lattalion
Opinio
Tlbtchools in limbo
sqm&ftions can fix educational standards
Wm
a
u
CALEB
mcdaniel
— The Dallas' ecei11 y e ^ rs - ec,u
«:e squad ye S!f ^°n al stundanis
^'rs they releas^P u ^ lic sctlools
Beau MorJ beconu ' extreme
* ffensive linr ?pt ' u pl ‘ lvin « liin
Joe Phinns;• d tlie bai conti n
bert Newkirk. dl,)p lower ' 1lul
liad hopedi,. es, k-xlhk ' : ' m -
mkins, their ^ ri '[ re<,U K enl y J
~ I um > i h i :t « e to school ad-
' , et f. An; strators. Since students are required
1 M dainid ow | ess> tj ie y rarely fail. Their self-
waivers tror m j s stroked, their parents are
making he,ed and their teachers are less taxed.
u ' "’ Tmanro;:: moment, everyone is happy.
it in the long run, no one benefits
educational guidelines that prove
• is no limit to how low they can go.
f ''' 1| ^ reas0 'ic school requirements which bend
n '' )in e abilities of students may be the
-i lot oi poter wa y out 0 f educational slumps, but
11 group has to;,ad minded perspective can see they
r v day, every[ l0 t leal solutions. When standards
, students suffer.
line is even m.' nffrtunately, mainstream proposals,
■ becauseir
-ind KevinS
■able.
er
ie never event-
aid he is a bet:;
of 30-vear-old.
crease educational accountability
• not been promising,
lanv think the government should
ement rigid, nationwide standards,
acts should then be forced to mea-
jitrnselves against state-mandated
,.sticks, and their hands should be
^■if they fall short of the mark.
,eorge W. Bush’s recent policy sug-
ions reflect this unyielding carrot-
r* /*/\/ sb ick approach. If elected president,
W C'()f vou '^ ibpeaten to withdraw funding
►♦C/ VVt-j “failing” schools, giving them an in-
live to meet pre-determined criteria
student achievement.
r his kind of punishing accountability
ie wrong path to a worthy destina-
t. By hinging school success on stan-
int to pin.Jized tests, Bush and others would
civ from theirc eate the problems that first made
ui "Ithinkiiviuting standards popular. Exams like
.ich, your tool Texas Assessment of Academic Skills
helping the ki AS) stress basic skills at the expense
Although he general academics,
ogn/zed a one Roughly, here is how it works. The
lege footballpi.o puts pressure on schools to raise
1. teanu passed scores; the schools, in turn, put
m because o/y ssure on teachers to teach TAAS
. j. v -.vstlls. Embattled teachers, at risk of log-
mtheir jobs, are forced to comply.
''Uch stultifying conformity limits in-
rative teachers. Ultimately, a rigid
1 , S . in .K 0 rnrr'W r d with no flexibility is just as bad
n duringtne , txible standard with no rigidity.
iip run. an ortunately, the gathering clouds of
to end his ^ National crisis have a silver lining.
■ after one season
,-lor because oft
Lu^ck
azierout ofhig
srum CohSTlTUmion
And ironically, the emerging saviors of
the educational standard are those who
were once its fiercest enemy — teachers’
unions.
Traditionally, unions have strongly op
posed strict state-enforced measures of
student achievement.
But in a recent issue of The New Re
public, Sandra Feldman, President of the
American Federation of Teachers, charts
a moderate course between inflexible
government standards and unregulated
teacher autonomy.
She proposes that schools and unions
draft contracts together outlining general
teacher expectations.
“However — and here’s the important
difference — the streamlined contract
will leave the specifics to teachers and
principals at each school,” she said.
That “important difference” is nothing
short of the two-fold answer to public ed
ucation’s prayers.
First, Feldman and union leaders rec
ognize the drawbacks of having stan
dards set only by the state.
“Teachers who have taught under
these conditions will tell you this ap
proach doesn’t work,” Feldman said.
Secondly, unions also realize that lax
standards and poor student performance
reflect badly on their profession. Accord
ing to the current issue of The American
Prospect, National Education Association
President Bob Chase recently admitted
this.
“There are indeed some bad teachers
in America’s schools,” Chase said in a
speech, “and it is our job as a union to
improve these teachers or — that failing
— get them out of the classroom.”
The floating standard can only be
stopped if, with the unions’ help, schools
and the government meet in the middle.
Educational reformers with foresight
will recognize this as the only road to
school betterment. When standards are
imposed from above by the government,
teachers are pressured and students are
cheated. When standards are invisible,
teachers are too relaxed and students are
cheated.
But when teachers’ unions and the
government cooperate to draft education
al standards, schools are given the flexi
bility they deserve within the boundaries
students need. When teachers are free to
teach, students will be more likely to
learn.
Caleb McDaniel is a junior
history major.
I™ Worried *
AM IMTTERMET ADDICT.
he smcrted ms Mouse.
T
ANGELES (API
defense rested
y without callwj
of Earner to die
zstic violence p®
ntold reporters"
in that he saw
voice to the
jfied about the
mi and his wife'
'd to his arrest,
his time, j ek 1
anything I ct
aid. ,
! Ste%pntent vs. context
11 following t j,| 0 |jtj ca | correctness has, once again,
r husband |g one t00 far A recent production of .
Hs homey ‘ a muS j ca | version of Mark Twain’s
ever in dang 1 sjc j om s aW y er j n Mesa, Ariz. has
her husbami ^ h a | teC j q ue to concerns that the
city attorner )t j g cu | tura ||y insensitive. Educators
unit decide ^ S ay villain “Injun Joe” is portrayed
lecute Brown ■ mora | i wears f ew clothes and carries
ollywood Mi nting knife.
count of i ll£lKl his is not an issue deserving of such
md one count on j an res p 0nse what needs to be
hmisdemeano 3rn b erec j js that . C h arac ters are drawn
nonths in) al1 '’way they are drawn with a purpose. In-
inal defense ’ 1 oe js characterized as a savage be-
iatrist who re'Ug Mark Twain was (as he usually did)
1 that MonK j Z j n g ^g SOC j e ty for allowing that
from fears J; 30 type.
id “a bordern 1 X p OS j n g j nsenS jtj V jty j n order to de-
isorder,” W ‘ 1 T it is not a bad thing,
ompted hei 11 , Stephen Sondheim’s Assass/ns, the
1 behavior. ac ter of John Wilkes Booth, on the
after having assassinated President
^oln. offers a moving justification of
April Grahan'jctions. Then Sondheim has the char-
ffriyoi^spo’’ 1 r become caught up in his own
, neW ioc)»oric. Booth accuses Lincoln of being
bis!foiors.'pf rms ° r ^fgh and mighty n r lover,” destroy-
f ro0 he sympathy the audience has not
n.fnr
ViEW POiNTS
Cut
, pTor Booth, but for bigots everywhere.
osstillmea “^olilcel incorrectness is included to
MareeUj ust ^gyy incorrect; jt i s .
1,111 v 0 ultural insensitivity is not determined
uijiso page me antent, as the politically correct would
Appointmenis& ■’ , people believe, but by context.
True, the inclusion of questionable ma
terial may be culturally insensitive, but
that cannot be determined without look
ing at the intent of the author.
— Chris Huffines
Bye-bye Buchanan
O nce again, Pat Buchanan is making
rumblings about leaving the Repub
lican Party and running with another
party, possibly the Reform Party. Many
ranking members of the GOP have
rushed to speak with Buchanan on the is
sue. For the sake of the party, their mes
sage to Buchanan should be “Don’t let
the door hit you on the way out.”
Many in the GOPwhile not having any
love lost for Buchanan, do not want to
see him leave because he will take some
of the most conservative voters with him.
However, the loss of Buchanan will make
the GOP more moderate, and not just in
terms of looks. Buchanan has been able
to force portions of his agenda in the Re
publican Party platform at both the 1992
at 1996 conventions, which the Democ
rats were able to take advantage of.
A more moderate political approach is
more likely to succeed in this day and
age. If this party is going to support
George W. Bush all the way, it should let
Buchanan walk away. It will find out that it
will gain more votes than it will lose.
So go, Pat go. Go very far away.
— Mark Passwaters
Page 15 • Wednesday, September 8, 1999
uben Deluna/The Battalion
The Dreaded Fifteen
Freshmen can avoid weight gain with creative dieting
JESSICA
CRUTCHER
F reshmen are easy
to pick out around
campus. They are
the ones with freshly
ironed clothing who ac
tually show up to class
on time. Within the next
year — or perhaps even
the semester — these
newcomers will begin to
blend in more with their surroundings.
Many things will make this change appar
ent, but one of the most loudly lamented
is the nearly inevitable weight gain. The
“Freshman 15” has practically gained ur
ban legend status across campuses
nationwide.
Fortunately, avoiding the “Freshman
15” is really not that difficult. In fact, by
following this simple plan, a freshman
will almost be guaranteed to actually lose
weight.
The best way to keep one’s appetite
(and weight) in check is to drink alcohol.
A lot. There are several ways to go about
this plan.
First, try to stay drunk 25 percent of
the time. This is only two days out of the
week (i.e. the weekend). This method
should produce a hangover at least as
long as the time you spend drunk.
For those who do not know, hangovers
equal lying in bed and wishing for death,
which in turn equals no appetite.
Do the math.
This means that 50 percent of the time
you will have no appetite, equalling 50
percent less calories.
This method is not fool-proof. Some
people argue that they never get hang
overs (the key to restraining the appetite),
no matter how much they drink.
Never fear — there is a remedy to this
problem. One of the biggest complaints of
college students is that purchasing beer
and alcohol gets extremely expensive.
However, you can turn this to your ad
vantage. If you spend all your money on
alcoholic beverages, you will not be able
to buy food.
This does not mean you will starve,
just that you will be forced to buy a meal
plan and eat at Sbisa Dining Hall. Some
where between the “macaroni surprise”
and the veggie burgers, most people ei
ther lose their appetites or decide to stick
to the canned fruits and vegetables.
Either decision will help you keep from
gaining weight, but the safest alternative
is probably to just go home and drink
more beer.
Some people will inevitably balk at
this form of “dieting.” One of the most
commonly expressed concerns is “Does
n’t beer have a lot of calories?”
This is a valid question. However, this
diet provides alternatives for the extreme
ly health conscious.
First, drink light beer if the calories
make you uncomfortable.
Second, try looking at beer from a dif
ferent perspective entirely. Since beer is a
yeast-based product, it could technically
be viewed as a member of the bread
group. Therefore, if you drink a six-pack,
you will have satisfied the recommended
daily whole-grain allowance.
The other popular criticism of this diet
refers to the legendary “beer belly.” Many
people are worried that while they may
MAIL CALL
not gain weight, they will still end up
with a flabby body or pudgy stomach.
Luckily, even this unsightly circum
stance can be avoided by doing two sim
ple exercises. They can even be done
while drinking, so as not to lose valuable
weight-suppressant time.
The first exercise is widely called the
“kegstand.” It involves drinking beer in
the handstand position, which will help
build the triceps and biceps as well as in
creasing the sense of balance.
Another easy exercise can be done by
simply attaching weights to the bottoms
of beer cans or shot glasses while drink
ing. The amount of weight added should
depend on the person. There are many
other possible exercises, but these two,
when done properly, have been shown to
best maintain the desired weight level.
The “Freshman 15” is certainly a
daunting foe that could terrify the most
self-confident person. However, by fol
lowing this diet, it should be a problem
students will never be concerned about.
By the end of the semester, a freshman
should have gained and maintained the
perfect body.
Of course, it should be noted that the
illegality of this diet for most freshmen
could have a serious side effect — incar
ceration. Not that this would be all bad —
jails are rumored to have great gyms. On
the other hand, a more legal manner of
maintaining weight might be advisable. It
all comes down to which is preferable —
15 pounds or 15 MIPs.
Jessica Crutcher is a sophomore
journalism major.
Fish Camp
counselors
react to column
In response to Eric Dickens’
Sept. 6 column.
Dickens portrays Fish Camp
in a demeaning manner that
insults not only the dedicated
Fish Camp staff, but also any
freshman who had a positive
experience at Fish Camp.
The Fish Camp staff pre
pares for a minimum of six
months before the “intense
four-day affair” that serves to
introduce Aggie spirit.
If the staff were not excited
about the freshmen and pass
ing the Aggie spirit, why should
there be a Fish Camp?
The article makes a true
statement that “freshmen do
not usually have a fully con
ceived idea” of what college
life is like.
Each semester 42,000 Ag
gies have different classes,
different parking problems and
many other different obstacles
to overcome.
But Fish Camp is not one of
those obstacles.
Fish Camp is a support
group for the freshmen that
helps them overcome the ob
stacles college life throws in
their path.
Dickens says Fish Camp
“staff should get a grip on
what daily life in Aggieland is
really like” and should not
“mislead freshmen.”
As a 1999 Fish Camp coun
selor, I take offense to being
labeled as an idiot and as a
hypocrite.
Surely the sampling of 900
Aggies has the same grip on
college life as the rest of the
student body, and surely these
same 900 Aggies are not the
only people with Aggie spirit.
What better place to teach
Aggies about Aggie spirit and
Aggie traditions than at Fish
Camp.
Hopefully, the more than
2,000 freshmen unable to at
tend Fish Camp will be intro
duced to the Aggie Spirit and
tradition in the same positive
manner that Fish Camp and
its staff present them.
Texas A&M is known world
wide for its spirit and tradi
tions. If the incoming fresh
man class does not catch the
“undying” Spirit of Aggieland,
the Aggie spirit will undoubted
ly die and A&M will be no dif
ferent than t.u.
Karen Meyer
Class of ’02
With 31 signatures
It is a sad day in Aggieland
when one of our own can say
“this University is not much
different form anywhere else in
the world.” Texas A&M is dif
ferent from anywhere else in
the world and the reason is
because we make it so.
Our “reality” is the reality
we have chosen and continue
day to day. We (all Aggies) are
the ones who build the Bon
fire, stand in silence on a
Tuesday night and answer
“here” under the glow of a
candle.
Texas A&M is different.
I have been involved with
Fish Camp as a counselor for
two years now and the portrait
Dickens paints is simply un
true.
The freshman class is the
future of this Univeristy. They
will be the keepers of the spirit
and the leaders of tomorrow.
Every Aggie that becomes a
Fish Camp counselor does so
because they love this Univer
sity more than words can say
and they do it for the love of
the freshmen.
We do not shove massive
amounts of lies down the
freshmen’s throats. We share
with them what the University
is and what it can be. We, all
of us Aggies, make this col
lege experience what it is.
Fish Camp provides the
essence and ideals of what it
is to be an Aggie.
It is up to us to uphold
them on our campus.
Patrick Bresinger
Class of ’01
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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 accu
racy. Letters may be submitted in person
at 013 Reed McDonald with a valid stu
dent ID. Letters may also be mailed to:
The Battalion - Mail Call
013 Reed McDonald
Texas A&M University
College Station, TX
77843-1111
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fax: (409) 845-2647
E-mail: batt@unix.tamu.edu