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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 6, 1998)
from Pages Is have been [ ter and bettero eeks,” Guerrieu 'Is have won; r last eight * n 8 to peak H face of Nebraska last year’s 8j final at 7:311 he Blossom San Antonio. few Q-drop proposal offers better education t <* , w /[ VI ■any Aggies hoard their Q-drop options like .squirrels in winter. |ey save them for the last ;sible moment, waiting until absolutely have to use to avoid failing a class. [The current system for Q- rpping is ineffective, and [sgood news that Texas iM is considering chang- its policy, offering each student an addi- inal Q-drop. The current Q-drop system allows stu- bts three Q-drops to use at their discre- n anytime during their under- duate careers. Any Q-dropped Jss is not calculated in the stu- [nt’s grade-point ratio. The new jposal, dubbed “60-60-60,” ers students two Q-drops to during their first 60 semes- hours, two Q-drops during Jeir second 60 semester |urs and extends the Q-drop adline until the 60th day of |e semester. One reason the proposed tem will work better than b current one is it will even It the GPR gap between four- lar students and transfers. [Students who transfer to fiM have a huge advantage er four-year students. In a so- ty where competition is every- ng, GPR matters. Some stu nts have attended John Q. |nior College for two years in an : ort to improve their GPR’s by taking ie“weed-out” classes at an easier [hool. It seems this is already a distinct vantage over those who attend Texas A&M four years. To give these students the addi- ,L I® 113 ! benefit of three Q-drops over two years ■ unfair. jm Page 5 The new system would allow the transfer udents the same number of Q-drops in their Is offenses G ( W o years as every other Ag. This is in the contert | eat news f or t j ie f our _y ear Aggies. . r the botto.. hj s j s a i so g 00( j f or companies ise, with ■■ [arching for qualified employ- and Okra t s if employers are examin- md total oil |g an even playing field in nked mntlii U arena of GPR numbers, ;ed 11th. ley can then make more in- nphasjzes ® jrmed decisions about ith running; r fifth on for^the job. harts and ■■ 847 yards i r ry average. Jahoma S( and the j >s against nat University University BALL from PageS dnated game first seven auri could mi ore never go illy pleased tli ? to keep a real ad stay toge le that areti injuries ho d their jobsai hink it showed and we're at.” tside hitter Woolsey also hghts, recordit espectively. ie team kneii ortunity fot "Missouri isi ?y have a I can play grea aid] the team the outcome, r hard and pr;j e it out on loing it.” ,hich person is more quali- Another advantage for implementing the new Q-drop policy is it will extend the Q- drop deadline, giving students a longer amount of time to decide whether to Q-drop. This change will allow students to take chances on more difficult classes. Aggies who are trying to attain a work able degree with a useful amount of knowl edge will benefit from having more choices in the classes they take. If students know they can take classes and drop them much later in the semester, they will make an ef fort to stay in the class and improve their grades. The idea behind the Q-drop policy is not to make it difficult for a student to de cide whether to stay in the class or drop it, but rather to give students options. As the system stands right now, stu dents often get halfway through a class and find they have a borderline grade. Then, because they are up against a Q-drop deadline, they drop the class without knowing if they could have achieved the grade they sought. Changing this system will en courage students to work harder in the class and hopefully get the grade they want. Now, it is possible to argue students do not need to have any of these added advantages. One could say the Q-drop system is merely an added benefit to attending a good university and it is not neces sary to improve the policy. After all, if students have more Q-drops, they will use them more, and soon Ags might be carelessly registering for classes, knowing they are protected by an extra Q-drop. This argument fails, however, because it is based on a misconception. People as sume taking a class and Q-dropping it is a bad thing. This is false, because the main premise behind a university is to gain knowledge. If students are taking these classes, they are gaining at least a bare grasp of the subject matter. If they then Q-drop and take the class again — or never retake the class — they will still have gained something. Overall, while the current system for Q-drops is adequate, improving it can take it beyond adequacy. The proposed system will be a step for future knowledge. KANG/Thk Battalion LisaFoox is a senior journalism major. Gore proposal promises protection from abuse MANDY CATER GRABBER I n a monu mental victo ry for advo cates of domestic vio lence aware ness, Vice Presi dent A1 Gore announced a plan Wednes- day making it easier for victims of abuse to es cape their attackers. The plan, which involves making it simpler for battered women to change their Social Security numbers, is one of the most positive, important en dorsements in the history of vic tims’ rights. Gore announced his dedication to the effort in an Associated Press report. “We are raising awareness of this terrible scourge,” Gore said. According to the AP report, the plan would allow victims to change their Social Security num bers simply by “providing written evidence of domestic violence from a local shelter, a treating physician or a law enforcement official.” Diminishing the red tape in volved with changing a Social Security number certainly will make it easier for domestic vio lence victims to avoid being tracked by their attackers. It will also send a message to abu sive individuals that govern ment is finally saying enough is enough. And the decision is long overdue. Gore’s plan is a victory, not just for women, but for anyone affected by abuse and violence. And, according to the statistics, this is a frighteningly large num ber of individuals. The Associated Press reports almost a million American women are victims of domestic violence every year. So, one can only imagine how limiting this statistic really is. It does not in clude the families of the vic tims, who most certainly feel the pain involved in the after- math of abuse. It does not in volve the children who are wit nesses and victims of abuse themselves. And, although stereotypes of abuse often ig nore the possibility of such cas es, it does not include men who are abused by their partners. As a spokesperson for the So cial Security Administration said in the AP report, the plan recog nizes the many faces of abuse. “We wouldn’t discriminate [against male victims of abuse],” she said. Women’s groups, and even law enforcement agencies, have ral lied behind the usually politically- uninvolved Gore and applauded the plan. Americans can only hope this plan is put into action and effec tively enforced. If it is, society, and especially government offi cials, have made the first real step toward putting victims first. This is an issue that deserves bipartisan support. In an increasingly violent so ciety, Americans must stand up as a united front and say no to violence. Americans must send a message that violence and abuse will not be tolerated. This plan is the first sounding board for such a message. And despite anyone’s political ideology or party politics. Gore’s plan should be applauded. It is time for Americans to put victims first, and supporting this plan is an effective way to start. It is a way to honor those who have succumbed to domestic vi olence and the families who have felt their loss. It is a way to say their deaths are not forgot ten. It is also a way to say Amer icans will do everything they can to prevent another person from becoming a statistic. • •-*(■* .*fw i 1 v ■ I v im n i u r-i.'-i I';, a. Mandy Cater Graeber is an English graduate student. iouston police shooting reveals gross misconduct Public evangelist fails to persuade Aggie audience sibility of JlT'ihere is no ners looms 1 ! I way to vali- J-t date the [1 said that is path Pedro Ore- A&M team pn Navarro. No lis year, looked /ear olace can be >und that might s s en the tragedy t start at i f the final min tes of his life 'Free ActW®'' ocieti 5.m. MANISHA PAREKH Oregon, 22, a Mexican national, was in his Hous- apartment on the morning of J ly 12 when members of the \ Police Department gang % *caiiing cut ‘ orc e illegally entered search- neco phone*sow ig for drugs. Officer David Barrera ' : T n “ his colleagues chased Oregon Ho his bedroom, kicked in the °orand shot Oregon 12 times. Officers claim Oregon drew a an and they fired in self-defense. Jter a grand jury declined to in- lct them, HPD fired the six offi- ers involved in the death of Ore- ° n ' The officers say they will PPeal the dismissals. The question in the aftermath | ihe shooting, the grand jury in stigation and the firings is were e officers acting reasonably on 106 morning of July 12? The answer is no. According to the investigation ^ 0I t filed by HPD internal inves- gators, the sequence of events a ding to Oregon’s death began night of July 11 when Officers FHerrada and James Willis |Pped a vehicle near Oregon’s ptrnent. One of the passengers, ^n Baxter, admitted to drinking |?hol and smoking crack cocaine , w as arrested. However, the of- offered to release Baxter if he pld serve as a drug informant. I his offer violated departmen- hiles stating intoxicated people e not to be used as informants. The task force proceeded with- approval from the narcotics di- Pnn, another policy violation. | , ax ter led the officers to Ore- ™s apartment. Oregon opened lo or and the officers burst in- I'-Oregon was running down hallway, with the officers in rsuit when Barrera’s gun acci- ntaliy discharged, knocking an- 0[fi er officer to the ground. The .^ er s, believing Oregon had ea at them, began to open fire. Call theAg Mine 847-# ;bsite: tp:// aniu.ed 1 ! Thirty-three shots were fired, that night in Oregon’s apartment, 12 hitting Oregon. He was shot nine times in the back. Forensic investigators deduced those nine shots were fired while Oregon was lying face-down on the floor. A man is shot 12 times in his apartment, by six officers during an illegal and unsuccessful drug raid, and the officers claim they were totally within their rights. With officers like this, who needs criminals? Even if one overlooks the nu merous times the officers violated HPD policy, the numerous federal and state statutes that were tram pled and considers the officers’ fear for their lives, there is one thing that cannot be ignored. Pedro Oregon Navarro was shot in the back nine times. How many times does a man need to be shot before he is con sidered harmless? Supporters of the six officers point out in the heat of the moment, six officers can fire a lot of bullets in an at tempt to secure an individual. That is true. The safety of the officers must be a consideration. But what kind of danger must there have been for Barrera to fire off his first magazine of 14 rounds, then pause, reload and empty another magazine. Certainly not the kind of dan ger posed by a man lying on the ground, defenseless. Oregon left behind two chil dren when he was brutally killed. He also left a reminder that police brutality is not something that disappeared after Rodney King. Perhaps American society is to blame for Oregon’s death. In the overzealous “War on Drugs,” so ciety has lost sight of what we are fighting for: a safe America. Perhaps America should rethink its plan of action and realize the war on drugs is becoming a war on the citizens and their rights. Whether the officers or society is at fault, it is too late for Oregon. Rest in peace, Pedro Oregon Navarro. Those who were left on Earth can only dream of it. CHRIS HUFFINES Manisha Parekh is a junior psychology and journalism major. H e has been described overzealous, fa natical, amusing, lucky and blessed by God. To paraphrase an old joke, put five Aggies in a room and ask them about Tom Short, and six opinions will emerge. One of these opinions is, no matter what benefits Tom Short brings to this campus, his pres ence needs to be rethought by the entire student body. There are three general points of view concerning Short’s visits. There is the viewpoint of Christ ian doctrine, the viewpoint of stu dents who go to watch Short and the rest — the vast majority — of the student body. From the viewpoint of Christ ian doctrine, there is absolutely nothing wrong with Short’s pres ence on campus. As the Great Commission — Christianity’s “Prime Directive” — clearly states, Christians should go out into the world and attempt to win converts, be it nearby or at the ut termost ends of the earth. Short is simply fulfilling the mandates of his religion. This is as natural as a Zen Buddhist med- Feminism fights for equality In response to Corrie Cauley's Nov. 4 column: I do suppose the women’s movement does appear unladylike — if you buy into gender roles. As a woman and a feminist, my appearance does not define my femininity. A large part of feminism is breaking stereotypes and know ing it is OK to be feminine while wearing pants and short hair. Feminism is about equality. This includes the ability to choose whether or not the man or woman will stay home with children, the ability to be president or the abili ty to wear pants. Maternity leave may be shorter than in the ’60s. That is not be- itating, a Muslim praying towards Mecca or Egyptians building amazingly large, stone pyramids. However, the viewpoint of those students in attendance at Short’s open-air sermons is more sharply divided. Penny Appleton, a junior ani mal science major and President of the A&M Christian Fellowship, the organization which invites Short to campus, said Short is an excellent speaker who speaks the truth straight out of the Bible, which is what AMCF is aiming for. Appleton also said Short’s ministry provides an excellent learning experience for students. “We [AMCF] think it’s a good op portunity for different groups to come together and learn from each other,” she said. On the other hand, many stu dents do not support Short. Mike Pishner, a junior industrial distri bution major, said he thinks that although Short says he exempli fies tolerance and respect for oth er’s religions, his actions do not reflect his words. “Tom has told me that Catholics pray to idols, and because of this and other misnomers. I’m going to Hell,” Pishner said. The rest of the student body does not seem to care. In a not-en- tirely scientific survey .of over a dozen students passing through the Academic Plaza where Short preaches, none expressed any in terest in him. Only students who had made a point of going to listen to Short seemed to care at all about him or his message. And so, of the students who care enough to go listen to Short, many believe he is the next-best thing to the second coming, and the others would not give him a hot drink on his way to hell. So, why then is the University allowing this man to come and speak? He obviously has the right to, under the First Amendment, but what good does he do that can not be done in another location, with less grief to the student body? The problem with Tom Short is he so polarizes the student body that, many times, rational discus sion of religion is nearly impossi ble. The middle ground, repre sented by those students who do not care about Short’s sermons, is absent. Short is only preaching to either the choir or deaf ears. While Short does provide a se lect few students, less than one percent of the student body, the opportunity to discuss religion, the more than 99 percent of stu dents who are unaware or are ig noring Short are not being served. Giving Short such a public venue implies Short is serving a signifi cant portion 6f campus, not the MAIL CALL cause women’s organizations want women to leave their children, it is because corporations will not pay for long leaves. In fact, feminists fight for longer maternity leave. It is coincidental that juvenile crime is higher with the decline of the nuclear family. It is also coinci dental that juvenile crime is rising as men play smaller roles in their children’s lives. Many children with stay-at-home mothers are still involved in crime. If it was not for feminism women would not be at A&M, would not be able to stay at home with their chil dren, would not be able to vote, would not have careers and would not be writing for The Battalion. Jennifer Woodson Class of '01 Accompanied by 27 signatures Attire does not define femininity In response to Corrie Cauley’s Nov. 4 column: The idea that a woman must sacrifice her femininity to be a femi nist is untrue. One can be both. Cauley’s narrow definition of femininity as donning skirts and wearing long hair suggests a woman wearing a short hairstyle and slacks is masculine. Femininity is not solely defined by a woman’s attire — if it can be defined at all. The view that women should remain uninvolved in politics is re actionary and popular with the Sul Ross generation. It seems Cauley wants to return to the ante-bellum South where African-Americans were enslaved in shackles and bare hundreds he currently does. These few can argue to their hearts’ content in Rudder Audito rium, or in any of the larger lec ture halls on campus. Short does not have to be in the Academic Plaza. He is only there to draw in the public, something that appar ently does not happen. Short’s presence in the Acade mic Plaza implies he has the sup port of the University. The Plaza, with the statue of Lawrence Sulli van Ross and the Academic Building rising behind it, is the site of one of A&M’s most sacred traditions — Silver Taps. The Plaza is also centrally lo cated on campus. There is not a better location. Of course, the University does not even fund AMCF, or any other political or re ligious group. However, the ap pearance remains, especially when other equally important groups’ speakers are relegated to lecture halls and meeting rooms. It is time for AMCF, the stu dent body and the University to rethink Tom Short’s presence at Texas A&M. His continued public sermons are not doing any good to the vast majority of students. There is no use in masquerading them as if they were. Chris Huffines is a junior speech communication major. women were bonded by the shackles of silence rendering them beautiful ornaments placed on a pedestal, only to be seen and not heard. Victoria Smith 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 77843-113.1 Campus Mail: 111.1 Fax: (409) 845-2647