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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 9, 1996)
■ The Battalion ly • December! f . 5 I d from lomfortablyatM® the Aggies wenttl" the game out of J • -Jew Year’s resolutions go down drain for the Aggitl % 9 ng off a disap; m "Tlth the start of the new h Texas onTtiiy^ / year less than a month ited to get so/ V away, many students 4nderson, who ^already started to formulate treer-high nin t ost of resolutions for 1997. way we should >en making a resolution, it is k have a habit portant to aim for a goal that is es, but tonight tinly character-enhancing, pressure til wep| also attainable md kept it lingofthepres! Page 7 Monday • December 9, 1996 yle the Aggiesi aging, as futuie| and Clemson ; to wear dow .viiile SLU is no! lowed an ense quicklyai: core easybaskt t we ran well, leased with thei lall up the floor hbling itahe e i ilusfor ustoi Two of the most com mon resolu tions focus on mental and physi cal fitness. The desire to hit the books and the gym with re newed vigor in the com ing year is Rrable, but like so many faulty DQHM Butions, the problem lies in ftOUIN “execution, from Page : 4 an y students promise them- ■ Bs and those they love that iremy Valdez inior chemical engineering major College lessons leave much to be learned with (first re p ar y w ni be the start of a New lalondaEniso e of Studying. People volunteer e still good In. jj m j t themselves to two, maybe i\ day and the eft nights of fun per month, cat. Some oft™ s t a re with dreamy eyes, l,ut 0 | , | uni( ently mouthing the words that hi, 0 ers01, !ft eC om e their mantra in the She played “No thanks. Y'aU have eraged six «•#' ,he Chicken. If you get is Her besrt 7 011 can catch U P Wlth me ■ in the SWClr?® 6 library.” she posted hr Maybe we think studying will -doubles ir tJasier in the spring because of id collected a elack of distractions like foot- unds against iffland Bonfire. Unfortunately, contest. Heri||iy Aggies refuse to take ad- pot on theDr.1 jitage of this. Instead, most of il-Tournameni em come back from Christmas ised (beingnairjd work diligently to build a sort iment team), 'mental Bonfire to keep them- ew 1 playedgor jvf s from the books, it ol fun. Il^ Another common resolution is ill never for? 1 Ijegin a new workout regimen. V<) . Center regulars know that ;ar at A&M, s 0Je sta j rs are c ii m bed and more 101 sait expe X s are hiked, run and rowed in lhan at 3 a team 1 iod freshmen e it to another; “I try to pul pie irk harder, bill! ) lead this team' Coach Candid seen improve: rd this season s played v s year,” Harvey shooting 60 per sreent from last!' son does notfec laivey expects t : r play upanotd :er can’t be tlte •ader,” Harvey and RollersoH can get leaded hey muststeptt d leaders." w women’s to- lerson saidsfc [rasp/ngfrergpf ofessionally. love it,” Rolld it about playiny ! nk it wouldbf; g up my bask rchool." any other time. January is a good month to get heart smart because it is immedi ately after the holiday cookie- and-candy spree and a scant cou ple of months before the spring break celebration of near-nudity. Weight room traffic bulges and doesn’t drop until the first round of tests gives many of the new fit ness buffs whopping heaps of mediocre grades. And so the New Year’s resolu tion people return one by one to their couches with easy con sciences. This trend continues until after spring break, when most people are content to turn into soft, pudgy little potatoes. The Rec Center empties, leaving only the diehard muscle mon gers who don’t mind renting the Center’s $1 towels that have the look and feel of real sandpaper. Having established that most people who promise to study or pump iron are setting themselves up for disappointment, our chal lenge is to find an honest, work able resolution that can benefit all of humanity. It might be time to resolve to change our extravagant ap proach to personal hygiene. Most Americans are slaves to the notion of “another day, another shower.” But in many cases, dai ly showers are not only unneces sary, but also wasteful. Most people who engage in non-strenuous day-to-day activi ties could probably do well with just three or four showers a week. This isn’t a very popular view in America today, but with the new year approaching, it’s an idea whose time has come. Many of our important trading partners in Europe operate from this vantage point. The French, for instance, are generally considered people of low character. They drive slow, ugly cars that call attention to the snooty peo ple inside. Americans who make 11, 1996 s: t hours reflected s' iassed course,*® University, pit"' JniversityifyotH* ou do not qualtyV' srred with sted on hild care brings quality to A&M RDERi _R STUD:" —i (J[ approximately 20 years, UMNI CEfr- H faculty and staff, and, in re cent years, students have re vested that the University provide on-campus child care center for i by campus constituents. Over e years the specifics of the re- iests varied, but a desire that re rsity and success h ne( j cons tant was that the cen- s) as a Ml-time, j ^ i Aggie ring ti from 8' I uirements: Student Infor^i the located on or tangential to mpus. Several studies were con- cted and proposals generated aviding data and recommenda- ns that supported the requests. To address the needs of the ?ulty, staff, and students with ion or transcript ®§ild care needs, it was decided t two centers will be estab- ed, one for full-time child care eds and one for part-time eds. These centers will be coi led in one building located in Je married student housing area, transcript bio* I University funds were identified support the facility acquisition Letter of Co#, |d start-up costs for both the full id part time centers. A stipulation the administration is that the nters be operationally indepen- nt of any type of university sub- ly. However, it should be noted February 1 ^i at a request has been made for an ^ur persona location from student service fee 199 ' -- oney toward the part-time center, ice the part-time center will cater edominately to students. The request for an on-campus iild care center stemmed from beds expressed over time by facul- rjth the seal, Office nei ibility veni ific# ty, staff, and students. One need ex pressed was a desire for higher qual ity programming than is readily available in the local community. People were also looking for a more convenient location with more flexi ble hours that was affordable. It is the intention of Texas A&M to offer to the children in its child care center (both full and part- time) the highest quality nurturing care and developmental experi ences. However, as in most enter prises, there is a balance between quality and cost that is difficult to achieve. Because the University is unwilling to compromise the qual ity of care and programming, pur suit of the goal for the child care center to remain financially inde pendent may be difficult to reach. To attain this goal, the cost of the center will be slightly above the community average. For this rea son, external funding in the form of tuition scholarships is being sought to assist with the tuition costs for those parents who are unable to afford the center. We are also seeking external fi nancial support to help offset a portion of the capital costs associ ated with the center, things such as computers, playground equip ment and furnishings. Currently, it is the goal of the Child Care Center Advisory Com mittee to have a center that will be fully functioning for the fall semes ter 1997. The search for the direc tor is occurring right now. The pro jected capacity of the full time cen ter is 130 children. It is expected that the part-time center will be able to accommodate 50 children at any given time. But, because it is only a part-time center, the total number of children that can be served in a day greatly exceeds that number. Also, prior to admitting students to the centers, a fair and justifiable method will exist for the initial admissions as well as subse quent filling of vacancies. In all the decisions that have been made and will be made to bring an operational child care center to this campus, a vision of excellence is being to used to guide the way. It is the desire of all those individuals who have dedicated many hours of work on this project to see that the Texas A&M child care center exists to help faculty, staff, and students with their fami ly needs by providing quality care and education for young children of university community families. This will be accomplished by building partnerships and main taining shared responsibility with children, families, teachers, and the university community. John Alvis is the president of the Graduate Student Council and a graduate student in nu clear engineering. the mistake of trying to say howdy are usually greeted with, “Bonjour, j’aime de bon fromage dans la matin.” This loosely translates as “Hi, I’m French. Please hold my hat while I woo your date.” But all this aside, they have the right idea about showering. Al though it is an international joke that French people have a certain fragrance, this could be attributed to the French affinity for cheese. Certainly, no resolution should be taken to extremes. If the hot central Texas weather necessi tates one or even two showers a day, that’s acceptable. But it’s perfectly noble to try to conserve water by foregoing the superfluous shower, the aim of which is not so much to clean as to refresh and to conform to an outdated societal norm. After all, most people don’t ex ercise enough to require that dai ly shower. At least not for the en tire semester. M y days spent in lecture halls are dwindling, and the finish line is within sight. But these remaining days won’t be my last in a classroom. When finals are over and bags are packed, I’ll be moving home to begin a semes ter of student teaching. Many discouraged the decision because of the low pay and lack of discipline in many schools. But despite the prospects of an ever-empty check ing account, I know the job will be infinitely rewarding. There’s nothing like the look on a child’s face after he has struggled with a concept and the light sud denly comes on. But there’s more to teaching than managing a class room and going on field trips. Consider a program at Kemp Ele mentary School in Bryan. Under teacher supervision, students from the predominantly black neighbor hood are allowed to play in the school’s gymnasium on Friday and Saturday nights. It’s a great program that could use more volunteers, be they aspir ing teachers or business majors, who are willing to play foosball, four-square, basketball and jump- rope with the kids. (The little ones demand piggy-back rides.) Last Saturday night was my first time to go, and I had a great time. I only hope that the school where I will be student teaching has a simi lar program. But before I leave for the chalk boards of Angleton ISD, I would like to offer a few final thoughts. Travel to faraway places. The summer I spent in Alaska was in comparable. The rusted blue 1976 Chevy pick up made the 12,000- mile round trip without a hitch and took me through some Columnist Michael Heinroth Teaching certification student beautiful country. I made it up the Alaska Highway, polar-beared the Yukon’s Lake Klu- ane, saw Mt. McKinley, panned for gold, hiked across a glacier, had a close encounter with a bear and listened to the wolves howl. It was an amazing experience, and one I will never for get. I met some great people, and that sum mer in the canneries taught me more about myself and life than can be learned in any university lecture hall. And that’s an important point: Our degrees really don’t mean much in the big picture. Texas A&M is a great university, but it can’t teach us everything. In other words, money, power and prestige are not to be envied; the world is meant to be seen — not conquered. So don’t get caught up running in the rat race. Sit on the front porch with a friend some night and have a big fat cigar. Then take the time to walk out into the yard and look up at all of the stars; it is truly beautiful.Unfortunately, most peo ple forget the sky is up there. If stars and cigars aren’t your cup of tea, then take your dog for a walk in the park. And if you don’t have a pet, the good people at the Brazos Animal Shelter can help you out. Always remember to say “howdy” to Mildred at the MSC Bookstore. And stop to say “thank you” to Alvin and the gang at Ag- gieland Station; they have the mail in the boxes before most of us crawl out of bed in the morning. Smile at the janitors because one of them will have to pick up this Battalion tonight after you throw it on the floor. And don’t forget to look both ways before crossing the street on your way home.Thank you, A&M. It’s been quite a party. Mail Route to tenure The Senate should educate students proves very rigorous Regarding Stephen Llano’s Dec. 5 column, "Texas ASiM’s post-faculty tenure review should be re-evaluated”: Llano deserves credit for sup porting tenure, a bulwark of aca demic freedom and a key ingredi ent in Texas A&M’s rise to national prominence. Unfortunately, Llano perpetu ates some of the same myths about tenure that have led critics to call for its demise. Tenure does not protect faculty from performance reviews. Most faculty undergo annual reviews to determine salary increases (when they are available, which hasn’t been often). And they cannot be promoted to full professor without a review even more demanding than tenure review. Every time professors submit papers, articles, book manu scripts, or grant applications, they are reviewed; every time they teach a class, they are eval uated. Far from hurting the quality of their work, such re view actually improves it. Facul ty welcome review and undergo it constantly because good criti cism improves their research, publications, and teaching. Nor does tenure guarantee a permanent position. Tenured faculty can and have been fired for incompetence or moral turpi tude. Some are eased out into early retirement or positions else where. All tenure guarantees is due process, meaning someone cannot be fired without a hearing and a sufficient reason. Before acquiring tenure, facul ty are on one-year contracts, and can be readily dismissed. Only about half of all Texas A&M facul ty who are hired eventually earn tenure, which shows how rigor ous the process is. Dennis Berthold Professor of English Regarding the Dec. 4 editorial, “The Student Senate should listen to what students have said”: I am the senator who accused the student body of being “unin formed and uneducated” in the Rules and Regulations committee meeting on Nov. 24. The editorial said that the “ ... Senators elected last spring don’t have too much faith in the student body opinion.” The editorial is absolutely right and absolutely wrong. There are many senators who do have faith in the student body opinion and faith in those 6,300 students that voted to have yell leader run-off elections. Senator Jesse Czelusta, an exceptional sen ator is one of those senators. Sena tor Kendall Kelly, however is not. We as senators are fooling our selves if we think that 100 percent of the student body is always edu cated on issues at Texas A&M. The editorial also mentioned that “If senators are going to cast doubt upon last semesters voting, perhaps they are better off simply not asking for the student body’s opinion in the first place.” The Student Senate tries to be as de mocratic as possible before we make a decision that will affect the entire student body. This is exactly why I believe that a democratic de cision is not one that is based on ignorance. Not because I think that this is the fault of the students, but because I think this is the fault of the Senate. My comment was aimed di rectly at the Student Senate, not at the student body. Perhaps The Battalion should get its informa tion straight before it accuses others with misinformation, mak ing not only organizations such as the senate look like fools but making The Battalion appear foolish as well. The last thing I would like to leave The Battalion with is this; The editorial said that “If the Student Senate truly wants to represent the students, maybe it should start listening to them.” The only part the editorial missed is that maybe the Senate should start educating them. Kendall Kelly Class of '99 Yell leaders lack any understanding Regarding H.L. Baxter’s Dec. 5 column, “Yell leaders embarrass Texas A&M”: It embarrasses me to hear lan guage like that from the yell lead ers, who supposedly represent the best of Texas A&M. One of the primary purposes of a college education is to pre pare for life after college. Part of success in life depends on peo ple’s ability to work with a wide range of people, including gays and lesbians. Some students may go to work for progressive compa nies that values job performance above all else and simply don’t care where their employees come from or what their lifestyle are. The world is more diverse than the Texas A&M student body and all Aggies, including yell lead ers, better get prepared for it. I am a proud former student and hope my children go to Texas A&M, but I can’t honesdy say Texas A&M is a world-class university until its students carry themselves with world-class attitudes. Dan Hoffman Class of ’80 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.texas a&m.edu For more details on letter policy, please call 845-3313 and direct your question to the opinion editor.