February 25
Opinion
day, February 25, 1992
The Battalion
Page 7
The Battalion Editorial Board
DOUGLAS PILS, Editor-in-Chief
BRIDGET HARROW, Managing Editor
BRIAN BONEY, Opinion Editor
JASON MORRIS, Night News Editor
MORGAN JUDAY, Night News Editor
MACK HARRISON, City Editor
KARL STOLLEIS, Photo Editor
SCOTT WUDEL, Sports Editor
ROB NEWBERRY, Lifestyles Editor
The following opinions are a consensus of The Battalion opinion staff and senior editors.
Student president
Restrictions on office limit rights
president ani
ervation
n using theirmITonight the Texas A&M Student
rntally relatedjcti Senate is considering action which will
lect us all and cannot be allowed,
iates (environmMLast week, the Rules and
mental ProtediMgulations Committee of the Student
rvancy and tspnate introduced a change in the
lequirements of candidates for Student
st and third feigody President. The committee wants
erTower.Ar, a ]] candidates for the
d and shoulc;:p OS iti 0 n to have previ-
information,
ous
Student
Government experi
ence. This is akin to
v^n1nrlr§l uirin S the President
nCiOCUofjthe United States to
^■ve served as a sena-
I ffir, cabinet member or
" Fire and Wa!?jyice-president,
ght Goes Doirffl The proposal severe-
es melodic ly limits the number of
his solo on ^potential candidates to
Bound 100 instead of
lad is a current number of approximately
- metal band ever y student on campus.
in ' ipB Wldte ^e concept of previous expe-
ng, rience is noble, it only short-changes
I e student bod y- B y allowing only the
v good job. rl me § roup of P eo P le to hold the P osi -
1 out anderiB 115 P ower / new ideas are unable
u ing a rel to SUI T ace / resulting in the same old
maturity toci-B 0 ^ ems and m ethods. In any setting,
, but perhapspTether it be the U.S. government or
>e able to pull jou r student government, new ideas
Be the life blood.
' does not brJ Student Government is not the only
>arriers. ItstidBace for leaders to develop. The Corps
rrmulas for sB Cadets, fraternities, sororities, MSC
an album th§ ;
> not great. Xlt
dle-of-the-rci
uced justthat-J
Ibum.
Student
Government
committees and other groups offer just
as many roles for hands-on leadership
training from which the Student
Government could benefit.
However, when the number of can
didates is limited, the voice of most of
the student body will be silenced. It is
unrealistic to think that in a small
group of like-minded
people someone who
represents a true major
ity will be found. As
Steve Beller, long-time-
student government
participant, says, the
president "is not only
responsible for student
government, but for the
entire student body as a
voice representing it to
the students, faculty
and staff, former stu
dents, visitors, Texas and the nation."
The proposed rule also suggests
that A&M students are not smart
enough to pick a qualified president.
We believe A&M students are as quali
fied as Student Government members
to pick their representative.
With student government elections
rapidly approaching, the proposed
action has the’ smell of elitism and
exclusionary tactics. As the inheritors
of a democratic culture, we cannot
allow this restrictive rule to take effect.
The students of Texas A&M deserve
better.
Film firsts
Oscar nominations bring refreshing change
■ The Oscar nominations released
Ipursday focus a bright light on the
,, . l)metimes seamy and seedy elements
'O , wasins ! I if the motion picture industry. When
imbers sucni^i * ^
Fiddle" "luslB man y mov tes today focus on vio-
nd "Holier * ence and sex to S arner a box office
stoDDinefi* 316 ' tbe ooroi 113 ^ 01 " 15 of '"Beauty and
mbers werefel 16 Beast" for best picture and of John
act, I was 1
rst act
thought if
n nun's'
Singleton for best director offer a
refreshing change in a world that is
tlo often swayed by glitz and glam
our.
For the first time, an
imated film, "Beauty
e off-color jofclahd the Beast", has been
igs, they'd ha|iorninated for best pic-
ause theylowre. While bloodbaths
t mean they l|ke "RamboT and
Berminator 2" rake in
ow was une piles of movie-going
g the audiem*^ Di sne y continues
ng me tosleefM produce family enter-
' wer e all: tainment. How mar-
rdered onjoiiJL] ous a j^oyjg so positive and so
emenibtt y un can p iave a s hot at winning
eally furmyn» 0 jjy WOOC r s most coveted award —
, . , Jn award that usually goes to epic
i o n ious r s L wns " p or over half a
entury, Disney has brought laughs,
miles and tears to international audi-
hces from "Fantasia" to "The Little
nermaid." The academy is commend-
p for its break from the traditional
mol of nominations by allowing
Beauty and the Beast" to compete
with the likes of "Bugsy", "JFK",
'e laughing
:orium. Whi
this nun ncs
many
"Silence of the Lambs", and "Prince of
Tides."
Another first for the Oscars is the
nomination of John Singleton, director
of "Boyz 'N the Hood", for best direc
tor. Singleton at 23 is the youngest per
son ever to be nominated for the
award And even more significantly, he
is the first black director to receive a
nomination. Singleton's achievement
with "Boyz 'N the Hood" brought
home to audiences the
tragic plight of inner-
city black youth. The
movie was a powerful,
gripping project which
spared no emotion in
revealing the ugly
truths of our nation's
inner cities. His laud
able accomplishment
with "Boyz in the
Hood" and his subse
quent nomination for best director
establishes Singleton as a role-model
for both the groups he portrayed in his
movie and for moviegoers nationwide.
Both "Beauty and the Beast" and
"Boyz 'N the Hood" warrant a view
ing by moviegoers throughout the
country for the powerful images they
convey and for the significant achieve
ments of their makers. Good luck to
both John Singleton and "Beauty and
the Beast' in their Oscar bids.
MARIES
<£)W2 THE
NEW 0ER6CY
Couch potato philosophy
Dieters cannot expect to get in shape a week before spring break
Lori
Saddler
I ust when I was getting used to
wearing my turtlenecks and wool
coat. Mother Nature gave us a sign
..hat winter may b^ short-lived this
year. Spring is coming and the cam
pus is being transformed into a
warm-weather resort with volleyball,
softball and even bikini-lined beaches
galore. The cool thing to do is no
longer to stay indoors and rent
movies and video games but to throw
frisbies while
rollerblading in
the sun or have
romantic picnics
at Research Park.
(All this and we
claim not to wor
ship a sun god!)
Spring seems
to change stu
dents' lifestyles in
many different
ways. People real
ize they can no
longer hide in
their extra-large maroon and white
sweats that they received from their
grandmother for Christmas.
While attempting to shed those extra
layers of clothing, they apprehend a
bit too late that maybe it was not such
a good idea to gorge on pepperoni
rolls and candy bars all through last
semester.
Now, miraculously, these same
beer-guzzling, pizza-scarfing couch
potatoes suddenly become new-and-
improved, sprout-eating pseudo-veg
etarians. The one-time connoisseurs of
cholesterol-filled burgers and fries
undergo metamorphosis to become
rabbit-like creatures whose main sta
ples are lettuce and tofu. Not that I
have anything against vegetarians —
personally, I agree with many of the
humanitarian philosophies behind it
, but I do wonder about people
who change their lifestyles 180
degrees overnight without knowing
just what they are doing.
The same type of quick transforma
tion can be found within the walls of
Aggieland's oh-so-famous DeWare
Fieldhouse. On the chilly mornings of
November and December, an observ
er of the facility would be greeted by
the honest-to-God sweat of those
hard-core muscle machines who work
out more in one day than the majority
of the population has for the last five
years combined. But a follow-up tour
in the spring would reveal a slightly
deviated picture dominated by nor
mally sedentary individuals who are
anxiously racing against the clock to
get in shape for their spring break trip
to Padre Island, which is less than one
month away.
Now there's nothing wrong with
actually starting a fitness program or
doing some new exercise. My com
plaint is about the people who spend
a truckload of money on new workout
clothes and cross-trainers while limit
ing their actual workout to the walk
from their car in the parking lot to the
gym. Once in the gym, they may do a
couple of curls with roughly a 5-
pound weight or ride the exercise bike
for ten minutes, but that's about it.
And they wonder why they don't get
in shape! You may be wondering why
I am harping on innocent heads of let
tuce and wholesome health clubs. The
point is that both the food and exer
cise commentaries point out basic
flaws in our society. First, in today's
mile-a-minute roadrace of life, people
want everything instantaneously.
They expect things to be handed to
them on a silver platter without hav
ing to work to obtain them. Also, on
the once-in-a-maroon-moon occasion
when the things people are actually
striving for goals which can be classi
fied as positive in nature, they end up
wanting them for the wrong reasons.
For example, dorm habitants binge
on mozzerella sticks every weeknight
for a semester and a half yet they
expect to go to one aerobics class and
burn off enough fat to fit into that lit
tle size 5 bikini. They don't under
stand that it takes years of hard work
and health-conscious eating to be able
to look like a model (except, of course,
if you're Cher!). You can't look like an
athletic person if you're eating low-
calorie salads for lunch at the same
time you're hanging out at an ice
cream shop every Sunday night.
The epitome of these "get in shape
quick" types is the person who puts
on his or her running shoes on
Saturday only to end up laying out in
the sun on the Commons beach resort
with a bag of potato chips dipped in
low-calorie ranch dressing. The only
exercise opportunity the person uses
is the motion of a hand moving back
and forth to feed a mouth.
Right now the bleeding hearts
among us are probably saying that I
should not be criticizing people who
are trying to take a step in the right
direction by introducing a little exer
cise into their lives. Truthfully, my
goal is not to make fun of those who
have tried to change their living pat
terns, but who lacked the neccessary
willpower. That would require
degrading my own persona as well. I
know that any person who is truly
serious about entering into a new
exercise program or diet will cheat
every once in a while, but I have very
little sympathy or respect for the peo
ple who want to better themselves just
for material reasons or passing plea
sures.
Wanting to improve the quality of
one's health should not be a short
term goal for the purpose of attracting
a member of the opposite sex during
the week of March 15-20. It should be
a lifetime aim for a healthier body and
mind which incorporates all aspects
of one's life.
Physical fitness is just like any
other healthy habit in that it requires
practice. Like brushing your teeth, it
must be done on a regular basis for it
to do any good. You also have to want
it for yourself and not just to impress
the people who will see you in shorts
or a bathing suit. Everyone knows
that a healthy body will by no means
appear over night. It takes daily effort
over a long period of time, which is
something our society has taught us
not to believe in. In re-evaluating the
reasons why we want to be physically
fit, a little hard work seems a fair
price to pay for a healthier, more
enjoyable life. You will have the
opportunity to meet new and interest
ing people who have similar healthy
outlooks on living. And in the long
run, these new friends will be much
more fulfilling than those ex-couch
potatoes you were trying to attract in
the first place!
Saddler is a freshman
psychology major
ail Call
tration
ions
Inc.
Corps members
show intolerance
Last Tuesday, at around 5 p.m. on the second
floor of Bldg C in the Langford Architecture
Complex, I witnessed the confirmation of a
stereotype. Four members of the Corps, appar
ently having just left class, were hovered around
a bulletin board. All snickering, three stood by
while one of them scribbled something on a post
ed notice. They were just leaving as I
approached and i stopped to look at what and on
what they had written. On an announcement for
a ProChoice meeting on campus that evening
they had penned in that ProChoice ". . .is for
communists & sluts. . ." This may have been an
isolated incident, and this may have been just
four guys having fun being politically incorrect;
they are certainly entitled to their beliefs and the
expressions of those beliefs. But I would be less
than honest if I did not admit to interpreting this
as a sad reminder of the strong undercurrents of
intolerance and ignorance that remain institu
tionalized at Texas A&M.
Louis G. Tassinary, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor and Director
Batt ready
for trash TV
Far more hilarious than the requisite swill of
Stacy Feducia's most recent column was the
adjoining editorial submitted by the Battalion
staff in the Feb. 20 issue. How appropriate for a
newspaper that, in the space of one week, has
run both a front-page photo of a "nekked" sun-
bather and a scintilating discussion on the beauty
of "butt crack" to crusade for the end of tabloid
journalism.
Give me a break. In the card game of tabloid
journalism, Stacy Feducia is a trump card. She
continues her vulgarity-is-vogue campaign,
much to the delight of the Batt staff, because she
and The Battalion are hungry for attention. If
shock value is your goal, by all means - keep run
ning her vacuous column. But don't expect your
readers to stand and applaud your indignation at
"reputable establishments (that) fail to live up to
their own standards." Frankly, I have a sneaking
suspicion that the entire Batt staff is angling for a
guest appearance on the Maury Povich Show.
Jennifer Maloney '91
Graduate student
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