Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 7, 1999)
attalion O PINION Page 15 • Tuesday, December 7, 1999 ot enough nooks and crannies iGlHibraries filled with too many distractions, not helpful to students studying for exams ly government’s !::,l o streamline relid] and ensure that es the affected I d. • Mishra, the staid •I servant, saidthai (ration had disti 00,000 blanket; ith fi nals on the n, stu- [will be |ng out of odwork ing for Iplaces to u a ELIZABETH KOHL y inadequate forTypor exams, people affected if 0 ie libraries on campus said the OrissatWi always overrun during fi- svasorderingtivo»°nstruction now pollutes 'ts and hopedt :|ritial study nooks, em among thehpnibers of the Texas A&M •. 31. in staff can testify to the in- re than 200 into Iol students that inevitably Stic sheetsfomsfiBs during finals. Libraries ;ainsttheelemeiiS puipped with tables, cubi- baneswarlOdavts |nd private rooms designat- vernment refoc r studying purposes, but ‘nter the city us ear, two of the major A&M met governnift: ies hardly seem prepared 1 Aperts were tec ndle individuals looking for quality. Iplace to study. he West Campus Library is a bt example of corrupted space. a newer facility, this library 'es extensive traffic during ■ary weeks. At d while during the day the w s predominantly in and out computer lab, there are a erof students studying in bove floors all day and even into the night, e would assume from its ■tthat the West Campus Li ly was designed specifically glludying purposes. the first floor, conveniently ted with a computer center, an scan documents, check rial kill ■ eastern cityofli y who say that thd nen confessed tltpj te children, butboil according to Mai who rangedinagei ong the country •eets if Punjab's pit) email and type anything from memos to computer programs. Sprinkled with a few shelves of business and agricultural doc uments, the always-silent sec ond floor also houses 50 tables and a number of cubicles. But surely, the top floor of the West Campus Library was de signed with studying exclusively in mind. There are no books on the third floor; instead, more than 25 tables are strewn about sur rounded by rows and rows of spacious cubicles. Campus is not prepared to accommodate studying for finals. Elsewhere under the sterile lighting, octets of slightly cushy, doctors’ office-like chairs are available, and several private rooms can be checked out for group study. But despite the conspicuous fact that most individuals venture to a library such as this, nearly all of the cubicles on the third floor are filled with intrusive, sluggish computers which fill the air with perpetual key tapping. More than 100 of these ma chines were displaced from the Biology lab to the library toward the end of the summer. There were just a few at first, but within weeks, nearly every cubicle on the third floor was filled and the study space rav aged. The purpose of moving so many computers into the library was to maintain the number of computers available to students on West Campus. The installment, however, has transformed the library into a gi ant, inefficient computer lab. Keystrokes, beeps and the continuous hum of hard drives defiling the concentration of those trying to study aside, the larger problem lies in the space the machines now occupy. Throughout the course of a typical week, the West Campus Library is noticeably busy. Tables are scarce, and cubi cles without computers quickly become occupied. Even an amoeba would have the fore thought to realize the computers are a distraction from the true purpose of a library. Despite the inconveniences sure to surface in the next couple of days, the computers are sched uled to remain indefinitely. Surely, the administration does not believe the overflow will head to the Sterling C.Evans Library, with its shag carpeting, retro furniture and musky smell. Although students may flock to Evans for its familiar ambiance, the sounds of hammers and drills leave little to be desired. Rest assured — the crews MlkElihwin KTtM temxrnfet working to repair Evans are aware that finals are forthcom ing, and they will do all in their power to muffle the pounding and banging. In the unfortunate event that one has not yet found a place to study, the Sterling C. Evans Li brary Annex is just a catwalk away. Sure, there are few tables and chairs about, but if students want private study rooms, they may call the library ahead of time and reserve them. Truth be told, the campus has only semi-adequate facilities available and is not prepared to handle the number of students GABRIEL RUENES/Tm; Battalion planning to study for finals. Win ter break is just around the cor ner. Perhaps the University should use the time before finals week to move computers and finish construction. Elizabeth Kohl is a junior accounting major. 28, 1999 arching for something worth saying fri! m J CALEB McDANIEL member sit- g at my mputer after ng the Bon- ite for the ime. I had ead the , seen the and tried to rb the dy hanging bly in the air. hat struck me about the gifts y the plastic orange fence was honesty. There was nothing ex igent or showy — just earnest ngs from people in mourning, ae thing was sure: Each gift ob- ly meant a great deal to the n who left it, whether it was a rt, a pot or a ring, eflecting in The Battalion news- n on the meaning of all these I prepared to write a brief col- about the Bonfire tragedy. But I suddenly gripped by the sinking that all I had to give was words. had to offer was paper and And beside the notes of condo- from kindergarten classes on ence — “Dear God, I feel sorry e Aggies,” one said — any s I could write seemed utterly ty and useless. is a fear columnists face often, n hundred words a week seem nificant in the face of seven tired thousand wrongs in the d that need to be righted. What good can a newspaper do? Such a question may seem ridiculously big-headed to readers of a paper. Journalists are aware that to some people, their work is little more than something to pass the time while at a bus stop or before a class. Those with such a casual rela tionship with newspapers may think existential questions about the value of words hardly worth asking. But permit me a moment of mus ing. After working as the editor of this page during the summer and fall semesters, the question of what my job is worth is more than just a passing curiosity. It is a practical concern. And being faced with the daily job of filling a blank page with text is bound to make an editor think about why words matter. My answer to that question, ad visedly, is that words do and do not matter. (Yes, I’m a liberal arts major.) In one sense, they do not matter because words are cheap. It costs nothing to write a column, and be lieve me, it pays only a little more than it costs. But it takes almost Herculean ability to live up to what you say, to practice what you preach and to believe truly what you pur port to believe. Mouths open more easily than minds. On the other hand, it is because actions speak louder than words that words are important after all. Words, ideally, inspire people to do something. If a column has done little more than spark more words and discussions, it has at least made people think. Some writers, doubtlessly trying to justify their existence, have said that the important thing about words is that they are said. I dis agree. The important thing about words is that they are read. Writers who think for more than a second about themselves realize they do not have all the right things to say. They are just the ones with the col umn space. They write not because they have the final word on the matter, but because they have the beginning word. The job of a newspaper is to start a conversation, not to end one. When I think of words that way, I have hope that columns are not meaningless in the face of tragedies, crises or intractable problems. After returning from the Bonfire site, I made the mistake of thinking all I had to give was words. But the words on this page are not the finished product. They are a means to an end. The goal of this section is not so much to talk, as it is to make others talk. And while one person speaking alone may seldom rise above the vol ume of a whisper, the din of conver sation is the music that matters. Add your voice to mine, and then together we may find something worth saying. Caleb McDaniel is a junior history major. Presidential candidates fall short in Republican debate MARK PASSWATERS L ast Thursday was a tough day. After a day filled with exams that hit a person harder than Jay Brooks hit Chris Simms, an other task was still to be faced in the evening. That mission: to sit down and watch the Republican presidential candidates de bate in New Hampshire. Which was more painful, the exams or the debate, is still under discussion. The format of the debate was such that the candidates were never really forced to confront major issues; the questions were softballs and each candidate seemed more in terested in trying to buck the public’s qualms about their character than talking about the future of the nation. At least there was a remote control to turn off the program. After receiving a nightly dose of “JAG,” this intrepid columnist grabbed a pad of paper, turned to Fox News and prepared to find out all sorts of interesting things about the GOP’s picks for the presidency. The following are my impressions of the participants’ quotes: “Hi, I’m Brit Hume. Many of you remember when I had a career back at ABC. Now I am a commentator at Fox News. Yes, there is such a thing. My job is to throw up more softballs than Steve TTachsel. Let’s meet our candidates.” “I’m Sen. John McCain from Arizona. Many people think that I have a problem with my temper. I don’t. I’m a funny guy. Can’t you see that? I’m talking to you! You better listen to me!” “I’m Steve Forbes. I want you all to know one thing: Anything George W. Bush says, I’m against. So there.” “I’m George W. Bush. I’m governor of Texas — a state that if it were its own nation would have the 11th largest economy on earth. I know how to lead. 1 also know I’m winning, so I’m not saying anything.” “I’m Alan Keyes. If you’re against me, you’re racist.” The remaining two candidates, social ac tivist Gary Bauer and Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, had opening comments as well. But the channel had miraculously turned to ESPN. Thursday night football — what a concept! Go Jags! Wait, this is not good reporting. Let’s go back to Fox News, where things were at tempting to get interesting. McCain still was trying to convince people he was funny. The problem is that he could not even convince himself. Forbes was sporting a strange look, like he was a kid in a candy store. Then again, he probably owns the candy store. In any event, Forbes was still intent on showing that he was the “Anti-Bush.” Bush, in the meantime, was still governor of Texas, which if it stood alone, would have the 11th largest economy... Keyes was making himself out to be the political Dick Vitale. He waved his arms, yelled and said nothing. Get this man a telestrator! Who is Bauer, and what does he stand for? Oh, he opposes to abortion. What else? He opposes abortion. Hatch stands up straighter than any other human being. Much like a droid — no, wait, that would be Gore. Will someone answer a question with a specific answer? Click. On to the next chan nel. James Bond marathon on TBS! Yes! The Spy Who Loved Me. Seen it 25 times. Back to the debate. McCain said something funny. He wants to prop up fed chairman Alan Greenspan with a board and a pair of dark sunglasses when he dies, like Weekend at Bernie’s. Bush still knows how to lead and is the governor of the second largest state with the 11th largest economy... Hopefully, there will be debates where real issues are not only placed on the table but actually are addressed by each candidate. Forbes still has not answered a question, but he has answered several of Bush’s. The general idea of a debate is for candi dates to be confronted on issues of conse quence to America’s future. This concept, which gives candidates one minute to talk and no chance for rebuttal, eliminates that possibility. Even if the format were changed and Hume had been allowed to ask some of the hard questions he is known for, each candi date seemed more interested in primping for the camera than taking a stand. There are still two more months before voters go to the polls in the first primary, so there is still time for things to improve. Hopefully, there will be more debates in which real issues are not only placed on the table but actually are addressed by each of the candidates. In the meantime, America breathlessly awaits the showdown between Democrats A1 Gore and Bill Bradley. Click. Mark Passwaters is a senior electrical engineering student.