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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 26, 1994)
Wednesday • October 26, 1994 ories ts, Key •tuff for 3t deci- reeled ies. He ecutive oreless o Cone n May n that e runs } went ithout rave a Young, 51 and 1, four ricago •r the a two- ses ason coacli played mecom- v up in d often lium to shed 6/ iis first e prob- Brown sing but type to :w up, I o try to ron't be on the es," he erase ig else i, I be- >und a vn ier 3-2 d a hot in just imes. bench- sts it’s b back n the [•ward going ■epeat. as the its, so e how Olaju- epeat. jton is n Ha- Rock- 0 gOM Kenny n one he be- NBA ague’s NBA rrand in the BA in ame). rth in rs the ocked rckets rare iead that ting » e I ,ide i ms Did we forget our Aggie Code of Honor? BROOKE LESLIE I Guest Columnist 1 n light of the recent years’ events con- . cerning the allega tions of misconduct and dishonesty of Texas A&M University Administration, re gents, and students, I thought it would be ap propriate to address the Honor Sys tem of our University. Remember the line, “Aggies do not lie, cheat, or steal, nor tolerate those who do?” As the years have gone by f and our society has become more mod em, students have Tailed to live by this code to its most stringent definition. Every day Aggies he, steal, and cheat without any regard to the Aggie Code of Honor. As my campaign platform stated in April, “We need to preserve the Aggie Code of Honor and maintain the high moral standard of Texas A&M by establishing a university- wide policy what will hold students accountable for their actions.” I truly believe that we need to refo cus our energies on the integrity of this institution. Not only the integrity of those who manage it, but those who comprise it — the students^ How much cheating goes on in our classrooms? There is no accurate way to measure these acts of dishonesty, but as students, we see it everyday in a variety of fashions. Despite the rally position of our caps and five different forms of tests given by our professors, students still find ways to cheat on ex ams and homework assignments. What do we do when a student is caught being academically dishonest? After a hearing process and even a chance to appeal, the harshest punish ment most often given is a zero on the test or assignment in question. Many professors do not even bother seeking disciplinary processes due to the lack of action taken against these students. Does this say much about our commit ment to theJeaming process? No. Something definitely needs to be done to increase the level of integrity in and out of our classrooms. Many members of our administra tion and faculty argue that Texas A&M is just too big to control the ac tions and values of students. Size is not an issue with the University of Maryland, a campus 40,000 strong, where they are in their third year of a 10-year plan to enhance and revitalize their academic system. This plan, when completely implemented, will implement an hotlbr Jlde and disci pline policy that was not even in exis tence three years ago. Presently, if a student is found guilty of cheating, a symbol, “XF,” is marked on the tran script to indicate that the student failed because of academic dishonesty. Currently- at the University of Vir ginia with enrollment of 17,000, a stu dent caught cheating faces automatic expulsion if found guilty by a stuelent- faeulty judicial board. Are we, an institution that claims academic excellence and pride in our school, ready for this kind of Honor Code? Although many argue that our system could not handle such strict policies, I be lieve that .with the increased pres tige of our academic programs, we are ready to pursue a higher stan dard of honor at our university. Jeff Wilson, executive vice presi dent of administration for the Student Government Association and chair of the Honor and Integrity Task Force that I recently formed, recently at tended thedNational Center for Acade- riiic Integrity Conference at Rico Uni versity. Schools from around the rm- /; lion came together to di$Cu$s what could be done to implement stricter academic and disciplinary codes at col leges around the country. Wilson stated, “My initial impres sion as I arrived at the conference was that A&M was years ahead of other universities of our size. The actual, truth is that we have a lot of work to do in and beyond areas of academic integrity.” > The newly established Honor and Integrity Task Force will begin work ing this year on studying viable op tions for changes in our current poli cies. But, no matter what actions are taken to improve our standards, stu dent cooperation will be a necessity. Wilson said, “The toleration clause of the code is where we see a signifi cant challenge. Many people have seen friends cheat On dh ekaih and not reported it. Ethical and moral ques tions arise as to report actions or not, and in most cases, students choose to do the latter.” Although academic dishonesty is a prime element of our Honor Code, other forms’ll dishonesty are encom passed in our system. Whether it be lying or stealing by students or em ployees, we should, work to see that such acts do not take place. We need to work together in or der to maintain and improve the spirit, honor, and integrity of Texas A&M University. Brooke Leslie is a senior agricultural development major Food quest goes Underground New construction builds countless inconveniences MICHAEL LANDAUER Columnist E very night last semes ter my friend and I walked to The Under ground to buy Concorde Punch. We never bought one for the next night — that just wouldn’t have been the same. But The Underground is gone this year, and I am not alone in my hopeless feel ings of deprivation. Many of my Northside neighbors share in my sadness. We miss The Underground. While we wait for the new food court to be completed, we scrounge through our roommates’ laundry money to find correct change for the coke machines and think back to the glory days when we discov ered the miracle of AggieBucks. As freshmen, the market under Sbisa and Bemie’s was a pleasant surprise. You could spend AggieBucks (Mom and Dad’s money in my case) on candy and magazines. Mom and Dad were funding last-minute birthday cards and didn’t even know it. Which reminds me, I need to get my sister-in-law a late birthday card but I would have to venture to the MSC to do that. I just don’t have time. I hope Food Services is happy — my sister-in-law will hate me now. The Underground got the majority of my AggieBucks last year. Since my par ents will read this, I feel compelled to mention AggieBucks’ best attribute. They teach responsibility. At first it seems like everything is free, but as the AggieBucks run out we learn an important lesson in money management. The more money we squander, the bigger the lesson. So, parents, put more money into our accounts. We want to learn. The absence of a market on northside is not a huge prob lem, but it is inconvenient. The sign in front of The Under ground directs students to the Common Market. Oh sure. Business is up this year at the Common Market, but students don’t usually make the long trek to southside for a couple of Cokes and a loaf of bread. We also need that food court because it is an alternative to Sbisa. Some people love Sbisa and others hate it. But we all try to avoid it sometimes. Cafeteria food just doesn’t do it for many people. The gravy scares me. Even those who love Sbisa are not in the mood for it every day. The Underground offered a place to go to buy frozen, mi- crowaveable Mexican food and pizza. Again, Mom and Dad’s money goes to a cause of which they are completely oblivious. So when will the infamous new food court construction be finished? They had aimed for late August when they started the project. Then they told us it would be done in September when we came back to school this year. That was a pretty lofty goal considering the 90-day work phase had not yet be gun. But they had AggieBucks to sell. Now they hope the whole thing will be done by February. These delays are frustrating, but necessary. They found asbestos and more structural problems than they anticipated. The building is 82-years-old — these discoveries should not have been shocking. They’re also adding a water sprinkling system, and the building must meet new government codes to be more accessible to the handicapped. There are 30,000 students who use AggieBucks on cam pus compared to only 9,000 students who have meal plans. We are sick of spending that money on meals and responsi ble stuff. We’re sick of wasting real money or walking to the MSC or to the Common Market to stock up on gro ceries. We’re sick of having to cook macaroni and cheese on our illegal hot plates in.our rooms. We talked our parents into giving us AggieBucks for a reason and Bernie’s was not that reason. But — after we have suffered through this semester of inconve nience — it will all be worth it. The University will give us Chick-Fil-A, Whataburger, Taco Bueno and some deli no one has heard of be fore. We’ll have our market back with frozen yogurt and huge sup plies of Concorde Punch. We have to be patient in these hard times. I guess we would have been even more upset if they had left the as bestos there and the roof collapsed on us as we were look ing for that perfect birthday card. Our plight reminds me of other hardships endured throughout history. I remember Franklin D. Roosevelt’s soothing words when he spoke to the starving masses dur ing the Great Depression: “We have nothing to fear, but Sbisa itself.” Hang in there, Northside. Michael Landauer is a sophomore journalism major The Underground is gone this year, and I am not alone in my hopeless feelings of deprivation. My North- side neighbors share my sadness. The Battalion • Page 7‘>< i m ' ip/ tgr-" . i : Z*S The Battalion Editorial Board Belinda Blancarte, Editor in chief Mark Evans, Managing editor lay Robbins, Opinion editor Jenny Magee, Assistant opinion editor 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 fetters express the opinions of the authors. Contact the opinion editor for information on submitting guest columns. — (Da.AHfA— - Publicity Floods Candidates use disaster in campaigns Politicians and the media should not use natural disasters for their own public relations campaigns. Last week we saw many images illustrating the destructive power of the floods which swept through southeast Texas. We saw scenes of rescues and heard the stories of loss es. We saw families soaked in rain asking, “Why us?” These images will not soon be forgotten — state politicians and the media are counting on it. That is why they used the floods as a way to serve their needs. George W. Bush was out in his flood gear showing how much he cares about his fellow Texans who still aren’t sure if they are going to chose him over incumbent Ann Richards for governor. And Richards was out looking like a responsible leader as she surveyed the damage and asked for federal help. As voters step into the polls they might re member how Richards “got things done” during the flood, or how Bush consoled the victims. The saddest part about politician’s using such ploys to gain support is that it works. Former President George Bush was criticized when he did not react quickly to Hurricane Andrew, which slammed into the southeastern U.S. coast toward the end of his presidency. We want our leaders to react, but they don’t have to tour disaster areas glumly shaking their head for the cameras. The media is guilty of using the flood for selfish gains, too. Televi sion ads are running with clips of field reporters standing in waist- high water. Their messages are the same as each station tells its view ers that it had more in-depth cov erage of the floods than anyone else. “We’re there for you.” “We care about Texas,” Viewers don’t need to be told how good a station’s coverage was or that the media cares. Do the av erage viewers really say, “Wow, Channel 117 said they had the best coverage and they sure have good clips. I’m tuning into them for the next disaster.” We were all saddened to see our fellow Texans endure this latest dis aster, but we should not let the me dia and politicians exploit the event for their own causes. Tune in for the news, tune out on the rhetoric. Over the river and through the woods Weekend journey inspires thoughts about towns, people on route AJA HENDERSON Columnist I t’s that time of year again. The leaves are turning colors and falling. The air has taken on a new crispness. Football is on. In spite of the fact that the weather is sometimes confused and cannot decide whether it wants to be hot or cold, I smell autumn. Soon, after I put the Halloween pumpkin away and finish my bag of mini Snickers bars and candy com packets, my taste buds will start gearing up for their next major event - Thanksgiving. I cannot wait to go to my grandmother’s house to give thanks for all of my blessings and eat, eat, eat. OK, so the waiting got the best of me. Last weekend, I packed up my things and headed home for Baton Rouge. Of course, my desire to go to Granny’s grew more intense, especially since we were now in the same state. So, after about a split-second’s worth of hesitation, I headed out, destination: Granny’s house. To imagine this trip, all you have to do is think of that famous song that starts out like this: “Over the river and through the woods, to grandmother’s house we go” To this day, I still think this song was written expressly for the journey to my Granny’s house. Granny lives at the tip-top of Louisiana, deep in the heart of Tensas Parish, in the little town of St. Joseph. The entire trip encompasses traveling from Louisiana, through part of Mississippi, then a crossover back into Louisiana. After driving northbound out of Baton Rouge, I began approaching beautiful plantation country. This is the part of my state that is shown in the movies — sprawling oaks, azalea plants and huge mansions. I always enjoy peering through the rows of impressive oak trees, trying to catch a glimpse of the great houses. This time, I slowed down considerably, taking time to read the brass placards on the side of the road that give historical information about the plantation homes. Memories of days past flooded my head as I paused at the infamous “spooked” Myrtles home. My friends and I had freaked ourselves out many times entertaining the idea of going there unaccompanied on Halloween. Ah, memories. After progressing through plantation country, I reached Woodville, Miss. Here, I stopped at the mom and pop grocery that is the home of one of my favorite foods in this world — a giant, golden- fried turkey leg that is almost the size of my arm. After handing the cashier a couple of dollars, I set out once again, gnawing my turkey leg in earnest. Many miles of gorgeous hill country later, I entered Natchez, Miss. As usual, I glanced at the large house on top of the hill at the base of the Mississippi River. I have always wondered about the people who live in that house — do they get nervous come storm time? Do they walk around everywhere leaning, given that their house seems to lean? Pondering these deep questions, I crossed the Back in Louisiana^ I was now on the last leg of my journey. I passed through those towns that are so small it makes me wonder if real people really live there. great Mississippi. Back in Louisiana, I was-now on the last leg of my journey — the “small town stretch.” I began passing through those oddly named towns that are so small it makes me wonder if real people really live there. I always get sad on this part of my journey, for this location, between Natchez into Tensas Parish, is one of the most impoverished areas in Louisiana. It tears deep into my heart when I see the beggars, drunkards and scraggly children on the side of the road in these small country towns. Finally, I began to pass the large com and cotton fields on the outskirts of Ferriday, which meant that I was almost in my grandmother’s neck of the woods. After winding along a three mile curve, I reached my final destination. My grandmother’s home is like an incredible beacon in otherwise rustic woods. This eight-bedroom home is the pride and joy of our family, for it is a beautiful symbol of my grandfather’s talent and skill as a carpenter. It stands strong and tall, just like my beaming Granny who was emerging from the house with open arms. Well, as I sat in the large kitchen and munched on homemade biscuits, I filled my grandmother in on the details of my trip. She listened attentively as I chattered on. Finally, I sighed softly and leaned back, closing my eyes in contemplation on my adventure over the river and through the woods. Aja Henderson is a sophomore finance major