The Battalion
Battalio
OPINION
hday, Se
Monday, September 10,1990
Opinion Page Editor Ellen Hobbs
845-33*
Here are five things you can do to save Aggieland
ool |
Perhaps you have heard of the book
“50 Simple Things You Can Do To Save
The Earth” (Earthworks Group,
$4.95); it is a very popular book full of
good suggestions for the individual who
wants to help our global environment.
Of course, we college students are
supposed to spend every waking hour
on homework (whether we do or not is
another story), and so I am offering you
the ABRIDGED version, specially
adapted for our own local environment.
Charles
Albert
Reader’s Opinion
cardboard and used household items.
Look for a list of these recycling centers
at the Texas Environmental Action
Coalition table on campus, or pick up
the list at one of our meetings.
• BUY GREEN:
The single most important thing you
can do to help our area environmentally
is to consider the ecological impact of
what you buy. Does it come in excessive
packaging? Producing plastics, foils and
bleached paper means toxic by
products, extr a energy and worsening
our local landfill problem. Are you
buying an energy-inefficient appliance
or car? That is not only wasteful, but
unpatriotic, since it is a large part of the
reason we are at the mercy of OPEC.
You can also buy recycled notebook and
toilet paper, papertowels, etc. I his
helps save trees as well as reduce energy
consumption and toxic waste.
• RECYCLE:
There are a lot of campus groups
with paper and aluminum receptacles
on campus. Your dorm or department
may be recycling as a way to earn extra
money. There are also local businesses
who recycle plastic, newspaper,
• AVOID CARS:
Ask any Ag what the biggest problem
with the campus is, and you will hear
‘parking’ loud and clear! By biking,
walking, taking the buses or carpooling,
you are avoiding a huge hassle AND
reducing air pollution at the same time.
Since Texas is leading the nation in air
emissions for the second year in a row,
this is no small kettle of okra.
• INFORM YOURSELF.
OK, be honest. How many of you
knew before I told you that the Lone
Star State is the number one air
polluter? How many endangered
species in Texas can you name? How
did our representatives vote on the
Clean Air bill, or the Ozone Redaction
Act? Did you know this country does
more dearcutting than Brazil? There
are a lot of very important issues out
there, and unless we know about them
we are not doing our duty as citizens of
this republic. Fortunately, A&M has a
large number of very knowledgeable
faculty in every area from alternative
energy to zoology. Talk to them, take
some of their classes, or join a club
(TEAC comes to mind, for instance)
that works on these problems.
• BECOME ACTIVE:
One of the great things about the
environmental movement is that it is
non-partisan. Conservatives and
progressives alike have realized the
environmental dangers of our present
system and are beginning to do
something about it. But as usual,oi
politicians need to know that their
constituents care, and they need to
prodded. It is extremely importanti
we become ac tive and voice our
concerns: write letters to your
representatives, speak out, join
organizations and consider the
environment when you vote. Our
generation is going to inherit whatci
world the previous generation leave!
.. as it stands, that doesn’t look like
much. Aggies can either help leadtlit
way to a saner future, or we can sit
around and hope that someone else
does it for us.
I believe Aggies make bettei leadei
than followers.
Charles Albert is president of fAeM' 63 1 e 9 u '
chapter of the Texas Environmental e ducati
Action Coalition and a graduate studn P 00 ^ ^
in physics.
Mail Call
Fraternal unity is still unity
EDITOR:
I would like to point out a few things about Mr. Cox’s col
umn on fraternities. First, Mr. Cox’s main reason for the dis-
recognition of fraternities by the University is that they cause
a lack of unity on campus. Oddly enough, he himself states
that fraternity’s promote unity among brothers within any
particular house but that University-wide unity is more im
portant, but then goes on to say that f raternities are homoge
neous on a national scale — or, in other words, UN FEED on a
national scale, but this too for some reason is less important
than University-wide unity. I’m, to be honest, confused by
Mr. Cox’s definition of‘good’ unity and ‘bad’ unity.
Also in the column Mr. Cox tells us that the unity brought
about by African-American fiats is a ‘good’ unity, despite the
fact that he told us earlier that the unity brought about by a
fiat based solely on common interest and goals as opposed to
lace w r as a ‘bad’ unity. If it is good for people of a common
race to have a place to “socialize together,” why isn’t it for
people of common interest?
And I should mention the Corps. Mr. Cox separates the
Corps from frats by saying that admission is ‘open’; the impli
cating being that admission to frats isn’t. The last time I
checked frats were required by law not to discriminate on the
basis of race, religion, or sexual orientation (I’m not saying it
doesn’t happen, but it IS against the law). The same cannot be
said of the Corps. \
I personally do not like frats and what they appear to
stand for or how they often act. I would love a good reason to
boot them off of the University; but Mr. Cox’s hodge-podge
of faulty and contradictory reasoning and false facts w ith ‘I’m
not a bigot’ qualifiers thrown in is not that reason. In other
words, I dislike fraternities but am not going to simply make
up a reason for them to lose their recognition - the recogni
tion to which any organization of students with common in
terests has a right.
Michael Freeman, ’91
You just can’t bank on the Greeks
EDITOR:
As I see it, sorority rush is a separating period, kind of like
those coin banks that separate change. The lower values (pen
nies and nickels) go to their respective slots, while the dimes,
quarters and fifty-cent pieces go to theirs. The other things
you might try to put in that don’t fit through the slot ... too
bad! The shiny fifty-cent pieces go to the really “good” sorori
ties and the pennies go to the “less prominent” sororities. I
really hate to break the news to my fellow females, but women
can be a vicious, backstabbing bunch. This is something guys
have known for years.
Now, I come from a middle-class family and have decent
clothes and my dad even has the right job. But I would never
ask a bunch of yahoos to tell me what “slot” I belong in. I he
only slot I choose to be placed in is that of a Texas Aggie. It is
really sad to see A&M be transformed into a primarily Greek
school,just like Southern Methodist University, Baylor and,
yes, Texas. We should put our loyalty in our school, not our
sorority mixers and crush parties.
Those girls who were not picked for a sorority are the
lucky ones. In a few years, you'll realize that you do not need
a social organization to identify with and throw your money
into just to feel like you belong. Hey, you are at the best damn
University on the planet, and if that's not something to iden
tify with, I don’t know what is.
Mrs. Johnson, I would like to meet your daughter. She
seems like she would be a good friend to someone. Unlike
those Barbie dolls, she’s not only an Aggie, she is a human be-
ing.
Kelly Crow ’93
Aggie Bucks are no bargain
EDITOR:
As a purchaser of Aggie Bucks this semester, I go to the
Underground Market on Northside to buy stuff for the re
frigerator in my dorm room. I could not miss the prices! Last
night I payed almost $4 for a lousy package of Oreos. They
were out of the milk I wanted, so I went back the next day.
They had milk — lots of it — and not one of them expired
more than one-and-a-half days later. I was furious! I pay
more than I would at a regular grocery store and 1 don’t even
get the quality I deserve. A loaf of bread costs $1.29; a six-
pack of 12 oz. sodas, $3.09; a peanut butter bar, $.59; and a
small package of Fruit Loops, $2.65. And to top it off, the
Coke machines all over campus now charge $.60. Forget it.
Never again will I buy Aggie Bucks so that I can have the con
venience to shop on campus.
Majken Teichinann ’93
Participate in parking improvement
EDITOR:
My name is Steven White, and 1 have been appointed by
the student body president, Ty Clevenger, to serve as special
assistant to Parking, Traffic, and Transit. This is a subject
that everyone is concerned with and has several ideas on. I’m
responsible for working with Mr. Tom Williams, director of
the Department of Parking, Transit, and Traffic Services in
developing improvements to A&M’s vast traffic systems. 1
need your help to accomplish our goals. By writing your com
ments and ideas to The Battalion:
Ellen Hobbs — Opinion Editor
230 Reed McDonald
Texas A&M
College Station TX 77843-1 1 1 1
St udent Government can address your concerns. Opinion
Page columns to answer your questions and inf orm you of im
portant developments in Parking and Transit is in the works.
Remembei positive comments are as important as criticism,
so let us know your ideas.
I am also starting a committee on bicycle traffic to address
the problems of bicycle traf fic problems on campus and to de
velop regulations for its management. Anyone that is inter
ested in wor king on this committee can t all the Student Gov
ernment Of fice at 845-3051 to get involved.
Gig' ern!
Steven White
Texas A&rM Student Government Association
Have an opinion? Express it!
Letters to the editoi should not exceed 300 words m length. The editorial stuff reserves
the right to edit letteis Jin style and length, hut will make even effort to maintain the
author ’.( 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.
U.S. shouldn’t meddle in other countries’ af fairs
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Once again, liberal and conservative
politicians, Democrat and Republican
agree — the American soldier and
taxpayer must sacrifice for others.
This time it’s filthy rich monarchies
that rule countries in which the people
are deprived of the right to vote, the
right to free speech, a free press, due
process of law, etc., etc.
This is not a criticism of their way of
life, it’s a criticism of a military/foreign
policy that throws away American lives
and money to def end countries that
very few of us would care to be born in
and then, consequently, subjected to a
very restricted life. No, I don’t believe
you’d find too many freedom-loving
Lynn
Younts
Reader’s Opinion
Americans opting for this type of
society.
However, the chief reason the
professional liars (politicians) are
preparing to sacrifice our soldiers and
bank accounts is the erroneous notion
that Iraq’s control of more oil fields will
lead to increased oil prices.
These are fields that have been
controlled for years by the OPEC cartel,
nations that have banded together to
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Editor
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Ellen Hobbs, Opinion Page Editor
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Kristin North.
News Editors
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Eric Roalson, Art Director
Lisa Ann Robertson.
Lifestyles Editor
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squeeze every dime they can out of
importing countries. And Iraq will do
the same, cash in.
Then why are oil products more
expensive? Because our military, under
presidential order, with Democratic and
Republican support, won’t allow' them
to sell their oil.
Now if you’re still indignant about
Iraq’s invasion and feel the LUS. should
“kick butt” as columnist Gizzard-brain
advocates, then please feel free to
volunteer in the Saudi armed forces, or,
if you prefer to participate from a safer
distance, send them a fat check every
once in a while.
This is costing the taxpayers about a
billion a month so better make it
substantial. But stay out of my wallet
and allow American soldiers the right to
come home on their own two feet. Do
you really think this is worth the risk of
tens of thousands of our young people
coming home in body bags.
We Libertarians don’t.
As the 1984 Libertarian Party
candidate David Bergland said, “Rather
than trying to police the world, or
meddle in the affairs of other nations,
the U.S. government should confine
itself to what is necessary to defend
Americans and their property in
America. It should simply recognize
other sovereign governments and end
its military and covert methods of
propping up or trying to topple any
other government.
“Expensive and clumsy military
approaches to foreign policy always
seem to end in disaster and have madt
the world less safe for Americans. We
would do better to rely on the obvious
benefits of trade and peaceful
relationships to promote democracy,
free markets and human rights
throughout the world.
“Marxism simply cannot compete
with the appeal of capitalist consumetj
goods and what they teach about the
free societies which produce them.’ 1
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OtAiZ b y Don Atkinson Jr
Texas A&M
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