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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 3, 1992)
I vember 3,1991 ;oals worked," hi d to do it, it , who havi out of the las: espite bein( rd-down at 't secure thi until Pete 1-yard touch d the Long, ng four fun- several bh d. "We hai y, but Texas had to in os- t didn't play a good teair. mistakes wi vin." iSt )83 sobering. Hi 1 last year, 3; playoffs, wo games: nd with bi re Wannstec NFL's best: aid defensi: stone on Su: r to crack th in 54 games iffensive lira given up li iad to happe great." year, said, "I >ver 100 yarc re a 100-yat ist the Eagla 1 Dallas coat! >re to do. W laven't playei ?ven-pointfi Tons. ;aiii uld be abo' 'ersy becatii scovered thi 'en." y night, afte ibition gamt d he and th r the upcott made only! empts whit in the Lakers veland Cavs ill, N.C. Hs and had fivi ainutes in ft a me when h ight arm.Th ndage, whic eatband. n five of ft ason games :s and near! The Lake! >n in the lint salize that: : to return): and still cot ad in all th o," Johnso: y family ft >ort to retuf hat it is mot lay time wit tinuing wit ation project ive and tifflt the NBA." aigan State) ampionshif average 19 Lakers, leac BA champi back win ay. That i-2 and in ■NFC Houston's en to save ight want wing advi- ■ell ventor of I a former Or maybe Jones, the erbacks rowing le's pa Dome, ■nkins? )f offensive ready to e, Pardee ip. The ads is a II team. Opinion Tuesday, November 3,1992 The Battalion Page 9 A wa w Concept OF" PER PETOAU Movement c. Editorial Going to extremes Mandatory culture classes unwise While some people at Texas A&M misunderstand the perspectives of ethnic minorities on campus, adding a class about multicultural- ism to the core curriculum would overstep the boundaries of the Uni versity's mission and fail to effec tively change students' attitudes. Texas A&M is a state-supported institution of higher education. The University offers a place for stu dents to learn to think critically and analytically. A&M should be a free forum of debate with a goal to graduate stu dents who hold convictions about truth and knowledge about fact. No class, especially a one credit hour class, can conifer fall the facts or history of a culture. Moreover, who would determine the content of such a course? Would it simply be a history of mi nority cultures, and how many races or nationalities would be in cluded in the curriculum? If, instead of just teaching history, the course is created to dissolve racial generalizations and to avoid insult by offering the medicine of multiculturalism, the class will not treat multiculturalism itself nor any particular ethnic group impartially. The objective of the class would likely be to proselytize cultural sen sitivity rather than just cultural awareness. The class would evolve into a de facto mandate for cultural sensitivity. By requiring a multiculturalism class, Texas A&M assumes the role of cultural moderator, an arbitrator of truth and propriety, a dictator of fact and morality. No educational institution should itself champion some movement for social change. Social change must erupt from within a society, in our case the community of students, in order to be genuine, viable, and ef fective. Forcing people to take a multicultural class would only cre ate hostility and resentment. In the same way that "gun-sling ing" evangelicals make enemies by demanding conversion with threats of hellfire, the University will spur dissent by promulgating its own form of intolerance — intolerance of sometimes misguided individual observation and conclusion. The recent Sigma Alpha Epsilon "Jungle Party" episode demonstrat ed that some A&M students need to be more culturally sensitive. However, requiring a class for all students punishes the entire Univer sity for the isolated problems of a few. Over-reaction by the adminis tration would return the University to the days of McCarthyism when institutions demanded compliance to lofty, but misplaced ideals. The class might be seen as evi dence to the public of an A&M com mitment to the destruction of the racial barriers that persist. However, requiring the class sub verts the function of a university and the cause of multiculturalism — a high price to pay for our freedom to think, and study, what we please. Dredging up mud from the past Reminders of Corps problems indicate liberal bias As a senior here at Texas A&M, I have watched many changes take place in the name of progress at this University. However, one thing that has not changed is the liberal view points expressed in the reporting and editorials of The Battalion. Although I am not a journalism major, and far from being an expert on the subject, I have always believed that it was the responsibility of a journalist to report the facts in an unbiased and nonpar tisan fashion. From the Oct. 26 issue of The Bat talion containing the follow-up arti cle on sexual harassment charges in the Corps I quote, "It was just another day for members of the Texas A&M University Corps of Cadets last fall as accu sations of sexual harassment triggered national media scrutiny and rumors of disbandment." I want to know just what in the hell Julie Chelkowski and Todd Stone meant by stating, "it was just another day." For your information, it was far from being "just another day." Why must The Battalion resort to reporting a year old story just as an obvious attempt to turn the student body against the Corps of Cadets? It would seem far more ap propriate for The Battalion to report current issues such as charges of racism in Greek organizations. As I have always been told, "Don't beat a dead horse." Well, since The Battalion finds it necessary to create con troversy when there isn't any to report, let me set the record straight on a few things. Last year I was the com manding officer of Parsons Mounted Cavalry. Last year as cavalry commander, I was involved in a very difficult and political situation. I felt that it was in the best interest of the cavalry and the Corps to take a vow of silence to prevent anything I said from being misinterpreted by the media. That is why I was quoted in virtually every paper from The Battalion to the New York Times as saying, mo comment." The first thing that I would like to make clear is that at no time last fall was Parsons Mounted Cavalry ever dis banded. When the allegations of sexual harassment were first made public, I felt that it was in the best interest of the cavalry to reduce to "minimal operations" in an attempt to avoid unnecessary media attention while we were conduct ing an investigation in cooperation with the University Po lice. This meant that members still cared for our horses and equipment daily as well as participating in required eques trian classes. The second point that I would like to make clear is that one issue that all the media avoided last year. I know that you never read in any article that Parsons Mounted Caval ry had two high ranking senior officers that were female. I am not so ignorant as to say these two cadets were greeted with open arms when they first joined the cavalry. Howev er, with composure and perseverance, these two young ladies overcame adversity to gain the respect of every member that they so well deserved. Lori Seelhoff and Lau ra Kleen were pioneers in our organization and set a won derful example for future females to follow. So, after all that I have said, what is my point? My point is that the liberals of The Battalion have no business creat ing a controversy where there is not one. Let's not beat a dead horse here. Don't misunderstand what I am saying. I am not saying that sexual harassment is a dead issue. Conscious efforts are being made as they should be to eliminate sexual ha rassment and discrimination from this University. Howev er, the charges made against the Corps a year ago is a dead issue. There is no need to make further attempts to put the Corps in a bad light. My congratulations and best wishes go out to this year's members of Parson's Mounted Cavalry who have done an outstanding job of carrying on the traditions of our organi zation. Once again, the opinions that I have expressed are my own and are expressed after being a cadet for four great years. I am not endorsed by current cadets or their advi sors, although many of them share my viewpoints. Piper is a fifth-year senior and former Parsons Mounted Cavalry commander GUEST COLUMN TIM G. PIPER Beer drinkers have clear election choice I recently voted in the MSC. There in the booth, on the last page of their lit tle plastic book, was a category of inter est to me and all other Ags that go to the Dixie Chicken and Duddley's. The category was justice of the peace for Precinct 7, Place 1. Guess whose name was there . . . George Boyett. He is running for re-election against Jean Williamson, #126 on the ballot. It then occurred to me that not everyone knows that Boyett's position is elected. We have the ability to remove the man who has pledged to fine all people re ceiving minor in possession citations on campus and on Northgate $125. For the second offense, it's only $500. Boyett, the man who also owns roperty on Northgate and is good uddies with Don Gantner of Chicken fame, also owns the police that peruse the Chicken and Duddley's giving out MIP and public intoxication tickets and harassment to all there. Boyett doesn't like us students. He thinks we are nothing but smartass col lege students that don't know what we're talking about. He thinks it ac ceptable not to allow students to tell their side of the story in court. If we try, he raises our fines. You decide, but I believe it could be in all our interests to remove Boyett form office. Go vote, but don't vote straight party. Vote on the issues. It will take you an extra 30 seconds. Vote Jean Williamson, #126, for justice of the peace. Precinct 7, Place 1. James Elam Class of'93 'Two-percenters' not necessarily criminals This letter is in response to Paul Phillips' charge that people who flatten car tires are "two-percenters." I consid er myself a "two-percenter" because I don't relate to most of the so-called Ag gie traditions. I, however, wholly re sent being associated with those who flattened Phillips' friend's tires. Why? I have seen some of the acts of intoler ance disguised as defense of tradition that some 110-percenters perpetrate — such as flattening tires. I long ago realized that being an Ag gie and participating in any number of Aggie traditions does not guarantee that one is a good citizen. We might consider everyone who goes to the Uni versity of Texas to be a zero-percenter. Yet I'll bet that most of the cars on that campus still roll on four wheels! Like wise, despite the efforts of a few two- percenters and 110-percenters, most of A&M's tires still hold their air; and A&M still remains a great school to at tend. Bud Cox Class of'90 Education won't be enough to end racism I am writing to address the recent events at the Sigma Alpha Epsilon house, the prospects of a multicultural class requirement, and racism in gener al. In our society, everyone seems to be extra-sensitive about their race, politi cal views and religious beliefs. My view is only one of millions and may not be applicable to anyone else. This is a letter primarily addressed to minorities to let you know just what this single while male thinks and why. My prejudices have developed over a long period of time. I have had many bad experiences with black people as well as white, but in my mind the ma jority of black people I have met I have had bad experiences with. To this day I try very hard not to allow that preju dice to interfere with the way I treat any person. I always try to give a person the chance to prove himself or herself a valuable, trustworthy individual. These prejudices that I have devel oped will not be destroyed by any amount of education; they will only be erased and forgotten by interaction with black people who bear the quali ties mentioned above. When this hap pens, and the good experiences out number the bad, they will have earned my respect and admiration; those things that tend to be the cries of most of the rallies. You do not have to accept what I be-, lieve and indeed, I may be wrong, but it is the way I think and it will not change until the conditions I stated are satis fied. So if the attitudes of the majority are to be changed, all the organizations that condemned the SAE house should spend less time concentrating on the behavior of others and concentrate on the behavior of its own members. John Groenewold Class of "92 Personal welfare an individual concern What makes us think that our gov ernment controls the economy? Wake up, Ags! We are the economy. It is our responsibility and not that of the gov ernment to create jobs. It's really sad because it seems like we believe that Washington is supposed to be our sug ar daddy. I've got a little secret for ya, Ags. Every dollar the government has is your dollar before they take it from you. When our government spends bil lions on social programs, that is billions that could have been in your pockets. Is it just me or does giving money to the government seem like the worst way to create jobs? And even if it does work, is this the type of country that we want for the future of our kids? One where everyone expects handouts in stead of hard work? Come on. Who ever said making a living was easy, and why did you believe them? Do you think that our forefathers had it easier? Do you think it should be easier now? No! Hard work is still what will make us successful, but you wouldn't know that from the way most of us live our lives. Today there is a growing trend to look to Washington for both success and failure when we should be looking at ourselves. Our government is taxing the middle and upper classes and giv ing it to the poor. Why? So that every one will be economically equal. I may be wrong but the last time I checked, that was socialism. Is this what we want for America? Is this what we want for our kids? No? Then get up off your butt and stop looking to the government for direction. Shaivn McGlothlin Class of'94 Editorials appearing in The Battalion reflect the views of the opinion page staff and editor in chief 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 Cali items express the opinions of the authors only. The BattaEon encourages letters to the editor and will print as many as space allows in the Mall Call section. Letters must be 300 words or (ess and include author's name, Social Security number, class, and phone number. We reserve the right to edit letters for length, style, and accuracy. Letters should be addressed to: The BattaEon - Mall Call 013 Reed McDonald /Mail stop 1111 Texas A&M University College Station, TX 77843