Wednesday
November 15, 1995
^The Battalion
Opinion
The Battalion
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Rob Clark
Editor in Chief
Sterling Hayman
Managing Editor
Kyle Littlefield
Opinion Editor
Elizabeth Preston
Assistant Opinion Editor
Tasteless Talk
R.C. Slocum's Chalk Talk
underestimates women.
Thanks to R.C. Slocum,
head coach of the A&M football
team, local women can turn off
the soap operas and turn on a
football game, and understand
it almost as much as men.
Last night’s “Ladies’ Chalk
Talk with R.C.” dinner offered
women a chance to hear A&M
football players and coaches
give a lesson about football.
The purpose was for women,
naturally ignorant compared
to men on football’s difficult
intricacies, could learn a little
and share an important com
ponent of a man’s life —
weekend football.
Slocum addressed crucial is
sues, such as how many play
ers take the field for each team
(11) and who the man in the
white hat is (the referee).
In sensing the women’s ig
norance, he openly assumed
they knew little or nothing
about the sport. To put it on
a level they could under
stand, he related it to powder
puff football.
Women all over Aggieland
should be grateful that Slocum
is willing to take the time to
correct their mental defi
ciencies.
The players and coaches, es
pecially Slocum, should have
exercised better judgment in
their remarks. Although a
gathering for women to discuss
football is not insulting itself,
the condescending and sexist
attitude displayed at the din
ner is.
To see Slocum express this
sentiment is particularly dis
appointing, considering that
women fill Kyle Field during
home games and cheer on his
team with the same knowledge
as men.
Perhaps Slocum should do
less to educate women on the
basics of football and do more
to educate his football team on
the basics of offense.
Aggies can learn a lot from Loupot
I f the final question on
Heaven’s entrance
exam was “What does it
mean to be an Aggie?”—
would you be able to an
swer it definitively?
I don’t know if I could.
Aggie-ness is a rather
mercurial quality. Every
time one tries to pin it down,
it moves. Historically, being an Aggie meant
one thing. Currently, it could very well mean
something different. It depends on how you
define it.
Consequently, A&M struggles to figure
out how it can be both a large, world class
university and a small, cozy Texas-flavored
college at the same time. The juxtaposition
of the state of Texas (a diverse and heavily
populated state) and Texas A&M (an old-
fashioned university with strong ties to the
past) has caused more than a little discom
fort in Aggieland.
A lot of what it means to be an Aggie is per
sonal. The perception is that there seem to be
fewer experiences that bring the student body
together than existed in OT Army days.
Midnight Yell tries, but so many of the
students there are drunk that I would hard
ly call all of that unison yelling ‘unity.’ The
same could be said about Bonfire, except
even more students are drunk, and we don’t
even yell in unison.
Reveille is cute, but you don’t have to be
an Aggie to appreciate a darling dog, so she
can’t exactly be called our rallying point.
Occasionally, however, something will re
mind you what it means to be an Aggie.
Maybe not definitively, but generally.
Such is the case with Judson Loupot, class
of ’32, better known round these parts as Ql’
Army Lou. With Loupot’s passing, we have an
opportunity to reflect on the life of a good Ag
and figure out how we can be better Aggies.
His life is an illustration of what it means
to be an Aggie, and by following his exam
ple, we could all end up a little or a lot better
than we started.
Loupot started school here in 1928, just a
couple years before the depression hit. He
and his roommate started a business out of
their dorm room during their
junior year. Who hasn’t wanted
to make some money out of
their dorm room or apartment?
If I had a nickel for every
scheme I had thought up to
make an extra buck, I’d have
that extra buck. But Loupot did
it, which is rare. He displayed
a go-get-em attitude, a com
mendable Aggie trait.
After he had established himself as a lo
cal business owner,
Loupot still helped out
around Aggieland. He
often tried to work out
new schemes to help
the cadets. On hot days,
Loupot would provide
the Corps with ice.
Loupot tr 'd to help
other studems too, by
lending out merchandise
and even money, based
only on Agg e word,
when the need arose.
He was helpful, a
trait not just for boy
scouts anymore. All Ag
gies might try helping
each other out more of
ten. We share a bond,
for better or worse, that
might as well work to
ward our advantage.
Think about the golden
rule, then think about how you could
apply it, as OT Army Lou did.
“For these past 40 or 50 years
he’s just been a quintessential cheerleader
for Texas A&M. Whenever you meet him,
you walk away with a smile. If anyone bled
maroon, it was him,” said Don Ganter,
owner of the Dixie Chicken, and northgate
neighbor of Loupot’s. .
While John Raney, owner of the Texas
Aggie bookstore, was constructing his store,
OT Army Lou would often bring over drinks
and conversation.
“He was a friendly guy and a good
friend,” Raney said,another northgate
neighbor and competitor.
He was friendly. And furthermore, he
was friendly toward people that he wasn’t
expected to be friendly to, not always an
easy task. Wouldn’t it solve a lot of prob
lems around here if we reached out to
those who we felt most justified in ignoring
or shunning? If we were friendly to each
other, we might be more inclined to be tol
erant and accepting.
OT Army Lou’s generosity was observed
by many, especially Shri Parchure, text
book manager at
Loupot’s at Northgate.
“He used to help
A&M students in any
way that he could. He
did so many little things
for so many students
that you couldn’t even
count them.”
He was generous, not
only with material
goods, but also with his
energy and time — two
extremely precious com
modities. Again, we
could all benefit from
his example of giving
without expecting any
thing in return.
Judson Loupot
proved what it truly
means to be an Aggie: a
go-getter, friendly, help
ful and generous.
It’s rare that a person becomes an
Aggieland tradition, but OT Army
Lou, through his kindness and true
Aggie spirit, joins the ranks of other larger
than life legends, E. King Gill and James
Earl Rudder.
It was said of Loupot, “He befriended
every Aggie that came through the door.” So
too should we befriend every Aggie who
comes through our door. In doing so, Ag
gieland would be a much more tolerant and
admirable place.
Erin Hill is a graduate
pursuing a teaching certificate
Loupot
Gy VinbXQ
-tvO
The negative on affirmative action
Bi
Brian
Beckcom
Columnist
ill Clinton has admitted
affirmative action needs
some work but is a good
program. Phil Gramm has
made the elimination of affir
mative action a central plank
in his platform.
Commentator Dinesh D’-
Souza feels affirmative ac
tion is defeated by its own
logic. Stanley Fish, a Duke law professor,
offers a serious argument for fighting his
torical patterns of discrimination with mod
ern forms of discrimination.
People on all sides of this controversial is
sue have offered sound justifications for both
sides of the affirmative action debate. But per
haps the most profound quote concerning the
legal ramifications of affirmative actions poli
cies comes from a little known law professor.
Benjamin Cardozo says “In law, there is a
tendency for a principle to unfoH to the lim
its of its logic.”A few recent incidents con
firm this notion.
The idea behind affirmative action is no
ble. Even though America is a great country
full of opportunities, we have a history of
withholding opportunities from deserving
minorities. Affirmative action is intended to
rectify past injustices and to offer minorities
a chance to participate in all aspects of the
American dream.
Likewise, the principle behind affirmative
action is sound. In order to level the playing
field and create a climate of diversity, mi
norities are given preference in graduate
school admissions, federal contracts and cor
porate positions. While this leads to a re
duced amount of positions for otherwise
qualified citizens, it is justified in light of
our past.
The problem with affirmative action is
not in motive or principle. The problem
comes when the policies are written into
ambiguous and poorly worded legislation,
and the legal principle be
gins to ‘unfold to the limits
of its logic’.
Specifically, the problem
arises when general guidelines
become absurd quotas and
blind discrimination. A few ex
amples will illustrate just
where affirmative action has
gone sour, and where propo
nents of affirmative action should concentrate
their energies.
The problem, with affirmative action to
day is that immigrants and foreign visitors
are eligible, and receive preference over
American-born minorities, even though they
haven’t lived in America. However, accord
ing to Larry Hardy, the affirmative action
officer for the University of California sys
tem, “To make the connection that affirma
tive action should only be for native-born
Americans seems kind of ludicrous.”
As the logic demonstrated by Hardy be
gins to unfold to its limits. Pacific Bell rides
the slippery slope by not even checking the
citizenship of T? applicants, and illegal im
migrants are given preference over the in
tended recipients of affirmati ve a<n,ion,
American minorities.
The spiraling logic of affirmative action
doesn’t stop there, however. As recently as
1994, Catherine Crier of “20/20” reported that
U.S. Forest Service job postings for firefight
ers stated “only unqualified applicants will be
considered,” and that “only applicants who
don’t meet standards will be considered.”
I don’t know about the U.S. government,
but I like my firefighters qualified, and when I
call the fire department, I don’t care if the En
ergizer Bunny comes to put out the fire.
The (il)logic of affirmative action and
ridiculous hiring policies has indeed unfold
ed to its limits, but alas, it doesn’t stop with
firefighters. In fact, it extends to million
aires like O.J. Simpson and Colin Powell.
According to the U.S. government, both men
are “economically disadvantaged,” and as
such, both men are eligible for affirmative
policies in government programs.
Gen. Powell and Simpson joined a group
of investors (which included such down-and-
out citizens such as Patrick Ewing, Julius
Erving (Dr. J) and several members of
Michael Jackson’s family) and bought a ra
dio station. They benefited from a tax break
given to minority owners of small businesses
when they later sold the business.
I wonder if the federal government real
izes that hiring an army of lawyers costs a
lot of bucks, and Simpson is about as “eco
nomically disadvantaged” as Ross Perot.
Affirmative action should con
tinue, but the benefits of the
program should go to truly dis
advantaged citizens ...
The problem with affirmative action is
not the principle, but the application of the
principle. Affirmative action should contin
ue, but the benefits of the program should
go to truly disadvantaged citizens, citizens
who demonstrate financial need, not base
less gi t ''H.
If a youngster grows up.in a poor household
without adequate schooling or parental care,
he or she should be eligible for affirmative ac
tion policies regardless of race or gender.
Only when the proponents of affirmative
action admit their faulty-logic will the ma
jority of Americans embrace these princi
ples. Only then will affirmative action be
considered a noble practice of American val
ues, rather than an arbitrary study in illogi
cal discrimination.
Brian Beckcom is a senior
computer science major
Clown questions
column's claims
This letter is in response to
Michael Landauer’s Nov. 10
sports column about football
and baseball franchises moving
to different towns.
The analogy he used to illus
trate this was the traveling cir
cus, and he stated “... clowns
aren’t happy, but in fact have
serious problems like drug or
spousal abuse.”
That’s when he, shall I say,
stepped on the heels of my
clown shoes.
Allow me to introduce myself.
I am D.D. the clown. I love chil
dren. I am happy. I don’t do
drugs. I don’t victimize children
or spouses. And the only serious
problem 1 have involves my re
fusal to grow up.
Also allow me to dispel this
myth further. All the clowns I
know have hearts of pure gold.
They clown for the smiles of
children, not because of some
perverse reason.
No one could entice us to
dress up in hot and cumbersome
costumes if we didn’t love kids.
Clowns are unique in that
nothing puts a smile on our
faces as much as children do,
when we give them a balloon an
imal or twist a hat just for them.
It’s the same when we per
form magic tricks and watch
those children’s faces light up
when the tricks actually work.
Clowns add a touch of whim
sy to the lives of children and
adults alike.
When I was a child, I looked
forward to watching the clowns
and their antics. They were the
best part of the parades, circus
es and fairs I attended.
Please don’t take away this
thrill from the children of today
and tomorrow with negative
stereotypes and lies that have
no facts to back them up.
Holly Blume
Class of ’98
Investigate before
enrolling at A&M
For students at A&M who
seem to, as they say, “not fit in,” I
would like to ask, what were you
expecting?
If you would have taken the
Mail
time to talk to students here
before you blindly made your
decision, you would have real
ized that this is a predominant
ly conservative school.
A&M has its own “personality.”
It is up to all applicants to find
out whether or not they will fit in
with any college’s personality be
fore deciding to attend.
Just as you feel out of place
at A&M, I would feel out of
place at a small liberal arts col
lege. I, however, took the time to
talk with over 50 students and
old Ags before deciding to come
here, and I love Texas A&M.
It is not the school’s or the
rest of the student body’s fault
that you do not feel welcome
here. It is your own.
Amit Bhavsar
Class of ’95
Creamery closing
a loss for students
Last week while on West Cam
pus, I decided to get some straw
berry ice cream at Rosenthal’s.
When I arrived, all I saw was
Blue Bell ice cream. Now, Blue
Bell is great, but I was really
craving strawberry ice cream.
The lady behind the counter
informed me that the Creamery
had closed down last May.
With my schedule this semes
ter, I haven’t had a chance to go
by Rosenthal’s as much as I
used to, so I didn’t know any
thing about this.
Can someone tell me what
happened? I must have missed
the day that the Batt published
an article about the closing, be
cause it seems that everyone but
me knows about this.
Does the University have
plans to reopen it anywhere?
Kristian Hayes
Class of ’9 7
Edi tor’s note: The m issed day
in question was Aug. 2, 1995.
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