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OPINION
Page 7
K omething is
missing from
this summer’s
marquee pc;
. A notch belt
Pirn Hardawi
:er to
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ee my client,!
ad said,
the police fore
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ry. The bribe;
. case.
lin testified c:
ies made durir;
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lying an unde:
e hit.
ghlin admito:
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ig Enforce!®::
d him he
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s being “wish
he DBA age
paid people,
said, Hemai
d with the M
ted Hemandei
agreed to sf j
ately $27,SO! 1
urn, Coughlir
e undercover
RTF degree could be cultural boon
lockbuster movie
lineup. Come to think
if it, something is
ive player oftifr^ 88 ^ from movies.
^ ^^™The problem isn’t ob
vious, like forgetting
to take the lens cap
iff. It’s deeper than
that. It’s the lack of
Aggie filmmakers.
Come to think of it.
STEPHEN
LLANO
Columnist
,<^'AMEr a
W \
..we Action*
s
(Texas A&M has the largest undergrad-
luate enrollment in the nation but does
Inot offer a Radio-TV-Film degree. It
(would benefit a university to offer as
■many degrees as possible to attract stu-
Idents. By not offering this degree, Ag-
jgies miss out on a lot.
For example, you have to be luckier
{than O.J. Simpson to find a radio sta
llion around here that isn’t a country
I format. Even the non-country stations
I such as KTSR and “The X” are lacking
1 programming that keeps the listener
occupied for more than 10 minutes (at
least KTSR has a cool morning show). A
student-run station would be beneficial
| for listeners and for students working
there. The current campus station,
J KANM, is highly successful — when
| people listen. Without support to build
(a broadcast tower, the hope for broad-
(cast student radio is hopeless.
As far as television goes, many
think that a station would be too ex
pensive for the University to build.
However, KAMU has the cameras and
the equipment to produce local broad
casting. Surely that’s enough to help
out in the beginning.
When the degree is offered, I plan to
create a medical drama in the spirit of
“E.R.” It’ll be called “A.P.” and detail
the trauma and tragedy of what hap
pens daily at the A.P. Beutel Health
Center. Here’s a scene:
Patient: Doctor, Doctor! I’ve just
been decapitated and I’ve lost all of my
bodily fluids! Help me!
Doctor: Here, take some antibiotics
and come back next week if you still
feel bad. Sorry I can’t give you a class
excuse or anything. Bye.
Of course, this show will probably be
canceled because each episode is three
hours long, and most of it takes place in
the waiting room.
As far as film goes, let’s look at some
of the blockbusters of the summer if an
Aggie, trained at TAMU film school,
helped produce them.
Twister — A couple of storm chasers
-TCkR.
iri
r7
*
arrive at Aggieland after hearing about
a massive twister arriving. To their dis
may, they discover it’s not a tornado,
but one of those O.L/Fish Camp/T-
Camp icebreaker games where every-
one rolls around on a giant mat covered
with dots.
The TCA Cable Guy — Basically
not many changes, except that he’s nev
er around when you need him. Also,
Matthew Broderick has to slip him $60
instead of $50. Not for free premium
stuff, just for installation.
Independence Day — Everyone
panics when large ships appear and
settle themselves over all the major
buildings on campus. President Bowen
appeals to the masses to stay calm and
welcome the visitors with Fightin’
Texas Aggie spirit. Yell practice is held
on top of Rudder Tower to welcome the
aliens. Meanwhile, a computer jockey,
surfing the Internet to find those nude
pictures taken on campus last year,
figures out the TAMU Internet is be
ing used in a countdown against us.
He warns President Bowen, who flees
to Easterwood Airport to escape, only
to discover that the University plane
has been “borrowed” by Ross Mar
graves to attend his upcoming trial.
Sadly, everyone gets destroyed by the
aliens. The carnage could have been
avoided, since the aliens arrived to see
Lollapalooza and got upset when they
found out the show was canceled. The
aliens are destroyed by the crew
chiefs, yellowpots and redpots when
they try to attack cut site.
Well, maybe not everyone would ap
preciate these particular movies. How
ever, the University might appreciate
the addition of many students who
would not normally consider attending
Texas A&M but may if such a degree
were offered. If we really want to be a
diverse institution of higher learning,
we’re going to have to offer diversity in
fields of study as well.
Stephen Llano is a Class of ’97
history major
Famous firsts show what
we haven’t accomplished
W ell I’m proud
to be an
American,
where at least I
know I’m free ...”
That’s the way the
song was written, but
the real world is a bit
different from simple
song lyrics.
America — land of
the free, home of the
brave and a place
where making history
is not always something to celebrate
without concern.
For many years, the United States of
America has been in a state of growth.
We are yet a young nation, strug
gling to overcome various conflicts,
and still, the most ancient competi
tion — rivalry of the sexes — is pro
foundly evident.
It is within this difference of physi-
calities that a serious problem arises.
On July 12, a new film will be added
to the summer-movie lineup —
Courage Under Fire.
In January 1991, the Gulf War was
raging on and a Medevac pilot by the
name of Captain Karen Walden was
performing her duty.
The movie, starring Meg Ryan and
Denzel Washington, chronicles the life-
of the first woman nominated for the
Congressional Medal of Honor for out
standing war efforts.
It goes without saying that Walden’s
achievement is a magnificent accom
plishment, but it also makes you think.
Why should there have to be a first
woman to receive the medal of honor
for war?
I know, I know, the world isn’t a
perfect planet where people are recog
nized for what they have done instead
of heralded for the type of person they
are and how they “broke the barrier.”
Sometimes, it just seems we tend to
focus entirely too much on issues such
as race, religion, gender and even polit
ical affiliation.
Let’s not forget the past incident
with The Citadel, also known as The
Military College of South Carolina.
Founded in 1842, the state-con-
trolled college offers courses in the
arts, business administration, engi
neering and so forth, granting bache
lor’s and master’s degrees.
One subject The Citadel forgot — or
seemed to overlook — was women.
Shannon Faulkner, the first woman
admitted into The Citadel, did not last
through her first week, but she will for
ever be considered the girl who caused
an uproar in gender-ruled institutions.
Although it was simply her goal to
enter an environment she felt would
benefit her growth, she was stigma
tized for being a woman.
Recently, The Citadel announced it
would soon consider opening its doors
to men as well as women.
It would seem men Eire singled out as
well, but not in the same way as women
who achieve more than expected.
When Michael Jordan and the pub
lic first received word of the popular
creation of Air Jordans by Nike, con
gratulations were in order and fans
were excited.
How many people out there know
the story of Sheryl Swoopes?
Swoopes, a starter for the 1996 U.S.
Olympic Women’s Basketball Team, is
the first woman to have a basketball
shoe named after her — Air Swoopes.
Women’s basketball experts and
high officials agree Swoopes has
earned her just due, even with the time
it has taken for a woman to have an
athletic shoe named after her.
This will bring women’s basketball
into the spotlight for future coverage
and increase the nation’s awareness
of it.
One must never forget this country
was founded on equality. But it is only
because of recent efforts that equality
for women has become a concern for
many Americans.
And always remember, where there
is struggle, change will eventually fol
low.
But it is in this transitional process
that one realizes the why’s of compro
mise: why it took so long for change to
occur, why so much opposition came to
be present and why emphasis was
placed so heavily on the personal as
pect of the event.
In a nation constantly recognized
and identified by females being the
first to overcome great obstacles and
setbacks, is it not sometimes better
just to be human?
James Francis is a Class of’99
accounting major
'eland
m York
Secessionists only declare
independence from reality
imore
ado
Columnist
>ciated Press
ne
\.gh it did
standing
AL took
, and the
He said.
and I’m
>n, and I
a^ipered
Id out a
L -te Sox
.art —
■ Dice to
*rie run
EEBoston
•amount
«mu get
=-=. Who
— not?”
A n older man
handed me
two flyers on
the Fourth under
the scorching Luck-
enbach sun. At the
time, there were
better things to
worry about, like
getting to the stage
to see Robert Earl
Keen, so I stuffed
them into my wallet
to look at later.
The flyers were titled “The Re
public of Texas — what is it and how
will it affect you?” The organization
also had a home page set up on the
World Wide Web, explaining its his
tory and goals.
An introduction to the Republic
vouched for the intense pride its mem
bers take in Texas: “We get a special
sense of self-esteem when we recall
our history back to when our land was
its own independent nation. ...
“A wistful dream comes on us that
Texas could return to that status.”
These aren’t just history buffs who
dress up in colonial costumes and give
blacksmith demonstrations to little
kids. The Republic not only appreci
ates Texas’ history as an independent
nation, but is in the process of taking
legal action to restore its indepen
dence from the United States.
After appealing to an uninterested
Texas Supreme Court, the Republic
Wed documents with the Intema-
bonal Court of Justice in The Hague
in January.
| Why does the Republic feel that
Texas needs to be independent? On
I the flyer, such contemptible federal
I Practices such as the IRS, property
and sales taxes and even traffic tick-
I ats are cited. However, the impres-
| aion one gets from the home page is
disapproval of the means of annexa-
1 tion by the United States,
i Richard McLaren, a paralegal from
Ft. Davis, Texas, discovered a loophole
’ in the federal annexation process. In
! 1845, the Legislative Joint Resolution
lacked the required number of votes
1 for admission to the Union. The Re-
| public says that because of shortage of
,: votes, Texas was admitted to the
Union through “chicanery and deceit.”
This is the main pillar for the present-
day liberation movement.
Upon perusal of the web site, one
doesn’t get the impression that spe
cific government policy (other than
overtaxation) is to blame for the de
sire for independence.
A similar freedom movement ex
ists in Alaska. However, the Alaskan
party platform states goals such as
repatriation of public lands, prohibi
tion of property taxes and other spe
cific objectives. This is in direct con
trast to Texas. While the organiza
tion has a platform, it seems that the
banner of the movement is a desire
for a virginal Texas.
Most Aggies probably agree with
the Republic’s intense pride in
Texas. Whether it’s Luckenbach,
Corpus Christi, Marshall or even
Houston, Texas is inherently rich in
breathtaking beauty and fascinating
people. And yes, Texas’ onetime-na
tion status is also a source of pride.
But the Republic is severely myopic
in ignoring the benefits we enjoy as
part of the United States — protec
tion, economic stability and access to
massive amounts of federal aid. De
spite this, they still try to expand the
argument for nationhood.
The Republic of Texas has under
gone exhaustive efforts directed to
ward furthering its cause, notifying
everyone from the United Nations to
Texas sheriffs of its motives. Despite
this, they claim the mainstream media
is not giving sufficient coverage to the
Republic. This is for good reason.
Sure, none of us enjoys paying
high taxes, but the United States of
America provides the best govern
ment in the world at a pretty reason
able price (our income tax is one of
the lowest in the world among indus
trialized countries).
The United States is in no need of
any revolutions, or even peaceful se
cessions, as the Republic advocates.
It just seems so ironic that these fly
ers were distributed on a day when
we celebrate our heritage as Ameri
cans, not Texans.
David Recht is a Class of’97
civil engineering major
Mail
Call
Careful inbreeding can
produce healthy animals
I am writing in response to the article
in last week’s Battalion concerning the
undesirability of the inbreeding inherent
in purebred dogs. Author Tauma Wiggins’
contention was that Reveille, a rough col
lie, has health problems caused by in-
breeding, and that rough collies in gener
al are unsound. My parents and grand
parents have kept and bred rough collies
for years. In general they are sturdy, in
telligent animals.
Inbreeding in a controlled manner, se
lecting only the very best in each genera
tion, can be very beneficial in producing
good working animals sound in mind and
body. Guide Dogs For the Blind in Cali
fornia began as a training center for
guide dogs to aid blinded WWII veterans.
At first they had to rely on donated Ger
man shepherds, Labradors and golden re
trievers. Initially the washout rate for
dogs in training was close to 90 percent.
But since the school started breeding its
own successful trainees, the washout rate
has dropped to about 20 percent.
The problems with purebred dogs like
Reveille stem not from inbreeding, but
from breeding unsound stock. I have seen
mutts with hemophilia, rage syndrome
and epilepsy. Sound puppies of popular
breeds can be found by questioning the
breeders closely and asking for refer
ences. An ethical breeder will have each
breeding dog OFA (hip) certified and
screened for genetic defects prevalent in
the breed. Ethical breeders of collies and
related breeds have the eyes of breeding
animals certified yearly. Some breed
clubs are now requiring DNA testing of
breeding animals as a screening device.
Dogs not of breeding quality can still be
cherished companions but should not be
bred. Breeding related animals can give a
breeder a population of animals with uni
form quality and desirable traits as long
as only the best are bred.
Lisa McDonald
Class of ’93