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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 5, 1997)
THE AGGIE KICKOFF ^Starring Robot Earl Keen & A Very Special Guest WOLF PEN CREEK Tickets at MSC, Marooned, Cavender's Sponsored by Double Dave's Dickson Productions Sept-jg iniprovisational comedy We got back. Saturday, Sept 6 9 p.m. Rudder Theatre Tickets are $4 in advance (MSC Box Office) $5 at the door AUDITIONS T Sunday, Sept. 7 Rumours Deli @ 7 p.m. Questions call 696-9414 http://http.tamu.edu :8000/~fslip That was then This is now! We*(( take you to church! FBC Bryan Fish Pond 9:05 Quad 9:10 Commons 9:15 Provided By Compass College Ministries, FBC Bryan The Battalion PINION Friday • September 5, 1997 Unions offer Aggies a lesson g United students in government could echo Teamsters’success I hree strikes and you’re out” is the fa miliar phrase many know from America’s fa vorite pastime. Since those olden days, not only has America’s fa vorite pastime changed to daytime talk shows, strikes are transforming into remarkable public relations tools. Marketing majors take note: A job at the Teamsters might be Stephen Llano columnist just where the 21st century's jobs lie. UPS is once again delivering packages, and the big summer story of the strike has been pawned off to second-class commen tators and panel discussions on cable net works. But that does not mean there is nothing to learn from the brilliant planning of this nationwide advertisement. Any good advertiser will preach that successfully selling a product is to take ad vantage of what is called the marketing mix — price, product, place and promotion. Of course, due to a slip of almost five percent in the nation’s economy, UPS is not winning any new customers due to this stunt. Teamsters’ president Ron Carey, after a questionable campaign, still has fish to fry with the son of Jimmy Hoffa who ran against him. Now allegations that Carey cheated the election process have called for a new elec tion, pitting these two adversaries against each other. A successful national strike un der Carey’s belt has basically given him the support of union locals everywhere. This time he does not have to cheat. Personal ambition aside, the planning of this strike directly addresses the “ four p’s” in their entirety. • Product: UPS does not create any thing, make anything or even own a com pany that produces anything. As a service, they are not providing a physical, tangible good that consumers would miss seeing from their shelves. The average consumer has no need for bulk mailing of packages, and the post of fice is usually where most people would think of going when something needs to be delivered. Only businesses that deal with shipping would be harmed, and more than likely they would blame UPS, not the Teamsters’ union for the problems they face. By choosing an organization with a na tional reputation that provides no tangible visible good to average consumers, Carey defended the union from direct assault during the ordeal. • Price: Along with product, the price of this strike was very important. CEO James Kelly threatened several times during the strike that many UPS customers would not return, and many jobs could be slashed. Furthermore, the cost to many businesses would be high, as alternate shipping means were expensive in both time and resources, not to mention overburdened and slow. But Carey’s advantage comes from an other simple thing — to many businesses who regularly use UPS, the personal inter action with that specific driver is the only contact with the company business owners have. Personal contact easily places the na tional concern in the background, while owners worry about how their friend is do ing. The physical cost is set aside by per sonal feelings. • Promotion: UPS, as a national compa ny, had no problem getting as much free coverage as it would like. But the real win ner is Carey, who acted with outstanding poise and delivered perfect and poignant prose anytime a sound bite was needed. Next to Kelly, Carey looked like a man with a moral mission rather than a busi nessman concerned with going into the red. • Place: The calendar is the assistant here. Carey picked August, far away from major holidays, and slow enough to not be superceded by any other news story, it was perfect. jT"^ 6 police h Newspapers did not get the chance to I the import; run headlines such as ‘‘Santa on Strike,” J_ task of mai which would have made the Teamsters look lining public on worse than the Cl inch. The summertime . ^protecting soc did not affect individuals as much as bust [omcriminals. ’ nesses, who will blame UPS corporate gi- i lutyhas been co ants anyway. Carey may not be Jimmy Hoffa’s son, but he certainly is a great marketer. Not only has he won a victory for UPS employees and himself, but he, through a great public ity stunt, has displayed unions in a positive light for the first time in a long time. Texas A&M students, rarely acting in fnday • Se r Folia r iromised by rece currences of pi irutality, which Aes it difficult torn the crimi m the police. The public, as smost law enfo concert, could possibly take Carey’s action ?P a ^ ^ l to heart. Administrators, like big business, l j im ^ ianl ' uu * can sometimes forget that there are needs ,inn '' lU s 11 ,lu ‘ and concerns the student body shares. on center. Acting in carefully planned concert, ese inci er with a discernible goal at die right time, I "■'"Vof th y °Hi can place student wishes neatly centered in -| ino l! al1 no 1 j * lelaw. front of administrators. t A&M is at an unprecedented time of • nffirprs ni growth and university-wide change. Stu- ; j de f ense iess ini dent concerns should not be lost in the 61996 During shuffle. Like unions, it is time for Aggies to ' collectively step up to the plate to address Bers an( j g Ua rd changes that may affect student life in the Although pris years to come. , iinstrict order, Student government might be just the rybetween rest forum around which students should rally, the course of With student attention and involvement, training” tape, i Student Government could effectively plan,inmate provocat and take meaningful, direct action to help inch a belligeren the student body make progress in making ,)bprotect thems their bark once again come with bite. Marketing is everywhere, and Carey is smart enough to place it where it belongs The Brazoria i nent claimed th bining purpose in his union. Aggies should follow the trend identso brutal i to make their beloved university once again directly answerable to the concerns and needs of the students. ional value. Cle; he extreme mal ae inmates. The video als< Without human i Stephen Llano is asenior history major, f ence an< ^ crue ^ , derated had it c ’ How can socit Organizations should practice tolerance T he In ter-Fra ternity Council held a move-in on campus on Wednesday and Thursday last week. Fraternity members fanned out on both North- side and Southside to help students with the sometimes overwhelming task of moving into residence halls. On Wednesday afternoon, while parents and new students moved in on Northside, an all too familiar scene occurred on North- side. Residents of Crocker and Walton Hall sported their ‘‘Rent a Friend, Join a Frat” shirts and pro ceeded to show what makes Northside the part of campus that stereotypes the entire University. Northside residents have nev er been known for their tolerance of Greeks and what they describe as an “exclusive system,” claiming that Greeks take people away from Bonfire and that they don’t associate with anyone who is not Greek. Their arguments and hos tilities have long been associated with Texas A&M, making it anoth er unofficial tradition. This tradi tion was continued during move- in last week. While fraternities helped move students in, members ofWalton Hall shouted derogatory remarks with a bull horn and tried to dis rupt an otherwise peaceful, hot College Station afternoon. Other Northside residents proudly sat around as mothers and fathers labored to move their children into the halls. It seems that the best response for the Northside residents was to do nothing to help their new neighbors move into their homes. The only thing they cared about was trying to make the Greeks feel unwanted and once again set a tone that has damaged A&M rep utation for a long time. It is not surprising that Northsiders feel fraternities take men away from their activities. Who wants to be associated with a group of people who re spond to others good deeds by being hostile towards them? While the hostility was not direct ed at the parents or new students, the Northsiders took the opportu nity to make the fraternity mem bers feel unwelcome on a part of their own campus. With the gains that have been made in recent years in curbing the hostility between organiza tions such as the Corps and Greeks, it is unfortunate that other organizations still believe that they should treat people with different views as enemies. Greeks do not take people away from bonfire; many actually help build Bonfire. The belief that Greek organiza tions are exclusive is true, but any organization on campus has some level of exclusiveness. Even the “Rent a Friends” are elitist. No member of a fraternity is wel come at their parties, and they have their own organizational system. They might not be recog nized by the University as a fra ternity, but they have many of the characteristics; even the shirts. It is important for every stu dent to find a place within the University that makes them feel at home and wanted. That is the purpose of residence hall, Greek and service organizations. These groups give students something to call their own at a time when many are just learning responsi bility and self-sufficiency. To say that any one group is better or worse than another is to say that group is different. The differences between organiza tions is what makes them appeal ing to various people. Not every student fits in with other mem bers of the student body. With a school the size of A&M, there is a need for all students to have a dif ferent way to express themselves. For some it is a Greek organiza tion, for others it is Bonfire. It is unfortunate that incidents like the one last week occur at a university that prides itself on its friendly atmosphere. Northsiders and fraternities, in many in stances, are composed of differ ent types of people, but it is nec essary for these people to be willing to accept each other. They may not agree on many issues, but they must have a level of respect for each others’ indi viduality. At an institution as large as Texas A&M, student soci ety is as diverse and complex as in any major metropolitan area, lust like in any city, the citizens of A&M owe their neighbors the right to their individual life, liber ty and happiness. towhen the vio iose entrusted i What occurre |?0th Precinct of adark moment i iceddemonstra m that is uncc Inst mai “I am si smar meai Homer Simp boast may si motto ofTex sity after Ag$ Fortune maj installments edition, Fori Bryan-Colle fourth- sma ty in the con This is nc Fortune real spending ur Northgate (1 lainy) look ' Dan Cone is a junior economics major. sm ( S$SlU0(f'(2)i J ®|S ©\6osr®l Sefitentfev $. 7997 7 PM. 292 Vise Sfiea&er: 'Dn,. ‘Dto*te£ /hvc£e&, *7exa<i' jd&TH, SefOtent, >0000] ©Sootf*©, Come and visit with Hispanic organizations on the Texas A&M campus. Call Erica Flores at 695-0835 for more information. ills 2 FLYING TOWARD YOUR FUTURE: CO-OP, INTERNSHIPS & SUMMER JOBS The TAMU Career Center invites you to attend a Panel Discussion on the “other” education. 601 Rudder Tuesday, September 9 5:30 - 6:30 pm munity in tl based cities thepopulat gree — a du the Ph.D’s o shoes, mud A whopping tion residen This area’s r k tor which n' In an inti tion Eagle, < tion Chamt ment mana we’re natur; Ironically Bryan-Colle cities, it is A1 from being i pen at A&M ; will relegate ' worse. If Bry | the smartes mustbestai !- Contrary to does not att dence, justi around carr ing letters ir The sillii limited to tl alized. Con serves the l green. Texa “Texas’ prei The syst While it do< it also dren obsessed w does a day receiving a While th