The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, February 19, 1990, Image 2

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    TheE
The Battalion
OPINION
Mond
Monday, February 19,1990
Opinion Page Editor
Ellen Hobbs
Sometimes
traditions
should die
People say that everything that hap
pens twice at Texas A&M is a tradition.
We’re very attached to our tradition of
traditions, and we fight it when it’s time
to give one up.
But some of our traditions just aren’t
useful anymore, if they ever were be
fore. They’ve become a nuisance and it’s
time for them to go.
Don’t get worried — I’m not talking
about ending Silver Taps or not letting
Reveille go to biology anymore. Most of
the traditions I’m talking about are of a
smaller scale than that.
I know that it’s hard to let a tradition
die, but here are a few traditions that
should go the way of seniors’ exemp
tions from finals:
• The driving-through-parking-
lots-recklessly-and-at-high-speeds tra
dition. Sure, when A&M was smaller it
wasn’t quite as dangerous, but now there
are just too many people on campus for
it to be safe to try to get the Buick up to
65 m.p.h. in the Fish Lot.
This problem has spread off campus,
too. You shouldn’t have to risk your life
to get your groceries from the store to
your trunk.
• The stepping-in-front-of-oncom-
ing-traffic tradition. A&M is a pedes
trian-oriented campus, but are you
going to trust the same people who
drive like Speed Racer in the parking
lots to stop on a dime when you walk in
front of them on your way to the Com
mons?
• The riding-bicycles-with-no-re-
gard-for-others-or-yourself tradition.
Strangers to the A&M campus might
think that it was against the law for any
one but suicidal sadists to ride a bike
here. Even some people who aren’t
strangers to A&M might think that.
Bikers need to pay attention to the
traffic laws, stay on the streets instead of
the sidewalks, and, when they have to be
on the sidewalks, slow down, for the
sake of themselves as well as the pedes
trians. Blood-splattered spandex is not a
pretty sight.
• The driving-around-honking-the-
Aggie-War-Hymn-at-S-a.m. tradition.
If you’re feeling proud of A&M and
want to proclaim it by honking your
horn, try to limit yourself to honking be
tween the hours of noon and 11 p.m.
Almost every Aggie is proud to be at
A&M, but if you wake them up by hap
pily honking ‘Hullabaloo’ on your horn,
they might not feel so proud to be in
school with you.
• The whining-about-parking-and-
construction tradition. Parking sucks.
The construction sucks. I know they
suck. We all know they suck. And I
don’t want to hear it anymore.
Instead of just complaining, do some
thing about it. Get together with your
fellow Ags and deluge the responsible
people with mail. A few thousand angry
letters might do the trick.
• The leaving-Battalion-advertis-
ing-inserts-lying-all-over-sidewalk tra
dition. It takes very little effort to hang
on to the insert when you pick up The
Batt and throw it away in a trash can. It’s
embarrassing that the same college stu
dents who complain about ugly con
struction and the ugly apartheid shanty
can’t even keep their own ugly garbage
off the campus.
There. That’s just a few traditions we
could do without. And if you don’t like
it, Highway 6 runs both ways (Oh, sorry.
That’s a pretty stupid tradition too.).
Ellen Hobbs is a junior journalism
major.
Mail Call
Religion should be offered, not forced
EDITOR:
I am a Christian, and I am writing in response to a recent opinion printed
in The Battalion protesting against this campus’ “religious zealots.” I agree
with what the letter said, and I will say it myself: Religion should not be forced
upon people. The purpose of religion is to praise the One who created it. It
should not be forced, only offered. To those who read this, I extend this hy
pothesis: What if everything I believe in is wrong? What if there is no God,
and there is no heaven or hell? Then 1 will die and become worm food having
lived a very misled life and done a lot of ridiculous things (including writing
this letter). OK. BUT before anyone does any “microphone shoving” down
“religious zealots’” throats, what if when Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth,
and the Life, and the only way to get to God,” ... what if it’s true?
dents and faculty? I don’t know, but next time A&M must improveom
don’t you think there are things that are more appropriate to spendm
on? We need to take this seriously because students learn from theirs;
environment as well as from their classrooms.
PLH
Derek Ryter
Graduate student
Cyclists should obey traffic laws
Joey Haveman
Adoption sensible but not practical
EDITOR:
Is it my imagination, or do the bicyclists on campus have a ticket toll
any and all traffic laws, hit any unsuspecting pedestrians they choose,
through the grass that others have been asked to avoid and showatotaid
gard for common courtesy? Today I was hit by a cyclist for the ui
time, and I’m fed up! There are those, of course, who are courteous
to respect the rights of those of us who walk from class to class, but there
too many cyclists who have taken advantage of their mobility. How
times have you driven up Ireland only to notice a cyclist heading them
EDITOR:
I write this is response to the letter written by Casey Mod in the Feb. 8 edi
tion of The Battalion regarding his response to my first letter. Apparently he
missed the “practical value” of my so-called “extreme viewpoint,” so I want to
clarif y it for him.
When I stated that the abortion issue is a waste of time, I meant that we
can debate the issue until we are all dead. However, during that time some
poor child who is here now is suffering because of neglect. That child needs
our attention too. It appears that Casey did not understand when I stated
these neglected children today are our future. I want literate and competent
people running our country when we grow old, not a group of people who
feel spiteful because we slighted their early presence. We all want to save the
life of an unborn child, but it seems that we don’t want much to do with them
once they get here. An option that pro-life people give is adoption. This is
very sensible but not practical. Are you aware of how hard it is to get black and
hispanic children adopted? I am not saying abortion is right. I am saying let us
take care of those who are here now. They are just as important as the ones
who may still come.
way directly toward you and giving you the “go-to-he**!” look forhonli tion a
How many buses or cars have you seen come inches from hitting cyclists
turning on to Ross from Ireland as they blatantly run the stop sign? lit ag e
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“STOP” — not “STOP IF YOU CAN’T SQUEEZE BETWEEN TRAFFIC
Maybe the University Police Department should make a concerted el
to see that the bicyclists on campus obey the same traffic laws that there
us are compelled to adhere to, not only for the safety of ourselves, but also
those around us.
If the police can’t resolve the situation, maybe the rest of the student
take it upon themselves to purchase, for a nominal fee of course, a steel rot
throw in the spokes of disrespectful cyclists. After all, that would be
dangerous than they are when they speed up to a group of pedestrianso
sidewalk and expect us to move wherever it is “convenient.”
Should any other students or anyone have suggestions on a solution lot
long neglected problem, I’m all ears.
Paul Grupe ’91
Joy L. Marshall ’91
Silver Taps not worth ‘hassle’
Student comments on campus problems
EDITOR:
I would just like to make a couple of observations and comments about the
things I see going on around campus. Before that though, I’d like to say that
this is my first year here and I don’t know exactly where priorities lie, but
some things do stand out. First, the traffic on campus does appear to be a
problem. This is not a shock to me, but what the University planners are
doing about it is. It appears that money is being spent to expand the streets
leading onto campus and to build a new parking facility. It seems that this
would increase the number of speeding cars entering campus. As I attempt to
walk and cycle about, this concerns me. I would rather see more proximal
parking and shuttle buses.
Furthermore, I feel that addressing issues such as the quality of life on
campus, (i.e. water quality — which I have tested chemically and found to be
worse than the College Station or Bryan municipal water in concentrations of
impurities), or the slow and cumbersome registxation system. This might
serve those on campus a bit better. A top institution needs a solid and efficient
infrastructure to support its growth.
Is the automobile more important than the safety, health and time of stu-
EDITOR:
In reference to Carl K. Gilpin’s letter on February 14, I would just lilt
say that Silver T aps is indeed a wonderful tradition, but let’s face it Carl,
of us do have lives! Some may have a test the following morning ora;
rnents due, not to mention personal obligations or emergencies. Manyof
have to get up early every morning to go to work and/or school. Youcerte
cannot expect the Aggies who live off campus to drive all the way over he
10 p.m., attempt to find a parking space, and truck over to the ceremony
just not worth the hassle. Just because we cannot attend some ceremonyl#
not mean we do not want to pay our respects to “fellow Aggies whob
passed on.”
Give it a rest, Carl.
Coriene M. Case ’91
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Have an opinion? Express it!
Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words in length. The editorial staff reserves the ng
for style and length, but will make every effort to maintain the author's intent. There is no gmmntai
letters submitted will be printed. Each letter must be signed and must include the classification, mUmi
telephone number of the writer. All letters may be brought to 216 Reed McDonald, or sent to (
Stop 1111.
A&M police don’t deserve all criticism they g;
T he Texas A&M University Police
Department is sometimes the target of
undeserved criticism and a great deal of
misunderstanding. I have had the
unique opportunity of interacting with
officers in our police department on
official business, and I found out some
very interesting things.
OK, one more time, the University
Police Department is separate,
completely separate, completely and
totally separate, from the Department
of Parking, Transit and Traffic. This
means, of course, that the University
Police officers do not write parking
tickets. That is the responsibility of the
parking patrol officers.
Our University Police Department is
composed of 40 professional men and
women who have obtained an average
of 84 hours of college education each.
We have 15 officers who have earned a
bachelor of science degree, one who has
earned a law degree and two who have
earned their associate degrees. In
addition to this, 10 of our officers are
currently pursuing bachelor’s degrees,
five are working on their master’s
degrees and one is pursuing a Ph.D.
Furthermore, each of our UPD
officers have received an average of
1,055 hours of law enforcement
training. This is 655 hours above the
400 hours of training that the state
requires. As far as experience is
measured, our UPD officers have an
Kevin
Buchman
Reader’s Opinion
average of nearly six years each at Texas
A&M University and over a year and a
half with another police department.
The Texas Commission on Law
Enforcement Officers’ Standards and
Education has identified three areas
into which officers are categorized:
basic, intermediate and advanced. At
A&M, 18 of our officers are classified in
the basic category, 10 in the
intermediate and 12 in advanced.
Furthermore, 12 of our officers are
certified to teach law enforcement
courses.
A fairly recent development in our
UPD is the creation of a crime
prevention unit. As a professional, full-
service department, the Texas A&M
University Police is committed to
serving the faculty, staff and students of
the A&M campus community.
Lieutenant Bert Kretzschmar and
Officer Betty LeMay have been assigned
to direct the unit. Their goal is to create
a safe and secure environment at A&M
through education. Contrary to popular
belief, A&M is not immune from the
criminal element. The crime prevention
unit was not established to merely
emphasize the negative aspects of crime
on campus, but rather to extend well
beyond that to educate the A&M
community on how to prevent crime
from occurring.
This unit is responsible for
conducting building security surveys to
measure the vulnerability of certain
areas to crime, as well as being available
to organizations (especially student
organizations), to provide lectures and
seminars on topics such as theft
protection, property protection,
personal safety, burglary, office
security, assault, sexual assault and drug
abuse. If you would like to contact
someone within this unit for additional
information, please phone 845-2345.
The University Police Department
Crime Prevention Unit is dedicated to
meeting your needs in preventing and
combating criminal activity.
Campus security is most definitely the
responsibility of us, the students, as well
as the UPD. We often criticizes
do not understand. We shouldr
that we are not living in at
College Station. We are justas
vulnerable to criminal activit)
we were in Houston, Dallas,S
Antonio, Austin and Bridget
UPD officers are working very!
protect us, but we need to be
responsible enough to take the
necessary sensible precautionsiol
protect ourselves as well.
I urge you to become involved'!
the issue of campus security. If ysf
that you have a legitimate compl*
with or a sincere compliment foul
University Police Department,]:
call me at the Student Governing
office at 845-3051 or at home at#
7206 or the Police Departmental^
8058.
Kevin Buchman is a senionft
communication major and theM
student body president.
As with all columns, viewpok
expressed in Reader’s Opinml
not necessarily those of The Bain
Persons interested in subwittwp
Reader’s Opinion should contan l
Opinion Page Editor at 845-33il '
E
c
f
r
Adventures In Cartooning
by Don Atkinson
The Battalion
(USPS 045 360)
Member of
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Conference
The Battalion Editorial Board
Scot Walker, Editor
Monique Threadgill,
Managing Editor
Ellen Hobbs, Opinion Page Editor
Melissa Naumann, City Editor
Cindy McMillian, Lisa Robertson,
News Editors
Richard Tijerina, Sports Editor
Fredrick D. Joe, Art Director
Mary-Lynne Rice, Lifestyles Editor
Editorial Policy
The Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting
newspaper 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 represent the opinions of
Texas A&M administrators, faculty or the
Board of Regents.
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Friday during Texas A&M regular semesters,
except for holiday and examination periods.
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