•ber 27,i(i
Opinion
1 about ^ Wednesday, October 27,1993
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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
1 MACK HARRISON, opinion editor WILLIAM HARRISON, sports editor
KYLE BURNETT, photo editor
The Battalion
Page 9
EDITORIAL
| Caddo Lake
[Texas must protect wetlands area
there til
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|| Environmentalists have suc-
t the possilfceeded in adding Caddo Lake
ar'sSouti i n East Texas to the list of
r^rof the ^"Wetlands of International Im-
°f his portance" established under
1 Ramsar Convention. Un-
eparatim f° rt:u nately, the new classifica-
playerani tioncarries n o legal or regula-
j take car: tor y protection. Lawmakers
-Elroy nee d to act to ensure natural
t is that iflpreservation and conservation
r level ofi; in the area.
o anybody The Ramsar Convention is a
pared, we ; multinational ecological agree-
on any g ment made by about 80 coun
ties in 1971. Only 13 sites in
-the United States have re-
ship would! edved such distinction to date,
jf i C an i®| Caddo Lake is the first Texas
site on the list. Supporters of
ig is what the proposal sent to the Ram-
|sar Convention's ruling body
tes will to m C l u de musician and environ-
cwel mental activist Don Henley.
e in ,1 Caddo Lake is remarkable
vas I 1 ; as the only natural lake in
^Station!*Tf xas “ ad others are man-
Smade reservoirs. According to
Reports in The Dallas Morning
^News, the swampy region pro
vides a habitat for 44 rare.
Nightwwthreatened or endangered
ien species. Over 300 varieties of
the above p| ants anc i 216 species of birds
it is Davidp
dng insteal
iis column 7
pjying
r of the Yea
dwell there.
The waters of Caddo Lake
support a multitude of fish
and are widely regarded as a
first-class bass fishery. Millions
of migrating birds also use the
lake as a stopping point be
tween their northern summer
habitats and the forests of Cen
tral and South America. These
features contributed to Caddo
Lake's recent designation.
The Corps of Engineers
proposal would set up plans
to build a canal from Shreve-
port. La. to Daingerfield,
Texas. Preliminary reports in
dicate that the project is no
longer feasible because it
would serve too few busi
nesses to justify its expense
and environmental toll.
Former supporters of the
canal project now advocate
the promotion of ecological
tourism and nature activities
to offset the economic loss
from cancellation of the
building plans.
The future security of Cad
do Lake — as well as this new
source of revenue — depends
on legal protection equal to
the lake's natural value.
The few, the proud ... the bike riders
JL
Commuting by bicycle presents new traffic challenges
JOHN
SCROGGS
Columnist
I have recently joined
the ranks of the few,
the proud, the
kamikaze campus bi
cycle riders. I took the
bold step forward and
decided that for my
last semester at A&M,
I would avoid the has
sles of the PTTS and
just ride my bike to
campus everyday. It is
a decision that lam
now having to recon
sider.
When I first moved
into my new apart
ment last July, I felt
that I had made the right choice. 7 got a little
one-bedroom place just a short bike ride
away from campus. It cost a bit more, but I
thought it would be worth it. I had lived in
Bryan for so long, I just knew living across
the street from campus would make things
so much easier.
Residing near campus meant I could eat
lunch in my own living room, sleep those
few extra, precious minutes in the morning
before class and save money on gas. Best of
all, if my professor decided to pull a no-
show, I could just run home between classes.
Living next to campus was gonna be worth
the few extra dollars in rent and the numer
ous extra roaches that came with this new
apartment.
The first day of school came upon me, and
1 was ready. I had my backpack full of text
books, my preplanned ten-minute bike route
and a shinny new lock and chain. It sounded
too good to be true.
My first problem occurred when I realized
that each time I had timed myself going
across campus on my bike, it had been dur
ing the two-week period between second
summer session and the fall semester, com
monly known as the dead zone. Real dumb.
The first day of class it took me fifteen min
utes just to cross George Bush Drive.
Finally, after bravely dodging the swerving
trucks and zipping little foreign cars, I made it
onto campus. I thanked the biking gods for
the bike lanes. They are fantastic, as long as
you are going straight or turning right.
But beware the first time you have to cross
a campus street or — even worse — have to
turn left. It's impossible. I once circled the en
tire campus doing right turns just so I
wouldn't have to make one left turn.
Anyway, as soon as I neared the building
where my class was already half over, I at
tempted to ride up on the sidewalks. I en
dured the many evil stares and malice-filled
glances as I cruised inches from these pesky
people. I even heard one person question,
rather rudely, my right to ride a bike on the
sidewalks.
Well, to answer this irate walker, I can
only say this: I'll stop riding my bike on the
sidewalks when the campus planners deem
it appropriate to place the bike racks closer to
the bike lanes. Who in their right mind
would design a campus with multiple bike
racks located mere inches from the main en
trances of the most-used buildings?
Aside from these initial trifles of the first
day, 1 still felt that riding my bike to class
each day would be the best solution for me.
The time and money I saved from not having
to purchase an off-campus parking tag alone
offset the problems I faced from having to
ride through campus on a bike.
Now that I mentioned it, I have just one
quick gripe — the parking situation here is a
huge joke. I was once told that the permits
don't ensure a parking space, similar to the
way hunting licenses don't ensure that you'll
get a deer. Great. Does this analogy scare the
hell out of anyone else? Can you imagine
some zealot with his parking space hunting
license and a shotgun?
Anyway, back to the biking saga. The be
ginning of the semester was full of mistakes,
but 1 now feel confident that I have learned
most biking etiquette: Never be caught rid
ing on campus during the twenty minute pe
riod between classes, always yield the right
of way to motor vehicles, never leave a bike
unchained to a rack — even if just for a mo
ment — and avoid that one stupid person
who always sits there and watches you com
ing like a deer caught in the headlights.
Invariably, that idiot will try to second
guess you and in an attempt to jump out of
the way, will end up putting his leg through
your spokes.
So now I have joined the ranks of the in
credibly elite group of campus bike riders. I
cruise seemingly effortlessly from class to
class, looking smooth, cool and suave — with
shoelaces streaming from my front spokes.
John Scroggs is a senior English and
philosophy major
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ive of yourself, because money can't solve everything
ng a gues ; /
? on Barns'
eople nev
er surprise
me" is a
not wearii 1 :friend of mine's
standard reply to
ittingfort! the W eird, shock-
•iler's offei ing and stupid ac-
de Davi-tions performed by
pe people in the
World around him.
I always envied
that outlook be
cause people con
tinually surprise
the pants off me,
especially when it
comes to money.
For example.
JENNY
MAGEE
Columnist
last Tuesday I was innocently reading my
Houston Chronicle as lunchtime enter
tainment when my attention was attract
ed by the headline story, "Oiler delivers
one baby of a controversy."
i The story explained the debate that oc
curred when the Oiler's starting right of
fensive tackle David Williams missed the
New England Patriots game to be with
his wife for the birth of their son. Of
course, I experienced the initial outrage at
the Oiler coaches for expecting Williams
to put football before fatherhood. But, as I
read on something else struck me as be
ing even more absurd. KPRC, a news-
talk radio station in Houston, was inter
viewing listeners for their reactions to the
Williams incident. One caller said, "You
know, if one offensive lineman is so im
portant for the Oilers to be able to beat
the Patriots, then I feel sorry for them. If
the Oilers fine him, I would like to send
him $100 and encourage everyone else to
send him something to make up the dif
ference."
My first thought was that this man is
obviously an alien from another planet
where there are no homeless people
starving in the streets or unemployed
parents who can't feed their children.
Certainly no American, surrounded by
the day to day effects of a lagging econo
my, would advocate sending money to a
man who makes $2 million a year.
Let me put this into perspective. If he
is fined, Williams could stand to lose one
week's pay, approximately $125,000. If a
typical undergraduate student at A&M
lives on about $8,000 a year for five years
of study, David Williams could put three
students through this school on one
week's paycheck. I do not think the man
is in need of financial assistance.
Then why was the phone call respon
dent so willing to rip open his pocket-
book and start shelling out money to
People like the idea of
buying morality. It is con
venient to contribute to
good or moralistic causes
because it makes us feel
our lives are good and
moralistic also.
David Williams? As I continued on with
the story, I found the answer.
"I missed the birth of my two sons,
and I would give anything to get that
back," the caller said.
This person's willingness to give his
money to Williams is motivated by a void
that he feels in his own life. Like so many
people, he perceives a certain virtue in a
"public figure" that he lacks, and by con
tributing his money, he is putting himself
on the moralistic side of the fence.
People like the idea of buying morali
ty. It is convenient to contribute to good
or moralistic causes because it makes us
feel our lives are good and moralistic
also. It is the theory of close approxima
tion: A couple of hundred dollars can be
come ample retribution for past wrongs.
How else could TV evangelists like Oral
Roberts, Jimmy Swaggart and Jimmy
Baker get people to make blind contribu
tions to their "religious causes"?
I don't know how many times I have
felt compelled to shell out a few bucks to
some representative of a noble cause that
came knocking on my door. Or why I
automatically feel like I am a part of
"Walk America" or "The United Way"
simply because I shelled out a couple of
bucks.
Unfortunately, money is necessary for
the existence of these organizations, and
they have to get it from somewhere. But
monetary contributions should not be
come a substitute for real human service
or as a way to fill the voids in our own
lives.
The major problems come in when
people become so tuned in to this idea
that financial contributions make them
good people that they forget to ask where
they are sending their money and what is
being done with it.
There are many worthy charity organi
zations and legitimate groups that do a
lot to help those in need. However, there
is also a good number of con artists who
are willing and happy to play up to guilty
consciences.
There are many people in this country
who desperately need financial support.
However, money can not give needy peo
ple everything that is missing from their
lives. Emotional and educational assis
tance are just as important. Sometimes,
time is a more genuine and valuable gift
on both the part of the giver and receiver.
jenny Magee is a sophomore English and
journalism major
lends!
Margraves unethical
in accepting trips
Texas A&M Regent Chairman Ross
i Margraves should resign immediately.
I He sees nothing wrong with taking free
trips to New York City paid for by
I Barnes and Noble Bookstores Inc., which
! won a lucrative contract to operate the
\ Texas A&M Bookstore.
My daughter is an Aggie and she has
to pay inflated prices of $40 to $50 a book
or $300 a semester for textbooks. Mr.
Margraves enjoyed $200 a night hotel
rooms, meals, limousine service, Broad
way shows in the Big Apple that were in
effect paid for by the students and their
parents.
Mr. Margraves needs a course in
ethics. He should be doing what is best
for the students, instead he appears to be
acting in his own self interest. Barnes &
noble Bookstore should be kicked off the
campus. Competitors should be allowed
to open other campus bookstores.
Jimmy Dunne
Houston
Aggies handle MOB
apology with class
Last Saturday, at the A&M vs. Rice
football game, I was especially proud to be
an Aggie. As you may know, there has al
ways been a lot of tension between the
Aggie Band and the Rice MOB. My broth
er, who is a senior in the MOB, told me be
fore the game about the nice gesture they
were going to do for the Aggie Band. He
said their band director really did want to
patch things up between the two bands.
I admit, I was a little concerned about
how the Aggies would respond, but I
was very impressed to see the band and
the students' reactions. Seeing Aggies
shaking their hands and standing up and
applauding is evidence enough of what
Aggie spirit and pride is all about.
Kerri Dortch
Class of'95
A.R.M.Y members
embarrass University
Every time I go to a Lady Aggie Vol
leyball match, I bury my head in shame.
At a recent match, several A.R.M.Y.
members were disrupting the match in
such a way that they had to be escorted
away from the visiting team's bench.
This past Friday evening, the umpire
had to stop the match, because A.R.M.Y
members were not giving the opposing
team's server enough room. Besides
these incidents, A.R.M.Y. continually at
tempts (and always succeeds) to be ex
tremely distasteful and obnoxious.
Not only do their actions embarrass
their own organization, but they also em
barrass the entire University. It is a
shame that a visitor to our university
must leave here with the impression that
we support our teams in an unsports
manlike manner.
If anyone feels that they must act in
this manner, there is a little school over
there in Austin that would love to have
you. Need directions? Take highway 21.
It runs both ways, too!
Stephanie Reed
Class of'94: