Wednesday, November 4,1992
Opinion
The Battalion Page 9
Editorials
Democracy wins
Election ends with high turnout
As the polls closed on Tuesday
and the eyes of America turned to
the results, democracy proved the
real winner in this record turnout
election. The elections shocked a
typically apathetic populace into an
electoral fervor. Voters discussed is
sues with passion unmatched by
any in recent history.
The mere fact that the Texas elec
tion results were delayed due to a
shortage of ballots attests to the re
newed interest in electoral politics.
While several factors contributed
to the increased participation, voters
ignored the smokescreens of mud-
slinging and name-calling in order
to delve into the real issues of this
election: the economy, the debt, the
educational system, the rights of the
individual.
A response to the failed policies
of the past, voters opted for a
change in the status quo through
the election of Bill Clinton and
through the election of the first
black female and Native American
senators.
However, the close of the polls
and the counting of the ballots do
not signal the close of political ac
tivism for the American people.
Rather than recline in the easy-
chairs of indifference, we issue the
call to continue the spirit of democ
racy that coursed through this elec
tion. Let us continue to make our
opinions known not only through
our votes but also through our ac
tions. In the words of President
elect Bill Clinton, "Remember a
place called Hope."
Business is good
Grad school garners top honors
Texas A&M University received
some very welcome recognition last
week when Business Week listed
A&M's business graduate school
among the top 20 "second-tier"
schools in the country.
Business Week cited Texas A&M
as one of only three universities in
Texas that fit the "second-tier" crite
ria of providing students with a first
rate education at a reasonable price.
In fact, of all 20 schools on the list,
A&M has the second lowest tuition
cost.
While graduate students are cer
tainly pleased with the positive rat
ings, the University as a whole has
cause to celebrate inclusion on the
list. Positive exposure from a re
spected business magazine could
possibly drive up undergraduate
applications among the most quali
fied of potential students. More and
better applicants result in an in
crease of overall student quality
during the coming semesters.
It is heartening to see outside
sources recognize Texas A&M for
something positive, such as provid
ing the best possible education at a
cost that rivals any reputable col
lege.
At a time when tuitions rise and
colleges struggle to meet financial
demands, this University stands
among an elite group of educational
institutions that have not forgotten
a primary concern — the student.
Goodbye goatee, hello manhood
Flowering facial hair offers rite of passage to men
I did it. I killed it. After nearly
four months of growing and nur
turing my goatee, I cut it off. As
crazy as it sounds, I loved that thing.
I was very close to it. I remember the
day it was born — Aug. 8, 1992. I
was so proud.
Since I think of myself as a basi
cally "clean cut" guy, I thought
growing a goatee would be funny.
But mostly, I just wanted to prove
that I could do it. It's a sort of stupid
initiation into manhood.
Every guy must prove that he is
strong, independent and virile
enough to become a man. Most guys
play or at least watch football. Oth
ers protest the anti-environmental, imperialistic Republican
establishment. Lots of other guys leam to jitterbug. There
is just something manly about leading a lady in a dance.
But perhaps the most common initiation is the initiation of
facial hair. Real men grow beards.
I hate football, and I don't have anyone to dance with.
So all my hope of proving my manliness to myself and the
world laid in the simple and painless task of growing some
sort of facial hair.
Of course it took about two weeks for people to realize
that I was trying to grow a goatee. They laughed at me
when I explained that yes, I had washed my face that day
and yes, that was indeed hair on my chin.
The day before I came back to school, I ate lunch with
an old Ag. He warned me that they wouldn't let me into
Brazos County with this thing on my face. I didn't know
how right he was.
Despite all the talk about being "world class," this Uni
versity fails to tolerate people of slightly different appear
ance. As much as I hate to say it, most Ags are shavists.
Aggies hate hair so much that many even shave their
heads. And not just cadets. Haven't you ever noticed how
many guys on this campus have Beaver Cleaver cuts?
When I returned to school, people reacted negatively.
Every time I saw one old friend of mine, she asked me
when I planned to shave. One time she even became vio
lent. She grabbed what hair she could and dragged me
down the hall. I thought the guy was supposed to do that
to the woman! On the whole, though, people just looked at
me funny. Some people tried to avoid directing attention
to the growth. They seemed to understand its nearly sa
cred significance.
About six weeks into the project, I considered shaving
it. When I confided my misgivings to a friend, he encour
aged me onward, "Don't shave it yet. It's just starting to
look ... to look ... well ... like it's filling in." He motivated
me to persist.
A couple of weeks later, I went home. My dad quickly
pointed out that my goatee felt like a Brillo pad. He main
tained a supportive, if harrying, stance despite his thinly
veiled disapproval. Dad would make a good Ag.
Four months after that first measly stubble, the goatee
finally felt complete. I endured teasing and torture to ar
rive at the place of confidence. Then one Sunday, a friend
of mine sat me down and absolutely demanded that I cut it
off. She argued that it looked bad, and that she hated to
watch me "fondle" the thing. I laughed at her audacity to
tell me what to do. And, I admit, I was a little embarrassed.
When I told my dad what she said, I hoped to find some
comforting words of encouragement. Instead, dad said
flatly, "She's right, son. It looks bad."
Ouch. Months of endeavor to prove that I could grow
facial hair, then, almost at once, I realized that all my efforts
amounted to nothing, literally.
I shaved. I killed it.
Looking in the mirror I realized that perhaps they were
right. I do look good without a goatee, if I say so myself.
And I still hide the secret confidence of knowing that I can
grow something on my face.
So now, when I walk across campus, I snicker to myself
when I see guys struggling put hair on their faces. I laugh
with all the guys sporting thin goatees and beards, trying to
convince someone who isn't listening. I know that as they
grow it out, they will grow out of it.
Purvis is a junior petroleum engineering major
DWAYNE
PURVIS
Columnist
U.S. historians must
explain whole story
Recent events concerning cultural in
sensitivity and ignorance form conclu
sive evidence for the necessity of teach
ing Americans about their entire her
itage. American heritage and culture is
all to often singularly equated with Eu
ropean heritage and culture. European
history, indeed, is an important part of
American history, but it is not Ameri
can history in its entirety.
Europeans and the forefathers stole
an entire continent from the Indians
who were already settled in North
America. The forefathers, after their
theft, decided to import slaves to labor
on their newly "found" soil.
Four hundred years after these trans
gressions, the U.S. government has nev
er apologized to either the Indians or
the Afro-Americans. The Indians have
almost been exterminated, and no one
is responsible or at fault? To make mat
ters worse, Indians, Afro-Americans,
and other minorities are not credited
with their contributions to American
society.
In this election year we hear much
about the "common" or the "average"
American, and how hard their lives are
economically and socially. They are
unemployed; they're losing their hous
es; and their marriages are strained.
For over a century we Afro-Ameri
cans, and Indians have attempted to tell
America her history. No one listens
when we say that unemployment is
twice the national average among Afro-
Americans and is almost nonexistent in
the Indian community. Few of us have
had homes to lose because the majority
are always in perpetual economic hard
times.
Oh, and our marriages, well, that is
self-explanatory, and if it is not, then it
is obvious that you do not know the
history of America.
Darion K. Akins
Class of '92
Officers show racism
in arresting suspect
I am a Hispanic student here at
Texas A&M. During the evening of
Oct. 16, I witnessed a terrible act of
racism by the College Station Police De
partment.
As I was leaving a local bar in the
College Station area, I had a conversa
tion with four Hispanic individuals in a
car who were just having a fun time
talking with people as they left the
parking lot.
Five minutes later I turned around to
see one of the Hispanic individuals and
a white male squaring off to fight. The
white male was yelling at the other guy
who seemed to be just defending him
self. The other Hispanic guys stayed in
the car during the ordeal. Before the
fight got started, several policemen
came racing in to stop the fight.
You would think that when a fight
breaks out between two people that
both would be questioned in the proper
manner by the police.
As I was sorry to witness, the His
panic individual was not only ques
tioned but was wrongfully arrested
along with his companions in the car.
The other individual involved in the in
cident was released without question
ing.
It is apparent that the College Station
officers were biased in their decision to
act upon the Hispanic individuals. I
saw no point in arresting the individu
als in the car, and I believe that both
males involved in the incident should
have been interrogated properly.
The College Station Police officers
were racist in their actions. Not only do
I feel strongly about the incident but so
do other witnesses who were with me,
two of whom are white.
Manuel Arias, Jr.
Class of'93
Accompanied by three signatures
Sexual preference
minorities examined
We often find ourselves observing
discussions (TV, radio. The Battalion)
about the pro's and con's of sexual pref
erence as a basis for a minority status.
Most of the information was simple
mudslinging amongst heterosexuals
and homosexuals.
Before considering this sexual prefer
ence idea for society as a whole, one
must investigate the implications that
minority status for sexual preference
creates.
If sexual preference is to be protected
by law, this law must make allowances
for any sexual preference. Whether you
like it or not, this includes but is not
limited to bestiality, necrophilia and pe
dophilia.
If you find any of these behaviors
unacceptable yet accept homosexuality
and/or heterosexuality, then you are a
bigoted, sexist pig. Hence you are
guilty of sexual discrimination and
should be justly punished.
By the aforementioned argument,
one must show tolerance for
necrophiles, pedophiles and homosexu
als. If this is true (as it must be in order
to justify the argument), a man who de
cides to engage in sexual intercourse
with your children, whether they are
dead or alive, is protected by his right
to sexual preference.
A man was recently convicted of
criminal activity involving rape and
murder where he had homosexual rela
tionships with some of his adolescent
victims before, during, and after he
killed them.
This type of behavior is in accord
with the sexual preference argument
and would be used as a legal loophole
in favor of this guilty man. We are
speaking specifically about the Jeffrey
Dahmer atrocities.
This letter is not to discreetly bash
the "alternative" lifestyles or to address
the topic of consent. Its purpose is to
elucidate some of the ramifications (al
beit extreme, but we had to get your at
tention) that would occur if policies,
whether positive or negative, are pur
sued with respect to sexual preference.
Zeke Fez
Class of '93
Owen Watson
Graduate student
Editorials appearing in The Battalion reflect the views of
die opinion page staff and ecfitor 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 MaB Call items express the
opinions of the authors only.
The Battalion encourages letters to the editor and wiB print
as many as space a Bows in the Mail Call section. Letters
must be 300 words or less 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 BattaBon - Mail Call
013 Reed McDonald /Mail stop 1111
Texas ASM University ‘
College Station. TX 77843