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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 12, 2001)
THE BATTALION Page 9 lda y, Novembtri) • Ion day, Nov. 12, 2001 ise iefense. as this ^rts moniionnc, lls h and Putin tou ive agreement ■•3 fissile Treatyotj testing of a syj| ates and its alia! < Iraq, N r oith h 'ch an agreemer.;-.] thorny question31 ''hen it bumpsopaj a U.S. missileste tervdew that he*, tise could be fotal president’s vie; eapons canandn impromise in the ahead with or« over the nude; al lying aroundi chemical weaposs id uranium for ids of nuclear ule fractionofRi material or ex ountry, it woul terrorist orgatti harm," said K:| Clinton's assistar; uth Asian affair ^Sounds like Hell! f Aggie 5 should sing first verse of War Hymn — c t V ^ bv l ,*0' ote , rtateso'« H ° n V he oct-^ . . ovov° sed — ewcouv 6 A \thougVv lhe unique •rl, r , «»•*“ •" " verse. Ironically, it was the second verse of the “Aggie War Hymn” that was first viitten by J.J. “Pmlcv” Wile/™ imo T It was only after Wilson returned from national ir Society leeting aer 13,2001 dder 404 i the long-lost first ctenstics 01 men ,^rse. Ironically, it was the second verse of the “Aggie War r ^ " Pinky ” Wilson in 1918 ' 11 was on| y ^ first W, ° te ttle ^'c e 7v \1 e Aggies decided that Wu ^ li ke challenged by a Residence Hall Association (RHA) resolution. It is not as if Texas A&M has nothing to sing about. Because of its traditions, military history and Texas A&M’s well-deserved reputation for unity, the University does not fall short of attrib utes worthy of song. Instead of singing about such qualities, however, students choose to waste their breath by singing about the Longhoyns. It is embarrassing for the student body to sing a song that focuses on another school. Some have argued that by singing the second verse, Aggies attract the attention of outsiders due to its unique nature. However, the attention Aggies attract is dis belief at how jealous the War Hymn makes Aggies sound. The second verse makes the Aggies sound like a little brother trying desperately to equal their superior bigger brother through mindless taunts. As a result of the derisive song, visitors find it more difficult to take Aggies seriously. Anyone who scoffs at such concerns needs to realize that a lot of these outsiders whose opinions do not seem impor tant now are either potential Aggies or will be paying for some potential Aggie’s education in the future. To attract the highest-caliber students. Aggies must display professionalism. While the “War Hymn” is not as embarrassing as being a Texas Tech fan, it does not portray classy behavior. The “Aggie War Hymn” is a very visible aspect of A&M. Aggies sing it at every football game, which is the most publicized event on campus. When other people hear the student body singing about UT rather than their own school, it sounds petty and immature, damaging the reputation of the school they should be singing about. While the RHA is unlikely to enact a change in student behavior. Aggies should have enough pride in the school to sing a song which focuses on A&M. To do otherwise makes the University appear ridiculous. Richard Bray is a junior journalism major. alert’ causes economic panic and paranoia n Oct. 29, President George W. Bush called for Americans to be on a “state of high alert.” According to CNN.com, Attorney :neral John Ashcroft said that intelligence sources (1 gathered credible information that more attacks uldtake place on the United States within the Mfew days. Five days later, Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge said that this previous alert was extended indefinitely. On the same day, California Gov. Gray Davis revealed to the public an FBI warning of a terrorist threat to many bridges in the West. For Americans involved directly and indirectly in September’s terrorist attacks, ese warnings do nothing but upset their nerves, lese warnings also contribute to a struggling onomy and contradict statements made previ- isly by officials encouraging Americans to sume their normal lives. It is understood that government officials ant to keep Americans informed on issues that rectly relate to their well-being, but most of ese warnings are unspecific and can only bring >out miniscule changes. However, the econom- Kaffects could be drastic. Alan Greenspan, chairman of the U.S. central bank, said, “all modern economies require the confidence that free-market institutions are firmly in place and that commitments made today by market partici pants will be honored not only tomorrow but for years into the future.” As expected, the shock of Sept. 1 1, markedly decreased consumers’ confi dence in the future of America’s mar ketplace. Unfortunately, every time a “high alert” warning is issued, consumers’ faith in the marketplace is tested once again. In addition, instead of going about their normal activities, such as going to the mall, many Americans are tempted to stay at home and watch the news. If, as The Associated Press reports, “consumer spending accounts for two-thirds of the nation’s economic activity,” the effects of these warn ings could be devastating. To a nation that has been shaken into a permanent state of high alert from the events of Sept. 11, these non specific warnings leave Americans wondering exactly what degree of precautions should be taken and only add to economic troubles. A similar warning was also released prior Oct. 11. According to CNN.com, Ridge said, “we’ll never know” if the alert may have “thwarted or frustrated an attack” on the United States Ridge is correct that we will never know if the warn ings had that effect; one thing we do know is that the warning for most civilian Americans only increased paranoia and panic among an already shaken nation. As for the California FBI warnings, the information that prompted the alert began with a call to the U.S. Customs Service Office in Boston, Mass., from what officials call an apparently reliable source. The warning passed on by the FBI was of uncorroborated information regarding the possibility of addition al terrorist attacks against the West Coast, specif ically targeting suspension bridges including the Golden Gate Bridge, the Bay Bridge, the Vincent-Thomas Bridge and the Coronado Bridge in San Diego, Calif, between rush hour on Nov. 2 and continuing through Nov. 7. Although these warnings were slightly more spe cific, they did not suggest specific action that Californians should take to be “on guard” against potential terrorist attacks. The question that arises from these warnings is, who are American’s on guard from? Is one supposed to fear being in skyscrapers, driving on suspension bridges, or doing other mundane activities like opening the mail? Instead of resuming normal lives, this unprecedented war and its well-meant but futile warnings are caus ing Americans to do just the opposite. As a result, Americans are sending the already-weakened national economy further down the recession spiral. Americans are aware that the environment in which they five has changed drastically since Sept. 11, and they do not need additional warnings for every threat the FBI encounters. Instead, warnings of a similar nature to these should be communi cated to state and local law enforcers so that they take necessary measures to protect the general public. After all, they have the means to do so. Government officials should do their best to encourage citizens to be observant and informed of national news. Most importantly, they should be reminded to spend time with friends and family, to enjoy the beautiful fall weather and to go on living their lives. Jennifer Lozano is a junior English major. For Americans involved directly and indirectly in September’s hor rific terrorist attacks, these warn ings do nothing but upset their nerves. Column lacked MSC research In response to Brady Creel’s Nov. 9 column: Had Creel spent less time try ing to fake competence and more time fact-checking, he would know that the MSC president always has been appointed after an application/interview process, not elected. Creel makes a point about how the students deserve to know how and why their money is spent, and the closed sessions regarding the position of the president disallow that. This is not true. Closed sessions of the MSC Council are held only to fill a position or remove a person from office. This is not to save face for the University, it is to protect the image of the students being considered in the event that unpleasant facts about them surface. In this case, Josh Rowan was dismissed in closed session so the whole University would not have to know that he is entirely devoid of character. All other meetings, including budgeting discussions, are open to the public. Additionally, Jennifer Brashares was appointed “in secret" because she was the natural successor to head the organization. She was the executive vice president of pro grams, which is the number two- person of MSC Council. Finally, as a former student, I am not enraged by the actions of the University or the MSC, but at the utter contempt and disregard Rowan has shown for everybody other than himself. Every former student I have spoken to shares my feelings. Therefore, the next time you write a column, you should con sult more than old Battalion arti cles for information, because it is evident that you know nothing about the MSC. Corry Clinton Class of2000 Editorials need serious focus I think it is great that The Battalion has decided to run many more editorials this year. Whether we like it or not, the opinions read in The Battalion comprise the only organized voice on most A&M issues. Saying that, I’m disappointed that the editorials are completely lame, expressing opinions that are readily available without the ampli fication of the opinion page. Recent editorials have focused on such hard-hitting issues as “We * A love Web registration," “We love the Corps,” and "We love Red, White and Blue Out.” Although appealing sentiments, these edito rials need to be balanced with dis cussions that people may (gasp!) disagree with. A recent graduate of the University of Texas-Austin who now lives in College Station remarked that students here do not seem as worldly as those in Austin — she never hears anyone talking about current events, and tons of people talking about the next big party. As the media source for most A&M students, The Battalion is the best agenda- setter at this University, and has a duty to cover intellectual, contro versial issues for the students to unravel in their spare time. Keep the editorials coming, but give them more substance. Anthony Garza Class of2002