Tuesday, June 6, is
ION
irrested
assault
orse.
sney allegedly rodeawayar
several orders to stop. W1
puties tried to get him oft
hey were attacked by McGra
1 said. One of McGraw's®
dark Russo, also got involve
1 said.
h
ey
don
e
:oannou
attorney
Tuesday, June 6, 2000
McGraw
of Brentwoo
Tenn., was fn
on $2,500 bail
ter he v
charged withse
on d-degree
sauIt, obstruct
governmental i
ministration,
menacing and
sisting am
Chesney, 32,
Nashville, t
charged withe
/ conduct and freed on
two had headlined Saturi
t the George Strait Counby
ival.
most part are exdted.
e are ecstatic [about the
ours]," Claburn said, "b
summer too."
nigh employees areenjoyir
ver hours, students find tl
• in hours agrevating.
was frustrating to get used!
>t the different hours becai
't know the hours would!
ng," said Trissa Campbell
sociology major. "1 wouldj
vh?re and it would haveafc
I' sign out front."
aw that 1 know the ho®
hanged, it doesn't affect*
Campbell said. "1 unde;
they are closed for a reason
iile some students doi
the change in hours, ote
ittle upset.
cDonald's is my primary
of food at all times since it 1
14 hours a day and is closet
inrtment," said Laura Le !
management major. "Nov
o drive across town just for:
leal."
ne students are not on!
about the inconveniences tl
es in hours have broughton
eel that the businesses in
Id maintain their re|
s all year.
feel that the business^
Id strive to serve the Agp
nunity year-long," Lee sail
y should want to stayopK
he students who arestilll
because we are their *
rs year round."
II businesses will resume
regular hours whenthefa!
ster begins.
Faculty senate
callous with
comments
jjyggyj|2jg|
•we and Coburr
film Proximity
:LEVELAND (AP) - A
v in Cleveland has startt
□ting the story of a
he run.
: isn’t another rehash
i Sheppard murder cast]
:h took place here f
)ed inspire the 1960s',
es The Fugitive. It is
) movie called Proximity^
s Rob Lowe and Jamf
urn. •
.owe plays an inmate w
marked for death by
idowy group led s
turn’s character. Lo'i
apes, then gets chasf
>ugh Cleveland.
)arren Demetre, a protN
>n the film, said the
of Cleveland’s landscap
j industrial areas,
s neighborhood along
ahoga River and the
line, made it a good pl 8i;
ilm.
It gives the film a veryfif
C he said,
diming began Monday
'urban Cleveland He#
i a scene in which lo' r ,
ts his family after •
apes. Filming is exped :
oe completed in early J ;
I the movie will probd :
ie out next year.
T he decision whether Texas
Aggie Bonfire should con
tinue has many students
taking sides in an increasingly
heated debate. But regardless of
whether bonfire continues or is
abolished forever, many of the
criticisms made by faculty mem
bers during a recent faculty senate
meeting were inappropriate and uncalled for.
The remarks were callous, insensitive and showed
an appalling lack of respect for the student body, in ad
dition, many of the concerns voiced by the faculty
were negligible.
Problems the faculty discussed included wasting
natural resources, hazing and low grades.
The "this is going to hurt
me more than it hurts you"
attitude is not convincing
to college students any
more than it is to children.
Rob McGeachin, an associate professor, described
bonfire as a waste of natural resources. He stated,
"Even events such as Replant are minor efforts in com
parison to the amount of timber cut down every year."
McGeachin*s statement is inaccurate. The timber used
for bonfire comes from land that is going to be cleared
anyway. In 1998, Replant potted 10,000 seedlings and
planted 2,000 trees. That is hardly a "minor effort." In
addition, all student bonfire officials are required to at
tend Replant. If the faculty senate is completely honest,
it will admit bonfire is no more of a drain on the envi
ronment than automobiles, cigarettes or fireplaces.
McGeachin continued his complaints by asking the au
dience, "How many students flunked out their fresh
man year because they spent too much time working
on bonfire?" Students' bad grades are hardly a valid
reason for discontinuing bonfire. Arguing bonfire
should not exist because some students compromised
their grades is like shutting down Northgate because
students spend too much time at the Chicken drinking
beer during finals. Texas A&M students are all adults
and should be mature enough to budget their time and
prioritize responsibly. Bonfire cannot be blamed for
students' immaturity. If bonfire did not exist, unfo
cused students would undoubtedly flunk out for some
other reason.
The faculty also addressed concerns of hazing at
bonfire site. Bonfire does not cause hazing. If the tra
dition did not exist, hazing would occur elsewhere.
For example, despite repeated accusations of hazing,
the Corps of Cadets has not been abolished, because
it would be unjust to punish the whole group for the
sins of a few people. The same theory should hold
for bonfire.
The faculty senate should perhaps be given credit
for selflessly taking responsibility for the collapse. In
the words of Dr. Paul Parrish, a professor in the Eng
lish department, "The faculty cannot shirk responsibil
ity in this matter. The only responsible course of action
is to discontinue bonfire."
The faculty senate seems to think claiming respon
sibility gives them the right to decide the future of
bonfire. If the faculty wants to claim responsibility for
something that was really no one group's fault, more
power to them. But discontinuing bonfire would
punish students, not faculty. If the faculty feel deserv
ing of punishment, their pay should be docked. The
"this is going to hurt me more than it hurts you" atti
tude is not convincing to college students any more
than it is to children.
The faculty senate offered alternatives to abolishing
bonfire. One suggestion was that bonfire could be re
placed by another less dangerous tradition. This
would be like replacing a child's recently deceased
pony with a Chihuahua. A tradition begun by the fac
ulty senate is unlikely to be greeted with much enthu
siasm from the student body.
David Barrow, an associate mathematics professor,
also stated the need for an oversight board. "We need
something to give [students] an incentive to pay atten
tion to corrections that need to be made." In case the
faculty was not aware, many students lost close
friends in the bonfire collapse. The catastrophe has un
doubtedly brought safety to the forefront of students'
concerns better than any incentive the faculty could
come up with. In addition, safety guidelines were al
ready in place, and students were required to attend a
bonfire safety class before ever setting foot on the cut
site.
While many of these concerned professors contin
ued to hold class the day of the collapse, many of the
supposedly irresponsible students spent the day at the
site doing everything they could to help their fellow
Aggies. The majority of the faculty failed to offer sup
port and understanding when it was needed most.
They have no right to pass judgment on A&M stu
dents and traditions now.
Page 5
A.
THE BATTALION
The miseducation of Adan Carranza
Citizens’ college careers should he priority over those of immigrants
A merica, the
land of liberty
and justice for
all, continues to prove
itself as the most
promising country. For
thousands of years,
people from all nations
have abandoned their
homelands to travel far and wide for the
shores of opportunity. This prowess nation
offers the possibility for a nobody to be
come somebody and defines "a second
chance." Recently, this American dream of
opportunity has unfolded itself in the life
of Adan Carranza. A native of Mexico, Car
ranza came to the United Sates"with his fa
ther in 1990 hoping to create new and im
proved lives. Time would shortly tell his
story of success: The 20-year-old valedicto
rian of Madison High School now ap
proaches the next chapter of his life — a
college education. He has proved himself
as a well-learned, hard-working and
unique individual; he is the embodiment
of the American dream. However, one
problem complicates Carranza's continued
education — he is an illegal immigrant.
Despite obstacles, Adan's future, which
once seemed dim, now appears to be
brighter than expected.
Although Texas law requires colleges
and universities to consider immigration
status with regards to tuition and scholar
ships, admission boards at Texas A&M
University, Texas Southern University
(TSU) and Houston Community College
are currently presenting scholarships to
the Mexican native in hopes of winning
the underdog's story.
TSU is presenting a ,
four-year scholarship
with an estimated val
ue of $40,000, which
covers tuition, fees
and books. Surprising
ly, there is much sup
port for this illegal im
migrant in such a
conservative state;
however, the situation
needs reassessment.
There is no doubt that Carranza is de
serving of such dazzling offers, and yes,
he should continue his education. But the
question is where he should continue it.
The executive director of the Washington-
based Federation for American Immigra
tion Reform asked, "Why can't this guy
get a college education in the country
where he is a citizen?" Although this
claim may seem harsh, it is quite rational.
Texas provides free education
through graduation
regardless of citi
zenship. This poli
cy should without a
doubt be praised be
cause it allows those
less fortunate to lay
for themselves an ed
ucational foundation,
but a line needs to be
drawn. Twelve years of
utilizing U.S. money is
more than sufficient
time to get started on
the right foot.
Adan Carranza
should first become a cit
izen before being al
lowed the opportunity
to receive U.S. tax pay
er's money. United
States citizens should
receive U.S.
funds, and ille
gal immigrants
should receive
funds from their
native lands.
Until one has ,
sworn allegiance to the
United States and its prin
ciples, he or she has no right
to mooch collegiate benefits. If
Carranza is granted citizenship,
then no questions will be asked
give
him all the money
he needs and de
serves. Until then,
Adan should pur
sue a college edu
cation in Mexico,
and share some of
his gained knowl
edge with those
natives who were
not as lucky to re
ceive the same op
portunity as he did. Several advantageous
would welcome Carranza back home. Op
erating as a demigod, role model for his fel
low natives, Carranza would contribute
much to his country. American ideas would
leak into the streets of Mexico, thus ex- ’
panding the minds of its people. Consider
ing his accomplishments, Carranza has a
Until one has sworn
allegiance to the United
States and its principles,
he or she has no right
to mooch collegiate
benefits.
lot to offer his native land. Contrary to
common belief, ample opportunity resides
across the border. Carranza would be fool
ish to ignore the offers of Mexican universi
ties; imagine the money they would give.
Another added incentive for Carranza is to
return home to his family.
Although there is no question that peo
ple like Carranza contribute bounds of di
versity to U.S. colleges, citizenship should
be a priority. With Carranza's case, it
seems the American heart has grown;, the
nation is sympathetic and eager to fix his
situation when equally deserving students
of the U.S. are being ignored. What about
the qualified but underprivileged students
in poorer American cities who have just as
much potential as Carranza? Our nation's
KELSEY ROBERTS/The Battalion
first priority should be to consider the
needs of its citizens. There are millions of
potential-filled people in the U.S.A. pray
ing for luck and a chance to succeed.
Once the nation can offer its maximum
benefits to its native sons and daughters,
then and only then does it make sense to
open the doors of opportunity and money
flow to outsiders. America's colleges can
not afford to pay everybody's way. If the
schools pay for one, what grounds will
they have for denying the next Adan Car
ranza? As rude as it may sound, the U.S.
needs to be a bit selfish; we must provide
college educations for our own citizens be
fore we attempt to save the world.
Amber Rcisco is a junior journalism major.
American lawyers must respect foreign cultures
LUKE
McMAHAN
A mericans are notorious for ex
ercising their ignorance to
ward other cultures when
traveling abroad, "You mean to tell
me that you don't have any ketchup
here?" is a phrase that has undoubt
edly been worn out in overseas
restaurants. A relatively new example
of this mentality has arisen in France
where American professionals are trying to lay
down the law on sexual harassment.
More than a dozen years after the first successful
prosecution of a sexual harassment case in the work
place, the problem still exists and still merits much
attention. Men and women are still the victims of
uninvited sexual advances, off-color jokes, com
ments about physique and the subjects of sexual in
nuendos. The steps that American society take to
eliminate the problem should be applauded and fur
ther implemented.
It must be realized, however, that the term sexual
harassment was created in the United States and is a
culturally native concept. It is nearly impossible to
export and even harder to mandate in a country
which has even the smallest sense of integrity or
self-identity. While other countries do recognize that
sexual harassment exists and is a problem in need of
remedy, their definitions and policies regarding sex
ual harassment are generally much less stringent
than in the United States.
According to The New York Times, the engineering
workshops at Snecma, an engine making company sta
tioned in Paris, have recently been bombarded with accu
sations of sexual harassment. Several newly stationed
American women have cited transgressions by French
men ranging from indecent conduct to remarks about the
women's physique. The first complaint by the Americans
was the abundance of nude photographs and "girlie" cal
endars that decorated the workspace in the office. "This is
an outrage. These photographs are here to provoke
women. When we said we didn't like it, the men laughed
at us" said Fabienne Lecore, an American aerodynamics
engineer at Snecma. Lecore obviously failed to see that
her French co-workers are laughing because they do not
understand her allegations. To the accused, these claims
are unsubstantiated. In response to the accusations, one
French lawyer at Snecma said, "Here we don't care about
sexual harassment. Being macho is seen as a good thing in
the office. If one is hitting on beautiful women, that's a
good thing. And women are hitting on men too."
While this might seem bizarre and even crass to some
Americans, it must be understood that the flirtatious be
havior of the French in the workplace is part of their
culture, like Cheetos and corndogs are to Americans. The
French have always been stereotyped with the "lover"
image. Is it that surprising to learn that the stereotype is
partially true?
The issue of Americans trying to enforce their views of
sexual harassment overseas has less to do with the appro
priateness of U.S. laws regarding the offense and more to
do with the debate of moral absolutism vs. moral rela
tivism, a very controversial topic for philosophers and
students of proper ethical conduct. <
When in Rome does one do as the Romans do, or does
one challenge Rome's policies and try to implement their
own set of moral standards? When dealing with sexual
harassment, the answer to the latter question is a re
sounding no.
With sexual harassment being such a foreign concept
in the French curriculum, to enforce American policies in
France would be a very tedious process. Harassment
would first have to be defined according to American
standards. The French would have to be educated as to
what it is and why it is wrong. Only then could American
policies be enforced. Sometime during that informative
lecture someone would have to answer the question that
would undoubtedly be asked: "Why should we enforce
your laws when it is not a real problem for us?" Judging
from America's track record overseas, the answer would
be: "Because I know best."
With more and more business being conducted in the
international setting, issues like this will have to be ad
dressed and a edmpromise will have to be made. Howev
er, moral absolutism is not the answer. Americans cannot
enforce their morals on the rest of the world and expect
little resistance.
One American lawyer working for Snecma reported
that she often tells her French colleagues that they would
never survive in an American firm and that many of them
would be prosecuted for their loose behavior. This cer
tainly seems like an idle threat, but it is probably
true. While the French see this as bizarre and a
symptom of what they believe to be an American puritan
ical culture, they do not contest it. They acknowledge the
fact that Americans have very distinct views on the topic
in question and they grant them that right.
Business in the global marketplace needs guidelines to
resolve these kinds of conflicts. Business must be conduct
ed the "international way," and not necessarily the
"American way." The United States must stop trying to
evangelize their culture and begin the arduous descent
from their moral high ground and acknowledge the fact
that these nations do not exist to promote American
ideals, but in fact to preserve their own.
When John Wayne decides to travel and do business
overseas, he needs to leave his cowboy hat at home.
Luke McMahan is a senior industrial engineering major.