he Battalion
O
PINION
Page 11 • Tuesday, February 9, 1999
Bringing new meaning to ‘race for the gold’
0 fP a y°ff s t0 the International Olympic Committee brings shame upon the Games
k
David
LEE
fter years of
/ YORK (AP)~U careful planning
Charles Bart . X and persistent
while Atlaii:bby/ng, the city of
nd KendallGi alias is confident in
•Jets were finecfs bid for the 2008
â–  the NBA onV iwier Olympic
ley was lined: arurs, the highest
scene langu:; mo that can be be-
luring the R owed upon a modern
ty.
on Friday nigh: _ With the most comprehensive bid of all
h and Gill wen The prospective cities, Dallas is the clear
near the lodrorii runner.
Hawks' 111-106 However, the night before the Interna-
tng Netsonir^nal Olympic Committee (IOC) convenes
1 vote on the site for the Games of the
iults for NBA T/il Olympiad, a dark horse candidate
I'Malley, T\irr ; ahes a last minute coup, meeting with a
•sident of pro; r gf number of committee members be-
i's hard to pie : nd dosed doors.
, but this is4 The next morning, the victor is an
al for us." imced to the world, “And the winner of
'.e 2d08 Summer Olympic Games is ...
bu Dhabi!”
Dc n’t laugh just yet. With the recent
^^^---.imlssions of bribery made by officials in
f|f(jm|alt Lake City, Utah, and Sydney, Aus-
alia. the IOC has made it painfully obvi-
as it can be bought off for the right
rice All a city needs is deep pockets and
heavy dose of hypocrisy.
Fueled by the personal greed of the
ty, when hecai )C|many well-regarded cities have been
a from a stay a irced into violating the ideals of fair play
lies'fantasy car id unity that the Olympic Movement
id him was ah ubodies. Ironically, these are the same
dcFarlane Pn leals that the IOC is entrusted with pro-
ii 103 times, jcting and upholding.
)alls were di; As reported by the Sydney Morning
him in ninei eraLl( l last month, the president of the
imns — whilt ustralian Olympic Committee (AOC) ad-
0 black foni Ffd he dad offered $35,000 in bribes to
te national Olympic committees of both
>s them from: ST and y J « and f ,he ™8ht before the
then in blue*: X as 5 X? ^ 5* 31,6 for the
, , 100 Summer Olympic Games.
! , U , ln ^ 0 In exchange for these “donations,” the
1 , ' 'i' ' gandan and Kenyan committee members
'" nt ’ u 'i t ited for Sydney. These two votes proved
K ' 'iin h'iH Jtii 1 d be crucial as Sydney defeated it’s com-
Aiilabletocmi ;t j tor geijing, China, by only two votes,
md would let sadly, this last minute payoff by the
igue teams disp pc was the winning bid in a payoff war
lane, who o »tween Sydney and Beijing as Chinese
•om Babe Rut: ficials were charged with making simi-
lid purchasing their offers to the Ugandan and Kenyan
than buying a ifimmittees.
?d the proposed: 1 The Toronto Organizing Committee,
if the Washingtons
vay I look at it, l it
nicks,” he said.
vners
LL
ttudents upset by
overage of Vail’s death
At a time when family and friends
ourn the loss of a loved one, we are
ipalled that The Battalion found it nec-
ssary to print such a tasteless article in
^lesday’s [Feb. 2] paper,
k I “^ ^ We do not think it is asking much to
VI I >10W a fellow “Ag” the respect and pri-
\| I V'cy that he and his family are entitled.
>r a campus publication that has no
)ligations to sell issues, is it necessary
print articles about the personal lives
students and faculty? These articles
2rve no function but to entertain their
aders at the expense of another’s mis-
rtune.
In regards to the statement given by
r. Dennis Reardon that “It (alcohol) de-
O l\/l ;roys ones sense of judgment, inhibi-
1 IVr 311 ancl balance -” We can n °t believe
f â–  â–  I f ' iat!you, sir, found it imperative to mock
ill’s death by the inclusion of a pun in
lunstatement.
Ol IR In our opinion, you owe a formal apol-
U FI jy t 0 the family and loved ones of Vail,
E s well as to the student body of Texas
University. The next time you think
lat it is pertinent to give a witty state-
■ A I/ C [\| _ lent: Remember— “you say it best
/-MN-*- 1 '’ hen you say nothing at all!”
G C* C Mlf 0ur sincerest regards go out to the
011 *' l imily, friends and loved ones of Mr. Bar-
Joseph Vail II.
OK.
enter
\CADEW,
tings
J.S. Hancock
Class of ‘OO
K.D. Holsinger
Class of ‘OO
LOO
8183
1
im very disappointed about the arti-
le concerning the recent death of Barry
iseph Vail II. I do not believe that dis-
ussing his blood alcohol level at the
me of his death was necessary.
The only thing about the article that
eople remember was how high his BAG
as and not the kind of person that he
as, which is what should have been the
. id[rimary focus of the reporter.
/\l ^ I ■•believe that Aggies are supposed to
e people of integrity, a characteristic bla-
antly missing from the article. That infor-
lation should be reserved for the vic-
m’s family, not used to drag his name
irough the mud and tarnish whatever
aputation he may have had.
Imagine how you would feel knowing
which lost the 1996 Summer Olympic
Games to Atlanta, recalled many occa
sions when IOC members approached
their bid committee for bribes and payoffs
in exchange for votes.
Hard set against violating regulations,
the Toronto Organizing Committee plead
ed with the IOC to investigate these cor
rupt members for fear that these corrupt
votes could very well sway who the win
ner was going to be.
However, these pleas hit a wall of si
lence as the IOC claimed that there was
“not enough evidence” in charging these
members.
Both of these situations reflect the ram
pant corruption that has festered itself
within the IOC, an organization that is en
trusted with overseeing the only event
that brings together the entire world in
peace and celebration.
It is saddening to see a few individuals
within the IOC let their personal greed di
rect how and where this revered event
will take place.
The legacy of these wrongdoings is far-
reaching. The 2000 Summer Olympic
Games in Sydney and the 2002 Winter
Olympic Games in Salt Lake City will
have a cloud of shame and doubt hanging
overhead.
As fraudulent as their bids may be, it is
too late to start the process over again
and reselect cities for the Games. The
only option remaining is to have the IOC
do a serious self-examination of its mem
bers in order to prevent such outrage in
the future.
While the vast majority of committee
members are fair and impartial in their
evaluation of prospective cities, even the
most minuscule bit of corruption can de
cide where the next Games will be held as
Sydney’s last minute payoff illustrates.
Hopefully, the pending investigations
initiated by the IOC and the U.S. Justice
Department looking into the Salt Lake
City incident will succeed in breaking the
wall of silence that has hidden this cor
ruption from the public for years.
Until then, the IOC might as well by
pass the formality of voting on future
sites for the Olympics and simply award it
to the city with the most bribe money.
An auction at Sotheby’s would suffice
quite nicely.
David Lee is a sophomore general
studies major.
901 ni ft
MARK MCPHERSON/The Battalion
MAIL CALL
that your son or sibling’s death was
made into a tabloid story.
I am very angered by the way this
tragedy was handled and hope that in
the future more passion and understand
ing will be shown.
Mike Gerecke
Class of ‘02
Death penalty wrong,
socially irresponsible
In response to Brandon Mullen’s Feb. 4
opinion column.
I have often wondered about which side
of the issue is right concerning the death
penalty, but after reading Mullen’s column
I feel my mind is made up.
After thinking about his main points,
that the death penalty is cost effective and
that it would discourage criminals, I real
ize that there was little to counter these,
and I would like to take them one step fur
ther.
First, to maximize this cost effective
ness, I think that far more criminals
should be put to death. Just think about
such societies as 1700’s London,
1500’s Spain, medieval Europe and an
cient civilizations when the majority of
crimes were punished by death. Crime
became all but non-existent in those
places!
I think that a sad trend in the history
of the world has been that as civiliza
tions become more civilized and more
enlightened, the death penalty seems to
be used less and less.
I think the perpetrators of this trend
are those disillusioned thinkers who
mindlessly chant “Stop the problems
that cause the crime,” and that to truly
reach an Utopian society, we must return
the death penalty to its earlier promi
nence.
Secondly, I think that to discourage
criminals there should be far more use
of the so-called “cruel and unusual pun
ishment.”
This may at first seem a bit strange,
but since we already have the death
penalty, and nothing is more cruel or un
usual than forcefully removing a per
son’s soul from their body, we may as
well go ahead and implement some of
those other torture methods of olden
days to really give criminals something
to talk about.
I hope that you will take these ideas to
heart, ignore what the “visionaries” and
“Christians” may say, and together we
can truly build a Utopia right here in
America.
Michael Mattair
Class of ‘02
This letter is directed toward my fellow
Christians. Any other readers could justify
they do not follow the teachings or hold
belief in the saving power of our Lord Je
sus and therefore refute my argument to
wards pro-life.
2000 years ago when our savior
walked the earth, he preached profound
messages, partly through parables, to
guide human life to following the will of
God throughout future generations.
Jesus taught us, in confusion, to love
and forgive unconditionally.
Please don’t try to twist this clear and
profound message into one that fits your
own persuasions; in that end, you are
molding our loving God’s ultimate will into
your own personal will. How does this fit
our modern lives?
Respect life before birth, after birth,
and yes even after sin.
In more clear examples, shun abor
tion, forgive those who have taken the life
of their own unborn children, and respect
fully reform your trespassers through life
without parole, carefully avoiding the
degradation and condemnation of life
through a revengeful death penalty.
How are we to evangelize and work to
wards building God’s kingdom on earth
through a loving and contrite heart with
out daily considering the question: “What
would Jesus do?”
Carson Weber
Class of ‘01
A&M students should not
oppose tuition increase
Christina
BARROWS
The Battalion encourages letters to the editor. Letters
must be 300 words or less and include 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 McDonald 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
F or many college
students across
America, the
worst time of year is
when the tuition bill
arrives.
Here at Texas A&M,
the worried whispers
and angry curses of
students can be heard
around campus be-
cause of the recent proposal for a tuition
increase.
But is the proposed $4 increase in Uni
versity Authorized Tliition (UAT) really
worth a protest? Aggies should look at the
whole picture and consider what a sweet
deal it is to attend this University.
The additional funds will be used to
increase the salaries of faculty and staff,
improve the libraries and upgrade class
room technology. Aggies take great pride
in their University and should be very
pleased officials are working towards im
proving their quality of education.
After all, students are here to learn.
There is no doubt competitive Aggies
want to be the smartest in the job market
and to accomplish this, the most qualified
professors and the most advanced equip
ment is greatly desired.
A&M continues to pay faculty mem
bers considerably less than most Big 12
universities, including the University of
Texas. According to the Office of Institu
tional Studies and Planning, a Texas A&M
professor earns an annual salary of
$73,400 compared to $82,400 at U.T.
Chances are, a professor would not have
a hard time choosing between the two
schools — and the salaries.
It is absolutely imperative to show pro
fessors they are valued at this university
and evidence proves A&M’s professors
are worth the possible three percent
salary increase.
More than 80 percent of A&M’s faculty
members have doctoral degrees. Just a
few of the honors they have received in
clude six members of the National Acade
my of Sciences and 15 members of the
National Academy of Engineering. If A&M
wants to continue having excellent pro
fessors then it is necessary to have com
petitive salaries.
In the Feb. 3,1999 issue of the New York
Times, the average cost for a year (30
hours) was given for ivy league, private
and public universities based on tuition,
required fees and room and board. If any
one wishes to attend an Ivy League uni
versity, the average cost would be
$30,887.
A private, four-year university costs
the college student an average of $20,273.
Finally, the average four year public
school costs $7,773. How much does it
cost the average Aggie for tuition, re
quired fees and room and board? Only
$7,403!
The proposed $4 increase in UAT is ex
pected to cost the average student $50 a
semester.
A&M would still be $250 cheaper than
the national average for a four-year public
school. Although countless other costs
pile on top of Aggies such as books, park
ing and entertainment, rest assured that
an increase in tuition is little to be con
cerned about.
A&M’s campus has numerous comput
er rooms, a new library annex and excel
lent classroom technology.
Texas A&M has an excellent reputation
and ranks among the top three institu
tions nationally in undergraduate enroll
ment in agriculture, business administra
tion and architecture. As one of the
leaders in teaching, research and public
service. Aggies are truly blessed to attend
a school that is constantly striving for im
provement at such a small cost to stu
dents.
A&M is an amazing place. Remember
what an incredibly low tuition price is
paid when passing a “Big 12 Champions”
sign or playing frisbee in Research Park.
Remember how fortunate Aggies are to
read a book written by their professor or
see a nationally acclaimed play in Rudder
Auditorium.
Maybe Aggies can pay the proposed
tuition increase by eating a few more
packages of ramen noodles per semester.
It is a small sacrifice to pay in an effort to
continue A&M’s history of excellence and
future of improvement.
Christina Barrows is a sophomore
English major.