The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, March 06, 1996, Image 11

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The Battalion
Wednesday
March 6, 1996
Opinion
Page 11
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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