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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 25, 2000)
pdnesday, October 25, 2000 Page 9 THE BATTALION iear in ad). This rate applif ir you get an additional 5 cheduled to end to quai ROOMMATES i needed to share 2bdrm/2bth ap lan-Aug, $285/mo. +1/2bills. Jw None of Your Business Mimicking U.S. military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy would be beneficial for Corps r he Texas A&M Corps of Cadets is like any other stu- pnt organization. It must "follow the rules and guide lines set by the A&M ad ministration. One policy Beals with various types of Bscrimination. The Uni- fe l.'d immediately, new duple* ;I ers ity Student mleS State aoo.aruio J jommates, Spring semester, 4I ide. $300/mo. John 695-1048. needed for spring sublease, II 696-1394. Travis. ANDREW STEPHENSON SERVICES efensive Driving. Lots-of-fun, IMifl isal/insurance discount. M- im). Fri.&Sat.- Fn(6pm-8pm) SSat t l(8am-2:30pm). Inside BankolJtajk ome. $25/cash Lowest price , ' liv. Dr , Ste.217, 846-6117. (CP-0017). i Course S245. Classes start a year. This course is the y to prepare for the GRE. Conan or www.masterycourse.coin ‘Texas A&M University, in accor dance with applicable federal and state laws, prohibits discrimination, including harassment, on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, sex, disability, sexual orientation or veteran status.” There is one major difference between the Corps and other campus student groups. Many cadets are participating in an ROTC program and are subject to the sometimes-stricter rules and regulations of the U.S. military. ROTC members are essentially' military personnel who are al lowed to attend college while in training before they serve out the term of their contracts. One policy that should affect cadets is the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy concerning sexual orientation. Having two different sets of rules acting on members of a single organization can create problems. The administration should re-examine place to live? campus! www. housing)® WANTED Fooball Tickets. Call 1-8OO-77H0B d for A&M- Kansas Stale game. A/EIGHT LOSS & MeTrimPlus! New Lower Piiee in B/CS! Cash, Checks, CrerJl M is. 695-6983. ^jSteamboatcl P I/ January 2-15, 2oT 7 3/4/S/6 or 7#i l»800»SUNCHfi|J joat.skitripusa.coi IGEE r*'!QUINTAIN? some of its policies that pertain to the Corps to prevent problems. A&M should exempt the Corps from certain student rules so the group can more closely follow military guidelines. Recently, an individual who was a member of the Corps and a military ROTC program quit both, telling The Battalion that his sexual orientation played a major role in his decision to leave. This individ ual said that he had been openly gay with the members of his outfit, and there were no problems until he was seen sitting with the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexu al and Transgendered Aggies (GLB- TA) in the Memorial Student Center (MSC) breezeway. He told The Battalion, to explain his decision that, “As much as 1 love the Corps, it is not my right to create a situation where there is animosity. I am not bitter toward the Corps or my outfit. I did it for them, not for me.” The article mentioned that the stu dent’s planned future in the military was disrupted because he had quit the Corps. There are some things to point out. As sworn-in members of the military, cadets who are in the ROTC on contract cannot discuss their sex uality. They will not be asked about it, but they are not to broadcast it. Under the “don’t ask, don’t tell” pol icy, the government essentially says that an individual’s sexual relations are no one’s business, as long as they stay personal. Commanding officers cannot seek out those with an alternate lifestyle, as the prior policy allowed. Under the old policy, witch hunts similar to the McCarthy hearings could have taken place. The newer “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy is not a perfect solution, and both sides of the issue are often dissat isfied with it. It does allow those in mili tary service to lead whatever personal lifestyles they choose, as long as they are not caught and do not talk about it. This means that an ROTC member cannot freely portray himself or herself as gay, because it violates military policy. Therefore, as soon as the A&M cadet mentioned before began representing himself as a homosexual, he effectively ended his own military career. He could still have remained in the Corps, but as far as the military would have been con cerned, he violated*a policy and would not have been allowed back in. This can create quite a predicament. Currently, some of the Corps’ members cannot talk about their own sexuality, and other students and leaders must simply abide by the current University policy on discrimination. Obviously, undercurrent student rules, the Corps cannot revert to “don’t ask, don’t tell.” The University should take steps to en sure that the cadets, current and incoming, are aware of their rights. Those who are simply members of the student program and not a ROTC program should be aware that they have all the protection that any student at A&M has. While the Corps is, for many, a pre-mili tary training, as a state-sanctioned organiza tion it cannot simply revert to a blanket poL icy such as “don’t ask, don’t tell,” despite ‘ the fact that this is a better solution. To properly train students for military service, A&M should acknowledge that the Corps is different from other student organizations and should not be forced to follow the same; guidelines. Andrew Stephenson is a sophomore environmental design major. Mail Call Shi & Snowboard hr the Price oili ai, Beaver Creel, »in Slopeskie Condos t Lift Pass i Rentals & Lessons & Happy Hours 'I or Mototcoach SION CEPTIT. ESE Graphic anti-abortion :ers offensive, show nnecessary violence am writing because I am disgusted nd appalled by Aggies For Life’s anti-abor- 8 1 on propaganda. Is your objective to dis- uade young women from abortion by any leans necessary? You are quite entitled ) your own opinion, but I think that you find that you will more easily reach ra- onal, intelligent minds through the use of ct and reasoning — not by the use of jcare tactics. I am sorry, but I have no de- re to be confronted, dare I say forced, to ok at a picture of an aborted fetus on my 'ay to class. What I feel worth discussing is the jypocrisy of the members of Aggies For ife. I speculate it is a safe assumption fiat many of the members are Christians, (and that this is the basis of their protests toward abortion. Let me make it clear that Ifeel there are many Christians out there yho are spectacular people, and I find it uite admirable when people believe in ome power greater than themselves. But, len there is this other breed of Christians ho, rather than nurturing their private, ersonal beliefs, feel it is their mission in life to further crusade against anyone who ielieves differently. Need you tear down others’ beliefs to fiake yours stronger? Are your principles So weak that you must use fear to con vince others of their merit? But let us take 3 step back from the philosophical and pst really get down to the heart of the Matter. You so often forget the namesake ifyour religion and what a soft, gentle nan he was. It saddens me that you can Wsuch filth upon our campus while wear- nga “What Would Jesus Do?” bracelet iround your wrist. Do you fail to see the rony here? Can you honestly see Jesus raking up at 5 a.m. on a Monday and 01 I’s 2001 Aggieland it AR Photography, liable for $10. Visit to Copy Comer) or 31 placing a large picture of an aborted fetus in front of the Blocker Building? I hope you give him more credit than that; I do. To close, you have done nothing today but cause your fellow classmates to cringe. And you have only hardened my re solve, as well as many others, against your viewpoint. In the future, I propose you play to our intellects and not our fear. Brad Burris Class of ‘01 This letter is in regard to at least three occurrences, that I know of, of pro-life sup porters displaying poster-size photos of bloody, aborted fetuses around our cam pus. I am not trying to voice my opinion. I am just questioning the manner in which some express theirs. I understand the argument of free speech that is present there, but I also know that there are definitely times when instances involving a graphic nature need to be controlled. I do not understand how we can have ratings for television, movies, video games, books, etc., but someone is completely free to display posters of bloody, dead bodies in the middle of campus. It was only last week that I had to squeeze my way through four to five school buses of elementary kids loading up after a visit to our campus. I just wish that those responsible could show a little more class and not try to force their opin ions down other people’s throats. You are doing more to hurt yourself and your cause than you are gaining in sympa thy from those who see the pictures. Dis play your figure^ and put a Web page on there or something, but I should not be re quired to walk across campus with tunnel vision to keep from being sickened by your display. Josh Naylor Class of ‘01 School Days State control of starting dates not advisable Mite- UKtoich , I RETURN HOWE AS A rvxAM WITH PRINCIPLE AMD INTEGRITY, CommiTED TO DEFENDING YOUR VALUES AND ENSURING OUR CHILDREN'S ACCESS T> QUALITY EDUCATION-.- 'HI HONEY" DIDNT TEST WELL WITH FOCUS GROUPS... I n January, the 77th Texas Leg islature will meet in Austin to discuss a number of propos als, including one concerning the start ing dates for all pub lic schools. The pro posal outlines that public school calendars must begin after Sept. 1. Current policy allows each school district to determine when its schools begin and end classes, and many of the districts choose to begin classes before Sept. 1. For example, the year College Station Independent School District (CSISD) began classes on Aug. 14 while the Bryan Inde pendent School District (BISD) began them on Aug. 10. While the idea of pushing back the first day of classes may appeal to many students at the end of summer, allowing individual school districts to set their own calendars is in the best interest of students, teachers and the community. The only way to understand the ratio nale behind the proposal is to look at who supports it. An Oct. 17 article in The Bryan-College Station Eagle stated offi cials with the tourism and travel industry support the proposal, saying shorter sum mer breaks hurt their business. The same article says some supporters claim family unity suffers when members cannot spend as much time together over the summer. However, cutting into family time together is exactly what postponing all schools’ beginning date until after Sept. 1 would do. Starting classes before September al lows students to complete their fall se mesters before the be ginning of winter break. This ensures that high school students who have midterm exams The proposal strips school districts o f the power to set their own schedules based on the community's own calendar. would take those exams before the holi days and not have to balance studying for them and spending time with their fami lies. Since all public schools in Texas must have 177 days per school year, an August starting date allows classes to end before Memorial Day. In 2001, Memorial Day falls on May 28, and both CSISD and BISD classes will end before the national holiday. This ensures public school students can take longer vacations over the Memorial Day weekend with their families. The biggest problem with a statewide uniform starting date is, as CSISD trustee Larry Johnson says, it “flies in the face of local con rol.” The proposal strips school districts c f the power to set their own schedules based on the community’s own calendar. BISD and CSISD tai lor their school calendars to mimic Texas A&M’s. Many of BISD and CSISD’s students have parents who work for A&M, the area’s largest single employer. Likewise, many public school students have siblings who attend A&M. Allowing CSISD and BISD the freedom to change their dates to match A&M’s helps ensure stu dents will be able to share more hoi iday time with siblings and parents on the University’s schedule. The situation in Bryan- College Station is certain ly similar to that of other small college towns or • cities. Setting a statewide starting date after Sept. 1 would potentially cause a number of scheduling conflicts in these loca tions. When spring breaks, winter breaks and sum mer breaks of public school of their families, everybody misses out on an opportunity for family time. Local school districts know what cal endar schedule is best for their students and community. Approving a mandatory starting date after Sept. 1 strips away the district’s say and opens a Pandora’s box of potential scheduling conflicts. Keeping school districts from setting their own cal endars takes the decision out of the hands of those who know best the needs of their students. Eric Dickens is a senior english major. 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