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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 13, 1996)
1996 BONFIRE Opinion Friday Page December 13, M AI i- Congratulations Ags! For helping keep alcohol from shattering the tradition. IFE an< ^ ^ t ' u 9 Education Programs Texas AAM University jsIjJi AfU.' Student receives care from Beutel Despite all the negative pub licity surrounding the A.R Beutel Health Center, commonly known as the “quack shack,” something happened this week that had a deep impact on me. After catching the flu, F was feeling very sick and called Beu- tel’s dial-a-nurse for advice to ask what I could do to bring my fever down. She gave me very simple and valuable advice that helped me get through the night. Being an international student, I had to pretty much take care of myself and I was feeling pretty low the next day when I received a call from the same nurse. She wanted to check on how I was doing and if my fever had gone down. This might seem like a simple gesture, but for me so far away from my family, it was comforting to know that someone cared. I just wanted to thank her for her kindness. Beutel may not be the most effi cient organization, but it certainly has some very caring people. Raja J. Akram Graduate Student Coverage of Bush holds logical flaws Regarding Wesley Poston's Dec. 4 story, “X: Bush linked to drug cartel”: Atop The Battalion’s masthead proudly reads the phrase “Serving Texas A&M Since 1893.” Let’s hope Aggie readers have been better served over the past 103 years than they were by Pos ton’s story. For starters, it is impossible to argue reasonably with the premise advanced by Harley Schlanger and Minister Quanell X during their Dec. 3rd speeches in Rudder Auditorium — i.e., that President Bush was a “crack king pin.” Statements like that are de void of reason. Nor do I wish to take issue with the Alpha Phi Alpha Frater nity for sponsoring the lecture. Who they invite and pay to speak at their forums is surely their business. Rather, I am writing to protest the manner in which this story is reported. One of the fundamental rules in journalism is that there are tow sides to every story. Does Poston’s story pass this basic test? It does if you count the fact that Schlanger thinks George Bush was a crack dealer, and that Minister X also thinks George Bush was a crack dealer. My point is: Poston never called this office to offer us the opportunity to defend Bush’s good name. In fact, Poston does n’t quote anyone else in his story except Schlanger and Minister X. Where’s the balance? What about student reaction? What does the faculty think? (Next time, Poston and his editors may wish to save themselves the trouble of cover ing the event and just have Schlanger and Minister X fax their propaganda.) Another critique is that Schlanger is never identified for who he truly is. He may very well be with the Executive Intelligence Review as Poston noted, but it only takes a two-minute Internet search to discover that the Reviewwas founded by Conspiracy Theof Extraordinaire, Lyndon LaRouche, in 1974. That stril me as relevant to Schlangers credibility, such as it is. I don’t wish to beat upoul poor Poston. Finals are coming up, and probably had little in the wavy free time to pursue the story, i But whether you’re dealing with Lyndon LaRouche, Louis Farrakahn, or two of their unc: lings, one expects a response reporter and newspaper total the time — and the space-tti balance vituperative hyperbo with facts. Student journalists andp: lications are not exempt fro- this obligation. Failure to honor it is adiss| vice to your readers. In this case, the resultistr your pages were used to smt an honorable man’s lifetime service to his country. I’m not suggesting thatPu dent Bush deserves special ir ment from The Battalion: bin insist that he, like anyone else | you cover, is entitled to fair ar honest treatment. For The Battalion, anythi: less is a disgrace to the Unii; sity — and your 103 years of serving it. Jim Mc(: Spoken Office of Georgd The Battalion encourages letters teg editor. Letters must be 300 words orlt< and include the author's name, class phone number. The opinion editor reserves the rif | edit letters for length, style, and acc-T Letters may be submitted in person a p Reed McDonald with a valid student It ? ters may also be mailed to: The Battalion - Mail Call 013 Reed McDonald Texas A&M University College Station, TX 778431111 Campus Mail: 1111 Fax: (409) 845-2647 E-mail: Batt@tamvml.tamu.edu For more details on letter policy, please. 845-3313 and direct your question tody ;; opinion editor. “CW, • JACKIE CHAN FIGHTS FOR AMERICA IN HIS BIGGEST ACTION FILM EVER. ■ p&p, 2 1 1 2-2 1 3a IHIN0TON 0.0. ^ XS . -». L m d ■ ** N '- '/ 'aA j. k ■ JACtlCIE CHANS F-IRST STRIKE ill lllirli I it UMA mm t kaimunu inuw/uuiutD n/Pbi • .^11, .00 is: ati PETEK ROSiro ec-uisim WtHAEl DOTIjlE pg-ibJ parents strongly cautioned <$£&> aw PE d«tcpik« JINGLE UA unci LEONARD HO s 0 "* *=»>»«iiBppni.ri.t. tor emu... umtonrl HMie k:WulifrCOMliCltSMLWCHTSW® SSyssT NEW LINE CINEMA# J -J □