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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 26, 2000)
Page 5B A I TALION vash ngs start AP) — Greed and! 3ert Wayne Ham'i r co-workers iiesday, September 26, 2000 THE BATTALION V wo) ]nni(t3i]ni J ]p>]Lcei(Oce> sixth at a suburbi i / - - . , - a prosecutor women serving in on-campus organizations g statements of 1 trial Monday, ice will show that atering to men are demeaned, harming cause Aggie women have earned rightful place in University, support men rather than serve peopie were e“ !1 «i«- n the coming i-T-Fine CarW® I mon t[ 1Si people will rict Attorney Gipl^be able to attend the ie shootings in Iriwexas Renaissance Festi- red were the rea'» a i a nd be transported ig that morning." Rack to a different time, has been charge:! Actors at the festival is and the separMlay out the daily life of i ving woman. Hwiedieval England, where )rs are trying Hd [hivalry was a noble ges- ings of cashierR! i, and assistante Villasenor, 36. than one person: rime allows caf and prosecutors ie death penalty ded innocent, declined giving ent. expected to last bre, but everybody knew a woman’s place vas bent over a washboard, with a baby in me arm and mud-covered clothes under he other. While the Texas Renaissance Festival is dead-on authentic representation, tourists n a budget may opt for simply staying in ggieland, where a similar version of me- ieval life is carried out daily. Texas A&M’s conservative atmosphere [s a breeding ground for antiquated view- oints and out-of-date attitudes. A number f students' mind-sets and individual A&M ng the employcjljj-gariizations keep alive a tradition of in- his car. retrievt:i|q Ua lity by indirectly (and directly) defin- I ee's throat, Dalng themselves as subservient women. For example, athletic support groups like Diamond Darlings and Aggie Host- jisses are groups of women who stand by ■heir men and little else, while female stu- ed from going after their “ Mrs ' de g rees ” are J 5 throwbacks to a time most other communi- sinology today] i«es have left behind, lutions becauseikl These women’s actions are voluntary, can generate sevc'i )U t they counteract one function of higher i easily, so ttyinjpducation — preparation for the real world, talyze the dataea'I There is no doubt that women have a big problem. |nade an enormous impact at A&M. Kelly n will be lookingjfcarrity, who served as deputy Corps of he computations. Radets commander during the 1998-1999 grant will be u.«% c hool year, and Laurie Nickel, who was tries lor studying t] ie student body president that same year >on Quixote to decivI re j ust tW o of the countless number of ervantes intentL ^. omeri w ho have achieved top positions unal edition. a tA&M. ar col lectio/; However, the steps made by these lead- II u the authoto\Wl rs are coun t ere( j anc j diminished by the ac- 's. he said. A\eJ|j ons 0 p others. o make availablel Members of athletic support organiza- 'n Quixote inavi|j ons seem content to define the group and, ill tiy to allow sell jiy association, themselves, as tag-alongs to i are called ‘criMfhe men they back, asically is taking* These organizations include Diamond that were public 'Darlings, who are associated with the A&M ol Cervantesan£ll,a Se b a ll team; Aggie Hostesses, who work ly what it isthatm,^ the football team; and Aggie Angels, lished, sort ^lapfeupporters of the men’s basketball program, /ation. I fheir job description is “to support the rant will be used|kggj e men ’ s all team.” This is a vague on a virtual lataf^xplanation, but the activities include re- -ngineering educfl r j ev j n g f ou j h a iis 5 selling game pro grams and decorating the men’s locker room. These women work hard and provide the necessary functions of publicity, but the question must be raised as to why these groups contain only women. The organizations’ constitutions do not specify that they be open only to women, but the chances of a man joining a group named “Darlings,” “Angels” or “Host esses” is pretty slim. Likewise, fans at women’s soccer and volleyball games are not likely to see groups of guys charged with backing the women’s athletic efforts. So, whether by design or natural selec tion, the arrangement in A&M men’s ath letics is one where tile men’s job is to win games, and the women’s is to dutifully support them from the sidelines. Most communities left this relationship behind in the 1950s. Modern relationships may not always be straight out of a storybook, but setting the women’s rights movement back five decades is not that praiseworthy, either. And there are the students at A&M and other campuses who are said to be working on an “Mrs. degree.” More plainly put, these women go to school with the goal of finding good husbands. While these women certainly are looking to get diplomas along with that diamond ring, the notion of going into college on the prowl for a future husband makes a mock ery of the ideal of youthful independence. In the meantime, while husband-hunt ing, these students undermine the purpose of the university experience. Going to col lege is supposed to be about self-discovery and personal growth, not about racing to see who can snag the most desirable mate. The social dynamics of male-female re lationships in athletic support groups and the mentalities of husband-chasers at A&M need to be re-evaluated. College is preparation for the real world, but the world some students seem to be angling for has been left behind. It must be noted that these women’s actions are voluntary. The ideals behind those actions and the picture they paint of men’s and women’s roles need to be addressed. Nobody is forced to think a certain way, but the actions of “Mrs. degree” candidates and men’s athletic support groups do not help women prepare for a world where feminism is not a four-letter word. Eric Dickens is a senior English major. II RUBEN DELUNA/Tm-: Battalion •t is unfortunate to think that, in the 21st century, women still have to struggle .for respect and equality. Thankfully, that struggle has been made easier at this University. Since Texas A&M was established in 1876, it has evolved from a military, engi neering, male-dominated school into a prominent co-educational University, offer ing diverse degree choices while maintain ing its strong military background. While keeping tradition close at hand, A&M should continue to integrate women into the Aggie culture. Examples of ways A&M women are treated well are fouitd at Yell Practice and football games. These events demonstrate the respect men have for their dates. After the stadium lights go out or Aggies score a touchdown, the women are adorned with kisses and admiration from their escorts. These traditions obviously originated out of love for ' ' women. This is not common to football games across the nation. Normally, the most visible role women play at a football game are as female cheerleaders who are often described as airheaded, pompom-waving sex objects uniformed in short skirts and tight tops. “ At A&M, this is not the case. Instead, the yell leaders are the ones responsible for motivating the crowd. This arrange ment is the reverse of other universities. So, in a sense, women at Texas A&M are put on a pedestal, admired and adored rather than being cheaply displayed. Before A&M was open to women officially, many found ways to participate on campus. According to the University Website, there were women referred to as “campus girls” by the students who attended some campus activities and were loved by the cadets. Most people, including men, have a tendency to treat those who demand it with respect. In 1963, for instance, some women were admitted into the University, but it was not until 1971 that women were admitted without restriction. That same year a woman became student body president. The male students must have accepted of women if they * elected a woman to serve as the official representative of the ! student body. More recently, another woman, Laurie Nickel, took the ini tiative to run for student body president in 1998 and was elect ed. If there is an office a woman has not held at A&M, it might not be because a woman was not qualified, but that a woman did not take it upon herself to run for the position. “Women are the reason I came here instead of going to the < Air Force Academy,” said Gerry Poe, a senior speech commu-. nication major. History has provided evidence to show that women are more than a window dressing at A&M. On campus, there are many women’s organizations, there is a Women’s Week in the spring and there are women Corps of Cadets members. Women have helped A&M grow to become, according to Tim£ magazine, one of the top public universities in the nation. It has not been an easy task, but women have demanded the respect needed to play an important role in the University. Cayla Carr is a junior speech communication majof. n Brief e kills ast fish Pick s Folly Cheney's voting record as citizen raises eyebrows xic algae long the Texas ling millions oil g beaches witlt nmental regula ad tide conceit largest since strain passed; region, killing nillion fish ina od. rowth over the resulted in trations to be laked eye and >ry irritation ini ; and biologists Ie on Sunday in risti Bay near tide was also Oso Bay and ansas jetties. bbed in ectory i. (AP) - H ed at gunpoints story by a man 1 ■ doorbell and ; ought it was a i was so calm :he Rev. Thom Rose of Lima Church, said the robber aturday night's NICHOLAS ROZNOVSKY R epublican vice presidential can didate Dick Ch eney’s voting record is under fire —- not his 21- year congressional voting record, rather, his voting record as a private citizen. According to a re port by The Dallas Morning News, Cheney has voted only in two of 16 elections held in Dallas County over the past five years. He did not even bother to vote in this year’s Texas primary election, the one that helped his running mate, George W. Bush, secure the Republican presidential nomination. Cheney’s reluctance to participate in the democratic process sends the wrong mes sage to Americans. In an era when voter ap athy results in less than 50 percent of regis tered voters participating in presidential elections, it is important for public officials to set the example by voting themselves. Why should Americans care about vot ing if their leaders — the ones who live and die by the ballot box — do not? Businesses do not make routine practice of hiring individuals who show a complete disinterest in their company’s well-being. Why should Americans do so when choos- ■ ing their leadership? To be fair, Cheney did have an unblem ished voting record during his congression al terms and while he served as Secretary of Defense. On the flip side, however, members of Congress are always conscious of their public images as community leaders and usually go to great lengths to ensure that they vote in most elections. In simpler terms, they consider it bad politics not to vote. Cheney’s opponents have been quick to jump on his lack of electoral participation. “Certainly, people would expect those seek ing to lead them would take the time to vote,” said Gore’s campaign spokesman Douglas Hat- taway. “I suppose he had other priorities.” Since Cheney moved to Texas in De cember 1995, his dismal 12.5 percent elec tion turnout has included absences from multiple state constitutional amendment elections and several hotly-contested High land Park races. Why should Americans care about voting if their leaders — the ones who live and die by the ballot box — do not? Although Cheney refused to comment on the matter, his staff did mention that Cheney was often overseas as part of his job as the chief executive officer of Halliburton Co., an oil field services company. “He does think that voting is important,” explained Cheney spokesman Dirk Vande Beek. “He did it whenever he could.” Apparently, “whenever he could” means whenever Cheney was in town on election day. Texas state law is extremely generous in allowing its citizens to vote early and by absentee ballot. Records show that Cheney’s running mate. Bush, has used such methods to cast his vote 18 times during his tenure as governor. In fact, Bush and the other major-party nominees. Gore and Sen. Joseph Lieber- man, hold outstanding voting records. Ch eney’s Democratic counterpart, Lieberman, has voted in five of the six elections held in his district since 1995. The presidential nominees have even better records. Bush missed only one elec tion out of 39 since 1988 and Gore has not missed a single election since 1972. Some experts say Cheney’s voting record reflects the fact that the large num ber of local elections held annually tends to decrease voter turnout. Curtis Cans, director of the nonparti san Committee for the Study of the American Electorate, explained, “Hold ing [local city and school elections] on off-days is almost designed to reduce participation.” Unfortunately, such an excuse cannot exonerate Cheney’s miserable voting record. Bush has found a way to participate in election after election. No matter how Cheney’s camp tries to spin it, there is no excuse for not voting. Some argue it is unfair to hold Cheney to such a stringent standard when the vast majority of Americans also does not vote. It is important to note that the majority of Americans also do not run for the sec- . ond-highest office in the land. Cheney, as a prospective public official, should be held to a higher standard. In the end, it is Cheney’s decision whether he should vote. On Nov. 7, regard less of whether Cheney joins them, the '' American people will cast their ballots. ■ r * Perhaps then, he will see why voting is . important. Nicholas Roznovsky is a senior political science major. Mail Call casli bills. took -4 Dunking photo met with disapproval In response to Patric Schnei der’s Sept. 19 photo. I was disappointed to see The Battalion run a photograph on the front page depicting several individ uals “dunking” their Aggie rings. Most appalling was that two of these people were parents. In an era where students maim them selves and are sometimes killed because of irresponsible drinking, this sort of behavior need not be fostered. Texas A&M has many traditions, but this one that does not need encouragement. Given the statistics that demonstrate that many students still practice binge drinking, we do not need to glorify “chugging” or other inappropriate ways of con suming alcohol. Todd Hudson Graduate student Student supports Student Senate In response to Jeanette Simpson’s Sept. 21 article. It is my understanding that the Texas A&M Student Senate is elected to represent the student body and its best interests. Keep The Fire Burning (KTFB) needs to realize that if a majority of the student-led organizations do not support an off-campus bonfire, then neither does the majority of the stu dent body, most likely. Do not get me wrong, I am all for Bonfire continuing — after we honor the administration’s deci sion for a two-year moratorium. I think KTFB needs to do a peti tion again. This time, let the stu dents sign if they are in favor of an off-campus bonfire. They might be surprised with the results. Brandyn Martin Class of ‘02 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 accuracy. Letters may be submitted in person at 014 Reed Mc Donald with a valid student ID. Letters may also be mailed to: The Battalion - Mail Call 014 Reed McDonald Texas A&M University UllTAMU College Station, Texas 77843 Campus Mail: 13.3.1 Fax: (979) 845-2647 E-mail: battletters@hotmail.com Columns and letters appearing in The Battal ion express the opinion of the authors only. They do not necessarily reflect the opinion of other Bat talion staff members, the Texas A&M student body, regents, administrators, faculty or staff. ILLEGAL DOWNIQAD LEGAL DOWNLOAD 1 KknZHH iTcAclM