lember 2,W mi\ 3 visiting Hi domestically-bred and bound at-Law M students do not possess. With their intelligence, zeal and :opped Los en th us j asrn/ international students, " he r sa " on actively recruited by the University, -ordine to) ^ here because they have proven £0 a i S o did® themselves the best of the best in -nse with hn their foreign lands, aid. They may sometimes make -n two Brest |p ac ij n g curves higher, leading to ? a .096 m some resentment. But they are not - y hol fi subversives or revolutionaries. - 0 ,j run i(i^ey are gifted ambassadors of id Lorenzdtheir foreign countries and are ror skills ready to offer a treasure chest of ing while® culture to any Aggie who would . care to inquire of them, attorney, t> diately reK 3 left at thtp _ing. me to syifl rade of airl® | -980s, step] tive officer Holding' on Conti rs. ■tal into wi "s largest rging the anal Airlu I then d People E' regime yet maintain a lukewarm position on the conflict in what used to be Yugoslavia. Harsh repression occurs in many nations we consider friends and allies. It is incorrect for the United States to assume it can or must maintain world order. We all have sympathy for the Shiite rebels, as for any oppressed people; however, it would be eco nomically unsound to enter into ev ery conflict that presents itself. Consider our logic for staying out of the conflict that ensued after the military overthrow of Haiti, which is at least in our hemisphere. Our government may be responsible for encouraging the Shiite rebellion un der pretense of aiding the rebels economically or militarily. If that is the case we owe them whatever was promised. However, as with the Kurds, what we offer is likely to prove to be too little too late. As Texas A&M continues to fight accusations of racism and intolerance on campus, how we Aggies treat the international students should serve as a barometer of whether such accusations are valid. The desire of the international students to leave their loved ones behind and come to Texas A&M brings a refreshing variety of flavors to the vanilla and chocolate of Bryan-College Station. Just as Martin Luther King told America to take a hard look at whether it was really living up to the ideals the U.S. had set for itself, the international students, by their mere presence, are asking every Aggie to be more tolerant, to dare to inquire and to help further the noble goal of brotherhood. as since M 2 flying buf kruptcyitf :>dyce pa$ onths for ackard, id Com: ding stai that contf i K 2 affiliate re," or L sembled l* 1 2 of $5,4^ q 15, 'M 1 -99. executive bt the coil _od CaniO' PC stra Student sees the light at PTTS After waiting in line for an hour and ahalf to get a bus pass, I made an Appointment with Tom Williams, who ■sthe head of Parking, Transit and Traffic Services to make some ^suggestions on making the line a little Hore bearable. He listened to my suggestions, which mainly related to tl 1 Putting signs and instructions in the p® building for those in line, and then ^ ^ed how that would make the line go buster. My reply was that it wouldn't ^e the line go faster but that it was a suiall thing he could do for his c Ustomers. Mr. Williams' response to ywait in line was that it was not bad because it used to take eight hours J ^der a circus tent. We then began a conversation about {be bus system. When I asked about "iprovements in the system, Mr. illiams more than once ended his ponses by saying that if I didn't like lei 'us: the bus, I should buy a parking permit. He also called the air conditioning and shuttle bus route maps "creature comforts" that he had already given the students. Mr. Williams also stated that he had not been on the shuttle bus, hut he sometimes followed it in his car. At least now I know why the line there was so long. Steve Bailey Class of '88 Please respect the drill field I would like to welcome all of the new freshmen and transfer students to A&M. I would also like to explain one of the traditions that the band holds dear. That is that only band members are ever to be on the drill field behind the band dorm. As you walk around campus you can tell just by looking around where the traffic tends to flow off the sidewalk and cross over on the grass. There are paths where the traffic flows that get worn down, uneven, and muddy when it rains. To avoid this problem on the drill field we ask that nobody walks on it. The drill field eventually looks bad enough as we create our own ruts from drilling every day. Also, we work very hard on our halftime drills and put time, sweat, blood, and tears into the Seeing wolves in sheep’s clothing Look for warning signs of cults before it's too late by MATTHEW K. DICKERSON Tens of thousands of students have just returned to A&M, and many are here for the first time. Many are searching for their "niche" in the many student groups and programs that are offered here. It is unfortunate that some of these groups are cults whose main goal is to recruit more members. Most college students are young and in transition — and prime targets for cult recruitment. As a former member of a cult group at A&M I thought that it would be helpful to give the "stigmata," or marks of a cult so that students can more capably appraise the groups that they may wish to associate with. First of all, it should be noted that just about any type of group could be cultic. Political and commercial groups as well as religious groups have been cultic. Much of what makes up a cult is its level of control, regardless of the type of group. For instance, an insurance company, A.L. Williams, has been described as cultic. Dr. Ronald Enroth, a respected writer and researcher of cults and abusive groups, has recently written a new book. Churches that Abuse, which is a fine exposition of abusive groups. He identified six essential characteristics of cult groups: 1) Authoritarian leadership. The leadership is effectively beyond criticism —though they often feign humility —and control oriented. Leaders lack accountability. 2) The group fosters dependency. Themes of loyalty and submission predominate in the leader's teachings and relationships with others. If you are being urged to "get counsel" or advice about nearly everything in your life, you should be very cautious. A false security — the leaders watching over your life to "protect" you — is used to tempt people into surrendering degrees of autonomy. 3) Elitism and isolationism. Ecclesiastical isolation is typical of cults. 4) Excessive discipline, such as shunning or excommunication, is used to squash dissent. 5) Shifting loyalties, especially away from the family. If you are "counseled" to spend less time with your friends or family and more time with the group, you are being gradually isolated and made more dependent. 6) Surveillance. You may discover that someone is keeping tabs on you. If leaders somehow know things about you that you never told them, you may have a person in the group that is reporting regularly on you to them. This seems especially true of so-called shepherding cults. Of special interest in Dr. Enroth's book is his mention of two groups that are, or have been, operating here at A&M; Great Commission, (which I was associated with for a number of years) and Maranatha, both shepherding cults. I understand that Maranatha is now known as Hosanna, and Great Commission Students is now known as A&M Christian Fellowship (AMCF). Dr. Enroth tells me that of all of the groups that he covered in his book. Great Commission was the most difficult to deal with. Although Dr. Enroth in his book was quite upbeat about Great Commission's prospects for the future. Great Commission threatened a lawsuit in an attempt to prevent the book's publication. Despite these difficulties. Dr. Enroth's book has enjoyed brisk sales; at the time of the interview, it had climbed to number 11 on the Christian best-sellers list. Churches that Abuse can be had at Brazos Valley Christian Books, or at your local Christian bookstore. It might well be added that simply because a cult has "orthodox" Christian doctrines doesn't mean that it cannot be a cult. I was warned that Great Commission was a cult over four years before I extricated myself. I was lulled into complacency because I swallowed the notion that only "unorthodox" doctrines are associated with cults. Dr. Enroth's book goes a long way in exposing this fallacy. Below are listed a number of help groups, both secular and religious, for cult and ex-cult members. If you would like background information on any number of cults, the Cult Awareness Network and the American Family Foundation can be especially helpful. You can reach the American Family Foundation and Cult Observer (AFF) at 212-249-7693, or the Cult Awareness Network (CAN) at 312-267-7777. Dickerson is a sophomore economics major and a columnist for The Battalion drill field. It's as special to us as the things you work hard for are special to you. Band members hold the drill field in such reverence that a former BQ requested that his ashes be scattered on the drill field after he passed on. That is what we did after Muster last spring. So as you walk around campus this year we ask that you respect the drill field and please walk around. Jason Johnston Class of '94 Take pride in our community As a concerned citizen for a neat community appearance, I congratulate Park Cleaners on George Bush Drive across from the TAMU campus. Their newly decorated maroon and white store front tells us who is knowledgeable and proud of the Aggies. Thanks to the Liles family for making our community aware and appreciative of Texas A&M and College Station. Now as the students move into our area, we will ask for their help, support, and civic pride in keeping the appearance of our community neat and attractive. Mrs. Helen Pugh College Station Don't let others do unto you... Here at the beginning of the fall semester Td like to say Gig'em to all returning Aggies and share a little knowledge I gained this summer. Not everything is learned in the classroom. I've found: expect apartment managers to keep part of your deposit - even if you comply with all requirements and they are members of that great "Texas Apartment Association." I foolishly believed that contracts would be honored — and that especially in College Station — people would treat each other with a code of honor, but it's not so. Beware that some apartment complexes will keep part of every deposit. At least, that's how it appears. I've done a little asking around and haven't found otherwise. I'm an Aggie mom. I know clean. I've been around several years. I know fair. I helped clean the vacated apartment. I've also notified the Better Business Bureau and a lawyer. There is no reason for people to take advantage of their neighbor. "Thou shalt not steal" from Exodus 20 is still part of the Ten Commandments when I look in the’’ good book. Be aware. Aggies, that you'll have to scratch for what is your right but keep fighting. The 'Horns are not the only opponent in life! Mrs. Donald R. Matthews Mt. Pleasant, Texas Editorials appearing in The Battalion reflect the views of the opinion page staff only. They do not represent, in any way, the opinions of reporters, staff, or editors of other sections of the newspaper. Columns, guest columns, and Mail Call items express the opinions of the authors only. The Battalion encourages letters to the editor and will print as many as space allows in the Mail Call section. Letters must be 250 words or less and include the author’s name. We reserve the right to edit letters for length, style, and accuracy. Letters should be addressed to; The Battalion - Mail Call 013 Reed McDonald /Mail stop 1111 Texas A&M University College Station, TX 77843