The Battalion
Page 9A
Tuesday • February 25, 1997
aking education by the book
udents should branch out from course syllabi to gain full education
judents at Texas A&M seem content to
lhave their education handed to them.
They fear stepping outside the program
p in their catalog, and hesitate to research
ping beyond the scope of their classes,
tequently, Aggies ask what possesses oth-
) read on their own initiative. They won-
dien one finds the time to peruse an en-
3le book. Students who read books not
1 on their class syllabi are often treated by
■peers as anomalies.
Tut, students should begin to take respon-
pty for their own education. They should
i how to acquire knowledge on their own.
les should realize the easiest method for
inding their knowledge base is often the scorned and
Ided library.
Vithis campus, an attitude of complacency perme-
tes the academic environment. Students only are moti-
1 to learn things included in a course schedule - ex-
laterials appear irrelevant. When professors insert
teresting anecdote into their lecture, students are
Kk to ask whether the story will be on the next exam.
This state of mind was ingrained in students at a
pger age. High schools around the state are imple-
ptingTAAS classes, designed to teach students how to
5 a test, but they do not provide the means to under-
|d the material.
Jnfortunately, this standard of mediocrity is unac
table in a corporate world. No one should consider
(cation complete at graduation. If students are inca
pe of independent learning on a campus, where facil-
j are readily available, they will have difficulty honing
le skills later.
\s technology advances, most members of the work
force will have to undergo new training. Self-
Col U m n ist education is not only cheaper, but often more
effective. By taking responsibility for their own
emichment, students are able to focus on the
information they are interested in, enabling
them to work at a comfort
able pace.
Most college stu
dents prefer the
prime time line-up
to an evening of
David Johnston reading. Studies
Junior show television
mathematics major viewers are in a near-
catatonic state. Books,
however, are a more profitable
pastime, increasing vocabulary
and imagination.
Books have phenomenal enter
tainment value aside from teach
ing potential. This generation, and
this nation, seem to have lost in
terest in literature. The United
Kingdom prints three times as
many books as the United States,
even though it has only one-fifth
of our country’s population.
Most Americans find “classic”
books distasteful. Trauma
tized by a bad English class,
they are scared to have any
thing to do with a book older
than themselves.
While an aversion to time-
honored writing is unfortunate,
students should not allow this to define their attitudes to
ward all books.
A handful of contemporary writers have enticed
young people back to the bookstores. John Grisham and
Michael Crichton have developed a large following,
but Grisham notes that some people have stopped
reading his books, because they are content to wait
for the movie version.
Americans are constantly losing their patience for
books. This is an era when people live for in
stant gratification. They see no rea
son to spend up to a month with
War and Peace when Cliff’s Notes
are only a few pages, and the movie
a couple of hours.
It has been said, “A year from
now, you will be no different ex
cept for the books you’ve read and
the people you’ve met.”
Aggies and other students have
ample opportunities to meet
many intelligent and influential
people, from top researchers to
world leaders.
Few students, however, vol
untarily expand their horizons
through literature. Everyone
should continually work
through a list of books they
hope to read. The average
person has plenty of time to
spend with a good book. Free
time before class, a bus ride
or hours in front of the tele
vision can be converted into
quality reading time. An hour
of reading will likely prove
more valuable in the future
than a night of Must See TV
ictim mentality weakens society's ideals of responsibility
Ihe dog ate my home
work,” is an excuse we all
may have attempted to
[during our grade-school years,
fortunately for some people,
king excuses doesn’t end in ele-
itary school.
Failing to take responsibility for
|’s actions is a problem which
Igues our culture. Last Tuesday,
Stephen Gaines, a former Texas
[Tech University football player,
"Bame part of this problem,
lines filed a lawsuit for damages
I iilxcess of $1.25 million against
[ Tech on counts of racketeering, fraud,
peryand negligence.
Christopher Kalis, Gaines’ lawyer, said the
| is rooted in the presumption that Tech
Ihim for his athletic ability, while neglect-
lis academic needs.
[‘His (Gaines’) whole attitude toward the
lem is so skewed because the system was
Mhletic system, not an educational sys-
Columnist
John Lemons
engineering
graduate student
tern,” Kalis said. “These people (at
Tech), as much as they say they
have not ignored the academic
needs of student-athletes, are giv
ing that idea nothing but lip ser
vice. Look at what they’re doing to
keep these kids eligible.”
Gaines’ suit is an example of
the “victim” mentality that persists
in today’s society. By claiming his
academic misfortunes as a result
of Texas Tech’s exploitation, he at
tempts to absolve himself of all re
sponsibility in the matter.
“The main thing I wish I could
get out of this lawsuit is for them (Tech coach
es and administrators) to quit lying to people,
saying they care about education,” Gaines
said. “After you sign [a letter of intent], they
don’t care. Their attitude is ‘come to practice,
miss class.’”
Gaines said that Tech coaches provided
him with test answers and fixed classes so he
could remain in good academic standing.
After he was placed on scholastic suspen
sion in the spring of 1994, Gaines left the uni
versity. Despite spending four-and-a-half
years at Tech, he earned only 58 credit hours.
Gaines’ claims ignore that athletic scholar
ships are an opportunity to gain an education,
not a ticket to play in the pros. Texas Tech does
not owe him an education; he simply failed to
capitalize on the opportunity provided to him.
Gaines’ allegations of grade-fixing further
undermine his position. If these claims are
true, Gaines robbed himself by accepting
these favors.
The use of victimization to defer responsi-
bfiity demoralizes individuals. It declares ac
tions as the results of circumstances, as op
posed to rational choice. This results in people
who believe they are helpless to control their
personal history and emotions.
The solution to our responsibility prob
lem is to hold individuals accountable for
their actions.
On Jan. 3, in Washington, D.C., Gueorgui
Makharadze, a Georgian diplomat who was
intoxicated caused a traffic accident which
killed 16-year-old JovianeWaltrick.
Makharadze tried to avoid prosecution by
hiding behind the diplomatic immunity pro
vided through the Georgian Embassy.
Fortunately, Makharadze did not allude
justice. Georgia president Eduard Shevard
nadze held Makharadze accountable for his
actions by waiving his diplomatic immunity.
Makharadze was arraigned on charges of in
voluntary manslaughter Thursday.
The issue of accountability recently
reared itself here at Texas-A&M University,
as the yell leader run-off election debacle
ended. The most disturbing aspect of the
proceedings was how little pressure the yell
leaders themselves received. While the Stu
dent Senate endured a publicity night
mare, the yell leaders were hardly touched.
Only yell leader Gary Kipe campaigned for
run-off elections.
At any point in the debate, the yell lead
ers, as a group, could have chosen to imple
ment the student-demanded run-off elec
tions. Howeyer, it took another student refer
endum to hold the yell leaders accountable
for the run-off elections that the student body
required of them.
When individuals are not held ac
countable for their actions, people get
away with murder — literally in
Makharadze’s case. The unwillingness to
hold others accountable explains phe-
nonema such as deadbeat dads and pros
titute-soliciting politicians.
When individuals take responsibility
for their own misdeeds, they can begin to
repair the damage they have done.
For Stephen Gaines, it means putting
his education in his own hands. For the
yell leaders, it means implementing the
run-off elections they should have created
last spring.
As for Gueorgui Makharadze, no atone
ment will bring back JovianeWaltrick, but
perhaps accepting responsibility for his
actions will prevent others from making
similar mistakes.
taedy communities should not rely on mandatory volunteer work
’blunteer work is vi
tal to this campus
and the country,
ndatory community
nee, however, can
i students away from
tnteer work perma-
jitly. Last week, the U.S.
)reme Court ruled that
h schools can require
mteer work for stu-
ts to graduate.
The court case in-
red Chapel Hill, N.C.
h school student John
nhard, who sued the city school
ard for requiring him to serve 50
iirs of volunteer service before he
aid graduate. His family argued
it such requirements amounted to
irery. The high court dismissed the
ivery” argument, and refused to
irthe case.
M first, it might seem the court
Columnist
Glenn Janik
Sophomore
political science major
made the proper ruling
- allowing local schools
to make their own deci
sions concerning volun
teer work. Llowever, the
impact of the decision is
frightening. By allowing
high schools to require
community service, we
eliminate all legal prece
dent preventing ele
mentary schools or col
lege institutions from
requiring mandatory
volunteer work.
Volunteers are vital to help solve
the numerous problems each com
munity faces. In Bryan-College Sta
tion, elementary school children are
in need of tutors, the Twin Cities Mis
sion needs soup kitchen volunteers
and the Northgate area needs clean
ing after every weekend. In each of
these areas, Aggies and Bryan-Col-
lege Station citizens have met the
needs of the community. The Resi
dent Hall Association cleans up the
Northgate area, Aggies flood local
schools with reading volunteers and
a wide diversity of campus organiza
tions aid the mission. But these vol
unteers provide help out of the good
ness of their hearts, not because they
are forced to comply.
A1996 survey from UCLA’s Higher
Education Research Institute showed
71.8 percent of college freshmen per
formed some sort of volunteer work
- 38.4 percent donating more than
one hour per week. Only 8 percent of
these students were “forced” to vol
unteer in high school.
Most students enter Texas A&M
with a minimal amount of volunteer
experience, but are soon caught up
in the college atmosphere of com
munity service. Rambunctious fresh
men flock to the Big Event, Replant
and whatever other service projects
are available. Should A&M,however,
expect these incoming freshmen to
volunteer only because they were
forced to do so in high school?
Teenagers are inclined to rebel
against authority. Forcing commu
nity service upon 15-and 16-year-
olds could have a dangerous im
pact. Some of these students would
naturally give time to help out their
church or school, but forcing them
to do so might lead to volunteer
backlash. The service becomes
burdensome and unsatisfying
when it is required. College stu
dents enjoy community service be
cause of the camaraderie and sense
of personal worth it builds. If
younger students fail to experience
these positive benefits of commu
nity service, they will not seek out
volunteer work in college.
Mandatory volunteer work is not
only a contradiction in terms, but a
direct conflict with the American
ideal of freedom. In countries such
as Iraq, 18-year-olds are required to
volunteer for two years of military
service. This idea may be repug
nant to American students, but is
the United States being led down
the same path?
The AmeriCorp program, a Bill
Clinton project that pays college
students to volunteer, was de
signed not only as a community
service plan but as a pilot pro
gram to test a method for manda
tory volunteer service after col
lege. Many in the federal
government would rejoice at the
opportunity to force students
into becoming an indentured la
bor force, to implement a wide
range of social programs. Manda
tory volunteers would allow gov
ernment to staff its programs free
of charge. While some may claim
these volunteers are serving their
country, forced work without pay
will lead to modern-day slavery.
If high schools begin with forced
community service, the threat of
liberal government forcing vol
unteer work on college students
won’t be far behind.
Students who grow tired of the
self-serving, material aspects of
the world can turn to community
service as a way to give back to
society. But if schools and gov
ernments begin to force volun
teer service, many individuals
may develop cynical attitudes to
ward helping others. School
boards and city councils who
wish to see volunteers improve
community living need to stay
out of the way — in this manner
only volunteer work will contin
ue to succeed.
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Mail
Band brings spirit
into G. Rollie White
In response to Jamie Burchs sports column
on Feb. 20
Burch said the Aggie Band’s music
“serves no purpose but to destroy fan ex
citement.”
You’ve got to be kidding me. I hon
estly can say that nothing grips my heart
as much as hearing the sound of “Re
call”. No song makes it beat as fast as
when I hear the opening strain of “Pat
ton” and the whoops of surrounding Ag
gies.
Burch states, “the student body does
not approve of the current practice of
playing marching music,” according to
a survey that he conducted. My ques
tion is: Why aren’t there any details of the
survey in your column?
Finally, Burch remarks, “why do they
call themselves a nationally renowned
band if they do not have the proper
equipment to play music that any other
college band in the country can play?”
As a freshman member of the Aggie
Band, I can only suggest one answer We
are a nationally renowned band and the
fact that we “march to the beat of our
own drum” is what makes it so.
Thomas C. Purdy
Class of’00
Court tightens grip
on clinic protesters
In response to the article “Court Says
Protesters Can Confront Patients” from
Feb. 20
The article deals with the Supreme
Court’s recent ruling that protesters
“can confront patients on public side
walks as long as they stay at least 15 feet
away from clinic entrances.” The court
ruled thus in order to protect freedom
of speech, which is an important right,
but there are limits to this freedom.
Anti-abortion activists are using free
speech in a way that intimidates people
into feeling they can’t exercise their
right to an abortion. Such intimidating
speech has a detrimental effect on pa
tients. The court would not have seen
fit to set a limit of 15 feet if it didn’t feel
that the speech of the protester repre
sented some king of threat
This ruling brings us one step closer
to having no real choice at all.
Katy McIntosh
Class of'97