Battalion
inion
Page 9 • Friday, September 25, 1998
oningOut
Stadium construction inconveniences Aggie fans, but promises improvements
ANDREW
BALEY
away
tpener, tl
ftam is a:
Is start;
igaps tt
1 (here is a
ns- H wise quote
,jns that reads,
ng, athleti |F1k' toils of the
iave a serMd will seem
said. "Butlothing, when 1
an we've* to the end of
ihere." Broad.”
ansive sB AH A&M stu-
phomore Bits, faculty
) led tt anil guests who
,e and taatlend football games for the du-
as well as ration of the football season
imbull artshculd remember this quote,
d fortheteaBlhe Zone is far from the spec-
in. Bular display it will soon be.
sopho Uifortunately, until it is all done,
as the e: foc;ball spectators will suffer. The
staff after Bid news is that they will not
eading 1.5'siller for long.
ie will sp'Bas anyone could tell from the
th junior Bt football game, The Zone con-
ill complet-Biction — as it is now — is
t is short By. Hardly anything could make
ewis trarsB north side of the stadium look
this year, wlrse. Hopefully first-time visi-
nave th- tors to Kyle Field can picture its
would likei’Bnpleted construction in their
‘Our pitc’Bnds or come back next season
ist liketo'itocet a better look. But this is
Bv construction schedule, espe-
Hlly long ones, go. The work
■es not rest or get put on hold
..fol the football season.
■'Olvl ^B^nother dilemma the con-
ction causes is the inconve-
nce to the fans that come to
A&M B games and the workers that
will reirarwlrk them. Cutting 12,000 seats
forfeiture ami a major entrance from Kyle
Fifld has caused many obstacles.
Football patrons are advised to
game,
s Departs
isiana Te:j
discovered
D'Andre
yed in W
l'
veille’s rank
mands respect
lesponse to the Sept 21 article,
le game Brr/ty sees doors of Corps open-
will temping for women:"
am writing in response to
n Bookman’s article about
lyGarrity on Monday, Sept.
The caption under Garrity’s
ure said she is the highest-
king female in the Corps of
ets. That is not true. Reveille
rs five diamonds, and any-
lywho can do simple math
iws five is greater than the
ee diamonds Garrity wears.
Mow, had the proper research
n done, one would have found
t Reveille is the highest-ranking
rale in the Corps of Cadets.
Jason Hoelscher
Class of '99
esident answers
American public
ill remain
ases wto
i involved;
Ted went
a 1-0 loss,
plays 12 1
, this p
ired to win
j for a bowll
las not ^
whether '
ount towai
quired to
'esponse to Sept. 22 articles:
he articles in the Sept. 22
fallen sickened me. No matter
it Clinton does, every newspa-
continues to quote Americans
ending his actions and accus-
„ fig anyone who disagrees of be-
n Papuan extreme conservative.
-nHprpstimil 1 am J ust as sick of hearing
1 thevareB utClinton ’ s scanclals a s the
e J t | tf »(t person, but it is our responsi-
e " fi Pity to hold our leaders account-
ble for their actions.
n,” Gueiw
s are very
lefenses
defensr
mal week'
jeek. Tire
sophonro 1
-getter
► turn th®'
i.
aiding th®
-4-1, the ;
er their tj'
to win"
3er Enri
a tough
rue test 1
ward to';
captain. !J
in am in ft
iry Clean*
ashers&W
►Id Senift
LowPrii*
?
s
»ast midnii
Week
.College^
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/Z
come early to games because of
the longer, narrower lines to enter
the stadium. It is a tall task for
the majority of the students on
this campus who attend football
games to even get to their bench
before kickoff. To ask that they
not only be on time, but early, is
a stretch.
Do not forget to mention
those people who
were unable to get
tickets because
of the ticket
shortage.
It is better to be late than not
be there at all.
Kyle Field workers, who
range from field maintenance
crews to concessions staff, have
had to change their normal rou
tines be
cause of the construction. Stadi
um operations has had to relo
cate utilities and phone lines, in
stall new water systems and deal
with numerous other nuisances
as this season approached.
Aramark runs all concessions
for Kyle Field, and they
have been adversely
affected as well.
JW INSERT
J^ZONE"
HERE
ifimiiiplfc tat
Graphic by Robert Hynecek/Thk Battalion
MAIL CALL
Our country has become apa
thetic. What once would have
been an outrage is now accepted
without question.
We are the future of our coun
try. We are the leaders, the col
lege educated. If we are blind to
Clinton’s dishonesty and question
able activities, how can we expect
anything better from him?
Clinton has not done a “great
job,” or even a “decent job.” He
has stripped our presidency of its
honor and respect.
Apparently, many people feel
that Clinton’s scandals will have
“no effect” on our country. I sin
cerely hope that these events will
have a profound effect on every
American citizen. It is time for us
to do the research. It is time to lis
ten to our president’s testimony,
his evasions, his lies, and it is
time to hold him accountable.
Clinton has not fulfilled his du
ties. We should not make the
same mistake.
Leah Graves
Class of '01
Clinton’s actions
demand attention
The news of the President’s ac
tions has really upset me. Al
though his sexual encounters
should normally be none of our
business, what he has done is.
He holds the highest office in
the land, but he also works for the
citizens of this country. If my boss
caught me performing sexual acts
in my office, I would be fired.
Clinton not only cheated on his
wife with a 21-year-old intern in
his office while we were paying
him to conduct the affairs of the
nation, but he lied about it under
oath to a grand jury.
The sad part is, the people of
this nation want to blow it off be
cause the economy is good and
“Clinton has done a wonderful job
as President.”
Clinton defenders cannot
name any Clinton acts that had
an impact on the economy. Only
some allusions to a weak welfare
reform act and a balanced budget
idea that Clinton vetoed and then
resubmitted as his own.
However, the fact of the matter
is, any other official would have to
answer for his actions. Clinton
should be no different.
Brad Fox
Class of '97
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
77843-1111
Campus Mail: 1111
Fax: (409) 845-2647
E-mail: batt@tamvml.tamu.edu
Gays not converted by
prayer and persuasion
MANISHA
PAREKH
FIML QUESTION,Ms. LEWINSKY.
/\RE YOU DOING ANYIHlNe
TONIGHT 7.
P rejudice and
discrimina
tion can rear
their ugly heads
in many forms.
Whether it be
in the segregated
South of the ’60s
or the glass ceil
ings of the ’80s,
discrimination
can be found throughout history.
As much as we would like to
lull ourselves into a false sense
of equality as America approach
es the next millennium, discrimi
nation, and the prejudice that
underlies it, is alive and well in
the United States. Alive and
thriving, actually.
For years, the gay, lesbian and
bisexual community has fought
for the same rights afforded to
heterosexuals. For a while, it
looked as though they were mak
ing progress. Folks began to ac
cept homosexuals as actual peo
ple and began to realize the
extent to which they are discrimi
nated against. Statutes were
passed in many areas to protect
the precious civil rights that
everyone, regardless of sexual ori
entation, deserves.
And then, suddenly, the pendu
lum began to swing backwards.
The religious right went on the
offensive, claiming gays and les
bians can convert to heterosexual
ity through the power of prayer. In
July, Exodus International, a
group that specializes in “conver
sion therapy,” took out full-page
ads in newspapers across the
country proclaiming that gays can
be prayed straight.
Pronouncing the numbers of
gays that had “successfully” con
verted to a heterosexual lifestyle
as proof of the therapy’s effective
ness, Exodus leaders hit the na
tional television circuit to say the
homosexual lifestyle is a choice
and a sin that can be corrected —
through prayer.
Maybe the “Information Age”
should be renamed the “Misinfor
mation Age. ”
According to the American Psy
chological Association, conversion
— or reparative — therapy is not
only scientifically ineffective, it is
also potentially harmful.
Becki Elkins-Nesheim, director
of Gender Issues and Education
Services, agreed.
“It is not directly harmful to
wards gay, lesbian and bisexuals,”
Elkins-Nesheim said, “but for the
population in general. When you
have a group struggling for civil
rights, to say people (gays) are
able to be prayed back, it makes
the perception that it’s a choice
Play abuses
free speech
Two of the company’s conces
sion stands were demolished,
cutting profits for this season,
and their entire warehouse and
office spaces have been tem
porarily repositioned at the
south end of the stadium.
It is time to go back to the
quote. These toils of the road,
although annoying, will be long
forgotten at the end of the road
next season.
The ugly duckling construction
will bloom into the pleasant
“Zone.” Thousands of new seats
will be added to allow more fans
into Kyle Field.
Students, alumni, and visi
tors will not have to wait in
endless, narrow lines to enter
the stadium. Stadium opera
tions will be back to nor
mal, and of course the hot
dogs and cokes should
taste even better as Ara
mark receives its new-
and-improved warehouse
and concession facilities.
Hopefully this season
will proceed in a winning
manner for the Aggies to
take away attention from
all of the inconveniences
of The Zone’s construc
tion. Visitors should all
come back next season. You
cannot judge Kyle Field 1998
or A&M football until you
have seen The Zone.
Andrew Boley is a junior
political science major.
JOHN
LEMONS
and (homosexuals) don’t need
civil rights.”
In Elkins-Nesheim’s experi
ence, that perception is wrong
on two counts. She said for
many of the gay, lesbian and bi
sexual students who come to see
her, the choice is not about
whether or not they are homo
sexual, but about whether they
should “come out.”
“Being gay is not a choice. The
choice is whether you are going to
be your authentic self or someone
else in order to fit into society,”
Elkins-Nesheim said.
In many states, however, there
is a price for being true to yourself.
In a number of states, gays and les
bians can be evicted from their
homes and have no protection
against losing their jobs, simply be
cause of their sexual orientation.
And thanks to “evidence” from
organizations like Exodus Interna
tional, some people feel as though
they have every right to continue
denying homosexuals the same
rights as every other American.
However, it is the details Exo
dus does not include in its state
ments that are much more
telling of the ability to convert
gays into “ex-gays.”
Two of Exodus’ original male
co-founders fell in love and left
the ministry. Thirteen different
Exodus ministries were forced to
close after their directors “re
turned” to homosexuality. In fact.
Exodus has no record of the num
ber of the ex-gays who are still
living a heterosexual lifestyle.
Mark Satterlee, a gay man who
tried conversion therapy, wrote
the following to Newsweek: “After
four years of prayer, time and
money, I finally realized that God
made me the way that I am and
that just as someone cannot be
ex-straight, one cannot be ex-gay
... I never met one person who
had legitimately changed from
gay to straight.”
It is time to realize that gays
cannot be changed. Homosexu
ality is no more a choice than
heterosexuality is. Groups like
Exodus International do not pro
vide a defense for those who
choose to discriminate against
homosexuals; they simply pro
vide excuses.
It is time to stop focusing on
things that cannot be changed
and refocus on things that must
be changed, such as prejudice.
In the words of one
Newsweek reader, “What we re
ally need are fewer ex-gays and
more ex-bigots.”
Manisha Parekh is a junior
psychology and journalism major.
A ccording to
Mark
Twain, sa
cred cows make
the best ham
burger.
That may be
true, but some
times sacred cows
leave a bad taste
in the mouth.
Terrence McNally is a play
wright who has taken Twain’s
philosophy to new heights. On
Tuesday, McNally opened his new
show, “Corpus Christi” in a New
York off-Broadway theater. Mc
Nally’s play centers around a gay
Christ figure. The play is indica
tive of the growing acceptability
of Christian bashing in America.
It is ironic that anti-religion
sentiment could persist in the
United States. After all, as taught
in grade school, many of this na
tion’s original settlers came here
to escape religious persecution.
But not only does anti-religious
sentiment exist, it is trendy. MTV
plays videos by Marilyn Manson,
a self-described antichrist super-
star. Off-Broadway theaters fea
ture plays attacking Christianity.
The debut of McNally’s play at
tracted about 100 protesters, and
rightfully so. “Corpus Christi” is
nothing short of a full-scale as
sault on the biblical portrayal of
Jesus. The play’s gay Jesus char
acter, named Joshua, has sex with
his disciples, an event foreign to
Matthew, Mark, Luke or John.
McNally does not to discuss
the play’s contents with the press,
only releasing this description:
“From modern day Corpus
Christi, Texas, to ancient
Jerusalem, we follow a young gay
man named Joshua on his spiritual
journey and get to know the 12 dis
ciples who choose to follow him.”
The play’s message is particu
larly insulting in the ultra-sensi
tive ’90s. Every ethnic group
must be called by its appropriate
name, all cultures must be ac
cepted and every religion is to be
respected. These rules, however,
only apply when dealing with
groups who, in some way, are in
the minority.
It seems tolerance is a one-way
street. When it comes to the cul
ture of the majority, sensitivity is
optional. It is acceptable to trash
the majority’s religion.
But real cultural sensitivity
means being sensitive to every
body, even those in the majority.
Just because it is the country’s pre
dominate religion, does not make it
open season on Christianity.
Frighteningly, off-Broadway
theaters are not the only places
exhibiting anti-religious senti
ments these days. Attacks on reli
gion are emanating, shockingly,
from the White House.
Consider presidential adviser
Sidney Blumenthal’s comments
on Kenneth Starr’s top deputy,
Hickman Ewing. Last April, Blu-
menthal called Ewing a “religious
fanatic,” referring to Hickman’s
evangelical Christian beliefs.
Faced with criticism of his at
tack on Hickman’s faith, Blumen-
thal eventually apologized for his
bigoted remarks.
It is interesting how anti-reli
gious behavior gets justified. Of
ten, those who aim to destroy the
sacred claim they are merely ex
pressing themselves.
Candace Simon is a theatergoer
who watched the opening of
“Corpus Christi.”
“It’s all about free speech,” Si
mon said in an interview with the
Associated Press. “They have the
right to protest, the theater has a
right to stage it. ”
One wonders if the framers of
the Constitution had defaming
Christ in mind when they en
dorsed American’s right to free
speech. One might hope that free
speech would have more con
structive uses.
Freedom is a precious com
modity. And Americans are en
dowed with the God-given right to
practice religion, not destroy it.
Bigotry is bigotry. Calling it
art does not make it something
else. The anti-religious behavior
that passes for acceptable these
days is bigotry.
By telling the greatest story
never told, “Corpus Christi” is
profaning the sacred. It is one sa
cred cow that should have never
been slaughtered.
John Lemons is an electrical
engineering graduate student.