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Jam Van
A&M campy']
Fountain,
li truck is the-;
ie NBA JamS:
- popular inte,|
an event.
Jam Van opr
msforms intosMnhe College Republicans has a
a basketball ell long history of disenchanting
hallengesop •*- traditional Republican voters
es include f^|% un P us > disrespecting minori-
ee-point s 1 esjand distributing misinforma-
g The vat 01110 f° rmer students. It’s high
lorabilia set 4fmeonepat*oseguysonthe
Be for a job well done,
all, a mercl!:B^
ers a CD-R01 f
. to the NBA.
is free.
How
many times
have you
heard a fel
low Ag say,
“It took
coming to
Texas A&M
for me to
consider
myself liber
al,” or, “I
may be Re
publican,
mi rvv k buttheCol-
\ I < y ioun; 3 g e Republicans do not express
Sinoltz — a dim I believe in”? And yet the orga-
iiition continues to strive for ex-
remism. How noble.
_Tmy organization that has blind
^^aith in its own principles and disre-
;ard for the opinions of other stu-
lents should be respected for its
million an jravery in sticking to its extreme be-
>ert Belle a iefs in the face of adversity,
reed to Tuest; And there’s no doubt in anyone’s
led the majenind that the College Republicans
176 strikeout.' las had its fair share of adversity.
RA. He addKi ifake, for instance, two years ago
he postseason IS an example. Certain members in
■e beaten bvtithe organization felt the need to dis-
i the World Set-frit 1 ute tasteless fliers with the in-
I now turn it' enl °t showing the horrors of affir-
ong-term il nalive action. Many students
! I u , | ' conservative and liberal alike) rose
' winner n n P rotest to the fliers, pointing out
Chris Miller
(AP) — The.t
eep the best r _
ntact after
il million. fJW
G la vine, the
of the rotatiot
heir offensive nature and insensi-
ivity to minorities. The College Re-
:1 in a
shurgh.
publicans remained undaunted.
111 act tnroug ^bout a year after that fiasco, the
\ e also u jollege Republicans again came
,n inder excessive scrutiny for a scan-
la! I like to call Culturegate. It
, temmed from former College Re-
D re[11® U,)licans ’ president Lydia Percival’s
und-raising letter to former sta
ts. The letter was intended to
iriticize the multiculturalism re-
,p) _^| l ii(|uirement being considered by fac-
, L„ v ;ilty and the administration. Perci-
uwons - , , r . ,
m il vyedr. |7a s l etter to the former Ags urged
or
the
Rockets'
hem to donate money to the orga-
tization to stop A&M from becom-
ng “just another college!”
fHowever, Dr. Carolyn Adair, di-
ter re if
hospil j .getor of student activities, said the
as fitter was ‘‘full of misinformation,
pedon" 1 YiJjng information, and informa-
lurther j 0I1 f a ken out of context.” The Col-
Ohji 1 ’ e g e Republicans was charged with
I develoi /jJating fund-raising activities and
I irregular providing false information to
heartbf jrospective contributors,
drinkkl “ ]3 U t those crazy conservatives
/ater duriifjtuck to their guns, and Percival de-
i ight. ended her actions by saying that
i medicatin' 1 he letters contents were “totally
eart, but wh ( within the realm of possibility.” Way
ful, doctorsp) go, Percival! Hopefully other stu-
■dnesday to dents will recognize the courage it
o normal, s l :ook to face these charges with such
team physif i lame argument, especially in light
d Olajuwowjhe fact that Culturegate success-
:ased fromplly disenchanted many conserva-
ital within Mvl Aggies in the process,
ding on testuBpor those who believe sufficient
ds expectedmdence still does not exist to give
lelined foil he College Republicans a big
humbs up for its courage in the
e optimisii ace of adversity, one can always
d show no fook at Phil Gramm’s political rally
ot believe tlo announce his candidacy for pres-
t e ms from dent. In an effort to stifle all other
r abnormalboints of view and protect the sanc-
ity of the conservative agenda, cer-
isual findinipn College Republicans accosted
ve hope antyrotesters and attempted to block
will resolve|hp confiscate signs which were not
on and do‘nfirely conservative in nature.
;aid. I It takes a lot of gumption to vio-
•te the First Amendment for the
:e of one’s own organization. My
Bpect for the organization proba-
fy tripled that fateful day.
T| pggg 7 j Finally, ignoring the concerns
° Bd opinions of the generally con-
dent of anoBvative student body appears idi-
ournameif It would seem that any conser-
ing the tear ^Ave organization which does not
1 that is com ^ cessfully demonstrate the values
northern iiF^d opinions of most of the conser-
ng the desii ^Aves on campus has no need to
hands of ® ut reality, the College Re-
^blicans is simply an organization
, t0 pj a „ aI1 (iicused on representing die most
• ased to v.|® renie °f values — and where
re tn natiow 1 ^^ society be without conserva-
0 |Ve extremists? Probably flushing
geL
^• t0 sM™ t ^ le to ^ et socialism.
6 * nten IB ri^e next time you consider
to get t° “ ttiaki ng a scathing remark about the
y to be si ftllege Republicans, also consider
Although ’‘'ffie kinds of values the organization
l out for 11 Blects among all of its adversity,
and it * s ‘ Jhe courage needed to defend ex-
IV far the)' trenie and insensitive ideas is some-
ping all good Aggies should admire.
The Battalion
PINION
Page 9
Thursday • November 21, 1996
Political rift helps Southern Baptists evolve
“I need God, not the
political church.”
Sam Phillips
B ill Moyers has de
veloped break
through medicine
for his fellow Southern
Baptists: change.
Moyers, host of
PBS’s Genesis: A Living
Conversation witli Bill
Moyers, addressed the
Texas Baptist General
Convention in Ft. Worth last
week. Met with both praise and
contempt among convention
eers, Moyers’ opinions on the
Southern Baptist Church were
surprising, courageous and,
above all, refreshing. In the
search for knowledge, existing
beliefs must be scrutinized, and
Moyers should not be criticized
or shunned for encouraging
free thought.
In his Nov. 12 speech, Moyers
praised the Texas Baptist General
Convention for its criticism of the
Southern Baptist Convention’s far
right wing, calling the wing’s ide
ology “alien.” Furthermore, he
supported the Texas Baptists’ de
cision to distance themselves
from the “fundamentalists” who
control the larger Southern Bap
tist Convention.
Moyers correctly assessed the
fundamentalist faction’s crusade
as “less a set of ideas than it is a
pathological distemper, a mili
tant anger over the fact that the
universe is not closed and life is
not static.”
Indeed, the
Southern Baptist
Church vilifies
public opinion
changes con
cerning abortion,
child-rearing,
corporal punish
ment, women’s
rights or any oth
er issue the
Church deems
contradictory to
the will of God.
The Church has
become political, more so than
anything else, and it seems the
Columnist
H.L. Baxter
Senior geography major
Moyers believes
that none of
man’s beliefs can
be static in a
world of flux,
and religion is
no exception.
purpose of their con
ventions is to agree on
a definition of “the will
of God.”
When the Southern
Baptist Church (or any
other Christian church
for that matter) comes
to a consensus as to
what the will of God is,
it begins building plat
forms, taking stances
and passing judgment.
In effect, hypocrisy
evolves: The Church uses its idea
of “the will of God” to play God,
instead of using it to regulate and
improve its members’ lives. Moy
ers recognized this trend within
the Southern Baptist Church and
accosted its leaders.
He challenged the Church to
re-evaluate its policy of strict
Biblical interpretation and en
tertain a degree o^ tolerance.
Over the past few years,
Southern Baptists have dis
agreed on how literally the Bible
should be taken.
Liberal thinkers within the
Church advocate placing the
contents of the Bible in the
context it was written and
building a platform on a mod
ern issue from there; conserva
tive minds advocate a more lit
eral interpretation of Biblical
events and application of them
to modern issues.
One can use the catastrophe
of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen
esis 19) to demonstrate the dif
ferences between liberal and
conservative South
ern Baptists inter
pretations of the
Bible. The cities of
Sodom and Gomor
rah were destroyed
because of the in
hospitable de
meanor of their res
idents, not because
of the rampant ho
mosexual behavior
some people be
lieved existed there.
WSllBSM Conservative
Southern Baptists
often use the destruction of
Sodom and Gomorrah to vilify
homosexuality or homosexual
behavior. Their liberal counter
parts may or may not con
done homosexuality, but
they are mindful not
to use this Biblical
event to validate
their position. A
rift exists be
tween conserva
tive- and liber
al-minded
Southern
Baptists con
cerning in
terpretation,
and Moyers’
comments
were the most
encouraging
for the hushed
liberal side.
The com
ments of J. Walter
Carpenter, editor of
Plumbline, a Texas
Southern Baptist
publication, weren’t
so encouraging. Car
penter remarked to
The Dallas Morning
News’ Christine
Wicker, “Bill
Moyers
is just the kind of liberal [the
Southern Baptist Convention is]
trying to get away from.”
However, liberalism is not a phi
losophy one can easily “get away
from.” “Liberal” — now deemed the
dirtiest of words — is the adjective
identified with the Southern Baptist
Convention’s apology to the black
community for its condonation of
slavery; the Church issued the apol
ogy earlier in the decade. “Liberal”
were those few Southern Baptists
who refused to advocate hypocrisy
when they disagreed with the
Church’s boycott of Disney.
“Liberal” disregards bound
aries of thought, opens the
mind, questions everything to
soothe one’s hunger for knowl
edge. “Liberal” is fluid, dynamic
as the world, and nothing, not
even religion, can “get away”
from this fact.
And this is why Bill Moyers’
comments to the Texas Baptist
General Convention are refresh
ing and prophetic. Moyers be
lieves that none of man’s beliefs
can be static in a world of flux,
and religion is no exception.
Thank God someone has the
guts to say it.
Juniors should keep E-Walk clean
F or two weeks, the Certificate of Death has
been seen all over campus, ominously fore
shadowing the moment in which the reins of
seniority will be taken once and for all.
Our ascension is almost complete, and the
Fightin’ Texas Aggie Class of ’98 is prepared to
live forever.
For those who are unaware, E-VValk is next
Monday, Nov. 25, and it is important that juniors
participate in our planned activities and allow the
seniors to die in peace.
The tradition of Elephant Walk began in OF
Army Days as an opportunity for the senior class
to get together and reflect upon their years as
members of the 12th Man; the junior class has re
cently become involved, hosting independent ac
tivities and celebrating our pivotal step in becom
ing the leaders of this campus.
It is important that all juniors and underclass
men exercise respect for themselves, the tradition
and the senior class on this important day. The
theme for all junior E-Walk activities is: Keep it
clean. Let them die in peace.
By upholding the highest standards of respect for
everyone involved, we can preserve this tradition and
set a positive example for future classes.
Our treatment of the Class of ’97 is a direct re
flection of how we will be treated next year, and it
is vital that we keep the celebration clean and ap
propriate by leaving the seniors alone in every as
pect of their E-Walk activities.
If this tradition is abused, this tradition may
be lost for our class and all classes to come, so
please exercise good judgment and participate in
our planned activities.
Class of ’98 activities commence Monday
morning at Bonfire Site with an opportunity for
everyone to have pictures taken with two live ele
phants. The programs kick off at 98 minutes after
noon (1:38pm) and include games, a life-sized ele
phant, prize drawings and more.
During this time, we will take the scenic route
around campus to arrive at Kyle Field and listen to
Frank Cox , Class of ’65, followed by a pull-out yell
practice with the junior yell leaders.
Then, our undying class spirit will be immor
talized with a class picture.
Later in the evening, the Class of ’98 is sponsor
ing a Bash at Hurricane Harry’s with a $2 cover
charge all night. All classes are invited, and the
festivities begin at 9pm.
The Class of ’98 has a full schedule of activities for
the day of Elephant Walk, and I would like to welcome
all members to come out and participate.
I am excited about seeing everyone at Bonfire
Site and am confident in our ability to demon
strate to the entire 12th Man that we have the ma
turity and responsibility to lead this campus into
the best year ever, 1998.
Nolan Barkhouse is the Class of’98 president and a
international studies major.
The Battalion
Editorials Board
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 Bat
talion 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
submitting guest columns.
Michael Landauer
Editor in Chief
Amy Collier
Executive Editor
Gretchen Perrenot
Executive Editor
Heather Pace
Opinion Editor
Keeping Up
The University should increase
revenue to remain competitive
Texas educators, from kinder
garten teachers to college profes
sors, are grossly underpaid.
Students and parents certainly
don’t want to be the first to fi
nance pay raises. Nevertheless, if
the University hopes to maintain
the current quality of education,
it must turn somewhere for the
necessary revenue.
Unfortunately, as the legisla
tive goons in Austin have contin
ually failed to appropriate ade
quate funding, the University has
been left with few options to gen
erate revenue for salary increases.
As a result, Texas A&M stu
dents may see their general use
fee expand from $24 to $34 per
credit hour.
If this increase is enacted,
the extra money will be devoted
to long-overdue faculty and
staff raises.
Such competitive salaries will
act as an incentive for current
Texas A&M professors and attract
other respectable professors from
around the country.
Undoubtedly, this will allow
A&M to maintain its status as a
nationally-ranked university.
This institution has a long his
tory of excellence, and the Uni
versity has an obligation to pro
tect the quality of education it
provides. With this in mind, an in-
crease in the general use fee,
while unfortunate, will be of great
benefit to the University.
Of course, such a bittersweet
decision will hurt those paying
the already-inflated fee state
ments. Parents and students
are already faced with rising tu
ition, and the added burden
will be painful.
Students should note, how
ever, that those attending other
state universities have been
faced with higher general use
fees for some time.
Many of these universities
were already charging the maxi
mum amount, while Texas A&M
continued to charge only $24 per
credit hour.
Unfortunately, the University
has been forced to question the
continuation of this rate.
Students must realize that a
decision by the University to in
crease the general use fee would
be the direct result of our state
legislature’s failure to provide
adequate funding.
If an alternative source of rev
enue is not located, Texas A&M’s
inability to offer competitive
salaries will lead the University
into slow decline.
It is unfortunate that the
funding will most likely be
drawn from our savings ac
counts, but higher education
has never been inexpensive,
and Texas A&M cannot be al
lowed to slip into the ranks of
mediocre institutions.
A college education is an impor
tant investment.
And although another fee in
crease will never receive a warm
welcome, the diploma awarded
by this University is second to
none and worthy of the extra fi
nancial sacrifices parents and
students must make.