Monday,
if
OPINION
■day, April 3,2000
THE BATTALION
Page 13
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urn ot all Palestinian#
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aotiaiions, saiJilKii T 1 "' 15 what lhe state ot Texas thinks
s[ |SSUCS bout used car dealers.
agreement with theh;§f aditionally the butt of j° kes and
ion said. "It will not b )e Bubject of business ethics investiga-
CC pt;• Ims. used car dealers were denied a
simian state with Ik: me on the information superhighway
matters. arlier this month by the Texas Depart-
:ussion of Jerusalem, lent of Transportation (TxDOT). The
.1 tew y ears in order jouston-area section of the Ford Motor
September. Abed R Company’s “Ford Pre-owned Show-
' Bn” was closed down by TxDOT of-
icials pending review of the Website,
ieyvay it operates and what it means
or people buying cars in Texas.
■Although looking for cars on the Internet is
| "I "I Cl 1 pP k “8 a ' * n tbe state. Ford’s new Website has
WXX O viv|en shut down because it signaled the next
■ in automotive e-commerce — the actual
• Irchasing of vehicles over the Internet. For
tie first time, a car company is attempting to
Jl kjl C.V'X » awa y Ultb the salesman entirely and actual-
|k't people buy a car without going to a deal-
ip to sign the papers. It was too big of a
for the TxDOT to swallow,
ccording to the TxDOT Motor Vehicles Di
on (Enforcement Section), Texans are not
to buy cars over the Internet. Ford has
This lane closed
Texas ban on Internet car
buying makes no sense
top commander in fl
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lor the attack. ■ ]1 allowed to continue testing its Website in
imis are ''toppingupt |y era | 0 th er metropolitan areas, including New
botage Russian troops s an Francisco, while officials in Texas
ambushes on motorkf
s is on the increase,tl
. press service told I
sheen no let up inrebdasj
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lenish dwindling foods:
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artillery has been aid
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iround the southernvil^-
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ted. ^
THERKMSEYs'
.BOOK
SIGNING
plan to hold a
hearing next
month to discuss
the evils of this new
electronic showroom.
Apparently, the dan
gers which Internet car
sales pose in Houston are not a problem in
New York or California. The actual truth is that
the state of Texas has jumped the gun and prema
turely shut down a legitimate business outlet.
TxDOT’s Motor Vehicles Division is primari
ly concerned with enforcing the state’s lemon
laws and ensuring automotive transactions within
the state are carried out both legally and honestly.
By taking it upon themselves to shut down Ford’s
Internet operation, they have refused to wait for
WOULD YOU PLEASE SIGN IT
A-e'C-D-E-F-G-H-I-J-K-L-
^-OJ-Q-R-S-T-U-VW#
itudents underestimate
mportance of sleep
, nee again a week
Jdesigned to bring
enlightenment has
een overlooked by the na-
lon. National Sleep Aware-
less Week has passed
|merica by. The powers
jiat be at the National
fleep Foundation designat-
|d the days and doled out
formation about the benefits of sleep and how
sleep correctly. Statistics showed the nation to
full of bad sleepers.
As with most awareness weeks, National
Jeep Awareness Week generated very little actual
lowledge-tuming-to-action by most Americans.
However, National Sleep Awareness Week
ould have caught America’s attention — and
jhanges should have been made to the many
jleep-deprived lifestyles throughout the nation.
Forty percent of adults claimed to be so
|leepy their daily duties are impaired, according
the National Sleep Foundation’s poll.
Americans claim to be in the Information
¥—the nation has more knowledge than
ver, with abundant resources to use new infor-
ation. Unfortunately, the knowledge will do
| hem little good without proper sleep. And they
gSg ontinue to ignore information urging them to
iop in bed.
! Instead, people stay up late watching mind-
•Sl ess television shows and surfing the Web. Or
^pES hey drink caffeine and alcohol in the evenings,
wo substances proven to impair restful sleep.
Asleep debt fonns when someone does not
|i|I let enough sleep. Losing one hour a night for
JIB light nights in a row means the brain acts as
>^!!| hough it has pulled an all-nighter. The math is
asy—the body’s reaction is not.
Most Americans are walking around with
uge sleep debts that occasional naps and a few
xtra hours on Saturdays barely dent, according
[o USA Today.
These debts are dangerous — causing
longer reaction times and an increased risk of
tatfic accidents.
Even though these dangers are brought to
ericans’ attention through such venues as
lewspapers, Oprah Winfrey’s television show
and National Sleep Awareness Week, few people
pay attention.
Sleeping too little causes people to lose motor
skills, similar to the effects of alcohol. Most Ag
gies drink zero to three drinks per week accord
ing to the Department of Student Life. But add in
all the sleep-deprived students, and there is a ma
jor problem.
College students are not free from this
abounding criticism of American’s sleep pat
terns. They average about six hours a night,
when they should be getting nine to nine and a
half hours a night, according to a survey by
James Maas, professor of psychology at Cor
nell University.
College students also vary their bedtime an
average of 90 minutes on weeknights and two
hours on weekends. This confuses the body and
causes sleep to be even more unproductive.
Add to that college students’ caffeine and al
cohol intakes, and they have what can only be
called terrible sleep habits.
“In the simplest tenns, a large sleep debt
makes you stupid,” said William Dement, a sleep
researcher from Stanford.
Sleep debts have proven to cause people to
make more math errors — not good for those en
gineering classes.
Another scary reason Americans should be
tucked in at night is that sleep deprivation in
creases the aging process, fostering obesity,
memory loss, high blood pressure and diabetes.
Perhaps string-bikini-clad Spring Breakers
should take heed before their thighs start expand
ing from exhaustion.
Yet another sad fact of sleep deprivation — it
puts people in bad moods and causes more emo
tional distance between family and friends. Just
sleeping a few more hours per night could turn
America into a cheerful, happy place rather than
its constant state of PMS.
Working the body into regular sleep patterns
should be a goal of all Americans. American citi
zens need to take advantage of the best thing they
can do for their bodies — sleep. The benefits are ‘
boundless.
Good night, sleep tight.
Jill Riley is a senior journalism major.
any evi
dence of
wrongdoing
or corrup
tion on the part of the
company. Apparently, the possibility for such dis
honesty is sufficient evidence to justify closing
down a business which has done nothing wrong.
It is good thing the TxDOT people do not
work for the local health inspector’s office, other
wise we would have to wait for every contagious
disease and pest to be eradicated by humankind
before a single restaurant in town could open up.
For them, the fact these dangers might exist some
where else would
pose a great enough threat to
close down every eatery in town, no matter how
spic-and-span the kitchen may be.
The state of Texas is right about one thing —
there is risk in buying a car over the Internet.
There is also a risk involved in buying stocks,
mortgaging a home or making vacation reserva
tions, yet Texans are still allowed to conduct these
transactions using a computer and a modem.
Risk is an inherent part of capitalism. It is why
some succeed and others fall behind. The state
should stop unscrupulous businesses from swin
dling unsuspecting citizens, but it should not
coddle its citizens and deny them convenient
methods of conducting perfectly legal transac
tions. The possibility of misuse and abuse by a
few is not sufficient reason to keep Internet
transactions out of the hands of the public.
If humanity is truly adept at one thing, it is
finding ways to misuse and abuse the legitimate
workings of society. At the same time, it is unac
ceptable to deny the average citizen a commodi
ty because someday someone might turn it to
their advantage. The rights and privileges of the
innocent should not be superceded by the possi
bility of criminal activity. That is why society
has laws and tools with which to enforce them.
For a rancher in Van Horn, perhaps the
risks of shopping over the Internet are out
weighed by the convenience of not having to
drive 140 miles to El Paso to look at a car. Just
like anyone purchasing a video or book from
Amazon.com, he is buying something sight
unseen. Unlike them, he is also protected by
an extensive collection of lemon laws de
signed to protect the car buyers of Texas.
If the dealer is honest in his dealings with the
customer, the customer has nothing to fear. If the
dealer is dishonest, the prospect of legal action is
just as real as if the customer had signed the
lease on the dealership lot itself. Duplicity and
deception are just as criminal when displayed
on a computer screen as they are when they
achieved through spoken words. When fraud
occurs in the realm of Internet automotive sales, .
the state will still be able to punish those responsi
ble just like any other fraudulent car dealer.
If the state of Texas wants to stop Internet
car sales, they should wait until they have good
reason to do so. If people want to buy cars with
out seeing them first, that is their business. It
only becomes the state’s business when illegal
activities surround the transaction.
Until then, it should be up to the citizens of Texas
to decide if they should buy cars online or not.
Nicholas Roznovsky is a junior
political science major.
Ring policy unfair to transfer students
T here are many benefits to being a senior at
Texas A&M — registering before under
classmen, whooping at the first home
game at Kyle Field, wearing senior boots and
most of all, wearing the Aggie ring. Well, for
most seniors,, that is.
The standing requirements that must be fulfilled
before a student can even think about walking into
the Ring Office to order a ring are 95 credit hours
or 60 credit hours in-residence for transfer students.
For most students, this prerequisite seems a mere trifle, a stumbling
block until the end of their junior year when they can march over to the
Clayton Williams Alumni Center and place their order. However, many
transfer students are being cheated out of this time honored tradition be
cause of the in-residence requirement.
Students who fail to meet the requirements of the Ring Office until
their last semester are missing out on the
many experiences that being a senior at A&M
entails. If a student cannot order their ring un
til after their degree is posted on the Student
Information Management System, they will
always regret the fact they were not deemed
“worthy” to receive the treasured Aggie heir
loom until after it was too late to enjoy it.
Post-graduation Aggie ring recipients must
daily deal with the dishonor that being a se
nior with a naked ring linger brings. When
Many transfer students
are being cheated out of
this time honored tradi
tion because of the in
residence requirement.
asked what class they belong to, students must shamefacedly answer that
they are seniors, but they still do not have their A&M rings.
Some seniors miss out on the joyous day that begins with huddling
outside the Alumni building at 6 a.m. waiting for the doors to open in or
der to pick up their ring. These unfortunate students stand under the gi
ant Aggie ring at Ring Dance for pictures and make sure their right hand
is strategically out of sight. Several Aggie transfers never experience the
mingled emotions of excitement and anxiety that come with meeting
friends at Northgate for the annual Ring-Dunk-Puke-a-Thon. The slight
ed Aggie seniors hide their ringless hands in the folds of their gowns
while they walk across the stage at graduation.
The Association of Former Students needs to take a second look at
the ring order requirements for transfer students. They must realize there
are often extenuating circumstances surrounding students making it dif
ficult to fulfill the 60 hour requirement before graduation. Some transfer
students entered A&M later in their college careers because they had
trouble getting their grades high enough for admission. Others had to m
take classes in their hometowns during the summer to save rent money.
Still, other students were forced to take classes at Blinn because A&M
did not offer the course they needed during the semester their schedule
required. All of these situations poiflt to the fact that not all Aggies have
the option of entering A&M their freshman year and completing all
hours in residence.
The Ring Office needs to form a system of appeal to cater to these
Aggies that are missing out on a great tradition because of a simple tech
nicality. The administration must make it possible for transfer students to
order their rings before graduation, even if only at the beginning of their
last semester. The important thing is to guarantee these equally deserv
ing students the opportunity to wear their Aggie ring for the most impor
tant events during their senior year.
From the day A&M students step on
campus as new fish, they begin ticking off
the days from a mental calendar until they
can order their senior ring. Many students
take on extra classes in each semester course
load, attempting to reach the requirements as
soon as possible.
However, as transfer students, many Ag
gies are forced to wait until three to four
months after graduation to pick up their Ag
gie ring and this is not right.
The A&M Ring Office must be flexible enough to make exceptions
for these seniors that are as worthy to receive their rings as any other stu
dent on this campus.
If a student began their University career at another institution for
any reason and then transferred to A&M, does that make them less of an
Aggie? Do they not deserve to enjoy the privilege of proudly wearing an
Aggie ring before they graduate?
An injustice is occurring every semester on this campus. The
Ring Office is showing favor for seniors who began their college ca
reers at A&M. As for the Aggie transfer students, until changes are
made to the Aggie ring requirements,they will be considered the
stepchildren of Aggieland.
Big Event should focus
on needy families
Last Saturday I attended Big Event for
the first time with the intentions of im
proving the community and helping those
who are less fortunate than. I.
We arrived at the assigned location
to find a nice house with a pool in the
backyard and were met by an able bod
ied, middle-aged couple. For the rest of
the day, we cleaned their gardens, raked
leaves, dug up and moved trees, and
laid rock for the couple. While we were
working, the couple’s sixteen- year old
son walked out to his truck, jokingly
asked if we would wash it, then went
back inside and watched television. The
couple’s eight-year old son was also pre
sent the entire time riding his bike
around the neighborhood.
The couple did help us a bit during our
work, but mainly just sat back and
watched. While there were only five of us
at the house working, the couple also
made remarks about how last year 12 stu
dents showed up and painted the inside
of their house. I have no problem with do
ing community service and helping those
in need, but last Saturday I did nothing
more than free landscaping work. The job
we did could have easily been done in a
day and a half by those living at the resi-
MAIL CALL
dence while they spent quality time to
gether as a family. I think Big Event is a
great idea, it just seems to me that there
are hundreds in the B-CS area who were
much more needy than the couple we
worked for.
Jason Miksovsky
Class of '02
Students responsible
for keeping records
In response to Maureen Kane’s March 29
article.
Regarding your article, “Advisers garner
student criticism", I have a few comments
that I would like to make. First of all, as
an adviser in the Department of Educa
tional Curriculum and Instruction, I stress
to my students that they, ultimately, have
the responsibility of meeting program re
quirements. It is very important that a stu
dent obtain a catalog for their specific de
gree program and carefully read through
their curriculum. I recommend that each
student keep a careful tally of each course
taken and record the grade at the end of
the semester. Each semester, students
should meet with their advisor and com
pare records — I have found that this
alone will eliminate many potential prob
lems that could delay a student from grad-
Summer Hicks is a senior English major.
uating on time. To summarize, I urge stu
dents to take responsibility for their
progress. One may be able to get by in col
lege by saying "no one ever told me" but
after graduation, that line of reasoning will
not evoke much sympathy from employ
ers, creditors, government agencies and
others in the "real world".
As an adviser, I desire to see my stu
dents succeed — it is a delight and plea
sure to see them don their gowns and walk
across that stage in May or December. I
firmly believe that they have fewer stronger
allies than the advisors on this campus,
and I hope that they will always feel wel
come to use this valuable resource avail
able to them.
Jason Poole
Class of ’94
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