•July 18, 1994
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Biker mama crashes into reality
Motorcycling class turns into endurance test of self-confidence, willpower
leaves
ith arm
i third
1H (AP) -
pitcher Doug
uck just above
r his weekend I was transformed
from a staid nerd to a wild and
carefree motorcycle mama.
After riding on the back of a
motorcycle for 10 minutes with a friend
about two weeks ago, I decided the
future held me driving a road hog. The
inly problem with this grand plan was
I have a hard time keeping my
balance while walking on flat, smooth
toncrete, so the mental picture of me on
i motorcycle was somewhat hard to
focus. Nevertheless, I gamely signed up
a weekend-long course to learn how
to live my dream.
Saturday morning I drove to the
worst part of San Antonio, up to a
decrepit row of buildings, past a liquor
store with the windows barred and a
'nightclub” with bullet holes in the
. Last in this confidence-building
sequence was a small room with one
door and a temporary sign placed on
the ground outside that read,
■Motorcycle Training.”
I walked into the room and -
thankfully - seven other very normal
i were sitting around the sparsely-
furnished room. We spent the first part
iifthe morning in this classroom, then we
went to the road course.
The instructor quickly and subtly
shoved me in the direction of the oldest,
most scratched-up motorcycle on the lot.
hone short hour I learned to
successfully walk my bike in neutral
across the parking lot without killing the
engine. I could tell already that I was not
destined to be valedictorian of this class.
The rest of the day was remarkably
uneventful, except for one tiny spin-out
ELIZABETH
PRESTON
Columnist
_
and loss of control in our last exercise of
the day. I merely revved the engine too
high while popping the clutch. The
motorcycle overreacted, in my opinion.
What exacerbated the problem was that
I am used to riding a bicycle and so my
first instinct is to throw my feet down
to stop all movement. This idea doesn’t
work well on a motorcycle, and I am not
sure when my big toe will be its original
color again.
After I arrived on day two my self
doubt was reinforced when my
instructor saw me and immediately
yelled to his partner, “Hey, I owe you
lunch. She DID come back!” The worst
part is that they were serious. They
really had bet on whether I would
brave the second day of hell ... I mean
instruction. My confidence
plummeted, but I resolved to tough it
out. From that point on the class and
instructors “adopted” me. They teased
me, supported my painful endeavors
and told Aggie jokes until I couldn’t
help but laugh.
By the end of the day, I was feeling
sunburned and sweaty, but also very
confident in my ability to pass the skill
test. Big mistake. BIG mistake.
I passed the first test, accelerating
around a curve very well, though I was
0.3 seconds too slow. Then came the
“quick-braking” test. The first time I
attempted it I stopped very quickly, but
I began braking before I was supposed
to, so they told me to try again. I
devised a clever plan to stare at the
ground so when I drove over the white
line I would know to begin braking.
I accelerated and shifted into second,
then began staring intently at the
ground. As soon as I saw the line I
completely panicked. I slammed my
foot into the rear brake and grabbed
the front brake simultaneously. I sure
stopped quickly, but the instructors
told me it didn’t count if I used my body
on the concrete to stop myself.
Luckily, I was no worse for the
wear, though my new boots were
looking decidedly broken-in. In the
end, I did well enough on the other
tests that they allowed me to count
the first go on the quick-stop test and
just took points off for starting to
brake early. By the skin of my teeth, I
passed the test and now am
considered a relatively able
motorcycle driver by the state of
Texas, though my expertise is
certainly still questionable.
I learned a great deal, and the
experience was definitely worth it -
whether I end up buying motorcycle or
not. I also know that the people in my
class were very relieved that I would
be riding in a city far away from them.
Too bad for ya’ll, I guess.
Elizabeth Preston is a junior
English major
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Social work supports community 5
Local welfare programs care for people who can't care for themselves
ERIN
HILL
r he job was meant to last three days,
a temporary thing. I was filling in
for a receptionist/secretary in my
tounty’s Social Services department.
Apparently something weird in the air
conditioning was making her sick
(another story entirely), but after three
days she still wasn’t well and had to be
relocated to a different office in the
building. They kept me on for another
week, then another ... and I ended up
working there for nearly six weeks.
Though the bulk of my job was answering phones and typing
memos, I also authorized payments, worked fairly closely with
professionals who provide care for developmentally-disabled
people and became acquainted with the social workers. Since
both of my roommates are considering careers in social work, I
thought I ought to take good notes and I asked numerous of
questions. These social workers became friends with the clients
and their families.
The Developmentally Disabled Unit
works with mentally- and physically-
handicapped clients, many of whom have
severe health problems that require round
the-clock care. While some have parents
who can take care of them, the clients who
are not so fortunate live in foster homes.
Those with vocational skills hold down
lobs in the community, but their wages
can’t pay for full-time foster care. Some even have been
abandoned. No one will provide for them except the
government. Their medical costs sometimes run as high as
575,000 per year. Average people can’t afford to pay these
expenses. Without federal, state and county funds, many of
these patients would be destitute or dead.
At first, I was rather taken aback by the exorbitant costs of
earing for the disabled. It seemed a heavy burden for the county
to bear. I must admit that I wondered if it was worth all the
■Honey, yet this question remained: who else could pay?
Working at the Social Services office opened my eyes. I was
■Hipressed by the smaller community they formed within our
c ounty, a collection of parents and children, foster-care
Providers, social workers and others who cared for some
Wizens who could not care for themselves.
One poignant phone call came from a mother who has cared
tor her 40-year-old mentally-disabled sori his entire life.
Apparently, every other weekend she and her husband get
away and leave their son in a foster home, which had been
closed for the summer. She was panicking.
T need those four days a month,” she told me, “Can you
please help me find someone else to
help us?”
This woman’s selflessness was
touching. All she wanted was four days to
herself. The rest of the time she willingly
gave to her son.
Did she ask to spend her life caring for
a son who could not enjoy all of the
dreams she held for him? Of course not,
but she performed her duty with courage.
This woman is not the only one who
gives so much. She is one part of a community which forms
part of the larger one to which I belong. I also have some
responsibility to help care for the disadvantaged.
With all the talk of welfare reform, it is easy to get
caught up in the hysteria of cutting back social services.
People fear fraud at every turn and believe that wise
government spending is an impossibility.
I saw firsthand both the need and the wise
implementation of government funds. That money is not
always wasted, as some
might think.
The difference between
one county office and the
entire federal government
is certain. Bureaucracies
always work better on a
smaller scale.
But, ideally, these
successes could work on the national level; our nation could
start forming self-sufficient communities that provide for one
another. We don’t need new communities, just better ones.
Margaret Atwood said, “The United States has promoted
individualism so much that the responsibilities of giving to a
community have been trampled by rampant individuahsm.”
Could she be right? Are we so caught up with ourselves
that we neglect or resent having to help other people in our
community? I think so.
I did not leave the job with the attitude that unlimited
welfare is a good idea. I still can’t answer the question of
how much is too much when it comes to government
spending. But for six weeks I was witness to something
pretty terrific. A small community that worked together
with the monetary support of the government to help care
for people. That’s all. It probably can’t work everywhere,
but we could try.
And with more community support and caring,
individuals could be less reliant on the government.
Erin Hill is a senior English major
For six weeks I witnessed something pret
ty terrific: a small community working,
with the monetary support of the gov
ernment, to help care for people.
The Battalion
Editorial Board
Mark Evans, Editor in chief
William Harrison, Managing editor
jay Robbins, Opinion editor
"" 1 "i":"" 1 !
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,
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Columns, guest columns, cartoons and
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Contact the opinion editor for information
on subm itti ng guest coin mns.
Page 3
A Special Event
Center will provide long-needed facility
It took long enough, but finally
something is being done about Texas
A&M’s lack of adequate space for in
door athletics, conventions, enter
tainment and ceremonies. Friday,
the Texas Higher Education Coordi
nating Board finally gave it’s ap
proval for a $33.4 million special
events center.
This center will provide more
than just another basketball court.
By being able to accommodate
10,500 to 12,500 people for the
events held in the facility, Aggieland
may be able to properly receive actu
al “special” events. Most schools
which the University’s athletic
teams compete against have this
kind of center. Now it is A&M’s turn
to enjoy a new home court.
What is so unfortunate is how
long it took the coordinating board
to make this decision. Texas A&M is
continually expanding, pulling in
more and more of the state’s student
population. Its campus facilities
need concurrent renovation and ex
pansion, Ifke library improvements,
new residence halls, MSG additions
and this special events center.
How many Aggie students have
been turned away from the Muster
ceremonies in G. Rollie White Coli
seum for the last two years?
Why should students get only six
tickets for graduation guests, after
spending years working to get there?
Why should basketball fans have
to be stuffed in a building no longer
suitable for modern sporting events.
Why should bands, concerts and
other cultural events be consistently
turned away because Aggieland had
no coliseum that could support them?
Besides being the second-largest
university in Texas, a nationally
prominent sports institution and top
research school, what more should
we have done to impress the coordi
nating board of our needs?
Most current students will have
graduated by the time the center
opens. But, for the sake of future Ag
gies and alumni activities, the entire
A&M community can look forward to
watching and participating in events
the center will house.
Aggies should remember, the next
time they vote for'state officials,
that many bureaucrats and ap
pointees ignored this issue as long
as they could.
Maybe the Aggies can return the
“favor” at the polls.
M AI1
C ALL
Abstinence remains
good medical advice
I am writing in response to Dr.
Richard Shafer’s July 12 letter con
cerning Dr. Kenneth Dirks of student
health services and his birth control
recommendation. At last check, absti
nence was the only 100-percent effec
tive means of birth control or trans
mission of sexually transmitted dis
ease. His advice is not paternalistic or
moralistic, but rather good medical
advice. It sounds as if Dr. Shafer may
have a more political agenda.
Ed Marcinkiewicz
Class of’85
Athletic Department
Find cure, not blame,
for national AIDS crisis
I am writing in response to Susie
Carter’s July 13 letter. I’m sure Carter
has acquired a wonderful and mean
ingful education. Microbiology is a
very fascinating subject. She is proba
bly working on a brilliant and promis
ing career. However, it is a shame that
she has allowed her personal preju
dices to blind her to what she should
really be focusing on - finding a cure
for a disease that is killing people and
dividing our nation.
As a scientist, she knows as well as I
do that AIDS claims many lives each
year. She should very well know that
not everyone with AIDS is homosexual
or engages and practices homosexual
activities. In fact, the knowledge she
possesses can, with other scientists,
help save lives.
I know that homosexuals have man
aged to enter our universities and our
military forces. For those that have
managed to enter the military, I pray
that God protect them and watch over
them as they help protect and watch
over the freedom we so much enjoy. For
those that have entered the universi
ties, I pray that they will be able to as
sist society and contribute to society’s
needs with the education they gain.
As a Catholic, I know that homosexu
ality is wrong and I think that many in
dividuals (regardless of race, religion,
beliefs, etc.) feel the same way. Howev
er, as humans, we are not and never
will be the final judge and jury.
With that in mind, I return the
quote to Carter’s: “Now is the time for
all good men and women to come to
the aid of their country.” Our country
needs help in finding a cure - not in
finding a fault.
Buzz Refugio, former Marine
Class of’95
Flag deserves respect,
needs special attention
When I was driving by the Adminis
tration Building at around 8:45 a.m.
on July 10, I saw something that at
first I could not believe. Upon closer
inspection I realized that the American
flag had been hoisted up the flagpole
upside-down. As soon as I reached a
telephone, I informed the University
Police Department and they quickly
dispatched someone to correct their
mistake. I would hope and assume the
people who put up the flags had no in
tention of the American flag being up
side-down and inadvertently signaling
that the United States was in a state
of distress. However, I am extremely
disappointed with the UPD because of
their carelessness.
I later discovered that the task of
taking down the flags in front of that
building and the Academic building
would be turned over to a group of stu
dents as of July 12 so that the flags do
not remain up and unlighted after
dusk. The UPD will continue to raise
the flags in the mornings.
My comment to all involved is that
we as Americans should pay special
attention to detail when dealing with
our country’s flag to ensure that the
type of disrespect that occurred does
not happen again.
John Pickett
Class of ‘94
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