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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 30, 1997)
jrsday • January30, The Battalion inty agre price ta ^strode ION Page 11 Thursday • January 30, 1 997 TON (AP) —Harris0 ioners have decide! lion is a fair price top :r Drayton Me Lane ft) county-owned Astto! uesday vote was it four-way agreemen d to a new baseball ned for a site on tin nvntown. ussioners voted thepti and adequate” offertt f the stadium away who operates thej is Astrodome USAcoia itially all partiesan lat need to agree,] unity Judge Robed lead of the five-mi ioners court. | | cesperson forAstttj not immediately a™ ay, when The Assoij •d for comment, ■ndum approved bn roinised that genera a ill not be used to sin ?ball stadium. Local o| h'ely agreed to paySH d die $265-million iwntown businesse it scat licenseswoii Drifting away * tudents and astronauts lose sight of mission ★ 99-9 connected on five the last minuteanl rould get no closert s the rest of the way ■ading46-45athal d Maxwell each sea nts in the third qua! nio stretched its lea i (hree-po/nrsitaj Wilkins. ] 11 jumpstarl r astWednesday. Astro- Asst . 0 pii naut John Blaha re- -iturned from a four- ^ mth stay aboard the ssian space station Mir. hausted from the pro- iged exposure to weight- sness, he allowed himself be carried from the shuttle iantis on a stretcher. Each semester, whether James 1, summer or spring, stu- ; nts enroll in college and af- Hi J ih a prospected four-year ^ iy, they are pushed out into eWorld to make something worthwhile their lives. The correlation between these two ■style situations is simple. Students and tronauts are both being placed in experi- ental environments in order to test the tying power of their sanity and their abil- to continue functioning as valuable unmodities in society. On April 4,1961, Yuri Gagarin became e first human to make a trip into space. $}t years later^ the crew of Apollo 11 be- une the first humans to land on the non. These individuals and their accom- ishments were the catalysts of a begin- ng foray into space exploration. Today, their travels are regarded as inosaur voyages. What used to be the nighttime dreams fstarry-eyed children has become a cata- ig, filled with statistics, percentages and ar graphs. NASA and its affiliates now iv\dw\d\v\dua\s into space to test how Asst. Opinion Editor James Francis Sophomore Business major p ... t hey react to extended periods >n hditor 0 f we ightlessness, adapt to changes in appetite and psy chologically survive being sta tioned in cramped quarters. When Neil Armstrong made his prestigious walk on the moon, coupled with the cele brated relay from his spacesuit, one can be sure he was not thinking how superior the Unit ed States would look because of his accomplishment. Arm- " Ull< " * strong, like other astronauts, was a believer in a vision he had harbored since childhood. But children grow up. They turn into as tronauts whose aspirations get crushed by reality and the space program’s desire to increase its numbers. Attending college is no different. The ★ learning processes of old have mutated into one exam after another, continually gauging a student’s memory, test-taking ability and I.Q. Students no longer find pleasure in ^ the college application procedure, dreaming of going to the university of their choice. Instead, they anxiously await a bulging letter in the mail to con firm their higher education goals. And when a thin response is delivered to stu dent mailboxes, reactions are all the same — tears, depression and nausea. But the troubles do not end when a student gets to college. Once the doors of the administration open, students are constantly subjected to meeting new friends, encountering love interests and st ruggling with self-definition. ^ These are the good things, the things students should be allowed to enjoy. What corrupts these newfound » situations are bumps in the road 'W called tuition, housing, disap pointing teaching and the need to always know the infamous social security number for more reasons than are needeci. -JL- Moreover, college life minors the * current situation of space travel and exploration. Individuals go into a new environment hoping to attain yi life fulfillment. What they come out with is a feeling of disillusionment. They are plagued by governments, systems and concepts too foreign to understand. What they should come away with is a new outlook on an old dream, a reason to con tinue their search for completion. Face it. Astronauts and students are the same. While space explorers are wheeled away fi om a space shut tle, students leave college with enough physical and emotional bag gage to keep them from walking straight. Life for both types of people is slow ly degenerating and the days of new discovery in space and on the college campus are over. Although astronauts experience weightlessness and students lose control of ambulatory functions during finals, both are grounded in the realization of life becoming an everyday experiment. The dream of advent ure and exploration is dead. ★ if im ★ ★ ★ ★ quarterwith thieetfcj ts in the first n Antonio led 15’if ning. teles rallied to t&f - Relationship with new regents depends on students ne quarter as Vrf® I nine points apt': few semesters ago a friend of mine spoke with ary Nan West, chair of the Texas A&M Board of Re- ‘feents. She realized how out of J iuch the regents are with to- ay’s college student, lest chance to win. I ^ My friend said West, whose agwell and perennial term ends tomorrow, was very ggio lead a group off [ileasant, even telling her she icir careers together. va s very pretty. The flattery young when we got® >nded when, in the kindest of Atlanta and whattW oices, West said, “You know, I Executive Editor nd Florida's Kem & eepmg their core pla; nd now they’re c irection but kindi# some players bad 1 e can be the ri Ipend a lot of time each year working to make sure that you beople can come here, too.” Michael Landauer Senior Journalism major (My friend is African-American.) You people? Too? We were amazed an official with so nuch control over our university could iay something so racist. But then we realized West is not a racist. She is a product of a different generation, and does not deserve to be judged by our generation’s labels. Times change. In the context of West’s youth, her comments that day were meant as any thing but an insult. In fact, she wanted only for my friend to know she cared. But there are better ways. A new crop of regents has been appointed by Governor George W. Bush: Anne L. Armstrong, a rancher and former U.S. Ambassador to Great Britain; Erie Allen Nye, president of Texas Utilities Company; and Dionel E. “Don” Aviles, owner of Aviles Engineer ing Company. Each new appointee will serve a six-year term on the board if ap proved by the Texas Senate. This is an opportune moment for the new regents and students of A&M to do something about the lapse of communi cation between them. Despite the best intentions of the board members, they are often out of touch with student concerns. By taking the time to understand these concerns, the regents would make decisions more effectively, thereby improving the quality of education at A&M. Students should invite these candi dates to campus to spend a day getting ac quainted with the modern Aggie. Carl Baggett, student body president, said he likes the idea of a “Regent Orientation.” The Student Body Executive Council, a group Baggett created last semester, could help. The council is a group of student leaders whose organization comes close to representing the entire campus. The Resident Hall Association, Off-Campus Aggies, Graduate Student Council, Inter fraternity Council and the Memorial Stu dent Center are just some of the groups represented by the council. By scheduling a day with each prospective regent, this council could literally walk the candidates through a cross-section of the A&M stu dent body. Another possible source of tour guides for the prospective regents involves the students working for Dr. Southerland in the Department for Student Services. They have already finalized plans to bring the chancellor to campus next month for a similar experience. As it stands now, the Board usually sponsors one or two “Meet Your Regent” functions each semester. The problem is the events are just too swanky for college kids. Sure, a few kiss-ups in business suits with agendas show up to become pals with their influential hosts, but this is no way for the regents to meet “Joe Aggie.” If the new regents spent a day on cam pus, average students would get a chance to ask questions that are important to them. Some of those questions may stick in the prospective regents’ minds, and they will ask them when they fill their po sition. And when a regent asks a question, it seems to get a more tangible response. This is something students can do for themselves. If the members of the council take the time to invite the prospective re gents to campus and introduce them to stu dent concerns, not only will they be doing a great job representing their constituencies, but they will also show students are serious about their desire to be heard. If this happens, maybe the gap my friend experienced will begin to narrow. The best part is students will have worked hard to make sure regents who understand their concerns can come here... too. apitalistic principles leave techno-dance fans out in cold swer this jestion: ere’s the scene: It’s 2 a.m. on a Satur day morning. Drinking buddies are slightly inebriated and all the bars |nd clubs are closing. I Even in this boozy euphoria, a desire ip make the most of the evening still ex its. The wandering drunkards traverse n W'UJ f|-ip to Vertigo because it’s open and it’s the U W do UlC | ast pi ace i e f t w here they can expend 1 , Iheir bustling energy. couple to I Yet a stigma was attached to this last re- • 1 J t 01 ^ - ^ was seen as a £ a V or hang- )ar 111 bou 0U L Even if it was, it’s sad that this campus is h |po homophobic to associate with different 0tll0r OH :P e( )ple. Like they would be any more wel- fpme at Shadow Canyon. We’re here to expand our /a Li m cs Tr inds - not c l° se them. Maybe this intimidating stigma ■C Ullie 1 fibreed the image change. , I At any rate, I confess Vertigo was more than a last re- f FL +/-\ pj s ort to me. It was a haven worth embracing, serving as a I vJ IkJ Y/U jsiinplg yet effective substitute for the clubs of Deep El- n C v A //3f? Uni in Dallas. I belong to that eccentric minority group (JI loWv how being discriminated against because of the devel- ( c opment of a limited scope of dance clubs for the bene- |0T Hoe ^ of a few individuals. ® But as more observant Aggies may have noticed, rtigo is no longer Vertigo. It is now Club Ozone. Johnny Oates, owner of the AwifP 3 , said no more techno will 5/ Opp • | pi a y ec j this new venue. He Iscribes Club Ozone as "a rock- id-roll dance club.” . Thg television in Club jfcone is now tuned to sports, io9 o ft disappointing contrast to the t / \ Jual displays of Pulp Fiction, n and Stimpy and various anese animation. Luckily, dead animals do not t adorn the black walls of Club one — a popular practice at ler dance clubs here. Instead, |GIG’ EM” thumb and a somewhat hidden skyscraper (lew have replaced the eclectic neon paintings of the * Tlterpillar from Alice in Wonderland and an Ecsher-es- j|e face complimented by a seductive black light. One luld tantalizingly catch bubbles that drifted from the Columnist Kate Shropshire Freshman Meteorology major free ©view!) “Clubs don't really respect people who want to dance. They are more in terested in drink specials" Keith Randolph Senior Environmental Design major ceiling while grooving to the beat — but not any more. Cheli Barrow, a freshman meteorology major, said, “Club Ozone [seems] like a bad rendition of J.D. Wells with makeout couches in the black light. Like I want to see that.” Like meat lockers such as J.D. Wells, Hurri cane Harry’s, or Shadow Canyon aren’t enough. Club Ozone is following in the path of other Bryan-College Station hangouts. Oates said, “We were tired of the format and wanted to change to something different. We wanted to appeal to a wider customer base.” In essence, this statement is ironic. Variety does not exist if a club has conformed to the norm likes and dislikes of the population. It seems the rest of us who do not want to be constricted to “ropers and rockies” have been forgotten. “Clubs here don’t really respect people who want to dance. They are more interested in drink specials,” Kei th Randolph, a senior environmental design major, said. The words “dance club” have lost their meaning. “In essence, it’s not about dance culture at all. It’s about accommodating to this town or you won’t make it.” I couldn’t agree more. Capitalist interests are more important than the views of the minority. This is the re peating pattern in our materialistic society. We cannot escape it. For now, we can only wish for an establishment which plays good techno and does not carry a shameful reputation. I hoped ,when I came to College Station, this campus would have a broad horizon. I didn’t want to endure whiny country songs about losing your beer and truck just to hear a few suitable dance tunes. As of now, I don’t have the correct attire to attend any of these clubs, much less the tolerance for their foul excuse for music. Until justice is sought for minority techno lovers, I can only dream. I will resort to underground tech no, magic-carpet rides at my place, where at least I have bubbles. Mail Confederate flag is not racist symbol In Response to “Stars and Bars a legacy of racism and hatred" by John Lemons on Jan. 29 One should not degrade some thing they do not understand. The Confederate flag does not stand for hate and racism. It’s a symbol of an era in history. The flag repre sents a group of people whose ideas, way of life, and economic foundation was being torn apart by a greater power, their govern ment. These people rebelled against their suppressors to pro tect their culture and way of life. The South was not filled with racist. True plantation owners had slaves, but most were not the “ani mals” we portray them as. Agreed, there are far more historical ac counts of slave owners providing for their slaves and treating them humanely. Slavery was a way of life for those the flag stood for. It played a key role in their economic system. The flag was used to unite a group of people whose way of life was being destroyed. Lets step back in history: A group of people who were suppressed by their gov ernment, which also had slaves, broke from the main body from which they came. They rebelled by becoming a separate nation, pre serving their way of life. Ring a bell, it was the American Revolu tion. Do we shun these revolution aries? No we glorify them. There fore, how can we justify preserving their way of life and the flag the united under stood for nothing, but racism and hate? The confed erate flag is not hatred, it’s heritage. Ryan Kirkpatrick Class of‘99 Free thought is not necessarily harmful In response to Courtney Phillips’ Jan. 24 column While we applaud Ms. Phillips’ examination of the need for in creased spirituality on campus (Jan. 24), we disagree with her implication that the only viable religion is Christianity and that other religious traditions some how “dilute” Christian beliefs. We also disagree with her suggestion that free thought inhibits one’s spiritual awakening. In fact, we believe free thought is a necessary component in the search for truth. Free thought need not mean anarchical thought, rather it allows one to search with reason and personal conscience for a spiritual identity. By advocating some type of “revolution on campus,” Phillips seems to be encouraging division and discord between Christian and non-Christian students. A rev olution of this type would seem understandable if Christians were a suppressed minority on this campus, but this is not the case. The number of Christian student groups dwarf non-Christian groups. Advertising for Christiani ty is everywhere in every possible form at Texas A&M University. For example, when was the last time the University recognized Yom Kippur, Illuminata or any non- Christian holy day? While the Uni versity grants absences to students observing these holidays, to most this is a token gesture, unlike the public vacations given during tra ditional Christian holidays. It is important to remember A&M is a public school, receiving money from state and federal sources. As such, this campus should be a welcoming place for people from ALL religious tradi tions, Christians and non-Chris tians alike. We believe it is possible for all faiths to co-exist and indeed thrive together. Only by recogniz ing the inherent worth and dignity of all people can we become a peaceful and loving community. Steve Platts President, Unitarian Universalist Student Fellowship accompanied by 11 signatures 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 Mail: till Fax: (409) 845-2647 E-mail: Batt@tamvml.tamu.edu