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The Battalion
Page 11
Tuesday • January 28, 1997
v
v up for Saturd torials appearing in The Battalion reflect the
he Pistons.
ns of the editorials board members. They do not
, , J :essarily reflect the opinions of other Battalion
Tian, who nasK ff members, the Texas A&M student body, re-
ired finger,didn: its, administration, faculty or staff. Columns,
sst columns, cartoons and letters express the
.. , nions of the authors.
' torward an urn the opinion editor for information on sub
ting guest columns.
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The Battalion
Established in 1893
Editorials Board
Rachel Barry
Editor in Chief
Michael Landauer
Executive Editor
Tiffany Moore
Managing Editor
Alex Walters
Opinion Editor
Cain Hall Mutiny
Athletic Department ignores computer
access rights of non-athlete residents
More than half the residents of
ime a player ism jn Hall have recently been re
acted from the hall’s adjacent
mputer lab. The decision was
ade about a week ago when prob-
ns arose concerning individuals
an’s actions nj it housed in Cain, utilizing the
mputer facility in non-produc-
.ve’re going throve manners.
Inappropriate conduct such as
rfing the net” for fun, constantly
the NBA. “Butst Peking electronic mail and hang
out in the lab were just a few of
problems.
A measure has been taken, im-
ementing a computer logon iden-
rcation for athletes to use the fa-
been sidelmedsc lity’s computers. Those athletes
crated pinky lii| ho choose to enter the facility,
10 stitches after: lust present their student I.D. card
im. 1 leisexpected i be scanned. This will ensure the
up shortly. idividuals are athletes.
76ers’ 107-92loss The more than 50 percent of res-
i Friday, Cota lents who are not athletes feel this
nates on the eta ecision is unfair and unnecessary,
ime town. BulCoi All room and board fees for the
away from tar esidents of Cain go toward Athlet-
m’s hotel, attenm
game or retumiiiji jesident is not an athlete.
he charter,
lot attend Mo
erg and coae,
:d at
he matter.
C Department funding, even if the
Moreover, the computer lab is
under strict control by the athletic
pepartment, and is in no way con
necting to CIS.
Residents feel if they have to pay
serve judg. 1 money to the Athletic Department,
o acknowleij
ad missed pft
■ season and wj
i on what’s hai
the past,
eak to him al
.and go from hi
icause Derrick
ed any erratic
i aback by this
;d to hear whA
averaging
abounds per{® !
Mail
>A
om Page 7
tionsofsophomoi
Student Senator
clarifies Ogden plan
Thursday’s paper contained an
icle describing the advantages of
|ep. Ogden’s plans for a fee simplifi-
ition bill. The following is a list of is-
ind junior Lanties concerning the bill the Student
Aggie front com mate would like to clarify.
False: “The cost of attending Texas
&M has steadily risen...Ogden has
oposed a fee simplification plan to
:ome crowded,
ring as much as
Quesada
ebounding.”
'eraging live poi
ids per game, co:
ear’s averai
cards per con®
h Tony Barone
ng too much pi
verse this crippling trend.”
Truth: Rep. Ogden stated himself
at fees will not go down. This plan
just a different way of displaying
e information, with the original in-
intion of simplifying the process for
e state legislature in comparing
s of public institutions for statisti-
purposes across the state.
False: “No longer would the aver-
;e fee statement be filled with a
iyriad of complex, redundant fees,
tead, students would be given one
gible dollar amount to show how
iuch the University is demanding
ir non-academic purposes.”
Truth: There is nothing ‘corn-
lex’ or ‘redundant’ about the fee
tement. As you know, each pay-
lent is described in a very obvious
io worried akf ianner an d amount. As for ‘tangi-
taking baskets I 6 ’’. which means being precisely
I « [n ii-,pi 1 ctcol alize d< one lump sum, amount
eve told hmiL'yta “ te 8 or y wiU do nothing
t that. One lump sum disguises
ere your money is going. What is
[ore simple? An itemized fee
tement or three lump sums.
False: “Students would be given
je power to control the amount of
p fee through a direct referen-
m. ...A referendum on increasing
ingle fee rarefy has a chance to
defeated.”
Truth: Students already have
t power.
In addition to these false state-
nts, Junk had the confidence to
:e three statements that are flat
it lies.
False: “What’s baffling to me is
y the Student Senate, presumably
‘voice’ of the students would pass
) worrying
other things N
:?ally buy intotl
gwith himont|
: other things,)®
vill be fine. I
more fluid pla! f J
player left fri
;ie squad, Qc®
ue vantage pt|
; changes
team,
can already tfj
nee my fresh
be introduced to the state legisla
ture and debate will intensify."
Truth: Ogden has not even tiled
the bill and is currently running for
the Texas State Senate.
False: “Passage of the Ogden
plan would allow current and fu
ture Aggies to control their non-
academic fees ...By giving the stu
dents the power to control fee
inflation, the opportunity to attend
A&M can be extended to thou
sands of prospective Aggies.”
Truth: The Ogden plan has
nothing to do with controlling non-
academic fees. Students already
have powers to control fees. Fur
thermore, Legislative Relations, in
conjunction with the Student Sen
ate, in reality are trying to make
higher education more accessible
and available. Instead of jumping
to conclusions, search for the truth.
Look for the positive.
Possible Solution: Perhaps Og
den’s fee simplification plan can
be used. Instead of only showing
three lump sums, perhaps the fee
statement could be itemized so
students will know where their
money is going and then list a
lump sum at the bottom of the
statement. The underlying fact is
that students want to know where
their money is going.
The above misconceptions I
hope have been clarified. Several
hours of research have been put
into Ogden’s Fee Simplification
plan both by the Student Senate
and Legislative Relations.
Cass Burton
Freshman Student Senator
ng is gettings
id. “I feel bad®!
, 1 IWfllfa 0 V VAX LI It' OLU.LTt.llLO VVUU1U L
i!t hi itfpsoltition designed to limit stu-
ints from voting on their own fees.”
t Truth: We would do nothing of the
fid. Junk is mistaken about the pur-
v arena, the p se behind Ogden’s plan,
e really getting 1 False: “The Ogden plan will soon
;-time program 5
The Battalion encourages letters to the ed
itor. 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 Mc
Donald with a valid student ID. Letters may also
be mailed to:
The Battalion - Mail Call
013 Reed McDonald
Texas A&M University
College Station, TX
77843-1111
Campus Mali: 1111
Fax: (409) 845-2647
E-mail: Batt@tamvml.tamu.edu
'Special' interest
Handgun ban neglects rights of poor
they should have access to all Cain
resources, especially a computer
lab which is designed specifically
for the hall.
Their complaint is that, between
the hours of 7:30a.m. to 5:00p.m.,
most athletes are in class or train
ing, leaving the computer lab bar
ren, but useful to others if they were
allowed to use the services.
Since not all Cain residents are not
athletes, nothing was ever promised
to the general public in using the pre
dominately athletic services.
This unspoken criteria has been
viewed by most of the non-athletic
residents as information which
should have been supplied at the
time of hall integration.
Further development in this
situation is sure to come as resi
dents continue to exercise their
opinions about banning non-ath
letes from the lab.
For now, a sign has been post
ed on the computer lab window.
It reads, “This computer lab is for
Student Athletes Only!”
The Athletic Department took
the NCAA seriously when that orga
nization ordered that no dining/liv
ing facility could be strictly for ath
letes, but they failed to follow the
spirit of the law and make Cain hall
truly accessible to all students.
R ayna Ross bought an
inexpensive hand-
gun.
The cheap pistol was the
only mode of defense she
could afford. Three days
later, it saved Ross’ life
when a stalker broke into
her apartment and at
tempted to kill both her
and her infant daughter.
With crime on the rise here
in the Bryan-College Sta
tion area, it may not be
long before situations like
this hit home.
Columnist
Donny Ferguson
Sophomore
Political Science major
es, and save 65 people
for eveiy life they claim.
Kleck, a member of the
American Civil Liberties
Union, found women
used firearms over
192,000 times to fend off
sexual assailants in
1995. Not only is Boxer’s
gun ban a threat to the
lives of law-abiding citi
zens, it is ineffective for
fighting crime.
A Department of Jus
tice study found 7
rate in the nation.
Arlington, VA., just across the Po
tomac River, has fewer handgun re
strictions and a rate of 2.2 homicides
per 100,000 people.
This is one of the nation’s
lowest rates.
Maybe this is why former Wash
ington, DC., Police Chief Maurice
TUrner said, “What has
the gun control law
(D.C.’s handgun ban)
done to keep criminals from get
ting guns? Absolutely nothing. [Citi
zens] ought to have the opportunity
to have a handgun.”
This does not say much for the ef
fectiveness of Sen. Boxer’s proposed
firearms ban. Boxer should stop as
saulting the constitutional rights of
unfortu-
But, if Sen. Barbara Boxer
(Dem.-Calif.) has her way, Ross will
lose her right to defend herself,
and she and her baby will be vul
nerable once more.
Boxer has sponsored the “Ameri
can Handgun Standards Act of
1997,” a bill which would ban what
she refers to as “junk guns.” It would
require low-priced firearms to pass a
“sporting purpose test.”
The new law would effectively
ban half of America’s handguns and
deny the disadvantaged their consti
tutional right to defend themselves.
Senator Boxer said “junk guns” are
not safe and are the favorite of crimi
nals. Section 2, Sentence 7 of the bill
reads, “Junk guns are used dispro
portionately in the commission of
crimes,” but a Heartland Institute
Policy study shows “Saturday Night
Specials” are used in only i to 3 per
cent of all violent crimes.
Gary Kleck and Marc Gertz, two
noted criminologists, cited statistics
proving guns are used 2.5 million
times a year for self-defense purpos-
percent of criminals who
owned a handgun bought
it at a legitimate retailer.
The Department of
Justice also found that of
32,000 sexual assaults at
tempts, only 3 percent
were successful
against armed
women, but 33 per
cent of unarmed
women were raped. ‘ ^
Boxer’s prohibi
tion of inexpensive hand
guns disarms victims, giv
ing murderers and rapists
free reign to commit crimes
against the poor. If what Boxer
said about handguns is true,
then one would expect
Washington, DC., with the
most restrictive gun laws on
the books, to be America’s
safest city.
In reality, the murder
rate in Washington, D.C.,
is 78.5 homicides per
100,000 people.
This is the highest murder
nate
individuals and
consider that they
are without the luxury of
a senator’s salary. Boxer
is intent on disarming
honest citizens, de
spite the fact those
living in households
making under
$7,500 a year are the
most frequent vic
tims of violent crime.
America’s lower
class stands to lose more
than a constitutional
right. They stand to lose
their lives.
On-campus students cross wires
RHA forces cable on silent, non-viewing minority
A n initiative to dis
tribute cable tele
vision to all Texas
A&M on-campus resi
dents was spearheaded
in 1994 by the Resident
Housing Association un
der President Owen Ross.
After an overwhelm
ingly affirmative student
vote in Spring 1995, Resi
dence Life and Housing
got the project under
way. Looking back, RPlA’s
distribution of cable to
Columnist
Joshua Hill
Sophomore
English major
First, everyone pays
for the service, whether
they want it or not.
More importantly,
few on-campus abstain
er can truly abstain
when under such social
pressure from room
mates and friends. Some
give in to the box-time,
and some are forced to
trudge to the foreign
desks of the library.
The physical ubiquity
of the television drug is
the on-campus students was a terri
ble mistake.
Such poor foresight is under
standable. Everyone was mentally
drooling over the hours of TNT
movies, football games, and open
heart surgery on the one education
al channel that even students love.
In a delirium, they were chil
dren let loose on a candy store,
gorging without considering what
was unhealthy for them as stu
dents and human beings. They
made the unfortunate choice
therefore, to open Pandora’s Box.
Majority rule should always
be tempered by a consideration
for the minority, but the minori
ty in this case is getting the
proverbial shaft.
not the worst problem. As much as
this society admires heroes for their
refusal to compromise their princi
ples, individuals flock like a herd of
lemmings to the TV People are sub
consciously pressured to be normal,
i.e., hooked up.
Contrary to popular belief, not
everyone had been splicing in
halls before public cable, and the
cost of cable was a valuable de
terrent to all but the most
wealthy and needy addicts.
Also, A&M applied social pres
sure just by the installation. After all,
if a world-class university and a
trusted institution of society hands
out something, the gift must be
worthwhile, or at least harmless.
Then again, the Trojan Horse
.’ooked good too.
Many people falsely justify the
necessity of cable by citing the need
to keep up with the news and cul
ture of the world.
In Dr. Christopher Alexander’s
political science class, students
learn print is known as a “hot”
medium and television is known
as a “cool” medium. These labels
indicate what process occurs in
the brain under the influence of
these media. Print requires and
produces thought. It trains the
brain in active, logical thought
processes. In contrast, television
communicates images, and en
courages little thought. Practically
speaking, a newspaper impacts
deeper and sticks with an individ
ual longer than news from CNN.
What kind of cultural future is
being painted for the Aggies? Cable
aspires to be as much of a cultural
necessity as it is a cultural modifier,
and A&M is giving in.
Humorists, authors, and anyone
else who cares to be observant have
constantly commented about the
obvious incongruity between televi
sion and life.
Furthermore, commercial and
crowd-pleasing tendencies of net
works give them the flippant char
acteristics of a tabloid. No one cares
for real art, beauty and accurate
portrayals of life when the profits
can be found in cheap, weekly ex
ploitations of the same.
The vision of this experiment in
A&M halls must be seriously ques
tioned as the product of television
in society has already been shown
to be apathy.
The time for leadership is the
time of crisis. That time is now. The
average American is overweight,
uneducated (compared to other
world powers), and apathetic. If
A&M wants to be a cradle of leaders,
it must quit jumping off the cliff
with the rest of the U.S. culture.
The philanthropic, well-mean
ing business interest which installed
the cable enticed association mem
bers and concerned students with
dreams of cable becoming the next
great educational gizmo. They dan
gled tutorial sessions and even
classes from the remote control.
Current Resident Hall Associa
tion President Jesse Czelusta re
mains mildiy optimistic. “I hope
that the educational possibilities are
fully explored and that the students
don’t get sucked into the old time-
vortex,” he said.
Such optimism is admirable, but
education is the product of desire,
discipline, and hard work — all
three of which are cable television’s
arch-enemy. I just hope we are not
yet over the cliff.
HOPE for Georgians, Texans get TTAGed
S ince its inception, a primary
goal of the Texas lottery has
been to turn a natural human
vice into financial support for higher
education. Of course, the legislature
has not acted upon this issue expedi
ently. Maybe it has other plans for its
“untapped” funds.
Before we start pointing fingers,
however, there is Helping Outstand
ing Pupils. This unprecedented pro
gram, which is funded by the Geor
gia lottery, pays tuition and fees for
residents attending either public or
private universities in that state.
Columnist
Travis Chow
Computer Science
Graduate Student
timate that Texas has at least $5 bil
lion in accumulative surplus sitting
untouched (legally that is).
A resource most students do not
know about exists. The Texas lottery
surplus is TTAG (Texas Tuition Assis
tance Grant, pronounced “tea-tag”),
a Texas program modeled after
HOPE. The program r
has been in law since
1991, but until this
year, TTAG has seen
no funding.
This Texas pro
gram needs at least
The scholarship also includes a book al
lowance and an opportunity for two
major/field changes. To be eligible, Georgia
high school students must attain an overall
grade-point ratio of a “B” or better and main
tain a cumulative grade-point ratio of 3.0 or
better in college. While this sounds too good
to be true, these standards are attainable, es
pecially with money as motivation.
Georgia students seem to be taken care of—
but what about Texas?
The Texas Lottery Commission reports the
state lottery contributed at least $1 billion to
the Texas General Fund last year, all of which
was veiled under a political cesspool. Some es-
$23 million to do one-fourth
what HOPE accomplishes. This
year, TTAG received $98,000 in
funding. Although this spare
change represents an optimistic
sign, TTAG has a long way to go
toward providing tuition and
fees to Texas students.
Georgia, on the other hand, seems to know
how to build a solid infrastructure for its ever
growing economy. The Georgia Department of
Education reports spending over $1.1 billion of
its lottery surplus on education. Now the ques
tion arises whether Texas will have a chance
with its lottery surplus.
To break down the money banks, the total
for the TTAG venture would be about $2,000
annually at Texas A&M, going to 24,000 high
school “B-or-better” students. Not only would
TTAG pour the promised funds back to stu
dents, the program would generate enthusiasm
toward learning. Just think, all of this would be
possible if the Texas legislature would give
higher education a few crumbs
from its $5-billion cake.
To put this into perspec
tive, if the lottery surplus
were only $50, the legislature
would have to give away 25
cents for the future of Texas
youth. So far, they have given
less than a penny.
So if Texas pride runs deep
in your veins, if you want to
see some of that promised lot
tery fund, then go voice your
Georgia, on the
other hand, seems
to know how to
build a solid
infrastructure
for its ever growing
economy.
opinion. Make a concerted effort
to contact the state legislature, Texas A&M Stu
dent Government or even the Aggie Mom’s
Club. Students wonder how change comes
about, but many never take action to ensure
what they want is being considered. Who
knows? If students care enough, the legislature
may just flip a coin their way.
m 1 I