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
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can call BAT]
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BATTIPS’
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Ideas can hit
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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
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FAX
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standarpizgd Tcsrs
33BS 1&
10%sti
846-4756
3820 Texas
(next to Randy Sim