Wednesday - March 29, 1995
m mm
m
> - *■' «*•'■ r t
^ ~ ~ ^ , r <?■ i
^ r ~ v , ^ /'f
The Battalion • Page 9
Party politics
have no place
at Texas A&M
Michael
Landauer
Asst. Aggielife
Editor
W ashington D.C. move over, Col
lege Station has its own politi
cal arena stocked full of
enough back-stabbing and b.s. to make
us yearn for the relative calm of Com
munist revolt.
At least in Communism it is clearly
stated that one group will be in charge.
At A&M it is only an unspoken under
standing. And it should change.
A certain organization on campus
— well, okay ... the Corps — feels the
need to organize for elections as if it
were a political party. Perhaps it is a
harmless nostalgic need to be in charge
of things on campus, but it is an out
dated concept that is poisoning the
election process at A&M.
The Corps block takes time each
year before elections to gather together
all those interested in running for of
fice. They chose the candidates they
will support, and all others are expect
ed to watch from the sidelines.
r ITiis year the system has been shak
en up by one candidate who did not
want to watch the game — he wanted
to be in it. People who decide to take
the time to run for any office on cam
pus should be respected for making
such a commitment. This candidate de
serves the same respect from all Ag
gies, despite the fact that he did not re
ceive his “party’s” endorsement.
Candidates have to spend hours of
hard work presenting themselves to
their peers and asking for support. j
They put their necks on the line. Peo
ple will openly discuss their strengths
and weaknesses. They will question
candidates’ motives, and voters will j
doubt every promise.
It takes a certain amount of
courage to put yourself in the arena
like that, and all candidates should
be commended for trying. We should
respect and appreciate their efforts.
And we owe it to them to give them
all an even chance.
We should hear what they have
to say without prejudice. Being a
non-feg, I’ve often found myself r
paying more attention to the candi
dates that are not in the Corps. But
I am wrong to do that.
I have witnessed very strong leader
ship from members of the Corps, and if
I didn’t listen to their qualifications
and ideas, I would be settling for some
thing less than the best.
No one should vote this way.
Whether we are casting a vote for
President of the United States or for
class historian, we should take the
time to find out who would do the
best job. Unfortunately, political par
ties have an entrenched place in na
tional politics, but such a system has
no place at A&M.
Fortunately we do not have too
many dividing issues in campus poli
tics — which means we can choose peo
ple based on their merit.
Unfortunately, without many real
issues to debate, we turn to childish
tactics and mudslinging. Signs get de
faced, and memos get passed around
blacklisting people. We should not al
low this to happen. We should make
more of an effort to punish the individ
uals involved.
The Corps has a rich tradition of
honor and integrity. It should not be
reduced to party politics. It is more
than a political party — even though it
may seem hard to realize that during
elections.
And most importantly, we should
realize the Corps is not alone. It is not
the evil secret police we sometimes
make it out to be. It is only one very
visible example of a political organiza
tion. But by organizing as a political
party, they set the stage for trouble.
When it comes down to the intimi
dation and mudslinging, we can only
blame the individuals responsible. If
individuals think they are helping to
promote their group’s best interest by
resorting to such tactics, they should
take a course in public relations.
No organization wants to have a
bad image, and members of the Corps
hate negative elections as much as
anyone else. They don’t want to be
judged by the actions of a few.
If the Corps wants to avoid a bad
image, it should shut down the politi
cal machinery that has worked to cre
ated one. The Corps serves well as an
example of integrity, honor and disci
pline throughout the year — it should
not take a break during elections.
Rather the Corps should take the
initiative and discourage block voting.
They should show other groups on
campus that playing political games is
not in anyone’s best interest.
For those who knowingly jump into
this mess, you have our respect. And
for those who seek to change the way
things work, you should be commend
ed. Thank you for your efforts.
Michael Landauer is a sophomore
journalism major
Post-Spring Break Syndrome hits A&M
Full week of vacation causes students to return unmotivated, mentally deprived
A bolish spring break.
“Have you lost your mind Drew?”
A long time ago man, but that’s nei
ther here nor there. Another story, anoth
er column, another time.
Oh yeah, this spring break thing.
Abolish it?
Abolish it.
“Diener has truly gone mad this time
honey. Hide the women and the children.
Lock up the Twinkies, and hide the remote control.
The man is bezerk.”
Abolish spring break — a bold statement with no
logic behind it, or a ridiculous outcry with potential
merit and justification?
Spring break causes more problems than it solves.
“But Drew, spring break is a stress reliever!”
Pity, pity, pity oh naive one, spring break is not a
stress reliever, it is a stress annihilator. That may not
sound bad, but it is.
While going to the beach, basking in God’s tanning
salon and maintaining a constant flow of recreational
beverages into one’s body may appear to be a stress
reliever ... it is not.
The stress cells in the brain merely bathe in alcohol
for the week, only to become waterlogged — making
them extremely difficult to rejuvenate.
The result: tan, drunk man returns to College Sta
tion with a laissez-faire attitude and ever so slowly
slips deeper and deeper into the academic abyss.
Seven days of sun, fun and 151 rum turn a once-
motivated student into a worthless, lazy bum.
I call it the Post Spring Break Syndrome.
Detrimental to one’s academic health, if it
evolves from a prior case of Pre Spring Break Syn
drome, the results could be of sco-
pro proportions.
* Naive parents who pay little
Jimmy or little Suzie’s way through
school tnay not want to read any
further.
Oh yes, Pre Spring Break Syn
drome.
The University calender states
that spring break begins when class
es end on Friday. The pre-spring break syndrome vic
tim’s calender states that spring break begins after
happy hour ends on Wednesday.
Looking at a time table, it is easy to see just how
spring break hinders the scholastic achievement of the
average college student.
Catch a bad case of Pre Spring Break Syndrome,
which I should mention is highly contagious, and the
books end up on the shelf a couple of days earlier than
the Texas Education Agency would prefer.
Don’t forget about those vital stress cells — the en
tities that keep us motivated to perform in the class
room. As spring break creeps up, the stress cells begin
to slowly flow out of the conscience and into a sea of
alcohol, thus embarking upon an infinite hiatus.
The absence of stress cells causes the absence of
mind, which in turn causes absence in class. The end
result is not a pleasant one. In some cases it is spelled
B-L-I-N-N.
Spring break and its trail of empty shot glasses, as
tronomical bar tabs and frequent visits to the friendly
automatic teller machine come and go.
Bronzed, boozed and broke, the emphatic return to
Aggieland greets the dazed spring breaker with a host
of tests on the horizon, a mass of peeling flesh in the
mirror and insufficient funds in the bank.
The stress cells desperately try to come up for air;
however, they are repeatedly forced back under by an
array of beverages.
The spring breaker has physically returned from
Padre, Cancun, Daytona or wherever it is he or she
may have been. However, the spring breaker has not
mentally returned.
Monday sees the spring breaker floating through
campus like a piece of lightweight garbage. Halfheart
edly, notes are taken with a lazy stroke of the pen.
Wholeheartedly, naps are taken with on-going bobs of
the head.
A week passes. Drifting , drifting, drifting. Post
Spring Break Syndrome settles in.
Tests, papers, quizzes and bills stare the victim in
their red eyes. Motivation is in exile. The light at the
end of tunnel has burned out. Jobless and broke, the
spring breaker lacks the cash to buy a new bulb.
Content to wade out the rest of the semester, the
spring breaker boldly rides a roller coaster of failed
tests, missed classes and overdue bills.
The University calender highlights several key
dates in the coming month. Three and a half weeks re
moved from sandy beaches and floated kegs, the vic
tim’s calender highlights one key date in the coming
month — the Q Drop date.
Dreams of attending law school or med school or
grad school are flushed down life’s commode. Mothers
cry, ambitions die and the University sends home a
letter that says “Bye-bye.”
Stop the madness, stop the heartache — do us a fa
vor, and abolish spring break.
Drew Diener is a junior English major
Americans must pay taxes for
services government provides
I t is out there. And it is
approaching with rapid
speed. It is lurking in
the near future like a mon
ster hiding under a child’s
bed, waiting for the oppor
tune moment to leap out
and gobble him up.
Yes fellow Americans,
on April 17 (April 15 is a
Saturday) our worst nightmares will be
come reality — taxes are due.
Maybe not everyone is sacred of the
big, bad tax monster. Certainly there
are people who actually pay their taxes
on time without complaining. But the
majority of Americans like to complain.
Taxes just wouldn’t be taxes if we
didn’t postpone, resent, try to avoid or
forget to pay them. In fact, they might
not be that bad.
The general American attitude to
ward taxes is amazing. First of all, how
do people forget to file their income tax
forms? Really, it is not as if there was
n’t a plethora of newspaper articles and
news broadcasts reminding the popula
tion of its dreaded obligation to its
country. Even those who live in com
plete oblivion to the world around them
would have a hard time making a con
vincing argument that during the whole
month of April they never heard the
word “taxes.”
But even more entertaining than
watching the “forgetful taxpayers” is
watching the vehement anger of the
“complaining taxpayers” build as the
due date draws closer.
The “complainers” feel abused, ex
ploited and robed by the government.
Really, what right does the govern
ment have to take part of their hard-
earned money?
Let’s pause for a brief hypothetical.
Let’s pretend the government is a
health club. Let’s pretend it is a pretty
nice health club. Maybe a few machines
break occasionally, but overall it is
clean, well-equipped and runs fairly
smoothly — especially in comparison to
other health clubs. No one would think
that it was completely crazy for the
health club to charge its members a fee
in order to maintain the club.
In a similar manner, the U.S. gov
ernment requires citizens to pay a year
ly fee, and in exchange, the taxpayers
get to live here. This is an important
point, when taxpayers are reminded
that if they didn’t live in America, they
would be living elsewhere. And “else
where” may not have as nice equipment
or as many membership benefits.
Continuing our health club hypothet
ical. Some members may argue that
they only use the cardiovascular equip
ment ... so why should they have to pay
for all the other equipment that they
will never use. To
which the health club
responds, “Because you
want to join this health
club. If you don’t want
our equipment, go
somewhere else.”
At least with the
government, Ameri
cans have the ability to
elect the people who
decide what kind of equipment they are
going to provide.
Once we get past the fact that taxes
are due and they must be paid, we
take particular pleasure in making a
big spectacle about how much certain
people are paying in comparison to
how much other people are paying. Af
ter all, it is very important that our
suffering be equal.
As is often is the case around tax
time. Congress has been talking about
tax cuts. Recently, the Republicans
have been criticized for supporting tax
breaks for the wealthy. A Washington
Post-ABC News Poll suggested that 59
percent of Americans believe the Re
publicans go too far in helping the rich
and cutting needed government ser
vices that benefit average Americans as
well as the poor.
Let’s pause for another brief hypo
thetical. Let’s pretend it is Christmas,
and Grandma arrives with two gifts.
Your brother gets a brand new moun
tain bicycle, and you get Silly F*uddy.
Now, who is going to be upset?
The point is that Grandma would
never do that, and neither should the
government.
If we consider the right to live in
America a good provided by the govern
ment and purchased by taxpayers, it
makes sense to say that no one should
get more good for less money or less
good for more money.
However, this philosophy, taken liter
ally, would demand that everyone paid a
flat rate. Which, like it or not, is unfair.
And because fairness is of utmost impor
tance to retain peace among people, flat
rates are out of the question.
So the big, bad tax monster in his in
finite big, bad wisdom came up with a
system that became the model for many
other countries — where the taxpayers
pay a percentage of their annual in
comes minus children and other accept
able deductions.
And this system works out pretty
equally if we think about. The only
problem is, once we realize this, in
walks Congress with a bicycle for the
rich and silly puddy for the poor (or
vice versa).
Jenny Magee is a junior English
and journalism major
The Battalion
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.
Mark Smith
Editor in chid
Jay Robbins Heather Winch
Senior Matutging Managing editor
editor for Business
Sterling Hayman
Opinion editor
Erin Hill
Asst, opinion editor
EDITORIAL
Education Expenses
The Texas House should not increase
out-of-state tuition by 26 percent at once.
House Bill 1792, which calls for a
26 percent increase in out-of-state tu
ition for Texas Universities, should
not be passed. Such a bill would not
only discourage out-of-state students
from attending Texas A&M, but could
also have a detrimental effect on some
of the University’s programs.
Texas universities have always
been known for their affordable educa
tion rates. Currently, Texas A&M
ranks 48th among the most affordable
schools in the nation. However, if this
bill is passed, the University would no
longer be grouped in this category.
Because the price of an education at
Texas A&M is relatively inexpensive,
many out-of-state students choose to at
tend this institution rather than schools
in their own states.
If out-of-state tuition is increased by
26 percent at one time, A&M’s out-of-
state recruitment efforts could be seri
ously affected.
While it is true that this bill would
effect more graduate students than
undergraduate students, it still would
have negative effects. Graduate stu
dents play a very important role in the
education process at A&M as teachers
assistants and lab instructors.
An increase in out-of-state tuition
may be needed, but an increase of 26
percent at one time is ridiculous.
If the increase were implemented in
smaller increments, perhaps such a
bill would not be as detrimental. For
example, by increasing tuition by al
most 30 percent, out-of-state students
would be forced to pay almost twice as
much for each credit hour, as com
pared to Texas residents.
Texas A&M has a reputation
based upon its academic curriculum,
student programs, traditions and its
affordable price — the exact reasons
why so many students are attracted
to this institution.
Texas universities should continue
to offer an affordable education to stu
dents who are dedicated and commit
ted to their futures. Such a dramatic
increase in out-of-state tuition would
deny many that opportunity.
Mail
Oll
Involvement in other
education important
Have you been wanting to get in
volved in “the other education” but
didn’t really know how? Or have you
been watching the way different is
sues are being handled on campus and
say, “If I knew how to get involved I
could make a difference.” Well, here’s
your opportunity to get involved no
matter what your reasoning is. Every
year students are selected to represent
the students’ voice on a variety of Uni
versity Committees. Some issues these
committees tackle include Parking,
Lighting, Academic Appeals, Illegal
Discrimination, Honors Programs, Fi
nancial Aid and Student Health Ser
vices. These are only a few of the pos
sible issues to help represent the stu
dent body on. If you’re interested in
getting involved there is an applica
tion procedure that needs to be com
pleted. You can pick up one of these
applications and a description of all
committees in the Student Govern
ment Office in the Koldus Building.
Applications are due at 5 p.m. on
March 31, 1995. Any questions please
contact the Student Government Of
fice at 845-3051.
University Committees
Battalion should not
endorse candidates
The Battalion has gone too far this
time. The endorsement of one of the
Student Body President candidates was
way out of line.
I know the Student Senate passed an
endorsement package, but it clearly
stated that no money be spend on en
dorsements.
Did you fail to read that part?
By using The Battalion to make a po
litical endorsement, the editors not only
spent money on an endorsement, but
also spent our money.
As students, we have no choice but
to pay the ridiculous fees imposed on
us. As leaders of the student newspa
per, you have an obligation to use that
portion of those fees allocated to you
prudently.
In the future, please remember that
we are all subject to the Election Com
mission’s regulations.
Renee’ Bleifeld
Class of ’98
Accompanied by 10 signatures
Editor’s note —
• The Battalion always endorses
a candidate for Student Body Presi
dent. The endorsement was made
after two extensive interviews with
each of the candidates and review
of their platforms and ideas. The
Election Commission was fully
aware of The Battalion’s plans for
an endorsement.