Opinion
Monday, April 18, 1994
The Battalion
Page 9
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 FRERKINC, Sports editor
TONI GARRARD CLAY, Opinion editor WILLIAM HARRISON, Photo editor
JENNIFER SMITH, City editor
Find life’s beauty in a world of words
Poet uses language to create light in midst of darkness
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There is good news for smok
ers. According to the top execu
tives of major tobacco companies,
cigarettes are not addictive. The
next time we see a friend having a
nic fit," we should spread tne
1 news on to them. But many
smokers already know what Con
gress will hopefully find out in its
ongoing committee hearings on
the issue of regulating the tobac
co industry — nicotine is a drug.
Under pressure from Congress,
the largest tobacco companies re
leased a list of 599 additives that
are used in cigarettes. The federal
government says that the compa
nies must produce a list of the
more than 700 additives they use
each year. That list has always
been iept secret. Among the ad
ditives hncluded )( Qn the recently
released list are 13 additives not
even allowed in food.
Although studies have shown
that tobacco is not as harmful as
illegal drugs, it is a drug nonethe
less. It is time for the government
to form a policy that properly
deals with the tobacco industry.
The government estimates that
400,0 0 0 Americans die from cig
arettes each year. If an industry
with less power was the cause of
so many deaths, the government
would have done something long
ago. Instead, tobacco is subsidized
by the government, and the to
bacco lobby in Washington, D.C.,
is one of the largest.
The Food and Drug Administra
tion is looking at whether compa
nies manipulate the amount of
nicotine in cigarettes. If so, then
nicotine will be considered a
chemical drug. If they determine
that it is a drug, then maybe the
government will move its policy in
one direction rather than trying to
please both sides of the issue. It is
ridiculous to subsidize tobacco on
one hand and then tax it on the
other. It is also unacceptable to re
quire a list of cigarette ingredients
and then not release that list in en
tirety to the public.
It would be foolish for the
government to enter into a new
era of health care without re
solving its policy concerning to
bacco. They can’t please both
sides forever, and they must deal
with the facts - 400,000 of
them each year.
ife is about learning. But beyond the
mathematical equations and scientific
calculations taught in the classroom,
life teaches us the beauty of a sunset, the
pain of love, the loyalty of a dog ...
Basically since the onset of written lan
guage, poets have tried to capture life’s
lessons with the magic of their lyrical lan
guage. Dr. Petrillo, an Italian professor at
A&M, called the poetry of Jessie Holden But-
tram a poetry about learning.
Petrillo, who will give a reading of But-
tram’s work tonight from her book, “Mostly
My Going Is Up,” said that the work creates a
new perspective for subjects that have always
existed.
Petrillo said, “If a poet cannot show us an
cient traditions in a new light, then we don’t
need that writer.”
But, Buttram’s poetry was born of the world
we live in today. Although Buttram is a writer
during this post-modern era, her work does
not possess the pessimistic undertones that are
found in much of post-modern poetry.
As the title, “Mostly My Going Is Up,” de
notes, the collection is not about the hope
less condition of the world. The book con
tains poems ranging in subject matter from
faith to learning to an appreciation of a hum
ble childhood. Petrillo said Buttram’s work
proves that she wants to be heard on a wide
spectrum of topics and that it is obvious she
is constantly learning from them.
Although Buttram’s work presents a posi
tive perspective overall, she does not neglect
delicate or emotionally difficult subjects.
“I do deal with a lot of painful things,”
Buttram said. “But, I try to find the positive
JENNY
MAGEE
Columnist
in them.”
It might have been easier for Buttram to
have used her poetry as an outlet to vent her
anger about the unfairness of her circum
stances, as many post-modern writers do. She
must have thought life unfair; she must have
been angry at some point that a severe illness
at age three robbed her of her sight.
But, Buttram’s poetry isn’t angry; it is cu
rious. She is curious about the world around
her — the way it smells, sounds, feels, tastes
and the emotions that it gives her.
Petrillo said one of his main interests in
Buttram’s work is her use of all her senses.
He said that one of the major facets of mod
ern art is the lack of a barrier between the
senses.
“Many people say that Kadinsky is paint
ing words,” he said. “Buttram can conjure up
visual images that you can also hear.”
In the poem “Darkness Calls,” Buttram
gives life to darkness through sound. “Dark
ness calls,/ the kind that hovers between Ten
nessee hills/ on moonless nights/ hiding
everything/ except the sounds of motion.”
Even though she uses sound to build the
image of darkness, the description is visual as
well. Buttram said a lot of people ask her
how her poetry is so visual.
She tells them, “I listen to what you say,
and I see through your eyes.”
There is something fluid about this world
— the way streams run into rivers and rivers
run into oceans is just one example that the
world gives us of this never-ending intermin
gling in nature. It seems that there is a lesson
to be learned in the way things are interwo
ven. Maybe understanding a part of the
world is not enough to understand the
whole.
A student who knew that Dr. Petrillo was
giving a poetry reading asked him if the
poet was Italian. The student assumed that
because Dr. Petrillo is an Italian professor, he
would be giving a reading of an Italian poet’s
work.
Many times in this world of increasing
specialization, it is easy to get separated into
spheres of specific knowledge. Even here at
A&M, students attend classes for their major,
hang out with the people of the same major
and join organizations for their major.
Petrillo said, “It is important to recognize
that all the aspects in the world are culturally
inter-related — they are inseparable.”
To learn, in the truest sense of the word,
there should be no barriers. There should be
no sphere of knowledge that can be called
unrelated to our lives. There should be no as
pect of this world to which we are blind.
Dr. Petrillo will be reading Jessie Holden
Buttram’s work tonight at eight o’clock in All
Faiths Chapel.
Jenny Magee is a sophomore English and journalism major
TfclcXl
Editorials appearing in The
Battalion reflect the views of the
editorial board. They do not
necessarily reflect the opinions of
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You can stop the presses, but time keeps on ticking
• • •
W atching Ron Howard’s latest film,
“The Paper,” is a lot like watch
ing a day in the life of the super-
heros here at The Battalion. Why, just
yesterday the managing editor slugged it
out in the press room, punching the
opinion editor in the nose after she
pressed The BIG RED BUTTON to stop the
noisy presses when we learned that the
Corps was — contrary to recent stories —
really a decent group after all.
Daily, we deal with life-and-death situa
tions, protecting truth, justice and the Polit
ically Correct way while juggling ethics,
raving wives and state representatives. And
all the while, we hear this incessant clock
ticking from behind the screen — I mean
from the hollows of our minds. Tick, tick,
tick, tick. Tick, tick, tick, tick ...
Actually, working here at the Batt isn’t
what most people might think. No, we
don’t sit around scratching our, um, nog
gins, reading “Mein Kampf,” wondering
what kind of stories to make up for the day.
, except for the city desk. They do that.
And the sports desk. And lifestyles, of
course. OK, and the opinion desk, too.
ROBERT
VASQUEZ
Columnist
Most people don’t realize that The Battal
ion - or any newspaper, for that matter — is
not one jumble of information, but the
combination of different sections (“desks”)
that work to provide the most accurate and
interesting information that pertains to the
readers. The city desk, for example, doesn’t
report on movies or bands touring through
town. That story belongs to the lifestyles
desk. And the sports desk doesn’t report on
the latest scandal to hit A&M. That story
belongs to the city desk. Unless, of course,
the scandal involves a sports team at A&M.
But that would never happen.
I’m leaving The Battalion soon. So, be
fore I go I’d like to show you around this
place. It’s no Hall of Justice League, but it
works OK as a Batt Cave. Follow me.
This big black metal monstrosity is the
mailbox. This is where we’re supposed to
get letters from presidents and senators and
other important people who shape our lives
through political policy and excessive taxa
tion. Instead, we usually get announce
ments about parties, softball games or can
celed Batt meetings in these boxes. (That
box lined with faux, leopard-print velvet
and red fringe belongs to Frank Stanford.
Don’t ask.)
This is the Night News desk. This is
where they make up all the headlines that
everyone thinks the writers are irresponsi
ble for. No, we don’t create the BIG
BLACK PRINT that labels our stories.
Someone else gets paid for that. We write
the little words.
Next to the night news desk is the
photo desk. They’re the ones who make
the paper attract the reader’s eye. Chil
dren don’t read books without pictures.
Adults aren’t much better. This desk gets
those shots that make people stop and
think, “What the hell is that?”
Over there, under a big “Grease” poster,
“Charlie’s Angels” pictures and the Barney
puzzle is the Aggielife desk. These people
are experts on entertainment. They know
what makes the heart of Aggieland tick.
Tick, tick, tick, tick ...
Just yesterday the manag
ing editor slugged it out in
the press room, punching
the opinion editor in the
nose after she pressed
The BIG RED BUTTON
to stop the noisy presses.
That desk behind the shelves, next to the
old green sofa that smells like Brut is the
Sports desk. That’s the place where guys
gather and grovel in testosterone. OK, and
some of the girls grovel, too. The sports
desk sometimes serves as the training
ground for the Opinion desk. Some of our
best columnists come from this desk.
City desk is where all the aspiring jour
nalists go. There, they train in covert sur
veillance and subversive interviewing
techniques. These writers must have
strong and wild imaginations to better
prepare them for the stories they will have
to make up. All the quotes, all the facts
they report: figments. Fantastic figments
of their imagination.
Yes, this is The Battalion, a place where
people go when they have comments, com
plaints or deadlines hanging over their
heads. The menagerie of people who come
to this place would surprise you. We see
people who want to inform the public of
some event. We see people who want to
fmd out what’s happening in the world.
We see stark-raving maniacs who want to
stain the world with their crazed, dement
ed, propagandistic opinions. And that’s just
the people who work here.
It’s a crazy place. And it will soon be
a part of my past. And the clock keeps
ticking ...
Robert Vasquez is a senior journalism major
wen
is."
have
year
Adoption editorial
lighlights problem
commend The Battalion for its atten
tion to the question of transracial adop
tions. As the April 12 editorial correctly
noted, Texas now has a law which prohibits
discrimination of adoptive parents solely on
the basis of race. As a member of the Board
of Protective and Regulatory Services (a
new agency responsible for Child Protective
Services since 1992), my colleagues and I
approved revised policies and practices
which reflect the new Texas law. Your edito
rial highlights the very real difference of
opinion on this subject, as evidenced by an
ongoing opposition to transracial adoption
from several quarters. In my view, however,
we must keep the best interest of the child
or children involved uppermost in our
minds as we make decisions about their fu
ture.
Finding a good, permanent home for all
children who come into our care is our first
goal. Some 10,000 children in Texas are in
foster care for varying lengths of time.
Some will stay only a short while and re
turn to their families. About 600 are adopt
ed each year; others will remain in our care
for years. DPRS now encourages its case
workers to begin “permanency planning”
as soon as a child comes into care, not after
that child has been in the “system” for
some time. We also actively recruit minori
ty foster and adoptive parents so the case
workers will have more options for place
ment.
While the foster care system is not per
fect, most foster parents provide loving care
to any child who comes into their home,
whatever their race or the race of the child.
Often, they must spend their own money
on these children, since the state does not
provide adequate funds for reimbursement
of expenses.
We want to find ways to get children
into permanent situations as quickly as pos
sible, whether that is a reunion with their
own family or some other option. Our chil
dren are our future. As the agency in Texas
charged with protecting them, I assure you
we are always looking for ways to improve
their lives.
Penny Beaumont
Member, Board of Protective and Regulatory
Services
Whoopstock needs
audience interaction
As a two year participant of the Whoop
stock Unity Fest, I feel that this is an event
worthy to go on as an Aggie tradition. It
promotes togetherness, pride and fun —
important components of the Aggie Spirit.
Like everyone else, I was disappointed with
the turnout this year. However, after talking
to people I found out that many did not
hear anything about it. The solution for
next year, my friends, is publicity. Push
Whoopstock until everyone knows when,
where and why.
Here are some suggestions for next year.
First, there should be more audience inter
action. By coordinating with the OLs and
Fish Camp, I am sure that you can come up
with something to encourage mingling.
Next, the performers should encourage au
dience participation. For example, Yasmine,
the belly-dancer, could have taught us some
basic dance steps to do while the Interna
tional Music Club was performing. Also, a
rousing rendition of “The Cotton-eyed Joe”
or “The Hokey Pokey” would have been
fun and uplifting. Finally, I would suggest
having a showcase of foods from different
cultures. Organizations could provide food
representing their cultures, and then (for a
fee, of course) students can eat their way
around the world! The possibilities are end
less! Think about it and start planning now!
Harvonya Perkins
Class of ‘92
Thanks to students
Many thanks to all the A&M students
who gave of their valuable time for the Big
Event to clean up Brazos County. I especially
want to thank the students who worked in
the College Station City Cemetery. The A&M
Garden Club has had the cemetery as a
yearly project for many years. We do appre
ciate all the students who gave of their time.
Eileen Kramer
Member A&M Garden Club