e Battalion
o PINION
Page 15 • Thursday, September 9,1999
on’t look here
elevision continues to worsen this fall
. Mate-r
needing
med minor da
falling offag,
Jumns, Cult®
fcv's besi-kivH
- ieri to visitors
- Temple of ^
ights. Camera,
i vors among-. (Fox)!
lout crawl .M? eneW L all,ele '
^ At 1 “ ion lineups have
i j , M ^ ret en Set, and the new
1 11 | Ms l3!e ows look great. At
/ ' ls ^ ras istthat is what the
1 ,s , Urtl ^^ breaks and Geeks”
r\ thing willbt :3x ) who make the
ln 8 a !r 'end cisions about what
> 'i where the ows to air would
• e pinned undere! viewers to think. Unfortunately,
'thing could be further from the truth,
of people hat- This year’s fall programming schedule
t rful of afters the worst in recent memory and may
as 4.7. Flags the worst in the history of television.
- ame makes:: Gone are the days of quality original
down on cc ogramming like “I Love Lucy,” “All in
^^ftmily,” “Hill Street Blues” and
Iheers. ” As writer Goodman Ace said
'out television in 1953, “We call it a
Hum because nothing’s well done.”
Hr the statement should be revised.
Ti television is now rare and heading
■rd raw.
. — t - r . 1 |, 4 typical viewing schedule for the fall
11 fijryWroUld include ABC’s “Once and Again,”
s “Now and Again” or “Ally,” a
, ^Mgtayn-nainute compilation of material that
make it into the hour-long
. Vlly McBeal.” Can you believe 30
1*5 iCrVKiiniites of outtakes are what passes
r a television show these days?
r brk with Me” (ABC) here.
Then there is the ABC comedy
flrhed in March titled “It’s like, you
ow ...”, which is, like, about, well, you
now. Actually, nobody knows. Thus, the
t take'theirisipid title.
i graveyards Spinoffs entering the fray in the fall in-
ie up short .ude “Angel” (WB), “Law and Order:
pecial Victims Unit” (NBC) and “Time of
our Life” (Fox).
“Angel” stars Buffy’s former vampire
I unk trying to straighten out his life by
ot killing more humans. Hasn’t this been
one? The P 0 P ular “Law and Order” se-
II i es i s wearing itself a little thin with its
iew, unoriginal offering. Aren’t
* 10,1999 rossovers with “Homicide: Life on the
wn Bog wwiotreet ” and reruns enough?
jderts Cxgorze Finally, “Time of Your Life” follows
ennifer Love Hewitt’s life after “Party of
ve” (Fox). If only I still knew that her
f:SJp m reer i ast summer
And now the UPN is bringing
wrestling to prime time with its Thursday
night “WWF Smackdown.” Hopefully,
“Smackdown” will bomb and signal the
end of wrestling’s stranglehold on the rat
ings. UPN’s “Grown Ups” is a sure mid
season cancellation. It teams up former
child stars Soleil Moon Frye (“Punky
Brewster”) and Jaleel White (“Family
Matters”). This show has no hope be
cause it is on UPN, but did they have to
cast Punky Brewster? Wasn’t her last big
hit Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings!
In these last days of television medioc
rity, the prime-time game show “Who
Wants to Be a Millionaire?” (ABC) has
been wildly popular. Television is so bad
that people are voluntarily watching Regis
Philbin during prime time. Maybe the
year 2000 will mean the end of the world
and bring relief from such madness.
The family-oriented PAX TV’s fall of
ferings include “T\vice in a Lifetime” and
“It’s a Miracle,” hosted by Richard
Thomas (John Boy on “The Waltons”).
“Twice in a Lifetime” involves a celestial
being taking people back to pivotal mo
ments in their lives and offering them the
chance to change past mistakes. Sounds a
little bit like the plot to “It’s a Wonderful
Life. ” But then PAX is not really trying to
be original.
What this country needs, and is des
perately crying out for, is more restraint
and discipline among the Nielsen view
ers, those lucky few who choose which
shows stay and which shows go. The
5,000 Nielsen households determine the
ratings for each show and therefore con
trol their destinies. Certainly, if the actual
content of a show was the basis for net
work executives’ decisions, “Picket
Fences” would still be on the air. It was a
great show, or so they say.
Nielsen viewers, help! It is needed
now more than ever. Please take these
shows off the air. Do not just watch. It’s
all Must Not See TV.
Is there any escape from the “Harsh
Realm” (Fox) of the current television
abyss? “Get Real” (Fox) — the only way
out is to turn the old boob tube off.
Marc Grether is a mathematics
graduate student.
Co-eds make the Hart grow fonder
Letting women live in Hart Hall benefits both men and women
years of
Hart Hall
history, the
all-male,
non-air-
conditioned
dorm has
survived a number of trials
as the lone residence hall in
the center of campus.
A few years ago, faculty
complained that residents’
Bonfire clothes hanging out
of windows were soiling the
campus’ image for visiting
dignitaries, and then the
clothes soon disappeared.
Cracks in the foundation
of the hall have been
found, but residents
doggedly refused to va
cate their beloved
home and pushed for
renovations like eth-
ernet connections.
Now, one more
change faces resi
dents, and the same
class shown in these
past situations is
needed for the resi
dents to adjust to it.
This fall, the Depart
ment of Residence Life al
lowed women to reside in
Hart Hall, and it is time
Texas A&M recognized the
need to provide a low-cost
housing option for female
students.
Since females began at
tending A&M, they have
been subject to residence
hall cost discrimination.
People complain about
the oppressive heat in non
air-conditioned dorms, but
the cheap cost is the exchange.
Between Hart and Walton
halls, male students at A&M
have had the benefit of
housing that costs below
$1,000 a semester. The cost
for a student to live in Hart
or Walton, which feature
ramp-style, suite dormito
ries, is only $612 per se
mester. Before Hart opened
its doors to females this
year, the lowest priced
housing option for fe
males on campus was
$1,044 per semester in
Briggs, Davis-Gary,
Leggett and Spence
halls.
sexes, which is done by floor
in regular dorms, is provided
more efficiently by ramps.
With the ramp-style system,
a set of doors with card-scan
ners provide a more reliable
Now that women are al
lowed to live in Hart, they
have an alternative that is
priced about 40 percent low
er than their previous options.
Separation between the
ROBERT HYNECEK/The Battalion
barrier than a flight of stairs.
That means the Hart fellas
can still float around room to
room in their boxer shorts as
they see fit without disturb
ing any females.
Some Hart residents have
resisted this change since it
was proposed a few years
ago, but the benefits for
them outweigh the burden of
losing one ramp to females.
Co-educational
dorms have the op
tion of 24-hour vis;-
itation, a privilege-
Hart residents nev T
er enjoyed, but still
abused over the !
years.
During All Uni
versity-Night, the
usual complement
of Hart freshmen
escorting the hall •
flag to Kyle Field
was joined by only
one of the female
residents.
Participation by
females might be
slow to come be
cause all change at
A&M comes at the
expense of long-
held traditions. The
most positive thing
about the sex inte
gration is the lack
of attention the sit
uation has received.
In this case, no
news is good news,
and people can in
terpret the lack of ’
problems as a sign*
that the residents !
are happy.
And take it from
a former four-year
Hart resident — res
idents being happy
is a good thing.
Jeff Webb is a senior
journalism major.
into, sto'
14, 1999
Meeting
of the Cormt
be to collabo«J)
events, info, stw
ming.
ton Conf. Cente
7:00 p.m.
nt ot MulticulliKh
pledge*
are her
icster! fitlu
i McKay ■■ 11 "
" ish Camp good,
ica Miner a y S freshman
ira Miner
i Mitchell response to Eric Dickens’ Sept 6
;i a j$borPi; ,/umn '
berty Nall p or the p as1; f ew q a y Si many
e O’Reilly sh Camp counselors have voiced
icca Peddy eh protest of Dickens’ views of
' n Petrini 3 h Camp. The counselors are not
m ‘ £ e only ones who feel this way.
'. yn “ IV ' I was not brainwashed or given
fy fPP*' puffed-up version of what life at
geyfkoss xas A&M was like. My coun-
il y Rothe dors gave me an honest picture
av Rumohr what A&M was about,
y .I They had many sessions that in-
ra Rus r|Tied us the p r0 b| ems we
y Sellers 3U | C j f ace as students: drinking
f SherlocT lc j driving, hazing and parking,
ley Sleeth They also gave us many tips
= Smuland x>ut classes, professors and
n - Qnraers ieir experiences with friends fail-
er |, g out. They did not lie to us and
ish Stee ( a y j S a cross between Dis-
la Stonekui ay| an d and Heaven, and everyone
y Thoinp 801, st has a great time.”
-Thurmond And there is only one word I
Ward ave t0 S3y about “this University
‘ - not much different from any-
1 Wni K here else in the world,” but good
5 a Weisz tanners and a watchful editor will
r Wright qx | e t me sa y ft
This campus is one of the
iendliest places I’ve ever seen.
MAIL CALL
Nobody ignores you if you say
“howdy.” The upperclassmen I’ve
met are generally very nice to me.
From what I’ve seen in just the
week and a half I’ve been here,
A&M is a special place.
James Holland
Class of ’03
Corps, non-regs
must get along
In response to Tom Sullivan’s
Sept. 2 mail call.
Sullivan closes by saying that
“[Dickens] tugs at the main thread
that binds us all and makes us Ag
gies.” This is a great closing state
ment, but it does not mix with the
implied feelings some few lines
previous. He insists that we all
succumb to some form of confor
mity, which includes Aggies who
“stand at games and bow to the
Corps.”
This can, and should, be a hurt
ful statement toward anyone who
calls this campus home. Sullivan
says we are all Aggies but then un
fairly marks the Corps as leagues
above the rest.
I have already seen this year
how words, like Sullivan’s, can
change a person’s outlook. I know
how someone saying “howdy” to
me can brighten my day with such
little effort.
Unfortunately, most often I am
greeted with eyes of contempt or
not so much as a glance in my di
rection. Don’t be surprised that this
is from Corps and non-reg alike.
Non-regs do not bow to the Corps
nor should they, but they should not
treat cadets as so much refuse ei
ther. The same is true of the way
non-regs should be treated.
I cannot be sure when we began
this dislike of each other, but I know
it will sink us all if it continues. No
one is below being treated with re
spect and kindness, and the
change starts in your mirror.
David Clinkscales
Class of ’00
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E-mail: battletters@hotmail.com
Clinton’s clemency deal seems fishy
F or the past
several
months,
people who
have been look
ing to glean
some excite
ment from next
year’s elections
have been look
ing north. Not
toward Washington, D.C., but to
New York.
With Governor George W. Bush
and Vice President A1 Gore almost
certain locks for their respective
nominations, the presidential race
may not seem as exciting.
A showdown between New
York City Mayor Rudolph W. Giu
liani and First Lady Hillary Rod
ham Clinton in New York’s Senate
election may spice things up a bit
— especially since a recent
clemency offer made by President
Bill Clinton looks like an attempt
to assist the first lady.
On the surface, the race looks
like an intriguing matchup: two
strong-willed individuals going
head to head in a campaign that
promises to bring out supporters
of both candidates in force.
Neither Giuliani nor Hillary
will ever be accused of being
bland, because they are either
adored or despised.
With candidates who evoke
such strong sentiments in a major
state while fighting for a critical
Senate seat, it is certain this
campaign will be one with no
holds barred.
Because Hillary has support
from very high places, some in the
media have wondered aloud if the
White House may try to assist her.
This possibility is one of the
reasons why President Clinton’s
decision to offer clemency to 15
members of the Puerto Rican ter
rorist group Armed Forces of Na
tional Liberation (FALN) is all the
more interesting.
FALN is a group that claims the
1898 peace treaty between Spain
and the United States which gave
Puerto Rico to this nation is illegal.
They are also a group responsi
ble for over 100 bombings in the
1970, which killed six people.
These 15 FALN members are in
federal prison, convicted of sedi
tious conspiracy and a litany of
other charges.
While it has never been proven
these members were the people
who actually planted or detonated
these explosives, it was proven that
these individuals provided them.
Some in the public who do not
see arming another person and as
signing them a target to eliminate
as a serious crime have taken up
their case.
Former President Jimmy Carter,
New York Archbishop John O’
Connor and South African Arch
bishop Desmond Tutu have all ap
pealed for their release.
These appeals have been going
on for several years, but only in
the past few weeks has President
Clinton offered clemency if these
15 individuals renounce their calls
for violent struggle. Only a truly
jaded mind would think this is re
lated to his wife’s senatorial cam-
" Because Hillary
has support from
very high places,
some in the media
have wondered
aloud if the White
House may try
to assist her."
paign in New York, right?
Perhaps not. New York is a
state with a strong Puerto Rican
population, which Hillary will
sorely need the support of if she is
to be competitive against Giuliani.
Recent polls have shown that
while Hispanic voters are not sup
porters of Mayor Giuliani, their
support for Hillary was tepid at
best. Tepid is not going to win the
Senate seat for Hillary Clinton,
and this issue is a hot button for
many in New York’s Puerto Rican
community.
Such a move by her husband
can only help her chances. Hillary
sorely needs as many of these
votes as possible to win this race,
and responding to one of their fa
vorite demands increases the pos
sibility that members of this group
will vote Democratic.
It certainly will not hurt Presi
dent Clinton’s popularity within
this community, but he is not run
ning for re-election. The easiest
way for the Puerto Rican commu
nity to show their support is to
vote for their candidate for the
Senate — Hillary Clinton.
This issue, however, is no
longer just a hot button topic with
in the Puerto Rican community.
The president of the Fraternal
Order of Police (who is of Hispam
ic descent) openly questioned the
motives of President Clinton by
asking what these individuals have
done to deserve such compassion.
Whether or not one supports
America’s dominion over Puerto
Rico, the fact remains that these
people were involved in terrorist
activities in the United States that
resulted in the loss of innocent
lives. They have also refused to re
nounce their methods or show any
remorse, even after 19 years in jail.
If this is the case, they are still
a possible threat to society. There
is no justifiable reason for them to
be granted clemency.
So why is the president doing
this if there is no apparent benefit
to the nation? Could it be because
it could help his wife? If he is not,
then what is his reasoning? White
House commentary on the situa
tion has been contradictory.
The circumstances surround
ing this situation make it hard to
believe President Clinton’s offer
of clemency to the members of
FALN came out of the goodness
of his heart.
This is an issue that, until re
cently, was largely forgotten by
the public-save for some of Puer
to Rican descent.
Unnoticed, this offer could
have increased support for the
Democratic Party among those
who wish to see these people
freed, with minimal outcry.
Unfortunately for Hillary,
someone did notice and has made
this a bad situation for her.
Receptive to the outcry of oppo
sition to the clemency offer, Hillary
changed her stance and now op
poses their release.
But 12 of the FALN members
have already taken the deal, and
several prominent Puerto Rican
politicians have retracted their sup
port from Mrs. Clinton’s candidacy.
Mrs. Clinton has fallen into one
of the oldest political traps and
has made promises to too many,
people.
— *
Mark Passwaters is an electrical
engineering graduate student.