■'•July 12, 1994
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Tuesday • July 12, 1994
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Cyclist sufifers B-CS traffic trauma
Lack of transportation options forces use of car instead of bicycle or bus
JULIA
STAVENHAGEN
Columnist
1 finally gave up. I am now a slave to
a 1,900-pound cherry red tart from
Germany named Gwen. It’s a
Volkswagen. I named it Gwen because I
think of it as an American teen:
expensive, selfish and equipped with a
lot of gadgets.
I have willingly submitted myself to
this slavery due to an abysmal mass
transit record in College Station and the
lack of bicycle paths. I am still picking
gravel out of my palms from the several times I have gone
airborne on my bicycle because there were no flat trails that led
anywhere but (surprise!) the drainage ditch. Thankfully, there
is an effort in town to bring decent bicycling conditions to the
Bryan-College Station area. Last fall, Freebird’s World Burrito
on Northgate laxmehed a campaign to implement bicycle-
friendly legislation. The City Council has approved some
measures to help people who can’t afford cars into the real
world - the real world being where people get to work in one
piece. These plans should reduce College Station bicyclists’ fear
of dismemberment by that Buick trying to edge past at 45 miles
per hour. I watch the
Community Cycling Board
in Freebird’s hopefully,
but, unfortunately, none of
these plans will see
fruition for a while. This
left few alternatives for
getting to work right now.
OK, I was swayed by
peer pressure too. Mobile friends could hop in their cars at any
moment and go to see a movie without having to synchronize
schedules with the bus system. I had to go Greyhound and
leave the driving to Gus. Gus goes to Galveston, sure, but it
takes him about four hours because he takes a detour around
Nebraska. Suddenly, the cost of owning a car did not seem
significant. The specter of gas, insurance, parts, registration
l other automobile-related bills which had kept me on two
non-motorized wheels vanished in a puff of carbon monoxide.
Although I love all three of my jobs, I would prefer to
trade one in for sleep; but Gwen calls - belching smoke and
fumes - for me to feed her. I have a love-hate relationship
lL
As I sit in rush hour traffic in my smok
ing car named Gwen, I dream of the
day when bicycling and busing will be
the accepted mode of transportation.
with my car, like most people who
realize automobiles contribute to lots of
environmental problems. The
inefficiency of turning over 1,500 cubic
centimeters of internal combustion
engine for a trip across town lasting no
more than 10 minutes is a crime of
which nearly all are guilty. I have
turned about three cups of irreplaceable
l gasoline into toxic fumes. Moreover, I
paid about 50 cents to do it. Besides the
cost of the car itself, I pay an insurance company for the
convenience of knowing that in the unlikely event I plant my
bumper in the back of the car in front of me, they will charge
me more the next time I drive. I also handed over $106 to
the tax collector’s office for the privilege of owning
something that will decrease in value over the years.
Most cars are built for five or more passengers. There are
cars built for two for the extravagant, but I have never seen a
car built for just one person. Why do most cars on the road
have only one person in them? Five people stuffed into my car
would not be so bad as far as efficiency goes, but how many
people are going to the same place at the
same time? Anybody want to carpool to
The Eagle at 2:30 p.m. on a Sunday?
As I sit in rush hour traffic in my
smoking car named Gwen, I dream of the
day when bicycling and busing will be the
accepted mode of transportation in
College Station and the world. Perhaps
there will also be a day when every
freeway in the country is empty except for propane- or nuclear-
fueled buses going the right place at the right time. Stressed
traffic shoot-outs on the freeways will be forgotten. I remember
a street in Beijing. It had maybe four cars on it, and about 800
bicycles ridden by people who may not have known it, but their
air is cleaner than in “the land of the free.” The majority of their
traffic accidents result in a few bumps and scratches and a
broken spoke, rather than hundreds mutilated or killed in cars
during the holidays. When the light finally turns green,
hopefully, we will all be pedaling in the right direction.
Julia Stavenhagen is a graduate anthropology student
The Battalion
Editorial Board
■
Editorials appe
reflect the views of the
in The Battalion
Mark Evans, Editor in chief
William Harrison, Managing editor
Jay Robbins, Opinion editor
armg
the ed
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.
Contact the opinion editor for information
on submitting guest columns.
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Haitian refugees
U.S. must develop consistent foreign policy
President Clinton must develop
and carry out a consistent policy to
ward the crisis in Haiti.
The recent tidal wave of Haitian
refugees fleeing from economic and
political oppression recently prompt
ed the Clinton administration to re
vise its stance yet again.
After a modification of the admin
istration’s policy in May, Haitians
were no longer forced to return direct
ly to Haiti upon being intercepted at
sea by the U.S. Coast Guard. Instead
they were directed to processing cen
ters where American officials deter
mined which refugees truly deserved
political asylum and which were only
fleeing economic conditions.
The tent city at Guantanamo Bay
Naval Basd in Cuba that was estab
lished to house as many as 12,500
refugees, is filled nearly to capacity. Al
though the small Caribbean nations of
Grenada, Antigua and Dominica have
agreed to help provide temporary hous
ing, the withdrawal of Panama’s offer
to take up to 10,000 Haitians dealt a
major blow to Clinton’s efforts to deal
with the mass of Haitian emigrants.
A consistent policy may have avert
ed the current crisis. By not standing
by the policy of immediate repatriation
of those intercepted at sea, Clinton
Illiteracy problem continues today
Education efforts need volunteers, funding to guarantee 'right to read'
M^n-
On
I t is said money is the root of all evil.
There are many other things that
make up the evil vine attached to that
root, and one of them is illiteracy. The
most basic definition of “literacy” applies
here - the ability to read and write. Just
being able to write one’s name is no
longer enough.
To a person who cannot read, words
on a page such as this one look like:
Asafy asfljko mnvniuy rvnviuf
oreujrn fju fufutb uifjfi.
They are completely confusing and
incomprehensible, with no “rhyme or
reason.”
It seems that the rhetoric of concern
for illiteracy comes and goes in waves.
The concern is currently at a low ebb,
being overshadowed by other issues of
the day. These other problems may also
be very important, but having more than
the basic ability to read and write is of
utmost necessity. “There is a direct
correlation between illiteracy and
unemployment,” said Pam Flosynek,
director of Literacy Volunteers of
America for the Brazos Valley area.
It was December 1975 when the cover
of Newsweek proclaimed, “Why Johnny
Can’t Write.” A shower of rhetoric soon
followed from everywhere - newspapers,
television, other magazines - declaring a
literacy crisis and a cry for a movement
to go back to the basics.
The federal Right to Read program
promised to wipe out illiteracy in a
decade. That was 1971.
If even our public servants are
ineffective in dealing with this
educational shortcoming, what can we as
regular citizens do to help? Hasn’t all
that can be done already been tried? The
simple answer is, of course, no. Many
people actively combat the problem
Within this community.
It is easy to see why. Today, one out
of three people in the state of Texas is
functionally illiterate. “These people
cannot read a map, brochures, notes
from their children’s teachers.
CHRIS S.
COBB
Christmas cards, etc.” said Rosynek.
“In fact, Texas is 47th out of the 50
states in literacy.”
Literacy Volunteers of America for
Brazos County, has 190 to 200
volunteers that raise funds, help out in
the office, and tutor the 400 to 500
students in reading. This number of
volunteers is not enough help because
most students need to be taught one-on-
one. So many students have such a low
reading level that they require this
individualized teaching method.
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In 1971, the federal Right to Read pro
gram promised to wipe out illiteracy in a
decade. Today, one out of three people in
the state of Texas is functionally illiterate.
Those students who cannot read or
write and fall through the cracks of
our educational system are the real
losers in the “grander” scheme of
things. Often they cost us millions of
dollars in welfare programs and
unemployment compensation.
The stereotype of those who are
illiterate is very disturbing. Many
believe they are ignorant slackers.
The truth is, they work very hard at
what they do. They just don’t possess
the skills to help themselves.
“In the long run, we hope to make
these people employable. We teach them
reading skills and then job training
skills,” said Rosynek.
Why should these statistics make us
angry? Don’t most of us shut out the
numbers of our national deficit? Aren’t
all those studies just useless statistics
anyway? They are too large for us to
imagine and therefore, do not hold any
meaning for us.
People are more than just statistics,
especially if those who were once
illiterate tell you firsthand their trials
and tribulations caused by not being able
to read or write.
Being literate is essential for survival
in today’s world. Even having a high
school education is not enough. Those of
us who are graduating soon know from
the media and firsthand experience that
having a college education is sometimes
not enough. What is life like for people
who don’t have any real education? How
can they provide for their children? The
questions are endless with this problem.
One way to help deal with this
problem is to be sure that programs
like Literacy Volunteers
of America receive the
funding they need,
instead of them having
to worry about funding.
The state government
can help here. Instead
of arguing out of pride,
or trying to be sure that
they’ll have enough votes to be re
elected, officials should do something
that’s right. They should do something
that the people need.
One question more, a simple
rewording of what has come before -
what can we do to help? Think about
it. Be publicly aware. Volunteer your
help, your talents, your education.
Here we are in a community that
revolves around an upstanding
academic institution. And most people
who can read have no idea of the
immensity of the illiteracy problem
and how it really affects us. All of us.
Chris S. Cobb is a senior
English major
Cartoon's attack on
Corps lacks reason
I am writing in regard to a so-called
comic strip writer of The Battalion
staff who goes by the moniker “jd”. jd’s
cartoon typically paints an unflatter
ing portrayal of the Texas Aggie Corps
of Cadets. I assume, from jd’s style
and from the content of jd’s strip, that
this individual is a freshman at Texas
A&M. I assume this because I once
had the same opinions and feelings to
ward the Corps six years ago when I
was a freshman.
It is easy to ridicule and degrade a
seemingly large, faceless organization.
This is prejudice, or better, ignorance.
Please don’t misunderstand me. I find
both satire and black humor viable
forms of communicating outrage or
distaste. Unfortunately, jd’s comic
lacks even a hint of either. I have yet
to even see how this strip might be
considered funny or intelligent. Per
haps jd has a reason for this resent
ment of the Corps.
My suggestion to jd is simple. Rather
than continue this seemingly unfound
ed prejudice while hiding behind some
initials, jd should come forward with
his reasons for this bombardment of the
Corps. Or even better, pick a real topic
for his cartoon.
Scott Guttormson
Class of ’94
Health services should
stop moralistic lectures
Dr. Kenneth Dirks, director of stu
dent health services, says in the July
11 Battalion, that he and his staff rec
ommend abstinence to unmarried pa-
gave the Haitians a new optimism
which led to the current influx of
refugees into the makeshift camps pro
vided by the United States.
Clinton’s shift is justified, howev
er, because the old policy was incon
sistent with the United States’ long
tradition of opposing political perse
cution and welcoming immigrants
who seek better lives.
In theory, every Haitian who wants
to become a U.S. citizen should have
the opportunity. However, practical
considerations must outweigh lofty
principles. Florida simply cannot ab
sorb a massive influx of uneducated,
unskilled Haitians, most of whom will
enter this country with nothing and
will need significant assistance. Much
of this assistance would come in the
form of government-provided housing
and medical -services, the cost of
which will ultimately be picked up by
the American taxpayer.
This situation justifies an American
response, including an invasion if nec
essary. We must continue our commit
ment to democracy in this hemisphere
and throughout the world. The poten
tial tide of refugees washing toward
American shores provides a clearly-de
fined national interest for the United
States to restore democracy in Haiti.
WMmmiS
tients until they are ready to start a
family. It appears student health ser
vices has attempted to deny A&M stu
dents the best birth control counseling
and technology, based on the moralis
tic views of some of the senior staff.
Personally, I wouldn’t want a pater
nalistic or moralistic lecture on absti
nence, if I went seeking birth control
devices or information from a service
provided by the University with thd
use of student funds.
Richard Shafer, Ph.D.
Department of Journalism
Women responsible for
consequences of sex
I am writing in response to the edi
torial in the July 11 edition of The
Battalion about the inaccessibility of
abortion facilities in the Bryan-Col-
lege Station area. The editorial stated
that this occurrence is a reflection of
the “community’s irresponsibility.”
Excuse me ... who’s irresponsibility
is it? When a woman takes chances
with her body and then ends up preg
nant, it is not the fault of the commu
nity. Sexually active women should be
prepared to accept the consequences of
their actions, even if it means driving
a few extra miles to have the abortion;
The editorial made it sound as if we
should be required to provide services
for someone else’s mistakes. Get reaK
First of all, the drive to Houston is
only an hour and a half. Second, wd
will not be required to have such facifj
ities until it is included in a national
health plan.
If you’re going to play the game, be
prepared to lose.
Debra Nolerj
Class of ’97
The Battalion encour
ages letters to the editor
and will print as many as
space allows. Letters
must be TOO words or
less and include the au
thor's name, class, and
phone number.
. We reserve the right
to edit letters for length.
style, and accuracy.
Address letters to:
The Battalion - Mail CaB
013 Reed McDonald
Texas A&M University
College Station, TX
77843-1111
Fax; (409) 845-2647
Page 3
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