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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 6, 1996)
rch 6, 1996 ✓ e The Battalion Wednesday March 6, 1996 Opinion Page 11 tie and a nu- leir health id campus, to,” Cohen ur metabo- sver can be nitted that ways make very well,” .heir eating >n program duding the ntually be- itory rooms d participa te consider was low in Isdale said. o high main- t some point a building is nance that it going.” student who undergradu- lat the build- lolished, de- dVTs history, bound up in ” Smith said, what is best :ampus.” iut she had mbers of the nation, i in and out- heir opinions ally appreci- j dents bring ■age them to leir concerns ve else. * committee, nts as far as mneerned. I e world what hem to gath- campus and mittee.” ry committee surveys from t their needs re also work- l for the cen- ig a program rriculum. Aggies say thanks with The Big Event “Ai ggies helping .others.” It sounds familiar. You think that you might have seen it around somewhere, but can’t exactly place it. What does it mean? Where did it come from? Why should you care? For the thousands of Aggies who have selflessly donated their time to make Bryan-College Sta tion a better place to live over the last 14 years, “Aggies helping others” has become more than a motto; it has become a symbol to the rest of the world that students at A&M be lieve in giving themselves to those in need. Whether it be painting houses, raking leaves or simply visiting with someone, The Big Event is Aggies truly helping others. What began as six students dealing a local cemetery in 1982 has become the nation’s largest student-run community service project. Involving over 5,000 stu dents in 1995, completing over 400 jobs around the Bryan-Col- lege Station area, The Big Event is a way for Aggies to say “thank you" to the citizens of the sur rounding community, re gardless of wealth or se rial status, for every thing they do for us every day. However, The Big Event does not just bene fit those outside of A&M. It is also a day when stu dents can place aside all differences and come together to make a difference As director, I’ve heard stories of students forming strong ties with the citizens they are helping, and I’ve read recipients’ letters saying what a difference that new coat of paint on their house has made in their lives. Students who participate in The Big Event walk away with the deep feeling in their hearts that they have made the world a better place in which to live. The opportunity to make a dif ference is here. March 30 will mark the 15th annual Big Event, and we need help. For the past six moths, The Big Event committee has been contacting citizens and service organizations such as the Red Cross to inform them of the assistance we are able to give. In all. The Big Event is expecting to have over 500 job requests this year. All that is lacking are the students. We need them to help us. Individuals, student organiza tions, dorms or any group of friends can participate. If you are able to help and possess a passion to make a difference, then we’re look ing for people just like you. Student partici] ■‘ ion forms can be obtaine 1 from the Student Government of fice in the Koldus Building, the MSC Flagroom or Com mons Lobby. To participate, forms must be completed and turned into the Student Gov ernment office by 5 p.m. on Friday. If you or a group you wish to participate with have any further questions, please call The Big Event office at 845-9618. “Change can come from the power of many, but only when the many come togeth er to form that which is in vincible — The power of one.” The time to come together is now. The time to make a differ ence is here. Brad Russell is a ju nior journalism major Conservatives at A&M follow a skewed philosophy B y George, I don’t think you’ve got it. An article in a recent edition of this trendy political magazine (start ed by John F. Kennedy Jr. and named after the nation’s first president) identified Texas A&M as, frighteningly enough, being one of the most conservative i in the nation. Chris Stidvent Columnist Something like 80 percent of our student body is supposed to be to the right of the politi cal, social and religious fence. Our fine Univer- sity stands accused of turning out all sorts of politically active young Republican graduates. George, for a lonely old liberal like me, this comes as some expected but incorrect news. Many organizations and individuals in the past have been guilty of making the same mis take as you. Perhaps you have forgotten an important fact of life in your quick and cruel categorizations of this noble University as a stronghold of true conservatism. You see,George, there are conservatives, and then there are Aggie conservatives. You’ve got to remember not to get them mixed up, for they are different. Now, everybody who’s had Political Science 206 can talk with some confidence about where a true conservative stands on economic policy. We’ve all heard the old routines about “allowing individual initiative to prosper” and “less government.” True conservatives just want to be left alone so they can make more money, and for God’s sake, quit pushing all of that depressing crap about poor people and “social responsibility” onto them. They just don’t have time for it. The Aggie conservative, on the other band, doesn’t quite adhere to this element of true conservatism. , After all, conservative or not, all Aggies go to a public university, which is a good deal cheaper than a private school. We pay about 6 cents per semester hour, rather than the traditional $1,000 per class. As far as education goes, we all take handouts. Aggie conservatives and true conservatives do agree with each other a bit more when it comes to social conscience. Both groups stress the values of the past. They look fondly back to the “good old days,” because they think things were better then. Aggie conservatives love tradition just as much as true conserva tives, but it’s not clear why they love these traditions. Sure, things were different in the past, but I haven’t heard any good reasons lately from Aggie conservatives as to why things were better then than they are now. Let’s pretend that some young Aggie want ed to change the way Bonfire is done in some fundamental way next year. Who could give a reason why it should not be changed other than that it’s not how it was done in the past? It also appears that many Aggie conserva tives don’t understand exactly what is in volved in the traditions that they love. Most Aggies have an aversion to walking on any grassy area around campus. One rarely sees anybody sitting or lying on the grass in front of the Academic Building, with its inviting lawns. I’ve been told to “get off the grass” as I walked across the muddy yard of some Northside dorm. The last time I checked, the “stay off the grass” rule for non-regs applied only to the area around the MSC. I was under the im pression that I could roll around naked on any other piece of turf on the entire A&M campus without violating some sacred code of the past. Yet, many Aggie conservatives, supporters of the non-existent tradition that Aggie grass everywhere is a memorial to something, do their best to keep everybody off all the grass, all the time. True conservatives also select the good things out of the past to cherish and support. They love old-fashioned families, churches and schools. They would like to reintroduce these things into modem society. Aggie conservatives often seem to select the worst things out of the past to uphold and support. For instance, some fine residents of Aston Hall recently let a non-white member of their dorm know he wasn’t welcome there by sliding threatening fliers under his door. Gosh, racism and intolerance are also part of our past, along with two-parent families and a mom who stayed home all day. So why don’t we just make such things a little more current? Maybe we could just send all of the women and minorities away from A&M, and spend our time “quadding” each other and staging panty raids at the Texas Women’s College. Perhaps Aggie conservatism seems like the bastard child of stupidity, because innocent young students who belong to the correct reli gious groups and social organizations just have not had the time to develop their ideas fully. Let’s just give these Aggie conservatives a few more years, and then we’ll have a fine young group of true conservatives. I never thought I’d be glad to see that happen. Chris Stidvent is a senior English and philosophy major Dittoheads are not mindless followers I’m writing in response to Aja Henderson’s column “Dittoheads close their minds to harsh reali ties.” Henderson is definitely en titled to her opinion; however, it would be nice if she had her facts straight before writing a column on it. First of all, the biggest flaw is Ms. Henderson’s definition of “Ditto, Rush.” “Ditto, Rush” is ac tually a concise way of compli menting Rush on his show before commenting or asking a ques tion. One time a caller said ditto to what the previous caller had said about Rush’s show. This be came a way of complimenting Rush on his show and also sav ing time to get higher comment or question. Most people watch Rush Limbaugh’s television show and listen to his radio show be cause it confirms their political beliefs, not because they can’t think for themselves. In regards to Henderson’s view that dittoheads don’t realize the problems in America, I would like to raise this point. While trying to explain the horrific problems peo ple face, Henderson states, “Walk up to the dad, mom and four chil dren eating hungrily and ask them what this system has done for them.” This one sentence sums up the real h irsh realities in America. First, many people don’t take responsibility for their actions or make poor decisioi^. (Why have four kids if you only make minimum wage?) Second, many people expect the “system” to do things for them. Just be cause most dittoheads happen to succeed in life does not mean they have lost touch with what America is about. Casey Sullivan Class of’99 I am writing in response to Aja Henderson’s column condemning Rush Limbaugh and all other like-minded individuals who wel come the alternative to the liberal media heretofore dominating any and all “objective” news broad casts. There are some misconcep tions that were brought forth that need to be dispelled. First of all, the depiction of dit toheads as uncompassionate, close-minded, blind followers is highly erroneous. In actuality, Rush’s heterogeneous audience is quite extensive and are some of the most cerebral individuals in America, fully capable of formu lating individual opinions. The Limbaugh supporters are far from an isolated clan of radical extremists. In actuality. Rush’s constituency are mainstream con servatives with a genuine faith in the greatness of the nation and a strong desire to cite and correct societal ills in an effort to see America reach her full potential. Another falsehood arose as Henderson attempted to portray “poverty-stricken” individuals as helpless victims of society. In her eyes, such individuals are direct ly resultant to the evils of capi talism, which forces these decent people to a meager existence. The real truth is that America is the land of opportunity and promise, but its role is not to up lift, protect or provide for those who lack ambition or who refuse to partake in educational pur suits. Currently, the federal gov ernment will aide in virtually all citizens’ quest for higher learn ing. So, those who decide not to take full advantage of such op portunities, and thereby thwart the chance for upward mobility are culpable — not society. I don’t profess Rush as being an omnipotent, flawless being possessing some divine truth, nor is he the antichrist, as many would have us to believe. He simply stimulates the mind while reaffirming mainstream conservative ideals in a refresh ing style. He allows his audience to transcend with him to an in tellectual level allowing for the acute and analytical analysis of current politics. For this, I give him mega dittos. Todd Friant Class of ’99 As a non-WASP conservative, I was a bit perturbed by Aja Hen derson’s article on “dittoheads.” The word ditto does not mean, “Hey Rush, I agree with every thing you say!” The liberal media has construed its meaning into this but this is not the true story. Callers on Rush’s show began saying “ditto” when Rush realized that too many callers were wast ing too much time before they got to their point saying things like, “Rush, we really enjoy your show and we’re glad that someone like you is out there saying what we’ve believed for so long.” Grant ed, the callers probably do agree with Rush 90% of the time, but that’s not because they are mind- numbed robots as Henderson would have, you believe. Limbaugh and his fans who adom “ditto Rush” bumper stick ers are only practicing their right to free speech. I find it ironic that Henderson, a columnist herself, would want to belittle that in alienable right. Perhaps if she realized that not all conservatives fit into the WASP category, then she would not feel so threatened by conser vatism. If Henderson listened to Alan Keyes, a black GOP presi dential candidate, or Ken Ham lin, a black conservative colum nist, so eloquently relay their message of rugged individualism and personal responsibility and she just might come around her self. We should all understand that when the end of racial preju dice arrives, Jesse Jackson and Louis Farrakhan are going to be out of a job. These men are only fanning the flames. Maybe it is Henderson whose “eyes are closed to the world” around her. Tony Varisco, TV Class of ’96 All clubs have the right to exist at A&M Robert Kimmel made a few* good points in his Mail Call let ter (March 5). I’d like to sug gest that we take his sugges tions to their logical conclu sion. Kimmel’s letter implies that, by allowing a club to exist on a campus, the University supports the activities of the members of that club. Unless something has changed, sodomy is illegal not only in Alabama and Utah, but in Texas as well. I guess that means Gay, Lesbian and Bisexu al Aggies is out the door. Using marijuana is also against the law. Sorry, NORML! Now, before some of our more conservative students get all happy and cheer ful, let’s look at all of our reli gious organizations. Isn’t it in the Constitution that the govern ment cannot support the estab lishment of religion? If Kimmel’s reasoning is correct, Texas A&M, the state-supported university that it is, is condoning the estab lishment of religion. I bet we could find close to 50 campus or ganizations that should not be here, if it’s true that TAMU is endorsing their activities. Of course. I’m being sarcastic. All the groups I just mentioned are student organizations. This means that they have no legal connection with Texas A&M University or with the state of Texas. The opinions they ex press reflect only the views of some students, and not neces sarily those of the University, hence the word “student.” All of them, even Kimmel’s fictional Association for Students with Violent and Homicidal Tenden cies, have a right to exist, even if the activities that some mem bers participate in are illegal. Guilt by association supposedly died out with McCarthyism. Aaron McCarty Class of’99 The Battalion encourages letters to the editor and will print as many as space al lows. 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, and accuracy. Letters may be submitted in person at 013 Reed McDon ald. A valid student ID is required. Letters may also be mailed to: The Battalion - Mail Call 013 Reed McDonald Texas A&M University College Station, TX 77843-1111 Fax: (409) 845-2647 E-mail: Batt@tamvm1 .tamu.edu
