The Battalion
•OPINION.
Monday, <
Monday, October 29, 1990
Opinion Page Editor
Ellen Hobbs
845-3:
Why must we have the biggest bonfire anyway:
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Bryai
daily
Ah, fall; and a college student’s mind
turns to football and, of course, bonfire.
Not academics, mind you, but other
things such as “school spirit”
(translation: party?). Thoughts are
focused on tradition and the insecurities
associated with attending Texas A&M.
Do we really need the biggest bonfire
in the nation in order to feel its
significance? It is not suggested herein
that it needs to be reduced in size, or
any other parameter, but I have a few
questions:
First, do people helping out with the
affair have designated drivers if alcohol
is present? And do helpers have any
academic problems resulting from their
participation? And finally, do people
who do not share the feelings of those
associated with the bonfire and see a
Derek W.
Ryter
Reader’s Opinion
need for a reduction of its size really sit
around and commune with Mother
Earth? (I suggest that they probably
don’t; that is a stereotype that died long
ago.)
Are you sure that nothing is broken
and nothing needs fixing, Mr. Cox? If a
school can’t change and evolve, it is
inevitable that it will be left behind. I
don’t know about Mr. Cox, but I don’t
want my degree to read “Ph.D. Texas
A&M, the land that time forgot.” Let’s
be proud of A&M’s heritage and follow
the old Ags’ model of hard work,
discipline, maturity, and believing in
your University, not “hitchhiking ... for
booze.” This is where respect comes
from.
This whole issue is really bringing
together some ideas and observations
made in the time that I have spent at
Texas A&M as a graduate student and
dedicated scientist. I believe that in an
institution of higher education,
academic excellence should be the
priority, with energies brought about by
pride in the traditions and sports
programs providing impetus for this
excellence.
In my experience as a graduate
teaching assistant at other schools as
well as A&M, I have put forth as much
effort as possible to give students the
best education that I can. And I have
never seen academic apathy similar to
that here.
Mail Call
I have seen too many students
coming in at the last minute checking
their grades (200-level classes) to see if
they would be able to graduate or not;
students with undiagnosed dyslexia
having trouble win, written exams;
students missing class because of
bonfire, parent’s week, among other
things; and students withdrawing from
the University in order to salvage a GPR
high enough to return next semester. Is
it really that hard?
I also read what I consider shallow-
minded statements concerning
everything from bicycles to the Corps of
Cadets. In his bonfire column Mr. Cox
(Battalion, Oct. 10) uses language not
heard since the 70s. And the recent
letter concerning bicycle usage suggests
that if a bike is operated improperly she
will not give any room.
I would like to note that signalli|
and brake usage appear tobeoptiouj yTROY HALL
The Battalion
on automobiles around here,andeti
if a bike did violate a traffic lawandj i^. U p j n
are driving at the prescribed speed: ^possible foi
you miss a bike by two feet, you cant L to s et the at
within two feet of subjecting theridfi E( j, the power
a gruesome death. Conversely,ifyoi ight or the e;
ride a bike irresponsibly you are wozc button
creating a traffic menace and a dang ;wm ' nutes s
. 0 . ‘ If you are o
to pedestrians. ho just can’t w;
I suggest that it will be yourGPRj ake . up service!
graduation and what you do whentii acX Commi
leave the school that will give A&Mi tswering serv
reputation favorable to that of the ake-up service
University of Texas at Austin, most corners have
surely not the size of the bonfire,the coop
size of the scoreboard, or seedyTsii llin ications rep
slogans. imers can sper
mes they want
Derek W. Ryter is a Ph.D. student
Ming up accoui
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Don’t whine about garage parking
EDITOR:
I feel compelled to respond to the whining parking edito
rial in the October 18 edition of The Battalion. Is my heart
supposed to bleed for the “many off-campus students who
live only blocks away from Texas A&M” because it takes so
long to drive, park, and walk to class?
Don’t be so pitiful. If all the Aggies who live within five
miles of campus would bike to school, there would be no need
to keep building parking garages. This would also save im
mensely on pollution and wasted gas. Aggies like to think
they’re tough ... what a joke.
Michael Biek
graduate student
Try to understand your neighbors
EDITOR:
We live in a world of changes, a world sometimes contra
dictory, always changing the masquerade it uses, depending
on the conductor of the play.
In such a world, we play our roles trying to understand
our foreign neighbors, and more than once, we make our
comments based on stereotypes rather than the real truth. I
think that it’s time to change some things.
The international community at Texas A&M (more than
2,400 students from 110 countries) has been an active group
trying to diffuse the culture of their countries to their U.S.
counterparts. We have never tried to educate anybody or
change their minds about foreign subjects, but we believe that
mutual exchange of cultural experiences can give all of us a
better picture of the world.
The need for integration has never been stronger than
now, because old barriers are fast coming down and we can
not think of ourselves as being isolated anymore. The benefits
of integration are many: we can make friends who one day
will be leaders in their own countries, and it will help us to
break the stereotypes that lead to many problems. We can
also learn from both our cultures, and that will increase our
knowledge about our environment, but most important, it
will make us wiser, because it is only when we know the truth
about other cultures that we can consider ourselves part of
this global village.
All cultures have both good and bad in them, but a wise
person is one who, knowing both sides of the coin, focuses on
the good things and tries to learn from them. It’s up to all of
us to benefit from cultural integration, but always remember
that international students on campus provide us the chance
to learn a little bit more about our world.
Juan Ignacio Corujo ’91
ISA President
Page 2 doesn’t represent A&M
EDITOR:
When I enrolled at this fine institution over 4 years ago, I
wondered what being a “true Aggie” was all about. Well,
through reading The Battalion opinion page over that time
period I think that I have finally figured it out. Are you re
ady?
According to the “representative” Aggies who grace the
opinion page with their literary masterpieces, a “true Aggie”
must surely be a person who:
• supports abortion;
• loves apartheid;
• hates women (and rapes them on dates);
• supports homosexuals and feels that there is nothing
wrong with their lifestyle;
• hates Black Americans, Mexican-Americans and Asian-
Americans;
• wants all foreigners to go home;
• believes in gun control;
• is an atheist;
• destroys the environment;
• cheats at everything (especially football);
• votes Democratic (or Libertarian);
• strongly dislikes George Bush, Ronald Reagan, Sandra
Day O’Connor, Clayton Williams, Robert Bork, Jerry Falwell
and Pat Robertson;
• burns the American flag;
• ignores poverty;
• worships money;
• is strongly anti-hunting.
Does this describe you?
I honestly think that Tang and his crew are an absolute
disgrace to this school. Their ideas are consistently left wing
and out of touch with the vast majority of the student body.
THIS IS A CONSERVATIVE UNIVERSITY. I think it’s
time for conservative Aggies to take a stand and let these
limp-wristed writers know that we are sick of their outrageous
stereotypes and tired of the liberalistic garbage which tar
nishes our school newspaper everyday.
Would it be impossible to have an outstanding vyriter such
as Bruce G. Hudgins as a guest columnist someday? Probably
so, because anyone that stands up for moral, conservative
principles is surely too radical for our school newspaper. I
love Texas A&M, and I am tired of the mindless moraless mo
rons who are trying to change its image with their pens.
Mark Dean VanCleave ’90
propriate. Ms. Crable, to be so conservative at our age is
downright embarrassing. Think about it.
Mike Brannon ’94
Apathy perpetuates bonfire
EDITOR:
In Larry Cox’s column (Wednesday, October 10) he states
that the biggest danger to bonfire’s existence is student apa
thy. Actually student apathy is the primary reason why bon
fire continues to exist. Many students fail to see the connec
tion between burning around 10,000 trees here in College
Station and the destruction of the rain forest in Brazil by cut
ting and burning. It is hypocritical to condemn the destruc
tion of the forests in Brazil and the rest of the world whilewe
ignore the destruction of the forest in our own backyard.
While the trees used in bonfire are cut to allow strip-min
ing, I do not think Texas A&M University should participate
in the cutting. If Texas Municipal Power Authority wants to
cut and burn the trees they have the right to do so, but the
University should not participate in the cutting and burning.
The bonfire sends the wrong message to the rest of the world,
especially from a university which is ranked eighth nationally
in terms of research funding. A large amount of this research
is directed toward environmental studies. The proposed 50
percent reduction in the bonfire size is a step in the rightdi-
rection, but the change is only cosmetic. Mifflfy other universi
ties in the United States, such as Stanford, stopped having
bonfires due to environmental concerns.
The enormous amount of work and money put into bon
fire could be directed towards an activity which does not
harm the environment. The Big Event is an example of anac-
tivity which benefits the community while not leading to the
destruction of the environment.
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Abortion ban won’t end problem
EDITOR:
This letter is in response to Juliet Grable’s article, “Legal
Abortion Won’t End Problem.”
In her article, Ms. Crable downplays the importance of
the David Souter nomination. With the Souter nomination we
will likely see the reversal of the Roe vs. Wade decision. I’m
sorry it makes you “mad,” Juliet, that some people are op
posed to this.
In your letter you raised a valid point: the ultimate re
sponsibility for preventing childbirth does lie with the
woman. I’m afraid you seem to have forgotten a few things.
Apparently Juliet Crable lives in a world where rape and
incest do not occur. Sure, in the parallel world the woman
would always have the opportunity to use some sort of birth
control. For the rest of the country’s women this is not always
an option. Rape and incest are horrible crimes in which
women can only be labeled as victims.
Are you saying, Ms. Crable, that women should be forced
to have children that were fathered by a rapist? What if the
mother found out the baby would be severely retarded?
Would you still have the child? I certainly hope you never en
counter such a situation in your life, Ms. Crable. I do hope
though that you would want the ultimate decision on whether
or not to bear that child to lie in the mother, and not David
Souter or some other politician thousands of miles away.
Ms. Crable speaks of being narrow minded. I think she is
the one who needs to take another look at the big picture.
Yes, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” In
Ms. Grable’s case I think a ton of common sense is more ap
Mark A. Fletcher
graduate student
Goin’ to the big fish lot in the sky
EDITOR:
In response to “We asked and you said ...” about the possi
bility of an A&M University cemetery, we have one sugges
tion. Why not bury the deceased Aggies in each empty park
ing space in the staff lots across from the Zachry Buildingand
over by Kleberg. Considering that there are not any day stu
dents needing to park in that unused area, it would be a
grand way to utilize the space. In addition it would be an ex
traordinary honor to be lain to rest in an A&M parking space
considering the fact that we spent half our lives trying to find
one.
Furthermore, we know we’ll rest easier with the knowl
edge that if we were ever to be moved down by the “Howd)”
bus, our bodies would be forever enshrined on the A&M cam
pus.
Elizabeth Haney ’92
Jennifer Clark, ’92
Have an opinion? Express it!
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(USPS 045 360)
Member of
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Conference
The Battalion Editorial Board
Cindy McMiliian,
Editor
Timm Doolen, Managing Editor
Ellen Hobbs, Opinion Page Editor
Holly Becka, City Editor
Kathy Cox,
Kristin North,
News Editors
Nadja Sabawala,
Sports Editor
Eric Roalson, Art Director
Lisa Ann Robertson,
Lifestyles Editor
Editorial Policy
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Colle^e Station.
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thor, and do not necessarily represent the
opinions of Texas A&M administrators,
faculty or the Board of Regents.
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