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Page 9 • Wednesday, February 18, 2004
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Voicing concerns
Students must utilize avenues of communication for their voices to be heard
R ;
IVl
ecently, the student
government committee,
Texas Aggies Making
Changes (TAMC), released its
new student input boxes,
nhich enable students to initi-
iie change on campus.
However, the effectiveness of
tee boxes remains to be
seen, since they are entirely
dependent on student participation. They can
iilherprovide students with an active voice on
tampus or simply clutter the halls of the
Student Center. Regardless, the input
tees have the potential to do a lot more than
loststudents understand, including members of
!A, and they should be utilized.
Suggestions obtained from the boxes essen
tially work to assist SGA in identifying issues or
(loblenis around campus that otherwise might
unresolved. This is a positive step, since
it’s no secret SGA lacks feedback from the stu-
Jeotshere. In fact, one could argue these “rep-
ttsentatives” only represent the interests of a
itigleconstituency: themselves.
This is not meant to be a lengthy criti-
m of SGA members by any means, in
fact far from it, because most of them
mk extremely hard to consider what
le majority of the students need.
, though, a time comes when
lese representatives run out of ideas to
or problems to address. As a
,ideas become uniform and
actions routine.
It is the hope of TAMC that the sug-
itionsobtained from the boxes will
improve SGA’s effectiveness in address-
s that are truly relevant to
tie students.
However, students should recognize
oneier aspect: They now have a per-
iMtforum at their disposal that
the potential to influence the
HiJhdministration.
Consider some of the issues that have made
it onto the administration’s recent agenda. If
one needs his memory refreshed, simply look at
a tuition bill, listen to a diversity debate or talk
to a journalism major.
It appears that the administration can simply
implement any policy it wants without seriously
considering the students. And why should it?
Only a pigmy amount of students shows up to
address these issues when meetings are held.
Since few speak out, it’s easy to overlook them.
Recall the tuition increase meeting held over
the summer where SGA President Matt Josefy
addressed University President Robert M.
Gates and the A&M Board of Regents in an
attempt to persuade them to consider tuition
increases only as a last resort. Josefy tried to
convey to the board that A&M students were
indeed concerned about the proposal by stating,
“Whereas past tuition hearings have had mea
ger turnouts to say the least, 35 students partic
ipated in the question-and-answer sessions with
Dr. Gates on Monday... and that’s in the mid
dle of the summer.”
Indeed, it was during the summer, but
arguably 35 students out of 40,000 did little, if
anything, to sway the board’s decision. Most
likely, the board thought, “big deal; the students
will get over it.”
Who knows if Josefy’s address would have
had a greater impact if a list containing the
names and opinions of a significant number of
Aggie students was presented to the board?
Would it have changed the decision to raise
tuition? It’s hard to say, since many salient
reasons exist for increasing the University’s
funds. But one thing is for sure, the board
would have regarded the students as being not
only concerned but motivated enough to speak
out. This shows intensity and enough of it can
be very persuasive.
The Diversity Plan that will change the cam
pus atmosphere we know today, marks another
opportunity for students to speak out. New
Vice President for Diversity James Anderson
told The Battalion last fall that he will work
with faculty, administration and student leaders
to determine what their needs are. So put
Anderson to the test. See if he really does care
what the students think. By all means, sugges
tions should not emanate completely from the
Young Conservatives of Texas or SGA’s diver
sity committee.
Here’s the deal. It’s easy for the admin
istration to humor the opinions of a few
SGA representatives, but it’s not easy to
humor and overlook a large group of
students. There is power in numbers. If
one doesn't believe the administration
listens to the opinions of a substantial
number of future A&M alumni, who
hold potential donation dollars, they are
surely mistaken. Indeed, students
should give this new resource a chance.
After all, it may be surprising what gets
accomplished.
Nicholas Davis is a senior
political science major.
Graphic by Tony Piedra
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FCIC committed to
racial discrimination'
In response to a Feb. 17 news
Ttie Faculty Committed to an
Inclusive Campus (FCIC) denies that
e a hidden agenda. Then
uliy didn't they name themselves the
Faculty Committed to Quotas and
kial Discrimination?” Our guess is
tiat it wasn’t catchy enough.
The organization’s goals as stated
(i its Web site outline its desire for
racial quotas in admissions, hiring
and scholarships at A&M. This poli
cy does not promote “diversity;”
ither, it promotes “division.”
The FCIC claims to have the sup
port of University departments and
lop administration officials, includ
ing Vice President of Diversity
James Anderson. While it is not
clear if the Texas A&M administra
tion really has reversed course
from a “merit only” policy by align
ing themselves with this group,
is clear is that FCIC’s dream
olrace-based quotas in hiring and
based scholarships at A&M
already exist. The documents prov
ing this can be viewed at
ktpV/yct,tamu.edu/quotas.asp.
In the spirit of looking beyond skin
color and judging students based on
iir character, the Young
mservatives of Texas at Texas
iM today are proud to announce
creation of $10,000 in race-neu-
scholarships for Texas students.
ions are available at
Wamu.edu. We encourage stu-
lents to apply for the scholarships
idto reject the racist doctrine of
le FCIC.
Weston Batch
Brannon Kroll
YCT A&M Affirmative Action
co-chairs
Appelt Hall mourns
loss of Chris Lawler
Appelt Hall was struck with a great
/on Sunday evening. Chris
kiler, the RA for the third floor,
ksetotake his own life. Chris was
dirRAand a friend to all of the resi-
| toils of Appelt. We would like to
kk everyone who prayed for us
k more importantly, for Chris and
MAIL CALL
his family. We also extend our
prayers to Chris’s family, his room
mate and his friends. Thanks to all
the Aggies who called to support us
during this trying time, and for the
Aggie network who had hundreds of
people lifting Chris up in prayer.
Daniel Nieswiadomy
and The Appelt Hall Residents
Class of 2007
Battalion has history of
questionable photos
In response to a Feb. 17 photo
graph:
I, along with everyone else in the
Aggie family, was very saddened by
the news of the death of Christopher
Anthony Lawler. While I did not
know Christopher, I was shocked to
hear of his death and the circum
stances surrounding it. I was even
more shocked to see the picture that
The Battalion chose to print along
with the article. The picture printed
was not an old photo of Lawler, not a
picture of him with loved ones or
friends, but of a UPD officer carrying
away the firearm that killed him. I,
as do other students who I have
talked to, feel that printing this pic
ture was in poor taste, immoral and
above all disrespectful to Lawler and
his family. I would hate to think of
Lawler's parents, family or friends
picking up a Battalion and seeing
that picture associated with the per
son they loved. And what's worse,
this is not the first time the Battalion
staff has committed this injustice.
Several years ago, before I was
a student at A&M, I remember my
older brother showing me a similar
picture in The Battalion. An A&M
student had committed suicide by
jumping off of the roof of the
Northside parking garage. The pic
ture that accompanied this article
was of a physical plant worker
cleaning the portion of the street
where the student had fallen. I also
remember reading the mail call sent
regarding the poor taste in which
the picture was printed. I guess
that the staff and editors of The
Battalion have not learned from
their mistakes or the mistakes of
others before them.
While it is always unfortunate
when a member of our Aggie family
dies, it is revolting to see them
remembered in such a way by our
school newspaper. Hopefully we will
never have to see something like this
again. To the family and friends of
Christopher Anthony Lawler, I am
sorry for your loss, the Aggie family
is with you and you are in our
prayers. I will also apologize for
those who found it necessary to print
such a picture. It is hard to be proud
of something like that being associ
ated with the school I love.
Kyle Bading
Class of 2004
Running picture was
insensitive to Aggies
I pick up a Battalion on Tuesday,
excited to read the article about The
Price Is Right, which I was quoted in.
After looking at the front page, I did
n't even want to open up the paper. I
was very disheartened to see the
picture you chose to place with the
article about the Southside student’s
death. Instead of placing a picture of
the Aggie that we lost, or even a pic
ture of the dorm where the incident
occurred, a completely inappropriate
picture was put in its place. I realize
that this is a newspaper and you
must state the facts, but let’s not for
get about the Aggie family and all
the values that each Aggie
embraces. I may not have known Mr!
Lawler personally, but my heart sank
when I saw that photo, and my
thoughts and prayers go out to his
family and friends who are grieving
for the loss of their son, their friend
and their fellow Aggie.
Katy Peterson
Class of 2004
Photo fed Battalion's
iust for ... morbidity'
I am outraged that The Battalion
chose to print the picture they did
with the article about Christopher
Lawler's death. It was crude and
tasteless. No picture was neces
sary, and this one was certainly out
of place. How horrible for his family
and friends to not only have that
image burned into their memories,
but also to have to answer questions
from the many who did not know
how Chris died. The police state
ment said nothing about manner of
death other than that it was "self-
inflicted." Apparently The Battalion
wanted to satisfy its own lust for sen
sationalized morbidity by printing a
picture that is sure to feed the
already disgusting wave of gossip
that has consumed our campus.
Aggies, let’s come together during
this difficult time and support one
another instead of adding to the grief
of Chris' family and friends.
Diana Sherrouse
Class of ‘06
Column lacked some
needed information
In response to Collins Ezeanyim’s
Feb. 16 column:
In his latest opinion piece,
Ezeanyim spends around two-thirds
of the text expressing matters that
should cast doubt on the major con
clusion of the article, and half of the
remainder (the bit about white areas)
in a poor attempt to recover. Not only
is the data cited woefully incomplete
without Tier 2 reports, as he argues
so well, but the known agendas of
the study's commissioners makes
one wonder about the results even if
the needed information had been
available.
In the end, this report revealed
nothing new and further failed to cre
ate a solid case for systematic
unfairness in the activities of police
departments. I do, though, invite the
researchers to try again when mean
ingful data is available.
Chris Carlin
Class of 2003
Attack showed an
absence of Aggie spirit
In response to Jon Steed’s Feb. 16
column:
There are two widely-held views
of Texas A&M. The first, professed
by administration, alumni, and
those indoctrinated at Fish Camp,
stresses the tradition-oriented, fam
ily atmosphere of the campus, com
plete with “Howdy,” yell practices
and E-Walks. The second image,
however, is not only more negative,
but more prevalent than most would
like to think.
It is a picture of a close-minded
and ultra-conservative institution
and student body, to whom any
thing — or anyone — who is even
remotely different is not to be tol
erated, let alone accepted. I want
to believe in the first of these
images, but the recent attack on a
homosexual man at Northgate, as
commented on by Mr. Steed, does
not give me much confidence that
this second image will soon be
overcome.
The guilty parties at Northgate
are but a symptom of a larger
underlying sicknbss within the stu
dent body of A&M. For example,
there are certain well-organized
and visible factions on campus
who, through such bigoted activi
ties as “Straight Pride” days, per
petuate this atmosphere of close
mindedness and hatred of all
things different.
Although they were not throwing
the punches, their discriminatory
“political actions” on this campus
set the stage for the violence of
the recent past. It also speaks
volumes that the camaraderie of
the Aggie spirit was absent when
this horrible attack was taking
place, as evidenced by the fact
that no one stepped up to help the
party being assaulted.
For these things to occur any
where would be shameful. But for
them to occur in a place and
among people who label them
selves a “family” is absolutely rep
rehensible. It is time to completely
disprove and renounce this second
image of A&M—along with all its
organizational relics—and once
again promote the true spirit of
Aggieland for ALL people.
Joseph Abel
Graduate Student
The Battalion encourages letters
to the editor. 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: mailcall@thebattal-
ion.net. No attachments are
accepted.