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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 23, 1996)
October 23,1) -4 dents Associal rill be held at5:' I 1 ry’s Church, The Battalion INION Page 11 Wednesday • October 23, 1996 dents Associalii 5 will be held all:! ain roomoftlie St. Mary’s dents Associallt im will meet at St. Mary's Stm j. For more info anie at 822-3421 ae Club: Practice ttormonal I students Should pide away n 4-6 p.m. at i. Everyone is experience is ails call Tod' 1561. nseling Servit! it Walk-in Sew eling services*' minority studi p.m. in Hem will be seenonl mved basis. For Juan Rikerat i. rosse: There * 4-6:00 p.m. an l^ja Henderson For more informai: Senior political tein at 6966330, science major \ 't’s the middle of the day ... She knows when I get .out of class.... I can’t he lve what I heard when I lened that door. ... Has she no pme?” my friend thundered. I imme diately un derstood. It was one of those all too familiar “catching your room mate doing the nasty” scenarios. This is a typical oc currence, us Ministry: T#it is a sure bet that any Aggie ie Supper at 6|U her has a firsthand story or 'resbyterian Clu ows someone who has caught xie Chicken. Fon oommate in a compromising Yates at 846i;4luation with his or her flame. It seems impossible that g Club: Come ftlople would be bold enough to mcing! BegiiM ave the risk of being discov- s from 7-11 p sd, but nakedness is nonethe- ;s in full effect. And it doesn’t stop with the ittaiion service tatfcirm room. People resort to and faculty events am» any unique measures to get uid be submitted nom eir pleasure on. Creative places advance otthedwl cgefrom the 50-yard line of on deadlines andnA le Field to the Rec Center pool win not be nm w the steps of the Administra- questions, pleased* [in Building. Of course, the list 3313. Additional sniw Ould not be complete without Battalion webpajidpinfamous Research Park. Now, here are a few questions. Wouldn’t the grass on Kyle Any Aggie either has a firsthand story or knows someone who has caught a roommate in a compromising situation with his or her flame. cause booty-burn? Wouldn’t it be embarrassing get caught by police when eaking over a Rec Center ice after hours? Wouldn’t the steps of the Iministration Building be a Id and uncomfortable set- igfor romance? And what about those little liters in Research Park? These places of pleasure ob- )usly have their drawbacks, it I guess that is why people cide to suck up the risk and for it in their dorm room, eferably when the roommate aps on the Jansport and :ads to class. Before judging the pleasure- ekers, keep in mind that this is mpletely the University’s fault, rhaps if it invested in larger ds than those matchboxes that enow provided, lovebugs who ip together wouldn’t be in such empting position to get it on. Also, if the mattresses were ittle fluffier, shifting for com- rt wouldn’t occur so much, nee body bumping would be ss frequent. To add to the uncomfortable idtime situation, consider A&M’s ivironment. Perhaps if the izzing metropolis of College Sta in had more to offer in forms of Jtural activity, students would it have to resort to conjuring up native places to do their thing. Maybe folks would go to the lera or see a play instead of ting around in boredom, entually succumbing to iamy activities. However, since College Sta in will never be the hub of ex- tement, and the rock beds will Ptinue to be placed in resi- ince halls, it is best to just ! ep an eye out for the hormon- ly overcharged Aggies. So, if you ever open your Dor and hear muffled love Unds, just walk in and calmly l ggest they take their business Research Park. And if you Umble on something slippery Kyle Field ... walk on, walk on. Birth of Madonna’s baby demonstrates sinking American values P icture the classic American ro mance: girl ex ploits her sexuality for money, decides it’s time to crank out a kid, meets random cyclist while jogging in the park and asks him to help her out with the particulars. Sound familiar? Madonna’s birth to daughter Lourdes Maria Ciccone Leon (weighing in a at 6 pounds, 9 ounces) shocked some, amused others and left the rest wondering just what the heck was wrong with family values these days. Although it appears the foundations of the American family have been irrevocably rocked by the birth, American values are securely in place. And Madonna’s baby is demonstrative of that fact. The self-proclaimed mate rial girl has established quite a shady past. Roaring to the top of the charts with contro versial songs such as “Like a Virgin” and “Justify My Love,” it’s no wonder many Ameri can mommies winced every time their daughters donned Madonna-like apparel and came home with sensual Ital ian lovers. Her book, aptly titled “Sex,” was bought in hordes and un doubtedly hidden in many male adolescent’s closets for late-night sneak-peeks. Sexy videos, risque live per formances and a relationship with basketball’s naughty boy Dennis Rodman did nothing to improve her image. So how can one assert that little Leon can still live a life based on American values? Because values in America have changed. Now, Ameri cans adopt more lofty ideals based on true substance. Columnist Chris Miller Junior English major For instance, it’s very American to make obscene amounts of mon ey by selling dys functional family stories. Just ask Lorena Bobbitt, Amy Fisher, the Menendez broth ers or any of the guests on Jerry Springer’s quality program. And no one could refute the fact that little Leon is go ing to have quite a story to tell. The average American will probably be fascinated by her inevitable accounts of the numerous “bedtime friends” that Mommy will bring home for her to meet. We know she won’t be hurting in the money department. Obsessive physical fitness is another of the many new Ameri can values everyone is trying to uphold nowadays. The child’s father, Carlos Leon, is an amateur cyclist and per sonal trainer for Madonna. With his help, little Leon should be able to flaunt a near-perfect body just like Mommy did in the old days. And there’s nothing more American than bonding with a baby while still in the womb, relishing the miracle and beauty of life in the delicate features of the fetus. Madonna obviously agrees. Upon seeing her fetus during an ultrasound test, Madonna said, “I was stunned when I saw on the ultrasound a tiny, living creature spinning around in my womb. Tap-danc ing, I think. Waving its tiny arms around and trying to suck its thumb. I could have sworn I heard it laughing.” Well put, Madonna. So the next time you fret about the deterioration of American values, just think about a little tyke named Lordes Maria Ciccone Leon. Indeed, she is the true representation of what it means to cherish American values. A&M ‘Pesty’ Control doesn’t curb rampant rat problem M iss Reveille Ma’am has a new rival on campus. It’s not the grackles, the ants or the cockroaches. It’s the dirty rats. They’re here. They’re diseased. And A&M Pest Control isn’t ade quately addressing the problem. Take, for example, the case of Jason Hubbert. A former resident of the former residence hall, Law, Hubbert battled with the A&M rats two years ago. They were eat ing his food, chewing holes in his wall and disturbing his late-night studies with their trash-disco parties. When the rats refused to pitch in for groceries, he de cided to call his Resident Adviser. A&M Pest Control came to the rescue — sort of. They delivered the humane rodent trap of the future: the dreaded sticky paper of death. Having brilliantly positioned the sticky paper in front of the hole, they await ed the villainous rodents’ capture with glee. It didn’t work. A rat dragged the sticky paper all over the room, spreading the trap’s horrid stickiness before tearing free. “T still have a power strip with sticky stuff all over it,” the valiant Hubbert con- Columnist Marcus Goodyear Senior English major fessed. Fortunately, he decided to throw away the sticky paper covered with blood, fur and bits of rat skin. Rats are gross. Of course, Law and Puryear were gross, too. No doubt the dorms’ ro dent problem was a factor in their demolition. But don’t think the rats were destroyed with the building. Thurman Schweitzer, an RA in Walton Hall, has personally never seen a live rat in his dorm. However, he said he saw a dead rat last semester on C ramp. A resident, dis covering the futility of Pest Control’s sticky paper, finally caught a rat in His own trap. The carcass was displayed proudly in his window with a sign saying, “This is what we do to rats here.” Schweitzer laughed about the anecdote. Mostly, the rodents just get into pretzel and chip bags, he said. No one makes a big deal about them. Ignorance and apathy may be the root of A&M’s rodent problem. Students and es pecially A&M workers need to realize that rats aren’t a laughing matter. Sharon Arnold, assistant director for Nursing Services, is properly disgusted by these animals that “cause all sorts of stuff.” They caused the bubonic plague in the Middle Ages and killed 50 percent of the world’s humans. More recently, rats were connected with mysterious deaths in New Mexico from the Santa Virus. Luckily, Dave Pickens, a Brazos Coun ty Health Inspector, said the virus does n’t occur locally. The biggest problem he finds with rats is their calls of nature. They get into the food supply and then poop and urinate all over it. “They spread filth,” Pickens said. Not every dorm on campus has rats, of course. Tom Murray, Manager of Custo dial and Maintenance Services, says the only current rat problem he is aware of is in the Aston or Dunn courtyard. He’s not sure which one. Poor Murray seems to be left in the dark about A&M’s rat troubles. The last incident he can remember was about five years ago in Law Hall. At least Murray is willing to discuss the problem, though. A&M’s Pest Con trol declined to comment. It probably thinks the rats are trapped in the rubble of Law and Puryear. But rats were never confined to those dorms. Nurse Arnold said, “The rats are in the (steam) tunnels.” They even made their way into the basement of Beutel a few years ago, further proof that any place on campus is just a scamper away for the rodents. A&M’s rats must be attacked in their home base. Sticky paper is useless. Hu mane traps are useless. Rats are filthy, dis gusting, diseased animals. Kill them. Spread D-con in the tunnels and clean up the dead. Make A&M hostile for rats. As Pickens explains, “Rats are tran sient. They won’t stick around where it’s not a great place to live.” If Pest Control seriously acknowledges the problem, perhaps our campus will cease o be a great place for rats to live. Pickens suggests a reasonable approach to rodents: “Rats are something that happens. It’s nature. You take care of it, then the problem goes away.” A&M’s real problem is not the rats. It is the ludicrous attempts Pest Control makes to control them. If Pest Control employees themselves lived in dorms with rats, the problem might be taken seriously. Mail Wildcat appreciates Aggie friendliness I am a student at Kansas State who made the road trip last Satur day to see the game. Wearing my Kansas State purple and sitting in the student section, I was surprised at how friendly the students were. It shocked me because I expect ed to get ridiculed for rooting for my team in enemy territory. I think that says a lot about the Aggies and your school. One fan af ter the game even congratulated me on my school’s win. I was also very impressed with the campus and all the traditions. The chants, the band, the Corps of Cadets and all the other traditions at Texas A&M made a huge impression on me. Next year when play us here in Kansas, I hope all the Wildcats treat you with as much courtesy and respect as I was given. Gig ‘em Aggies! Tim Bannwarth Kansas State student Clinton’s actions deserve criticism Regarding Jon Apgar’s Oct. 22 column, “Criticism mistaken for mudslinging”: It’s about time someone ac knowledges the difference be tween mudslinging and talking about issues of character. What kind of a person com mits adultery, breaks the laws, perjures himself in court, covers up the illegal activities of his friends and co-workers, spends money that is not his and open ly admits to a willingness to use illegal drugs? It’s a pretty sad thing that this man is president of the United States. Furthermore, if Dole fails to brings these ac tions to the attention of the American people, then he does us a great disservice. People deserve to be informed about the candidates they vote on. Lesley Craven Class of ’00 The Battalion encourages letters to the editor. Letters must be 300 words or fewer and include the author’s name, class, and phone number. The opinion editor reserves the right to edit letters for length, style, and accuracy. Letters may be submitted in person at 013 Reed McDonald with a valid student ID. Let ters may also be mailed to: The Battalion - Mall Call 013 Reed McDonald Texas A&M University College Station, TX 77843-1111 Campus Mail: 1111 Fax: (409) 845-2647 E-mail: Batt@tamvml.tamu.edu For more details on letter policy, please call 845-3313 and direct your question to the opinion editor.