Paji riday • February 14,1 Spot Bun The Battalion NIOIN Page 7 Friday • February 14, 1997 y (letters dn Mo >TTS ate to school. Nowhere to park. —JHave to get to ichary by 9:10. The ock ticks 9 o’clock. In e back of my mind I ink, “Should have itten up an hour ear- irto get a spot.†Anyone who has erhad a class on st Campus knows e feeling. Realistically, this is a Columnist Steve May economics graduate student ch to TCU, 27th-ranked Texas 's Tennis Team droppej ihristian University 54)« )mar Smith Tennis Cen: match was tied at 3-3 play but the Lady k ———| dropped mat at the No. 3 double “This their (TCI match of season, anc were only pfc in our A&M Coach Kleinecke as a big difference toda, idn’t take advantage nities today and we need to go back and w lamentals." problem thousands of students face dai- Lady Aggies will retirBWith only the one Zachary lot with its Saturday when the p edicted future expansion of 575 spots Louisiana State Tigers tq the east, parking has become a dire problem for East Campusonians. Parking, Traffic and Transportation rvice is responsible for allocating ad- uate space for student needs. The problem is the majority of these [races are popping up on West Cam- s, which as we well know is a thirty forty-minute walk or bus ride away, pt present, PTTS does not have any fu- tFF AND Wire REPOOTPre plans for expansion on East Cam pus. Tom Williams, Director of PTTS, Texas A&M Men s I said the parking situation is being eads to Hawaii this wndled adequately. He believes once compete in the Tifte expansion to Zachary lot is com- tig Island Intercollegii|P‘ ete an d the new lots on West Cam- s is a great tournaE P^s are opened, most parking prob- ts better year," Golf Bob id. “The lis week e very ;titive, vill help r team ted.†24 m hand lude. three of the? p four teams. Thi University of Nevact, vill be the team to: d-ranked Texas Chill parking, except for me continues to turn a blind eye to parking quagmire is tra “ I S P ; H awal lems will be solved. As for the time required to traverse om West to East campus, Williams laid it is not a big concern. “When you t out in the real world, some stu- ents need to get accustomed to get- ng up earlier.†When the possibility of additional arking was raised, he said, “The vacant lots to the north of Albertson’s had been considered, but the cost was too high because the slabs (foundations and utilities) had to be removed.†To make parking matters worse, there are currently plans to turn the so-called “mud lot†into a hotel. This would displace even more stu dent parkers. Here are a few statistics to better ex plain the problem. On Tuesday morn ing for the 9:35 class, there were — 376 cars paiked in the Northgate area (not including the Mud Lot). These vehicles were parked in legal spaces and not in front of residences. Of these, over 100 vehi cles sported A&M Blue parking permits. These were the stu dents who paid for a service they are not presently receiving. This highly unscien tific census does not even begin to con sider all those who parked illegally or in business lots. William Lartigue Jr., a senior chemical en gineering major, de cided not to purchase a permit this year. “I felt it would be better to park out here (north of Al bertson’s) and ride my bike,†he said. “Plus the hassle of trying to park up there (Zachary lot)...it takes 45 minutes to get a spot.†“The bus routes (to and from West Campus) don’t guarantee you will make it to class on time, and it’s just as hard to get a spot over there,†he said. “They (PTTS) sell more blue tags than there are spots.†Officer David Benedict, parking offi cer for the Northgate area, routinely gives out 10 to 12 tickets daily. He agreed there were parking prob lems, not just a lack of effort on the stu dents’ part. “The students probably try hard (to find a legal parking spot), but I know it’s difficult with timed parking and a seri- IVAffltlfCCC 'f coiwmiofi ous lack of spaces on campus,†he said. “I try to give them leeway; it just de pends on their attitude,†he said. The completion of Zachary lot would help alleviate the problem, but the proposal has been shown on parking maps for several years now. Currently, the area slatpd to become the expansion lot is being used by club sports. Club sports will occupy the area until adequate funding is raised to complete their new area in West Campus. PTTS’s solution is for students to ride the bus. However, the solution most advantageous to students is building a new lot. Where to build this lot seems to be a problem for the administration. As an individual, though, one can see several possible areas. The lots to the north of Albertson’s should be cleared. Even bet ter, students could benefit from Candy Hill (the vacant lot east of Albertson’s.) Ben Fortner, a graduate marketing student, summed it up well when he compared PTTS to America Online which was recently forced to refund payments to its customers. “It’s like the America Online situa tion. PTTS has promised a service, as did AOL. However, both have been un able to perform their promised duties. AOL was unable to provide Internet access at reasonable times. PTTS is unable to provide parking within a reasonable proximity of our classes. When we as students step out of line, we are immediately reprimanded by PTTS, but who reprimands them when they get out of line?†he said. The bottom line is that there are so lutions, but no action is being taken. Math, science labs waste student's time aborious math and science labs are more trouble than iity and fourlh «(r- ,,he >'?X eCially .n . f . . nour wise. Labs should be worth l' ; ° 1170111 wo hour’s credit. Instead the stu- ^ ‘ U,()1S - dent gets cheated with a one hour has experience p« e(ij f consohl(ion ize aikoloa Kings Coi'“ hould give them eir opponents. Columnist golf course is is said. “And three o: - [senior] Jeff [1 nore] Ty [Cox] Miguel [Del Ange t before.†Labs also fail to deliver the sur plus of employable education nec- sary to college. An explanation for ch an injustice is demanded by idents. This is not unusual consid- ing the circumstances surround- g the weekly tribulation. College classes are supposed to fill Kate Shropshire Freshman meteorology major Student’s brain cavity with knowledge which >aid the knowledge of fill bring enlightenment, lore and wisdom, md A&M’s recent soff Instead, labs bring listless hours of noth- ' the squad. ig. For certain math students a fun little lab Aggies are coming o* The name of Maple is the form of tor- ce finish at the 1 ent. The lab is usually 50 minutes long, n Intercollegiate onsisting of computer-instructed exercises i in Monterey, Mes 1 hich must be practiced and used in point- n had a three-day to® ss homework assignments. The intention a 17-over-par li® °f Maple lab is to solve various calculus "■nations via computer which could be eas- solved on paper. The methods used in aple remain unworkable when the test ar es since students are not provided with a mputer during the exam. Professors who take the time to divulge to the wonderful world of Maple are wast- . students’ time, as well as their own. cu ive oui namen T Students’ time could be better spent by 3 a 80 11181 ^ 1 (earning how to do mathematics themselves m i shing tied for ‘ how a computer works problems. Several students are aware of the imprac- pcality of Maple. | Mike Trachta, a freshman computer engi- leering major, said Maple does not enhance ore Ryan Palmer ad top 10 finish of thf s j :ing fifth with a 15. 2r, a transfer ty of North Texas, t Aggies’ top scorer in* ore Matt Welch d for 46th place totf 0. the study of mathematics. “Your graphing calculator can do a lot of the things Maple can do,†he said. “We’re never going to use Maple in real life unless we teach it. I think it should be optional.†If labs in math aren’t enough, they are also running rampant in the science field. A student must set aside about three hours straight for the most tedious and agonizing aspect of a science course ever invented (besides the lecture itself.) With this one credit hour, all the stu dent has to show for it are goggle lines embedded in their forehead, a faintly green facial tint from being cooped up in a closed area with chemicals for an ex tended period of time, an overload of equations to ex ecute, and a profound look of confusion at what little they have accomplished during this joke of a course. To add to the frustration, students have to adhere to the stagnant way of experimentation. It is senseless to do titrations by hand when they are done by machines in the real world. Luckily some professors see some justifica tion in the complaints. Dr. John Hogg, a university chemistry profes sor for undergraduate teaching excellence and a undergraduate advisor for the chemistry de partment, said in some cases he can see the va- “The amount of credit received from labs has always been a concern.†Dr. John Hogg undergraduate advisor chemistry lidity in the students’ criticisms. “The amount of credit received from labs has always been a concern. Some stu dents are constantly complaining about how they feel like they should deserve more credit. I can look at it from both sides of the argument,†he said. In order to better assist the student in this lab dilemma and bridge the gap in commu nications, labs will not be counted as a sepa rate course starting fall semester ‘97. Chemistry 101, 111 and Chemistry 102,112 will be combined into a four hour course with lab included in the grade. “We are trying to improve the overall pedagogy by combining lectures and labs,†said Dr. Hogg. Of course this could help or hurt a student’s grade, but it is a considerable improve ment in student-faculty rela tions and problem solving. Unfortunately labs may never be totally discarded, and students will have to face the unpleasantry of a one-hour gyp. Labs will forever accom pany the required lectures regardless of the petty mea sure of worth found in them. Unless a student is lucky enough to be graced with an entertaining teaching assis tant who makes lab seem less like a bound less eternity, one is forever lost in the abyss of monotony and nonessentially. Although it is affirming and consoling that student concerns are being heard, the fun and carefree feature of labs of high school days has been abandoned. Valentine's Day neglects the lonely "X Talentine’s Day, \ / like any other V vastly exploited holiday, began with good intentions. A na tionally recognized holiday was set aside to celebrate love. But even from its begin ning, this holiday, with all its red and pink cheer, has discriminat ed against the single. Valentine’s Day has gotten out of hand. Seasonal aisles of every grocery store are adorned with pink candy, pink cards and other pink crap stores try to entice you to buy. Ros es are overstocked and overpriced, and the little guy sporting a diaper and bow is shooting his love ar rows all around campus. For many Texas A&M students, however, Cupid seems to have bad aim. That warm fuzzy feeling has yet to reach their hearts. These stu dents are not homely, pitiful peo ple who despise the opposite sex. Love has simply failed to come their way. Maybe love isn’t a priority for them. Maybe the love of their life has slipped through their fingers. Maybe they’re simply going though a Columnist David Boldt Senior marketing major Ibtuse students jlES ued from Page! Zowboys (12-11,4- Lst of a rebuilding r cry from the team 3 the Final Four in ■ey return two in senior guard Ad n and sophomore 1 ; i i anti Roberts, aswrf 3nt of their scoring] ^nt of their rebc t year. son has been Hie«iCltlSh Ideals Of Spirit ie*V iTpSs S 0 0n AL rUaIy <“ somethln 6' nting 49 percent wj , U ^ d ^eston if there is such a conference play, j n g as Aggie spirit. You see, on this can play anything 1 lesday my sister was getting ready to ird to power forward land a bus on West Campus when she 5 at a 13 ppg. , ipped and f e u 0 n the cement. While ’re very athletic,’’ W Uing, she put one hand out to try to Eiterson is an excdr it c h herself, and upon impact she Chianti Roberts is oi' ( oke her hand. The pain was unbear- players in the league ible and she began to cry and tried to teed to get after then 1 [hold her arm because she knew some- ping had broken. Mail This is where you would expect a fel low Aggie to help out. But no one did. Nope, instead the fellow aggies that were there just stepped around and probably over her. My sister was in dis belief not just because she had broken a bone, but not a single person helped her. So she struggled and finally she was able to get herself, her book bag, and her broken hand on the bus and to the Health Center. So now she is wearing a cast and also she is looking for the an swer to whether there is such a thing as Aggie spirit. Jason Goodman Class of’00 Parking intolerance infuriates student Yesterday, I had a class that was meeting in Teague computer lab in stead of its usual location in Blocker. Since it was close, and I knew I wouldn’t be in there for more than an hour, I decided to park at the golf course. It was pretty outside, but I knew play wasn’t going to be backed up when it is fifty degrees outside. So, I attended class and as I made my way back to the golf course parking lot, I realized my car had been towed. I was gone for one hour. This really was uncalled for. If I had been there two days, that is one thing, but I was gone one hour, give me a break. Lucky a good aggie was nice enough to talce me home, and to her I say thank you. I love Texas A&M Uni versity with all my heart, but the uni versity really needs to let up on this is sue. Students are trying hard to survive here academically, and the last thing they need to worry about is parking. It has just gotten ridiculous. I wouldn’t be surprised if they started installing cameras in trees to monitor where stu dents are parking. I never like to talk bad about the best school in the world, but I believe a little constructive criti cism doesn’t hurt in this case. To you, Department of Parking and Trans portation, I say loosen up on that choke chain and take one for the team. Grant Hawkins Class of’98 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: 3111 Fax: (409) 845-2647 E-mail: Batt@tamvml.tamu.edu dry spell. Whatever the reason for their dating status, most students in the singles cate gory wouldn’t mind being in love. This makes the outrageous commercializa tion ofValentine’s Day annoying. For these people, the only good use of the color pink is in the form of a tall glass of Pepto taken to re lieve nausea caused by all the talk of love. All this silly, pink romantic crap only makes them feel lonely and alienated. Sure, there are a few stupid “Lonely Hearts†events, but what better way to make students feel worse than by drawing attention to their loneliness? It’s like they’re be ing told they have a special place to go because they can’t celebrate with their love-struck comrades. This is ludicrous. What would it be like if everyone who was an only child was told they had a “special†What would it be like if everyone who was an only child was told they had a “special†place to go on Christmas Day. place to go on Christ mas Day, with no tree or presents? Of course, like any other biased event, Valen tine’s Day is a bundle of joy for the people it fa vors. But while Aggie lovers of all kinds are dressing up, giving flow ers and staring at each other with glazed eyes, single people don’t have much to do. So what can these good Aggies with lonely souls do with their Valentines day? Getting drunk alone while listening to Nine Inch Nail’s Pretty Hate Machine might help for a few hours, but hangovers and earaches are hell the next morning. One group of single girls, in a powerful revolt against this stu pid holiday, is dressing up in black, funeral-style dresses and going to The Chicken. What a great idea. Other lonely Aggies should follow suit; dress in black, go to The Chicken and mourn their dating status together over a pitcher of beer. Better yet, head over to the Dry Bean and throw down a Mule Stomper. Make your own “Lonely Hearts†party — on your own terms. Love is a beauti ful thing. The emotions felt when that new and wonderful person comes into your life are un paralleled. There shouldn’t be only one day de voted to celebrat ing the privilege of having someone special. It is a gift from God which should never be taken for granted, one reason why Valentine’s Day makes single people feel bad. They know how wonderful it would be to have someone, and seeing the world adorned with pink and red roses and cards only reminds them of what they don’t have. To all Aggies who lack someone special: Don’t give up on yourself. Appreciate the wonderful things you have to offer the world, and re alize that love is something which comes when it is least expected. Who knows? Maybe Cupid will have better aim next year.