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Opinion
The Battalion
Page 7B • Thursday, December 4,
Broadenin
Hispanic studies department would benefi
Di
iversity seems to be the word on every
body’s lips recently. Racial and ethnic
diversity, socio-economic diversity,
religious diversity, diversity of sexual orienta
tion are all hot topics of debate and discussion
in the realm of academia. However, often
overlooked is the need for academic diversity
at Texas A&M, a school that focuses so many
of its resources on a few select programs
while neglecting others. The proposed addi
tion of a Hispanic studies department reflects
anew-found drive to remedy this problem.
A&M, while renowned for agriculture, engineering, architec
ture and business degrees, has a less-than-stellar though slowly
improving reputation for liberal arts, which leads many out
standing students to choose the University of Texas instead. If
students do choose to attend A&M, they end up grumbling in
frustration over the lack of liberal arts class offerings. For
instance, UT boasts 650 Spanish majors compared to A&M’s
, as well as more Spanish professors and graduate students,
as reported in the Bryan-College Station Eagle.
Granted, liberal arts students did elect to attend a Texas agri-
ultural and mechanical university. Nonetheless, as A&M
oves toward a more well-rounded curriculum to compete as
one of the top-10 public schools in the nation, deficiencies such
as the anticipated lack of a journalism department, inadequate
representation in the fine arts and relatively limited language
lasses hinder this goal.
Imperative Four of Vision 2020 recognizes all of these needs
and shortcomings with the acknowledgment that “the best pub
ic universities have stronger and deeper liberal arts programs
and a fuller range of such programs with a significantly higher
nstitutional commitment ... It is abundantly clear that we will
never be seen as a premier institution nationally without a far
itronger letters, arts and sciences program.’’
While a far cry from a complete solution, the possible addi-
ion of a Hispanic studies department constitutes a positive
ndkeepita nove towards realizing some of A&M President Robert M.
Gates’ goals by building a program that contributes to academic
egoingdiversity. Currently, a Hispanic studies minor is available,
which the new department will encompass and augment by
ncluding courses on the Spanish language, Hispanic political
and cultural issues and a University first, courses in Portuguese,
according to the Eagle. The new department will create addi-
ional Hispanic studies classes, and an interdisciplinary doctoral
program offered in cooperation with
other A&M System universities in
Laredo, Corpus Christi and Kingsville.
The creation of this new department
aptly addresses the increasing focus
on diversity as well as the need for
stronger add liberal arts program. Dr.
Craig Kallendorf, interim head of the
modern and classical languages
department, told the Eagle that sub-
par language studies will “become his
tory fairly soon.” Already, two new
Hispanic studies professors have joined
the faculty, and Kallendorf antici
pates that in combination with the
teaching assistantships created by
the graduate program, these
measures will begin to assuage
overcrowding experienced in
undergraduate classes.
Still, more progress is being
made. Last year, Italian I was
only offered during the fall
semester, with Italian II in
the spring. An average of 60
A&M students travel to the
Santa Chiara Study Center
in Castiglion Fiorentino,
Italy, each semester on
A&M programs in
the humanities,
social sciences,
business and archi
tecture, according
to the Santa Chiara
Web site. It seems that
greater efforts would be
made to make begin
ning Italian readily
available in the spring,
which would especially benefit
students attending the summer
program. For the upcoming spring
semester, one section each of both Italian I
and II is offered, a marked improvement, but still
of Liberal Arts
lagging behind the number of sections
offered in German, Russian, French
and Spanish.
These positive changes assure
current and prospective students and
faculty that A&M does indeed have a
place for liberal arts. However, an
increase in Italian I sections or the
opportunity to earn a doctorate in
Hispanic studies may do lit
tle to ease the doubts of
journalism students, an
increasingly rare species
of Aggie that is doomed
to be extinct. With only
14 theater classes and
10 music classes at the
undergraduate level for
next semester, fine arts
students may be equally
skeptical about the
University’s commit
ment to liberal arts.
Although the name of
the university is now sim
ply Texas A&M, shortening
agricultural and mechanical
cannot hide the fact that these
are still the emphasized
aspects of academics.
Programs like the Hispanic
studies department will help
alleviate this, but don’t
expect another letter added
to the name anytime soon.
Cracie Arenas - THE BATTALION
Lindsay Orman is a senior
English major.
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Aggie ancestors
would be proud
In response to a Dec. 2 mail call:
isIduL |f Aggie ancestors that Mr.
this way - Chandler cites were aiming for a
homogenous mass of docile and un
thinking students, then I would agree
with him; they would not think favor
ably of the “lack of satisfaction” cur
rently seen on campus.
However, I do not think this is what
our Aggie ancestors wanted.
Coming from the University of
Houston, I am perhaps not as well
schooled in Aggie traditions as most,
but it seems to me that this institu
tion was founded to be an intellectual
forum, where diverse ideas could be
disseminated to and discussed by a
free-thinking student body. Contrary
to Mr. Chandler’s concern, I think Sul
Ross or Bum Bright would be quite
happy with the recent debates on
campus. The “happy-go-lucky, every
thing is great” message that you
advocate not only reveals his own
apathy, but has dangerous implica
tions for that most cherished of liber
ties, freedom of speech.
*0f!1
jse
Joseph Abel
Graduate Student
Aggies of all types
can whoop together
I have to say 1 am a bit confused
about the issue of diversifying A&M
and how that would cause a loss in tra
ditions. Can a black person not
whoop? Can a homosexual not stand
as the Twelfth Man? Can a Jewish
person not participate in Elephant
Walk? Can a woman not be in the
Corps? The answer is clearly “no” to all
those questions. So how does diversi
ty change traditions? Participating in
traditions is purely a matter of person
al choice. Sure, this University started
with only white men, but that does not
mean every white man wants to take
part in our honored traditions. I guar
antee that there is a big group of them
who go to that school in Austin that
couldn’t care less. We can all be differ
ent people who all love A&M.
Leslie Higgins
Class of 2006
Analogy does not
represent economy
In response to Mike Walters’ Dec. 1
column:
Mr. Walters’ analogy of McDonald’s
bundling sodas with their meals is
grossly inaccurate. To make it a valid
analogy here would be the case:
McDonald’s would be the only place
where you could purchase a lunch
meal, and people only drank a soda
with their lunch meal. Then if
McDonald’s started to bundle sodas
with the meal, it is clear that would be
using their monopoly in one market
to perform unfair and anti-competitive
behavior by jumping into the soda
market. His description of free mar
kets is accurate, but that assumes a
healthy market with viable competi
tors where the consumer has a
choice. Exceptions must be made
when a monopoly is involved or else
the consumer is the one that will be
hurt in the end.
Brandon Green
Class of 2006
Football players
shouldn't talk trash
As I sat watching the game Friday
afternoon, I saw one of the poorest
displays of sportsmanship I have
ever seen from an Aggie player. It
involved the much touted “Real
Deal.” Mr. McNeal scored a touch
down and proceeded to drop the
horns down hand signal on the fans
and the ABC telecast. As much as I
were in favor of the dismissal of R.C.
Slocum, the things I could always
count on from him and his players
was class and dignity. There were
very few times where players on an
R.C. Slocum coached team showed
up players on another team or talked
trash. That was one of my favorite
attributes of Aggie football teams
throughout the years. I felt that it
always separated us from the
mouthy Longhorns.
Maybe it has less to do with the
coach and more to do with the play
ers themselves. My feeling is that
this team had nothing to celebrate
MAIL CALL
this season. Pathetic performance
after pathetic performance does not
give players the right to celebrate
like that.
Steven Rasch
Class of 1997
Passing train ruins
mood of Silver Taps
Silver Taps stirred two emotions in
me last night. One emotion, intended
by the ceremony, was a sense of
loss, as this time the Aggie honored
was closer to me than the stereotyp
ical sixth degree of separation.
The second was anger directed at
Union Pacific Railroad for disturbing
and almost destroying the solemn
ness of the occasion. After the rifle
volley, the buglers began to play as
usual. A fourth bugler joined in a few
seconds later, though this one was
not atop the Academic Building like
his fellows. He was driving the train
down the tracks straight through
Bryan-College Station. Through
about half of the bugle call of Taps,
the fourth bugler was the only one to
be heard. After the second set, I
almost turned to leave because I
thought the Bandsmen had finished.
This problem has occurred before.
It will occur again if nothing is done.
Why can’t Traditions Council contact
UPRR and work something out with
them? I have a maximum of eight
remaining Silver Taps before I gradu
ate. I hope there are none, but for
those that are necessary, I hope that
they are uninterrupted, undisturbed
and properly solemn.
Albert Archer and Christina Gilliam
Classes of 2004 and 2005
Bake sale divides
student body
In response to a Dec. 1 mail call:
It is sad that the YCT wants to sug-
arcoat its practices as ‘peaceful
protesting and debate,’ but from what
I saw, the bake sale was anything but
“peaceful.” The recent fliers incident
just goes to show how people are
highly offended by what your organi
zation did, and this is from people of
all races.
Instead of trying to divide the Aggie
family, it is imperative that we stick
together and celebrate differences
and the fact that people here are get
ting opportunities they wouldn’t have
in the past. To be honest, the YCT
bake sale was in vain, all it did was
spark anger but it actually did not
facilitate any change in the decision
to increase diversity. The YCT has to
understand that what happened has
greatly embarrassed Texas A&M so
much that President Gates had to
send out a letter denouncing such
useless protests. As an African
American student at Texas A&M, I
was embarrassed to have to explain
to my peers at other universities what
the bake sale was all about. I just
advise that next time before the YCT
has another “peaceful” protest, they
should think about it a little longer.
Onyinyechi Okoro
Class of 2006
Larger sized shirts
were printed
In response to a Dec. 3 mail call:
We would just like to apologize on
behalf of Class Councils for the mis
information given regarding the avail
ability of certain T-shirt sizes. We did
have, in fact, XXLs on sale in the
MSC from Nov. 10 to Nov. 24 and
then on site on Nov. 25 (the day of
the event) and did not sell out until
sometime that day with the rest of the
T-shirt sizes. We’re sorry that you
were unable to purchase the shirts
you desired. In the future, if anyone
has any questions regarding a Class
Councils event, please call the Class
Centers or come visit us in the MSC,
as we are always glad to accommo
date the needs of our constituents.
Class Councils is here to serve the
class in any way that is possible, and
we are terribly sorry that you felt that
we were not living up to our duties.
At this time we would like to thank all
the students who attended Jr. E-Walk.
You showed this campus the kind of
unity that exists within the Class of
2005 as well as at Texas A&M.
Hayley Henderson
Junior E-Walk Director
Tim Soeken
Class of 2005 President
Cindy Smith
Executive Director
Kristy Tyler
Public Relations Director
Cynthia Heredia
Diversity Director
The Battalion encourages letters to the edi
tor. Letters must be 200 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
McDonald with a valid student ID. Letters also
may be mailed to: 014 Reed McDonald, MS
1111, Texas A&M University, College Station,
TX 77843-1 111. Fax: (979) 845-2647 Email:
maiicall(S)thebattalion.net