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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 8, 1990)
The Battalion OPINION Wednesday, August 8,1990 Opinion Page Editor Damon Arhos 845-33 Wednesday Remember to stay off grass at MSC For years, the MSC grass has been sacred — no one is sup posed to walk on it out of respect for the Texas A&M students id II. who died in World Wars I and II. Now, however, the University Center area is being expanded, and, in the confusion, the tradi tion seems to have been forgotten. Not only have people been walking on the grass, but also a bicycle rack has even been placed on it. Should we let some bull dozers and hard hats replace our respect for Aggies who have given their lives in defense of their country? We're building our student center into something to be proud of. Let’s not destroy one of our most valued traditions in the process. The Battalion Editorial Board Graduating columnist looks at last four years Well, the time has come for me to say goodbye to this great University. 1 will be graduating in just two days and a few hours. Now y’all are probably saying to yourselves, “Oh no, not another graduating senior column.” But hey, what else can I say? Graduation is a big thing, and I’m leaving behind a lot of great things. I’ve been going to A&M for five full years and I’ve experienced a lot that has changed my life. I turned legal while in college ... twice. I learned to like beer. I decided I didn’t want to become an engineer like my dad, my grandfather and my brother, but it took me two-and- a-half years to figure it out. I realized money can buy happiness and not having money can really suck. And I found out that the meaning of life is a great Monty Python movie. fit Fhere were no parking garages or co-ed dorms. There was no Research Park, no Faculty Club and no Clayton Williams Alumni Center on George Bush Drive.” Those of you who are not close to graduating may not realize what graduation means. It means the end of a lot of close friendships; it means the end of homework; and it means the beginning of your real life (unless you intend to be a professional student). But there are so many memories I have of my college experiences. Many of them affected the whole University in one way or another. Here are some that many of you may remember. My favorite memory is a Letter to the Editor of the The Battalion in 1985. Someone wrote in saying they observed two people fornicating in the hallway of Heldenfels Hall. That was a classic. Another of my favorite memories is a Police Beat that reported a car had been observed driving around and around Albritton Bell Tower. The police officer stopped the car and found that the driver had been masturbating. I’m going to miss Police Beat. These incidences must have happened before A&M became a “world class university.” I think we reached world-class status when we had “art” cluttering our campus in the form of a big jack, a big pine cone, some headless body builder type dudes, and a couple of dancing frogs on the roof of Harrington Classroom Building. Or perhaps we obtained world-class status when the men’s restroom on the MA&SaiSS BA1 Anyone with can call BAT] ion’s phone lin prove com mu the newspaper ; BATTIPS’ I 3315. Ideas can hit feature ideas an files of interesti uw second floor of the Academic Building was named as the region’s hottest gay spot. In any case, I think we have reached world-class status. Sports at A&M have always been great. The best football game in history was A&M vs. Baylor, played on Kyle Field in 1986. We were down 1 7-0 in the first quarter, and the A&M football team rallied back to beat the hell outta Baylor, 31-30. Jackie Sherrill left a legacy at A&M, too. He brought a lot of great things here, like the 12th-Man Kick-off Team and the Cotton Bowl victories. But he brought a lot of doo doo too, with all the controversial NCAA investigations. He now sells cars in Baytown, where I hear he gives great deals to A&M graduates. As long as I’m on the subject of sports, I can’t forget to mention the Aggie baseball team which was ranked number one in the nation, and the softball team which has continued to kick butt since 1983. There are just so many things that have changed since my freshman year besides my major and my age. There were no parking garages or co-ed dorms. There was no Research Park, no Faculty Club and no Clayton Williams Alumni Center on George Bush Drive. There used to be a grocery store between the Cow Hop and Texas Aggie Bookstore called Charlie’s. Baja Yacht Club was the Roxy in ’86 and Sneakers was the Christmas Store. 'There was even a Fuddrucker’s here in town. So many things have changed. Oh well, that’s the way life is. Tm going to miss A&M, all the people, traditions and all the things that changed my life. Most of all, I am going to miss the friends I made this summer because they’re are the ones I had the least time to get to know. So all you graduating-type people, when you walk across that stage and get your sheepskin-in-a-tube, think about all of the memories you have of A&M, all the friends you made, and all you will leave behind. Good luck and BEAT THE HELL OUTTA THE REAL WORLD! Colin Moss is a senior journalism and speech communication major. Mail Call Racial issues major concern at A&M EDITOR: WHOOP! Good Ag! Is that the response expected from an article published in The Battalion on Thursday, August 2? The article, “Poll shows racial issues not major concern at A&M” was as untrue as the notion that The Bat talion should be wasting its readers time with an orange- capped fire hydrant story. The racial issue article had quite a few noteworthy percentages; but as we all know, statistics can be manipulated to say whatever the surveyor wants them to. According to the registrar of the University, there are 14,982 students attending 'Texas A&M this summer; there are 3,381 minorities. 'The racial tensions at the University of Texas, University of Michigan and at the University of California at Berkeley surged primarily because an igno rant group agitated an already irritated few who refused to be discriminated against any longer. The minorities at this campus have not yet reached this point. I believe the second reason tensions at the other cam puses grew is because their respective universities would not support policies that required multicultural courses. I hese same courses have now been implemented at those universities. Keep in mind that this university offers only a ha of courses for minority enrichment. That was finewhel there were only a handful of minorities here, butthisrt| nowned university must now expand with the changin needs of the diversified minority, or risk more concer,| trated efforts by minorities to meet its needs. What am I trying to say? To the Battalion: Ratherttal subjecting the majority of this campus to the idea ofhavm multicultural requirements all at once, (as was done in M “Poll shows racial issues not a major concern at A&M ji I cle), show the campus how they will benefit from suchr!:| cessities. Where can The Battalion run such helpful col unins? Why, in the space it features the orange hydrant stories, of course! SAN ANTON I wait says he’s bet jsince Iraq’s inva Isays he fears for |the Middle East. Meanwhile, th Jtelephoned their lout ol Kuwait an< Hasan Abdula I wait, arrived Sat lion, but said M | feels like a man w “My wife and t I ther and many br I wait,” Abdula sai< (cannot go home.’ Abdula, who jc (tors Monday at i for a continued calls Iraqi pres Ibutcher of Baghd “We are askir I States to tell theii Mannaser Marshall ’93 \Hispa urge t civil r Have an opinion? Express it! Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words in length. The editorial sit serves the right to edit letters for style and length, hut will make every effort to m\ tain the author's intent. There is no guarantee that letters submitted t illyI printed. Each letter must he signed and must include the classification, addmm telephone number of the writer. All letters may he brought to 216 ReedMcDmm or sent to Campus Mail Stop 1111. SAN ANI ON I panic rights org urged citizens to bill before Con; President Bush fo “We’re asking to Bush and ur Reader: Barton does not deserve re-election in view of sparse laurels Last Friday, both The Battalion and the Eagle ran an article at the request of U.S. Rep. Joe Barton which was disturbing. The article announced fall and spring intern openings in the congressman’s office. Barton called for applicants with this hard sell: “Few college students ever have jobs offering the excitement and educational opportunities that a congressional internship has.” What caught my attention, being a political science major, was not that this was a golden (opportunity, but rather how Barton’s conduct exemplified his presumptuous record. How can he gleefully ask for applications and all but guarantee “once in a lifetime” opportunities for 1991 positions? Has the congressman forgotten the election on November 6? I am sure he hopes the voters of the 6th District did. Unfortunately, this mind-set is no anomaly for Congressman Barton. Indeed, this episode mirrors the time Joe Barton was so certain of his wholesale expertise that he publicly debated the technical aspects of the Strategic Defense Initiative with the Texas A&M Physics Department. Granted, Barton has started the race with a few advantages (none attributable to his personal merit): Barton had no opponent in the Republican primary. He has received over $250,000 from some 150 Political Action Committees (including self-proclaimed Texas red- liner North Carolina National Bank) during this election cycle alone. And the incumbency rate is well over 90 percent. Even so, his presumptive style is offensive, and his false promises are unconscionable. Joe Barton does have some truly “personal accomplishments,” buitlit National Education Association's(Nl annual ratings, and any average environmentalist’s score card, will si failing marks attached to them Barton ought not insult his opponents (or the voters of thisdist for that matter) any longer. Let’s no give his the chance on Novemberfi, There are two other viable candidates: Democrat John Welch ai Independent write-in Mike Worshai Barton owes a public apology to boll these men. Let’s not allow another politician to rest on his laurels — especially when they are so sparse. Andy Yung is a junior politicalscf major. As with all columns, viewpoints expn in Reader's Opinions are not necessf those of The Battalion. Persons inttrt in submitting a Reader's Opinion sk contact the Opinion Page Editor atM 3314. The Battalion (USPS 045 360) Member of Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Conference Associated Collegiate Press Associated Press The Battalion Editorial Board Monique Threadgill, Editor Melissa Naumann, Managing Editor Damon Arhos, Opinion Page Editor Holly Becka, City Editor Meg Reagan, Lisa Ann Robertson, News Editors Clay Rasmussen. Sports Editor Eric Roalson, Art Director Todd Stone, lafestyles Editor strong, strong ci\ Guadalupe Luna the Mexican An fense and Educati The Civil Righ stores anti-discrir | existed for years 1 prerne Court chip Luna said in a nev “This bill resto employment laws gressional intent,’ I sends a message Court that they si tablished civil righ Provisions in th ban on racial h workplace to re< proved fair-hiring The House apj day over objectio Bush, who has ca and has threatened MALDEF leade istration’s quota a tempt to divide th< “It’s an effort ti pie against each c Sanders-Castro, a [ attorney. “It’s a di nique very thinly c Bush supports | for punitive dama tion cases involv 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 Tuesday through Friday during Texas A&M sum mer semesters, except for holiday and ex amination periods. Mail subscriptions are $20 per semes ter, $40 per school year and $50 per full year: 845-2611. Advertising rates fur nished on request: 845-2696. Our address: The Battalion, 230 Reed McDonald, Texas A&M University, Col lege Station, TX 77843-1 111. Newsroom: 845-3313. Second class postage paid at College Station, TX 77843. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Battalion, 216 Reed McDonald, Texas A&M Llniversity, College Station TX 77843-4111. FAX by Brett BridgemC \FulC up ToCHV's ZuSCTczRe. THE Topic} lAff^ps. teCt.ybtAK FfcofeboK Vj/AJL GUIDE Thut, fPQ£ <3? cmpEdE THRoUddi (\ CHDtae TWftflL FoR TMs f } Feet of Ttuff LIFEll y Motors \td Review' : Vo t nUj UiRNT Tb MoElEr’ oFF the of dTTHEFGsT? WflKT-fo PolY-Sc r f’Rt -ZAmI eiE-HEtemnesns Mxs. ffesueNir MftSoK Cflbsoq Bf dT'-s UND€K The False AssumP Tbc That "General 11 hhs SoHerm/tdEs 7b Tts with The hrmt' 2^ TRUTH VYukr. 6VEK ^ Ear HPEVu f\ /.iBERTamti? ECOihloMlCEo THt gious minorities The House bill fir ages to victims of i crimination to $11: satory damages, w The House ar passed a similar b working out diffei ence committee. A ment to the bill v that it is not quott said. Luna said her g through state co ment-related civil eral legislation fail conceded it would tie. “It’s like spitting going to take years standarpizgd Tcsrs 33BS 1& 10%sti 846-4756 3820 Texas (next to Randy Sim