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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (July 12, 1993)
1993 1 5 at large Keys a dine ■go. at her :cord- itions re 46- rione. o not rs. :kend and a i then nside door, t> the The er. re m said. il sales A.meri- e year r ago. :herer arrant tors in :s ce. But ity that in the ht-day uly 23. a's and skating !es will ng one an An ars, games featur- inisher will be nitaker i Anto- lampi- istic I s Groff term 'ector be dis- : alk of L ent to ration rly ini- about "I can tor for r "I've nd the got it in the . some VVe re- rk just ry flat- effort, ole of- ng the Cillian gradu- e and Opinion Monday, July 12,1993 The Battalion Page 5 Wty W£„. LET'6 ^ we odHp fwio eoto Mlp 60 aAV e>0H£ VIPE0 potWKl AT -THE. Ct' W)C. ? '"TWE AOH*? O? t>CWoo\J' Razing A&M buildings demolishes our history O ver the course of several iecades, many sidings on cam- khave been jcmdown to rake way for the !w. Sclvools lo lled in confined liras of large ies try to save -ipiificant build- tigs for the sake of Kory while a ■Diversity like litM with copi es amounts of space far expansion sefer to demolish rather than preserve, lie idea of architecture is to build :tonly a place to work, live or play, dto define the time in history in Mch the building was built. Archi- ds designed the Empire State Build- rgtobe a monument to the strength i wealth of New York, the economic ad cultural capital of the nation. ‘rigley Field and Yankee Stadium re- und us of a time when baseball was ] lelove of America's.spring. Washing- inD.C teems with architectural en- ttavors that honor great men long past .. Did ideas not yet forgotten. American architecture during its ear- ?building period is different from that tany other nation. Most major build- •‘gsin any country are built during a lime of prosperity and America's oco- 'omic rise coincided with the rapid solution in technology during the 1500s. Building programs across the anlry were impressive and the work manship of the first half of this century nearly impossible to duplicate now. The rise of American architecture as not confined to the major industrial ad cultural capitals of the nation, mail towns fortunate enough to serve scounty seat paid foreign architects to sme to their tiny corners of the world sid make for them a place to remem- sr.States put money and pride into idr government buildings. Colleges Dised money from wealthy alumni and Estate to make their institutions re- anble the American idea of prosperity. A small military school in Texas en ured the 1930s with the idea of creating sown testimony of prosperity. In 1929 teas Agricultural and Mechanical Col- Isgebegan a building program that pro ceed some of the most impressive biddings on campus. By 1932,10 build- ys would be erected which would de- ine the path taken by a small college «on becoming a major university. These buildings stand out among campus structures. The Administration Building imposes itself over all who en ter the east side of campus. The Geology Building has intriguing tile work, round ed stone mosaics and an oddly linear tower entrance. The Chemistry Building, which has just been remodeled, seems to stand out among the rather dull struc tures surrounding it. Also, two of the buildings in the mall area behind thepld Administration Building were btrill be tween 1929 and 1932. Today, when most buildings lend to be lacking in imagination and manship, it is wonderful to thihls: what it was like to wander the halls oflthese old school buildings. |ATiat woul|J it have been like to study in a place where you were surrounded by fine wood working and oak floors instead of the ever pervasive partition walls, acoustic ceiling tiles and fluorescent lights? Even though Evans Libraryds imaginative in its outer design, there is something lacking on the inside. 1'he most atjehi- teefurally interesting part of the library, is in the old building, where it joins The new library. The ceiling is painted in an intricate design and tall windows pro- videTight to study byJT One of the buildings of that era, PJU; Downs Natatorium, is scheduled to be demolished along with the old field house and outdoor pool. Built in 1932, Downs Natatorium is full of interefting history and remarkable design, Buh the building has not been able to withstand the ravages of time. Today, Downs is no longer considered worth preservation. It is a tragedy that thepool, which is in excellent condition, cannot be saved. T here are buildings on campus erect ed before 1929, but they must be well eared for if they are to survive time; These buildings are vital links to an age we can no longer perceive without arti facts. T here are only a few people left who can recall life at tire Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas at the turn of the century. But these buildings have their own knowledg e to offer. It they are cared for and preserved today, then thev will be able to relay that s .knowledge tomorrow, It is remarkable to note just how many faculty houses, auditoriums, Ho tels and school buildings have been lost by fire or razed to make way for the f now structures. It seems a sad commen tary that a university of such distin guished tradition has such little regard for its own history.' | Qlay ts a senior history major ROY L. CLAY Sportswriter ’rofessor clarifies tenure guest column On July 6 the Battalion was kind Plough to publish my guest column, fortunately, two apparently inconse- tuential editorial changes (the omission The first paragraph and a change in tie title) both make my commentary '^em pretentious and in parts incom prehensible. This is what the first paragraph said: "On June 23 The Battalion published fier devastating criticisms of A&M's fire system by two assistant profes sors in the Psychology Department, 'ith special attention to the case of Ms. Wendy Stock. Since the matter tran scends the protagonists, it might be use ful to sketch some thoughts that could be construed as a letter to tenure candi dates at A&M. I hope they reflect also the opinion of some of my colleagues." Without this first paragraph, of course, much of the last part of the com ment makes no sense. The title of the column was "Tenure and the case of Ms. Stock." The title used by the editors ("An open letter to tenure candidates") confers to my com ments a tone of arrogance and authority that was far from intended. I was not set to lecture the campus community on official rules out of the blue, but rather formatting my com- Being black — and black-and-blue Why minority women stay in abusive relationships // “l"can't call the police on him, I Yolanda. You know they JLmight beat him ...." "That might be just what he needs! The man ain't got good sense "He's fine .... He's just... he's just been under a lot of pressure lately "And then he puts a lotta pressure on you — your throat, your back, your face and whatever else you can get ahold of. He's crazy ... and you must be crazy to stay with a man who hits you! You must be crazy, too." "I got to. You know I got to. He's ... he's all I got." Women remain in abusive situations for as many differ ent reasons as there are types of women. Domestic violence does not affect one class in particular, but cuts across all so cial and racial boundaries. Maybe he's the only man who's ever truly loved her. Maybe she's dependent upon him financially. Maybe she's afraid he will kill her if she leaves. While shelters have been established for all women of domestic violence, there still exists a great shortage in areas where a large number of minority women reside. Further more, even where programs are partially offered, low in come and poor women are not using the services. This is partially due to the milieu of bureaucratic red tape but also in part to the social belief system of the women. The majority of battered victims neglecting the scarce services offered them are black women. As a result of the solidarity that blacks as a group try to maintain, the true nature of the violence seems to be masked behind other forms of abuse and is not seen for what it really is. A woman residing in a deprived, estranged neighbor hood relies heavily on community networks for support and sustenance. She is in turn a crucial element of the group. Her identity and self-worth are hence related to her performance within and dedication to the group. Therefore, any problems incurred are seen as belonging solely to that group and should be handled accordingly by group mem bers only. In the case of domestic violence, this is true also. Women in these areas may feel disloyal not only to their mate, but \also to their community network and their race as a whole. Strangely enough, black women who are battered victims sometimes do not even separate this type of abuse from racial injustices inflicted upon all blacks — particularly black males. Women encased in these areas seem to view domestic vi olence as an extension of socioeconomic injustices adminis tered against black men. Because of the tremendous disem- powerment that black men are made to feel, they in turn disempower their mates by beating them. In essence, they say and do to her what couldn't be said and done to the person that they are truly angry with. The true nature of the violence, then, for black women, seems to indeed be masked behind other forms of abuse and is not seen for what it really is. And it is abuse —plain and simple. It is nothing that is deserved or that should be endured out of some deluded sense of loyalty. Abuse is abuse no matter who it is from and women should not feel as if they have no other choice but to "grin and bear it." Blue bruises may not show up as clearly on a black woman, but the pain is the same regardless and should be dealt with in a way that is practical for the woman's envi ronment. Churches could be of great help to black women in vio lent situations. The church has been at the forefront of black culture For centuries. Pastors and church members and reli gious organizations could offer "rooms" for temporary or more long term shelter for battered women. Pastoral counseling of the couple may even help deter the violence that she is experiencing. Unfortunately, this consideration is something regular shelters do not offer minority women. Some women per haps do not take advantage of shelter services because they feel that the buildings have been established for Anglo women. The physical and emotional environment may be welcoming to middle-class women, but may be hostile and foreign to poorer women. Shelter officials need to take this perception into consideration and act accordingly to pro vide an atmosphere conducive to the well-being of all clients. Community members need to be more responsible in their attitudes toward the problem of domestic abuse also. A more compassionate attitude — not one of blaming the victim or dismissing it as something a woman just has to go through — would make it easier for the battered woman to leave her harmful environment. But irresponsible and/or indifferent attitudes toward the problem only serves to feed and nurture it. It is not wrong or traitorous or selfish to remove oneself from a situation that is not healthy. That is a right, not a privilege. Because a man who "loves" with clenched fists and cutting words is not what is deserved or needed. He is not the whole world; he is not all that you have. You have yourself — and that is more than enough. Jones is a senior psychology major 1 Wn it- '> TRACEY JONES Columnist Nay ments on a specific in what "could be construed as a letter to tenure candi dates", hoping that they would "reflect also the opinion of some of my col leagues." Leonardo Auemheimer Professor of Economics Tenure denial reflects emphasis on research This letter is in response to Chris Calhoun's poor excuse for supporting the Psychology Department's denial of tenure for Dr. Wendy Stock. To begin with, if a professor does have an "atti tude problem," I do not think it would have any impact on the committee's de cision to grant tenure. This is evident if you look at some of the professors who currently have tenure at this institution. Also, the remark about Dr. Stock be ing a "femi-nazi" displays not only your ignorance, but bad taste \n pro grams (i.e. the Rush Limbaugh Show). Feminism is not the complete domina tion of the world by women, but the movement for equality of women in all aspects. I have also taken Human Sexuality (Fall 1992) and found it to be quite in teresting and thought provoking. I did not find it to be a "Male Bashing 101" course, but an educational class in which the human sexuality of both gen ders are equally presented. The unanimous decision against granting Dr. Stock tenure merely re flects the vast importance that is placed on research (rather than on students) and the prevalent conservative ideals that this institution was founded on. Good luck in California, Dr. Stock! Christopher H. Alvarado Class of '94 Drivers' attitudes dangerous to cyclists Your article on bicycle accidents (The Battalion, June 21) preached safety to cyclists, but neglected to mention that the greatest threat to a cyclist's safety occurs when the driver of a motor vehi cle does not recognize the legal right of a cyclist to ride on the roadway. The recent accident on Wellborn Road was not the first time a local cy clist has died after being hit from be hind by an automobile. All drivers of these pollution-spewing hulks of glass, rubber and steel need to become aware of their lethal nature. Sell the car, ride a bike. We will all live better. Matt Moses Class of '83 Editorials appearing in The Battalion reflect the views of the editorial board. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of other Battalion staff members, the Texas A&M student body, regents, administration, faculty or staff. Columns, guest columns, and Moil Call items express the ppinions of the authors. The Battalion encourages letters to the editor and will print as many as space allows in the Mail Cdi section. Letters must be 300 words or less and include the author's name, class, and phone number. Contact the editor or managing editor for information on submitting guest columns. We reserve the right to edit letters and guest columns for length, style, and accuracy. Letters should be addressed to: The Battalion - Mail Call 01 3 Reed McDonald /Moil stop 1111 Texas A&M University College Station, TX 7/843