Opinion
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Ulsoi
ress
Wednesday, February 2,1994
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
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EDITORIAL
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I Rise and be heard
Aggies need a student regent
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Students need to speak up
to have a real impact on the
Board of Regents. Although
student leaders met with the
board recently about improv
ing communication between
students and the regents, the
whole student body will have
to speak up before we can ex
pect any real results.
The goal of student repre
sentation on the Board of Re
gents did not seem unreach
able in June of 1991 when
both Houses of the Texas leg
islature added an amendment
to a bill that would give stu-
' dents a non-voting seat on the
board. The House^bilbs co-au
thor, Rep. Steve Ogden of
Bryan, was optimistic about
ending the battle for a student
representation that has lasted
for over 20 years.
"Voting (rights) is ulti
mately not out of the ques
tion," he said.
But when the final wording
of the bill came out, the "stu
dent regent" would neither be
allowed to speak unless
scheduled on the agenda, nor
attend closed meetings — in
addition to being denied a
vote.
This watered-down stu
dent regent bill patronized
students by offering little
more than that of a titled au
dience member. If this cam
pus wants more than that, we
will have to speak up and de
mand it.
Student leaders suggest oc
casional forums or elected
student liaisons as ways to
improve communication. Per
haps if these leaders were not
the only ones looking to
change the student body's re
lationship with the board, we
would not have to settle for
less than a student regent
with full voting rights — or at
least one with full speaking
and attendance privileges.
Apathy will get us
nowhere, but a student regent
could give us an official voice
and move us closer to obtain
ing some of the changes
we've all been wanting.
The Board of Regents' deci
sions affect all of us. It's time
we speak up and become a
force in those decisions.
Women in a male world is nothing new
The Citadel goes where Aggies have already tread
JENNY
MAGEE
Columnist
E veryone is scared
of change — it
steps on the toes
of comfort. The first
few years of anything
new subjects society to
the blisters and sore
ness of adjustment.
The same is true of
women's attempt to
make a place for them
selves outside of the
home. It seems that to
day in 1994 the idea
that women do not be
long in certain places
would seem passe. But
the recent controversy
over Shannon Faulkner's successful fight to
gain admission to The Citadel, a state-funded
all-male military academy, brought the battle
over "male territory" back into the limelight.
Some argue that years of tradition were tossed
away with Faulkner's enrollment. Others ar
gue that no educational institution should be
able to deny admission because of gender.
Although Texas A&M spent its first 87
years as an all-male institution, the present 42
percent female enrollment did not come about
without conflict. A&M's first female graduate,
Mary Evelyn Crawford, the sister of an engi
neering professor, received her English degree
in the summer of 1925.
It was not until June 1,1963, however, that
all qualified women could be admitted to the
University for day-time enrollment. No on-
campus housing was provided. So often, we
have the idea that these women pioneers lived
in a day-to-day misery of name-calling and
seclusion. Maybe some of the women who
came to A&M in 1963 were seeking to take ad
vantage of A&M's educational facilities. Per
haps they had no intention of disrupting the
"circle of malehood."
Dr. Sallie Sheppard, associate provost for
undergraduate programs and services at
A&M, was among the first women allowed to
enroll in 1963.
Sheppard says that unlike Shannon Faulkn
er, she did not attend A&M to be a trailblazer.
Sheppard transferred from UT to A&M be
cause A&M offered the type of applied mathe
matics program that she was interested in. In
1963 computer science was a new field, and
Sheppard said A&M had the best facilities to
fulfill her educational goals. Sheppard said
that she found the faculty and students to be
most kind.
Things have changed greatly since 1963.
According to Sheppard, the role of women at
A&M today is comparable with that of most
major campuses.
"Women are full participants in the A&M
campus. I think that it is better for everyone,"
she said.
My friend Henry remembers when the first
girl was admitted in 1971 to the Allen Acade
my in Bryan, then a private military academy.
Henry said that he can't remember anyone
feeling any resentment toward the girl; actual
ly all the boys were downright thrilled she
was there.
These are two isolated success stories, and
they also happened a fairly long time ago. So
now, 20 or 30 years later, why are we are hav
ing arguments about Shannon Faulkner at
tending The Citadel?
"I agree with both sides of the argument,"
Henry said. " But The Citadel is still the Old
South. The 'gentleman's code' is still very
much alive there. Men, especially in the mili
tary, grew up being taught to treat women
with dignity and respect, which means that
they can't treat a women like just one of the
guys."
Change is often slower than ketchup from a
restaurant bottle. People like the security in
traditions. All in all, tradition is a positive
thing, but in the Citadel controversy, people
argued that many years of tradition were at
risk because a girl is going to attend the
school.
First, we must question what kind of tradi
tion we are trying to hold on to. It is certainly
not a tradition that would be held dear to the
heart of Shannon Faulkner and other women
who would like to attend The Citadel.
The Citadel is an educational institution,
and as such it should prepare its students for
life in the real world. The real world isn't all
male; the military itself isn't all male.
Change is never easy. And even when
things do change, the past is permanent. The
all-male history of The Citadel did not fade
into oblivion when Shannon Faulkner walked
through the door. Just like the all-male years
of A&M will forever remain part of its history.
Eventually, no matter how comfortable those
old tennis shoes are, you have to buy a new
pair.
Jenny Magee is a sophomore journalism
and English 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
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We reserve the right to edit
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Contact the opinion editor for
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Address letters to:
The Battalion - Mail Call
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Fax: (409) 845-2647
Bryan's downtown district is on the road to renovation
rinse
■ist.
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s gaitf-
W hile walk
ing the
old side
walks of down
town Bryan, one
gets the sense it
was once the cen
ter of a thriving
community. As in
|most small south
ern towns, there
are abandoned ho
tels, movie theaters
[and banks hover-
ling over old streets
1 — remnants of a
■time and an econo-
: my long gone.
With the advent of the motels, multi-
Iple-screen theaters and shopping malls,
downtown is no longer the hub of daily
life in towns and small cities across the
country. Except for the antique shops and
small pharmacies that continued to eke
out a living in the abandoned streets, life
in the town square virtually died.
Today there are movements all over
the country to revitalize these forgotten
areas. The people of Bryan have begun the
Main Street Project, which is concerned
with bringing business and cultural inter
ests back to the historic buildings and
shops left vacant and dilapidated in the
downtown area.
Over the last few years, night clubs and
a coffee house have opened their doors
downtown and appear to be thriving.
Shops which had always been located, in
this area of town are seeing their business
improve. Kathleen McAllister, who runs
an antique store on 26th Street, says peo
ple are returning downtown to shop.
"In the last year I have seen more peo
ple downtown than I have in a long time,"
she said. "It's not just the young people
who go to the clubs but the older people,
too. A lot of out-of-town people are com
ing here to shop."
The city itself has also contributed to
the renovation process. Currently, there is
a project to relocate all the unsightly pow
er lines from the many poles dotting
downtown street corners to underground
ducts. They are also raising the height of
the street lights to improve night visibili
ty-
But there is one renovation project
which marks the progress of the entire
downtown restoration endeavor. The
Carnegie Library, built in 1903 with an en
dowment from the philanthropist An
drew Carnegie, is considered to be the
most important building in the downtown
area.
After using the building as office space
for over 20 years, the city passed a resolu
tion last April to return the Carnegie Li-
One renovation project
marks the progress of the
entire downtown Bryan
restoration endeavor —-
the renovation of the
Carnegie Library.
brary to the direction of the Bryan Public
Library. The Carnegie Library Restora
tion Committee was authorized, in con
junction with the Friends of the Library, to
raise funds to restore the old building.
Clara Mounce, the City Librarian for
Bryan, says the restoration of the old li
brary will cost about $500,000, a small
sum compared to the cost of restoring
most buildings of the same age.
Mounce is happy with the physical
state of the Carnegie Library. An architec
ture firm hired to study the building in
formed the city that damage to the build
ing was minimal and the interior was in
excellent condition.
"The interior is to be completely re
stored." Mounce said. "Once it's done,
the first floor may well look like it did
when the library opened its doors in
1903."
The function of the renovated Carnegie
Library will be somewhat along the lines
as that of the Main Street Project: to pre
serve a part of Brazos County's history.
However, the renamed Carnegie Center of
Brazos Valley History will fill a somewhat
broader role. It is hoped the Carnegie
Center will serve as a centralized research
source for anyone who wishes to study
Texas or local history from historically
valuable documents which are available
through the public library.
The refurbished building will house
rare documents, books, maps, photos and
multiple reference sources that are cur
rently overloading the Bryan Library. If
this renovation is successful, the Carnegie
building will be a jewel in Bryan's down
town project and an important place of re
search.
But the Carnegie Library is only an ex- '•
ample of the kind of work being done in
the downtown area. Bookstores and
restaurants have recently occupied build
ings that were doing nothing but decay
ing. They appeal to many shoppers who
are tired of going to the mall with its over
priced fashions and fast food courts.
People are able to stroll the streets and
survey the town's history through its ar
chitecture while they shop. You meet
people who work in their own stores
rather than dealing with clerks who work
for a national chain.
The next time you want to do some
thing, go to downtown Bryan. You're
more likely to find something there that
interests you than you would at the mall.
Roy L. Clay is a senior history major
)T
Mattox should spend
more time on campus
After reading the article in Friday's
Battalion outlining Jim Mattox's stand
on crime, I became quite saddened to
note that few of today's office-seekers
spend quality time with students our
age.
Last week when I attended a meet
ing of the Aggie Democrats, I truly en
joyed listening to the three student rep
resentatives coordinating on-campus
campaigns for the Democratic Senatori
al candidates. Yet, I am quite amazed
at the coldness and insensitivity of one
of those candidates — the liberal for
mer Attorney General, Jim Mattox.
To begin with, Mr. Mattox's repre
sentative did not stay to hear what the
Fisher or Andrews coordinators had to
say. He rudely left after he spoke and
was not present for the remainder of
the meeting.
After reading the Friday article and
placing a call to the Mattox campaign
in Austin, I became aware that Mr.
Mattox had been in College Station for
a brief press -conference at the airport.
Why didn't he come to A&M?
His opponent Richard Fisher was!
And when he was here, I felt I met a
caring, sensitive individual who lis
tened to my concerns. Richard Fisher
has focused on the needs of the succes
sor generation and proposed moderate
reforms promoting economic growth
where necessary.
Mr. Mattox, a personal appearance
on your behalf would have been appre
ciated by the students of Texas A&M.
However, your lack thereof revealed
your low interest in what is a potential
ly powerful voting group; many more
negligent mistakes of this sort may lead
to political failure.
Adair Holloway
Class of '97
Where's the dunk?
Texas A&M basketball games are, at
the most, not exciting. Sometimes I
would rather be watching a tennis
match with Kenny G as background
music.
SMU should never have played as
close a game as they did. One of the
reasons why I think it was so close
(aside from poor free throw shooting) is
the fact that the Aggies do not dunk the
basketball. If Tony Barone refuses to al
low his players to dunk, I can respect a
coach's decision. But if he does not dis
courage the dunk, then "Let there be
dunks."
The slam-dunk is one of the most ex
citing plays in a basketball game. The
dunk gets the crowd all pumped up.
Speaking as a former collegiate ath
lete, the dunk can act as the spark that
some players need to perform to, or
above, their potential. Three-pointers
are nice, but I have seen enough basket
ball games to know that dunks provide
the sense of authority that good basket
ball teams need. I think the dunk can be
the spark that the Aggies need to route
future opponents and gain momentum
going into the postseason.
Darren Siefer
Class of ‘93