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Opinion
Monday, August 30,1993
The Battalion Editorial Board
CHRIS WHITLEY, editor in chief
|ULI PHILLIPS, managing editor MARK EVANS, city editor
DAVE THOMAS, night news editor ANAS BEN-MUSA, Aggielife editor
BELINDA BLANCARTE, night news editor MICHAEL PLUMER, sports editor
MACK HARRISON, opinion editor WILLIAM HARRISON, sports editor
KYLE BURNETT, photo editor
The Battalion
Page 11
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Battalion turns 100
Newspaper: An A&M tradition
For most students, today is
just another beginning of an
other school year. But to all of
us here at The Battalion, this is
the beginning of something
special.
Today's publication marks
the beginning of The Battal
ion's 100th year of service to
the students and faculty of
Texas A&M. For a century, we
have provided the University
with news from around the
campus and around the world.
We have seen A&M
grow from a fledgling
college to the third
largest university
in the nation.
We have wit
nessed students
of this universi-
fight in two
world wars
>lus conflicts in
Korea, Vietnam
and the Persian
alf. , , v
We h avg -sfeen
presidents, the GreaP De
pression, the rise and fall of
communism and the first man
to walk on the moon.
To commemorate its 100th
birthday. The Battalion has
commissioned and designed a
that will become a perma
nent fixture in the paper this
Also, the nameplate on
the front cover has been re
designed to give the paper a
more old-fashioned look.
In the coming weeks, we
will focus on some of the sto
ried events of Texas A&M's
past and how The Battalion
covered those events.
On September 30, we will
publish a special 100th An
niversary commemorative is
sue of The Battalion, complete
with photos and relics from
old issues. This edition should
be a keepsake for anyone who
loves Texas A&M and anyone
interested in its history.
But some things don't
change. We begin
this year, as usual,
with our special
Back-to-School
issue. With
four sections
dealing with
campus events,
entertainment
news and foot
ball previews,
the Back-to-
School edition is
our biggest paper of
the year.
And, or course, we will con
tinue throughout the semester
to keep students abreast of
events occurring around cam
pus, just like we have for 100
years.
The Battalion is a tradition
older than Bonfire, Midnight
Yell and the 12th Man. We
hope we can continue to in
form readers at Texas A&M
University for another century.
Local life and back-to-school blues
Wrecked cars, crowded bars mark start of school year
MACK
HARRISON
Opinion editor
W ell, it's over
The summer
is dead, the
streets are congested
and school has started
once again. It's even
cooled off some — the
temperature's back
down to the low 90s.
Summer sessions at
Texas A&M are laid
back. Traffic is not as
bad compared to the
fall and spring semes
ters, the stores are not
as crowded and you
can actually find a de
cent parking space.
The break between semesters is even qui
eter. The difference between the interim and
the fall semester is astounding. The town
seems to come to a standstill as it awaits the
students' return. For most people still here, it
represents the last bit of peace and relaxation
before the onslaught of a new school year.
The three weeks between sessions spoiled
me. It was like I had the town all to myself.
After graduation ceremonies, most stu
dents leave town for a short vacation before
the fall semester. This scholar, on the other
hand — being cash-free and transportational-
ly challengecf — stuck around to earn
enough money to get his car out of the shop.
Stranded afoot in College Station, I relied
on the charity of friends and a borrowed bi
cycle for transportation. Let me just say it's
not too fun to pilot a bike down a partially
repaved and totally jammed University Av
enue at 5:15 in 100 degree heat and 110 per
cent humidity, only to come home to a house
with no air conditioning.
Air conditioners are life support systems
for Texans, but every summer its seems I end
up living in a dwelling where the air condi
tioner either breaks down or is nonexistent.
This summer, our window unit went out
at the end of July. The air conditioner repair
man evidently didn't believe our slow cook
ing was a major problem, because we didn't
hear from him for nearly a month.
He fixed the air conditioner, finally —
right when the (relatively) cool weather came
through last week. Next thing you know, our
hot water heater will break down and weTl
get it fixed — in April.
Since a 14-inch fan is no substitute for fre
on and an air compressor, I beat the heat by
spending most of my free time at Duddley's.
College Station bars are enjoyable in the
summer — they're not as crowded, and there
aren't as many students present. In the fall,
however, there is a disproportionate influx of
patrons to bars they don't normally frequent.
A friend of mine came up with the reason for
this phenomenon.
Dave's Drinker Displacement Theory
states that the normal increase in student
population in the fall brings newer, underage
students to clubs that admit minors. The
younger students overwhelm these places,
forcing students of legal drinking age to re
treat to 21-and-over establishments, where
they in turn crowd out the regulars and irri
tate the hell out of Dave, who just wants to
drink in peace.
What s really irritating about the fall is all
the traffic congestion brought about by bad
drivers — and even worse, the parents who
taught them inadequate road skills.
A co-worker recently told me he saw three
wrecks in one day at the comer of Texas Av
enue and F.M. 2818. Driving down University
one evening, I had to slam on the brakes three
times because some blind or brain dead dri
ver pulled onto the road right in front of me.
Of course, it doesn't help that the City of
College Station, in its infinite wisdom, decid
ed to wait until all the students got back be
fore it repaved University Avenue. Heaven
forbid they should repave the street in the
summer, when there's not as much traffic.
But what should we expect from a town
without the foresight to plan for more than
one major north-south thoroughfare in the
whole damn city?
By the way, the University decided to fol
low the city's example by repaving the park
ing lots along Wellborn Road the week be
fore school begins. Why does A&M wait un
til school starts so it can inconvenience stu
dents, but announce multicultural require
ments, administrative shakeups and school
name changes in the summer when there's
no one around to take notice?
The students, staff and faculty are back,
however, crowding the streets, shops and bars.
A friend heard me complaining about this and
replied, "Mack, you've turned into a local."
I suppose I have gone native. I've lived
here for the past four years. I've learned all
the back roads and shortcuts around town.
I've discovered some hole-in-the wall restau
rants and bars that are worth visiting. And
I've made the pilgrimage to Shiner.
Hell, I can even tolerate country music
once in a while.
Mack Harrison is a senior agricultural journal
ism major.
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,
adm mistration,. faculty or staff. ‘
Obfytws, gtiest columns and'
:: letters express tho opinions of the
authors.
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The Battalion - Mail Call
013 Reed McDonald/Mail stop 1111
Texas A&M University
College Station, TX 77843
Fax: (409) 845-2647
Remember: Only you can prevent more government growth
S lowly, quietly
and discretely
our country
has been defiled.
On July 4,1776 the
United States of
America was
founded. At that
time we had no
government, no es
tablished preju
dices, no welfare,
no regulations on
environmental pol
lutants, no income
tax, no Social Secu
rity, no National
Health Care, no en
titlements, no PACs, no five mph bumper
safety' tests, no USD A, no FDA, no FCC,
no NEA, no honey subsidies, no foreign
aid, no tobacco subsidies, no rent control
and no EPA.
For over 150 years — and particularly
during the 60 years from the end of the
ivil War until World War II — America
ived almost completely in this pristine
:ondition. The government knew its role
ivas very simple: to protect, encourage
fnd stay out of private enterprise. Dur
ELIOT
WILLIAMS
Columnist
ing this period, the United States was the
freest, most prosperous society on earth.
Living standards rose 5 percent a year,
and the average American's income was
six times higher at the end of that period
than it was at the beginning.
The government was primarily a po
liceman, protecting the marketplace from
force and fraud. Gradually, the govern
ment began instituting monetary controls
and protectionist policies. As these poli
cies took hold, the Great Depression set
in. The depression, blamed on free mar
ket capitalism, was only worsened by
Roosevelt's New Deal.
The New Deal legitimized peacetime
price controls, welfare, huge taxes, mas
sive government employment and the bu
reaucratic control of industry. Today,
there is no service, no transaction and no
enterprise that the government does not
control. The state regulates what a farmer
can grow in his field, how many office
workers can be employed, what race they
must be, how many hours a business's
employees can work, and even what
words can be used to describe a potato
chip. Is it "new" or "improved"? What
does "no salt" mean as opposed to "low
salt"?
The government has bureaucrats at
work deciding such minutia — all at our
expense.
The government of 1993 controls our
entire economy. Enterprises are being
taxed and regulated to death. Social poli
cies are consuming monstrous portions of
the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). One
study by Robert Rector of the Heritage
foundation found that since the onset of
Lyndon Johnson's War on Poverty, total
welfare spending in 1990 dollars has
amounted to $3.5 trillion. More impor
tantly, these policies don't seem to be
achieving any visible goal. Living stan
dards are falling each year, violence is
rampant, and mounting fear for one's
safety is replacing hope and progress.
Professor Peter Marcuse of Columbia
University says that the homeless popula
tion is increasing at a rate higher than any
other time in postwar years. There is a
lesson to be learned — the government
cannot solve our problems.
The obvious moral purpose of govern
ment is to protect its citizens from domes
tic and foreign aggressors who use coer
cion. The government has not done its
duty in protecting its citizens from its
own domination. The problem we are ex
periencing in America today is a failure of
government, and more importantly, it is a
failure of the people.
In short, the outrageous growth of
government in the last 60 years can be
most directly attributed to our continual
reliance on it to solve our social and eco
nomic problems. Since the advent of the
welfare state, we have slowly begun to
view the government as the "Great
Provider." We look to the government
for moral guidance, for economic security
and for social harmony. The government
can provide none of these things.
What we need is change. According to
the non-partisan Congressional Budget
Office, government spending as a per
centage of the GDP would be 23.4 percent
without President Clinton's new budget.
With the new budget, government out
lays will increase while taxes will ap
proach 20 percent of the GDP — com
pared to 18.8 percent without the plan. Is
this the path to freedom and happiness?
Clinton's plans emphasize more govern
mental regulation, more taxes to fund the
bureaucracy, and an expansion of welfare
benefits.
Is this the kind of change our sick
economy needs?
The answer is a resounding "No!"
The kind of change we need can not be
spoon-fed to us by a man who has spent
almost his entire post-collegiate life on
the government dole. The change we re
quire is too complex to be settled at the
polls in November every 4 years. We
have already gone too far. Many of the
liberties our forefathers cherished have al
ready been revoked by the provider men
tality. We must alter our attitude regard
ing government and begin to rely on our
selves, on private enterprise, and on our
friends to solve any problems we may be
experiencing.
As college students, we have the abili
ty to make this change. Our generation
must fight against growing government
and make the sacrifices necessary to re
store the freedom and happiness that was
once felt by citizens of the United States.
No one ever claimed liberty was easy to
achieve, but as freedom loving Ameri
cans, it is our duty to stop falling victim
to the ease of relying on the government
to solve our problems.
Eliot William is a sophomore electrical engi
neering major
Mailout puts being
Greek over being Ag
I am writing this letter in regard to
the 1993-94 Fraternity Rush mailout. In
this mailout, the editor for the Interfra
ternity Council, Chris Cowan, states,
"Yes, being an Aggie is an honor, but be
ing Greek holds a longer line of pride
and tradition than anything imaginable."
You, Mr. Cowan, have put being
Greek over being an Aggie. I have al
ways been very supportive of the Greek
system, but I, as are many other Aggies,
am flatly offended by this statement.
One of the things I hold dear to my heart
is being an Aggie. Being an Aggie is the
best possible thing, and it boasts more
pride and tradition than imaginable.
True, I may not be Greek, but I believe
there is a saying that goes: "You are an
Aggie before you are anything!" You
have obviously forgotten this, but I am
now here to remind you.
At this time, I would like to comment
that in all the organizations I have ever
been involved, the advisor made it a re
quirement that they proofread anything
before it goes to print. I think it would
be a wise decision for your advisor to be
gin doing the same.
As Interfraternity Council Editor and
a representative of the Greek system, Mr.
Cowan, I think you should take respon
sibility for your actions and apologize to
all Aggies in the A&M community and
abroad. I surely hope that you will cor
rect this statement that is so offensive to
so many Aggies.
Good luck with Rush.
Brian Hicks
Class of'95
Mailing financial aid
checks makes sense
In response to Seth Fuller's letter on
financial aid checks (Aug. 5), "Quit com
plaining!" While I agree that the finan
cial aid department does have some
problems, remember, they do have to
contend with several thousand students.
They have never gotten my check to me
on time yet, either. I usually have to bor
row money elsewhere to cover my fees.
However, I think mailing the checks
is a great idea and long overdue. Sure, it
could get lost in the mail or perhaps
worse. But, it seems to me that since I
signed the loan papers and am responsi
ble for its repayment, the check should
come to me first anyway. That's a side
comment. Besides, the government
probably decides on the order of receiv
ing funds. The reason I am writing is
this: I have better things to do than wait
in a line for three hours or more ... like
wait for a parking space! Thank you
Texas A&M; I'll check the mail.
Scott Clanton
Graduate Student