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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 30, 1992)
25 Pts Pvs 1,549 1 1,479 2 1,417 3 1,382 4 1,291 5 1,151 8 1,149 1 1,089 9 9% 10 988 11 943 12 860 6 859 13 819 14 702 15 570 17 514 18 415 21 398 24 396 20 293 22 230 23 203 19 199 18 138 25 s: Hawaii Kansas 10, j, Virginia lois 2, Air Rutgers 1. ft idefeat- 3rida Aggies n the mdefeat- •rational deal Aggies ry were itionby ; season, rev were take y/Page 6 fear or :ause of ms and viduals icipate for the nation, ils who Inc. 101 i. aid it* dents i the i098* Opinion Monday, November 30,1992 The Battalion Page 5 RHA rent surcharge robs students of choice Attention all on-campus resi dents! Yet another student organiza tion which has lost sight of the fact that it was created to serve us solely at our discretion has overstepped its bounds and is now out to take from us both our money and the right to choose how we spend it. Being currently considered by our own Residence Hall Association (RHA) is a proposal, called the fiscal account fund proposal, which, if made into policy, would require ev ery resident to pay $5 per semester to RHA in the form of increased room rent. This form of hall finance would be used to fund RHA programming initia tives and would replace the current sys tem whereby residents have the oppor tunity to purchase "activity stickers" to support their respective hall councils. One supposed justification for the proposed change is that "the [current] means for raising money in each hall is not always dependable and varies year to year." By this, what RHA is saying to you is that, because hall councils are not al ways able to obtain sufficient funding for their activities by asking you, the students, for money, RHA intends to try to summarily take the money from you. Instead of realizing the possibility that not all students desire to support the current programming, or any in creased level thereof, RHA wants to take from us our inherent autonomy to decide for ourselves what to do with our resources. Whether to spend $5 on a Big Mac or a semester's worth of "student develop ment" is the choice of the individual, not of the establishment. Furthermore, because RHA would GUEST COLUMN PAUL K. PIPER, JR. divide the collected money equally among all residence halls according to population, each hall would, to some degree, lose the autonomy to decide how active it can be. And not all of the money you'would be required to spend would actually go to your hall where it could possibly benefit you - a percentage will be need ed to support the increased level of bu reaucratization that this plan requires. From a policy-maker's point of view, this plan has some good points in its ef ficiency and structure. But RHA vio lates the trust of every resident in say ing that we are not able to decide for ourselves how willing we are to pay for different activities. Remember, every on-campus resi dent is a member of RHA, and every resident has a stake in the policy direc tion RHA takes. Do we really want a larger, more powerful, more bureaucratic RHA at tempting to provide for every aspect of our extracurricular education? Or do we want a responsive, more account able organization that will serve and provide only programs the residents are willing to support? The Residence Hall Association has tried to tell us to believe, because of the results of a questionable survey, that nearly 83 percent of on-campus resi dents would support the fiscal account fund proposal. Whatever your opinion on this issue, I urge you to please make these opin ions known to your RHA delegate and hall president, and to vote on this issue at the upcoming RHA general assembly on Wednesday, Dec. 2. The Residence Hall Association, and any other established organization, for that matter, will only be as accountable to us as we force it to be. Let's see to it that we hold RHA to its intended limits and preclude it from si phoning off any more of our rights. Piper is a sophomore biochemistry and genetics major Preventing the suicide solution Be watchful of warning signs during holiday season The holidays are special times of the year, known for bringing love, cheer and, for some people, suicide. While most people are looking for ward to turkey, eggnog and fire places, some people are considering ending their lives. This Thanksgiving my family met at my aunt's Dallas home in one of the yuppiest neighborhoods in the metroplex maze of mini-mansions. I waited with my cousins as the rest of the family made their ways from Kansas and San Antonio. A snow storm in Kansas made the road trip dangerously icy. My mother begged my sister to wait until the snow stopped falling, but my sister insisted that she, her husband, and my mother's only four- month-old grandson would make it in time for Thanksgiv ing. My mother relented and spent the next four hours praying for her grandson's safety, as she and my father drove in from San Antonio. Comingwith my parents were my cousins, Cindy and Anthony. Their mother died two years ago, a victim of cancer. Anthony had always clung to his mother. She was his best friend more than his mother. She woke him when it was time for work. She waited up at night, until he was safe at home. I couldn't believe it when she called me one day to ask me to give Anthony a wake-up call because she wasn't able to do so herself. One day, she won't be around to wake him, I thought. He should learn to function without her, I thought. She won't always be there for him, I thought. After my aunt died, my cousin learned all too suddenly the lessons his mother never forced on him. At 20, Anthony had the years, but not the experience to tackle life on his own. Anthony said he saw his mother constantly in the months following her death. Sometimes, in the middle of the night, he'd dream of her, the way she was before she left him. She was laughing, always. She was smiling, cook ing, cleaning, sewing, doing whatever she needed to do to make life easier for him. She was alive. And Anthony would smile and run to her, thrilled just to see her alive again. He couldn't imagine how, but his mother was alive again. She had never died. Who knew why or how. He didn't care. She was there for him, once again. And to the dark room, lit only by the tiny light on the alarm clock, he would awaken. "Anthony. Anthony. Wake up," she would say, tug ging on his toe, as she had done before. "Wake up, baby." she would say once more. , "Mom," Anthony would say, waking to see his mother standing at the foot of his bed as she had always done. "Mom, I'm so glad you're here." Anthony would say. "I dreamed that you died...Mom...mom..." And she was gone. So often my cousin dreamed that his mother was alive again, only to wake up to the pain of truth. Of life and death. As my parents pulled into the driveway, my mother whispered a "thank you," seeing that the family had ar rived safely. We hugged, laughed and talked about the lit tle things that meant so much, happy that the family was together again. That night Anthony talked about how the holidays turned his thoughts to times when his mother was alive. He said how he wished he could be with her. And then he said he had been considering what he could do to make that happen. He said it wouldn't matter if he killed himself. Life would go on, just as it had without his mother. The family would gather, laugh and talk, just as we had without his mother. He didn't realize the pain his mother's death had caused to others —the times family members would stop in the middle of a wedding or party realizing the deep ache left by someone who would never return. He cried as I told him fne number of times my own mother would leave the room to sit quietly alone, and cry for a moment as she wished her sister could share in her joy. The holidays are a time for extreme emotions. Most people experience their greatest pleasures as families gath er for the holidays. Some experience their greatest pain. The rate of suicide rises to its highest point during the holidays. Many are alone. Many only feel that way. As you celebrate, look around. Enjoy the times together and make sure that others share in the joy. Be careful to watch for others. Some need to share their pain. Vasquez is a senior journalism major. ROBERT VASQUEZ Columnist AIDS not funny blood donor excuse This past week I have been volun teering for Wadley Blood Drive Ser vices. While asking other Aggies to do nate blood I've heard a variety of rea sons/excuses why they couldn't donate blood. Some reasons I can understand, like "I'm afraid of needles," or "I'm on medication," but I am truly disgusted by the most frequent excuse I've heard - "I have AIDS" as they walk away laughing. Hey, Ags — AIDS is nothing to laugh about! I can't possibly understand the men tality of these ignorant people. We have all known someone personally or seen someone through the media who has died of AIDS, and we know it is not a laughing matter. I can only pray that they never con tract the HIV virus or they never know the loss of a loved one to AIDS. Michelle Biddison Class of ‘92 Former Battalion writers slam cartoon It comes as no surprise to me to learn that Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity would engage in racist activities such as the jungle theme party held Oct. 3 that raised the ire of State Rep. Ron Wilson. I was saddened but not surprised. What does come as a shock to me is The Battalion's editorial cartoon attack ing Wilson. It's one thing to differ with a man's opinion — that's one purpose of editorial cartoons — but it's quite an other to depict an African-American as a "black dog." That's even more offensive than a group of frat boys gadding about in grass skirts and black face. I was even more stunned when I read editor Atlantis Tillman's statement in the Nov. 20 issue of the Austin American-Statesman. She told the re porter that it never occurred to her that the cartoon "would come across as be ing racist." If Tillman, the cartoonist and any of the other Batt staff members responsi ble could not see the inherent racism in this cartoon, certainly they should be required to attend the multicultural sensitivity training classes being con ducted for Sigma Alpha Epsilon as part of the fraternity's punishment. When I worked for The Battalion, the newspaper strove to be fair, impartial and professional. Racism and bigotry were ideals we opposed, not embraced. It's disap pointing to see another Aggie tradition has crumbled in the dust. Karl Pallmeyer Class of'86 As a December 1990 graduate of the journalism department at Texas A&M, it doesn't surprise me, yet it angers me, to see little or no remorse toward the recent printing of an overtly racist car toon portraying a black man as being a pesky dog bothering the dominant foot of an A&M Corps cadet. Having worked for the Battalion in sports. I've seen blacks treated with lit tle respect for quite some time, except, of course, if they play football or bas ketball. Those same Corps and frat/sorority members yell their lungs out for Greg Hill, Rodney Thomas and Marcus Buckley, but treat Rep. Ron Wilson of Houston as if he's a stray dog. I'm glad to see that William Mobley called the lack of editing by your edi tors "inappropriate," although I must say it sounded as manufactured as it could possibly be, and I wouldn't be surprised if the editor in chief, Atlantis Tillman, was a member of a sorority close to SAE. or a sister of one of the frats involved. Insensitive, unqualified writers and silly columnists have been a norm at the Batt for some time, and these faults all contribute to the paper's lack of re spect outside of Bryan-College Station. I certainly hope somebody there, namely a faculty adviser, makes it his or her point to look more closely at the paper's content before it's printed; not for censorship reasons, but for common sense. I don't think many other college newspapers would have allowed the cartoon to run. I don't expect this letter to be print ed, as it is critical of the paper. But as long as somebody there reads it, I feel I've gotten my point across. Craig Wilson Class of‘90 Sports Editor, The Baytown Sun Cartoon attacked one man, not all blacks After reading the "Wilson calls for racial sensitivity" article in the Nov. 24 Battalion, I can no longer sit idly by and listen to Ron Wilson spout forth trash about our great University. Racism is not rampant here, nor is it condoned. I have heard no one endorse the actions at the Sigma Alpha Epsilon party; rather, I have heard people con demn it, like I do. They were wrong, and they were punished. If Wilson was a true leader, or even a manger of people, he would know the rehabilitated are more valuable to an organization than those that are re moved from it. The rehabilitated serve as reminders that unjust deeds go pun ished. They can also help prevent fur ther wrongs by being proactive. The re moved can do neither. If Wilson was not so focused on the racial issue he could see that a black dog was used because the ink was black. A white dog on white paper does not show up. The cartoon, in my white male eyes, did not depict "African-Americans in a negative way," it portrayed Wilson for his per sonal attack on Texas A&M University and the handling of the incident. Since he objects to the "black" dog maybe the Batt could do a follow-up cartoon using other annoying, but cul turally sensitive (a.k.a. politically cor rect) icons like the fly that will not leave you alone, or better yet a hemorrhoid, which seems appropriate in this situa tion. Regardless of Wilson's skin color, he made some remarks that may have been founded in some concern, but they were inappropriate and he deserves to be blasted for his arrogance and "I know what is good for your school bet ter than you do" attitude. David Fomet Class of '93 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 Can items express the opinions of the authors only. The Battalion encourages tetters to the editor and wiB print as many as space allows in the MaB Call section. Letters must be 300 words or less and indude author's name. Social Security number, class, and phone number. We reserve the right to edit letters for length, style, apd accuracy. Letters should be addressed to: The Battalion - Mail Call 013 Reed McDonald /Mail stop 1 1 1 1 Texas A&M University CoBege Station, TX 77843