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A&M University or
en of various race,
Thursday • December 1, 1994
fcv I _ * :
The Batt s for
everyone, not
just Commies
■■Bm
MARK
SMITH
iiiiiiiii
Editor in Chief
Spring 1 995
W ell A&M, here I am. The
spring editor of the Batt.
I’m still wondering how I
managed to fool the Student Fhubli-
cations Board into selecting me. Oh
well, I guess I’ve gone and done it.
Now it’s time to actually get
some work done.
As my first official address to the
student body — and probably my
last — I want to tell you a little
about your newspaper and the
things I want to accomplish next se
mester.
The Battalion’s main goal is to
cover Texas A&M in the best and
most objective way possible. The
Batt has been working to achieve
this goal for 101 years now.
In presenting the A&M commu
nity with a newspaper, we are faced
with the responsibility of providing
the readers with items that they
want and information they need to
know. Maintaining a balance be
tween these two types of features is
one of the main challenges we face
day after day.
Journalists are gatekeepers of in
formation. There are many more
stories out there than any news or
ganization is capable of covering.
When deciding what to cover we
have to chose which stories are
more “important.” Not that those
stories that don’t get covered have
no value. The main consideration is
the number of people who would be
interested or affected in a story.
It is this role as gatekeeper that
presents the most problems for jour
nalists. Journalists are people, too.
As much as we want to become ob
jective machines that can remove
feeling from reporting and just state
the facts from all sides of an argu
ment, we have the failing of being
human. And believe me, journalists
hate that. Fairness, after all, is es
sential to a good newspaper.
Next semester, I want to give
Texas A&M more coverage of local
events. That is why The Battalion
was started. If we don’t cover all
the stories at Texas A&M, who will?
To do this we’ll need your help.
In order to build diversity and
maintain quality at The Battal
ion, it is important for us to
have a large pool of applicants
If you ever have an idea for a story
or think we’ve got something wrong,
call me. The only way we will know
if our product is getting the job
done is if we get feedback from you.
Keep us on our toes. I love talk
ing to people who call the office.
I even enjoy the complaints
sometimes. People might gripe you
out, but that means they 1) read the
paper, and 2) care enough about
what went in to make a comment
about it.
In order to help alleviate any un
fairness and produce the most unbi
ased newspaper possible, it is im
portant that the newsroom reflect
the diversity of the campus.
Diversity in this case does not
mean just racial diversity. The Bat
talion has to represent a cross sec
tion of A&M.
Men and women. Conservative
and liberal. Black, white, Hispanic,
Asian, “other.” Corps and non-reg.
Greek and non-Greek.
i Sometimes, it is hard to balance
this need for diversity and have the
most qualified people working for
you. Both are very important. One
represents fairness in coverage and
the other represents quality in re
porting. In an ideal situation, you
have both.
In order to build diversity at The
Battalion and maintain a certain
degree of quality it is important for
us to have a large pool of applicants
from which to choose. This might
give us more work to do in selecting
a staff, but it also gives us a wide
range of talents to draw upon.
If you’ve ever had the inclination
to work on a newspaper and think
you might have the qualifications to
get the job, come in and fill out an
application. The worst we could do
would be to say no — I wasn’t hired
the first three times I applied.
We’re really not bad people.
Here at The Battalion we have a
saying that ideally expresses what I
want to say. The Battalion — It’s
not just for communists anymore.
Mark Smith is a senior
English and journalism major
Wanted: one perfect roommate
Student Life Programs
make search bearable
LYNN
BOOMER
asiss.Tis
Columnist
W oman seeks non-
smoker, must be re
sponsible and have
no pets...It’s that time of
year again. Is love in the
air? No, it’s a search for
roommates.
At some time or another,
all of us have been through
it. It was easy enough to go
potluck if one were living on
campus, but when looking for someone to share an apartment,
house, duplex or other non-dorm home, things can be a little
more difficult.
I am undergoing this search in earnest for the first time.
Surprisingly enough, it is not as difficult as I had anticipated.
Aside from the obvious roommate advertisements in The Bat
talion and hundreds of fliers posted all over campus, there is a
lesser-known group that provides a roommate search service.
It is the Office of Student Life Programs.
When I first arrived at the office, located in room 112 of the
Koldus building (formerly known as the Student Services
Building), a polite student worker smiled at me and asked if I
was looking for a roommate. I replied that
I was, and he asked if I had housing or if I
was looking for an apartment.
As it turns out, before you even go
through the process of filling out a form,
they’ve already narrowed you down by gen
der, whether you have housing, what type
of housing that is and if you’d like, by
whether you’re a graduate or international
student.
When I finally got the nice blue card for women needing
housing, I was pleasantly surprised by all the information it
presented. Not only could I specify what my rent range was
and that I wanted a place on the shuttle route, but there was a
plethora of personal information questions on the back. These
ranged from smoking and cleaning habits to whether I’m a
night person or like to party a lot. They conveniently left sever
al lines blank at the bottom to describe hobbies, likes and dis
likes, etc.
After filling out the card, the student worker asked me to en
ter the information into their computer system. Now, occasion
ally I’ll balk when faced with anything more technologically so
phisticated than a word processor or E-mail. But not only was
this computer system user-friendly, it was pretty fun. Once you
enter your card, you can run a roommate search based on up to
20 different variables.
I got too excited the first time and tried to find someone who
would be exactly like me on all 20 choices. The data bank came
up empty. When I had calmed down enough to manipulate
only a few, however, I still came up with nothing. This was dis
concerting, to say the least. Could it be that no one in A&M’s
vast population would be able to stand a semester with me?
After a brief search through the boxes where people had filed
their cards, I came to the accurate conclusion that not everyone
had entered their card into the computer system. It’s a shame,
really, because when you use the computer, you don’t have to
search manually through every single person’s roommate infor
mation card.
About one hour after I had walked into the Student Life Pro
grams office, I walked out triumphantly with a list of about 10
people who sounded like potentially great roommates. The cool
thing is that because I put a card in the file, other potential
roommates have seen it and called me too.
About a week after I entered my card into the system, I went
back to the Student Life Programs office to see what else they
have to offer, Ann Goodman, the assistant director of Student
Life, agreed to talk to me.
She explained that the office doesn’t exist for the sole pur
pose of finding people roommates. It’s also a useful tool for stu
dents once they’ve found a place to live. The center provides
roommate conflict resolution for
students who feel they have irrec
oncilable differences with their
roommates. Ms. Goodman said
that the vast majority of room
mates walk out of the office much
happier, willing to try living to-
gether again.
Not only does the office offer
conflict resolution, but it can help students with lease problems.
Student Life Programs works in conjunction with a lease spe
cialist as well as an A&M lawyer. Ms. Goodman said the most
common problem students have with their lease is getting
things repaired in their apartments. State law specifies that an
apartment manager doesn’t have to repair anything until the
renter puts the complaint in writing.
My roommate search should come to a happy end, and I
strongly recommend that anyone else who needs a place to
straight to room 112 of the Koldus building.
Lynn Booher is a junior English and psychology major
When looking for someone to
share an apartment, house, du
plex or other non-dorm home,
things can be a little difficult.
The Battalion
Page 13
Battalion
Editorial Board
Belinda Blancarte, Editor in chief
Mark Evans, Managing editor
Jenny Magee, Opinion editor
J. Sterling Hayman, Asst, 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
letters express the opinions of the authors.
Contact the opinion editor for information
on submitting guest columns.
World S
Aids day
Precaution can never
be taken too seriously
In hopes of stopping the spread of
the HIV/AIDS virus World AIDS Day
brings the burden of those infected
with the disease and the suffering of
their families to our attention.
Each year, World AIDS Day is
celebrated on Dec. 1. This year’s
theme “AIDS and Families: Protect
and Care for the Ones We Love”
promotes the role of relationships
in preventing this disease.
It is important we realize that pro
tecting “relationships” is not limited!
to those bom of blood, marriage, sex
ual partnership or adoption. Every
one should take responsibility in
helping friends, roommates and fel
low students fight the disease.
According to the World Health
Organization, an estimated 13 mil
lion men, women and children are
infected with HIV or have AIDS.
Since the first World AIDS Day
in 1988, Rock Hudson, Pedro
Zamora and Ryan White have all
lost their lives to the disease.
Magic Johnson no longer plays for
the L.A. Lakers.
AIDS victims come from places
all around the the United States
and all around the world. The dis
ease is does not discriminate!
against age, sex or socioeconomic
background.
AIDS is a threat to us all.
While abstinence is the only
true form of safe sex, using a con
doms reduces the risk of passing or
receiving the virus. Today, unpro
tected sex no longer just offers the
threat of unwanted pregnancy. Sex
without a condom can be deadly.
Because the HIV virus can be
passed through blood and bodily
secretions, it is important to be
careful around accidents and other
situations that involve open sores
or wounds.
As part of World AIDS Day, take
part in some of the many activities
today. Have your blood tested at
the AP Beutel Health Center. At
tend a lecture on AIDS awareness
at the MSC.
Learn as much as possible to
protect yourself, your family and
friends from the disease.
Celebrate the observance of
World AIDS Day today. But con
tinue to learn about the disease
and work to protect the well-being
both infected and uninfected people
every day.
One-shot issues leave parties with an empty barrel
Republicans follow suit, begin term with controversial agenda
i
FRANK
STANFORD
iimumaiii
Columnist
”m thinking of
changing coun-
.tries! Before the
election night hang
overs had even start
ed to pass, before Bill
and Hillary could
mail out their change
of address cards and
quicker than you can
say “Get me outta
Haiti,” the Grand Old Party has proven that they are
every bit as beholden to special interest groups and the
more radical elements of their party as were their De
mocratic predecessors. I’m speaking, of course, of the
decision by the Republican leadership to make prayer in
public schools one of their main agenda items.
Good Grief. The last time I checked, the U.S. budget
deficit was still wildly out of control, violent crime was
plaguing our cities, average Americans were still forced
to work through the month of May just to pay their tax
es, welfare had not been reformed, war loomed in
Bosnia, interest rates were going through the roof... (I
better stop before I jump out the window).
With all of this “little stuff’ to worry about, Newt and
his gang are taking a moment of personal reflection to
decide that the first issue for our new Congress to con
sider is whether little Jasper and Eunice at Sunnydale
Elementary ought to take some time out from Red-
Rover, Red Rover to offer up their deepest introspections
to the Almighty.
I’m not here to debate the divine impact that a little
silent vesper will have on Jasper’s next finger-painting
project, or to bemoan the awkwardness felt by the little
girl sitting next to Eunice, whose parents don’t happen
to belong to the Third Southern Grace Zen Bible Church
of Christ.
What stuns me the most is the reckless lack of politi
cal savvy exhibited by the GOP leadership in choosing
this issue as a primary initiative. Consider Clinton’s
wishy-washy treatment of gays in the military; it’s as if
there is a genetic virus embedded in all politicians forc
ing them to engage in self-destruction as soon as they
start singing their electoral victory songs.
It seems to me that Newt and Dole could have led
with some catchier tunes. How about “Take it to the
[Term] Limit”, “The Line Item Veto Cha-Cha” and that
of rap favorite, “Me and my Homies Want a Balanced
Budget Amendment in the Hood.” Once a majority in
Congress starts hum
ming these toe-tappers
in unison, perhaps the
GOP could be forgiven
for caving in to the radi
cal right and indulging
in ill-considered at
tempts to reattach the
separation of church and
state anchor limit a woman’s control over her own body.
Like it or not, the unfortunate truth is that the debate
over prayer in public schools, like the abortion issue, is a
symbolic flashpoint for the ongoing struggle between
morality and practicality in the U.S. Many special in
terest factions seem determined to use our national po
litical forum to push religious gimmicks on us as a
“quick fix” solution to the complicated and pervasive
The debate over prayer in public
schools, like abortion, is a symbolic
flashpoint for the ongoing struggle
between morality and practicality.
erosion of fundamental core values in America.
This is a nation used to having all of our fears and
conflicts resolved within the bounds of a standard 30
minute television program. We are all desperate to find
a soundbite solution to moral decay so we don’t have to
really understand the underlying problems. Is the rate
of violent crime out of control? Hey! We’ll just coerce our
kids to pray at school. Are the number of illegitimate
births skyrocketing? Hmm, oh yeah, let’s abolish legal
abortion and force these kids to have unwanted babies
so everyone is punished — mom, kids and taxpayers.
The primary theme of the mid-term election was a
clear message that the electorate was sick and tired of
watching a bunch of malicious, self-indulgent, dishon
est megalomaniacs fiddle and diddle around in Wash
ington while the rest of the country is on a one-way
ticket to hell in a handbasket. The only thing surpris
ing about the dramatic outcome of the election was
that it took voters this long
to act so decisively.
The GOP has been given
a grave responsibility and a
rare opportunity. As R.C. .
Slocum would say, if they ;
“execute well” they will be
credited for having redirect
ed the country and will have
positioned themselves for long-term control over the
U.S. political landscape. However, if they persist in
concentrating on idealogical timebombs instead of
practical solutions, the Republicans will be thrown out
on their keesters just as fast in 1996 as the Democrats
were in 1994. . _ . ..
Frank Stanford is a philosophy graduate student