Opinion
The Battalion
Page 11
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Classic Chronic Cramming and other moronic stunts
THe Pie
EDITORIAL
A little sympathy
Students need Dead Week
we've takers
aiC r' j■ Professors seem to forget that
JS dents at Texas A&M general-
ro e m ,(H more than one class at a
hoice 'causelr 16 ' Man y instructors have no
> hip hop ^ ua ^ ms a t )OU 1 scheduling a test,
to represent:P a P er / ora l report or project a
okin' uptosweek or less before the final
gleam in that class.
ty with tods if With five or six classes, this
:oncerned#:can add up to
core lyricsiitilo many
children, things to study
ne out and : f 0r before fi-
ca P (finals. It's unfair
tf- filto students,
1 1 '■ who Aren't able
if tomorron 1 , .
arse, so wer 0 l t L |l ' u>
m " time necessary
estsofthe' a good
ist gonna job on every
r album project,
ow out of Iff Students of-
gonna gro ten end up with
a low grade in
a class they
awning aP could have
ehind them; done well in
ioing somt: given more time,
outthatatalf The administration needs to
as scared s> institute a "Dead Week", rather
ething like Wan just a Dead Day, to com
be in thep bat this serious problem. The
gu^epDU Week could forbid pro-
cud ” er f lessors to assign any tests or
,US 6 U |P ers wee ^ before finals,
an entertaint Better y et ' the University
could provide a project sched
ule much like the finals sched
ule to keep students from hav
ing tests and projects in multi
ple classes on the same day.
For instance, all Monday-
Wednesday-Friday 8 a.m. class
es could have tests or projects
due the Wednesday before
Dead Week,
while all Mon
day-Wednes-
day-Friday
10:20 a.m. class
es could have
them that Fri
day.
Rather than
having a two
tests and a pa
per on the same
day, students
would be able
to deal with
them in a less
abrupt man
ner.
We hope the powers-that-be
at Texas A&M will take this
matter into consideration and
find a way to ease the strain on
students. If not, maybe profes
sors could have a little more
sympathy and arrange their
due dates so that everything
doesn't hit students at once.
FRANK
STANFORD
Columnist
A s we all know,
stupidity has as
much of a place
on campus as does
supreme intellectuali
ty and scholarly pur
suits. In fact, they are
more often than not
closely intertwined.
This, of course, has
nothing to do with
good students versus
poor ones, or differen
tiating rural students
from suburban ones.
All of us have a simi
lar powerful propensi
ty to do things with
out really thinking about the repercussions.
Sigmund Freud called this unconscious de
sire the "id" — a word from which we must
have derived the term "idiot."
There are three main categories of stupid
student behavior .Since it happens to be fi
nals week, let's begin with Classic Chronic
Cramming; it's just got to be a disease. First,
to those of you who never have to go
through this mind-wrenching, intestinal
clenching ordeal, the rest of us are madly
jealous. We also wish it upon you. It makes
us sick when you're ready for the exam two
days before, so you can relax or take in a
movie on test-eve.
Basically, this type of cramming begins
the moment after the last test. At this time
the afflicted party thinks, "Whew! that was
a close one," and immediately following:
"Cool, I don't have to worry about this class
for another five weeks. Time to relax and
enjoy myself."
Those of us who reason like this (you
know who you are) are aware of the im
pending stress from last minute learning,
but still insist on this vicarious method of
schooling. The grades are never as good as
they could have been, but we do it anyway.
Very stupid.
Unlike the many other habitual dumb
doings, Classic Chronic Cramminghas
somewhat of a silver lining. Although the
stress and risk of substandard performance
is eminent, countless procrastinated house
hold chores get done, and done well.
Amongst the 2,000 or so "study breaks"
we take the night before the exam, our en
tire living area receives a cleaning rivaling
only that of the ever-motivating "parents
are coming" situation. All trash cans are
emptied. The kitchen floors get scrubbed.
Six-month-old Hershey's chocolate syrup is
scraped off the refrigerator door shelves.
This type of activity usually takes place
not just until the li ving area seems spotless,
but until you realise you're actually dusting
the baseboards with Pledge and a Q-tip. At
this point, you realize how ridiculous you
are and resume studying.
Probably the second most prevalent form
of stupidity for students is Drinking Dumb
ness. "I'll just have ONE drink, maybe two,
and then I'll leave."
This line of B.S. to oneself rarely, if ever,
works. Usually, you have all sorts of duties
to look after, but your roommate or good
friend is begging you to join them, "for just
a little while." We all know what will in
variably happen. You have a bit more fun
than you expected. One or two drinks turns
into thirteen, and before you know it, it's
3:30 a.m.
This scenario, however, is only semi-stu
pid, because having a good time is not nec
essarily considered being foolish. It's really
the precursor to something far dumber.
Now, I'm sure for some of you out there,
13,16 or even two dozen drinks is just not a
problem for your aluminum foil-lined stom
ach. But for the rest of us mortals, the sixth or
seventh drink is bordering the danger zone.
By this time, your spinning head latches
on to your distended tummy and begins to
twist it about like a wind-up toy airplane.
You try and make it home before you start
to ponder that Mexican buffet eaten just an
hour ago. The two of you will inevitably be
parting company very similar to the manner
in which you met.
There is nothing innately stupid about
getting sick, it's just your body protecting it
self. Your brain however, begs forgiveness,
realizes how idiotic it would be to ever re
peat such a situation, and swears to use bet
ter judgment next time. Unfortunately, the
"next times" don't really come to an end un
til you're married.
Most of the other popular episodes of
student idiocy include automobiles: driving
off in your car with the nozzle still in your
tank, having a minor accident from rub
ber-necking at members of the opposite sex
or locking your keys in the car — with the
engine running. These are all truly foolish
acts, too.
But after having had enough fines to ac
tually purchase my own space. I'm con
vinced that the stupidest thing a student can
do is park on campus without a permit.
Frank Stanford is a graduate philosophy major
mii? \
vtMTOIK!!)
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.
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Address letters to:
The Battalion - Mai! Call
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Mail stop 1111
Texas A&M University
College Station, TX 77B43
Fax: #09) 845-2647
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eliveredad There is no excuse for the major errors
found in the Silver Taps notice in The Bat
talion on Tuesday, Dec. 7. The subhead
ing wasn't even correct: "Ceremony hon
ors six"? Also, this is not the first Silver
Taps Ceremony of the fall semester.
Found incorrect: "...but tonight's ceremo
ny will honor those who have died since
Aggie Muster last April."
This clearly evidences a lack of concern
with what I consider one of the two most
important Aggie traditions: Aggie Muster
and Silver Taps.
My sister, Lisa Karle, was honored in
the September Silver Taps Ceremony a
year ago. I still have the newspaper clip
ping from that day and attended the cere
mony, even though I wasn't a student at
the time.
It would make me sick and angry to
be one of the loved ones of the two Ags
honored in tonight's ceremony because
they may be led to believe, as I do, that
the staff member in charge of the notice
does not realize the importance of hav
ing a loved one remembered in the Sil
ver Taps ceremony.
A year ago, when I stood there with the
statue of Lawrence Sullivan Ross behind
jme, I felt that the people out there in the
darkness truly cared and also felt loss of
my sister and the five other Ags that had
passed away over that summer.
I'd like to feel that the loved ones of
those honored tonight also understand
that Aggjes truly care about each other,
and that the memory of a gross error in
their Battalion clipping of the event will
not lead them to feel neglected. I'll never
forget Lisa. James Linenschmidt and
Craig Fischer will never be forgotten.
Michelle Karle
Class of'97
Some Aggie moms
attend classes here
As a member of the Class of '95, I am
proud to be able to juggle the roles of
mother, wife and student. I have always
had the desire to be an Aggie and am glad
to have been on our campus these last
three years. I am looking forward to my
future and my daughter's on this campus.
I would like to address those Aggies
who feel that being a mother means I can
not be an Aggie. I have felt as if I do not
belong at A&M this semester. Let me ex
plain. I know that I belong, but after being
asked if I am taking classes at the mini
mum of ten times a day (I'm taking 15
hours this semester), I feel as if people do
not think a mother is capable of going to
college. After all, no one asks my husband
if he goes to school when they see him
with our daughter.
I have also had the traditions of A&M
explained to me hundreds of times in the
last three months. I have known the tradi
tions of A&M for most of my life and do
not need them explained to me.
I just wish people would not assume
that I am not an Aggie just because I am a
young mother. So, to all you Aggies, I
would like you to know that I am not
alone. There are many women who feel
the same way. Please, remember that hav
ing a child does not mean we cannot have
an education, and the next time you see a
woman with a child, do not assume she is
waiting for her husband.
Michelle Edmundson-Reynolds
Class of'95
Jury verdict says it's
OK to resort to guns
This letter is a follow up to an Associat
ed Press article in the Battalion on Nov. 30,
over the racially charged trial of a black
Grapevine high school student accused of
trying to murder a white schoolmate, my
brother, Martin Moberly. On Aug. 24th of
this year, Martin was shot in the chest
with a .38 caliber pistol.
The defense attorney claimed dissatis
faction with the jury pool even when there
were three minorities chosen. The minori
ty lady who was selected forewoman —
leader of the minority march after the re
cent "skinhead trial" just weeks ago —
was surprised she was even on the jury
per her own comments on television:
"...because of my extreme activities as an
activist."
On Dec. 1, the jury returned a verdict
of not guilty on charges of attempted
murder/aggravated assault, claiming
the accused had a right to self-defense
due to past racial threats, NOT given by
my brother. The defense put my broth
er on trial and (due to outright lies by
the defendant) slandered his outstand
ing reputation as a diversion to the real
issues in this case.
In my opinion this verdict sends a
terrible message to the community: If
you feel threatened, it is okay to shoot
before you think or take any action oth
er than deadly force.
I would just like to express my disgust
at the manner in which the defense attor
neys misused the trial system by bringing
up allegations of racial involvement as a
diversion to the real issues at hand.
Racial prejudice, racial epithets, and
bigotry are sad commentaries on our
society, but it does not grant permis
sion for a youth to use deadly force
through gross negligence to innocent
victims like my brother, especially
when there are clear alternatives avail
able (eg. calling police).
Kevin E. Moberly
Class of'94
Don't count students
out of history just yet
Eliot Williams, wherein lies political
power in America? You write that stu
dents traditionally "move" and in fact
"drive" national politics. More than two
centuries after our first year as a sovereign
republic, there is little evidence to suggest
students drive national politics. They an
swer the telephones of national politics.
In the span of three centuries, we can
only point to Vietnam when students
were mortally affected by policy and
considered in the sympathies of many
older Americans. Even this power was
challenged, and overcome only by the
course of frustrating military conditions
that taxed the nation's will. Though it is
difficult to penetrate your mind, per
haps this single episode in history de
lineates your views.
I commend your honorable attempt to
stimulate action at A&M. Both conserva
tives and liberals should be so for rea
sons, not for seasons. However, you give
the political activists of the 60s too much
credit and those of the 90s too little. I
doubt that many hippies knew much
about Somalia either.
Your blanket statement about campus
political activity is only partially true. The
sixties saw deep divisions within the par
ties over many issues, whereas today, the
N AFT As are few and far between.
Furthermore, the "third" party — I as
sume you imply the Libertarians — has
much more than a pot-toting platform.
They believe in the ideals of classical liber
alism that seek to minimize government
intervention in the lives of others while al
lowing the free market to flourish. More
research would show you that such major
issues as the deficit were Libertarian is
sues well before they were national issues.
It is right that you encourage your com
rades to take interest in their nation's fu
ture, to avoid complacency, and to shun
apathy, but we have yet to prove our
selves the great disappointment that you
have pessimistically and prematurely
judged us. History alone will judge.
Andrew J. Nelson
Class of'92
Don't deface campus
buildings with chalk
I afn an out-of-state student from
Louisiana, and I feel tremendous pride
when someone back home asks me where
I am attending school. Since almost all of
my high school classmates attend LSU, I
hear about the zany experiences happen
ing at LSU. Two weeks ago, I came upon a
sight at A&M that caused an immediate
flash of LSU to occur to me.
Under the covered entrance of Harring
ton Education Center, a "Happy Birth
day" message was written all over the
outside wall in many different colors. I
couldn't believe how tacky it looked!
Then soon after, I came across graffiti cov
ering the side of Heldenfels.
I think we have a little more respect
and class for our school than to deface a
building. Writing on the sidewalks is one
thing since after a week it seems to wear
away, but on the side of a covered wall?
Bad bull!
No matter how hard the rain falls, the
messages still stands clear on the walls.
No one has come back to wash off their
"works of art" either. So, Alissa, I hope
you AND your talented friends have had
a great birthday bash ...for two weeks
running now!
Julie Averett
Class of'96