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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 31, 1995)
Tuesday • January 31,1995 The Battalion • Pace 13 mrnmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Priceless treasures available for all ^ plain ^Jupl—* Patrons must respect library ru I t was real this time. This was no false alarm, but that’s just.it — there was no alarm. While standing in line to check out some books on the Rasta movement, I saw a young woman walk briskly through the automatic doors, hold a book above her head at the magnetic sensors and continue out of the library. The blatant motion of her arm shooting above her head was detected by the eyes of a student worker. “Miss!” the worker shouted after her. When the shout was not heeded, the worker ran after the young woman, but only to return a minute later out of breath and with a flustered look. The worker told his fellow clerks that he had helped this student locate the reference book only a short while ago. She had become upset when he told her that reference items could not be checked out of the library. It is heroics like this that are responsible for the times your NOTIS search for a book has ended with the dreaded message “Item reported missing or lost.” I suppose that some people think that since books in the Evans Library are free to check out, the act of stealing a book is less of a crime. In reality, stealing a book from a public library may be worse than stealing from a bookstore. Whereas in a book store, a book has a certain monetary value to the store, a book in a library is priceless if it has countless users. The use of that book is being stolen from many. But just how many books does Evans Library have that are missing or lost? I regret to say that no one really knows. Head of Access services (circulation) John Harer said that because of the vol ume of books the Evans library contains, they do not conduct an inventory. However, he said that more than 800 books were considered “permanently lost,” last year. He also said that, in the same year, there were 4,258 requests made by patrons to locate books. I conducted a small test of my own. Using the NOTIS sys tem, I looked up the books available on a few unrelated sub jects. Many times I found that when there were 10-12 books listed, usually three to four were “lost or reported missing.” If you generalized these “lost” books to the entire library col lection, — which, I know you can’t do that easily, but humor me — there are a lot of books whose whereabouts are unknown. Do we have a supernatural occurrence on our hands? Or do we have a few library patrons with sticky fingers? I now need to clarify a few things. It seems as if I have ac- es so all may enjoy resources cused the no lying, no cheating and no stealing Aggies. The Sterling Evans Library is a public library, which means that students and other affiliates of A&M are not the only ones us ing the library. Patrons are from all over. I’m not trying to accuse anyone who isn’t guilty... just the guilty parties — you know who you are. I understand that there are actual cases where patrons lose books and then must pay for them. Even though student workers shelve books and straighten the shelves periodically, some books could possibly remain lost inside the library. Evans Library is a selective depository, which means it only receives a selection of the documents actually available from the Government Printing Office. Some government documents that show up on NOTIS may never have arrived at the library but are cataloged anyway for your information. Another thing that should be mentioned is the phenome non of what Harer likes to call “illegal borrowing.” Harer says that many patrons who take books from the library without checking them out, sometimes return them at a later date. Many times I found that when there were 10-12 books on a particular subject listed (on NOTIS), usually three to four were "lost or reported missing." But let’s face it, if you need a book and no one knows where the book is, it’s not going to be much use to you when it reappears in the library a few months or a year later. Unfortunately, theft is not the only thing plaguing the Evans Library — many patrons possess a general lack of re spect for others who use the library. Some patrons take ad vantage of the fact, either intentionally or not, that they will not be charged for overdue books until a book is recalled. Lisa Schoonover, a government documents reference librari an, says “many patrons won’t turn in overdue books until they are billed, and then they expect me to forgive their fine.” To make sure the library system runs smoothly, turn in your books promptly and update your address with the library so they can get in touch with you if another needs the same book. And to the person who never turned in the Bob Marley biography I needed for a paper I wrote last semester — Thanks. Kyle Littlefield is a senior journalism major fni, ^ppAtep ev rtie. Zxcet&ive, ANC? MB-CZ/A Co\/eRAC,B. Of- TH & 0,-T. £>irAPe>o*1 TR/Au , Will. rJoT AkJX nJE-iaJS STORifS... &o tHAt'6 iT TH£- /ie wb... -'f ...AvJD Coming up rie-xT-, c?o aJ<pT Mi6S CRAPPY $ A SPECIAL- uive CovetAGB of -rwe o.l. TRiAtf <3ors'.lV£i£ BooVc-S fVRfe -rH«K <^£¥.t>0€ I The Battalion Mark Smith Editor in chief Established in 1893 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. Jay Robbins Heather Winch Senior Managing Managing editor editor for Business Sterling Hayman Opinion editor Erin Hill Asst, opinion editor PBS In Poverty? Congress should find budget cuts elsewhere and continue funding PBS. Republicans in the House of Repre sentatives have called for an elimina tion of funding to the Corporation of Public Broadcasting. If this cut is approved then PBS sta tions, like KAMU at A&M, will be forced to find their funding elsewhere or else go out of business. Currently only 17 percent of its funding comes from viewer dona tions. Other local public broadcasting stations in this region receive 10 per cent of their support from local dona tions, which is not enoughto remain on-air if funding is cut. KAMU would have to find even more local sponsors to continue to operate, since nearly one third of its funding comes from federal grants. The federal funds go toward creat ing local programming and pay for scripts, sets and equipment. Without that money, programs would be un able to be produced or aired. PBS is known for its high quality broadcasts. Losing these programs would be detrimental to the community. “For about 80 cents per person, 99 percent of American households with television receive the highest quality non-commercial broadcast program ming and services available anywhere in the world,” says David J. Brugger, president of the Association of Ameri ca’s Public Television Stations. Those programs will not be replaced by the shows found on network televi sion because they are not the kind of shows that attract advertisers. If funding is cut for PBS, it will have to turn to commercials in order to support its programs. This change would most definitely have an adverse affect on the quality of its programs. PBS has long been recognized for the high quality of its outstanding pro grams. If PBS was forced to succumb to the demands of advertisers in order to stay on the air, it would probably have to begin airing shows that sell, rather than shows that educate. It is a fallacy that all art should be self-sustaining. Throughout history, artists have been supported by governments. Though the programs on PBS stations may not be big money-makers, they still deserve the opportunity to be broadcast. The hallmark of high quality pro grams isn’t always the size of the au dience. The local Educational Broadcast Ser vices has provided this area with in structional and research-oriented pro grams for 29 years, like the Trans- Texas Videoconference Network and Texas A&M classes via satellite. It would be a terrible occurrence if that was taken away in the name of “smaller government.” PBS is a source of some of the finest educational and entertaining televi sion that is being broadcast today. Congress should look elsewhere for budget cuts and leave the funding for public broadcasting intact. Mail Oll Certain students should grow-up, act like Aggies count. Each of us make the student body what it is; we are the threads of the great Maroon and White fabric, so if you derive some cheap thrills by throwing an egg and laughing about it while chugging beer at a weekend par ty — Grow up to the standards of this great institution. We do not want to be called “Eggies.” Rakesh Dubey Graduate Student It was a great Saturday evening. I looked forward to attending a dinner at my friend’s place after I finished job bing and a refreshing shower. I got into my jogging gear and put on a sweat shirt which has India printed on the back, then as I was about to leave I thought “Why not wear my maroon and white sweatshirt with Texas Aggies em broidered on it?” After I finished my jog , I was walking back home on College Main, SPLASH! Something hit me on my back. It took a second to figure out that it was an egg splattered all over my Aggie sweatshirt. The blue pick-up proudly displayed a Texas Aggies sticker and a girl riding in the bed of the truck screaming something crude about my nationality. It would have been heartening if they were not A&M students but it looked unlikely that they weren’t. I am as much of an Aggie as anybody else in the student body. It didn’t take more than one game (one against LSU in. 1993) to make glued to the TV or to go to yell practice and follow football games which I had never seen before except in Archie comics which I read as a teen back home. I hum the Aggie War Hymn at times when I am driving alone as if it were there in my subconscious — I am not in sulated and confined only to classes and research, I am very much a part and par cel of the system and it hurts if one of us picks your out for being from another country when you are not used to expect ing any such thing from fellow Aggies. Now, does an opinion or impression of a single person like mine matter? Well, each individual’s opinion does Tradition breaking in MSC dismays onlooker I’m only nineteen. I won’t pretend to understand the world around me, or why I’m a part of it. All I know is what I’m feeling right now. Right now I feel like someone has ex ercised complete power over me and stole something that I can never get back. Right now I can barely bold my pen cil for the way I’m shaking and crying. Today, as I sat in the MSC I wit nessed what seemed at first a genuine and touching display of unity, but then became a slap in my face: a group of people silently assembled in the centre of the MSC flag-room, formed a circle, and took hold of each other’s hands. As I watched, I realized at least half were wearing hats. I really did not think that seeing someone wearing a hat in the MSC would hurt me that much, but it did. After what happened today, I don’t feel like I want to be an Aggie anymore. I’m sorry if these words hurt anyone. Alex Walters Class of ’97 The Battalion encourages letters to the editor and will print as many as space allows. Letters must be 300 words or less and include the author's name, class and phone number. We reserve the right to edit letters for length, style, clarity and accuracy. Letters may be sub mitted in person at 013 Reed McDonald. A valid student I.D. is required. Letters may also be mailed to: The Battalion - Mail Call Fax: (409) 845-2647 013 Reed McDonald E-mail: Texas A&M University Batt@tamvm1.tamu.edu College Station, TX 77843-1111 Americans addicted to sensationalism, refuse to stop watching O.J. saga Outlandish, shocking stories continue to intrigue viewing audience W ith the opening of the O.J. Simpson trial this past week, ques tions of O.J.’s guilt or innocence have again risen. Was he framed by a racist police offi cer, helped by his friend A1 Cowlings or just totally oblivious to the whole crime? These questions and many others about the case will probably become as mysterious and unanswerable over the next year as the Kennedy assassina tion has become. However, one discussion coming out of the Simpson trial is one that we have heard many times before. In the Simpson case this discussion has lin gered for the past six months: the com plaint of excessive coverage by the me dia of the whole O.J. mess. Granted I am as tired of hearing about Simpson every day of the week as much as the next guy. I could care less that O.J. felt a little constipated before his afternoon workout at the jail last week, and I certainly don’t care that “Hard Copy” has found O.J.’s secret alien lover who will testify that O.J. was with her on Venus the night of the murders. But let’s admit it. We can’t very well complain about the coverage if we continue to watch it. Sensationalism sells and as long as people keep buy ing it or watching it, this overkill will continue. If you want to see an end to the excessive coverage of O.J. Simp son’s case then stop buying tabloid magazines or watching tabloid shows. Similarly, I hear the argument that only celebrities get this much coverage. Again, big names get atten tion, and we are the ones giving it to them. Until we Americans quit idolizing movies stars and sports fig ures, stories such as Simp son’s will take precedence over the average citizen’s. I don’t know many people who would follow the trial of John Q. Public accused of killing his ex- wife, this closely, this long. Granted, there are exceptions such as in the case of the Menendez broth ers, Lorena Bobbit, Jeffrey Dahmer or Joey Buttafuoco. But even in these cases the media over hyped the sensa tional aspects of the stories so much that people only became interested in the “shock appeal.” If you are more interested in Mar- lena being possessed on “Days of Our Lives” than O.J. Simpson, then write your local or national television station and tell them, but don’t complain about excessive coverage if you’re glued to “A Current Affair” every night for the lat est scoop on “The Juice”. Another argument that reoccurs with the Simpson case and similar celebrity cases is the “injustice” that issues such as abused wives and chil dren or people with diseases such as AIDS or cancer are not brought to the forefront until someone of national recognition is involved. It is true that celebrity’s cases often bring about national discussion on such topics, and I agree that these issues are very important and need attention, however, the only injustice lies in our placing these celebrities on a higher pedestal than average citizens. The media realizes that we Ameri cans will take notice of a celebrity in the headlines. It’s not that people don’t care about these issues until a “star” is involved, but that we take more interest in a celebrity’s problems than those of our own neighbors. However, we must realize that not all tragedies or crimes that happen in this country can be put on national news. After all, that is what our local news is for, to inform us of events that happen in our town or state. We in College Station can do little to end the problems such as those in the Simpson case nationally, but we can help end similar problems that happen in our own town and possibly even in Texas. Nevertheless, in order to accom plish this we must focus more on everyday people than celebrities. We should use cases such as O.J.’s or the Menedez’s as examples in our fight against violent crimes, diseases, etc. not as spring boards. Just as is happening in the Simpson case, we are too often influenced by the fact that O.J. was a great football player and actor and that some tragedy occurs in his fall from grace. We become blind to the real problems that have arisen. If for no other reason than this we should stop using celebrities as the nucleus of our “causes” and start using average everyday people. We must learn to turn off our televisions if we don’t want to hear more about O.J. Simpson, and we must let the media know that were tired of this overkill. Until then, either quit complaining or sit down and enjoy the show. Zack Hall is a sophomore Mechanical engineering major ZACH HALL Columnist