Opinion
Monday, March 7,1994
The Battalion Editorial Board
JULI PHILLIPS, Editor in chief I j
MICHAEL PLUMER, Managing editor KYLE BURNETT, Aggielife editor \ j
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 \
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EDITORIAL
Seeing both sides
Israel, like Palestine, has extremists
With the recent events in Is
rael, Americans are getting a clos
er look at both sides of that coun
try's internal conflicts between
Palestinians and Israelis. There
are radical extremists on both
sides of this issue, and it is time
for the West to realize and ac
knowledge that fact.
For many of us, our percep
tion of the Middle East crisis
changed last week. Baruch
Goldstein, a New York-born
emergency room doctor who
settled in Israel 11 years ago,
opened fire on Palestinian Mus
lims as they prayed in a mosque
in the West Bank. The Jewish
extremist came from a nearby
settlement where the civilians
are heavily armed and the radi
cal views that prompted Gold
stein to massacre the Palestini
ans are prevalent.
The U.S. government and
much of the world has been sup
portive of Israel for decades, and
while this should not change, the
best policy is to present both
sides of the issue. The media has
regularly portrayed most Pales
tinians as terrorists who will stop
at nothing to win their own terri
tory, but the actions of Israeli ex
tremists have been largely over
looked until now.
Clearly, both sides include
people who want not peace, but
to see the other side suffer. It is
these irrational people, be they
Palestinians or Israelis, who de
serve to be criticized in the public
aren’a.
Ever since the attack, there
have been accounts of violence in
the West Bank. Israel is trying to
make amends by releasing politi
cal prisoners and disarming some
Jewish settlers. The PLO is under
pressure from radical Palestinians
and has refused to return to the
peace table.
While talks will probably re
sume in the future, the peace
process at present seems endless.
The respective leaders can com
promise and negotiate all they
want, but Yassir Arafat and
Yitzhak Rabin's famous hand
shake in Washington will amount
to little until the radical actions of
a few extremists comes to an end.
Individuals guilty of terrorism
plague both sides. Hopefully,
leaders will be rational enough to
continue working toward peace,
despite these shameful acts of ter
rorism.
There can be peace in the Mid
dle East, but both sides must real
ize that a few radicals do not
speak for all the people.
The Battajlion Page 9
Of ghosts and rings and other things
Many myths, true and otherwise, pervade A&M campus
I t was late at night,
many years ago,
when a young ap
prentice slashed his
leg with a cleaver in
the Animal Industries
Building. Crippled
with pain, he crawled
to the elevator. He
was barely able to
reach the button be
fore he collapsed onto
the floor, waiting for
his ride to help. The
elevator never ar
rived, and the young
apprentice died there,
in a pool of his own
blood.
Today, students swear that, during the
night, the same elevator goes up and down,
scaling the building with no one on board
and no one waiting for it. No one they can
see, anyway.
The story sounds farfetched, but only a
smidgen more so than many of the myths
that flavor this campus like salt on potato
chips. From Aggie rings to dead room
mates, tall tales soar to heights not seen
since the likes of Paul Bunyan. For a school
that harbors such a strong distaste for Bevo,
there seems to be no short supply of bull.
For instance, there's the "Walk" myth. If
a professor is late to class, the myth goes,
students are entitled to leave, without fear
of penalty for their absence. Wrong.
Though commonly regarded by students
as an airtight defense, such an argument
holds no water with professors. Mary Jo
Powell, director of University Relations,
said, "That's a popular myth at schools all
over, not just here at A&M. But they won't
find that written anywhere. Of course,
that's how myths happen. They're not writ
ten down; they're passed on by word of
mouth."
Another myth many Aggies hear is the
one about dead roommates. The myth stipu
lates that if your roommate dies, you get an
"A" in every course for that semester.
"And I thought I'd heard everything,"
Powell laughed. "I've worked here about 15
years, and I've never heard that one."
Apparently only another myth. This
dead roommate thing concerned me more
than most because it was my own room
mate who informed me of it. Toward the
end of a particularly tough semester, he ap
proached me with this story. I couldn't help
noticing the k'xife in his hand. I locked my
door after that... But I digress.
Perhaps the most popular Aggie myth in
volves a shiny gold band that bears the
proud name of this university — which, by
the way, sinks rather rapidly when placed
into a pitcher of Shiner Bock. That ring is
not paid for — wholly or in part — by the
Association of Former Students or any other
University entity, for that matter. Nope, you
pay the full price for that baby.
Carolyn Swanzy, director of the Aggie
Ring Program, says, contrary to popular be
lief, the Association does not cover half of
the cost of A&M's senior rings. Swanzy did
say the widespread myth is based on a very
pertinent truth.
The Association negotiates for Aggie se
niors to receive their rings at very low
prices that are unheard of in almost any
other school. Students in Houston, Dallas
and even that little school in Austin pay at
least $100 more for their rings.
"If the Association wasn't conscious of
keeping prices down and passing those sav
ings on to students, they wouldn't have the
low price that they get here," Swanzy said.
One student from the University of
Houston came with her friend to pick up
her Aggie ring and was shocked to hear that
it cost only $160. She had paid more than
$500 for her school ring.
One story about Aggies that is certainly
no myth concerns the adoration they show
for their senior rings. Each semester, when
the rings are expected to arrive. Aggies are
there, ready and waiting to get theirs first.
Many show up early.
Swanzy said the most anxious students
actually camp out on the steps of the build
ing the night before, with sleeping bags and
radios.
"One time they had a yell practice,"
Swanzy said. "I can still remember all those
students lined up. They yelled 'R-I-N-G,
Ring! Yeah!"'
They were really excited, she said. "I'd
be disappointed if they weren't. That's what
the tradition is all about. The students being
excited about the Aggie ring."
Yes, Aggies get excited about their rings.
And their sports. And their politics. And
their traditions ... That's one part of A&M
that is not myth: the Aggie Spirit. It's leg
end.
Robert Vasquez is a senior journalism major
Cl
/ JlCSg.
ROBERT
VASQUEZ
Columnist
Editorials appearing in The
Battalion reflect the views of the
■editorial board. They do not
necessarily reflect the opinions of
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Address letters to:
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Student Government provides opportunity, helps
M ention stu
dent gov
ernment
I around campus,
I and prepare to hear
1 a variety of opin-
1 ions, descriptions
| and stereotypes.
■ Many students
I think that Student
1 Government mem-
I bers are elitists.
I They wear suits to
I class, always carry
1 a leather super
I deluxe Franklin
I planner and never
I travel farther north
I than Rudder Tower. They always park in
I the University Center Parking Garage,
■ write memos instead of talking face to face
| and carry beepers. Some people claim they
I inbreed.
Many students question Student Gov-
I ernment's role on campus. They don't like
I the way this year's budget was handled by
the Senate and complain that their con
cerns are not heard. Some feel that Student
Government has too much power on cam
pus — others think it doesn't have enough.
Although the official role of the Student
Government Association is to act as the
"representative and governing body of stu
dents," most of its members know nothing
about the allocation of state funds, the
Open Records Act, or on- and off-campus
constituencies. They aren't supposed to.
During my four years as a member of
Student Government, I have worked on
several different committees. As a fresh
man, I was a fish aide, the official title for a
low-life gofer. I answered phones, typed
letters, ran copies and spent endless hours
writing what I thought were hilarious top
ten lists on the dry erase board in the office.
The theory behind such indentured servi
tude was to provide freshman with a gen
eral overview of Student Government in '
exchange for three hours a week of slave
labor. That first year, I met many of the
people I now consider to be my best
friends. We studied together, played Jenga
and took countless road trips before realiz
ing that a direct relationship exists between
studying and grades.
As part of the Big Event committee, I
helped plan the annual service project in
which A&M students have a chance to go
out and help members of the Bryan-Col-
lege Station community. They mow lawns,
plant flowers, cut down dead trees and
paint houses. On the actual day of the Big
Event, I drove from site to site making sure
Many students think that
Student Government
members are elitists. They
wear suits to class and
never travel farther north
than Rudder Tower.
that working conditions were safe, checked
for things like rickety ladders, and sup
plied student volunteers with the tools and
lawn equipment they needed to complete
their projects. Although some jobs, like
painting a long fence, seemed tedious, al
most invariably those working on a project
were satisfied knowing that their work was
truly appreciated.
My only complaint with being part of
the planning committee for Big Event was
that even though I spent weeks setting up
projects, I was never able to actually do the
work myself. Then last year, when I came
to the final house on my last supply run,
students were still busily working to clear
weeds and rubbish from the front yard of a
house in Bryan. The owner, an 82-year-old
woman, was concerned that she would be
an easy target for robberies because the
weeds kept her house out of view from the
street. A few hours later, when we finally
finished, I went inside to call about having
the 30 or so bags of brush picked up from
the curb. The woman showed me pictures
of her children and grandchildren, thanked
me again and again, and went on about
how Aggies are wonderful people.
One night this fall, I sat in the Student
Government office talking to the man who
led the very first Midnight Yell Practice.
While researching in the archives for Tradi-
community
tions Council, I had found conflicting infor
mation about the date of that first night on
the steps of the YMCA building. Consistent
in all the information was the involvement
of a yell leader who was then called "Hoss-
fly." So, I decided to find him. Hossfly,
now Col. Berry hill, lives in San Antonio
and was thrilled when I called him to clear
things up.
Student government is not for everyone.
But, neither is the MSC, Greek life or the
Corps of Cadets. Student Government does
offer fulfilling leadership opportunities
and friendships for about 600 students on
campus. Members recruit for A&M in high
schools, plan the Muster ceremony each
year, organize Parents' Weekend and raise
money for the United Way. Not all of us
are high-strung, uptight and unapproach
able.
Still don't believe me? Today is the last
day to file for elections and prove me
wrong.
Melissa Megliola is a senior industrial
engineering major
MELISSA
MEGLIOLA
Columnist
Replace old, drafty
Academic dome
I am so glad that the work is almost
complete on the Academic Building win
dows. It is about time that those old,
drafty windows are gone, and in their
place are the new, black, shiny, energy-ef
ficient units.
I guess that the Physical Plant reasoned
that the replacement was necessary be
cause the old ones leaked, were a mainte
nance problem, looked old and dirty and
did not fit in with the neighboring build
ings. This remodeling was necessary to
the overall look of the campus. We cannot
have a single building trying to express an
identity that is different than that of the
others. Like the Corps, they must be uni
fied.
It seems to me that the only thing left to
do is to remove or replace the dome. I am
sure that the copper dome is just as drafty,
and the leaks and corrosion are creating
similar maintenance problems. It sure is
old and looks awfully dirty to me. If it is
the Physical Plant's aim to make all the
buildings look alike, then we should re
move the dome altogether. I am a realistic
person and must face the fact that the Ag
gie alumni would never allow such a vi
cious attack on a such a venerable land
mark.
So, let us replace the old copper dome
with a lovely, cast-aluminum dome with a
green, baked-enamel finish. The new
dome would not leak air and water, and it
sure would be clean. It would certainly fit
in with all the other lovely works of archi
tecture on this campus.
I just want to applaud the work of the
Physical Plant and the bureaucracy that
moves it. Your swift, decisive actions have
made this campus a more beautiful place.
Might I suggest that the next step should
be a fiberglass "Sully" statue, astroturf
around the MSC or maybe some cheerful,
computer-synthesized chimes atop Albrit
ton Tower.
Kevin Bauer
Graduate student
Another example of
need for handguns
We were shocked and angered about
the "Terrorized by a stalker..." article in
The Battalion. Julie Dalton was threatened
in just about every conceivable way. Sexu
al threats, murder threats, torture threats,
physical confrontations — you name it.
She contacted various school agencies, in
cluding two police departments. Julie fi
nally decided to accept a handgun from
her father to carry with her as a defensive
means.The moment she decided to habitu
ally carry the handgun for self-defense
was the moment she decided to become a
criminal, at least in the eyes of the Texas
gun laws. It is illegal to knowingly and ha
bitually carry a handgun. Reportedly, she
pulled her weapon on the stalker at a gro
cery store. If this store sold alcohol, then
her action is considered a third-degree
felony!
Julie, we have no doubt in our minds
that you were justified in brandishing the
weapon. The use of the handgun kept you
from being attacked and raped (probably
saved your life). But the law is the law,
and you are now a criminal for defending
yourself while your attacker is STILL on
the streets.
It was obvious that only you could
have protected yourself the night of that
attack and you did what you had to do.
Would you be alive today if you did not
use the weapon? It is shameful that Texas
law sees you as a criminal for protecting
yourself. We hope one day this law will
change and you will be able to protect
yourself without worry of judicial reprisal.
If one life could be saved by changing this
law, it would be worth it.
Owen Watson
Feed and Fertilizer Control Service
Accompanied by nine signatures