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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 20, 1998)
The Battalion "uesday’January 20, 1998 ^ 1J-1H DAllALiUlN AGGIELIFE — Ling MMBB ' Martin Luther King, Jr. featured with a portrait of Ghandi. The photo was taken and issued in an edition of Life magazine. voice. It helped with the Caesar Chavez movement in California.” ontinued from Page 3 “Muslims are a minority,” she said. “I think the speech has affected Muslims in the lylve are perceived by the public at large. The iy jpeople act may not change, but it has had an ^fect upon the laws and how they treat us. It has pug lit awareness for Muslims.” i Bai g said celebrating this day goes beyond King’s jpThday; it should be remembered for his work. “This will permeate through our hearts through- it the years,” she said. MINORITY PERSPECTIVE Miguel Gonzalez, a senior business manage- lenl major and vice president of Lambda Theta jifii La (in Fraternity Inc., said he grew up in a city fchere racial discrimination existed and was felt by fmfiunity members. “lldon’t think the message of the speech has f^en accomplished because there is not equality f' the world,” Gonzalez said. “Nothing will be per- :t, but it has given people hope.” Gonzalez said the speech helped minorities by /ing them a sense of direction toward which they ’“(uld fulfill their needs. “He helped us because he aimed toward mi- irides,” Gonzalez said. “The speech gave us hope and direction. It gave promise; it brought us insight and it provided a WOMEN PERSPECTIVE Lovely Murrell, a senior anthropology major, said the words of King apply not only to minority groups, but also to the plight of women’s rights. “Sometimes when people think about civil rights they automatically think of African-Ameri cans,” Murrell said. “I would like people to remember, especially a lot of the women on campus who now think that feminism is the new ‘f-word,’ that civil rights were fought for them. If it weren’t for the civil- rights and feminist movements, they wouldn’t be at Texas A&M.” Murrell said although discrimination has been banned from campus in the eyes of the law, it still exists covertly in people's attitudes. “As far as civil-rights issues or people getting treated differently, nowadays I think it’s more hid den,” she said. “It’s not as open as it once was, and a lot of times it’s hard for people to recognize. The people who are saying ‘This is not right’ are sometimes looked at as troublemakers.” Murrell said people of different sexual orienta tions often are overlooked in equality and civil rights, even by other minority groups. “Civil rights are for lesbians, gays, bisexual and transgendered people,” she said. “It doesn’t matter if you like them or not, or if you think they’re going to hell or not.” Murrell said there are many similarities be tween the struggles of African-Americans and the struggle of lesbians, gays and bisexuals for equal rights, but not enough recognition. “I think there needs to be more coalition-build ing,” she said. “Even though the lesbian and gay and bisexual community is fighting for the same causes and is sues [as ethnic minorities], we’re too busy identi fying with one aspect of our life that we don’t see the other people around who are trying to attain the same goals. It would be better if those couple of thousands got together and built a coalition group, while not denying their heritage.” “If one group is oppressed, everybody is,” Mur rell said. “There’s still a lot of work to be done.” AFRICAN-AMERICAN PERSPECTIVE Michael Stewart, a senior mechanical engineer ing major and president of the Pan-Hellenic Coun cil, said discrimination on campus today may not be vocalized, but is definitely put into action. “A lot of times, in words everybody is equal, but in practice I don’t believe so,” Stewart said. “A lot of people from my council were saying how a black girl could get on a bus and some Caucasian girls could get on a bus, and guys would go out of their way to make sure the Cau casian girls get a seat while the black girl has to stand. That’s one of those things where it’s in words but not in practice.” Stewart believes certain groups will need to make sacrifices for equality to become reality. “I like to use the analogy of a Monopoly game,” Stewart said. “Everybody’s playing, but only a certain group is able to buy up everything for the first two hours. And then, all of a sudden, they say, ‘Now that we own everything you are able to buy something.’ What can I get? Unfortunately, to rectify the prob lem, somebody is going to have to give up some thing for awhile. That hurts the people who have to give up something, but if we truly want to equal it out, that’s just the way it has to happen.” Stewart said the leadership of King has greatly inspired him as a student leader. “When I think back on my freshman year here it was very hard being at a school like this,” he said. “The thing that used to get me through was when I thought about people like [King] who faced insurmountable odds. People like him died for me to have the opportunity to come to a university like this. I am eternally grateful to people like him and the determination they had, and that gives me the determination to go on.” As president of an African-American fraternity, Stewart feels ethnic pride and unity among races can coexist. “The key is not whether they are separate or not,” Stewart said. “The key is ‘How do they work togeth er’. I live in my household, and you live in your household, but we still can be called neighbors.” Inequality, disharmony, ignorance and fear. In 1998, these issues still plague the nation as King’s cure is met with apathy and denial on college campuses. Fortunately there are students who have been inspired by King’s words and are attempting to ful fill his dream. However, the alarm King sounded against the in filtration of inequality is too often memorialized by students who get to silence their alarm clocks for just another national holiday. Quote for the Day This week's theme; New Year's Resolutions, U New Year’s resolutions are a half-hearted attempt to alter an intrinsic behavior which you thoroughly enjoy. Why make ’em if you’re gonna break ’em?” — Scott Galloway Junior health education major ENGL 1 210 The English Department is offering credit for English 210 : Scientific and Technical Writing based on a portfolio of documents you write over the course of the semester and an impromptu writing exam. IRegistration (Blocker 224): January 20 - February 3 ^Portfolio Development: January 20 - April 3 | Impromptu Writing Exam: April 20 - 24 Students with work experience or who will be taking writing-intensive courses are especially encouraged to apply. See our web site or come by Blocker 224 for more information. English Department - Writing Programs Office 845-9936 http://www.engIish.tamu.edu/wprograms/credit210.html (SSridxl Association. presents The 1998 Bridal 8how & Benefit ml Sunday, January 25th 12-5 pm w Brazos Center PV Proceeds will be donated to Hospice Brazos Valley. 1 TWO EXCITING FASHION SHOWS will feature selections from: ’s Formal Wear, Ladies & Lords, Sir Knight, Special Occasions & Xanadu Bridal Shoppe. <£><&<&><&&<&>&<&<£?<£? EVERYONE IS INVITED TO ATTEND THIS SPECIAL EVENT! Tickets are $ 10 at the door, or may be purchased in advance for $7.50 at Al’s Formal Wear, Ladies & Lords, Party Time Rentals, Vogue Hair Salon, University Flowers, Wenonah’s Pantry, and Special Occasions For More Information Visit Our Website: www.ido-ido.net Grand Prize Drawings Diamond Piece Honeymoon Trip 1# Sponsored by Montelongo Jewelry Sponsored by ITS Cruises & Travels and Continental Airlines ^ • Over 50 Exhibitors • Guest Bags with Valuable Coupons • Register to Win Door Prizes & Grand Prizes lUL i ^KBTX-TV C I'Bfyon-Coltege Station Diamond Sponsors PflftTV TIM€ ♦ RCNTAIS* ~We Rent Fun" Platinum Sponsors Cabletime • CableMart • TV FACTS • etc.Magazine • KTEX • MacResource Computers Gold Sponsors Aggie 96 ‘Associated Publishing • College Station Conference Center • Creative Planners • Lowes • Memoir Photography • The Castle Inn • Vogue Hair Salon • Wenonah’s Pantry • WTAW Are you puzzled about Studying Abroad?? Come Put the Pieces Together.... Attend one of the following Information Meetings on: Wed., Jan 21 3 p.m. Thur., Jan 22 10 a.m. Fri., Jan 23 11 a.m. Mon., Jan 26 2 p.m. Tries., Jan 27 11 a.m. « in 134 Bizzell Hall West Or contact the Study Abroad Office at 843-0344 HKV BfMuarti Spring 1998 World Wide Web Searching Classes Free Hands-On Workshops at the West Campus Library Computing Center Prerequisite: A “labs” account must be claimed from a Block ATM screen or a CIS help desk (for assistance call 862-3139) prior to the class in order to use a Computing Center computer. Introduction to Using the World Wide Web for Research Wednesday, January 21 9:10 A.M. - 10:00 A.M. Tuesday, January 27 5:30 P.M. - 6:20 P.M. Beyond the Basics: Advanced World Wide Wbb Searching Wednesday, January 28 9:10 A.M. - 10:00 A.M. Tuesday, February 3 5:30 P.M. - 6:20 P.M. No registration required. Seating begins 15 minutes prior to the sessions scheduled time on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, call 862-1982 (WCL) or 862-1060 (Evans Library) or email tours@tamu.edu COFFEE STATION 907-A Harvey Rd. College Station, TX 77840 (409) 694-2844 Capuccino's, Mocha's, latte's and much more! THURSDAY, JANUARY 22, 1998 RUTH IE FOSTER FROM 8:00-11:00 COVER!