Page
Dtember 3,199(
JED
Opinion
Page 15 ;
Tuesday • September 3, 1996 ;
Married with classes
Confessions of a married student
T
e
lepot
atro
Ihe beginning of a new
semester means new class
es, new books and new
faces. But for married under
graduates, one thing never
changes — the same old ques
tion, “Aren’t you a little young to
be married?”
As a married undergraduate
student, I am always amazed
at the intrusive arrogance of
such a question.
What answer could possibly
satisfy such individualistic bach
elor inquiries?
“We were in love.”
“It is an insurance scam to get a better
policy on my 1967 Mustang.”
"In dog years we are both 140.”
All of these responses flash through
my brain, but none would satisfy the
questioner.
The single student’s question is not
intentionally rude or malevolent. It is most
ly just curious.
Marriage is a mystery to people who
are single.
They ask, “Why marry young?”
Already, this inquiry is oozing with hid
den questions.
First, the wild, partying college singles
want to know why people would give up
their freedom — their lives — to get mar
ried. Why not live a little first? Why sacrifice
Columnist
Marcus Goodyear
Senior English major
years of bachelorhood by
exchanging parties and late
nights for a ball-and-chain?
Married life is calmer, but it is far
from prison. Married life offers
security and routine, two ideas
that sound suspiciously boring to
a single college student.
Ironically, married students
weren’t even allowed into some
universities until 1940 because
this calmer lifestyle was seen by
some institutions as a distrac
tion from academics.
Of course, such a restriction today
would seem fascist and pointless since
few college students are married. Most
of them now consider it a post-gradua
tion project.
Perhaps this explains why the
University of California and the American
Counsel on Education found that only 7
percent of students even consider mar
riage before graduation. The other 93 per
cent of students have another hidden
question: How can someone stand to get
married while still in college?
The answer is simple. My wife and I got
jobs and changed our priorities. We
dropped out of some clubs, worked more
hours and tried to spend our free evenings
enjoying each other’s company.
In some ways, finances have become
tighter — no more shopping sprees,
fewer concerts and certainly no keg par
ties for the neighborhood. At the same
time, though, a married couple has twice
the income. Becoming financially respon
sible is the scariest part of marriage.
Suddenly, a new husband and wife
need everything from major medical
insurance in case of pregnancy to their
own auto insurance policy. All sorts of
new little bills begin popping up. But
with a little help from parents and the
government, we’ve managed to live pret
ty well.
Finally, the single person’s question
might really be, “Why are you married and
I’m not?” He or she feels inadequate, like
the geeky kid in the back of the gym who
gets picked last for the basketball team.
Married people aren’t better than sin
gles, they are just married. Single people
are single because they haven’t met any
one they could love enough to give
everything up for. |
That 93 percent doesn’t understand mar
riage. They can’t until they experience it.
Marriage is not like a career that a per
son strives for. I’m not majoring in English
and Husband-ness.
My wife and I got married because it was
more difficult to stay apart than it was to
take on new responsibilities.
Married college students are just lucky.
We happened to meet that special person a
little bit earlier.
.oox
STALCUM
OCQSTOFFS
> THAT
itudent government thrives on input
4
mler to continue
ilfill my role, I
lyour help,
lining opinions
| the student
is my most
Irtant duty.
H owdy! My name is
Carl Baggett and I
have the privilege of
serving as your 1996-1997
student body president.
I would like to welcome
all returning Aggies and
especially the Class of 2000,
which will take A&M into
the 21st century.
This year will be an
exciting year full of many
opportunities.
As your student body
president, I will fulfill three
roles: representative, resource and
advocate.
As a representative, my job is to
speak on behalf of the students at
Texas A&M.
This summer, I have worked to fulfill
my role as a representative for students
by speaking to the state legislature in
regard to student concerns over fees.
As a resource, I am a facilitator for
the exchange of information among
Guest Columnist
Carl Baggett
Senior accounting
major
different groups on cam
pus.
I have accomplished some
of my objectives as a
resource by organizing a
Student Body Executive
Council, which brings
together a diverse group of
student leaders for unity
and input.
We will continue to act as a
resource for students by
developing a media cam
paign highlighting student
involvement and leader
ship at the University.
To fulfill my role as advocate, I
voice the needs of the student body
to the administration.
I have done this by initiating and
supporting the development of a
pilot summer escort program in con
junction with the Corps of Cadets.
Future plans include continued
support for the improvement of the
Library Complex.
Student Government and 1 will
continue to represent students by cre
ating links to tne Association of
Former Students, the 12th Man, the
Development Foundation and the
Federation of Aggie Moms.
I will keep you updated on these
and other issues through The Battalion.
The Aggie name has always been
synonymous with teamwork.
Therefore, in order to continue to ful
fill my roles, I need your help.
Obtaining opinions from the stu
dent body is my most important duty.
Please stop by my office with your
questions, concerns and ideas.
My office is in the Student
Government office in the Koldus
Building.
Also, we need to come together on
Sept. 11 at 7 p.m. when the Singing
Cadets host a benefit to aid a fellow
Ag, former Student Body President
Toby Boenig.
With your help we can make a dif
ference. Gig ’em!
The Battalion
Established in 1893
Editorials appearing in The Battalion reflect the
views of the editorials board members. 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 sub
mitting guest columns.
Editorials Board
Michael Landauer
Editor in Chief
Amy Collier
Executive Editor
Gretchen Perrenot
Executive Editor
Heather Pace
Opinion Edjtqr
Safety First
Student government should offer
stronger solutions
Jniversity’s lack of firm attendance policy hurts students
* t£>m
Campus leaders have been
talking for a long time about
campus safety improvements —
more lights, phones and
University police officers. But
very few reasonable and specific
solutions have actually been sug
gested to Texas A&M president
Ray Bowen.
Now, students are more con
cerned about their safety than
ever before.
The most recent attempt to
improve students’ security on
campus is a proposal by Chris
Reed, Student Senate speaker. If
implemented, the plan would cre
ate a task force to research securi
ty problems and recommend
solutions to the Student Senate.
But Reed’s proposal is only the
latest in a long list of attempts to
boost campus security.
The last two student body
presidents have offered propos
als to curb campus crime. Toby
Boenig wanted to see an increase
in the number of emergency
phones, University police offi
cers and self-defense courses.
But in a roundtable discus
sion last October, Bowen bluntly
said there was not enough
money for the slated improve
ments. But he did offer some
good advice.
“The campus is misleading in
that it seems safe,” he said dur
ing the discussion. “I think any
one out there at night ought to
be very careful, particularly
woman students.”
Students need something
more than that to guarantee
their protection as they walk
across campus at night.
Unfortunately, the lack of
results cast a shadow over the new
committee. It’s hard for students
not to be cynical about the lack of
prospects for improving security.
This cynicism, coupled with
students’ increasing fear on cam
pus, makes it even more vital that
the new committee, if implement
ed, takes its job seriously.
Reed and the other members
of the task force should painstak
ingly research the issues and
think of serious and specific
solutions. The Student Senate
should listen to what they have
to say — and offer strong, rea
sonable solutions for the
University to adopt.
A&M students should expect
Student Government to pass reso
lutions expressing the need for
greater security measures on cam
pus. Students should be represent
ed by people who will take a stand.
The safety task force is a good
opportunity for Student
Government — and the Student
Senate in particular — to show
they are concerned fellow stu
dents and not just politicians.
But most importantly, stu
dents should expect Bowen and
the University to take the new
committee’s proposals seriously.
After all, it is the University
that has an obligation to keep
the campus safe.
f\ h, the joys of returning to college
: I life. Weaning ourselves from home
L/ cooking. Abandoning our four-
k-a-day schedule. And going to class.
This week, I have done the good stu-
|t thing. I avoided the snooze button,
living at every class perky and wide-
;d. However, in collecting my various
labi, I found myself in a growing
ate of confusion.
|t’s those class attendance sections.
Some professors just graze over it,
lile others spell out stiff penalties to
^tune of letter grade deductions for
sing their class.
jhow, being the considerably bright person that I
i, 1 understand (and agree) that if you miss a day
which you have a test, paper deadline or the like
d do not have a university-approved excused, then
Columnist
Aja Henderson
Senior political
science major
it’s your butt and the prof is under no
obligation to let you make up this work.
What is disturbing is that professors
seem to tremendous leeway on how
they factor in your attendance on regu
lar lecture days- you know, the every-
days. Even if you do exquisitely on your
required work and meet all deadlines, it
is possible to still fail some classes if
you are not in your seat just a few times.
This seems very important, futures are at
stake here, surely there must be detailed
policy outlining just how a professor can
factor in attendance, right?
Nope.
If you undertake the weighty mission, as I did, of
searching for specific policy spelled out in black and
white in the university’s Rules and Regulations you
will find vague, hazy stuff.
Part One of this meaty booklet, the “Grades” sec
tion, says that the semester grade can include
“weights as applicable as..” then gives a long list such
as papers and homework, with class attendance and
participation wedged in there. Hmm.
Flipping to the “Attendance policy” section is no
better. Here the university tells us that they view
“class attendance as an individual student responsi
bility” . Then, they abandon the topic and skip to the
carefully outlined excused absence policy.
The rules just graze on the subject of class
attendance weighting. It is basically boils down to
the professor doing as they wish shy of violating a
University policy.
Well, it’s apparent that anything would probably
fly given that there isn’t any detailed policy on the
matter.
What is truly scary is that some of the professors
who penalize for attendance do it on an eyeball basis.
The ramifications of this are staggering. I am usually
the only black person in most of my classes, I am
mocha in color, I stand out.
Wouldn’t a professor notice me missing in a class
room before the homogeneous looking person who
sits in the middle row? It is clear that minorities get
the short end of the stick in this scenario.
Race aside, consider a person with very red hair.
Or someone who is extremely tall. Anyone with dis
tinguishing features would be noticed missing before
Plain Jane.
This adds a double whammy onto this entire
unfair practice.
What is going on here?
There needs to be a definite policy written, and it
should heed the fact that Texas A&M is not a
preschool. Conscientious students realize that class
attendance is critical. We certainly don’t need profes
sors to spank our hands with their rulers of point