Tuesday, November 20, 1990
The Battalion
•OPINION* 2
Opinion Page Editor Ellen Hobbs 845-33
Graduate Student Council doesn’t support tuition hike
There has been a flood of rumors,
accusations and misinformation on this
issue of a graduate school tuition
increase during the past few weeks.
Let’s just look at a few facts.
One question asked in a Nov. 12
Reader’s Opinion was, “Who are these
people?” referring to the Graduate
Student Council.
The GSC is a student organization
made of up representatives from all of
the colleges with graduate and
professional programs on campus.
More specifically, there are seats alloted
to each college, and these seats are
supposed to be filled during campus
elections in the spring semesters. Seats
not filled at election time become at-
large seats open to any interested
graduate students.
At the present, nearly every college is
represented on that council.
One catch to this whole
representation business is that those
representatives you elect in the spring
Dan
Vrudny Reader's Opinion
must be active in the organization or the
opinion of your college will not be
heard. Did you elect your representative
last spring? If your college is not
represented, it is because nobody was
interested enough to run for the
position.
There is one more little snag to being
a member of GSC. The Council doesn’t
have only one issue to work on.
Members are required to work on
several issues and committees. If all we
did was work on one single issue, we
would be doing a great disservice to the
graduate students.
If you are concerned about input to
this body, where have you been? The
Grad Rag is published and distributed
iMail Call I
The cartoonists get an ego boost
EDITOR:
For as long as I’ve been here, people have written letters complaining
about The Battalion cartoons and cartoonists. The complaints usually range
from “the cartoons aren’t funny” to “no one likes them so get rid of them.” By
far the most common cry is by those who feel they’ve been unduly singled out
for ridicule by the uncaring comic creators, and this grievance was most re
cently put forth in a letter by Michael Kellet. Michael is sad because he feels
“Adventures In Cartooning” is lampooning “every single student body orga
nization on campus.” He feels Don Atkinson is needlessly stirring up the
masses and is “serving no purpose” writing his caustic comic strip.
First, I would like to point out to those who don’t like the strips that they
have the option to STOP READING THEM. It seems like the biggest com-
plainers never miss a day.
Next, I feel the authors are doing a good job of taking things from our
staid learning environment and making us see them in a humorous light.
Sure, they poke fun at people, but it’s to make them laugh, not offend them.
Some people are just insulted too easily.
This form of funniness is definitely an acceptable one, and just as I rarely
agree with the politics of “Doonesbury,” I still must agree that it is funny.
I would just like to thank Don Atkinson Jr., Boomer Cardinale, Matt
Kowalski, Tom Madison and the venerable Scott McCullar for filling my af
ternoons with humor. I think y’all are doing a great job.
Stephen Pace ’91
accompanied by two signatures
In defense of “Adventures in Cartooning”
EDITOR:
I am writing to praise Don Atkinson’s “Adventures In Cartooning.”
I have enjoyed Don Atkinson’s comic strip a great deal, and I am sad he
receives so much criticism for it. His cartooning reminds me, in a way, of sit
ting on a bench and watching the people go by.
During my first four years at A&M I was a member of the Corps of Ca
dets, and I especially enjoyed Mr. Atkinson’s occasional jabs at the Corps. His
cartoons do not strike me as being malicious, nor do they strike me as inflam
matory. In regard to Mr. Atkinson’s “erratic” opinions, I think they are for
givable. It is understandable to be critical of someone who espouses an argua
ble point and, when given the opportunity, completely lacks reason or
evidence to support that point. It is, however, not fair to criticize someone
whose opinions are expressed in a format that is in no way conducive to any
form of reasoned discussion.
Mr. Atkinson is simply poking a little fun. I can’t wait to see what he does
with Elephant Walk!
Joe Gourlay ’90
And Don’s head just keeps getting bigger...
EDITOR:
In response to Michael Kellet’s apparent disgust at Don Atkinson’s “out
landish assualt on every faction of the student body at Texas A&M,” I’d also
like to take advantage of the reader’s opinion page.
“Adventures In Cartooning,” as best as I can determine, is a humorous, if
rather pointed look at the University. Atkinson isn’t out to undermine the stu
dent body (we do that well enough on our own). Instead he shows us just how
seriously we take ourselves and how funny our narcissism is...or isn’t.
I’m biased. I thoroughly enjoy Atkinson’s humor. But if I find something
offensive, I stop reading, and that, Mr. Kellet, is what you should do rather
than whining on the opinion page.
Janna Casstevens
graduate student
The Battalion
(USPS 045 360)
Member of
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Conference
The Battalion Editorial Board
Cindy McMillian,
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
The Battalion is a non-profit, self-sup
porting newspaper operated as a commu
nity service to Texas A&M and Bryan-
Colle^e 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
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amination periods. Newsroom: 845-3313.
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twice a semester as well as during the
summer. Each issue requests student
input, gives the address of the Office of
Graduate Students and gives a list of
current members, their phone numbers
and the colleges they represent. We
haven’t heard from many of you who
may be speculating on what our
thoughts and motives are.
The Nov. 12 opinion also said, “A
plan to double graduate student tuition
has been formulated, and we should be
concerned about its implications.” I am
not sure if this student has seen the
plan, but we haven’t. A University
committee was charged to look into the
need or possiblity. Questionnaires were
sent to the colleges, information was
collected and a report was sent to the
president. Is that the plan referred to?
The opinion also stated that “The
administration has made no attempt to
solicit graduate student’s feedback for
this tuition increase.” Graduate students
are represented on several committees
through which this type of information
travels. Again, we have seen no plans
for an increase, and we do have input.
The GSC has communicated to the
administration that we don’t believe
there is sufficient cause or reason for a
tuition increase. The GSC continues to
communicate with the adminstradon on
this issue and will continue to pursue it
and attempt to prevent any increase in
tuition. If we can’t prevent an increase,
we will work to see that it is as small as
possible and that the graduate students
are the beneficiaries.
The petition referred to in several
letters appearing in The Battalion is
well within the rights of students on this
campus. However, prior to that petition
and based on experience, the Council
took the position that a petition was not
an appropriate approach to this issue.
The administration knows very well
that students don’t want an increase in
tuition. Our lack of support for this
petition has nothing to do with whetl:
or not we support a tuition increased!
with the fact that we thought it wasan
inappropriate approach. The reason:
our lack of support was that the only
communique we saw requesting our
signature misrepresented our
organization and the administratiomi
Texas A&M. That is all.
If you are interested in working on
campus issues (note it’s plural) then
please let us hear from you because#;
are always interested in active menil
on the Council. If you are interested;
only one issue, please let us hear from
you as well. We will take your viewsa;
ideas into consideration. If we don’t
hear from you, please don’t guessak
what we are doing. Those rumors art
not going to benefit anyone.
Dan Vrudny is president of the
Graduate Student Council and a
graduate student in industrial educatw
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Base happiness on more thancareei
Do you ever just wonder why?
Though columnists always write as if
they know more than everybody in the
world combined, I’ll be the first to admit
I have a lot of questions in need of
answers. One of those questions
concerns the life we lead.
Sometimes I see life as a big flowing
river which drags everybody along with
it. Some are swimming as fast as they
can trying to get ahead of everybody
else. Some are trying to keep their heads
above the water but are constantly being
dragged into the depths. Then there are
some who don’t want to endure the
torrent of the river. They would prefer
to sit on the bank.
But where does the river lead?
Nowhere, the river flows in a circle. The
people who swim the fastest succeed in
passing the others, but they are still in
the same place.
Once we all graduate from Texas
A&M, we are going to have to jump into
that river. At what pace are we going to
swim? Do we want that high pressure
job at the famous engineering company
or the accounting firm? Is it worth
pulling in 35 grand yet kill yourself
emotionally and physically in the
process? Never underestimate the
destructiveness of stress on the psyche
of a human. Nothing can kill a person
Andrew
Matthews
Columnist
easier.
I hear these stories about young
adults or families where each spouse
works about 50 hours a week. They
come home exhausted and don’t spend
quality time together. Then they have
children, who either get sent to day care
or become latch-key kids. They are
strangers to their busy parents.
Yet, do you ever feel that society is in
a conspiracy to force everyone to choose
a career that is prestigious and
gruelling? I would get laughed at if I
told people that with my economics and
finance knowledge I would choose to be
a sailor on a boat, or perhaps a truck
driver.
No, instead, I have to do the sensible
thing and get my MBA or law degree
and be a respectable high-income
earning professional. I could make
more money, but how do you get
satisfaction out of defending
corporations in lawsuits or helping
companies earn a higher earnings pet
share ratio?
Take care, I am not saying that all
professional careers are despicable. If
you love your work, then no one can
fault you. We are all trying to find a
career from which we will accrue not
just pecuniary rewards but also a feelffi
of job satisfaction. We would all grow
weary of our jobs if we only worked for
a paycheck.
Thanksgiving is the time to think
about such things. When we return to
our family, we start reappraising our
priorities. Those books in the suitcase
just don’t seem as important anymore,
can never study when I see my family
always feel selfish w hen I study at homt
When I do graduate though, I’m
pretty sure I’ll end up as a white-collar
professional. I owe too much moneyto
go out and play in the flowers all day.
And besides what girl wants to marry
guy without fininacial security?
The net result of these musingsistk
a balance must be met in all we do. Surt
we need to work, but let’s not let it rule
us. There is so much more to live for
than what happens between nine and
five.
Andrew Matthews is a senior
economics major.
Adventures In Cartooning
by Don Atkinson it
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