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The Battalion
Opinion
Page 9
Wednesday • February 5, 1997
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mokers unfairly punished by taxation
T he 1990s have left us
with few groups to op
press. Racism’s appeal
is gone, sexism is out of
vogue, but in a country
where tolerance is becom
ing mainstream, there is still
one group socially accept
able to bully: smokers.
At least Florida Gov.
Lawton Chiles says so.
Chiles is proposing a
10-cent per-pack increase
in Florida’s cigarette tax.
The potential $121 million
raised would fund programs to pre
vent children from smoking, treat
drug ^busers and emotionally dis
turbed children and establish a state
ad campaign.
These are noble causes, but tar
geting smokers to pay for them is a
blatant act of discrimination.
Chiles’ move is evidence of soci
ety’s view of smokers — as modern-
day lepers.
Here at Texas A&M University,
sororities have placed limitations on
smoking. Sara Crum, president of
Delta Delta Delta, explained her
sorority chapter’s smoking policy.
“Our members are not allowed to
smoke in their letters,” Crum said.
“When you have your letters on, you’re
advertising Tri-Delt,”
However, Crum elaborated that
the smoking restrictions only affect
Columnist
John Lemons
Engineering
Graduate Student
members wearing sorori
ty paraphernalia. “We’re
not allowed to tell girls
that they can’t smoke if
they’re legally able to,” she
said.
Sororitieswho ban
members from smoking
in their letters cross the
line into a smoker’s per
sonal decisions. This ac
tion tells smokers they
are not welcome in soror
ities. It is inappropriate
for a student group to
control members’ personal behav
iors based on its own biases.
Smokers sacrifice for their habit.
On campus, they are relegated to
smoking outside.
For college students, the finan
cial drain created by a pack-a-day
habit is significant.
Trey Janesen, a freshman kinesi
ology major, admitted buying ciga
rettes is a financial priority.
“You’re driving down the street
and you’re on empty and out of cig
arettes. So you get cigarettes and
don’t drive anymore,” he said.
Kari Parfait, a freshman general
studies major, said smoking is
more important than eating for
some people.
“I was at Wal-Mart and I asked
the checker to subtotal my groceries
to see if I could afford my carton of
cigarettes,” she said.
College students are notoriously
poor. If a 10-cents per-pack increase
was added to Texas’ cigarette tax, the
results could be a population of
emaciated college smokers.
Are you prepared to pass huddled
masses of smokers holding signs
reading “Will Work for Cigarettes” on
your way to class?
Perhaps smokers are a different
breed of person. Since James Dean
lit up in Rebel Without a Cause,
smoking has been identified with re
bellion. Brian Heien, a sophomore
engineering technology major, com
mented on the difference between
smokers and non-smokers.
“I stereotype people who
smoke,” he said. “I think they are
more open-minded.”
Jana Dunn, a freshman psycholo
gy major, said smokers are more
morbid than the general population.
“I think the discussions we
[smokers] have often have to do
with death,” said Dunn, “There’s a
correlation in our minds between
our smoking and our death.”
Outcasts, rebels and non-con
formists. Each of these images sets
smokers apart from society, making
them easy targets.
There are actions the University
can take to help smokers with their
image problem. A lack of ashtrays in
areas where smokers congregate re
sults in smokers tossing their ciga
rette butts on the ground. Hun
dreds of cigarette butts litter the
courtyard around the
Engineering/Physics building be
cause there is not an ashtray in sight.
(After all, everybody knows those
physicists are chain-smokers.)
Smokers can’t even throw butts
away in trash cans, because they
risk starting a fire.
Sven Mesecke, a senior ac
counting and finance major, re
grets dumping butts on the
ground.
“Anytime you throw a cigarette
butt on the ground, somebody’s
going to see you do it and think,
‘what a jerk,”’ he said.
By strategically placing ash
trays around campus, the Univer
sity can keep the campus clean
and help smokers.
Americans have the right to
make unhealthy choices for them
selves without being coerced by the
government or student organiza
tions. ’
Adults who are aware of the health â– 
hazards of smoking and do not in
fringe on the rights of non-smokers
should be able to practice their habit
without being badgered. When we
learn to separate our distaste for
smoking from those who smoke, we’ll
all be able to breath a little easier.
Knowledge, precautions aide in defeating stalking
I
o,
as University. O talking is a moronic and
is also made her sick practice which has
own in the pair L/plagued our campus for
n a career-high many years. One stalker, whose
nst Oklahoma S picture adorns the campus, has
Her 3.8 reboum been making death threats with
ties her for thi no apparent motive,
th freshman gu. For the victims, it is a part of
der. their lives which is hard to ignore.
t ; Fear, anxiety and anger dis-
, frar/T/rem everyday. But there
y s ocus all seM ope Wjth the help of the
he loss to ^^Iht resources, victims can
:arly January, â„¢ r jve normal lives and stalkers
ad hoped the ^ingethelp.
uld be a nKi|^f,.j enc j Q f rn i ne( w j-, 0 pjgg 5 een
Columnist
.
am for their rental
Concerned the l*
two different people in the last year,
aid being stalked made her constantly
not met her expea hnoid and much more cautious.
y said the victor*
vho lays it all os'*
to be a close g#
“It’s not nece» !
a pretty. It will ^
ort and tangibles'
the loose balls
ges. The team
longest will win ” 1
It made me a lot more careful because
Jy stalker found out everything about me
bm overhearing a conversation I had in a
lib,” she said. "People should be careful
of what they tell strangers
about themselves.”
Unfortunately, most stalk
ers aren’t strangers. Detective
Wade Williams of the Univer
sity Police Department said,
“Most of them (stalkers) are
ex-boyfriends who simply
can’t let go.”
Somehow, these meatheads
think if they follow girls
around, leave notes on their
cars, and hide naked in the
bushes, the girl will want to
take them back.
Most girls just want to get as far away
from these freaks as possible. Unfortu
nately, this only encourages the stalker to
do it more.
There are ways, however, to stop the
cycle. Sgt. Betty LeMay of the Universi
ty Police Department’s Crime Preven
tion Unit said there are several ways a
David Boldt
Senior
Marketing major
stalking victim can remain safe.
“People should be aware of what’s
around them at all times,” she said. “Re
member your personal space ... and
don’t let a stranger get into it.”
There are times when contact with a
stalker can’t be avoided. If the stalker calls
and you answer the phone, or he surprises
you with an unexpected visit, it’s not al
ways easy to get out of the situation.
The common reaction is to be nice to
the stalker to get out of the situation. This
will only make the situation worse, once
again giving the stalker encouragement to
continue trying to enter your life.
“If you encounter the stalker in per
son, don’t be nice to them. Don’t encour
age it. Let the person know that this is
against the law and tell them to leave
you alone,” LeMay said. “If you are in a
car, drive to the police station.”
The key is to get to safety as soon as
possible while letting the stalker know
you mean business.
Safety, however, sometimes requires
more drastic measures, as stalking vic
tims are often physically hurt and even
sometimes killed.
Arming oneself with a gun is possible
with a concealed handgun permit, but
obtaining one takes time and carrying a
gun wherever you go is often difficult.
There is an alternative solution.
“Pepper spray is very effective,”
LeMay said. “But you must have it with
you, where it is easily accessible.”
Many of us know what it feels like to
be dumped by someone you cared for.
Sometimes it hurts so bad you never
want to date again.
However, stalking cannot be an op
tion. You’ve got to take the pain and
move on with your life.
Stalkers usually start as normal peo
ple, but when they let their fantasies turn
into an obsession, it controls their ac
tions and they become disturbed indi
viduals. These people are societal scum
who have nothing better to do than in
still fear and paranoia in an innocent
victim. Many of them may not even re
alize they are stalkers. Often, as in alco
holism, the problem is not thought to
be serious until it’s too late.
Stalkers of any degree need profes
sional help.
If you are stalker, or think you may
be one, go to Student Counseling Ser
vices in Henderson Hall and put an end
to it. If you are the victim of a stalker,
don’t be afraid to report it. Lean on your
friends for support and seek out the po
lice for help. Sgt. LeMay and other offi
cers at the University Police Depart
ment’s Crime Prevention Unit can be
reached for advice at 845-8900.
With a little determination and
courage, stalking can be stopped.
onformity obstructs capability,
neutralizes students' talents
Columnist
our
r
Dave Johnston
Junior
Mathematics major
year retailer,
ct of Columbia,
l 1995 were $2.3
:adquartered in
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ities at our corpo-
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ShoeSource will
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ayless?â„¢
â– A
few
years
ago,
of my
fish pro-
|sors dis-
sed the
^rding
hnique”
plement-
on college
npuses.
joked how
iversities
und the country strive to mold
dents into the status quo.
Often times the campus envi-
iment is so controlled it
[Uelches creativity instead of
Itering imagination.
lAdministrators at most uni-
fsities, including Texas A&M,
nseem to discourage stu
nts from taking a stand or act-
outside an arbitrary set of
es. College students should
e the opportunity to learn
ough experimentation and
Issible failure.
[How often have students pur
led a wonderful idea, only to
Ip when someone said it
didn't be done? More times
|in we’d like to admit.
â– When a group of Aggies decid-
|to circulate a petition calling
I a student referendum, people
|d them it couldn’t be done. De-
Ite the predictions, over 5,000
â– natures have been collected,
is proves it can be done.
â– If these students had given up
Ihe face of opposition, nothing
luld have changed. However,
|y were willing to go out and
ive the cynics wrong. Unless
le Judicial Board disqualifies
dreds of signatures, these
students will have forced the first
student referendum at A&M.
I was reminded of this last
week when I met Stan Ridgely,
who has become a legend on the
Duke University campus.
Several years ago, Stan found
ed a campus newspaper and
fought several legal battles with
Duke University. Even though
Ridgely is a celebrated figure and
his newspaper, the Duke Review,
is now distributed around the
country, he wishes he had made a
bigger impact on the university.
“I wish I were an undergraduate
again, just for one year,” he said.
Ridgely told me he spent most
of his college career trying not to
make waves or upset university of
ficials. During his senior year, he
realized how much liberty he really
had. Duke officials told him how to
publish his paper, where to distrib
ute it and what to print. By the
time he learned those rules could
not be enforced and held no con
sequences, he had already wasted
several years abiding by the con
stricting regulations.
Some students have overcome
the constraints imposed on
them. The students who initiated
the yell leader petition and the
first non-regs to run for yell
leader had to fight against
tremendous odds. By challenging
themselves to do what was la
beled impossible, they attained
goals no one expected.
Of course, we need rules, and
there is great strength in unity
and conformity. However, there is
a time when leadership and in
novation are necessary.
This is why Aggies have been
such valuable members of the
armed forces throughout history.
While former Corps members
can take orders, they can also
make decisions and take control
of a situation when necessary.
While others wait for someone to
take charge, Aggies have been
able to recognize when a situa
tion calls for leadership, and then
provide it.
A university should foster
these leadership skills as well as
academic capability.
On the A&M campus, we are
subject to various laws, but Uni
versity officials have created
even more regulations in an at
tempt to maintain a proper
learning environment.
Student organizations on
campus must abide by a long list
of rules. The University requests
a list of all club members, organi
zation’s flyers must meet several
guidelines, and any fund-raising
letter must be submitted to Uni
versity officials before being
mailed. These are only a few of
the regulations filling five manu
als issued to every student orga
nization. Any organization not
complying with these guidelines
is subject to fines, loss of privi
leges or suspension.
These rules may be over
whelming, but students should
not be discouraged by them.
Students should evaluate their
beliefs and decide if and when
they will stand for something.
I’m not advocating civil dis
obedience. I would never suggest
a student revolution either. I am
encouraging personal initiative.
Find something you believe in,
create a goal to improve an as
pect of campus you care about
and don’t let pessimists discour
age you.
Sorry Juice. Bruno
\a^ri turned down our
eneforsement oner....
ERIE) NiteLlS
Mau.ER.jw
OF SHOES
Conformity clouds
Free thought issue
Regarding Chris Sneller’s Feb. 4
Mail Call letter
I have nothing but praise for
Sneller and his/her supporters for
rejecting the prevailing view in soci
ety that there is no objective truth.
However, they have unfortunately
not completely escaped the trap of
conformity, which Paul warns
against in Romans 12:2.
In our society we are constantly
bombarded with the assertion that
we should all be “free thinkers,”
which Sneller seems to like, as
suming that this will eventually
lead us to Christ. The Bible, on the
other hand, never speaks of free
thought, and in fact it warns us not
to trust in “what seems right to
man.” (Prov. 14:12).
Was Eve participating in free
thought when she “saw that the
fruit was good for food?” If we
make our decision on whether or
not to accept Christ based on evi
dence or our reasoning, we have
already rejected Him.
Finally, to say that the love of Jesus
brings people together is an oversim
plification. Sure, it brings His people
together, but Christ Himself said that
He “did not come to bring peace, but
a sword.” (Matt 11:34).
There is no such thing, therefore,
as free thought.” We are either slaves
to sin, or slaves to Christ. What the
world calls free thought is in fact only
freedom from the truth.
Jason Knott
Class of’00
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 let
ters for length, style, and accuracy. Letters may
be submitted in person at 013 Reed McDonald
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: 1111
Fax: (409) 845-2647
E-mail: Batt@tamvml.tamu.edu