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The Battalion
OPINION
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Monday^March 26,1990
Opinion Page Editor
Ellen Hobbs
845-33'
Voting ‘yes’ could improve health center
On March 29, the students of'Texas
A&M will make a very important
decision. On that day we will be voting
on the Health Center Referendum. If
passed, our health center fee will be
increased from $15 a semester to $25 a
semester. I am writing to urge you to
support this proposed increase.
At the beginning of my term in April
1989, I met with Dr. John Koldus, the
vice president for student services, to
express my concerns about the quality of
health care we were receiving at the A.P.
Beutel Health Center. Koldus informed
me that he was in the process of
arranging for a comprehensive
evaluation of the health center to be
performed by a team of the top
physicians and health center directors
from across the country. He invited me
to be a part of the evaluation process
and I enthusiastically accepted.
The evaluation team was impressed
with many aspects of our center. As far
as physical capabilities are concerned
(diagnostic equipment, size, potential
services, etc.) our health center was
ranked as one of the top three in the
nation.
The primary problem identified with
the center was the lack of staff and staff
support to accomodate our large and
diverse student body. The reason our
health center is understaffed is because
it does not, at this time, have the money
to obtain the necessary physicians,
nurses, assistants and other workers to
provide an adequate level of health care.
As I mentioned earlier, our health
center fee is $ 15 a semester. To put this
in perspective, I have included some
information on the health center fees at
other universities comparable in size to
A&M:
• University of Texas — $40.60 per
semester.
• University of Georgia — $ 106 per
semester.
• Uousiana State University — $40
per semester.
• University of Oklahoma — $40 per
semester.
• Virginia Commonwealth
University — $56 per semester.
• University of Rochester — $ 104
per semester.
Kevin
Buchman
Reader’s Opinion
• I exas Tech University — $25 per
semester.
Even with an increase in our fee, our
total payment of $25 to the health
center will be significantly lower than a
majority of other comparable
universities.
What will the fee increase do for our
health center? The benefits include but
are not limited to the increase the
number of staff members by three
physicians, two nurses, two clerical
support staff and two nursing assistants.
This staff member increase will result
in significantly shorter waiting times in
the clinic. It will also permit longer visits
with the physicians. This will provide
more time for you to explain your
health concerns to the physician and
discuss them with him or her. The
opportunities for consultation between
physicians in the health center will be
increased. Time will be available for the
physicians to continue their education
so that they will constantly improve
their health treatment skills.
In January alone, which includes te
last two weeks of Christmas vacation
and the first two weeks of the spring
semester, 5,309 patients were treated by
the health center. As one can plainly
see, our eight physicians are
tremendously overworked.
Furthermore, they are underpaid. If we
do not provide them with additional
resources soon, we will begin to lose
them to private practice.
This proposal has my sincere
endorsement. I hope you too find it to
be unquestionably beneficial to the
student body of Texas A&M. I urge you
to vote “yes” for the Health Center
Referendum on March 29. If you have
any questions or concerns regarding this
issue, please contact me at my office,
845-3051, or at home, 846-7206. Thank
you for your support.
Kevin Buchman is a senior speech
communications major and Texas A&M
Student Body President.
Ellen
Hobbs
Opinion Page Editor
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If (day ton Williams’latest screw-up
doesn't show that he is not fitforthe
governorship of Texas, we might as«
get ready to relax and enjoy four yean
of bumbling gubernatorial leadership,
When the start of the work dayatlit
ranch was delayed bv fog Saturday,
Williams told workers and agroupof
reporters he invited out to see the
spring roundup that weather was like
rape.
“If it’s inevitable, just relaxandenjt
it,” Williams is reported assaying.
Williams apologized later, sayinght
was sorry if anyone was offended,but
told reporters that it was just a joke in
“barnyard’’ language. He said hedidn
think it was fair that he was being
condemned for the remark since he
made it outside at a t ow camp with
working men, not at “a Republican
women’s club.”
And this man could be our next
governor.
But he certainly shouldn’t be.
Because of the remark, Williamsftt
been criticized by his opponents as
And this man could be our i
governor.
MA(teM£S
Mail Call
Let’s give a whoop for intolerance
RCC employees need to change attitudes
EDITOR:
I am writing in reply to Wehner and Tomlin’s letter, and all I can say is:
way to go! Their intolerance of others’ opinions is admirable, their attempt to
supress individual freedom is world-class, and their total lack of maturity in
dealing with the entire situation is commendable.
Perhaps the best way to deal with these two-percenters is to revert to Old
Army. Return to an all-Corps A&M. If we all look alike, dress alike and act
alike, maybe we’ll all think alike! As for those who still try to be different, well,
a few crap-out’s, come-by’s and fire watches never hurt anyone. Besides, it
builds character.
As for those of you who don’t like that idea, there’s always t.u. ... although
that’s not much of an alternative. I mean, how good can this haven of freaks,
liberals and two-percenters be academically if they can’t even put together the
best football team money can buy? Shoot, they don’t even have a bonfire!
^ So, my final words to those of you who have now been officially labelled
“two-percenters” are: Zip it! You make us vomit! And last, but not least ...
Highway six runs both ways (for those good Ags who can’t think up great
phrases like the first two)!
John D. Burke ’93
Priority parking is unfair
EDITOR:
We would like to call attention to the fact that there are considerable prob
lems (among them bad attitudes, lack of friendliness and a lack of willingness
to help) with the employees at the help desk in the RCC. Considering we have
only worked on three computer projects in three years, we would think that
our computer access fee would allow us to get more help then we have re
ceived in the past — which is just about nill. Aren’t the employees getting paid
to help us — is that not their job?
The following are a few of the problems we’ve encountered and observed
at the RCC. First, the employees do not. make themselves accessible. The hide
in the back room (help desk) and work on their own computer projects or
shoot the bull. On the average you have to ask them three times to come out
and take a look at what your having problems with before they decide to leave
the sanctuary of the bac k room. 1 think everyone can understand how frus
trating this can be. Secondly, we think they have an attitude problem in deal
ing with people who do not have as much experience on computers as they
do. Lastly, since most of them are engineering majors, they seem to feel that
non-engineering related programs are insignificant and do not require their
help when a problem arises. We hope this letter will help bring about a change
in the way the employees at the RCC treat their fellow students wTen they are
asked to do their job.
EDITOR:
I am writing in regard to the letter written by Kevin Wise in the March 2 1
issue of The Battalion. In the letter, he claims that priority parking is more
fair, since as an upperclassmen, he has done his time at Texas A&M (as if un
derclassmen don’t work just as hard). Mr. Wise, I’m as fed up with the parking
situation as any other Aggie is. However, we all pay the same for our parking
permit and are entitled to the same spots.
In fact, deny ing privileges to a person just because he or she is an under
classmen might be interpreted as hazing, which as we all know is illegal. If you
feel you deserve a better parking spot because you have been here longer and
have worked harder than any of us underclassmen, maybe you would agree to
a system by which the better parking spots are reserved for those with the
higher grade point averages. Well, that’s a pretty dumb idea, just as allowing
upperclassmen better parking is a ridiculous ideology. Would you treat trans
fer students as upperclassmen or underclassmen? And hey — why stop there?
You would probably push for “seniors-only” lines as Sbisa Dining Hall and in
the U.S. Post Office.
Jeffrey Michael Benzick ’92
Chris Camperson ’91
accompanied by two signatures
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 he signed and must include the classification, address and
telephone number of the writer. All letters may be brought to 21-6 Reed McDonald, or sent to Campus Mad
Stop 1111.
being insensitive and sexist. And I du
he probably is.
But he’s also just plain stupid.
Williams has been campaigning for
while, and certainh by now he should
realize how the press works. If you’re
running for public office and you say
something in f ront of reporters, they
might print it, and if you say somethin'
of fensive in f ront of reporters, they'll
print it for sure.
Williams is complaining because he
was at his ranch getting ready to work
with cattle and be manly. How comehai
to be careful about what he savs, he ask]
if he’s getting ready to go neuter bulls
with his pocketknife?
I have no sympathy for him, and
neither should anyone else. He diditto
himself. He invited the press there so ti(
could look like a cowboy in front of
them. His idea that he should beableto
go out with the ‘boys’ and make any
remark he wants to with no
repercussions is ridiculous. His defense
of himself has made him look more
sexist than the ‘‘joke’ did. So what it his
wife says she understands? That just
shouldn’t cut the mustard with the
public.
The remark Williams made is
offensive in any context. It is offensive
whether he made it on a ranch or toa
women's club. There is no excuse for
making that remark. You don’t joke
about rape. If he doesn’t realize that,he
doesn’t understand the way our society
works. And he certainly doesn’t deserve
a position governing our society,
If Williams is a sexist, that’s bad. But
if Williams can’t manage to hide his
sexism from the public during evena
short campaign for governor, he’s
stupid.
So when you go to the polls,
remember: A vote for Clayton Williams
is a vote for stupidity.
Ellen Hobbs is a junior journalism
major.
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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
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Opinions expressed in Che Battalion are
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