ursday • February 19, 1998
The Battalion
!
AMPUS CONNECTION
ere for art thou?
i&M’s quest for world-class status demands improving fine arts offerings
A k
Chris
Huffines
radio producer
I
exas A&M
University is
an institution
ssed with ba
ng “a world-
university.” In
uingthis goal,
Jniversity has
ed the Vision
program, a set
|ig-and short-
goals to bring
niversity to
:en status by
ear 2020.
alter Wendler, executive assistant to
ident Ray M. Bowen and one of the
Jitects ofVision 2020, said two things
en universities have in common are
school and a developed fine arts
am. As any Aggie who is still
thing on a regular basis knows, A&M
litly shelled out to pick up a law
3 gol. Now, the University needs to fo-
n the fine arts.
any people here at A&M are wonder-
hy a fine engineering/business/left-
tischool like A&M needs a more de
ed fine arts school. The first reason
having such a substandard program
university of its caliber), A&M is dri-
away fine arts students. This would
De a problem, if studies didn’t show
students interested in the fine arts
tend to be smarter than students not in
terested in the fine arts. I don’t know if it’s
because theater, music and art tend to
stimulate brain cells or smart people just
like fine arts, but the fact remains fine arts
equal smarter students.
By driving away these smarter stu
dents, the University is lowering the col
lective intelligence of its students.
Also, the fine arts are some of the
most creative areas of study, and this cre
ativity is sorely needed around here.
A&M is not a stagnant environment —
far from it — but it is a place that seems
to thrive on its own stability. This is why
the University administration is able to
operate independently of student desires
and problems like hazing go undetected
and unsolved for years.
There is no desire to change anything,
even if it needs to be changed. The fortu
nate byproduct of bringing in the fine arts
is their great respect for tradition that
makes sense. And, odd as they may seem,
traditions here in Aggieland do make their
own brand of sense.
Fine arts will bring needed change to
the University, without doing away with
anything desired.
Finally, A&M needs a little culture,
which, currently, Bryan-College Station
does not provide. Frankly, throwing darts
while drunk at the Chicken doesn’t really
add to one’s appreciation of the world and
life. Neither, really, do OPAS or the current
theater arts program. OPAS, no matter the
quality of show or their over $ 1 million
budget, cannot bring in enough shows to
satisfy the diverse A&M student body.
Admittedly, a higher percentage than
anyone cares to admit is southern white,
but even that majority cannot be served;
all 46,000 students are too much for the
dozen or less shows OPAS sponsors.
The Department of Theater Arts has
the ability to satisfy the student body, but
it does not have the facilities. Right now,
the department is limited to Rudder Fo
rum and the Fallout Theater. They use the
Forum, that is, when everyone from
Freudian Slip to St. Michael’s Academy to
the Honors Office is not using it. And the
Fallout Theater is only slightly less primi
tive than the auto shop my high school
used as a theater for a few years.
With the music department still in its
infancy, and no other fine arts programs
on campus, there is no escaping the fact
A&M is under-cultured.
The University has clearly spelled out
what is required to become a top-ten
university, and thus a world-class uni
versity. Administrators have taken steps
to achieve this, and now need to simply
follow through.
AT
Chris Huffines is a sophomore speech
communications major.
rUDENT LIFE
STATE OF THE UNION
iAT remains a poor indicator
of collegiate performances
Manisha
Parekh
columnist
Tlhe Scholastic Aptitude
I Test. The mention of
LL those three words can
ake any high-school junior
reak into a sweat. The SAT is
iethree-hour test that is a
ictorin college admissions,
is designed to test students’
nath and verbal skills and
redict performance.
In reality, however, the SAT
just one big game. It has
roblems, and if a student
as the right resources, it can
e easily beaten.
Tlie fust problem with the SAT is that it is not a
alid predictor of performance. “On average, for 88
ercent of the SA^ applicants, an SAT score will pre-
ict their grade rank no more accurately than a pair of
ice,” Glenn Ellert of Columbia University said. His
ndings are based on reports by Educational Testing
rvices (ETS), the company that administers the
t Recent studies have found that the correlation
tween SAT scores and college grades are slight at
st.
In fact, ETS psychologist Jonathan R. Warre
oncluded that motivation is the key to performing
•ell in college. The best students were committed
their studies and interested in learning.
The second problem with the SAT is it seems to
c biased towards certain groups. Researchers
Mies Crouse and Dale Trusheim found that while
eSAT was a poor predictor of future perfor-
nance, it was a great way of indicating a student’s
ocioeconomic status. Students from middle to up-
ler-class families did consistently better on the test
iian lower income students.
It is obvious to anyone t hat money does not equal
! ntelligence and any test which says that is is flawed.
Yet the admissions professionals at many uni-
ersities still use the SAT as a major part of the deci-
ion process. This is in spite of the fact an ETS study
ound other factors such as grade-point average are
lot directly influenced by economic status, and are
letter predictors.
Further studies have shown white males do bet
ter on the SAT than females and minorities. Does
this mean white males are the most intelligent? Of
course not. The SAT is biased towards white males,
Ellert said.
ETS, for its part, says the test does not discrimi
nate against certain groups; it merely reflects the
inequities in American society. But the SAT is not
supposed to measure societal inequity, it is sup
posed to measure intelligence and ability. And it
obviously does not.
The third problem has to do with reliability. How
many people are at their peak performance at 8
a.m. on a Saturday? And how many people can con
centrate on a test for almost three hours straight?
Most college students have a hard time concentrat
ing during a three-hour class on a Tuesday night.
Therefore, it is insane to believe that a single test
can predict future perfonnance, especially under the
sterile conditions the SAT is administered. There are
many factors that have absolutely nothing to do with
intelligence or aptitude that can affect SAT scores.
The room was too cold or there was too much traffic
outside. Any psychologist will tell you because many
factors can affect performance, the most reliable way
to measure a skill or ability is to run several trials and
then average the scores together.
The SAT, however, is a one-shot deal.
Finally, the SAT can be beaten if a student has
the time and money to take a class like the Prince
ton Review. These type of review classes teach
strategies that help students to “beat" the test. And
studies show that the courses actually work. So, if a
student has the $600 to spend on a review course,
he or she can score high on the SAT.
Once again, the SAT proves it can measure the
size of a student’s pocketbook.
And the statistics show that is really all the test
can measure.
Yet the SAT is still used by many universities as a
deciding factor in admissions and scholarships.
And despite the evidence that the SAT is noth
ing more than a waste of time and money, many
more high school students will take the test and re
alize that SAT really stands for “Silly And Tiring.”
Manisha Parekh is a sophomore psychology' and
journalism major.
Memories of materialism
will haunt America’s history
HI
Michelle
Voss
columnist
O ne day, in 80 years or so,
a few of us will be dod
dering, senile geri
atrics. Shuffling along the side
walks in our robes, black socks
and espadrilles, we’ll emit foul
odors and be in serious need
of ointments.
We’ll mumble about this
place called America. That
place where we grew up, but it
crashed into a large glacier
and sunk.
Virtually everyone drowned
in the North Atlantic after a rather suspenseful moment
when the continent broke in half, which had a catchy
score that you can pick up for $12.95 at Blockbuster.
So, the stories will be told and histoiy will be writ
ten. America will be part of the past. A bygone nation
from before the Flood.
Then, the question becomes, how will history write
about America?
The typical American might be inclined to re
spond: A military super-power, the big-burrito of
Western Civilization, the inventors of silly putty and
hoola-hoops.
However, if all records were destroyed, and histo
ry had to be rewritten by an historical materialist, the
world’s superpower might look a tad ridiculous.
Since a materialist would study personal artifacts
of ordinary people, the history of America would have
a different ring than we might imagine.
A materialist would notice that Americans were the
most litigious culture in the universe, with more tele
visions than homes, more foreign cars with goofy
names and more Taco Buenos than could possibly be
good for the ozone — you know, all that methane.
An American in 2078 might be defined as: A per
son who ate grande burritos and drove a Yugo to their
lawyer’s office to collect a personal injury check since
they dropped a television on their foot.
No, no, no, not possible. Americans put the first
man on the moon. Americans um, um, invented 1015
onions. And ... um, Americans, well, hmm. Ameri
cans invented MTV. Yeah, MTV.
Sure, okay, America is neat. But, let’s play pretend.
Hypothetically speaking, let’s say Iraq unleashes
their weapons of mass-destruction on the United
States tomorrow morning as we’re munching on our
bowls of raisin bran.
Funky chemicals are released into the air, we all
die, bla, bla, bla. But our houses remain. So, Saddam
sends out special teams to rummage through our
houses and make America look really, really stupid.
This would be a rather simple task.
Think about it. Our houses are full of retarded
things. Things that if someone stumbled into our
houses and began piecing together a history of Amer
ica as you, the beer-guzzling frat-boy, lived it, we
would look seriously asinine.
The Iraqi-special team to make Americans look
stupid might have notes that look like the following:
One, these Americans must consume enough beer
to equal the entire Gross Domestic Product of a small
country in South America. And they really seem to like
large, round metal barrels with little hoses attached at
the top.
Two, they like to collect large cassette-looking
tapes with covers that say things like, “My Best
Friends Wedding,” “Sixteen Candles,” “Father of the
Bride,” etc., etc. They must really like cakes and
streamers or something.
Three, they really like peanut butter, sausage
and frozen peas as this was all that was sitting in
their refrigerators.
Four, they all have amassed stacks of little round
discs from those obnoxious Hootie and the Blow
Fish idiots.
Last, this country is all about religious zealots
with guns.
Don’t think so? Go home and look around. Imag
ine how history would record Americans if they had
to collect knickknacks from your apartment.
One day, America will be gone and some of us just
might live to see it — the rest of us will be frozen with
John Wayne.
So, do not let the true memory of America die
when it sinks into the Atlantic.
Tell everyone you meet that Freebirds had the best
burritos in the free world.
Michelle Voss is a sophomore English major.
MAIL CALL
imily tragedy spawns
irit of Aggieland
OK— So you have heard about
Maybe even felt it. But my
% recently fully experienced it.
On Feb. 4 my daughter Shan
non was killed in a traffic accident.
She was not a student at A&M, but
was going to college at Blinn in
Bryan with her eye on Aggieland.
Her brother, Patrick McCleskey
(G-l) Class of’99 and her fiance”,
Lt. Mark Andrews (Talon 12) Class
of ’97 are and were both in the
Corps at A&M.
Not only did A&M notify Blinn
and assist with getting her records
closed out, but the Corps’ support
of her brother and fiance” has
been beyond belief — cards, let
ters, calls, plants.
Members of their units were
there throughout the processes to
help their buddies and continue
to be there for them. My brother,
Bruce Henderson (B-l) Class of
’83, brought together all the Aggies
at the funeral and did a Corps
“Hump It” for Shannon.
The Federation of Aggie Moms
sent a card, and the Austin A&M
Mother’s Club sent flowers for the
family and a goodie basket to my
son. We continue to receive calls
from members of the club.
So what is the spirit of Aggieland?
It is the feeling of inclusion dur
ing a time that is beyond compre
hension and the core fear of many
parents — losing a child.
My husband and I will be forev
er grateful and in awe at how the
spirit of the Corps of Cadets and
Aggieland has embraced us.
Boh, Kathy and Pat McCleskey
Lt. Mark Andrews
Textbooks attempt to
correct past deletions
In response to Donny Ferguson's
Feb. 18 column:
Donny Ferguson has once
again failed to think before he put
his opinion on paper.
He is attacking public school
textbooks and comparing the Board
of Education to the Politburd.
What he has failed to realize
probably because he believed
everything that Coach taught him
in high-school history and govern
ment classes, is that many school
textbooks in the past 50 years have
not been telling the entire story.
Public school textbooks for
years have been the source of
propaganda that supports the
“American Way.”
If you don’t believe me, then
take a look at a high-school text
book from 10 to 12 years ago to see
how much subjects like the Viet
nam War or McCarthyism are cov
ered. If public schools are finally
getting away from the Amerocen-
tric and Eurocentric stance then,
it’s about time.
I also wonder what teachings of
Stalin are incorporated in text
books given that Mary was the po
litical philosopher and Stalin was a
dictator. Maybe Donny was absent
the day his Political Science profes
sor taught Political Theory in class.
Mike Rogers
Class of'97
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