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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 29, 1989)
The Battalion OPINION Shuttle system on the road to improvement The on-campus shuttle system is running more efficiently than ever. More signs and the addition of counterclockwise routes are improvements for which Bus Operations should be commended. There are, however, some additional im provements that would make the system even more usable. Since, in most cases, bus drivers will not pick up or drop off passengers at places other than designated bus stops, the signs should be marked to indicate where along the routes buses will stop. A sign also should tell the approximate times riders can ex pect a bus to stop at that particular location. Finally, the signs should be clearly marked as to which directions and what paths the clockwise and counterclockwise buses take. After a few times on the bus it’s easy to figure out what they will do and where they will stop. However, the system should be explained well enough on the signs so that first-time riders will understand the system before they use it. The bus system is generally a good one, and with these improvements it will be even better. The Battalion Editorial Board Budget constraints limit library hours Complaints have been aired about the Sterling C. Evans Li brary’s hours. Some students find it inconvenient that the li brary closes at 6 p.m. on Saturdays. What they may not understand is the reason for the abbre viated hours. Money. Unfortunately, due to budget constraints, the library simply cannot afford to offer the services and selections that everyone would like. Perhaps an alumni fund, similar to the 12th Man Foundation that sponsors student athletes, could be established to sponsor the library and its operations. The paramount objective of a university is to educate its stu dents. A closed library doesn’t facilitate this. It’s a shame that a major artery to our fountain of knowl edge is allowed to run dryjust because it’s Saturday night. The Battalion Editorial Board Big bosom bash bodes bad ballad Rummaging through some old mail the other day, I came upon a newspaper clip a reader from Dallas, Texas, had sent along. “Bragging between two women over which of them had the bigger bo som escalated into a fight involving a hammer and a tire tool at a truck stop, police said...” Priceless — and there’s more: “Both women suffered cuts and bruises in the scrap that erupted early Sunday in the parking lot of Truck Stops of America in Mesquite, a sub urb of Dallas. “Witnesses told police the two women had been arguing over citi zens band radio at about 2 a.m. and agreed to meet at the truck stop to compare bosoms. “Police said one woman grabbed a tire tool and struck the other woman five times. Her victim grabbed a ham mer from her truck and began de fending herself, police said. “The woman with the tire tool was arrested for instigation of aggravated assault. The other woman was treated at Mesquite Community Hospital and released.” There was no date on the clip, so I called Truck Stops of America in Mesquite, Texas, to inquire. “It was about a year ago,” said the man who answered the phone at the truck stop. “It's all people talked about around here for weeks.” “I don’t think it ever came to Lewis Grizzard Syndicated Columnist court,” a policeman said. “But I do re- menber when I filled out the papers I nearly laughed my head off.” I asked the officer if he had any way of know ing which of the women did, in fact, have the largest bosom — the one with the hammer or the one with the tire tool — but he said something about being quite busy, and hung up on me. I think it happened like this. FIRST WOMAN: “Breaker 1-9, this is Chest-a-plenty.” SECOND WOMAN: “Chest-a- plenty, you’ve got Buxom Betty. So you think you got some big ’uns?” FIRST WOMAN: “10-4 on that, Buxom Betty. Biggest in Texas.” SECOND WOMAN: “Oh, yeah?” FIRST WOMAN: “Yeah. Meet me at the truck stop in Mesquite and I’ll make yours look like two peach seeds.” Regardless, there’s a country song in all this. Call it “The Ballad of the Texas Boob Brawl.” Are you listen ing, Hank Jr.? Copyright 1989, Cowles Syndicate The Battalion (USPS 045 360) Member of Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Conference The Battalion Editorial Board Scot Walker, Editor Wade See. Managing Editor Juliette Rizzo, Opinion Page Editor Fiona Soltes. City Editor Ellen Hobbs, Chuck Squatriglia, News Editors Tom Kehoe, Sports Editor Jay Janner, Art Director Dean Sueltenfuss, Lifestyles Editor Editorial Policy The Buil;ilinn is a non-profit, self-supporting newspa per operated as a comiminiiy service to Texas A&M and Brvan-Collcge Station. Opinions expressed in l he Battalion are those of the editorial Ixtard or the author, and do not necessarih 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 photographs 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 arc SI 7.4-1 per semester. $34.(>2 per school year and $3(1.44 per full sear. Adsertising rates furnished on request. Our address: The Battalion. ‘230 Reed McDonald. Texas AftM L'nisersits. College Station. TX 77843-1 111. Second class postage paid at College Station. TX 77843. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Battal ion. 21(5 Reed McDonald. Texas A&M L’nisersits. Col- leirr Station TV 77S!a t.-l 1 I 1' A' Rhbv soaked Carolines brace foi* more stormwaters The ups and downs of love Love is a mysterious thing. It can be the greatest feeling in the world. It can make you feel alive. It can make you feel as though you’re floating on air. (Kind of like when you ride the Rudder Tower elevators.) It can also be the worst feeling in the world. At times it can make you feel like nothing matters in your life. Not even soggy Cap’n Crunch could make you feel so bad. So why do we as human beings on this planet insist on dealing with such a roller coaster emotion? Perhaps it’s because we enjoy, a challenge. After all, love is a chal lenge, isn’t it? For instance', take blind dates. For both parties, it’s just a night of ner vous thoughts and sweaty foreheads. “Will he think I’m ugly? ” “Will she think I’m fat?” “What if she’s fat?” “What if he looks like Grimace or Big Bird?” You know the feeling. For the guy, there is the risk of wasting a lot of money (unless you go dutch or she pays.) For the girl, there is the risk of her date being either a total bore or an ugly pucker-hungry stallion. Either way it’s a risk. Even when you already know the person, asking them out for the first time can be a traumatic experience. The one thing the guy is hoping he doesn’t hear is, “Why don’t we just be friends?” Oh, that phrase eats at my heart! Then there’s the people that only Robbie Scichili Guest Columnist want you for your money. I’ve never had the fun of experiencing this be cause I have none. Here’s an early warning tip —when you notice your Visa card is in your date’s wallet more often then yours, it’s time to check and make sure that their wardrobe or compact disc collection hasn’t grown. After a while, it’s easy to take your loved one for granted. It’s a natural process, but one that can trigger a break-up down the road. If it hap pens, it could be a sign that this per son is not for you. Another sign of this is if you get the sudden urge to throw up when the other person is around. OK, enough of my ragging. Yes, there is such a thing as true love. I know. I’ve been there. I know what it’s all about. Candlelight dinners. Nights by the fireplace with a nice chilled Chablis. Picnics in the j^ark. Walking hand-in- hand through the mall. (Are you tak ing notes, guys?) Yeah, these are the things that love is made of.There are no guarantees, but true love can last forever. But why do we put ourselvesir position to get hurt? I mean, dowe run out to jump off a cliff,jusikj cause “it’s something to do?” I think it comes from a needinill of us for that special someone wkl makes us whole. I think we all ne# someone to share things with. Soiw] one we can lean on when things5 rough. The true definition of love giving of yourself. The sad partisllii sometimes this love doesn’t coi back. And that’s wfibre the risk lies, think it’s worth it. Love is like jura) ing off that cliff with a parachute on. We have confidence that chute will open, just as we haveconl deuce that our love with that perso will last. When you think about it, win would we get into a relationship if»: felt that someday it was going to enl That’s the challenge of love—mal ing it work. 1 know it sounds niii| (like oatmeal) but hey, isn’t love sup possed to be mushy? So why am I writing about this: Maybe because I’m looking for lost Obviously in all the wrong places.hf been looking for cliffs, but I can'tfind any good ones here in town. J I’ll go over to Rudder Tower andtt] to pick uj4 some cute brunette in elevators. Robbie Scichili is a senior joum lism major and a guest columnistkl The Battalion. Mail Call It’s all Greek to him EDITOR: Michael Kelley’s column in Monday’s Battalion seems to be a little misguided as it pertains to the Greek system. Michael stated that “Greeks don’t like competition.” The ironic thing is the fraternal system is not in competition with the Gorps. The Greeks are not out to manipulate the student body, but are helping people w ho want to feel more at ease in a social setting. Michael also said Greeks and the Gorps are “hardly similar.” Evidently, Mr. Kelley has not seen both sides of the fence. I, on the other hand, have experienced both. I am currently a member of a fraternity, and I attended New Mexico Military Institute before attending Texas A&M. Both schools (A&M and NMMI) have a rigorous military program. They both train a cadet to follow orders, use the chain of command, and stress social skills. The cadets from the institute that have attended both NMMI and later joined the Corps expressed the similarities between the two systems. Fraternities also teach a person to follow directions, build confidence in the individual and help in the development ofsocial skills. He also stated that “the Corps is not just some fraternity thatexists, like some Greek organizations.” Fraternities were founded long before the Corps marched its first stej^s. Mr. Kelley also said “the Corps also differs from Greek organizations in that anyone who wants to become a Corps member is free to doso.” Choice seems to be the dividing line here. If one wants to become a member of the Corps, it’s by choice. The samegoes for the Greek system. A person has to choose to attend rush functions. The only expense you have is the time interest and desire to become a brother or a sister. You do have to pay monthly dues to keep the organization running. I don’t call this buying a friend, but supporting the institution. Mr. Kelleyalso asked the question, “what have the Greeks as a whole ever done for Aggieland?” The list of Greek accomplishments is long and distinguished. Sigma Phi Epsilon’s Fight Night raised money for the American Heart Association. Pi Kappa Alpha has taken underprivileged children to Texas A&M games as a group. Phi Delta Theta’s all-University volleyball tourney has raised over $ 1,000 for the Lou Gehrig’s Foundation and the American Heart Association. Zeta Tau Alphasororit' has parties for less fortunate children at the YMCA. Almost every Greek organization on this campus is involved in some form of philanthropy. The editor’s headline was correct, “We are the Aggies j Corps, Non-reg and Greek.” The headline summed up what is actually true, but it is obvious Mr. Kelley used his own opinions, not the facts. Richard Ross ’90 World-class bonfire EDITOR: I am writing in response to that minute group of students here at Texas A&M who have recently been speaking out against some highly regarded traditions, 11$ notably bonfire. They say that regardless of the fact tha! the trees used on bonfire are in an area that will soon be bulldozed, that type of display is not worthy of a “world- class” university with “world-class” ideals. During bonfire two different groups with different lifestyles, the Corps and the non-regs, come together to work towards a single goal f or the good of all. With no concern about the physical strain, thousands of Aggiesgi' f f reely their spare time to do hard work without expecting anything in return, except for the satisfaction of a job well done. I don’t know what “world-class” ideals people find in conflict with bonfire, but if a spirit of cooperation and a work ethic are not considered to be “world-class” ideals, they certainly should be. Stephen Cox ’91 Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words in length. The editorial stall' serves the right to edit letters for style and length, hut will make every effort to tain the author's intent. Each letter must he signed and must include theclasdy tion. address and telephone number of the writer. JyS 3y Ci