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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (July 15, 1999)
Battalion PINION Page 5 • Thursday, July 15, 1999 Uch as ft,. ' dle cas( t ^ thar] 5 ’ the wo'j in mere 5 . ’J 1 Jim’s I ^Ptsal' b ulk of ft m the le,' ATTLERS rents should be alerted to alcohol violations n e as the 11 to Dr. fl ith the increasing num ber of irresponsible ac tions committed by to- ie withi h) ’ s younger generation, a f sexual E.B ,a t e lias emerged over the ' 'Mses of and potential solutions Ryan GARCIA Aaror cene-stu : or these often unnecessary ■ 'son Hanil edies - band ne-'H^ 0 matter t 10w many differing date, leasable 8 ai ' e introduced into this ig f 0 r a j r mate, increased parental in- vi e jog, mo vement is the one remaining constant that all sides ell, Adamil? 6 on - nhe the W odow ' n 8 the lead of several universities, such as es fjiiss^Mbniversity of Michigan, Texas A&M University has the scri 0 « en a P roact ' ve approach to insure parental involve- l )e " ; nent and support in dealing with alcohol-related vio- , (•: nenc " aflons occurring on-campus. to rj As now ’ P' ans are in effect to send a letter to the m a k M dent: ' S P arent or guardian from the Coordinator of ‘ . : : \1':ohol and Drug Education Programs or the Director 1 ™ seenijf jtudent Life when a student is found in violation vec ‘- jy ra( k)f fexas A&M’s Student Rules regarding improper I ssession or use of alcohol or an illegal drug. (This worthwhile endeavor by the Department of dent Life clearly demonstrates that Texas A&M has ced an emphasis on its students’ well-being and is pared to deal with an issue that remains problem- for universities across the nation. A&M University Police Department crime sta ges reveal that over 80 percent of total arrests jthe past year were liquor law offenses, not eluding Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) iffenses and public intoxication. While opposition to such a plan may (in popularity with the student body, it uld neglect the students’ best interests, ith the parental notification plan, ^as A&M is attempting to foster a part- ship with the parents of troubled stu- its. Notification would include an outline )u r tes> suggested steps students may girlfriend»'«ke to remedy the situation with the n Road, student, and a request for parental sup- ‘pon in the matter. Involving parents in me to benlsuch issues far from eliminates students the end,®! from dealing with the resulting conse- terrifying quences on their own, but rather pro- s. ‘motes a supportive foundation that insures t fabulousperiteissue will be dealt with adequately on es is not wljll levels. ^obbins.lnf This is not an ambush on students’ rights, and A&M does not intend it to be. ■. Prior to the implementation of this plan, Texas fully intends to notify all students and par ts or guardians of this change in the parental no- ication policy. Texas A&M has made all efforts to take various lenarios in account, proving that this is course of ac- n has been thoroughly examined. The Department of Student Life has shown cultur al sensitivity in planning for situations which might equire notifying guardians of international students vfhose religious beliefs prohibit the use of alcohol. When it would not be in the students’ best inter- |ts to contact their parents, A&M again exhibits fore- ht by retaining the right to withhold information re ading student use and abuse of alcohol and illegal drugs from any parent or guardian if the University suspects the release of the information may cause harm to the student. Accepting its role as a world-class university, A&M realizes that it must not only educate, but also take responsibility for the well-being of its students. The notification of parents, while unpopular, is crucial to addressing the alcohol problems of this uni versity and others across the nation. Parents remain the closest people with any sem blance of authority over potential offenders. As im mature as it makes the student body appear, if more parents were made aware of their children’s inappro priate behavior, the problem, in most cases, would be corrected. Unchecked, the behavior can become a less than beneficial habit, self-destructive to the student. Students can be responsible for own behavior A Aaron MEIER 11 hail the grand wisdom of the University administra tion. Bow down before their superi or knowledge and quietly surren der your rights upon admission to this institution of higher learn ing. Once again, Texas A&M, in its continuing belief that “adminis tration knows best,” has decided to send letters to a student’s parent or guardian when that student has violated student rules regard ing alcohol and drugs. Everybody loves a tattletale. For the first 18 or so years of our lives, students have been under the supervision of parental units. But at some point, hopefully soon after birth, the umbili cal cord was cut indicat ing a sort of indepen dence. Apparently somebody did not tell the task force that decided to institute this policy. a boring ayal of a ing norm® I. of its e audienn ing scene very sign! ialogue ters lacks ions of tii and go wii iplanation film aovies so James if which f I And when a potential problem can be alleviated with the help of the family unit, it would be a shame for parents to learn of their children’s possible sub- . stance abuse for the first time when it drives them to harming themselves or committing suicide. Ryan Garcia is a senior journalism major. Jeff Smith/The Battalion Maybe if this group kept at it, they could institute an A&M PTA and our parents could come to Open House every semester, meet our teachers and make sure we know our homework assignments. Face it, there has to be a time when people, whether they are students or not, are made account able for their own actions. One of the basic tenets of going to college is. “You’re an adult now. You need to be able to take care of yourself. ” But the University does not seem to think so. It seems eerily like the reinstatement of in loco parentis that was done away with in the early 1960s. What all that fancy Latin means is that back in the day when today’s parents were drinking illegally in their own residence halls, the University acted in place of their parents. The school could instill curfews and generally make life as miserable as possible. That policy changed, but this new policy seems to want to bring it back. So why does A&M want to run off and tell mommy and daddy when students drink in the residence halls? A memo from Dr. Brent Paterson, director of the Department of Student Life, said the idea is to pro tect the health and safety of the students. This is the same school that does little to cure the fact that its on-campus medical facility is known as the “Quack Shack.” In today’s Battalion, Paterson said the purpose of the memo is not for the individual student, but for the good of the University community as a whole. This idea is as laughable as last semester’s grand idea to require all Northgate bars to have-a kitchen as a way to reduce drunk driving. Because when Johnny Freshman gets a Public In toxication citation for doing the backstroke in Fish Pond, we all feel the the very fabric of our universe ripped to shreds. How can the task force draw a lir\e saying when it comes to alcohol and drugs, students should be treated as children and have their parents no tified, but when it comes to other matters, say for example, accidentally sleeping through class, they will treat students as adults? The plan treats students differently than it would treat everyday citizens. If an 18-year-old received a Minor in Possession (MIP) citation from a non-uni versity law enforcement agency, the parents would not be involved. This is because it is a matter between the adult — note the word “adult” — and the cop writing the ticket. A further display of the omnipotent adminis tration is a clause that makes an exception to the policy if notifying the student’s parents places them at risk. What exactly is “at risk?” Would seeing the vein in my dad’s forehead pop out qualify me as being at risk, or is it something more quantifiable? When mom and dad find out their money is go ing to late night drinking binges or dime bags of pot, every student is placed at risk. The University needs to return to what little sense it has left. No good will come from ratting out alcohol and drug violations on campus. As an adult, it is the student’s responsibility to make the decision to either tell mom and dad or keep quiet and learn a lesson about prudence. The University should not be making that deci sion for us. Aaron Meier is a senior political science major. irror, mirror on the wall resident's ouse, imits. Tt ys. n, who s Alex, irrangec s her rt es not ince the comple tion of his im peachment trial, sident Clinton has e to great lengths i) ensure that his lega- Iwill not be one that |pple will refer to by facing it with a ker or mentioning lertain blue dress. nirrur on me wan comparison of self to governor lacks logic •other is in a rock band. A very bad rock ■HK r " T WW '¥—^ "4^ff—k i md. Advantage — Bush. • Education: Both Bush and Clinton e graduates of Yale. Bush got his mas- # Mark PASSWATERS (These efforts have brought us the con- t in Kosovo, and even a break with Vice isident A1 Gore. Within the past week, Clinton has de what can be considered his most the-wall move, stating that Gov. / her colfcrge W. Bush, the man who may well Jace Clinton in the White House, is a ne of himself. Clinton says everything about Bush, m his attitude to his political stance, is don’t Wily reminiscent of himself. So a “corn- people >sionate conservative” now equals a "ew Democrat?” What an interesting political time we ein. But this brings us to an important ques- n — is President Clinton grasping at Jaws, or are there really that many com- (risons between the two? Would it be an even better idea if Gin- hoped that people thought he was re like Bush? Let’s examine various areas of each n’s life. thougli i neat ’ she s; ^ such J )Ut of it 1 /eur Pi rtnersliif Marshlf md of Se^l is Webf jrk Do! to appe ; [ ■r s , yeur Dl ^ SlUUh jl locatii custom site Family: Bush is from a well-known |d established family with a record of blic service. His father was the Presi- fnt of the United States, and his mother ns a literacy foundation. One of his lothers is the governor of Florida. Clinton never knew his father, and his brother is in a rock band. A very bad rock band. Advantage — Bush. • Education: Both Bush and Clinton are graduates of Yale. Bush got his mas ter’s degree at Harvard Business School, while Clinton went to Oxford University on a Rhodes Scholarship. Bush hung out with Yankee snobs, while Clinton hung out with English snobs. In a close one, ad vantage — Bush. • Military Service during the Vietnam War: Bush heroically reached new heights by zooming around Houston in an F-102 belonging to the Texas Air National Guard. Clinton, in England at the time, reached new heights without the use of an airplane. Think about it. Advantage — Bush. • Partying Record: Bush admits that he drank too much in his younger years, and he may or may not have danced naked on a table. Clinton says that he did not inhale. If there was public nudity, then neither deserves the advantage. If everyone kept their clothes on, the advantage belongs to Bush. • Washington Experience Before Run ning For President: Bush was one of the heavies behind the scenes in his father’s administration, making many of the tough decisions. Clinton was involved in George Mc Govern’s campaign for president in 1972. McGovern had Watergate on his side and was still blown out. Advantage — Bush. • Experience in the Private Sector: Clinton taught law classes in the early 1980s after losing the Arkansas governor ship race and was a middling lawyer. Bush became wealthy in his own right, and he became a major owner of the Texas Rangers. Teach law to people who have not seen daylight in 14 years, or George W. Clinton or Bill Bush? hang out with Nolan Ryan? Advantage — Bush. • Marital Status: Bush is happily mar ried to a beautiful woman and is the fa ther of lovely twin daughters. Clinton has a wife in New York and an intern doing things that would be interest ing on a resume. Blue dress or not, the advantage goes to Bush. • Experience in Public Service before running for President: Clinton was a popular governor of Arkansas, Bush was a popular governor of Texas. That is like a Pop Warner team playing the Denver Broncos. Advantage — Bush. • Knowledge of Whitewater: Bush knows that there is some in the rapids of the Red River. Clinton, through his lawyers, denies any knowledge. No ad vantage. • Ability to Communicate With Other Nationalities: Bush speaks fluent Spanish. Clinton gets money from people who speak Chinese. Advantage — Clinton. • Abraham Lincoln: Bush knows Lin coln was the 16th President of the United States. Clinton knows Lincoln’s bedroom brings in big bucks from contributors. It is important to know your history, so the ad vantage belongs to Bush. • Vice Presidents: Bush does not even have the Republican nomination yet, so he has no selection. Clinton has Gore. Advan tage — Bush. • Red Badges of Shame: Bush has ad mitted that he drank quite a bit during his youth. He has since changed his ways. President Clinton has been impeached for lying under oath and obstructing justice, but does not see this to be a very big deal. Advantage — Bush. To this point in time. Bush has at least shown himself to be a decent human be ing who believes in most of what he says. He has also not disgraced the office that he has held with his personal proclivi ties. Many Americans, whether they sup ported impeachment or not, were embar rassed by what was revealed during Clin ton’s scandal. The best way to prevent a repeat performance is to elect someone who probably would not act so foolishly. As a result, morality and the personal integrity of the candidates has become one of the most important issues in the 2000 Presidential Campaign. The reason for this can be traced right back to William Jefferson Clinton and his actions. George W. Bush has come up with very high marks on this issue in the eyes of the public and has translated that into a com manding lead in the polls. Bush — a Clinton clone? Maybe it would be wiser for Clinton to be a Bush clone. After all, this seems to be the new route to the White House. Mark Passwaters is an electrical engineering graduate student.