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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 28, 1994)
mmm. Opinion Friday, January 28,1994 PRO Do CON women have a place in The Citadel? T he ai ca ids up, | , along netball, to see t small ■is, you down, e close ?e why aere s new case of ; gender dis crimination in South Carolina, | and it's not I unlike a similar situ ation we at | A&M expe- | rienced just ! a few years ! ago. It ap pears that another one of those up- FRANK STANFORD Columnist pity females has decided she would like to attend a particular in stitution previously populated only by males. Shannon Faulkner, an honor student, pulled a fast one last year and applied to The Citadel, an all male military institution. She for got to mention that she's female — so the college admissions forgot to reject her. Now she is attending classes at The Citadel until the courts decide if she can be involved with the military aspect of the n H school and live with the rest of the “H cadets. I'll assume that most of the can eat ■American population (at least those with two X chromosomes) are in favor of men and women being treated equally. However, many i home Baylor, al rum- a lady light/ ‘d sixth n over a great i in the t Her and gies try Ms. Faulkner deserves to be able to attend any institution that falls un der anti-discrimination Baws. women will testify that the doors often remain hard to open in previ- usly and currently male dominat ed fields. When I was a cadet-inthe mid- 80s, there was an enorinous uproar over a similar case filed by Melanie Zentgraf, which forced A&M to al low women in the Aggie Band, the Ross Volunteers and the Fish Drill Team. Not only was this case a tremendous breach of tradition/but we also felt like our "club" was be ing violated. Now a few years lat- , not only do I welcome women into these same "clubs," but most af the cadets I know tend to accept hem as well. Although it's nice that these fe male cadets may be more positive- y acknowledged, the issue of equality and legality still looms like a storm cloud over The Citadel. The U.S. government has decid- that institutions receiving public monies will be required by law not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, nationality, creed or sex. As a result, and under much opposi tion, women were admitted to the traditionally all-male service acade- ! inies. Guess what? It's no big deal anymore. Females have proven themselves to not only be effective soldiers, but a true boon to the mili tia. The problem appears to lie in the unsurprising tendency of those ! in powerful positions to resist so cial change aimed in their direc tion. Historically, men have been reluctant to admit women into their organizations, whether execu tive, academic, military or social. The cadets and alumni of The Citadel have a similar attitude re garding Shannon Faulkner, but — , unfortunately for them — their school receives some public fund ing that puts them under discrimi nation laws, plain and simple. I can empathize with the cadets as I've had the same feelings be fore, but the fact is that the world's a-changin'. Ms. Faulkner deserves l to be able to attend any institution that falls under anti-discrimination laws, and those opposed will just have to deal with it. JOSEF ELCHANAN Guest columnist T I Ihe Cita del was found ed Dec. 20, 1842 in or der to pro vide young men with military- type train ing and create a group of citizen-sol diers for the state of South Car olina. The proud men of South Carolina fought in the Civil War, World Wars I and II, Korea and Vietnam. Citadel alumni have served whenever and wherever their state has needed them. Now this old school of disci pline and honor has been asked to surrender its way of life — an act which cadets and alumni have been specifically trained to repulse. From the dress gray uniforms that are fitted to the specific dimen sions of each cadet to the rigid schedule they follow each day, cadet life is steeped in order and tradition. Now things are going to be changed by force and without thought to the effects that these changes may bring to the ancient gentleman's code that the cadets follow. The Citadel may be re quired to admit women. Everyone is quite aware that, legally, the Citadel doesn't have a leg to stand-on. Public money funds The Citadel, and the public deemed long ago, and rightly, that women and men should have the right to equal opportunities. The real question here, however, is whether these young men should have the right to have a place where they can go to mature in an environment that has been an asset to both the country and the state. The attempt by Shannon Faulkner, the woman who filed a lawsuit to enter The Citadel, would be honorable if it was the only school in the country that of fered the discipline and character- This old school has been asked to surrender its way of life — an act which cadets and alum ni have been specifical- ly trained to repulse. building that a cadet corps pro vides. Fortunately, all military academies provide a complete ed ucation for free, as well as guaran teed commissions in their respec tive armed forces. There are also cadet corps at Norwich, New Mex ico Military Institute and Texas A&M that would eagerly accept fe male applicants of Faulkner's abili ty. She need not continue her struggle against a school that will never accept her membership, whether she gains admittance or not. If allowed to enter The Citadel, Faulkner, and any other women who choose to follow her, will find that they have no one who will identify with them and no one to care for their needs. "Knobs," the name freshmen cadets are given, are not allowed leave school for any reason. These young women will be left alone, without support in a hostile environment, with the resentment of their fellow cadets constantly gnawing at their spirits. Any court's decision to open The Citadel will simply close the minds of those people who might change with time. Citadel alumni served their country without ques tion for over a century. Can the country not make an exception in law as a form of repayment for a debt that cannot be repaid? it. Frank Stanford is a graduate philosophy student Josef Elchanan is a senior business management major The Battalion Page 7 Hero by any other name is Mrs. Dean The true meaning of heroism often lost in today's world "Hero" is a loose ly-used description these days. Football stars, veteran police sergeants and re search scientists stand out as heroic figures, and most people as sume that they are real heroes. Despite this pre sumption, achieving heroic acts or status does not make a hero of anyone. The scien tists who developed DDT saved millions of lives by preventing the spread of malaria, but at the same time created a chemical plague that decimated American wildlife. True heroes have to be more than a col lection of impressive acts and wide publici ty. So — what DOES make a hero? The com bined opinions of two dictionary editors, one priest, three friends and a 6-year-old kindergartner define "hero" as a person who uses courageous action, personal sacrifice and noble purpose to achieve a goal that contributes to the common good. That convoluted definition serves no pur pose without an appropriate example, so here goes. A lady named Gwen Dean lives in a mod est white house on a quiet street in Brecken- ridge, Texas. Unbeknownst to her, she has been my hero for over 15 years. Mrs. Dean has dedicated her life to foster ing music education, especially for children and churches. She sets an example of ethics, integrity and generosity that brings out the best in other people. In the early 1950s, Mrs. Dean, a young wife and mother, founded the Breckenridge Boys Choir. For 30 years she taught public- school-aged boys and young men to "use their voices as musical instruments." The odds against success were very high. Even the attempt took incredible nerve and faith. Breckenridge is a small town about two hours away from anywhere else. The halftime shows at the high school football games stand out as cultural events in many local people's lives. The idea of a boys choir flourishing in that environment seems im possible. Initial doubts were absolutely wrong. Over the years the "BBC" performed for au diences all over the country. Mrs. Dean orga nized travel, funds and chaperones for na tionwide singing trips that showed the out side world to hundreds of boys who had rarely been much further away from home than the Breckenridge city limits. The choir's history of performances in cluded complete theatrical musicals,virtual ly every variety of religious music and all Heroes like Mrs. Dean are unfortunately rare. She never got rich or famous; she rarely received adequate thanks, and she experienced as many endless disappointments as rewards. Yet she persevered. sorts of holiday shows and broadcasts. Through the years Mrs. Dean gave of her en ergies without reserve. One truly great moment came when she took the BBC to sing at the White House for President and Mrs. John F. Kennedy. Today Mrs. Dean has had to reduce the pace of her schedule. But she still teaches pi ano lessons in the front room of her home and spends countless hours practicing the organ music for each Sunday's Mass at Saint Andrew's. She directs the church choir and teaches the members everything from music theory to the history of saints and com posers. Much of her spare time goes into a fund raising project to build a first-class pipe or gan for the church. In under two years, the fund garnered $150,000 — enough money to start construction of the instrument. Not many seventy-ish women can do all that and battle leukemia at the same time. Whenever Mrs. Dean is worried or frus trated, she ends every letter and conversa tion with, "... and pray for music in West Texas." That's the epitome of her heroism. She constantly prays and works for the es tablishment and perpetuation of music in one of the places where it's hardest for artis tic culture to survive. Mrs. Dean has given her life's work to the accomplishment ot her goal. She never got rich or famous; she rarely received adequate thanks, and she experienced as many end less disappointments as rewards. Yet she persevered through challenges that no one else cared enough to meet. Heroes like Mrs. Dean are unfortunately rare. Although most humans quite willingly make great efforts for their families or their own benefit, far too few men and women ac tively contribute to the betterment of our so ciety. Heroic acts are fine and admirable. Every one with the talents, skills or luck to pass for a winning touchdown, arrest a drunk driver or develop ground-breaking plant hybrids should be proud of their abilities. Those unique people who can recognize others' talents, teach skills and provide en couragement for everyone else are the real "Heroes." Jay Robbins is a senior political science and English major JAY ROBBINS Columnist 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, racuity or staff. Columns, guest-columns 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 013 UT students rustle up a bit of school rivalry As a founding member of the Rustlers, I would like to take this opportunity to explain who the Rustlers are and what they mean. The Rustlers is an organization dedicated to arousing spirit and pride in students at the University of Texas at Austin. This in part in cludes engaging in a friendly rivalry with oth er schools. Where other groups of spirited stu dents at other schools have committed mali cious acts in the name of spirit, the Rustlers set out to prove that a rivalry could be good na- tured, that no one has to cause any damage to person or property, and no one has to get hurt. And in so keeping with this precept, we de cided to take your mascot on an inter-universi ty exchange program. She was well cared for and never in any danger. Many Aggies were worried that she would be harmed, but the Rustlers would never harm a poor animal the way another school's students might. We do regret however that someone was hurt very deeply by this incident. It has come to our attention that Cpl. James Lively has been subjected to ridicule by his own class mates. People who called him a friend one month ago now treat him as a traitor, and for what? He had no part in what occurred, and anyone who passes judgment on him should consider that point. I would therefore like to formally apologize to Mr. Lively, but not for the actions of the Rustlers; rather, I would like to apologize for all the Aggies in the world who blame him needlessly, for only an Aggie would turn against one of his own. In the final analysis of the Reveille incident, it is our sincere hope that people at both the University of Texas and Texas A&M learn two very important lessons. First, we want the stu dents to be proud of where they go to school and engage in a friendly rivalry based on good sportsmanship, and of course good humor. Second, we want people to realize that a col lege rivalry is not the end of the world, and life after graduation will indeed go on. Calvin and the Texas Rustlers Message of hatred does no good for anyone It disappoints me to see how Quanell X can bring his hatred to A&M. He said that black students aren't attending all black schools, but instead are attending other schools because they are "trying to integrate with whites." I thought we were trying to break up the segregation of this world and come together as one. Quanell X also stated that, "The white population is responsible for the wretched condition that black people are in, and they should apologize for what their ancestors have done." I don't owe anybody an apolo gy. I'm not responsible for what our white ancestors have done. You are only in control of your own actions and should take com plete responsibility for them only. White women are just like black women, some are blessed with great bodies and some aren't. I have yet to smell a white woman, or any woman for that matter, that smelled like a pig. As far as I'm concerned there is no skin color, only equality. Clay Russell Class of '96 Don't complain 'til you walk in others' shoes Mr. Steve Black, I would like to thank you for such a motivational and supportive club. Although my wife and I do not have any chil dren, I find myself in your position. I have two part time jobs and go to A&M full time while taking a night course at Blinn. My wife and I took the night class together so we could see each other. She works full time during the day, and I work at night mostly. I could not possibly fathom what life would be like with a child right now. The stress is enough as it is. My hat's off to you, sir. I too find it rather as tonishing when I hear of students mooching off their parents, sucking them dry, complain ing of how hard their lives are. Or better yet, the students who complain of the lack of beer money because their parents don't send enough. Since the STRONG club was just re cently established, with you as the founding father, I was wondering if I could appoint my self secretary. Due to our policy regarding club meetings, I would not mind in the least to take down minutes at these meetings. Thanks again for a bright part in my day. Here's to STRONG! Gig 'em! Corky McMillan Class of'94