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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 10, 1993)
e Hamlin ass of'% I »ber 10,1993 rs at Texas game this °me game so you t is exactly 'as leaving how much 'vd was so ertainment iuch as the id bull we 'n why we .rowd par- ive (along Hymn, of , everyone } tt Quinby Hass of‘% ss LeBlanc Hass of‘94 to all idividuals ight to or- t itself in Velasquez for "stick- belong," e for alter- s fighting. ; that they pus." sir. You udice and enounced or sexual id far less victim of group of ambitions imstances )U. the mes- e. It's that to arrive risfactory; ? damage r of us is of us are ing to ar- < in there has been t dismiss itolerance ; and cul- Opinion Wednesday, November 10,1993 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 v-n/oui r That kelp t*ape “J r EDITORIAL 12th Man mistake Boosters should have known better The Twelfth Man Founda- ion, a booster organization Kiimd to support athletics at lexas A&M, only hurt the Uni- 'ersity when four members of he foundation's executive loard did not relay employ- nent information about run- ling back Greg Hill to the proper authorities. According to a letter ch ained by The Battalion, execu te board members Jim Peter- on, Cliff Taylor, James Stormy" Kimrey and Warren Gilbert discussed the fact that lill had been employed by m Texas A&M boosters, Wel- lon Jaynes and Gilbert, at the Dme time. However, neither ooster notified the University lata problem could exist. Since A&M suffered through le turmoil of NCAA troubles in 1989, the University has stressed unendingly to its boosters that any question about booster involvement should be directed to the Uni- ersity Compliance Office. This office was designed to handle alumni's questions about ac tions related to A&M athletes. The Twelfth Man Foundation has encouraged compliance with NCAA and University regulations as well. Yet the fact that four of the top officers of the foundation — including the incoming president — did not act upon this information gives one the sense that they were not serious about compliance at all. In a year of troubling inci dents for Texas A&M, this lat est episode only adds to the public's negative perception of the University. The Board of Regents, the Office of Finance and Admin istration, the Department of Food Services, the Athletic De partment and now the Twelfth Man Foundation have all seen their share of scandals this year. Yet in each case, the Uni versity seems more intent on preserving its image rather than solving the problem. On Sunday, the NCAA In fractions Committee will hear A&M's side of the football pro gram's year-long investigation. As the school's top adminis trators sit on the NCAA's fir ing line with sanction clouds hanging over their heads, maybe those four members of the Twelfth Man will realize that all of this could have been avoided if they had only prac ticed what they preached. Why volunteering is good for students Altruism helps givers as much as it does the recipients X A Te've all heard \/\/ t ^ e excuse s V V before: "l gave at the of fice." "I just don't have the time." "I'm way too busy simply taking care of myself." "I just don't know how to help." Well, let me tell you, these excuses won't cut it any longer. We live in a rapidly decaying society. Everyday the media screams about crime, murder, theft, rape, domestic violence, hatred and decadence. People continually complain, yet rarely does anyone lift a finger t< • help. Folks, as cliche as it sounds, if you are not part of the solution, then you must be part of the problem. But how does one make the mo mentous transition from an apathetic do- nothing to a concerned citizen? Well, as a volunteer you can help solve the ailings of society. Try it out. It can be as easy as turning off your television and picking up your telephone — as if that were terribly easy for a couch potato generation. As it just so happens, I was sucked into the vortex of volunteerism. My original in tentions, though, were not as golden and pristine as I would like people to believe. I didn't take that first step into the whirlpool because I had some feeling of obligation to a society that has raised and nurtured me. No, I was offered a free lunch. Now, don't get me wrong. 1 have always been a thoughtful, concerned member of so ciety, but it just so happened that at the-time in question, I also doubled as a starving col lege student. The free lunch was an incredi ble incentive. It still is. I was invited to be a member of the Peers Material Review Panel (PMRP) for the newly formed Project MAIN, which stands for Mul ticultural AIDS Information Network. The name really didn't mean much to me at the time, but the free pizza and sandwiches did. I was there to eat. Once 1 got to the meeting, I realized there was more to the organization than just feed ing poor students. They had a true cause, something worth spending time doing. My life really lacked that. The PMRP was a monitoring board that previewed the educational materials that were to be distributed by Project MAIN. As a board member, my job was to be sure that anything dispensed by Project MAIN would not be culturally offensive or factually inac curate. It was fairly easy, and hey, I was get ting free food. Then, over the next few meetings, the pizza and sandwiches turned into cookies and chips. I made a mental note of the dwindling meals, but as I became increas ingly active with the group, T could find no time to complain. Finally, the food ceased altogether. But it was too late. I couldn't stop saying yes. I had already agreed to be on all sorts of sub-com mittees, ad hoc committees, planning com mittees/executive committees and 1-need-to- be-committed committees, I was a volunteer junkie. Finally, my life had some meaning. T could go home at night, turn on the evening news and know deep down that I was doing something to help slow the decay of modern society. It is a great feeling, an addictive feel ing. Altruism, contrary to popular belief, is not a completely selfless act. Having a genuine concern for the welfare of others feeds a per sonal need to feel useful. The first time you see someone smile as a result of something you ha ve done, you get covered with the warm-fuzzies. This self-centered need, though, is not necessarily bad or wrong. In our society, it may be the only solution to ending the ever-growing problem of despair. There are many organizations here in the Brazos Valley that are waiting for a flood of well-intentioned college students to come knocking on their doors and beg to help them reach their goals of making local life just a little bit better. Not everyone may feel comfortable with any one particular social service, so check around until you find one most suitable to your field of interest. To name just a few, there's Red Cross, Cri sis Pregnancy Service, Brazos Valley Cou ncil on Alcohol and Substance Abuse, Twin City Mission, Phoebe's Home, which offers assis tance to battered women and children, and Special Health Services, which handles HIV/ AIDS education. Each one of these or ganizations would appreciate any amount of volunteer help that you could offer. And the psychological rewards you receive will benefit you for the rest of your life. I know that my one free lunch has completely changed the way in which 1 view the world. John Scroggs is a senior English and philosophy major HERR No e v; l_ 5EE NR EVIL Gi&WASR 3 3 3 Ml 5PERK NO EVIL RE PORT NO EVIL 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 Cali 013 Reed McDonald Mail stop 1111 Texas A&M University College Station, TX 77343 Fax; #09) 845-2647 • ••••• Going to the placement center for a taste of the real world r he simple thought of venturing into the realm of Bid cards, corpo rate binders and bond paper re sumes can send many students into (hysterics. The game, a real life version of Monop oly where we race 'to pass go and fi nally start collect ing for all our years I of college, can be .stressful and scary. After weeks of preparation and careful (planning, today is the big day. At pre- jcisely 11 a.m., I will enter the placement 'center and begin my official quest for a (Summer internship. Rules are different in the office on the ^second floor of the John J. Koldus Building. I On time means be early, and mandatory at tendance means you really must be there. I On a campus where Levis and over- ■ sized sweatshirts make up the fashion MELISSA MEGLIOLA Columnist norm, the placement center stands alone as a magnet for wool gabardine suits, conservative ties and sensible pumps. This corporate dress code causes students to speculate on the specific fashion dos and don'ts. According to Jenny, a 1993 graduate try ing to break into public relations, shoes are the key to making a good first impression. "I read somewhere that you should al ways keep them polished and never wear 'pleather,'" she said in reference to the temptation to buy synthetic or plastic shoes to save money. Bonnie, a 1993 chemical engineering major, struggles over whether or not to wear her engagement ring. Senior rings seem to be the only truly safe piece of jewelry. "I was told never to wear a watch, dangling or hoop earrings and never to paint my fingernails," Bonnie said. One interviewer from a large oil re covery company joked about wanting to hire an industrial engineer because of his impressive socks, black with tiny gray diamonds. Aside from shoes and accessories, in terview attire should be fairly easy to purchase. Guys should think dark and conservative. Girls should do the same while trying to avoid the flight atten dant look. Creating a resume is often the only part of interviewing more carefully thought out than what to wear. Techni cally, the disc resume required from the placement center is all that you need. However, anyone can improve their pa- "If they ask you to write a program in Pascal, you'll figure it out," said Aaron, a mechanical engineering graduate. "Or find some body who can do it for you." per image with a more professional de sign and few well written, slightly exag gerated phrases. The "previous work experience" sec tion provides a place to stretch the truth a little. After mowing your next door neighbor's lawn for years, suddenly you are a lawn care technician. What about that summer you worked at the mall. Sales associate sounds good. Work as waiter or waitress supposedly shows that you are comfortable working with peo ple. But how many times have you se cretly spit in the pasta fussili of a man known for stiffing? Many resumes now contain a section outlining computer skills that list two or three computer languages and at least four or five word processing and spread sheet programs. The rule seems to be if you have ever typed a paper or complet ed a homework assignment on a specific program, that program should be includ ed on your resume. "If they ever ask you to write a pro gram in Pascal, you'll figure it out," said Aaron, a 1992 mechanical engineering graduate. "Or find somebody else who can do it for you." Now for the really scary stuff. The ac tual in person, real-life, think on your feet interview. You sit in a tiny room and wait to be grilled like a T-Bone on the 4th of July. Although you are probably safe from the now infamous Fish Camp situa tion where some bubbly interviewer cheerfully asks, "If you were a pizza top ping, what topping would you be," the questions can still be unusual. Matt, a mechanical engineering major who graduates in December, was asked, "When you are in traffic, do you continue to change lanes and try to move ahead or do you wait patiently like everyone else?" He and his girlfriend are still arguing over the real meaning of the question. Trying to evaluate how he attacks a problem, one highly selective consulting firm asked Brad, a Class of '93 industrial engineering major, "How many bicycle tires were produced in the last year?" To really learn more about an appli cant, companies should question about things that seem obvious. Can a mechan ical engineering student change the oil in his/her car? To what level do beer and twinkies make up the diet of a nutrition major? When interviewing an accounting student it would be helpful to see his/her checkbook. Chances are it isn't balanced to the penny. Melissa Megliola is a senior industrial engineering major _ i Multiculturalism the 1 wrong step for A&M Texas A&M took a giant step back wards in improving the educational cli mate here with the Faculty Senate's ap proval of the multiculturalism bill. The faculty and student supporters of this leg islation have failed to learn their lesson from the failure of other "world class" universities that have instituted mandato ry multicultural programs. The reason multicultural curriculums have created problems is not the intoler ance of some students to other cultures but rather the content of classes that seek not only to promote other cultures but to denigrate elements of our existing culture. The courses become the professor's fo rum for political indoctrination rather than an open forum to exchange ideas. Tenured professor are virtually immune from sanction and university administra tions have demonstrated shocking timidi ty in dealing with these abuses. For the most part my experiences with professors at A&M were positive, but I did have classes under now tenured pro fessors that were alarmingly political in 1985. It frightens me to think how their classes might be altered to fit the multicul tural requirement. A free exchange of ideas is the corner stone of a sound educational environment. If history repeats itself (and it's a safe bet it will), then Texas A&M will face difficult times in dealing with problems created by reaction to the multicultural curriculum. I urge the University administration to seriously consider the problems similar proposals have created at other universi ties by their restrictions on the free ex change of ideas before approving this pro posal Ed Marcinkiewicz Class of'85 MSC already funds 'political' groups The First Amendment guarantees free speech, not balanced speech. If one organi zation on campus works hard to promote a message (with its own funds), what gives the University the right to balance that out with its funds or to require that organization to provide a balance? The MSC already provides skewed bal ance by funding such campus groups as Earth First! ($200 in 1991), Pro-choice Ag gies ($125), Gay Lesbian and Bisexual Ag gies ($500), National Organization for Women ($200), College Republicans ($0). These groups, with the exception of College Republicans, all received money from the University in the past few years. This information is totally open to the public at the MSC finance center. I encour age everyone to see where University money is going and then decide where the balance is. Trank David Brown Class of '97