The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, March 06, 1990, Image 2

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The Battalion
OPINION
Tuesday, March 6,1990
Mail Call
Silver Taps is worth the hassle
EDITOR:
Coriene Case thinks Silver Taps is “just not worth the hassle.” If they
weren’t friends of mine, why should I give a damn? That’s the attitude I get
from reading her letter.
An amazing reversal from last semester when she warned us that bonfire
is a silly, wasteful little tradition (destroys squirrel habitat, you know).
Case informs us that she “has a life,” and therefore can’t attend Silver
Taps. How fortunate for you that you do have your life. Yet it’s so very sad
that you, and people like you, are so caught up in your own personal little lives
and self-centered activities that you can’t even take just a few minutes to pay
respect to one of us who no longer has a life to live.
Where do you draw the line, Coriene? When do you stand up and put
out? An Aggie isn’t just an Aggie when it’s convenient.
I am so sick of hearing whining excuses for not going to Silver Taps. “I’ve
got three chapters to read,” or “I’ve got to get up early.”
I have lived off campus and I have driven to Silver Taps. I now live in Pur-
year Hall, a mere 300 feet from the Academic building. We go as a dorm, but
even here there are always those who have to “study”. I’m home in 15 min
utes; when I lived off campus, I was home in 30. That’s a long time? Most
study breaks last that long.
If you make a serious attempt to attend Silver Taps, you will find a great
big empty staff parking lot behind Law Hall, just waiting for you. There is no
parking problem.
If your time management skills are so poor that you can’t even spare 30
minutes, then by all means stay home and study. Just don’t make excuses for
not going!
It’s obvious that Case has a real problem with some of our most important
traditions here at A&M, but she shouldn’t feel alone. Two weeks ago The Bat
talion showed us that even its staff doesn’t know what day of the month Silver
l aps is held on. I’m going through Austin next week — I might be able to get
all of you in my truck.
Kevin Jimmerson ‘89
A lesson about atheism
EDITOR:
This letter is in response to the article, “Evil doesn’t prove,there is no
Cod,” by Ronda Sheppard.
This article was obviously written from a narrow-minded point of view by
a person who knows nothing about atheism. The question addressed was sim
ple enough: “Why is there evil in the world?” Unfortunately, Rhonda, you
never answered the question. Sure, you talked about good things that seem to
cancel out the bad things (in your mind, at least). It seems to me you ignored
the question you set out to answer.
By the way, what is “evil” anyway? A person’s personal concept of evil de
pends on their socialization and cultural backgorund. I'm sure a tribe of can
nibals would not believe they are “evil.”
How ethnocent ric of you, Rhonda.
Maybe you should think a little deeper about the subject you attempted to
write about. It’s a big world out there, and there are a lot of different religions
with different concepts of evil. Here are a few things I suggest you address in
your next attempt to write an article:
Think about your all-loving God who created the earth and said “believe
in me or else suffer infinite damnation.” Think about the concept of infinite
time relative to your (and the earth’s) finite existence. Think about evolution,
mythology, astromony, cosmology ...
Now you know that, as an atheist, I am not constantly dwelling on such a
flimsy concept as “evilness.” What of it?
Try keeping an open mind and viewing things from different angles, and
don’t write about things you don’t know about.
David Hague ‘92
Personal headphones should be allowed
EDITOR:
This semester 1 have been studying at the Browsing Library on the second
floor of the MSC. It is very peaceful and quiet there, unlike the regular li
brary. One of the many enjoyable features of this library is the music. You can
check out some headphones and listen to just about any type of music you
want.
My problem is that I wear glasses and the headphones they have cover the
entire ear. After a long period of wear the headphones begin to bother me
because they put pressure on the top of my ears 'and the ear hooks of my
glasses.
Today, I decided I would bring my own headphones, the kind used for
walkmans. When I told the lady at the counter I had my own headphones, she
told me 1 could not use them. I asked why and she said because it is a rule. I
asked her why it is a rule, but she said it did not matter because it is a rule.
I told her l would check out their headphones but use mine. She told me
no. I then seated myself and plugged my headphones in, but she came out
and unplugged them. I asked her again why and she said it was a rule. She
even showed me their manual which had the rule, but it did not say why.
I understand that there are many rules all over campus, and I understand
most of them because there is a reason for their existence. I am not trying to
be a jerk, but if I can bring in my own tapes and ask to listen to them and if I
can listen to other people’s music (they have six or eight tape players), why
can’t I use my own headphones? Or, at least, why can’t someone tell me the
reason?
Mauricio Freyre ‘90
Have an opinion? Express it!
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. There is no guarantee that
letters submitted will be printed. Each letter must be signed and must include the classif ication, address and
telephone number of the writer. All letters may be brought to 216 Reed McDonald, or sent to Campus Mail
Stop 1111.
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
Faedrick 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.
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.
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Donald, Texas A&M University, College Sta
tion, TX 77843-111 1.
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POSTMASTER: Send address changes to ’
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A&M University, College Station TX 77843-
4111. '
Opinion Page Editor
Ellen Hobbs
hjesc:
The Big Event is coming to A&M
The Event is coming. You know, the
Big one. The Event that’s one of the
Biggest of the year. The one that
involves literally thousands of students
and has a really Big impact on the B-CS
community. The one you can be a part
of. It’s the event of the season.
It’s the Big Event, and it’s happening
March 24.
It’s no ordinary event. This year, it is
estimated that approximately 6,000
students will mobilize for this massive
community service project that is quickly
becoming one of the largest of its type in
the nation. The A&M student body
cares about the B-CS community and its
people, and it shows.
And the people of this community
will find that this year’s Big Event will be
even bigger and better than before.
Changes to the seventh annual program
will include the addition of new areas of
B-CS to its agenda, a Special Olympics
softball tournament at the College
Station Central Park and a Brazos Food
Drive for the hungry.
The Big Event doesn’t discriminate,
either. Every student at A&M can
volunteer themselves or their group for
the project, and students can even
specifically request the type of
community service activity that they
would like to participate in. To do this,
however, students must sign up
themselves or their group by March 9.
All it takes is one phone call to the
student government of fice.
Inevitably, there are those students
who will think, “Why should I get up on
a Saturday morning just to go pick up
trash on the side of some highway or
paint some house? I’m too busy with
school and other activities to spend my
time volunteering for some service
project. What’s one less person to the
Big Event anyway?”
But for every excuse there is not to
volunteer your time for the Big Event,
Damon
Arhos
Assistant Opinion
Page Editor
dumpster full. Over 40,000 brushes
would paint more than a few houses,]
And one less person partic ipating
means there will be one less hand
helping out.
MThe
many more reasons exist why you
should join this effort. It is kind of like
the commercial that suggests that if
everyone just gave 5 hours every week
to your favorite cause, many of the
world’s problems would be eradicated.
The same goes for the Big Event. If
every student would volunteer his time
for the project, just think of the impact
it would have on this community and
our University. One can of food from
every student would amass over 40,000
cans. One piece of trash picked up from
the side of the highway by each student
would be quite a bit more than a
Then there are the benefits thatu
student gains from participation inil
project: the comeraderie that is
from working with fellow Aggies to
a common goal; the working
relationships that are developed frot
participating with members fromth
group or organization; the prideth:
they have knowing that you have
improved the community and helped
others. While these rewards may seci
little in view of the activities themselt
the experience and self-esteem gaine
from them can prove to be invaluablt
So, go ahead. Give the student
government office a call and ask tost
up for the Big Event. Believe me,a!n
ity
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the last piece of trash is picked up,tit
last house is painted and the last can
donated — vou’ll be glad that you did Livestoc
Damon Arhos is a senior joumli*
major.
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Moral Aggies should help ban bonfir
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The students at T exas A&M take
pride in their traditions because those
traditions are good traditions: good in
the sense of contributing to personal
value, school spirit, leadership and
comradery. Few Aggies would maintain
that a practice (like hazing, sexual
harrassment or racism) must be
protected simply becasue it has been the
norm for years or because its rejection
on moral grounds
would offend
some current or
former students.
No doubt there
are mean-spirited
Aggies; no doubt
there are sexist
Aggies; no doubt
there are bigoted
and racist Aggies
— all of whom
argue that their
beliefs are
grounded in the
traditions of this
University. But
hiding behind
tradition to support an immoral practice
violates everything this University
stands for.
Like most immoral behavior, the
destruction of the environment when
building bonf ire is never presented as a
moral question at all. We hear that the
land is to be cleared regardless of
whether or not the wood is used for
bonfire, just as we hear that hazing,
sexual harrasment and racism will occur
no matter w hat the University does. So,
the argument goes, if this enviromental
evil is to occur anyway, why should we
not take advantage of it?
Stephen H.
Daniel
Reader’s Opinion
To this I answer simply: It is because
the practice is wrong. The students of
this University, as caretakers of the
planet and morally sensitive citizens, do
not need to endorse or legitimize the
immorality of others in order to
continue a practice that, whatever its
history is here, is nationally recognized
as fundamentally immoral. Suggestions
that other trees be planted for every
tree burned are only attempts to placate
our consciences by saying it is
permissible to do something wrong as
along as we balance it with something
right (or with something that at least
counteracts a negative, anti-
enviromental public image).
The moral argument against bonfire
is not against developing school spirit or
leadership, and is not primarily
concerned with the lost hours of studies,
the liabilities of possible injuries, the
damage to homes in the area of the fire
or even the pollution made by burning
the logs. The moral argument is
fundamentally an invitation to think
about what this systematic destruction
of forests means from a moral
standpoint and not simply from the
standpoint of what is legal or popular
from a public relations perspective.
Just as we are not obligated to suggest
alternatives about how gangs bent on
attacking African-Americans might
better develop their spirit of fellowship.
morally conscientious individualshai
no obligation to dictate alternatives.ii
bonfire. Aggies are resourceful;
no doubt that they will find non
destructive ways of expressing theit
pride and commitment.
All of us, though, have a responsi!
to educate one another and especial
former students about how the
changing conditions of the planet hi
elevated environmental concernsfre
simply technologiciil problems toett
issues. We need to spread thewordi
a good Ag is a morally good person!
one who holds on to a practice like
sexual harrassment or racial exclusit
because it’s done that way.
Furthermore, once we recognizel!
immoral character of the bonfirec
there is no middle position. Just as
sexism or racism cannot be condone
even in moderation, so also even the
reduced destruction associated wi
smaller bonfire cannot be rational
on moral grounds.
Admittedly, this is a harsh message
but one that takes the high road rath
than the low one of seeing how mud
longer the University will be permitlf
socially or legally, to condone an
immoral practice. Before we are for
to change, why not acknowledge thi
wrong and recommit the University
the ideals of responsible stewardship
proper to a land-grant institution.
Editor’s note: A Faculty Senate ad
hoc committee is soliciting opinions
bonfire at an open hearing tonight
from 4-5:30 p.m. in 338 Psychology
Stephen H. Daniel is an associatt
professor in the philosophy
department and the faculty advisor
Aggies Against Bonfire.
I
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Adventures In Cartooning
by Don Atkinson Ji