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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 9, 1998)
mrsday • April 9, 1998 J/Utbk. The Battalion if . i %• I 1 m I). This fdt6 3pplieS[' «a£gj litional 5 daysatnocta^Bi ™ „ B ^ ™ ^ 6 Finding your inner child PERSONAL a Long-Distance Reiato 19. nance One Of The trios (0-407-7782. ext 2950 ns. Serv-U: (619)6454t Miscovering the joy of one's childhood offers valuable tips for optimism, social skills on was lave To Be Lonely Ar. 1/ V time voll S, Ext 931t. $299|»' P W UIIIO yOU u: (6191645-8434 ayocl in the rain or PETS ad; a mud pie? Tie i was the last pptes Kittens. Cats / me you played jos Animal Sheltei775r:| , , , last or looked for ale white wired htr f I Ipaf Hove.r? ng home $150 Piease3B r ‘ leal LlOV 61 ' It was probably n HusKy puppies. yOU Were Still Bing Osh Kosh Is It and wateh- jMefs with cage and ac g ^ lister Roger - s borhood." Oeaulilul batman masks :k & while angels $t95 Manisha Parekh columnist ROOMMATES s a.s a p. Summer S! lets ok. no deposit 69J I I. M/F. Summei. 3tr pus Justin. 691-2131. needed. 3bdim2batti Walk to campus 2bdrm/2bath ipan 2bilis Np deposit O needed lor May S£ tbath, w d Stacy. 694jf: )w, you are probably too old and ma- br that kid’s stuff, right? Oh, by the way, e your stress levels and ulcers doing? nerica is growing old before its time, em to be in such a hurry to grow up e forget about the joys of staying g. Somewhere between kindergarten (college, we seem to lose our ability to life. It is as if the minute we throw our comfy overalls and start dress- mate needed as a: s »lurselves without Mommy’s help, we n away the quirky view of life that ren have. It is as if the moment pu- ^ kicks in, every childlike quality is i away in order to be “mature.” ? 0l course, it is true that as humans ma- into responsible adults, they leave ind many of the behaviors that are |s of being a child. Adults are not sup- id to have temper tantrums or pull other’s hair (in theory). This type of irity is necessary if we are to keep a mate needed, summer,! us. Call 779-9302. ■mate needed Scir-1 W,D, walking distance mth duplex, on shuttle non smoker pretenc i ichanic 693-0726. riled tor May 2Bdr' 1 (: i 5 mo 693-9134. ■eded to share fumS* Summer. $357/mo. ili) 1-1559. aded 2bdrnV2bath a nally $300+/mo). Cal 6 aded M/F. Summei. 2« 1282.50/mo, -i1/2deposl U ded. Share furnished !!ir‘ r $280/mo. <S ited lor Fall. PleasecalS mted. 3-bedroom house 3 Ita Tom-693-4381. civil society. But there is a big difference between acting like an adult and acting like a bor ing, stuffy person. Being an adult does not mean that you have to look wistfully at a park swing as you drive by, not stopping to swing because that’s “kids’ stuff.” Being an adult does not mean that you can not stop and play in the mud (just ask anyone at Bonfire cut). And I seriously doubt that getting drunk on Northgate and passing out is even half as fun as a rousing game of Red Rover. According to authors such as Deepak Chopra and John Bradshaw, allowing yourself to act and behave young in the appropriate circumstances can actually keep you young. My father is a perfect example of this. At age 57, my father still embraces life with the excitement of a child. As hard as he works, that is how hard he plays. At Indian dances, my father is easy to pick out: he’s the one one grinning like a little kid and dancing like there is no tomorrow. He is quite a char acter and a whole lot of fun. I do not think it is any coincidence that he is incredibly healthy and looks years younger than he is. My father never let go of his inner child. And neither should you. Being a kid is fun. It relieves stress and releases tension. And in many instances, it the best thing for your mind and body. Being a kid helps you remember what is most important in life, family. Do you re member how you could not wait to tell your parents when you did something right? Your parents would probably be just as proud of your accomplishments today (waking up in time for class) as when you were a kid. So give them a call and let yourself indulge in some quality parent and kid time. Being a kid helps you forgive and for get. How many times did your childhood friends accidentally put paste in your hair or mess up your new drawing? Chances are, you made up with them every time and went back to being friends. Remem ber that the next time your roommate ac cidentally forgets to give you a message or your date spills Coke all over you. Being a Idd gives you hope and makes you optimistic. How many times did you keep trying to catch a squirrel or climb the tallest tree in the neighborhood, without success, only to try again? Kids can be pretty inspirational when it comes to deal ing with the biggest obstacles, kind of like finals or papers. Growing up does not mean that you have to let go of any of that joy. Growing up does not mean that you have to leave your inner child behind. Growing up sim ply means that you decide to become an inner parent to your inner child. So when school and work and relation ships are getting you down, think back to elementary school and let your inner child come out and play. That wish you made on last night’s star might just come true. Manisha Parekh is a sophomore psychology and journalism major. ERSPECTIVES STUDENT LIFE 2bdrm/1bath $212': is. Seamas, 846-2433 SERVICES clinicians with ERA c a work. Will work wistwl G Innovative Services S'l'l insive Driving. Lots-olV I/insurance discount. H'l ). Fri(6pm-8pm) J$«l|!Kf i). Inside Nations-Bar*' h. Lowest price allowc^ 17. 846-6117. Stamp* eating you alive? Cals Fitness Centers, (409177 itxcyber.com *<1 e.com 3rand Opening Specials ' 6061. Tax Preparation. $50fl* f | 4-2819. ce service. Mowing, edf?! r Joe, 847-3360. tolerating intolerance is often [ecessary to ensure free speech ed handgun course $75 classes available. Jot* reek Range 589-1093. TRAVEL ers accredited programs»' iguages 8 humanities i» Ecuador, France, and ‘ rd new sessions begin ev? 1 ■40 for literature. SIGHT LOSS weight. Wanted: 42'pe:7] ural, Dr. recommended Dusk lost 165-lbs. andove: 1 Lane has already tost '■ :-7383. sing law or public out cry to force an individ ual or group with preju- views to behave or speak :ertain way is not always ost productive solution, addition to being hypo- :al and anti-free speech, coercive techniques often [o address the underlying ides. Left to fester, these ides frequently emerge in :r, more dangerous ways, idice-fighters can avoid icrisy by abiding offensive JL Adam Collett columnist f systems while simultaneously engaging those espouse them. urrently, the Boy Scouts are causing a flap by [dfastly refusing to permit admitted homosexuals orkfor or participate in the organization. The epts that fuel the outcry over those actions, po- 1 correctness and inclusiveness, have noble s. But taken to an extreme, they suggest that the thing that we can’t tolerate is intolerance, is both hypocritical and paradoxical to preach [nness with one hand but to use the other to close [door to certain viewpoints. remove this inconsistency, we must be willing ■low divergent viewpoints like those of the Boy :outs, no matter how repugnant they may be. [’hose who oppose their actions and beliefs — 1 one of them — have the right to disagree. But dis cing while holding the moral high ground does justify the present attempts to coerce the Scouts th Texas Guarantee! nonprofit corport ents realize their •am matches you . you practical If today. TG intern following areas: setween borrower into a certain behavior pattern. Certainly, if the Boy Scouts are breaking the law (as is being argued in some of the challenges to their policies), then of course they should be forced to change. The courts will determine if this is so and will take the appropriate actions. But beyond that, the views should be permitted to be expressed. This does not mean supporters of cultural sensi tivity have to sit back and suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous comments. On the contrary, they can take advantage of a wonderful opportunity to engage the other side. If we use every legal tool and public pressure to change their surface behaviors, their attitudes go into hiber nation. Denied verbal expression, those attitudes sometimes surface later, and more violently, much as long-pent up pressure produces a volcano. Allowed to see daylight, however, these attitudes come out over time and thus avoid reaching critical mass. The culturally sensitive then have the chance to approach the prejudiced, engage them in discus sion, and hopefully, positively influence their views. In lieu of blind allegiance to and propagation of inclusiveness and political correctness, we should engage the Boy Scouts. Attacking the organization and bringing every conceivable legal response will only isolate the group and not produce change. The truly tolerant understand that inclusiveness is a two-way street; while we work to expand what we know to be right, we must understand and even allow the intolerant to peacefully coexist. Adam Collett is an educational administration rking on TG's sysW’i nssess, develop, and -ons and public relali 5 ’ mmunication prcxW 1 Dlementation, and the following soured nn Resources J 219-4512 5 1 2) 219-4599 (512) 219-4560 peech Impaired Onl) irmative Action/ portunity Employer MAIL CALL rticle misses true nportance of rally Though I am impressed that mething as controversial and beral” as the pro-choice rally ide front page of The Battalion, I i disappointed in the coverage. As a member of NOW and a rticipant in the rally I must say e rally was so much more than o-Bryan Planned Parenthood. I alize this is an important issue dngBryan-College Station and is campus, but it is not the only •ortion issue. Melaney Linton, )m Planned Parenthood, spoke r about twenty minutes of a three-hour rally. The speech she gave was won derful, but other things went on at this rally. There was no mention in the ar ticle of the march around campus, the heartfelt testimonials given by friends and relatives of women who have chosen abortion, the personal essays from students about why they are pro-choice, or of the horrible stories from doctors treating women who have had botched, painful, illegal abortions. I think The Battalion missed the heart of this rally. It was a gathering of young women and men sharing thoughts, feelings, and informa tion, defending their freedom, de fending a women’s right to choose. Jennifer Woodson Class of’01 Silver Taps anniversary truly honors tradition On April 7, we celebrated the 100th anniversary of Silver Taps. I have to say that during my four years, you cannot distinguish be tween ceremonies, but that night’s hit me the hardest. As a kid, I remember hearing stories of how no one would talk until morning after a Silver Taps. But in years past, the lights that stayed on in the breezeway of the MSC have taken that away. I hear people talking all the time. Well, for the first time since I have been here, the lights were off, and I felt like we truly were honoring the tradition of Silver Taps. I would like to thank the Traditions Coun cil and all other groups involved for making that possible. As I come closer to graduation in May, I feel the Aggie Spirit just hit me closer than it ever has. Now if we can just get rid of those trains. Keep the tradition alive. Sammy Mobarak Class of’98 The Battalion encourages letters to the ed itor. Letters must be 300 words or less and in clude 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 77843-1101 Resurrection Week serves as a reminder of religion's forgiveness April Towery columnist I sin. I sin every day. I’ve lied, cheated and stolen. But I’m going to heaven be cause of the resurrection of Christ. Some call me a bad Ag. Some call me a hypocrite. Others call me human. By grace I have been saved. When Jesus died on the cross, he saved us from our sins. And then, three days after his cruci fixion, Jesus rose again. “I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever!” — Revelation 1:18 Taking advantage of the sac rifice Jesus made for us is as simple as having faith and be lieving that he died on the cross and is alive today. Going to McDonalds doesn’t make you a hamburger; like wise, going to church doesn’t make you a Christian. And Jesus Christ does not dis criminate. He is not concerned with one’s background or past. “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our sins from us.” —Psalm 103:12 Everyone is invited to accept the salvation and admittance to heaven that Christ offers us. We don’t have to impress him with our worldly deeds; they will nev er be enough. All we have to do is R.S.V.P. to his invitation, so to speak, and say that prayer to ac cept Jesus Christ into our lives. “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.” — Romans 6:23 Because we are sinful crea tures and we can never achieve perfection, we are condemned to death. But we are offered the gift of life because Jesus Christ died for us. We are given an op tion: life or death. “This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life ...” — Deuteronomy 30:19 Okay, I can see the Mail Calls already. People are wondering how I can quote the Bible as a valid source. Do I believe everything I read? No, of course not. But that's where faith and convic tion come into play. People are arguing that they don’t believe in God. Well, it’s not about believing in God. Satan believes in God. Satan believes that there is a God who exists in this world, but Satan does not put his trust in God. It’s all about faith. I’m not here to sit in judg ment. Being a Christian does not make me perfect. It does not make me better than anyone else — Christian or non-Christ ian. It does not prevent me from sinning every single day. But it does give me the assur ance that I am saved and I am forgiven. We have all been given the opportunity to accept Jesus Christ into our lives. “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and be lieves in me will never die ...” — John 11:25,26 Time is running out. Jesus will come again, and everyone on earth will spend eternity in either heaven or hell. But our choice must be made now. It is literally a matter of life and death. Will you R.S.V.P. to your invitation? April Towery is a junior journalism major. m PRSIDBW'S HM> UPS f\UD DCANNSi ITS , OP TWEH Dc*NN it COES ■ gUt ELCABH, 'T 6CES (3®TtT!7rpW