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Wednesday, May 5,1993
The Battalion
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The Battalion Editorial Board
Steve O'Brien, editor in chief
Jason Loughman, managing editor Kyle Burnett, news editor
Todd Stone, city editor Dave Thomas, news editor
Susan Owen, lifestyles editor Don Norwood, sports editor
Darrin Hill, photo editor
The Battalion
100 years at
Texas A&M
Editorial
Force feeding
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The Texas A&M Liberal Arts
Council should reject the proposal re
quiring liberal arts students to take
six extra hours in cultural diversity
classes. Under this proposal, three
burs must be in a course on racial,
ethnic or gender issues in the United
States, and not more than three hours
may be used to satisfy any other core
curriculum requirement.
While cultural diversity is an ad
mirable goal, forcing it down the
tboats of students may lead to re
sentment. In addition, this proposal
also increases the student course load
and forces the University to hire
more professors.
Many students see the requirement
as "mandatory political indoctrina-
bn." If the current curriculum does
not adequately reflect the contribu
tions of minorities or other cultures.
then the current classes should be re
designed to include these contribu
tions.
Specialized departments for mi
nority and ethnic study should not be
necessary. Often these isolated de
partments are havens for "politically-
correct" activities. By segregating
these studies from the mainstream,
only those students who are interest
ed will take these courses, and those
most in need of cultural education
will not.
To ensure that students receive this
cultural diversity, A&M doesn't need
to force students to take more classes.
Instead, the required classes just need
to be revamped. And if minority and
ethnic studies must remain special
ized departments, then enrollment in
these classes must remain a matter of
choice.
About time
Legislative bill GPA-friendly
Another proposal affecting stu
dents passed today in the State
House. The bill would allow a stu
dent who retakes a course to use the
grade received the second time to
ward his GPA. Right now, both
grades are used to determine GPA.
The GPA is considered to be a re
jection of a student's knowledge. If
i students pays the money to retake a
class and learns more than he or she
learned the first time, then his or her
GPA should be adjusted to reflect
that gain in knowledge.
This long-overdue bill, sponsored
by Rep. Dan Kubiak, D-Rockdale,
would take effect in 1995. Hopefully,
the Senate will show the same con
sideration towards students when
the bill reaches the floor there.
Activists' agenda targets children
People's beliefs determine actions — not education
ond, the groups assume that people „
faced with certain information will support their cause be
cause they see it is better than any alternative cause. These
assumptions are wrong. Information does not cause a person
to act in a certain way, belief systems do.
In the book "Search for Significance," professional coun
selor and lecturer Robert S. McGee said that all information
and situations in a person's life are interpreted by what that
person believes. Information flows through a person's filter
system, or their belief value system. Then, their thoughts and
emotions on a certain subject are added. From there, the per
son makes his or her decision on how to act.
A good example of this is the case of the five teenage girls
from San Antonio who claimed to have sex with an HlV-in-
fected gang member after being dared to do so. I am amazed
that police spokesman Sgt. David Ramos said, "We're dealing
with young, uneducated juveniles." These girls had enough
knowledge about the AIDS virus to get tested after they had
sex with the HIV-infected gang member. The girls knew the
dangers, but still decided to have sex. It is possible that these
girls valued the acceptance of the gang more than their per
sonal safety. No matter the reason, it is not unusual for people
to have information and still not make what some groups
would call "rational" decisions.
Our society is bombarded with information from various
groups to direct people to act in what a group considers to be
a socially acceptable way. So many people say they use con
doms, or say they love everyone regardless of race, color or
sexual preference. But do they really? Maybe they are just
giving in to the pressure to act in a socially acceptable way. In
the Houston Chronicle, it was reported that sex researchers
L ately, groups such as AIDS educa
tors, multicultural supporters and
gay activists have screamed that
education will solve the nation's social
problems. In fact, a story ran in the
Battalion on Monday about gay Aggies
that said, "Many gays and lesbians at
A&M say that the best way to stop dis
crimination is to educate." All these
groups say that if people become edu
cated then they won't get AIDS, they
won't have prejudices, and they won't
be unaccepting of homosexual
lifestyles. Who are they kidding? Edu
cation is not the answer.
First of all, these various groups as
sume their causes are good ones. Sec-
JANET
HOLDER
Columnist
suspect "single men may over-report how often they use con
doms because they want the interviewer to think they are so
cially responsible."
In the same article, sex researchers reported that women
under-report their abortions by as much as 50 percent. The ar
ticle said researchers "assume the women are afraid the inter
viewer will think less of them if they admit to having had one
or more abortions."
Again, it may be an underlying social value that may
makes these women think that admitting to one abortion is
OK, but that admitting to two or more abortions is socially un
acceptable. So all these various groups may try to pressure
people to act a certain way. Whether people actually act that
way is another matter.
People change when their belief system changes. For in
stance, a prejudiced person won't stop being prejudiced until
he or she thinks prejudice is bad. No amount of information
can ensure the person will change the way the / think. Infor
mation can influence a person, but it cannot change a person.
If a group really wants to influence other people, it will try
to contact people who are still forming their belief system:
children. Right now, AIDS educators are teaching elementary
school children. In Queens, N.Y., gay activists supported giv
ing the first-graders books entitled "Heather has Two Mom
mies," and "Daddy's Roommate." However, parents revolted
against the school administration for approving these books.
According to Pulitzer Prize winning columnist Charles
Krauthammer, parents revolted against giving children these
books because they don't want their children to be influenced
by this information. "It is one thing to teach children that ho
mosexuals must be treated with respect," Krauthammer said .
"It is quite another to teach that there is nothing to choose be
tween homosexual and heterosexual life."
The parents, then, are possibly saying that they don't want
these new values to be instilled in their children. They may
not want homosexuality to be the moral equivalent of hetero
sexuality. The parents may not want their children to be re-so
cialized by the gay activists.
It is said that children are our nation's future, and whoever
holds the children holds the future of our nation. All of the
activists from various groups know this, so they target the
children. Ultirtiately, however, it will be the group which in
fluences these vulnerable minds the most — their parents or
the activist groups — that will determine the outcome of our
nation. God help us.
Holder is a senior journalism major.
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Aggie Code of Honor Stop deforestation,
lives despite bad bull save campus greenery
ek
ski
This letter is directed to the Aggies
"'ho called Saturday night. May 1 to tell
He that they found my wallet in the 7-11
Parking lot at Southwest Parkway and
'Velbom. I forgot to thank them because
I was so perplexed at how my wallet had
found its way to a place that I had not
tieen to that day.
I expected to find no money in my
"'allet when I picked it up at the 7-11
hunter, but I was shocked to find all $52
intact.
I came to this University because I
*ied the traditions and the atmosphere,
jjfld I have seen more bad bull than good
"ttll. These Aggies have restored my
‘ a >th in the Aggie Code of Honor.
Leonard Ware
Class of '94
ora
As more and more cement walkways
through edges of grass and planters
spring up throughout campus, I wonder
whether one day there will be absolutely
no vegetation at Texas A&M. The most
recent of these supposed improvements
occurred just a few days ago in front of
the Anthropology/Archaeology Building
(formerly the Old Engineering Building).
This was due to the fact that a "street"
had formed over the grass as hurried
people saved a whole 2.5 seconds getting
to the library more quickly.
As I extrapolate to a concrete campus,
I wonder about the possible solutions to
this problem. Perhaps we can even still
save the planters between the Academic
Building and Harrington. In order to
save what greenery we still have, I have a
few suggestions for the A&M
groundskeepers:
(1) Put electric fences around the
planters.
(2) Keep these areas perpetually mud
dy.
(3) Use PTTS personnel to ticket of
fenders.
(4) Hire unemployed graduates to
jump out of trees and whack grass-walk
ers over the head.
(5) Use ordinance from the military
"right"-sizing to mine the pathways.
Perhaps these measures will not solve
the "deforestation" problem on our cam
pus, but the few extra seconds taken by
some individuals might. Just imagine
with me a cemented University, while
you try to rationalize your route with the
insignificant time you save.
]erry Petersen
Graduate Student
Class of '91
Rollerblading's good,
but not in the MSC
Recently I've noticed that a new trend
is starting to get a little carried away. The
new trend is In-line skating, or rollerblad
ing. I don't have a problem with the sport
itself; in fact, I enjoy donning the blades
and going out for a spin every once in a
while. The problem that I do have, how
ever, is the people who cruise through
the Memorial Student Center on their
skates. Maybe it doesn't bother others,
but I thought the MSC was a memorial to
former students who gave their lives in
the world wars. I just feel that it is disre
spectful to ride through the MSC. Many
people will say that rollerblading is a
form of transportation, just like walking.
That's fine, but do you know anyone who
rides their bike through the MSC? I have
a feeling there are a lot of old Ags that
would give you more hell than I am.
Let's just respect what who lost their
lives for the freedom of both the people
of the United States and the world.
John Bezvley
Class of '96
the legal rights of those students living
on campus?
When this proposal takes effect, there
will be no need for roommate preference
of a smoker or non-smoker. This could
place a non-smoker in an undesirable
smoking environment. Obviously, this
will lead to unnecessary conflict.
We support the ban of smoking in all
Texas A&M University buildings with
the exception of resident hall dormitory
rooms. All students who have an opin
ion about this situation should contact
their elected senators.
Senators support bill
to ban some smoking
A recent proposal by Dr. Mobley pro
hibited smoking in all Texas A&M Uni
versity buildings. On Wednesday, April
21, the Student Senate presented a bill
that called for the prohibition of smoking
in all University buildings, including res
ident hall dormitory rooms. On both oc
casions, the Resident Hall Association
was not consulted of their opinion.
There are physical hazards from sec
ond-hand smoke that faculty, students,
and visitors are subjected to on a daily
basis. However, we feel that since each
student leases a dormitory room for his
or her personal use, then he or she
should be able to take part in any legal
activity within his or her room. How can
Texas A&M University justify restricting
Casey Childress
Class of'96
Northside Senator
Todd Rice
'96 Class President
Northside Senator
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