open to the student body, I
think it is important to realize that this presentation is
primarily for the senators. I would not want students to be
under the impression that this is their chance to come and
voice their opinion of the expansion.
Students, however, will have an opportunity to address
this issue. Student Government is sponsoring a public forum
to be held on October 19 at 7:00 p.m. in Rudder Theater. At
that time, Mr. Hodge will again make a presentation on the
expansion plans. At that presentation, the primary audience
will be the general student body. I encourage all students
concerned with the expansion to attend this presentation
rather than the senate meeting.
If you desire more information, or if you wish to contact
your student senator regarding this issue, please call the
Student Government office at 845-3051 and I, or another
Student Government member, will assist you in any manner
we can.
Kevin Buchman ’90
Student Body President
doesn’t have time, ever, because she’s studying. Mostofus
only have to study about half the time, but we should take
pity on those like Coriene who must study all the time.
Coriene, since you are obviously smart enough tofigurec.
that the Aggie spirit is simply a mindless educational fraud
Why have you stayed here?Aren’t you ashamed tohavetti*
“’90” after your name?
As for Jim Hayes’ column “Tradition should be option
not obligation;” Jim are you a transfer student? You seem
think everything on this campus has a military slant, and
therefore is irrelevant. This attitude extends from bonfire
Silver Taps to standing at ball games. These traditionshai
nothing to do with the Corps, but everything to do with
student body. Today, Aggies are first; non-regs or CTs
second.
Silver Taps is for an Aggie who has died. He could be
someone in my P.E. class or your math class; maybe his
mailbox was next to yours. Rarely is that person a CT, Bui
they all come, not because they have to but because they®
“He was one of us,” you might hear them say. They mean
“He’s an Aggie.” Most of us non-regs don’t go. But I belie
its because most just don’t understand, it’s not thattheydi
care.
Similarly, bonfire cut, stack and the Twelvth Man are
student body activities (read “not just Corps”). At 22, I’ve
only just realized that I don’t know everything. Did youhai
to eat your veggies? I did, but I learned eventually thatttie,
were good for me after all. So it is with our traditions. It's
amazing, you become a junior or senior in college and
suddenly you know exactly what’s good for you.
These traditions make us what we are. They make us
Aggies. They are not a matter of convenience. If you don’t
believe in them, you don’t believe in being an Aggie. Audi
think you should leave.
Kevin Jimmerson ’89
1
Ags be thankful
By
Of"
Aggies attend cultural events
EDITOR:
EDITOR:
They were young. They were students. People like you
and me who laughed, who cried, who had dreams and goals.
One hundred and two days ago, they died violent deaths
for believing in rights many of us take for granted. We will
never know their anguish, their terror, nor their desperation.
Tuesday night there was a 100-day memorial held by the
Chinese Students Association and Chinese Scholars at Texas
A&M.
I bring this to your attention because it is sad that given
the opportunity to know firsthand what happens to other
people who share our world, so few of us take that
opportunity. Such opportunity gives us, first, an awareness of
the preciousness of the freedoms and rights we have that are
to be cherished and acted upon.
Second, awareness created by these opportunities
cultivates an understanding for people from different places.
Although each country is an entirety in itself, it is a vital part
of a whole. Understanding builds bridges of communicatin
among parts of the whole. Also, understanding and
awareness give us the power of knowledge.
Some of us at TAMU today will tomorrow be
international businessmen, government leaders, we will all be
citizens of the world. And the knowledge that we acquire
today at A&M can tomorrow be the power to change lives and
to influence the future.
I recently had an opportunity to speak to an A&M
graduate from the class of’38. He reminded me of a few
sacred traditions that were held dear to Aggies for decades
until they were crushed under the weight of progressive
thinking. No blacks, no women and no non-regs were
traditions held dear to heart by Aggies in those days.
The next time you get an urge to complain about those
horrible, whining, liberal, tradition busters, maybe you
should instead be grateful to the outspoken individualswk
are responsible for your opportunity to attend this great
learning institution.
Bryan Skipworth, ’90
Nutty Ninja rider now eggplant
EDITOR:
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1 call upon the Aggie code of honor that you meet this
challenge. Let us stop being isolated parts. Let us instead
begin today to build bridges of communication, awareness
and understanding by attending events concerning other
parts of the world and meeting other people with whom we
share this world.
These bridges can make a difference in our future and in
our world.
Diana Galindo, ’90
This letter is written in response to Mr. David Semon’s
feeble and immature attempt at a rebuttal of TimmDooler;
comments on the new helmet law. For someone who
professes to be a graduate student, Mr. Semon argues the
issue as well as a freshman (in high school!). It is becauseof
his and other’s obvious ignorance to the purpose of the
legislation that it had to be enacted.
Mr. Semon, think exactly what the government has tak
away from you; part of the risk of spending the restofyow
“life” as an eggplant in a hospital somewhere, or worse,
having to have your brain scraped from a curb like a
watermelon dropped from a five-story building. Is it worth
losing your life due to the fact that you didn’t want to mess
your hair up or look uncool? Is it so bad that others care
whether you live or die?
Mr. Semon, you do not have to comply with the law,if
you are resolved to take the consequences. As to your
comment though, “If I can’t be a danger to myself, I’ll bea
danger to everyone,” I sincerely hope, for your sake, you
never hurt anyone I know or care about because you will
regret that day for the rest of your life.
No excuse for two-percenters
Keith D. Gatewood, ’91
EDITOR:
Coriene Case ’90 (the proud two-percenter) has, I think, a
very strong argument for non-participation. Namely that she
Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words in length. The editorial staff rise ||
the right to edit letters for style and length, but will make every effort to mink
author’s intent. Each letter must be signed and must include the classification, at
and telephone number of the writer.
MARGdi-IES