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South
Opinion
lliursday, November 4,1993
The Battalion
The Battaijon 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
j "X JuhM i i
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EDITORIAL
Hear no evil
Speaker approval wrong idea
MSC officials have decided
ey know what is best for stu-
ents to hear. They want to
jprove the speakers at stu-
| ent functions.
According to MSC President
Lather Hartman, student or-
anizations planning a program
at could affect "the whole
Impus" must get the speakers
iproved by Student Services.
MSC officials feel that both
Ides of an issue should al-
tys be represented.
There is a certain environ-
ent the University expects to
maintained," said Kevin
pson, associate director of
igrams.
Clearly something is amiss,
eUniversity's purpose is to
vide students with a wide
of programs from
to learn, not to provide
orship.
According to University
[emulations, student organiza-
inswho would like a speak-
to address non-members in
idition to members must ob-
inapproval from the director
student services and some-
lues the MSC director.
Why any approval is neces-
fry from these people is un
ear. As long as an organiza
tion does not receive funding
from the University, it should
not matter who its speakers are,
regardless of whether or not
A&M supports their opinion.
Apparently, the whole pur
pose behind regulating poten
tially biased speakers is to
bring in another speaker with
the opposite viewpoint to
provide a balance.
College Republicans advis
er Richard Stadelmann point
ed out that major political
speakers often don't like to
appear in a program in which
they'll be speaking against
lesser-known candidates.
This means that students
will be missing out on hearing
a major speaker's opinion just
because another major speaker
with the opposite opinion can
not appear at the same time.
Obviously, the whole idea is
silly. Students have a right to
hear one side of an issue if
they want, and it can't hurt
A&M's reputation if it's not a
University-sponsored event.
As long as Texas A&M is
not footing the bill, student
groups should be allowed to
bring in anyone they desire.
Even if it is someone "con
troversial."
Page 11
Jingle all the way ... to the cash register
Merchants laugh all the way to the bank during holidays
FRANK
STANFORD
Columnist
N ow that every
one's
jack-o-lantern
is slowly beginning to
decompose into a rot
ting, reeking, slump
ing lump of pumpkin
mush, the next big
event on the holiday
agenda is Thanksgiv
ing, right? Well, tech
nically, I suppose it is.
Although Thanks
giving is a "biggie" at
A&M because of huge
meals at home and/or
the t.u. game, it just
doesn't create the
spending frenzy that Halloween or even East
er promotes. Just like the motels in the area
count on football season to make it through
the year, certain holidays really boost the in
come of many retail and even grocery stores.
Each year, in anticipation of the spookiest
day, the grocery stores stockpile and sell
many thousands of dollars in costumes,
pumpkins, candy and beer to cash in on the
Halloween spirit. Likewise, Easter baskets,
artificial grass and chocolate bunnies line the
aisles a few weeks before Easter.
And even though Labor Day isn't as big a
spending weekend as you might think, ice
chests, beer and soda sales must at least
quadruple their normal volume. The other
holidays, however, are basically tame. That
is, until the "big one."
Retail stores try to hang with these minor
holidays through special sales, appropriate
decoration and seasonal fashion changes such
holidays seem to kick off. And because
"turkey day" is centered around gratitude in
stead of giving, there really is no rush on retail
or grocery stores for Thanksgiving.
Albertson's and Apple Tree might fill up
the turkey refrigerator case, stock up on a
few staple dinner items and put pilgrim
hats on the checkout personnel, but retail
ers just sit and wait for the big one. The re
ally, really big one. And it's just around the
economic corner.
Christmas is — as we all know — the
biggest, mostest, spendingest holiday of
them all. The stores know it too, and they're
already preparing. A former department
store clerk once told me his employer grosses
70 to 80 percent of its annual sales in Novem
ber and December.
Catalog retailers are starting to mail out
the Christmas editions, if they haven't al
ready. And department and discount stores
are dragging out the plastic trees and pine
cone wreaths, all to get us in the spending
uh, I mean Christmas spirit.
In the next few weeks, we will all be inun
dated with everything that could possibly be
associated with Christmas. Doily PartonTs
Country Christmas CD is already being mar
keted on late night television, along with
every Ronco product you can imagine.
Because we are so centered on presents as
children, the tendency to associate Christmas
with material things continues to plague us
into adulthood. Of course, the toys get bigger
and more expensive — or perhaps more mon
ey for clothes or school is given — but it's
even the most basic Christmas tangibles that
continue to cloud the true meaning of the day.
From the time we're old enough to toddle,
Christmas means Santa Claus, Jesus, egg
nog, the North Pole, wise men and lit-up
trees* And presents, lots of presents. And
let's not forget to mention enormous fuzzy
stockings, flying reindeer with possibly elec
tric noses, frankincense and and oodles of
myrrh, whatever that is.
With all of this mass confusion and conflict
of stories, just what on earth is a child in this
society supposed to believe? I t's no wonder
that the holiday season has become synony
mous with commercialism and suicide rates.
I was recently traipsing around this new
Wal-Mart and was stunned to see the
tremendous volume of Christmas claptrap
crammed on the shelves. Every stuffed ani
mal you can imagine was wrapped in Santa
or Elf duds and staring back at me with their
little $17.99 name tags. When did polar bears
become a symbol of Christmas? Most kids
have a difficult enough time separating the
Jesus and Santa thing.
Nearly everyone is familiar with the story
of the birth of Christ, but where do St.
Nicholas, Rudolph, Kris Kringle, mistletoe
and trees join the picture? And if the obese
reindeer exploiter in the red suit has nothing
to do with Christianity, why don't other reli
gions celebrate the tale of Santa? As for trees.
Pm told they come from the ancient Druids as
symbols of life. The Druids also built Stone
henge; how irrelevantly fascinating.
The holiday season has gotten way out of
hand because it has so many meanings to
grasp and debts to pay. Regardless of how
you view Dec. 25, one can be certain of what
it means to the merchants. Commercialism at
Christmas will continue to increase, and
there is no end in sight.
Frank Stanford is a graduate philosophy student
K X KNOW you GOV5 FROtA 6oMe MHERE
Sof ... VALL lookin' for A Toe, "7 ...
IN Gop we. trust
All others, pay cash
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,
cartoons and letters express
the opinions of the authors.
The Battalion encourages
letters to the editor and will
print as many as space
allows. Letters must be 300
words or less and include the
author's name, class, and
phone number.
We reserve the right to edit
letters and guest columns for
length, style, and accuracy.
Contact the opinion editor
for information on submitting
guest columns.
Address letters to:
The Battalion - Mail Call
013 Reed McDonald
Mail stop 1111
Texas A&M University
Collejge Station, TX 77343
Fax: (409) 845-2647
College Republicans offer alternative multicultural solutions
Di
GUEST
COLUMN
JODY L.
WITHERS
n June 9,
1993 the
Liberal Arts
Hindi at Texas
JM passed a six
Hr multicultural
drement. After
o years of re
tch the Com-
iteefor Multi-
Jural Diversity
sloped a multi-
dral program
students within
liberal arts cur-
lilum.
Tiis require-
%thas been the
Wei for a current university-wide mul-
Jltural course requirement proposal
wbefore the Faculty Senate.
Hie purpose of these proposed solu-
Tisis to find an equitable solution to the
^cultural debate by providing a viable
^native which will satisfy all parties
'eerned. Contained within this proposal
■alternative solutions to the multicultur-
fquirement which provide students a
•and balanced multicultural experience.
Ills our position that political indoc
trination is not a legitimate function of
higher education. While we agree that
all contributions of all Americans
should be documented and celebrated
we feel that these classes may become
pulpits of liberal indoctrination and
courses in political correctness.
Furthermore, there is no significant evi
dence to support the theory that multicul
tural course requirements promote racial
harmony and mutual understanding. We
therefore believe that this requirement and
any subsequent requirements should be re
scinded and replaced with a more equi
table alternative they may achieve the mu
tually desired goal of racial harmony.
The following are three proposed so
lutions which are augmented with a spe
cial project proposal which may be uti
lized singularly or in concert with each
other. These solutions have been devel
oped in order to best utilize the current
resources of Texas A&M University, and
address the real issues behind the de
mand for cultural awareness.
• Solution One: Professors teaching core
curriculum classes such as English, history,
social studies and humanities requirements
would be granted University authority and
encouraged to offer students extra credit to
attend and participate in MSC multicultur
al seminars and workshops.
These seminars are presented by Mul
ticultural Student Services Department,
International Student Services, various
minority service groups, etc. Students are
already required to pay student fees for
such organizations and activities. Plus,
Texas A&M could help sponsor these
events and demonstrate Texas A&M's
There is no significant evi
dence to support the theory
that multicultural course re
quirements promote racial
harmony and mutual under
standing.
commitment to equitable education.
• Solution Two: The Department of His
tory should convene a conference to ad
dress the issue of minority contributions to
United States history. The main concern
within the current curriculum is that the
contributions of minority Americans is not
accurately documented nor celebrated.
The conference should consider ways
in which to format the U.S. History class
es so as to shed light on significant contri
butions made by all Americans for all
Americans. Historical figures like Booker
T. Washington, Dr. Martin Luther King
Jr., Caesar Chavez and other prominent
minority members deserve far more at
tention than they are currently granted.
• Solution Three: At present, all stu
dents at Texas A&M University are re
quired to take at least six hours of hu
manities courses. Most students are not
particularly set in the classes they choose.
Academic advisors should encourage stu
dents who are undecided on the humani
ties requirement to take classes which are
designated to be multicultural.
It has been reported that 61 percent of
the student body already fulfills both as
pects of the proposed multicultural
course requirement. This solution could
be utilized to advise the remaining 39
percent to take these classes as their hu
manities requirement. Students can fur
ther work with their academic advisor to
discuss certain areas of interest within the
wide spectrum of multicultural courses.
• Special Project Proposal: We believe
a statue or the naming of a building
should be reserved to honor one of the
black founders of Texas A&M. Black Re
publican State Senator Matthew Gaines
was very supportive and instrumental in
the founding of Texas A&M. Research has
already begun on this project and there
has been a significant amount of support
within the black community.
We realize that this proposal may not
satisfy all the demands of both sides of
the issue. However, we believe that for a
topic as controversial and emotional as
this there must come a time for compro
mise. Extreme liberals may argue that
this proposal does not go far enough
while extreme conservatives may argue
that this proposal goes too far.
We must all agree that promoting
racial harmony and accepting cultural di
versity is key not only to our national se
curity but also our economic stability.
Texas A&M has an opportunity to be
come a national leader in a debate that
has divided administrators, faculty, stu
dents and alumni. We can either move
forward or remain static in divisiveness.
This proposal was developed by Jody L. With
ers and Keith Kouba in cooperation with the
Texas A&M College Republicans.
ig
r-War
tching
ost
it. It is
me
lub be
^E.
call
Know privatization
acts before writing
am writing in response to the Mail
41 letter written by Keith Stubbs about
^actions taken against three Food Ser
vice employees. First of all, I would like
to remind Mr. Stubbs what a democracy
is. A democracy is where everyone has a
voice and not just those in power.
For you to say that someone should
never be able to work anywhere again
because they had an opinion different
than your own makes you the most nar
row-minded, radical fool I have ever
heard of.
I've worked for Food Services for a
year and a half, and I was acquainted
with all three men. Ags, it really pisses
me off to see three good people lose their
jobs because they did not conform.
It also disgusts me to read a letter
from a student ranting and raving about
the benefits of privatization when he ob
viously does not know the facts. I would
just like to challenge all of you to become
informed about the consequences of pri
vatization before writing into the Battal
ion and making an idiot out of yourself.
Michael Wayne Tinsley
Class of '93
Annoying car alarm
disrupts Silver Taps
I do not know to whom I am writing
this letter, but whoever you are, please
consider my request. Since the beginning
of this semester, my roommate and I
have endured the sound of an annoying
car alarm that goes off almost every day.
I live in Lechner Hall, and I assume
this vehicle is parked in the lot adjacent
to Lechner. The alarm runs through
about six different sounds, and goes off
from one to four times a day.
I would not be complaining, except
that on Tuesday night during Silver
Taps, the alarm went off four different
times. Although I did not attend Silver
Taps, I was going to observe the cere
mony by turning off the lights in my
room and reflecting on the meaning of
Silver Taps.
The incessant noise of the car alarm
rendered it impossible for me to con
centrate or focus my thoughts on any
subject.
I would greatly appreciate it if the
owner of this vehicle would shut the
alarm off as soon as possible. If anyone is
setting the alarm off purposely, please
refrain from dqing this. Thank you.
JoVan Currie
Class of'97