Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 10, 1990)
The Battalion OPINION TheBattalio Tuesday, April 10,1990 Opinion Page Editor Ellen Hobbs 845 33l| A Better to get vaccinated than to get the measles In case you haven’t heard, the measles are going around. But you probably have. I have. I’ve been avoiding the health center for weeks now? When the first reports of the disease came to College Station, I had intended to go and get immunized. But I didn’t. And then I just didn’t hear much more about those pesky little boogers. For a while, the measle epidemic just seemed to subside. I figured, “Why should I go spend $26 to go get immunized when the epidemic is dying.” Little did I know, it wasn’t. If the measles had subsided for a little while, they definitely had made a big comeback. * All of a sudden, millions of “measle alerts” started showing up everywhere. It was as if the health center was sending me, and everyone else on campus, a message: “They’re baaaaaack!” And then, it happened. I was exposed to them. They got me, and I couldn't escape. So yesterday, I finally went and did it. I got immunized, and boy was it an experience. I even have one of the tiniest Band-Aids I’ve ever seen on the back of my arm to prove it. I was starting to get kind of worried late on Sunday night when my throat started to get kind of sore. Not really sore, just kind of sore. I couldn’t figure out if the measles had made my throat sore, or if it was the dish washing liquid that got into that Diet Coke I drank yesterday. (See, I drank a Diet Coke at my grandmother’s house yesterday, and I think the ice had dish washing liquid in it. Maybe the tray had just come from the washer or something, but I could have sworn it tasted like Palmolive. It even bubbled up when I poured it.) Anyway, I didn’t want to take any chances — so I opted for the immunization. I went off to the health centqr on Monday morning, and found it packed with many other vaccine seekers. I ended up paying the $26 for the measles-mumps-rubella shot, even though I could have gotten the measles booster for free. I figured that 1 might as well get the three-in-one deal. Jfcl Damon Arhos Assistant Opinion Page Editor (Buying in bulk is such the style these days.) And then I was herded back to the immunization room with about 10 other people and given the standardized measles-mumps-rubella speech. I was asked to list any allergies too — which happens to be a dissertation for me. I am allergic to almost everything (but not to the vaccine, I hope). After this, I waited with my 10 friends to have the of needle shoved into my arm. The entire time we kept joking about how much it was going to hurt, which it really didn’t. Butjust for funzies, I screamed really loud and held my arm as I was coming out of the examination room. You should have seen their faces. That was it. That little immunization that didn’t really hurt and took no more than 30 minutes to get will keep me from catching the measles (if 1 don’t already have them). My message to you: Go get one. The measles epidemic is spreading quickly. Most likely, someone you know has them or has been exposed to them, and you could be next. It doesn’t matter if you are a student, member of the faculty or administrator — the measles aren’t discriminating. If you walk on this campus, you could catch them. If you haven’t been immunized before and you don’t get a shot, you are defenseless. This time of year is probably one of the worst times to catch them, too. Finals are just around the corner, and there is still a lot of work to do. Don’t waste your time trying to get over the measles. Get them before they end up getting you. Damon Arhos is a senior journalism major. Mail Call Handicapped need spaces EDITOR: I am writing in response to an article written by An drew Lankford concerning the handicapped. It is apparent that Lankford is truly concerned about problems faced da ily by the handicapped. Although I am not confined to a wheelchair, 1 have se vere rheumatoid arthritis which makes walking long dis tances very difficult. Recently, there has been a drastic increase in the num ber of vehicles parked in handicapped spaces (the majority being “temporarily handicapped”). Many of these people who are “temporarily handicap ped” are well and don’t need the permit long before the six months allowed has expired. They are instructed to de stroy the permit. But does anyone really want to give up that convenient parking space to someone who really needs it? Of course not! To those who say that parking is a University-wide problem, I would love to be in your shoes. I wish that I could walk from the Fish Lot to my dorm. Instead, I must worry about whether or not my knee will give out before I make it back to my room. You don’t know how lucky you are! I would like to thank Handicapped Student Services for all that they have done, and continue to do for the handicapped. I would also like to thank Andrew Lankford for recog nizing the problems we (the handicapped) must face daily. try but on an inanimate object (guns to be exact). Gun con trol was soon established and now the right side is aga bare. The instinct still remains, however, to keep the rig hand free for the sole purpose of defending one’s self and | killing liberals. The history of liberals placing blame on inanimateob I jects helps explain Hobbs’ misconceived ideas thatshowup in her third answer. Sorry, Ellen, but it is not likely plants, trees, microorganisms or liberals will experience an I afterlife. Activi for jui into si RickJ. Davis ’90 Diversify A&M admission policy EDITOR: Dr. Mobley has recently expressed his goals to interna I tionalize and diversify Texas A&.-M. This comes as a sur prise to me. Months ago, I encouraged several out-of-state friends at other colleges to attend A&M this summer. They were not allowed, to because they, weren’t full time students at A&M. Actions speak louder than words. Dr. Mobley. An admissions policy that encourages people from dif ferent backgrounds to attend A&M seems like a good place to start, whether it’s summer, fall or spring semesters. Scooter Welborn ‘92 Carol Herrera ’93 Parents unite for child care Hobbs’ account unhistorical EDITOR: This letter is in response to Ellen Hobbs’ cute little arti cle on Monday, April 9. While Hobbs was onto something good with the response to her first question, she obviously did not take the historical aspects of the situation into ac count. The actual reason that so many people (males in partic ular) carry their backpacks on their left shoulder goes back hundreds of years to when the right arm wielded the sword that w as used to fight off attackers and kill liberals. Later, after the liberals came into power for a short pe riod, (the Dark Ages), they established a policy known as sword control. This was the catalyst that caused some un sung conservative to develop the .357 Magnum. This handy little weapon could again be carried on the right side and utilized by the free right hand. It also could be used to fight off attackers and kill liberals (as could the sword). Unfortunately, the liberals once again came into power for another short period, (the Great Depression), during which hundreds of people sadly took their own lives. The quick speaking but slow thinking liberals immediately blamed the deaths not on the poor leadership of the coun- EDITOR: This letter is addressed to all students at A&M who have children. Af fording child care is a problem for man) 1 of us who are full-time students. This problem can be solved if we get together and form a child tare network. This network would involve getting together a group of parents and comparing schedules so that we can matchup parents to look after each others’ kids. This would not only provide a source of child care, but it would also open up a new network of friends. If you are interested contact Betty at 823-6424 or leave a message on my machine at 845-2566. You may also contact Nancy at the Off Campus Center at 845-1741. Betty Harris Graduate student Have an opinion ? Express it! HOUSTON community lea ists are calling I jury probe into a black securit) police officer. The group Sunday to wo the rehiring o: Tschirhart. About 350 p of the Peace / for a two-hom ternoon over year-old Byron A Harris Ci week declined who is white, shooting of C The grand ju outrage in the “There lias injustice and t going to rest i has been rend< is president of chapter, said. Attorney G Sunday meet! been shot eig four times in t his car — afte traffic violatio Residents w Council cht morning and 27, not be re appealed his 1' Sunday’s sp dents to sign lated in chur two weeks, ; grand jury to Texas Attorm and the U.S Houston to re According said, Tschirh; he saw a pisto seats and that it when ordei chirhart said lum had the found in the said. Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words in length. The editomi stojf it serves the right to edit letters Jor style and length, but will make every effort to mm I tain the author's intent. There is no guarantee that letters submitted will hit printed. Each letter must be signed and must include the classification, addrasim telephone number of the writer All letters may be brought to 21 f> Reed McDmll or sent to Campus Mail Stop 1111. Non-handicapped man recounts day in wheelchair On Monday, April 2, I spent a day in a wheelchair. Since I usually see the campus from the point of view of someone standing tin two feet, I had little idea what was in store for me. I had noticed things 1 thought would be obstacles for wheelchair users before, but when I became one of those users, I realized how many obstacles 1 had overlooked. My trouble started before I could even leave the health center. Trying to exit, I noticed the door that automatically opens from the outside is manually operated from the inside. Being very big and very heavy, it was tough to open from a sitting position, but I managed to make it out. Rolling down the ramp, I was off. Heading toward my class in T hompson Hall, I noticed the concrete walking area around the fish pond is in good condition foi wheelchair traffic, but my chair was in dire need of alignment. At the back of Thompson, I ran into a classmate, who offered to help. He asked me what happened and I told him, “It’s a long story.” He helped me through the door and once inside, he decides to have a little fun and I get taken on a hell ride as he runs with me, Andrew Lankford Reader’s Opinion sliding around corners. In class, there are the long style desks and the wheelchair fits nicely. T he problem with wheelchair users and desks is that most classrooms have the permanent style of desks. After the class, another, more benevolent friend offers to take me to the library. After my study group meets in the library, we proceed to our examination. It is here, in the Pavilion parking lot that I realize I didn't wear any gloves and my hands are starting to get raw. After the test, I learned a valuable lesson in speaking with someone in a wheelchair. When I went to talk to my professor, he knelt down. At first, this made me feel uncomfortable, but then I realized what he was doing. He was not showing sympathy, he was making it where I wouldn’t have to crane my neck to talk to him. This made conversation very comfortable. On my way to meet a friend at Heldenfels using the sidewalk to the Northeast entrance to the building, I found out why this sidewalk is on the ten most wanted list. As I was heading south from the library and gaining speed, I saw a patch of pea gravel up ahead. I thought, “Lve got enough speed to plow right through this stuff.” However, there was a ledge there I didn’t see. Suddenly, I dropped off the ledge and my front wheels dug into a rut in the pea gravel. The wheelchair came to a dead stop, the back wheels came off the ground and my books went flying. If it were not for the foot rests on front, I would have been face first on the sidewalk. I realized then that this wheelchair thing was not to be taken lightly. Leaving Heldenfels through the west side, (between Heldenfels and the Agronomy Building), I discovered some more ramp difficulties. In general, the ramps there were in poor condition (chuck holes, too narrow), but more specifically, there is a car parked almost on top of the ramp itself. I went ahead and tried, got stuck, and my friend had to free me by lifting my front wheel out of a two inch rut. Off we went to the Psychology Building. The Psychology Building itself has good accessibility; However, you come in on a half floor and to get to the elevator you must take an electric lift down to the bottom floor. At first glance, the lift is a good idea, but then you read the sign above the entrance that says to obtain a key to the lift you must go to Ramp B in Hart Hall. I was glad to see modifications for wheelchairs, but I sure wish I could have come in on a whole floor and avoid the inconvenience of having to deal with the lift key. The problems listed here are only a small portion of the problems I actually had. From my observation, I believe the biggest, but by no means the only, hassle is the overall poor condition of the access ramps. This is something that, in the past, I have taken for granted as something to help the handicapped. Now I realize that these ramps can be just as big of a henderence. For instance, one of the greatest problems I had was concerning an access ramp upon reentering the health center. Approaching the health center from the sidewalk, the access ramp 1 had to get to was perpendicular to the sidewalk. Trying to gain access, I fell into the trench between the ramp and Andrew Lankford is a senior induslr distribution major. 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-sup porting newspaper operated as a commu nity service to Texas A&M and Bryan- College Station. Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those of the editorial board or the au thor, 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 regu lar semesters, except for holiday and ex amination periods. Mail subscriptions are $20 per semes ter, $40 per school year and $50 per full year. Advertising rates furnished on re quest. Our address: The Battalion, 230 Reed McDonald, Texas A&M University, Col lege Station, TX 77843-1 111. Second class postage paid at College Station, TX 77843. POSTMAST ER: Send address changes to The Battalion, 216 Reed McDonald, Texas A&M University, College Station TX 77843-41 11. Adventures In Cartooning om fm Yest r mums m Sftw MOTV 0V ms I dim 1 . Nm-- mmss-- phone-- . GiwmeNtis ime m i MC/M86R: (fw&efjcux the sidewalk and got stuck with one wheel spinning freely in the air. Struggling, trying not to use my feet,I worked my way around the corner where a young lady helped me up the ramp. Once inside the hospital, I asked, “Can you believe that crap? Look how they want us to exist.” She didn't say much. 1 could tell that she was a little, uncomfortable. Still in the chair, 1 asket her, “Did you read The Battalion today?” She said, “no.” I then told her about a non-handicapped guy who spent the day in a wheelchair. Shedidnil say much. I handed her a Battalionandl she turned to the opinion page. Shestil didn’t say much. I wanted a response and she was taking her time trying to find the article. Fhis, in a way, showed the general lack of concern the public has f or handicapped problems. Gathering my books off the floor, (M paper still in her hand, I stood upoutol the wheelchair. I pointed to the article and said, “You really should read this article.” She just stood there. 1 said, “Have a nice day,” and walked out. by Don Atkinson Ji B£ 30R£ m XNCm A mUK, SIGNED CHECK. MIL isr vou hnon How mm SENT! (QtWW A ( c DEI ROD AN • Chief s office • Assisi Prose •A lieer • An ins zen gr laws, ROD at • Servec Cour Hevie Coni: msec and v * Servec V >CtlL * Handl Con, "As c ■ Ue iRhb Dsfiee