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Tuesday, January 18,1994
The Battalion Editorial Board
JULI PHILLIPS, Editor in chief
MICHAEL PLUMER, Managing editor KYLE BURNETT, Aggielife editor
BELINDA BLANCARTE, Night news editor DENA DIZDAR, Aggielife editor
HEATHER WINCH, Night News editor SEAN FRERKING, Sports editor
TONI GARRARD CLAY, Opinion editor WILLIAM HARRISON, Photo editor
JENNIFER SMITH, City editor
The Battalion
Page 9
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EDITORIAL
Thanks, Mom
Aggie Mother's tackle issues
The university administration
finds it easier to pass legislation or
make policy changes without
much pressure from student-based
organizations because, for most
students, college is only a tempo
rary stop on the path to accom
plishing career goals.
If not for outside organizations
such as the Aggie Mother's Clubs,
much of the available information
about campus changes would
not have been brought to
light. Such groups
have not only the
time but also the
financial re
sources to ag
gressively pur
sue the adminis
tration about the
policies they
adopt.
The Aggie
Mother's Clubs came
forward with a letter
writing campaign address-
ing various allegations of miscon
duct that forced the administration
to take notice. They invested time,
money and an abundance of pa
tience with an uncooperative ad
ministration.
Aggie Mother's Club members
discussed several issues with Pres
ident Gage and Chancellor Mob
ley. Among the issues addressed
were the Barnes and Noble Book
store contract, the controversies in
volving the privatization of Food
Services and other alleged issues of
administrative misconduct.
While in school, students tend
to focus on things that affect them
directly rather than larger, more
complex issues. In addition to at
tending classes, many students
work or participate in extracurric
ular activities. With all of these
constraints placed on the time of
the students, coupled with the fi
nancial burdens that exist, few
student organizations can
force the administra
tion to account for its
actions.
Yet another ad
vantage university
officials have over
students is time.
The average stu
dent attends col
lege for four to five
years. If there is a
significant amount of
noise made by the stu
dents over a particular sub
ject, such as the controversy over
the privatization issue, the admin
istration can simply wait the prob
lem out.
The members of the Aggie
Mother's Club should know that
they are appreciated and thanked
for their efforts. These women
should be applauded for their ef
forts in bringing out information
that affects not only their children,
but every student that eats a meal
at this university.
Love and tennis serve up a new life
Family, good fortune lead Ethiopian boy to home in U.S.
MELISSA
MEGLIOLA
Columnist
k ne day over
-istmas
break, I helped
my friend Leelie bake
cookies to send to her
grandparents. Actually,
I baked the cookies
while Leelie talked on
the phone and washed
dishes. Leelie's
younger brother, Sisay,
watched with amaze
ment at my skill. He
didn't talk. He didn't
even stick his fingers in
the bowl to test an un
baked sample.
He just grinned a lot
as I busily placed perfect tablespoonfuls of
batter onto a shiny new baking sheet. After
about five minutes, I asked Sisay to help with
batter duty. We were making a triple batch,
and I thought that alone I might not finish the
cookies until New Year's.
I gave Sisay a cookie sheet and a spoon,
and soon he was heaving pound-sized masses
of dough onto the sheet. The mounds just
lumped together and promised to bake into
one giant chocolate chip crater. Still, he got the
basic idea and was excited to help. Not bad for
a boy who had probably never seen chocolate
chip cookies.
Sisay was adopted by Leelie's parents, Mr.
and Mrs. Selassie, just a few months ago. He
spent his first ten years with his mother and
five brothers and sisters in Ethiopia. In No
vember, he sacrificed living with his family in
order to move to the United States.
In Ethiopia, Sisay spoke Amharic. Now he
sits in a suburban Chicago classroom and is
tutored in English only one hour each day. He
looks just like the other kids, wearing college
sweatshirts and Nikes, but still doesn't say
much in class. His new brother and sister went
through similar experiences when the Se
lassies first moved to the United States from
Ethiopia.
"My teacher says that 1 didn't say anything
for the first six months when we first moved
here," said Bereket, the Selassie's oldest son
and a student at the University of Illinois.
"And then she couldn't get you to be qui
et," reminded Mrs. Selassie, responding from
upstairs.
School and homework were never exciting
to my friends and me when we were in ele
mentary school. Sisay is no different. Several
_ | ton cable |
in the basement when he was supposed to be
studying his spelling words.
When he is not studying or pretending to
do so, Sisay is playing tennis.
Last year, while spending several months in
Ethiopia, Bereket joined a tennis club. He
played often and always had the same 9-year-
old boy chase his tennis balls. He later found
out that the boy worked at the club every day
to earn money to buy food. At night he slept in
a bed with his mother and two orhis brothers.
Slowly, the two developed a friendship.
Bereket noticed that the young boy was very
smart. And that he wanted to play tennis.
Bereket ordered an extra racket from the
States.
He wrote to his parents about his new
friend. Somehow, the idea of adoption sur
faced. And after months of government pa
perwork, Sisay flew to Chicago to meet the
rest of his new family.
Now, Sisay receives lessons four times a
week from a respected tennis pro and has un
limited use of an automated ball machine. His
new instructor was so impressed after Sisay's
first practice that he expects his new prodigy
to be nationally ranked someday.
Sisay is simply happy to play.
"I think he was a little overwhelmed at
first," said Bereket. "He had never seen so
many tennis balls before. But he likes it. The
instructor always buys him a Coke after a
good practice."
Sisay has been overwhelmed by a lot
"He was confused the first time he went to
the grocery store. In Ethiopia, you bring your
own containers to the market and fill them up.
Sisay had never seen a paper milk carton be
fore," explained Leelie.
Having time to make friends and play is
new to Sisay. The lunch that Mrs. Selassie
packs for him each morning is a luxury. The
abundance in our country allows him to be a
kid for the first time.
Yet, I wondered how Sisay has adjusted to
his new home. I asked Leelie if he ever cries
for his family at night
"1 was surprised that he doesn't," she ad
mitted. "I think he knows that we love him."
Last month, almost all of us experienced
holiday spirit. We exchanged gifts and cards
that made us feel good. But in a home just
west of Chicago, that same spirit continues all
year.
Melissa Megiiola is a senior industrial
engineering major
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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
College Station, TX 77843
Fax: (409) 845-2847
New columnist takes an existential approach to the issues
wi
y am I
here? The
only opin
ion I have that most
people can general
ly relate to involves
the Porky's trilogy.
(All of us agree that
the final movie to
tally ruined the plot
structure set up by
the first two films.)
But that's about the
only opinion I share
with the rest of the
world.
I'm not a Democ
rat or a Republican.
I'm not a liberal, moderate or conservative.
I'm not a little bit country, and I'm not a lit
tle bit rock and roll.
I form my opinions by relating them to
past experiences, not political affiliations as
most people do.
Take the troubles of Kay Bailey Hutchi
son for example. Guilty or not I can't bring
myself to like the senator because she looks
too much like my third grade teacher. This
is the same teacher who gave us assigned
seats at lunch and forced me to sit next to
Allison Potts, who had a scorching case of
the cooties. I still get jumpy every time I
enter a cafeteria.
In my early years (Circa 1978) my par
ents tried to help me learn about world
events, but I had too many other things go
ing on in my life.
Mom: David, who's the President of the
United States?
Me: Jimmy "Welcome Back" Kotter
Mom: John, you're letting him watch
too much television.
Dad: Don't blame me Linda; we're al
ways watching "Starsky and Hutch" when
that show comes on.
I'm just not at ease discussing anything
that would come up on the Rush Lim-
baugh or Jerry Browne shows. I'm more of
a guy who can identify with comedian
Steven Wright. "Yesterday, thieves stole
all the furniture out of my apartment and
replaced it with exact replicas."
My friends hate to talk to me, because
they feel I bring down the intelligence level
of the whole conversation.
Me (during group discussion at lunch):
We know Dallas is going to be there, but I
don't know who else is. Excuse me, waiter,
can I have another glass of water?
Rick: Speaking of water, what do you
guys think about Whitewatergate and
Take Kay Bailey Hutchi
son for example. Guilty or
not I can't bring myself to
like the senator because
she looks too much like
my third grade teacher.
what it could do Clinton's political career?
Jason: I think it could ultimately hurt
his chances of getting re-elected if it is
found that either he or Hillary broke the
law. What do you think, Dave?
Me (feeling uncomfortable): I think
Clinton done real bad.
Jason (puzzled at answer): Have you
guys been seeing what that guy Zhiri
novsky says he's going to do if he becomes
the leader of Russia?
Rick: Yeah, he says he's going to create
new Hiroshimas and Nagasakis. He's a
real weirdo. What do you think Dave?
Me (feeling extremely uncomfortable): I
think I'm going to be really sick.
Jason: So, Dave, did you read "Calvin
and Hobbes" today?
Me (feeling a lot better): Yeah, man,
wasn't that hilarious?
That's about how far the extent of my
knowledge goes, but here I am — an opin
ion columnist who knows very little about
the issues.
NAFTA — I still don't have any idea
why A1 Gore and Ross Perot would go on
Larry King to have a debate about Nabisco
snack treats. I think Fig Newtons would
have been a much more timely subject.
Gun Control — Wouldn't touch this one
with a ten-foot pole.
Violence on television — Everybody is
making a fuss about all the assaults and
murders that occur nightly in prime time.
But nobody seems to care that "Full
House" is in the middle of its eighth sea
son.
Economy — All the college graduates I
know are sweeping up at Taco Bell and liv
ing with their parents. I get free food
though, so I really can't complain.
Abortion — Wouldn't touch this one
with a hundred-foot pole.
National Deficit — Why doesn't the U.S.
government just print up some bills, pay
off their debts and start from scratch?
Russian Summit — Clinton and Yeltsin
have talks as Moscow McDonald's reports
a record-breaking week.
Senator Bob Packwood — He already
does too much touching.
My opinions may not cause people to
reshape their thinking or change world
events, but they were never meant to. I'm
not exactly sure what they were meant for.
Dave Winder is a sophomore journalism major
DAVE
WINDER
Columnist
Student service first
priority at library
In rebuttal to Ranjan Natarajan's
Mail Call letter of Dec. 8,1 would like to
defend the library administration.
As a student worker in this office,
we do more than just set library hours.
Students who need or want to reserve a
group study room come to our office,
where we help them as much as possi
ble. The only reason why a student can
not get a study room on demand is be
cause another student got it first.
Granted that everyone has a right to
their opinion, a petition signed by ap
proximately 100 students does not pull
much weight when there are between
43 and 44 thousand students in this
world class university.
If these 100 or so students need a
place to study, surely they live off-cam
pus or they have friends who do that
would not mind them coming over to
study.
Perhaps you don't realize just how
valuable some of the books, etc. are in
this library. After checking with a fac
ulty member in this office, I learned
that many of the books on the shelves
are irreplaceable because they are no
longer in print.
Have you come to the library at 8:00
when most of the faculty and staff get
here? I don't know about the rest of the
library, but the sixth floor looks like a
hurricane hit it at times. There have
been potato chip bags and coke bottles
and cans on the tables.
Contrary to what you may believe,
service to students is the top priority of
the administration of the Sterling C.
Evans Library.
Jennifer Brownlee
Class of‘97
Alumnus objects to
non-contract Corps
I recently read about the "dilemma"
facing Texas A&M involving the de
cline of the Corps of Cadets. I wish to
express my utmost joy of this news. To
counter the opinions expressed in a re
cent class newsletter, I am writing as an
alumnus who does not agree that the
non-contract Corps is worthy of more
funding, resources, etc. In fact, as long
as this group exists on campus I refuse
to make any financial contributions to
Texas A&M.
Let me explain my stand. During
my four years at A&M, I saw very little
constructive nature within the "train
ing" received in the Corps, outside of
the traditional military training for
those who would become officers. Ac
tually, I saw many incidents that
showed the organization to be an out -
of-date, nonacademic, superficial insti
tution where immature, irresponsible
behavior was not only tolerated but
condoned.
Certainly, the contract portion of
Corps is excluded from this characteri
zation.
I believe this portion effectively pro
vides professional training for military
officers.
However, the latest efforts directed
at rebuilding that portion of the Corps
which serves as a glorified fraternity is
in my opinion a misguided allocation of
funds at a time when academic pro
grams are suffering.
Dr. Daniel J. Thiel
Class of '85