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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 22, 2001)
Page 7B heading straight everywhere elst ‘I want to do sot erent bars and se: silk and electron r Tomlin, it news for merctj a waterfront i lary. li, who runs Si top in the Fleet ; will likely incn old while thesli may boast. itudents should take advantage of all that A&M has to offer JONATHAN JONES enirs. exi exas A&M is a unique place. Some, ver, said heua sXT c j a ]|y those 90 ecision to tunu-^ipj t0 t | ie West, /eek. Maybe | UK i L1S oc j t i ie , Said ' it’s fine, sadors Aggies icy were unaw® inly are dif _ . | tg barred. »nt. A deep sense of school pride 1. Ironi ShreveM a res p ec t for tradition has devel- c a ^ out bis snorejp et ) s i nce t h e founding of Texas’ first mllic institution of higher learning on >ple at home cm 4) 1876 ng Kong, sakKM^h i ias changed since then, but ) music, sightseerMg f ortuna t e enough to be associat- Rvith the school share a sense of jelonging with their fellow students ■ those who came before them — JAggie bond is very real. This was tbundantly clear when A&M was ist into the national spotlight after maquiladora 1999 A §g ie Bonfire collapse. The <t 100 000 jobwP* 6 t * iat ma ^ e U P this institution are ■nr m’nctlv alo'Bcml because they care so much nile Tol™their own. s say. BA&M has much to offer. Compared e Januarv. whvate institutions, the quality of edu- nia, home to JiM°n comes at a bargain price. In addi- >t 23,100 jobs, B 1 ’the “other education” offers excit- ma state haslosi'B opportunities to be a part of some- said Mexico’s IP? l ar g er - Take advantage, because -y Q ir i os Abivlj 8 sta § e °t hfe passes all too fast, es host theta:*A&M is one of the few schools to taquiladoras. Bd federal land grant, sea grant and Bee grant designations. It is the fourth Best in the nation, with more than f 44.000 students. The school also has a large amount of open land that allows accident l(P 0rnew buildings and development. 1 ■This is a luxury most land-locked col- <9 St I / pGO llgesdo not have, including the . , Diversity of Texas-Austin. The $3.7 bil- ' ' A *1®) endowment ranks among the top ten people were h ! c jj l a j] lln j vers j t j es j n t | ie cj n j ted States, the resources and opportunities here among the best in the nation. EWS IN when a bus ruck on a higli* ire, police said accident took pla of San Nicolas some 125 mile 1 os Aires. Policesii| timed into the hi if the survivors sai I r appeared to falP ; before the eras! as among those 1 passengers were f fficials said, ms, carrying 3t| had left the I :ity of Resistencij ding to the Argl The chance to develop leadership skills should not be overlooked. A&M has the largest student-union program in the nation, with more than 700 clubs and organizations. Memorial Student Center Open House, held the first Sunday after school starts, showcases the wealth of opportunity for involvement. A&M is also one of the few schools in the nation to have the prestigious honor of affiliation with a president. The George Bush Library and Presidential Center on campus allows for the occasion to host events and pro grams that other schools can only dream of, including former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev last spring. Many of the traditions at A&M foster the sense of camaraderie. Silver Taps dates from 1898, with the death of for mer A&M President and Texas Governor Lawrence Sullivan Ross. When a current student passes away, their final tribute is held on the first Tuesday of the following month. The lights of campus dim, hymns chime from Albritton Tower and people silent ly fill the area by Ross’ statue. Buglers play “Taps” three times from the dome of the Academic Building but not to the East as the sun will never rise on that Aggie again. Muster, held every April, is celebrat ed in more than four hundred places around the world wherever Aggies gath er to remember their own. Roll is called, and a member of the Aggie fami ly answers “here” for the absent. The largest Muster ceremony, held in College Station, is a moving event that embodies commitment, dedication and friendship — the Aggie Spirit. The March 1923 issue of Texas Aggie magazine encouraged, “If there is an A&M man in 100 miles of you, you are expected to get together, eat a little and live over the days you spent at the A&M College of Texas.” Take advantage of the leadership opportunities, chances to get involved, meeting new people and participating in the rich traditions of the school. The 12th Man, for example, unites students and makes Kyle Field a very intimidat ing place to play. Midnight Yell, among other tradi tions, is a fun way to get involved and join forces with other Aggies. A&M has much to offer, and is an enviable position compared to many other universities. For all the sweeping changes through the years, arguments over the future and endured catastrophes, some things do not change. America in the 21st century is unmatched in its economic, political and cultural domi- nance. We are fortunate enough to be living in the best state in the United States, and Texas A&M is the best university in the state. Aggies are different. Some may boast of prowess bold of the school they think so grand. But there’s a spirit that can ne’er be told. It s the spirit of Aggieland.Take the time to seek out and discov er some of what A&M has to offer, and remember that a big family is always behind you. Jonathan Jones is a senior political science major. EDITORIAL Texns A&M University —• Celebrating J25 Years THE BATTALIO EDITORIAL BOARD Brady Creel Mariano Castillo Cayla Carr Jonathan Jones Rolando Garcia Editor in Chief Managing Editor Opinion Editor Opinion Editor News Editor ordes plar again soc NO ticket dfficial move-in day must change (AP) - The sup* 3rde, outfitted res and armore* likely fo get fore the end o' st over a yea: was grounded' 1 jhe Department of lly crash. jsident Life (ResLife) and ates allowing^ irking, Traffic and led plane to rek ansportation Services vill be restored^ tTS) initiatives to assist by British andf:|rents and students during ve-in are well-intentioned fall short of student ds considering ongoing MORE AND TOW "probably igust 2001," si issued at the cl:* Monday byagrt'*- m P us construction proj- French officials ce and British ft' ly carriers to !j lining Concorde; tement was th! a clear timetat I return of the 1 ies. It came aft d final - meet t group, made m the two courts ion ministries t authorities, -e grounded its y 25, 2000, eft :s north of Raft ^ople. rways kept its leet’s airwortt as withdrawn if s. As thousands of fresh- n and returning students ive on campus to move their residence halls, Life and PITS are mak- life tougher than neces- Y- The official freshman we-in day is today, but this day is not enough, day, parking service offi- direct traffic, provide ormation and implement jgrams designed to ease transition. But many par- i cordes immefl ts and students have cho- to arrive earlier this ek, and are unfairly pay- for it. Some have been bjected to parking tickets until shortly* ld towin g- 11 is necessar y parents who are helping their children move in to be able to park in areas that normally would be ticketed after school has started. Some must come on Sunday, the first day campus dorms open, because work schedules make taking time off during the week difficult. To ticket and tow the cars of parents and students who are moving into campus housing is not the proper way to welcome Aggies back to school. Unfortunately, one could easily get the impression that PITS targets vehicles in an effort to increase revenue and fill its coffers. With con struction of the West Campus Parking Garage, traveling around campus has been made more diffi cult and time-consuming. Wellborn Road has been nar rowed to two lanes, and some roads are closed. It is understandable if some wish to get a head start and arrive as soon as the dorms are available. ResLife should encourage parents and students to move into campus housing beginning on Sunday and continue through this Wednesday or perhaps until the end of the week. And PITS should not target those vehicles illegally parked near residence halls. The official move-in day should, in fact, last at least half-a-week. This way, coordinated efforts to introduce and assist parents and new students to resi dence hall life is extended beyond just one day. In light of the construction around A&M and the large number of on-campus residents, stu dent needs must be the top priority of future initatives for offical move-in periods. This time should extend beyond just one day in the middle of the week and should begin on Sunday. Aggieland is a friendly place, but this week has been unfairly and unnecessarily unwelcoming to some par ents and students. CHAD MALLAM • THE BATTALION Lost Parental control CARR A bout 15 years ago, the media indus try entered into new territory when the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, a non-profit coalition of com munication professionals, addressed the issue of drug tolerance across the nation. Other organizations jumped on the bandwagon as they aired commer cials about a variety of issues including sex, peer pressure and smoking. Now, the media industry has taken on new responsi bility. They have taken on the task of raising children. Partnership for a Drug-Free America currently airs a commercial where children criticize their parents’ rules and then ends with a “Thanks.” Words such as, “I snuck out, and you caught me,” have monopolized the air waves. The media is redefining parents’ role as the dis ciplinarian. The commercial has a good motive, but it should not be necessary to reaffirm the parental role and urge parents to take responsibility for their children’s actions. This commercial is not necessary to spark parental initiative. Society has abandoned old parental methods and val ues and allowed financial discomfort, technology and childhood experiences to dictate their actions towards their children. Society has abandoned old parental methods and values and allowed financial discomfort, technology, and childhood experiences to dictate their actions towards their children. Leonard Pitts, a columnist from the Miami Herald, explains that these commercials are an attempt to rede fine a parent’s job description by encouraging them to snoop, police and interrogate their children. He suggests children have a “misplaced sense of entitlement,” and the parents are to blame. This, he explains, began with the “War” Generation raising the Baby Boomers.. Pitts explains, “Where our folks were restrictive, we were permissive; where they judged, we were nonjudge- mental and where they gave orders, we negotiated.” Now the effects are being seen, and parents have lost control. Baby Boomers are now parents, and as chil dren, they promised themselves they would not be as overbearing as their parents were to them. Instead they have strived to be co-equals and being a co-equal leaves little room for discipline. Financial discomfort has dictated parents’ roles. Parents have become consumed with keeping up with the wealth of society and have lost sight of their chil dren’s needs. They have indulged their children with material things to pacify concerns. A Time-CNN poll found that 80 percent of people think kids today are more spoiled than kids of 10 or 15 years ago. Divorce, peer pressure and career responsi bilities have contributed to this materialism. Time reports that today’s prosperity is a result of parents working longer hours than they ever have. Parents who are so involved in careers tend to have less time to spend with their children and resolve to buy things to take their place. Divorced parents are likely to compete with the other spouse and indulge children. A lot of parents are oblivi ous to how to deal with peer pressure and end up buy ing their child whatever it takes for them to “fit in.” Time emphasizes that “advertising targets children as * never before. These days, $3 billion is spent anually on advertisement that is directed at kids.” Time also reports that in 1984, children were responsible for $50 billion of parent purchases. The figure is expected to be $300 billion by next year. The advancement in technology also has been a large factor in the loss of parental censorship. Talking computer games can teach children to read and write. Nintendo 64 and Sony Playstation develop hand-eye coordination and reasoning, and the Internet and television can serve as entertainment. Parents have succumbed to these luxuries and allowed toys to take their place, while they do other things. Children have grown accustomed to technology while parents feel inferior to technology as knowledge able learning resources. But technology will not teach children values. Parents who do not take the initiative as disciplinari ans are only setting themselves up for failure in the future. Children cannot be given adequate attention by material possessions. The parental figure is a vital part of a child’s life and without a good example they will not learn the wisdom that only parents can teach. Pitts sums up the role of a parent, “If they earned our scorn, our impatience and our criticism, maybe we should admit that they also earned one thing we never truly gave. Our gratitude.” This may be the motive of the Partnership for a Drug Free America’s commercial, but parents should not have to be reassured of their instinctive parental obligation to discipline. Cayla Carr is a senior speech communications major. «ar.