Tuesday • March 28, 1995
PINION
The Bat talion
Signing on that dotted line
Paying rent provides valuable economic lesson
E ducation at Texas A&M
begins before stepping
into a classroom.
And it isn’t just students who
are being educated; any person
who signs their name by the “X”
at the bottom of a contract is
immediately enrolled in a class.
The class is economics and it
meets before every semester, and
then the first of every month after that. It isn’t wise to skip this
class, because it could affect your credit and you might not have a
place to sleep.
Supply and demand. That’s your first lesson.
This is a college town. If Texas A&M University was not
here. College Station — which, would have another name —
and Bryan would only be small towns. Trees would flourish
where the parking lots of Post Oak Mall were poured.
In short, there would not be that much of a demand for liv
ing space in the area.
You certainly wouldn’t see rent the likes of S600 and up for
a two bedroom-two bath apartment.
The equation is simple: if the demand of students is great
the price of rent goes up.
Sure, the rent may not seem that high compared to Houston
or other metropolitan areas, but you pay to live in the big city.
Although the residents of College Station may think them
selves metropolitan, KBTX is a far cry from KTRK.
I’m jealous of a friend at Southwestern University in
Georgetown, Tx. She has lived in the nicest apartments and
her rent has always been SlOO - $200 cheaper than mine.
It frustrates me that for the same price that she pays in
Georgetown for an apartment, you couldn’t rent an outhouse in
Bryan/College Station.
I realize that Southwestern is a very small university, and
Georgetown isn’t much bigger. But it doesn’t seem right that
some apartment complexes in this area are asking outrageous
amounts of money for a few walls of rotting wood. Sometimes I
think we are getting ripped-off by people who are trying to take
advantage of our helpless situation as students.
This may seem like a very critical view, but it is the result of
a particular situation I experienced.
Once when I had waited a little too long to begin my search
for an apartment — a mistake that I haven’t been able to
stop myself from making — I was talking to an apartment
manager in College Station about why it was so hard to find
a place to live and why rent was so high in the area. She told
me that all apartments in the area tried to keep approxi
mately the same amount for rent of one, two and three bed
rooms respectively. She remarked, in a matter of fact way,
that the last thing the apartments wanted to do was lower
the rent.
She said that expensive rent was needed so “other people”
would be discouraged to move in.
This sounds like collectively setting prices — remember
your economics class, chapter four — which is a little bit
more free market capitalism than the law seems to allow.
I’m not sure why she felt I was privileged enough to hear
this information, or why she was just so sure that I would
agree. She continued telling me about the problems that
“these people” cause compared to students. I left right then,
feeling sick to my stomach. This didn’t seem like economics
to me, but something a little bit more perverse.
I’m sure that all apartments are not like this, and I’m not
sure why this particular woman thought she could speak for
all of the apartments, but her logic pissed me off.
If her tactic is widespread, then our need for living space as
students also serves to keep “other people” out of manager’s
hair.
She didn’t clarify the meaning of “other people,” but by the
tone of her voice, she wasn’t just talking about about non
students. It seems she was referring to indigent people. Why
she associates the indigent with problems is beyond me.
But this isn’t Philosophy of Ethics; you enrolled in econom
ics.
So as I was saying, large demand = higher prices.
Expensive rent isn’t in my best interest so I search for al
ternatives: On-campus housing: um... No, too many restric
tions on personal freedom. An apartment in Navasota, or
elsewhere: Nah, convenience would be sacrificed.
Basically, the owners have us where they want us.
When you are turned away from the manager’s office two to
three weeks from now because there are no leases available,
you find that students WILL pay large amounts of dollars for
rent.
If only economics could teach us how to deal with the frus
trations we have, knowing we are the reason for the problem.
Kyle Littlefield is a senior journalism major
The Battalion
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jay Robbins
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Night news editor
Editorial
Presidential Pick
The Battalion endorses Washington
for student body president.
David Washington stands out as
the best choice in a field of qualified
an capable candidates running for
student body president.
Washington’s personal convictions,
comprehension of Texas A&M’s pre
sent problems, and visions for the fu
ture of the University allow him to
offer unparalleled leadership and
commitment to all students.
During interviews with The Bat
talion, four of the five candidates
ranked improved cultural relations
as the University’s greatest need.
Washington’s experience and past ac
complishments demonstrate his
ability to best make th
progress in improving com
munication, understand
ing and cooperation
within the A&M com
munity.
Washington further
showed The Battalion
that he understands
the position of Student
Body President and has
a thought through the of-
fice’s role in relation to stu-
dents, administrators, govern- ***»»
ment officials and the general pub
lic. With that idea in mind, Washing
ton has developed very workable
guidelines and plans of action to ad
dress the issues and problems he
would face as president.
Numerous leadership positions
around campus — including Student
Senator, financial aid advisory com
mittee member, president of Alpha
Phi Alpha and Honors Student Coun
cil — have given Washington the in
sight needed to bridge the much-
needed gaps between the different
cultures of Texas A&M.
With hands-on, factual knowledge
of the way “the system” at A&M
works, Washington has proposed not
only short-term remedies to many
problems around campus, but also
stresses the need to be proactive, so
as to avoid future problems.
David Washington has an exten
sive history of involvement with vari
ous organizations on campus. His
record of leadership shows both his
commitment and objectivity.
He has strong relationships with
many of A&M’s top officials and con
tinually communicates with them to
better the environment of the cam
pus.
Washington also has consistently
shown much initiative while at
A&M. He role as a student
leader has allowed him to
venture outside his or
ganizations’ interests
and work to remedy
numerous problems.
His platform is in
dicative of his bold vi
sion for the future of
our University.
His agenda is a bal
ance of attainable goals
proactive policies.
Washington’s most empha
sized issue is that of communication.
He will seek to make sure that all
organizations and interests on the
A&M campus work together in order
to understand each other.
He also realizes the need to bridge
the communication gap between the
students and the Administration of
Texas A&M.
Washington noted that, “Rhetoric
and results don’t go together. Leader
ship and results do.”
David Washington is the candi
date who can best bring that leader
ship and those positive results to
Texas A&M University.
Quest for break from daily responsibilities leads to
I had just finished two
back to back tests. I
went back to my
dorm, relieved that I had
finally finished.
The week and a half of
stress about these two
tests — half of which was
during spring break —
was finally over.
However, no sooner had I sat down at
my desk, than I remembered that I had
a computer project and speech analysis
due in two days.
My feeling of relief had been short
lived; I now had to force myself to
work on these two projects even
though I had no desire to ever see an
other text book again.
Well, I coerced myself to work, spend
ing all of both nights working on these
assignments. Thursday slowly came
around and I finally turned in my work.
As stressed and as tired as I could
possibly be, I returned to my room and
slept the rest of the afternoon.
My nap was rudely interrupted by
the realization that I still
had more work to do. I
had a physics lab due the
next morning, and I
would be gone all Satur
day on a field trip.
This meant that I
would have one day to
write a paper, visit rela
tives, wash clothes and
attend my numerous weekend meetings.
To top things off, I had a week full of
academic and Corps activities staring
me in the face.
That one chance I was looking for to
slow down and unwind had eluded me
for yet another week.
I know this situation is not all too dif
ferent than situations many of you go
through on a daily basis.
The scenario is basically the same:
having more things to do than you have
time while always searching for that
one moment when everything is com
pleted — that moment when there are
no assignments, no responsibilities, no
deadlines and no one wanting or expect
ing something of you.
It’s a moment that I cannot say I
have ever experienced, a goal that al
ways seems to linger just in reach of at
tainment.
No matter how hard I work or how
much I get done, I can never actually
achieve it.
While discussing my plight with a
friend — who related to my situation —
she told me that what I was experienc
ing was a part of life that we all go
through.
She said that we are all faced with
never-ending tasks and responsibilities,
from paying bills, to studying for tests,
to taking care of kids.
She pointed out that as we get older
we will be faced with even greater re
sponsibilities, jobs, projects and that we
may never experience the satisfaction of
complete achievement of all we do.
What she said made a lot of sense.
I began to realize that the desire to
reach that point of achievement was
part of what keeps me motivated.
Motivated through the endless string
of duties, assignments, projects and re
sponsibilities, even
though I realize
that I may never
reach that point.
Don’t get me
wrong.
I’m not a no
good, lazy slacker
who doesn’t have
or want any cares at all.
In fact, just as most people, I’m quite
the opposite.
I do care very much.
There is a challenge and satisfaction
in taking on and completing jobs, as
signments and responsibilities.
It is a fulfilling aspect of life.
I always long for a brief moment of time
when I've accomplished all that lies be
fore me, a time when I can sit and revel in
being doing with everything I have to do.
frustrations
It is what makes life so interesting.
However, I always long for just a
brief moment of time, a week or week
end, when I have totally accomplished
everything that lies before me.
A time where I can sit and revel in
actually being done with everything I
have to do.
As I thought more about it, I came
to the decision that instead of thinking
so much about something almost im
possible to achieve, I should instead
focus more on accomplishing the tasks
and responsibilities at hand.
Maybe one day we’ll not have any
jobs, assignments or responsibilities to
worry about, but that may not be until
we’re dead.
Until then we should undertake
and achieve what we have to do, one
assignment at a time, even if we feel
there is no end in sight.
We will at least be satisfied in ac
complishing what we can.
Zach Hall is a junior
mechanical engineering major
■MBfli
Mail
Oll
Beutel victim of too
much bureaucracy
Although increasing the cap on the fee
for the Beutel Health Center sounds like
a good idea, we would like to point out a
few inconsistencies in the proposal.
First of all, look at the “consolidation”
of the $15 student service fee and the $25
health center fee into a $40 fee.
Unfortunately, the administration
thinks that the students are too stupid to
figure that out, even though the health
center gets the same amount of money
under the proposal, the infamous student
service fee does not disappear.
Um ... sounds like an administrator is
trying to swindle funds again.
Our second point is that the admin
istration is saying that the 10 percent
increase is the maximum per year,
and won’t probably not be increased by
that much.
But when is the last time a governing
agency has had the power to raise money
and not used it to its fullest extent?
Maybe this suggestion might upset
Hillary a little, but has the Administra
tion thought about privatizing the health
center?
We hope the student body will look
into this with the help of their friendly
administrative official before voting on
this issue next week.
Shanna Nugent
Class of ’96
Alan Watson
Class of ’9 7
Aggie Spirit found in
diversity of university
This is in response to Kristafer Y.
Jarboe’s March 27 “Aggie Spirit” letter.
Since when is our Aggie spirit de
fined by what political figures you
agree with?
I thought that our Aggie Spirit came
from the fact that we all attended
Texas A&M University.
This spirit doesn’t come from the
majority of the students being Republi
can, or all of us having the same politi
cal beliefs.
It comes from believing in the Uni
versity, and all of the diversity which
is encompassed in it.
Therefore, I don’t think that the
“Aggie Spirit” could ever be corrupted
by “ever-increasing political education
and awareness.”
If we “headily accept people into the
A&M family,” then why is “Aggie spir
it” brought into a political debate?
We are all individual people and
have our own opinions. The thing that
makes us a unique university is that
even with all of our diversity we are all
Aggies.
Christine Seward
Class of ’9 7
Affirmative action can
unfairly discriminate
Amy Uptmor totally contradicts her
self. First, she says, “as a woman, I see
affirmative action as a safeguard that
potential employers see a qualified indi
vidual and not just a woman.”
But then she states “women need
affirmative action to continue ad
vancement.”
If you are qualified, why must you
rely on your sex to get promotions? Af
firmative action gives jobs based on
race and sex, and NOT merit.
Such a policy can discriminate
against the best candidate to fill the
position.
Angie Perryman
Class of ’95
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