Wednesday, March 24,1993
The Battalion
Page 9
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Open letter criticizes
A&M name changes
Editor's Note: The following is an
open letter to the president of the Abi
lene A&M Mother's Club, Ann Hewett.
Dear Ann:
On Friday, March 5, the Texas A&M
University System Board of Regents vot
ed to change the names or Corpus
Christi State University, Texas A&I In
ternational University and Laredo State
University to Texas A&M University-
Corpus Christi, Texas A&M University-
Kingsville and Texas A&M International
University respectively.
This was done because of threats to
cut Texas A&M University's state fund
ing and because a name change rider
was attached to the appropriations bill.
The Regents were forced to succumb to
legislative pressure and agreed to the
above-mentioned name changes. These
name changes are set to go into effect
Sept. 1; however, students at the other
universities are requesting that they be
allowed to order an "Aggie Senior
Ring". Also, it is highly probable that
the other University's diplomas will
closely resemble the current Texas A&M
Diploma.
You realize the number of hours and
the dedication it takes to earn a degree
from Texas A&M University. By spread
ing the Texas A&M name throughout
the state, the value of a Texas A&M de
gree is being abated. As an Aggie par
ent, you have sacrificed to send your son
or daughter to Texas A&M for the bene
fits of an "Aggie education."
Encourage your members, family,
and friends to write as many legislators
as possible. By doing so, we can voice
our dissatisfaction with this legislative
pressure on the system Regents.
In addition to our campaign against
this issue, students and former students
of Texas A&I and Corpus Christi State
are beginning their own initiative to
fight the name changes. They feel their
Universities have their own identities
and reputations, just as we do.
This is a very important issue to the
students of Texas A&M University. On
Wednesday, March 10, the Student Sen
ate of Texas A&M University passed a
resolution expressing their opposition to
the name changes.
Our university name and reputation
have been earned by our more than
175,000 former students. This legislative
extortion has essentially stripped Texas
A&M of the prestige both former stu
dents and current students have worked
hard to establish and maintain.
You may hear, "This is a done deal,"
and this may be true. But, we have got
to take a stand or outside groups will be
able to force their views on the Universi
ty and the System in the future. Your ef
forts, along with ours, can make a differ
ence. Let's muster our troops and fight
this battle just as Aggies always have!
Gig 'em,
Michael Mason
Brian Walker
Class of '94
Accompanied hy four signatures
Smoking lights fire
under reader letters
• I have smoked two cigarettes in my
life. I didn't like it at all, and smoking
cigarettes is bad for your health. Those
are two important reasons for me not to
engage in cigarette smoking. I made my
own decision for my own life and health.
But trying to ban smokers from all
public places, seems to me a behavior of
intolerance. It is dictating what others
can and cannot do from a narrow-mind
ed selfish point of view. In a small sur
vey, it appeared that most of the people
who are now obsessively occupied with
banning smokers out of public places
have had trouble quitting their un
healthy smoking habits. Psychologically
it is important for them not to be con
fronted with the memory of the emo
tional and physical reaction to the nico
tine addiction. Cognitive dissonance re
duction might be the mechanism that is
involved here.
Of course there are exceptions. Peo
ple who are allergic or have breathing
problems, have a very legitimate reason
for keeping smokers away from theiV en
vironment.
Naturally I hope that these people
and the "intolerant" non-smokers also
voluntarily use their car as little as possi
ble by car pooling. And I hope they do
not light candles or a fire in the house
just for romantic reasons. Or for the
same reason do not travel by airplane to
their holiday destination or use jet skies
for fun or recreation. I wonder how
many anti-smokers are clean of doing
any of these things.
Let us make a comparison of two of
the behaviors discussed. A smoker who
smokes 20 cigarettes a day is smoking
for an average of two hours and 20 min
utes. Let us say he does this in a small
room of 400 square feet. He might have
a better chance to stay alive then if some
one was in the same room with a car
with a running engine for just 20 min
utes.
I am sure and hope that many readers
will say that it is an unreasonable com
parison. But why is that? Because their
car pollution is indirect and just kills our
environment in the future? Because it is
assumed that car pollution causes green
house effect, but it is not yet 100 percent
proven. Or because they feel that they
need the car to make a living.
Then think about the fact that the
smoker might need smoking to make his
life just a little bit more attractive to him
self. Try to look at his habit from his
point of view. I am sure he is not smok
ing to make your environment smell bad
just as you are not driving your car to
create the greenhouse effect.
We very easily judge other people's
behavior from our own perspectives.
Probably as long as the behavior we re
ject is in no way related to our own level
of well being, we feel we have the right
to do so. Therefore I ask the person who
is free from polluting our world to cast
the first stone at the smokers.
We do not need to pollute our world.
But we do so at our own convenience,
because we want to earn money, to take
a holiday abroad, to drive a car, to have
a cold drink, and for some, to smoke cig
arettes. And I am glad that some of my
best friends smoke cigarettes.
Dr. Anton P.M. van Bakel
Visiting Professor
The Netherlands
• I am writing in response to Rich
Henderson's column on smoker's rights
in the March 12 Battalion. I'm glad Hen
derson is a smoker too! The sooner peo
ple like him, who have no regard for
other people's health become too ill to
smoke, the better.
If he stopped to read his own column,
he will see that he even contradicted his
own twisted logic. The very next para
graph after stating hisagreement that
second hand smoke is related to cancer.
he pointed out that it is "ridiculous" to
think that being exposed to it on a daily
basis causes any harm! Brilliant!
Given the fact that some 40,000 peo
ple may have read that article, I am a lit
tle embarressed for him. Furthermore,
someone should remind him that he is a
sophomore political science major, NOT
an M.D.; he is therefore poorly qualified
to make that kind of decision for those of
us who prefer not to have smoke in our
lungs.
If he is comfortable with being addict
ed to nicotine, that is his business. When
he handles that addiction in such a way
as to endanger other people's health, his
business becomes other people's prob
lem.
Douglas Collins
Graduate Student
• I enjoyed Rich Henderson's March
12 column on smoking. Thank you for
giving the intellectually impaired a voice
on the editorial page.
To Henderson: I have a cousin who's
a mortician. Could I send his business
card to his next of kin?
Dave Pruett
Graduate Student
Thatcher a dinosaur
in European politics
As a citizen of the European commu
nity, a resident in Britain and a witness
of last year's British general elections, I
have to tell the Aggies the truth about
Margaret Thatcher. Thatcher is the most
unpopular personality in Europe. As
prime minister, she hindered many steps
in the process of European integration.
Elsewhere, her awful economic policy
led Britain to the worst recession ever.
Due to this, she had to resign before hav
ing completed her term. British universi
ty students spit after pronouncing her
name.
Nobody would spare a minute to lis
ten to her in Europe. None of the Euro
pean universities would invite her to ad
dress a lecture.
During last year's general elections in
Britain, she tried to canvass for the Con
servative Party despite the fact that she
is no longer in the party. A speaker for
the Conservative Party said that if
Thatcher really wanted to help, she
should go to America to address confer
ences and leave them all alone.
Last summer she provoked the entire
Conservative Party again when she said
John Mayor, Britain's Prime Minister,
was not his own man.
In response, a Conservative member
of parliament said to BBC News that
Thatcher is going to keep provoking
them until she dies and that she is like
an old dinosaur; it will take a long time
for her to die.
Thatcher is nobody in Europe. To at
tend a lecture about the European Com
munity given by Thatcher is like attend
ing a lecture about the USA given by Fi
del Castro.
H.A. Jorge
Graduate Student
Transracial adoption
can be a great option
I would like to thank the Battalion for
its editorial encouraging transracial
adoption. Interracial families are more
in number than most people realize.
There are over 8,000 children in foster
care in the state of Texas. How many of
these children will find permanent
homes is unknown. There are no perfect
homes for these children, and the ability
to parent should not depend on the color
of one's skin. Research has shown that
transracial adoption is very successful
and through educating parents of tran
sracial adoptees, you can instill cultural
pride and self-esteem in these children.
There is legislation that is being intro
duced this year that will hopefully end
the "color-matching" policies of state
and private agencies. It would NOT
mean that racial considerations must be
ignored altogether in the process, as the
emphasis would be refocussed on the
adoptive parent's ability to meet the
child's racial/ethnic needs in terms of
ATTITUDE, SENSITIVITY, and
KNOWLEDGE, rather than on RACE it
self!
Sharon Rychetsky
Bryan, Texas
Editorials <$>pearrtg in The Battalion reflect the views of the
editorial board only. They do not necessarily reflect the
opinions of other BattaSon staff members, the Texas A&M
student body, regents, admmtratton, faculty or staff.
Columns, guest columns, and Ma< Cal dems express the
opinions of the authors only.
The Battalion encourages fetters to the editor and will prim as
many as space dbws in the McA Call section. Letters must be
300 words or less and include the author's name, doss, and
phone number.
Due to space restrictions, guest columns will not be accepted
unless the author contacts the opinion page for prior approval
: before submitting columns.
We reserve the right to edit letters for length, style, and
accuracy.
Letters should be addressed to:
The Battalion - Mail Call
01 3 Reed McDonald /MaJ stop 1111
Texas A&M University
Colege Station, TX 77843
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March 29, 1993
8:30 p.m.
601 Rudder
ADVANCED ATS GROUP TUTORING
WED 3/24
THU 3/25
SUN 3/28
MON 3/29 1
6 - a
MEEN 328
HOMEWORK
ELEN 306
CH 5 - 6
5pm - 8pm
ACCT 327
CH 12 - 13
ACCT 327
TEST REV
6pm - 9pm
8-10
ACCT 2402
CH 22
ACCT 328
CH 18
ACCT 328
CH 19 - 23
ACCT328
TEST REV
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10-12
MATH 1 324
TEST REV
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CH 14
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CH 6.3 - 6.5
ACCT 327
CH 7-8
7-10
MEEN 213
TEST REV
PART 2
PHYS 208
CH 31
PHYS 202
CH 35 - 36
PHYS 222
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MEEN 212
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The Texas A<StM University
Student Publications Board
is accepting applications for
Editor, The Battalion
Summer 1993
The summer '93 editor will serve from May 24,1993, through
August 6, 1993.
Qualifications for editor of The Battalion are:
Be a Texas A&M student with a minimum 2.0 overall and major GPR
at the time of appointment and during the term of office;
Have at least one year experience in a responsible editorial position on
The Battalion or comparable student newspaper,
OR
Have at least one year editorial experience on a commercial newspaper,
OR
Have completed at least 12 hours journalism, including JOUR 203 and
303 (Media Writing I and II), JOUR 301 (Mass Comm Law) and JOUR
304 (Editing for the Mass Media), or equivalent.
Application forms should be picked up and returned to the
Student Publications Manager's office, room 230 Reed
McDonald Building. Deadline for submitting application: 5
p.m. Wednesday, March 31, 1993. Applicants will be inter
viewed during the Student Publications Board Meeting be
ginning at 3 p.m. Friday, April 2, 1993, in room 327 Reed
McDonald.