The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, November 13, 1992, Image 9

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

    Page 9
[Friday, November 13,1992
Texas A&MOPINIONThe Battalion
'er 13,1992
It
jots
speech to
tent,
tist when
right to
else's
n Heffer-
punish
n indi-
e may
oppro-
'e at-
of the
oinking
?mpts to
, We
’ a bigot-
st allow
protect
o cannot
reserve
eech
vere
speech
devil's
hould
issue that
ough ad-
; First
often
foman,
ard, mo-
usually
Howev-
n right to
asing the
HAIL
CALL
PITS ticket billing
methods outrageous
I am sure that some, if not all of you
who work or attend classes on this cam-
aus would be outraged if you found
hat one of the departments had added
:o your account any charges or fines be-
onging to your roommate.
In case you have not read the article
'PITS Charges Tickets to Roommate"
in The Battalion on Nov. 10, it appears
hat Parking, Traffic, and Transit Ser
vices PTTS) has done just that! As if
his travesty is not bad enough in itself,
PTTS representatives claim that it is
'perfectly legal," and will not comment
urther.
What the hell is going on?! Since
vhen is theft legal?
If one person charges a purchase to
he account of another person without
jermission of the latter, the first is con-
idered guilty of theft, regardless of
vhether or not the two share an ad-
Iress. Simply put, the reported acts of
TTS constitute a form of theft.
This recently uncovered situation is
et another indication of an unrespon-
ive organization that is out of control.
I urge President Mobley and the De-
artment of Student Affairs to investi-
ate this problem and to evaluate PTTS
5 a whole.
Furthermore, I hope that some cor-
(dive action is taken to help PTTS re-
lember its basic purpose of existence:
to serve the people of this University
ivho pay the bills and make paychecks
reality for the PTTS employees!
Imagine getting to
school without buses
In regards to the millions of people
who have been victimized by scheming
and cruel bus drivers, I would like
them to consider the alternative — no
buses!
That's right, none! Life would be so
much easier for the student leaders
who make Bus Operations work. No
more coordination problems of keeping
over 60 buses operating on schedule at
all times.
The bus drivers wouldn't have to
worry about getting into wrecks or hit
ting pedestrians that walk out in front
of a bus like it was a car. Nor would
they have to worry about driving a 40-
foot bus in a rainstorm and people get
ting upset because that bus is off sched
ule. I myself have been late to class, so
I understand the inconvenience that it
causes.
Don't just get upset, find out why
the bus is late. Maybe the bus broke
down (which is inevitable with over 60
buses running) or maybe a train or an
other traffic jam delayed the bus. These
things, among others, occur daily and
cannot be controlled. Other problems
can only be controlled if Bus Opera
tions knows the problem. If you have a
problem, don't gripe, call! This two-
way communication will be beneficial
both to you and to Bus Operations be
cause better service makes everyone
happy. So, the next time a bus is run
ning late and the driver says "Howdy,"
don't look at him or her with a where-
the-hell-have-you-been look. Just reply
with a friendly "Howdy" and under
stand we are doing the best we can.
Matt Miller
Class of '94
Education is the cure
for ethnocentrism
. m AT Tfo requirement of classes on multi-
Chrts McNees culturalism is an idea whose time has
Class of 91 come Let's face it — education is the
most efficient vehicle for social change,
and as we have seen recently, the time
has come for a change in attitude of
whites about minorities. It is past due.
For 200 years, we have forced mi
norities to learn, almost exclusively,
white history, social customs, and reli
gion. I think it's about time to learn
what the rest of the world has to offer.
Black history does not begin and end
with slavery and civil rights, and His
panic and South American history ex
tends far beyond Columbus' "discov
ery."
Think of the literature you have
studied through high school and col
lege. I am willing to bet that almost
every author you encountered was
American, European, and perhaps
Russian.
We have missed a whole world of
valuable literature from thousands of
other cultures because we are Eurocen
tric and culturally ignorant. There are
millions of contributions that we com
pletely overlook due to a lack of inter
est or understanding.
Multiculturalism is not about trying
to brainwash the majority — it is about
developing an understanding of the
contributions, views, and values of var
ious people.
We are cheating ourselves out of so
much by refusing to educate ourselves,
and by denying other cultures.
Stacy Fletcher
Class of '91
We need respect, not
racial tolerance
I would like to commend Dr. Mobley
on his article concerning racial toler
ance.
However, it is my belief that racial
tolerance is what is hindering race rela
tions at Texas A&M.
When I think of the word tolerate, I
think of putting up with something that
I do not like; for instance, I tolerate prej
udiced people.
Tolerance, in what I have seen over
the course of my life, only increases ten
sion, uneasiness and animosity. What
we as a diverse campus really need is
racial respect and understanding. Each
culture whether Asian, African,
African-American, Hispanic, or Anglo
has something to offer from a rich his
tory to the contributions made by each
race today.
As a multicultural campus, to gain
full understanding and respect of one
another, it is necessary to learn of one
another's cultures.
It is for these reasons that I urge
everyone to take at least one multicul
tural class.
Each culture is rich in its own re
spect, and I feel that we are only hin
dering ourselves by not learning about
one another's cultures.
Michelle Lyons
Class of '93
Choice better than
cultural requirement
Part of being American is that all
men are created equal. While some
don't realize this, forcing them into a
multicultural class will only cause more
resentment in them.
I have a counterproposal. A choice
of multicultural classes for a new re
quirement won't make the medicine
taste any better, but offering it as an al
ternative to existing core curriculum re
quirements will.
This would not add to existing
course loads; it would offer an easy
good grade, and when combined with
the fact that it's not being forced on
anyone, it would be more readily ac
cepted.
Even people (like me) who dislike
multiculturalism might take the class
for a GPA booster as an alternative to,
for example, a history course for their
cultural heritage requirement. Honey
catches more flies than water.
One more note to think about — t.u.,
the multicultural liberal capitol of
Texas, doesn't have a multicultural re
quirement.
Robert Jackson
Class of '96
Save the UT rivalry
for football games
I am writing to respond to Stefano
Alberti's question in Monday's edi
tion," What is so wrong with going to
school in Austin?" There is nothing
wrong with going to the University of
Texas at Austin. In fact, many A&M
graduate students, including myself,
and many faculty members received
degrees from UT Austin. Many of the
anthropology faculty have UT degrees,
and some of Evans Library administra
tion are UT grads.
The superconducting supercollider is
the result of a close relationship be
tween A&M and UT faculty. The space
grant came about because of coopera
tive efforts between A&M and UT fac
ulty and administration. Other depart
ments and programs currently in joint
projects with officials include Psycholo-
? y. Geosciences, Civil Engineering,
ransportation. Water Resources, Ar
chaeology, Sociology, Classics, Educa
tional Psychology, Linguistics, Kinesiol
ogy, Study Abroad, Student Radio and
Offshore Technology, just to name a
few.
Perhaps what you are bewildered
about is how students on this campus
can be so fervent about their ill-will to
ward their sister university. I too am
amazed at the extent and depth of this
animosity. Upon first coming to this
University, I thought the rancor and
hostility was just in jest and part of the
competitive spirit surrounding athlet
ics. But I soon found this represented a
broader, more pervasive attitude to
ward UT in general, including the edu
cational aspects of UT. How can this
be, when at the academic level so much
cooperation is taking place in very im
portant areas which will benefit all Tex
ans and Americans? I believe it is time
to stop the belligerence toward UT on
such a grand scale and leave the sopho-
moric antics for athletic competition
only.
Aggies and Longhorns — no place
but Texas!
John M. Velasquez
A&M graduate student
UT Class of'79
UK
n MSC Student Programs Committee
ror inior
For Information Call 847-8478
(INfMA
6W
natures on
hesis clerk
the other
ne just be -
? or
Carron
ml student
to the
ace allows
jst be 300
name,
phone
s for
111
Friday, Nov, 13
7:30 p.m., 9:45 p.m., & Midnight
Saturday, Nov. 14
7:30 p.m., 9:45 p.m., & Midnight
I
K>
l
sr
8
05
1
8.
5'
2
I
1
o
o
|
2
SiM<dly Albimmdl
im S(S®tlniEi4
As si ]R©cijpiw>csil BxdhsuEig®
art SttMfrmg
One year Exchanges for
(Junior Year Abroad)
Any & All Majors are Eligible
for this Program.
4 1
Attend this Informational Meeting and speak to past
and present Reciprocal Exchange participants, and
pick up an application for the program:
Friday, November 13
2:00 - 3:15 in 251 West Bizzell Hall
Or visit the Study Abroad Programs Office,
161 W. Bizzell Hall from 8:00 - 5:00 M-F.
Requirements: 3.0 GPA and be a U.S. Citizen.
The Cue
Welcomes
FAST EDDY
World Trick Shot Champion
Saturday, Nov. 14, 7:00 -9:00
2 Hour Pool Show
* 12 Balls in one shot
* Shoots ball from
someone's mouth
* Just showin off TV
commercial
* Minnesota Fats shot
* Audience Participation
* Learn the secrets of
The Champion
* How to make difficult
game situation shots
* Autograph session
Holds New World Record
TV Appearances
European USO Tour
Across from 7-11 on Northgate 846-3425
FIFTH ANNUAL
SOUTHWESTERN BLACK STUDENT
LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
AWARENESS DAYS
Monday Nov. 16 - Wednesday Nov. 18
At the MSC Tables from 8 AM-5 PM
COME REGISTER NOW!
SBSLC ’93 CONFERENCE T-SHIRTS WILL BE SOLD
ASTHMA STUDIES
Individuals, age 12 and older, with mild to moderate asthma
to participate in clinical research studies for up to 15 weeks
with investigational medications in capsule and inhaler form.
$300 minimum for study completion.
%
BioLogica Research Group, Inc.
776-0400
Do You Know If You Have Asthma??
Do You Experience Any of the Following Symptoms:
Wheezing? Shortness of breath? Tightness in your chest when
you exercise? If so, you may have asthma. BioLogica is offering
FREE pulmonary function testing (PFT) to non-smokers age 12-60
who think they might have asthma or who are diagnosed with
asthma. In addition, asthma research studies are currently being
conducted for which you might qualify and receive compensation.
Call BioLogica Research Group, Inc. for further information.
BioLogica Research Group, Inc.
%
776-0400
The Battalion
Spring 1993 staff positions open:
asst, city editor
asst, lifestyles editor
asst, sports editor
asst, opinion page editor
reporter
feature writer
sports writer
reviewer
columnist
copy editor
photographer
graphic artist
cartoonist
clerk
Application forms available at the front desk in room
013 Reed McDonald Building. All majors encour
aged to apply.
Deadline: 5 p.m. Thursday, November 19.
Applicants must be Texas A&M students in good
standing at the time of employment and remain in
good standing while employed.
For more information, contact Steve O'Brien, 1993
Spring Battalion Editor, 845-3315.