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sTFERENCES
’aper money
hargingfor computer lab printouts overlooks students' needs
Continued from Pagel
;an Youree, program coor
r for campus tours forth
Orientation Leaders andi
speech communicafa
said the campus toursan
to make incoming
■el comfortable on campis
re tours are designed
students familiar vi
igs*on campus, so they do
1 so lost," Youree said,
iree said the tours alsogive
ts background about some
and marks around campus
dentation leaders tell them
some of the traditions that
ng with statues and some
nuildings," Youree said
ng with the campus tours
ipartment of Student Life
program about unity
: for fellow students,
a have the respect program
, the conference,
ices topics such as hazinj
iolence and drinking 1
A," Clark said,
re are also activities
s who are on campus dur-
new student conference,
'k said the parent pro
help prepare them for the
their families will experi
hen school begins.
' try to connect with them
letting go and getting
for the transformation
mily," Clark said,
last day of the conference
iuled for students to meet
epartmental advisers and
■ for classes.
today July 18.2000
THE BATTALION
T exas A&M has decided to fol
low in the footsteps of other
universities and charge stu-
lents to print in on-campus com-
mterlabs. Next fall, students print-
ng more than 150 pages per
emester will be charged 4.9 cents
or each black-and-white page ex-
:eeding the 150-page limit.
Computer Information Services (CIS) says the deci-
iion to begin charging for lab printouts was intended to
over the excessive costs associated with the large
mount of printouts the student body is making. But in
making the student body pay for the labs they use, CIS
snot realistically taking student needs into account.
Many students do not realize they are paying for
imputing services and on-campus labs, even if they do
not use the Student Computing Center (SCC). Thomas
’utnam, director of CIS, said, "Every student at A&M,
whether they use the Student Computing Center or not,
is charged a Computer Access Fee of $7 per scheduled
credit hour at A&M." Currently, only 35 cents of that $7
goes to printing. The rest goes toward Internet access
costs, computer upkeep and employee salaries.
First of all, it is ridiculous for students who do not
use the SCC to be charged a fee for computer services.
CIS argues that this fee is just like the Student Recreation
Center Fee because students who do not use the Rec
Center are still being charged a Rec Center fee. Howev
er, comparing one unjust fee to another does not make
either one more acceptable. There has been talk of a
plan in which students who do not use the Rec Center
will not be charged a fee. Both the CIS and Rec Center
should adjust their rates to students' usage and waive
the fee for students who do not use computer or Rec
Center services.
Another student need is apparent when considering
the number of student lab printouts. Each year A&M
computer labs process more than 20 million printouts.
Obviously, A&M is an incredibly large school with
heavy computer and technology usage. But more than
that, those printout numbers show that many classes
and school projects require students to print out files.
Many students have professors who use online notes
and PowerPoint slides and require their students to
print them out. These classes could become quite ex
pensive for students when the new fee increase takes ef
fect. With the 4.9-cents-per-page charge for black-and-
white printouts, CIS is forgetting that often students
cannot control the number of printouts they make. Put
nam said no consideration will be given for students
who are required to
printout their notes.
Some students
have school pro
jects that are too
large to be printed
using their own per
sonal computers. With
this new printout charge, some
A&M students may not be able to
afford to go to the SCC and
print hundreds of pages for
a end-of-year final paper.
Obviously, A&M is not tak
ing situations like this into
consideration.
With every printout stu
dents make at the SCC, an
identification sheet is printed
with it. Oneida Sylvest, asso
ciate director of CIS, said,
"The student body will also
be charged for the identifica
tion sheet." This is one more
added fee for students who
do not have a choice of
whether to use the identifi
cation sheet.
A&M argues that this
4.9-cent-per-page printout
charge is intended to de
crease unnecessary print
outs made by students. But
the identification sheet and
class notes are necessary and
unavoidable printouts.
A&M should find another
way to combat printing costs in
stead of increasing charges for the
students. Many students will be unable to afford this
new charge on campus printouts.
The CIS is unfairly raising the price of printouts for
students who cannot avoid a good portion of their
printing usage.
Sunnye Owens is a junior journalism major.
is impossible
us to address
very thing in
the short
iount of time
' have, so we
iddress the
ijor issues at
onference. ,,
— Vanessa Clark
Coordinator of Student
Life Orientation
Edward Walraven, direc-
ndergraduate advising for
rnalism department, said
s give students informa-
aut what their respective
nents require of them
t A&M.
'aven said advisers are
sible for helping stu-
lan out their first semes-
&M.
rerally, we give them
ions on how to formulate
redule and enroll them in
rst semester of classes,'
Official stance would undermine Episcopal faith
W here is it
written
that the
smallest and most
minute part of soci
ety has the ability to
change the standards
for the rest of soci
ety? It is a common
sight: A small-group protests a law and
the majority of society is forced to change
it. A perfect example is prayer in public
schools, which was abolished by an out
spoken minority group. Now, as the na
tional Episcopal General Convention
meets in Denver to discuss important is
sues, a small but outspoken gay and les
bian advocacy group known as Soul force
"demands that homosexuals be accepted
in the "Episcopal Church and other de
nominations."
The Episcopal Church is known for
its freedom of choice as well as its free
dom of religion. It focuses not on a limit
ed set of rules, but on overall Godly ex
pectations. For example, there is an
unofficial policy in the church that each
individual diocese, with the consensus of
the congregation, determines its stance
on issues such as the acceptance of ho
mosexual relationships. The Episcopal
denomination does not condemn, nor
condone, gay relationships. Instead, the
choice is left for each congregation and
diocese to decide what is best.
A large part of the Episcopal agenda
at the General Convention this year is to
determine whether to take a unified
stand on homosexuality. The beauty of
the Episcopal denomination is its libera
tion from unnecessary guidelines. Why
should Soulforce or the staunch conserv
atives who oppose them dictate a deci
sion that would be
better left to each
diocese?
When the Pil
grims, the ancestors
of today's Episcopal
Church, broke away
from the Church of
England, their moti
vation was freedom
of choice. There was
no intention to
make extensive in
flexible guidelines
then, and this same
philosophy should apply to current deci
sions made by the church. Society should
not try to impose specific doctrines on all
people or try to dictate denominational
policies. Instead, it should leave some
choices up to individuals.
Without so many specific guidelines,
people have an opportunity to make their
own judgments and establish their own
value systems. Many prominent reli
gions do not allow for individual value
systems and make judgments for people.
This leads church members to deviate
and become hypocritical against church
doctrine because as more rules are estab
lished, more will be broken.
Leaving the decision to accept or reject
homosexuality to each
individual diocese
unifies the local-area
churches, and at the
same time, gives those
with differing opin
ions a chance to relo
cate to places where
they fit in better.
Communities have
opinions, and the
opinions of a majority
should be the deciding
factors in the issue of
accepting homosexual
relationships. People have the tendency to
voluntarily segregate themselves based
on their beliefs and surround themselves
with those who share similar ideas.
In order to avoid excessive rule-mak
ing, local control will keep the Episcopal
faith true to its heritage.
Many of the original teachings of Je
sus presented parables and allowed lis
teners the freedom for thought and inter
pretation. Too often, people are told what
a religious text means and which inter
pretation is correct. If each individual
were allowed his or her own interpreta
tion on scripture, division could be
avoided. Neither the liberals of Soulforce
nor their conservative opponents should
be allowed to force their beliefs or set the
rules for other people.
Believers and non-believers alike
should not force their beliefs on others,
nor condemn someone for their religious
choice or personal lifestyle. It is human
nature to judge, but freedom of thought
and interpretation are what distinguish
the Episcopal faith from others. Sexual
preference is just that — a preference.
People's lifestyles are not for others to de
bate. The strength of the Episcopal faith is
that it does not limit love. No small
group should assume the power to dic
tate what is socially accepted. Just as
some words are better left unsaid, some
opinions are better left unheard. If a law
were passed for every emotion, the world
would be a vulnerable place.
Cayla Carr is a junior journalism major.
Neither the liberals
of Soulforce nor
their conservative
opponents should
be allowed to force
their beliefs or
set the rules for
other people.
- s
Technology and
automobiles are
a dangerous mix
H ere is the scenario: a person is driving down the
highway soaking up the midsummer Texas sun
with the windows rolled down when, all of the
sudden, some moron almost swerves right into his or her
lane for no good reason. The driver looks over expecting
to see a beer-guzzling redneck blitzed out of his mind,
but wait — that is no redneck, it is a soccer mom. And
that is no beer in her hand — it is a cell phone.
Even though studies by the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration (NHTSA) have shown that driving
while talking on cell phones greatly increas.es the risk of
collision, jabbering away has become a national pastime
like cruising the main drag in a convertible Mustang once
was. Some 80 million people own wireless phones in the
United States, and, according to the NHTSA, more than
80 percent of wireless phone customers admit to regular
ly using their phones in the car.
If people are already horrified by the thought of le
gions of otherwise normal people taking everybody else's
lives in their hands by blubbering away at 70 miles an
hour, then they can take no solace in the fact that things
will get worse before they get better. Many major automo
bile manufacturers are adding "interactive" devices as op
tional specs to go with the conventional bells and whistles
such as a cassette player and air conditioning. Minivans
and SUVs are being equipped with — no kidding — LCD
televisions that can
It seems 'driver
distraction' is
poised to replace
'road rage' as the
most dangerous
driving epidemic
infecting the
highway system.
be mounted on the
dashboard. Cars of
all sorts are being
"wired" to the Inter
net so that drivers
can receive their
email, check stock
quotes or follow their
favorite team, all
while blissfully navi
gating the traffic
snarls of the daily
commute. All this
has given rise to a
new phenomenon. It.seems "driver distraction," is poised
to replace "road rage" as the most dangerous driving epi
demic infecting the highway system.
While only a few a years ago it seemed that road rage
was poised to destroy the delicate fabric of the nation's car
culture as freeway shootings became as common as dead
armadillos in West Texas, drivers have now apparently be
come too distracted to care what other drivers are doing.
It is a curious development in American car culture:
By spending more time in and money on their vehicles,
Americans are transforming their cars into extensions of
the office or home. Suburbanites, especially, have con
verted the car into a mobile office, as many vow to get
work done on the hour-long commute. The results of all
this so-called "multi-tasking" is the all-too-common sight
of an SUV swerving in and out of lanes on the interstate
at about 20 miles under the speed limit.
It was not too long ago that the car on the open high
way represented the quintessential symbol of American
freedom. Films such as Easy Rider and books like On the
Road glorified the simple pleasures of traveling the coun
try with a few friends and some time to spare.
Have Americans just become bored with this simple
pleasure and now need to distract themselves by check
ing their email and stock quotes, or are larger forces at
work on the driver's psyche?
Unlike road rage, driver distraction is a market-dri
ven phenomenon.-Americans are willing to overlook the
dangers of driving while under the influence of a cell
phone as long as they are intoxicated by the myths of
the new economy.
?-•»
Russ Cobb is a columnist for the Daily Texan at
■ the University of Texas-Austin.
: said his adviser was
in answering some of
estions about his first
r.
person who answered
st questions for me was
jartmental adviser," he
c said although it is diffr
rd dress every issue, sto-
ave the conference with
of their questions
d.
s impossible for us to
everything in the short
of time we have, so we
the major issues at con-
' Clark said,
all, West said the experi-
I help him make a more
transition to the
ity.
loyed the experience," he
was a good chance to
ople."
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Mail Call
Readers comment on U.S. habit
of apologizing for past mistakes
In response to Eric Dickens’ July 17 column.
Dickens talks about “a recent trend of apologizing for
the sins of the father’s father’s father’s father,” but what he
does not address is that the ancestors of many, or even
most Americans such as myself, did not arrive in the U.S.
until long after the end of slavery.
We cannot be guilty for everything that ever happened. In
stead we can strive to make the world a better place.
Hank Walker
Dept, of Computer Science
There are two things I find striking about the American
memory: First, the constant reminders, and such memorials
as the Holocaust museum in Washington, erected for the vic
tims of Nazism, for which America was not responsible.
Second, the constant rantings against reminders and
the absence of memorials to the victims of slavery and the
extermination of American Indians, for which America was
directly responsible.
With regard to the Holocaust, only a select few are enti
tled to unofficial views, but when it comes to slaves and
American Indians, every Tom, Dickens and Harry is entitled
to pass the most casual remarks. Yet we are told that “all
men are created equal.”
Velaphi Msimang
Graduate student
The Battalion encourages letters to 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 ac
curacy. Letters may be submitted in person at 014 Reed McDonald with a valid
student ID. Letters may also be mailed to:
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