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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 11, 2004)
NEItj FAL! 3« 'mmuei: ter wli|' | ts pritc Aggielife The Battalion Page 3 • Thursday, March 11, 2004 s requiit; lent ton is, wliij i that e sumi ravel, an he sal nuchd®. ey, led. Head out on the highway IMotorcyclists rule the road, feel the rush of having the wind in their hair to m s notpre ies in k trends i mouniol have," By Jose Cruz THE BATTALION John Creasy, a junior engineering major, started - Staii#|ding motorcycles because he found the speed and dom attractive. However, he had no idea riding ped simile would effect his love life. "I’ve found that certain girls won’t date me now. lot of girls here at Texas A&M are looking for eirMRS degree, so they want safety in the future, Idthey don’t see motorcycles as a part of that,” jreasy said. Students such as Keith Smith, a senior iography major began riding motorcycles lainly because it’s relaxing and .Smith said motorcycles offer imething that no other form of transporta- m can offer. I"!like the speed and being out in the hen, with nothing around you. It’s just ho,sitting on an engine and two keels,’’ Smith said. “It gives you a free- 1. If I’m stressed out, I jump on my ipmgjuj Land go for a ride, and you won’t see lays tat Lforhour, maybe longer.” Some people believe, however, that the eedomand speed come at too high a ; ice because of the danger involved. hadLasnau, a senior economics ” , j ajor, said motorcycles are dangerous, 9 e itihat with proper training and caution, they offer , f lve J any benefits over cars. Clubi M y morn was scared at first, and she still is. It’s A [finitely more dangerous than driving a car,” Lasnau ‘You have to be more aware of the people [oundyou because if you wreck, you will have more injuries than you would have if you got into jiaccident in a car. So as a motorcyclist, you have to istantly keep your guard up.” According to riders, some benefits of riding a |iotorcycle include better gas mileage and ease of ting. In addition. Creasy said riding a motorcycle lasmade him a better car driver. "When you are in your car, you know it isn’t going kasfast as your bike, so you have nothing to wanymore. and that makes you a better driver,” he said. “People call me a granny driver in my car, but as soon as 1 get on my bike they’re scared of me.” Due to the slick roads that may cause more danger on two wheels than four for example, most riders have a car they can rely on when the weather conditions are not optimal for riding. Also, riders use their automo biles whenever they must carry multiple passengers and items, such as groceries, that a backpack alone can’t hold. The destination and weather conditions usually determine whether riders will mount their motorcycles. Even though motorcycles may not be the most convenient form of transportation, riders say the danger factor is their biggest disadvantage. Smith has been riding motorcycles for about two years now, but said the danger mostly comes from bad automo bile drivers rather than motorcyclists. “Most of the time, the danger comes from the cars on the road. They are our biggest problem,” Smith said. “I’ve almost been run off the road and pulled out in front of by cars many times.” Motorcycles have such a bad image that some riders, such as Creasy, have resorted to keeping their passion a secret. “If my parents found out I ride a motorcycle, I would probably get removed from the will and possibly disowned. They pay for my school, so I’m taking a bit of a risk, but that just shows how much I love riding motorcycles,” Creasy said. Motorcycle riders have the image of being reckless and irresponsible on their bikes, which. Smith said, is the main reason why Texas A&M won’t officially rec ognize the bike club that student and Bryan-College Station riders have formed. “Sport bike riders especially have a bad image,” Lasnau said. “People think we are irresponsible and reckless and only drive fast. As a result, cops tend to keep a closer eye on us more than on cars.” But that image only represents a small number of riders, Creasy said. He said most of the people he rides with are cautious and respectful of the street laws. Part of the reason for this is that riders such as Creasy have ^ ^lf my parents found out I ride a motorcyde, I would probabjy get removed from the will and possibly disowned. — John Creasy junior engineering major personally witnessed motorcycle accidents. “I have several friends that are missing a lot of skin now,” he said. “Witnessing an accident serves as a reality check for you. Just like in any sport, there are certain things that you witness that cause you to reevaluate things.” Having a motorcyle wreck is more likely to be fatal than in a car because there are no seatbelts to keep riders from flying off the bike, and there is no car frame to bear the impact. “I had a friend that just recently got into an accident. I She didn’t even do anything wrong; she just had a car pull out in front of her and she couldn’t avoid it in time. She missed an entire semester because she had to recover from the injuries. If you’re weak of mind, then you’ll con vince yourself not to ride any more,” Creasy said. Camaraderie among motor cycle riders is present and spe cial. Most of the riders say they wave to other people on motorcycles, while most of the time they don’t even know the other person. “You belong to a group of people that all have something really interesting in common, and you go out and do something most peo ple don’t do,” Creasy said. “It’s the danger that unites us. It’s like an exclusive club.” As for his love life. Creasy said he found a way to handle the issues certain women have with motorcycles. “I’ve had one girl I started dating tell me to get rid of it,“ he said. “So I don’t talk to her anymore.” Paul Wilson • THE BATTALION How does your religion view organ donation? nian» ! jlin M orize t lipersf d, was' sdayto* iced s given I o in nrt N Assembly of Goo IAaptttst Rltoouxstt Catholic Christian Scientist Episcopal TTindlt Independent Evangelical Islam Judaism (^All Branches^) Lutheran JVIeth o dist Donation is highly supported, by the denomination. The decision to donate is left to the individual. Organ donation is encouraged as an act of stewardship and of compassion for those who are suffering. Donation is a matter of individual conscience. A high value is placed on acts of compassion. Organ and tissue donation is an act of charity and love. Pope John Paul II has stated that Christians should accept this as a challenge to their generosity and fraternal love. The decision to donate is left to the individual. A resolution in 1982, recognizes the life-giving benefits of donation. All Christians are encouraged to become donors "as part of their ministry to others in the name of Christ, who gave His life that we may have life in its fullness." The decision to donate is left to the individual. Organ transplantation can be used to alleviate the suffering of other human beings. The decision to donate is left to the individual. Nothing in Scripture contradicts organ donation. Muslim scholars belonging to various schools of Islamic law have cited the principle of the priority on saving human life and have permitted organ donation and transplantation as a necessity to procure that noble end. Organ donation is a contemporary Mitzvah. When a human life can be saved, it must be saved. Donation contributes to the well being of humanity and can be "an expression of sacrificial love for a neighbor in need.** The United Methodist Church encourages aU Christians to become organ donors as part of their mininstry to others in the name of Christ. Presbyterian Members are encouraged to be organ donors. iilillil ill SIGN A CARD SAVE LIVES Talk to your spiritual leader about organ donation. Then, talk to your family about your decision to donate. Come talk to us today at the MSC or the Blocker Building from 10am-3pm. www.donorworld.com 1.800.355.7427 www.organ.org 1.800.788.8058