Page lay • November/, le a lot of program jntinue to get bette: the party were not publican, beat Dei 5 in the Senate ract 1 Brazos County Decj juld be admiredi: 1 sonal victory for ; that away from a victory for Rep ) won over Demo;| Sheriff’s race, nbent Buddy Wintj Shaved ead fixes roblems uring the summer, having hair can be a real bitch. In this part of the country, the lenger Chester Jorppressive humidity often gives tor. I B- a mind of its own. to Brazos Count; king with the stui 1. “It's always beer artisan position, a: Columnist I’ve often sympathized with friends who endure bad hair sea sons. One guy I knew (I’ll call him “Zach”) dreaded summer be cause of hair problems. During humid rs, Zach’s hair would frizz to extent that every strand |ked like souls trying to es- ie hell. r hen Zach asked me what to H.L. Baxter |Sen/or geography major ade an impact,” as not to send a -Board has zero to! ;havior.” setose the cause oft I contrary to pop:.. link it was theresul:. i in the groin. (resident and a ser.:a preventing hazinrn I ve to change, no q ai id. “So many orgam things behind clovolabout this recurring prob- ) now." Bi. I suggested he do what I M Kappa Alpha duB when my hair frustrates me: :nior recreation, p u i ^ a ii Q ff p or me, bad hair major, did not re: s are f ew anc j f ar between. I attalion forcomnif e Lp m y j ia i r relatively short, so — don’t waste time making it irttty for the world. i As an added bonus, I don’t irvice Provider, how to pi» pfend ridiculous amounts of are is needed, and howto noney on products to prevent 4 hair from going berserk. It’s ■iple supply and demand re- Uly: I cut off my supply of hair, fft ctively squelching the de fer mousses, gels, oils other crap that will eventu- [y cause my hair to fall out »way. After listening to the asoning behind my sugges- in, Zach did the right thing. ,■ A.s it turned out, he had a ach better summer after fol- irig my advice. He had more h in his pocket for marsh- a Hows, weekend passes to Fi- a Texas and other things that ke girls swoon. If baldness can give sex ap- il to my cowlick-ridden md, letterheads, the Corps of ladets and Demi Moore, I’m ivinced it can do the same the rest of us. Being bald is in, and during fjmmer, it makes you a hell of pt cooler. iWomen’s attitudes toward proposal may be a bit in- lldulous, but their fears are ifounded. Demi Moore, Grace lies and Sinead O’Connor are 11 bald and loving it. And let’s le it: Every straight man in lerica has dreamt of sleeping Ih Grace Jones. JEven I have discovered first- pid that baldness in women vs intense carnal desire in fen. In eighth grade, I acciden- ■y ignited my lab partner’s Iri curl (pronounced “jerry”) ith a Bunsen burner. A jheri iirl is a chemically induced lling product popular in the Is. (Michael Jackson had a fieri curl when he was black). jThe day after the accident, she limed to school with a shaved Id, and the boys paid consider- ly more attention to her. The ierleading coach even bumped | gir l off the squad and begged Id Girl to join. Of course, she did- fthank me for her blossoming gpularity, but in my heart I knew || was eternally grateful. |She didn’t have to get up 30 |iutes early to fix her hair. [e didn’t spend all her cash on ri curl juice (chemicals in a ay bottle used to maintain curl. For an idea as to what geri curl juice” looks like, rent movie Coming to America). was considerably cooler, en my back was turned, I Id feel her smile ripping a e through my flesh for the r I granted her. o I urge my fellow Aggies to aid next summer, hock your parents, instantly ke yourself trendy and hip d keep a few extra bucks in Ur pocket. Transform the stereotype of ;ies as being a race of red- :ks and Rocky Mountains to a tion of skeeball heads, xcelsior! >.m., Rudder 302 hing v your organization can i electronically, why the is involved in the publish- jr department can use In- ition to the members of nd: any department that is tribute information both in- lal ways of distributing in- itrasted with the electronic and maintaining a Web '.m., Rudder 308 'ou like to team more about >w the basic steps required T1 e items covered will in- sywords, list owner com- a list header keywords to IS. im., Rudder 301 ance Learning Research! ; intended to be an exciting lession will provide an ex- echnological capability in- ucation. The educational n are of paramount impor- icators and their ideas are of the Center are available mology demonstration, essment, faculty develop iter for Distance Lem m. , Center for Distance istrial Park, offF.MM. n. ) i Internet-based Conser- jencies 38.6 million revolving loan ' the State Energy Conser- ivolving, low-interest loans ! made in public buildings lust repay the loans in four j savings. As of August e of Texas over 35 million rergy consumed in state TAR program is the me- 300 buildings to measure litoring network includes ingsville, the University ol niversity, and Texas Tech a brief overview of the how the Internet forms Architecture; W. Dan duate Engineering Pro- r, Mechanical Engineer- , Mechanical Engineer- udder 308 v., Rudder 301 of o the nature of electronic lund this format. Issues to lination and presentation iblication formats, and (ibliography for further (vailable. Open to all in- n., Rudder 302 lorer 3.0 n., Rudder 308 Jsing Windows NT In- 3 is becoming more and t Information Server (IIS), te WWW, FTP and Telnel utilizing NT’s built-in Ac- ill focus on the installa- (ovice to intermediate gy Services i., Rudder 301 The Battalion PINION r 1111U Page 11 Thursday • November 7, 1996 Pretty Young Thing Critics of Michael Jackson should just beat it H alloween is but a spooky memory now, Columnist and we have gone from wolfing down miniature chocolate bars to working them off at the Rec Center. One thing that did not change about Hal loween was that Michael Jackson was jocked all day. “Thriller” played continuously on many radio stations, and the video ran almost nonstop on MTV. I enjoyed this — I love laughing at his freaked- out girlfriend with the big hair — but it still Aja Henderson bothered me slightly. Why are Jackson and his Senior political music all but worshiped on Halloween when he science major is condemned every other day of the year? Jackson has not been convicted of any wrongdoing, yet he has already been judged and sentenced to a life of aggra vation by the public. Just because die man is a litde pale and owns llamas doesn’t mean he deserves to be haggled. He stopped touring in America because of the harassment he received, but now Anti-Michael Mania has spread around the world. A week and a half ago, Jackson traveled to Taiwan to receive an award for his international contributions. While there, members of the city council stormed into the building and tried their best to kick his butt, saying “his international contribution has been to molest lit tle boys.” The Chinese got all riled up and did every thing but throw sushi at him. This whole sad scene was totally uncalled for, but not surprising given the maltreatment “The King of Pop” has been given. Americans in particular should be ashamed of them selves. Our country is supposed to be the epitome of justice and democracy, yet it has shunned a man who has never been convicted in a court of law for indecency with children. Therefore, he is technically innocent be cause he has not been proven guilty. Some people point to Jackson’s $15-mil- lion dollar settlement with an accuser as proof of his guilt, but this is unfair. Just because he settled out of court doesn’t mean he was confessing his guilt. There are many reasons why the Gloved One may have chosen not to go to court. Maybe he didn’t want his fami ly to go through the harrowing experi ence of a trial. Maybe he didn’t want to put himself through that sort of stress, a plausible rea son when one considers he is not in the best of health. That sum of money seems like a lot to nored, and he is rubber-stamped with the label “child molester.” It’s funny, but the old adage “you can’t win for los ing” still stands. We don’t know whether Jackson is a child molester, but we do know he has done a tremendous amount for thousands of ■ children Just because the man is a little pale and owns llamas doesn't mean he de serves to be haggled. the average person, but it is just a drop in the bucket to him. There are many reasons why Jackson would have settled instead of going to court, but these are ig- around the world. He has given millions of dollars to orphanages and charities that help dis abled and underprivileged children, and his countless words of support and love cannot be counted monetari ly. He has touched the hearts of more children on this earth than anyone, with the possible exception of Mother Theresa. I need only to go home and look at my assorted paraphernalia to know he touched mine: The memory of clutching my Michael Jackson doll tight and strutting along with my “Thriller” purse back in the days still gives me warm fuzzies. If he is indeed a child molester, Jackson should be thrown underneath the jailhouse. Child molestation is one of the most per verted crimes in our society and should receive zero toleration. But Jackson has not been proven to fall into this category. Until (and if) that time comes, people should stop being judgmental and give him a break. It’s not right to sing along gleefully with “Billy Jean” and attempt the moonwalk out in public, then go home to finish knitting the man a scarlet letter. Congress balances Clinton’s policies Just to set the record straight, I am a Republican. I voted for Bill Clinton and for Republican Con gressmen. Thank goodness. Thanks to the voters of America for seeing the wisdom of a Repub lican Congress and a Democratic White House. Now there is little danger of any extreme views with in our system becoming policy as we have a counter-balance be tween the two policy-making branches of government. With di vided government, we can expect slow and thoughtful information exchanges that, hopefully, will lead to needed reform in areas like campaign finance, welfare, health care and fiscal policy. For those who are skeptical of divided government, remember the last time before the ’90s when we had a truly united govern ment. The result was LBJ’s “Great Society”— rash mistakes in policy that we are still paying for. Jeff Freds Class of’98 Clinton’s promises will prove empty ‘The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.’ This quote seems appropriate in the wake of Tuesday’s results. The voters of America cast aside all they had heard of Bill Clinton’s evils, and voted him back into the Oval Of fice for a few more years. What does this say of America? I assure you that it speaks vol umes. People vote for someone representative of society. Is it good to know that society has elected someone whose morals and ethics are questioned even by those who voted for him? Exactly what does this say about the con dition of the United States? To pull a page from Clinton, what does this say to our children? That it is okay to do whatever it takes to achieve your goals and dreams? Hardly a message that any village would preach. What happens now that the people have spoken? We wait to see which promises will be kept and which will be broken. We wait to see which groups are giv en their ‘just dues’ and which groups have them taken away (the last time I checked, the surest way to take away individ ual’s rights was to expand the rights of groups.) During the next few years, we will learn if Clinton was truly de serving, or if the American people were wrong. Only time will tell if the right bridge was chosen. I would like to take this op portunity to extend credit to Clinton for improving my polit ical awareness. I am certain that he is the dri ving force behind my, and other’s, new-found efficacies. GregWiklund Class of’98 Comparisons drawn between leaders “This year will go down in his tory. For the first time a civilized nation has full gun registration. Our streets will be safer. Our po lice will be more efficient and the world will follow our lead into the future.” Adolf Hitler, 1935 Bill Clinton’s whole political stance is about taking away from us. First, it was a gun registration law. Then Clinton began taking firearms away from convicted felons. He also wants a law that keeps people from owning a gun if they have been involved with domestic violence. And now Clinton wants to ban certain bul lets and put 100,000 more police men on the streets. Where will he stop? Thirty-one years ago, Hitler stood over Germany and sucked the freedoms from the very peo ple that put him in office. Blind and unknowingly the people sup ported him. Now, almost as an echo from the past, Clinton stands over us. Where did it end for Germany? Where will it end for us? It’s our choice. Trent Owens Class of‘98 Nixon exonerated in Clinton’s victory With the re-election of Bill Clin ton, the American public owes Richard Nixon a formal apology. Romi Bassett Class of’96 Entertainment rules voters’ decisions Regarding Mason Jackson’s Nov. 5 column, “Cynicism of voters undermines politics”: Democracy is impotent? I’d have to agree, but for different reasons. I hate to be cynical and stereotypical, but the average voter doesn’t care about the policies and plans the candidates have. They only care about the show involved in running for office: the scandals, the mud- slinging, etc. This campaign has been one lacking much of these juicy soap opera-type affairs, and consequent ly the media has not covered it as extensively as other elections. The people that do vote are peo ple that know what their vote is real ly about: putting a man into office that would do good for the country. In order to get more people to vote, politics would have to put on a better show in this era of enter tainment, which would certainly hurt politics and our country. Daniel Barandiaran Class of’99 Students should support Aggie Band The Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band has been selected by ESPN Sport- zone as one of 16 finalists in a view er’s poll concerning the best college marching band. The following URL address is where people on the internet can turn to vote for the poll. http://esp- net.sportszone.com/editors/fanta- sy/college/bands.html Please check out this page and vote for your school. Perhaps the school will get some nationwide recognition if we win considering we don’t even have a music pro gram. For more info contact: mdm- ccurry@tamu.edu. John Robert Engler Class of ’97 Church teaches true word to followers Regarding Heather Pace's Oct. 24 column, “Catholic Church evolves slowly to present day”: Some things have changed over the course of the last 120 years at Texas A&M, like the location of Bonfire, and having non-regs as yell leaders; but haven’t the core mean ings of these traditions stayed the same? Yes. Similarly, the Catholic Church’s core beliefs, traditions and teachings have remained consistent over the past 20 centuries. The difference is that the teach ing of the Church is guided by the activity of the Holy Spirit, as promised by Jesus Christ. This will never change. One of the most amazing things about Catholicism is that it has had strength enough to survive in many cultures and through many different places throughout history. Furthermore, despite what some may think, the members of the Church are increas ing in numbers every year. On Oct. 22,1996, Pope John Paul II made a statement that reiterated the Catholic position that there is not a contradiction between the Catholic faith and science. The the ory of evolution, when properly un derstood, does not contradict the intended meaning of scripture about the origin of humanity. The key is to understand science as it re lates to the teachings of the Church. There are two truths at stake here, the first being the theological truth of the creation of man by the power of God. The second being the scien tific theory of evolution. Truth can not contradict truth. Catholics are free to believe in creation and/or the theory of evolution. The central element is that the Church affirms the following three truths. Man was created in the image and likeness of God. God created man by giving us the gift of a soul. Finally, man is be lieved to be descended from Adam and Eve. Furthermore, the Church has always promoted the study of science. It is responsible for the es tablishment of many universities across Europe and America. There are many things in the world that could use a little change, but I certainly do not expect the Church to change its policies be cause it would be more convenient. On the contrary, the Church at tempts to teach faithfully the mes sage of Jesus Christ. We attempt to conform our lives to that message as best we can. Not vice versa. Bee Lee Class of’96 President of Catholic Students Association 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 - Mail 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.