The Battalion
OPINION
Friday, October 27,1989
Opinion Page Editor Juliette Rizzo 845-32I
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frida
Be smart: do not believe
everything you read
Hullabaloo! magazine’s printing of bogus parking coupons was
a reckless and irresponsible act that inconvenienced many students
and the Department of Parking, Transit and Traffic Services. The
ad also may have damaged HullabalooFs credibility, a quality that
all reputable publications strive to maintain.
However, it raises an issue that isn’t often addressed on this
campus, but is something that everybody has heard: Don’t believe
everything you read.
As college students, we should challenge ideas. Things that ap
pear too good to be true almost always are.
If we, those who are considered “educated” in the United
States, cannot identify and investigate false claims and ideas, who
will stop the Jim Bakkers who lie on the horizon?
Remember to think. It’s what college is supposed to be all
about.
The Battalion Editorial Board
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Juliette
■Rizzo
Opinion Page Editor
Some say it’s not who you are but
what you wear. But in many of today’s
learning institutions, what you wear
may prevent you from getting an edu
cation, which is the key to becoming
who you are.
Many schools, especially high
schools, across the nation are attempt
ing to revive stricter student dress
codes, because school administrators
claim student attire has a direct corre
lation to student behavior in a class
room environment.
In an article in the Oct. 23 issue of
People magazine, Gary Marx, associate
executive director of the American As
sociation of School Administrators,
said, “The school has become the place
where the limits are being tested.”
It is obvious from the article that
many school administrators and par
ents believe “sloppy duds make sloppy
minds.” I disagree not oydy with this
premise but with their definition of
sloppy.
Flashy jewelry, bandannas, short
mini skirts, muscle shirts (bare biceps),
boxers (underwear worn as outer
wear), long trendy tresses on males and
leather jackets are not my definition of
sloppy. But these so-called fashion
faux pas, among others, have sparked
controversies which have resulted in
student suspensions and a significant
number of withdrawals by students
who, aside from the way they dress, are
generally well-behaved and diligently
attend school.
What school administrators fail to
realize is that they should be thankful
students are in school, regardless of
how they are dressed. Clothing is a
means of expression, and under the
Bill of Rights we are all guaranteed
that freedom.
The argument that clothes affect
learning shouldn’t get in the way of ed
ucation. Making mandatory dress
codes and then reinforcing them with
severe disciplinary action is by no
means the best way to keep students in
school. Contrary to most administra
tors’ beliefs, its the outlandish dress
codes, not the revealing or offensive
clothing, that contribute to why stu
dents rebel, drop out and fail classes.
Travis and Brian Wilkinson of
Houston have been out of public
school for a year, because they refused
to trim their long hair. At another high
school, when hair beyond collar-length
was banned, 37 boys were suspended.
And as recent as this school year, stu
dents at Taylor High School in Hous
ton’s Katy Independent School District
have been limited to wearing black
clothes no more than three times a
week, because the color symbolizes the
occult and depression. Concert shirts,
earrings on males also are forbidden.
Across the United States, the list of
fashion “no-nos” is endless. Back when
I was in junior high school in Dallas,
boys couldn’t wear muscle shirts be
cause “arm hair could be a turn-on.” In
Baltimore schools, high-priced apparel
such as animal skin jackets have been
banned to “eliminate competition to be
best-dressed.” Gold chains, ripped
jeans and tie-dyed shirts have been
banned elsewhere. The only school I
agree with is the one in Los Angeles
that outlawed accessories like message
beepers to eliminate drug dealing.
Schools across the states have
banned too much, thus infringing on
students’ rights — the right to express
oneself and the right to learn. Teach
ers should concentrate more on teach
ing and disciplining students to study
instead of disciplining them for how
they come to class.
Although school administrators be
lieve they are preparing students for
the “real world,” they are in fact de
priving them of real learning experi
ences, those that deal with real people.
The dress codes that administrators
enforce are somewhat short-lived any
way.
In college, students are responsible
for the way they dress themselves.
A&M doesn’t have a strict dress code,
but according to the Student Life Reg
ulations section (Part II # 67) of the
Texas A&M University Regulations
handbook, “Members of the faculty
and staff have the authority and re
sponsibility to maintain responsible
standards of student dress and groom
ing within their respective classroom-
s...and other areas of public presenta
tions for which they are responsible.”
Responsible standards of dress
should be maintained in all schools, but
the responsibility of what to wear
should be left to the individual’s discre
tion. We are a reflection of what we
wear, and we should have enough
pride in ourselves to make good im
pressions on others.
In college, you can’t tell a professor
you failed a test because you couldn’t
concentrate because the guy next to
you had on ripped jeans. I’ve seen it all
at A&M: blinding fluorescent clothes,
ripped clothes, guys with longer hair
than mine in pony tails, clothes that
leave nothing to the imagination, and
and even striped, brown and blond
hair (and those are just my co-work
ers).
Through it all, I’ve still been able to
attend class and study undistracted. As
long as black clothing (virtually my en
tire wardrobe) isn’t banned, I’ll be fine.
If black were banned, I’d have to go
naked, and I don’t think the adminis
tration would consider that responsible
dressing.
Juliette Rizzo is a senior journalism
major and opinion page editor for The
Battalion.
Susan
McAloon
Guest columnist
I have a problem, a problem that
causes me a good deal of pain. It’s be
ing left-handed in a right-handed
world. (Isn’t there a country-western
song by that title? There should be.)
Being a “leftie” generally doesn’t
cause a lot of problems for me, maybe a
few hassles with scissors and irons,
nothing major. Nothing, that is, until I
get to class and look for a desk.
Now you’d think there would be an
abundance of desks for lefties at an in
stitution like Texas A&M, one that is
proud of its reputation for being inno
vative and unbiased. Ha! I can’t tell you
the number of times I’ve come home at
the end of a day and had to untwist my
self from the pretzel-like shape I be
came while trying to write at a desk de
signed for “righties.” Is there no
In an informal survey conducted by
myself and two other lefties on cam
pus, we came up with a brief synopsis
of conditions for lefties in a few build
ings on the A&M campus. Our find
ings are listed alphabetically by build
ing. They’re rated on a scale from one
to five; one meaning there are leftie
desks available and five meaning hos
tile anti-leftie territory:
Academic (5): Horrible. No leftie
desks to be found. Extremely hostile.
Plan on painful contortions from writ
ing at ancient desks designed for
dwarfs.
Harrington (2): The desks extent
too far in front of your body. Perhap
they’re designed to accommodate
tant students having arms growingou:
of the center of their chests. Pretty
comfortable, hostile for lefties.
O&M (5): Who designed
desks, anyway? Too close to yon:
neighbor, not to mention nowhere
put your feet. No leftie desks.
mercy:
Blocker (2): Hallelujah! In the
rooms where the desks are free and
unbound to the floor, there are a few
leftie desks shoved in corners and
against walls. In the lecture halls, no
leftie desks are to be found. Neverthe
less, friendly territory for lefties.
Francis (4): Another leftie night
mare, although the desks are a little
bigger than in the Academic Building.
Uncomfortable.
I don’t want very much from lift
freedom from oppression, McDoo
aid’s, ball games, straight A’s. I don
think it’s too much to ask thattherebf
desks provided for us “southpaws."
We are not mutants, and we area
rising minority. It’s time that our needs
were voiced and accommodated. Pm
the lefty desks at the end of rowsjntlif
back of rooms, anywhere! But do i
soon. My chiropractor is making a for
tune!
iy Par
Hal
Memb
tumes
Susan McAloon is a senior Engliil ^
major and a guest columnist for Tin
Battalion.
Mail Call
Phony ad funny
EDITOR:
As an off-campus student used to having my
parking areas continually taken away for dorm
students, conferences, etc., I was greatly amused upon
finding the “Free Parking Pass” in the Oct. 15 issue of
Hullaballoo magazine. The ad gave me a much-needed
laugh and was just clean fun. I cannot believe anyone
who parks on campus (or tries to) would actually believe
the coupon, especially with dates on which school was
not in session and the statement “void where prohibited
by law” plainly printed on the coupon itself.
Sure it was a ruse, but it did two things. It brought
attention to the parking nightmare at Texas A&M in a
light-hearted way and hopefully separated those with
some common sense from the hopelessly gullible.
Surely if some naive student actually believed the
coupon and suffered the consequences, he would have
learned a valuable lesson. Although a $10 parking ticket
may sting a bit, it teaches students to read the fine print
and investigate, rather than obligingly accept any scam
that sounds too good to be true.
College is a learning experience, and not all of it
comes from books. I commend the designer of the
advertisement for making people think, and allowing
those of us who can appreciate a good joke the
opportunity to enjoy it.
Marilyn P. Ambler ’89
themselves out of their situation.
Don’t malign such a statement as a simplistic,
idealistic solution to the problems of poverty. The truth
is that the poor can dig themselves out of their hole by
working hard enough and long enough. My own
parents began far poorer than what is considered to be
“poverty-stricken” now. The important factor that
determines the road out of poverty today is the
willingness to forsake short-sighted “escapes.” If the
easy avenues of escape are dismissed, then anyone can
climb to the top.
Unfortunately, the crack pipe often looks like a
quicker way to satisfaction than years of school and hard
work. The explanations of the middle and upper class
problems are a little simpler. Without the excuse of a
bleak or harsh daily existence, the problem becomes an
inablility to deal with the everyday problems of life. If
money creates a hollow existence for an individual, then
the person has a problem, not the society.
In summation, I too can understand the desire to
escape. The difference is that I consider such escapes
the weak way out of life. I feel that the people who
abuse drugs and commit suicide do not necessitate a re
examination of American values, but a re-examination
of the personal or individual values.
David N. Brooks ’93
Be friendly at Yell Practice
Re-examine personal values
The Battalion
(USPS 045 360)
Member of
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Conference
The Battalion Editorial Board
Scot O.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 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
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POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Battal
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lege Station TX 77843-4 111.
EDITOR:
In Adam Matheiu’s October 24 column on
American values he makes some interesting (and truly
frightening) points about our society. Unfortunately,
his analysis of two of our worst problems contains some
terrible misconceptions. The problems that Mr.
Mathieu dealt with were suicide and drug abuse. In
essence, Mr. Mathieu applauds the addicts and the
suicidal for raising the consciousness of the nation.
According to his article, American society owes such
people the plaudit of scrutinizing the reasons behind
the methf of escape.
I can’t agree. The most important facet of American
society rests on a fact that Mr. Mathieu totally missed.
He even stated it within his article: “The status quo
ALMOST always wins.” Correct. But if no one attempts
to change it, it can’t help but win. The beauty of
America has always been that everyone, no matter how
inconsequential, has the opportunity to change things
around them. What people who lose themselves
through drugs or suicide don’t realize is that the status
quo DOESN'T ALWAYS win.
Admittedly, there are some terrible problems in
society today. Unfortunately, the answers to these
problems aren’t to run away from them in a drug-
induced haze or self-perpetuated annihiliation. The
“escapes” do cut across socio-economic boundaries.
However, I submit that the problems of each class can
be solved from within, as opposed to being “escaped”
from. The opportunity exists for the poor to work
EDITOR:
I have a question for those “die-hard” Aggies out
there:
If you are for the opposing football team, are you
not allowed to attend Midnight Yell Practice?
The reason I am wondering about this is because at
the Yell Practice for the Houston game, a guy from
Houston was standing a few rows away from me and,
stupid guy, he didn’t want to “hump-it” with all the
Aggies. Now, if you are from the opposing team,
shouldn’t you want to participate with the Aggies and
cheer against your own team? This jerk didn’t want to,
so he got what he deserved — I think every word in the
book was shouted at him. Then he had the nerve to
actually do the Houston sign, and of course he was
rightfully punished by most of the people around him
— cups, ice, and anything else that could be found was
thrown at him, as well as enough insults to last a
lifetime.
Call me a two-percenter, but I don’t think it’s right
to treat people this way. I thought that as Aggies we are
supposed to be friendly people. I guess this friendliness
does not extend outside our campus. Please set me
straight on my question, because I have some friends
from t.u. who plan to come for the game, and I would
like to know if they would be allowed to attend Yell
Practice.
Laura Dean ’90
Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words in length. The editorial stafi
reserves the right to edit letters for style and length, but will make every effort 11
maintain the author’s intent. Each letter must be signed and must include W
I