Ej ZVITO 1 ^ I V I .
This August, a tragedy befell members of the Aggie family. The
family of Sasqib Ejaz was seriously injured when a fiery explosion
consumed his residence in the University Apartments by Hensel
Park. In the aftennath of the fire, Mr. Ejaz’s 4-year-old daughter and
mother died, and his pregnant wife and father are still recovering from
injuries. But, like any disaster, the search for answers began soon after
and has grown to include a University Task Force formed by Texas
A&M President Robert M. Gates and investigations by the Brazos
County District Attorney and the State Fire Marshal.
The fire marshal’s report was released last week, and it blamed the |
explosion on gas leaks coming from the appliance and water heater
piping in the apartment. The pipes had corrosion damage and loose
fittings, which allowed the gas to escape.
Obviously, for the pipes to be in such bad condition, the mainte
nance must have been deferred for years. It is likely that this unit was
not the only one with problems with its gas lines. It could probably
safely be said that the University Apartments are poorly maintained
and pose a serious risk to those living in them.
This raises many questions. Why is the state of repair so poor?
Why did people have to die for the problem to be addressed? And are
the problems confined to University Apartments, or erne they more
widespread?
If the issues, both physical and managerial, that bedevil the apart
ments are more widespread, it is likely that there are many more
disasters across campus just waiting to happen.
If the problems are just localized to the apartments, then the ques
tion becomes why that is so. One would hope that the answer does
not relate in any fashion to the residents of the apartments, many of
whom are international students. The international students at A&M
I may lack a powerful off-campus constituency to look after their inter-
| ests, but that does not mean that the University has the right to ignore
! their problems.
There are still many questions left unanswered at this point on the
matter. But one thing is clear it is simply unacceptable for the Uni
versity to allow students to live in the conditions that presently exist
there. Changes must be made and responsibility must be taken.
EDITORI
Kendra Kingsley, Editor in
Chief
Nishat Fatima, Managing
Editor
Matt Rigney, Opinion Editor
LBOARD
Sonia Moghe, Local News
Editor
Lindsye Forson, Opinion Asst.
David Shoemaker, Opinion
Columnist
MAIL^
Drawings don’t
offend everyone
Ivan Flores' drawings are the
best (no, I don't know the guy per
sonally). I don't see what problem
people have with them. The girls
are always hot, and the graphics
in general are truly works of art.
Sometimes 1 open The Baft just to
see if he has drawn anything for
the day. He should get his own
parking spot constructed wher
ever he chooses on campus.
David Ege
C/ass of 2005
Bats are helpful,
don’t pose threat
In response to Cindy
McReynolds' Sept. 21 col
umn:
Fundamentally, I agree that hu
man life is more important than
animal life. That said, people have
a responsibility to act in the best
interest of wildlife and to serve as
good stewards of the environment
when possible.
Of the small percentage of bats
that carry rabies, most are too
lethargic to present a significant
threat to anyone with the good
sense not to approach them.
With regard to rabies, skunks
pose a greater threat. As a mat
ter of fact, so do domesticated
animals; many statistics in
dicate that humans are more
likely to contract rabies from a
pet than a bat. Worldwide, 99
percent of human rabies fa
talities are transmitted through
canines, but would anyone seri
ously advocate the lethal control
of “man's best friend?”
Furthermore, bats are ecologi-
CALL
cally and economically critical as
their diet includes many common
pests. The Mexican Free-tailed
bat, in particular, consumes
moths that result in significant
losses in the agricultural industry.
Even those without concern for
bats as part of a complex ecologi
cal system and as life in their own
right can appreciate that fact.
Carr)e Lytle
Class of 2007
UPD should get
some TS money
UPD has no jurisdiction over
bike theft. That task belongs to
TS, but apparently TS employ
ees would rather drive around in
their new Chevy Tahoes, which
is very unnecessary spending by
the University.
In case you did not know, UPD
is struggling due to lack of funding,
and is on a hiring freeze. I have
been inside their cars — which
happen to not be new at all — and
they do not have the necessary
equipment to work with. I have
personally performed inventory
checks for the department, and it
is very sad to see that in a lot of
instances, they lack resources.
Every year they compete for
more funding from the SSFAB, and
never get enough money to even
hire the necessary amount of po
lice officers to keep up with 45,000
students. The University and SS
FAB are more concerned with
spending hundreds of thousands
of dollars on making this campus
more diverse, and shoving cultural
diversity down our throats.
Manny Garcia
Class of 2005
Opinion
The Battalion
Page 5B • Thursday, September 23, 2004
Pace Design • MATT RIGNEY
Book it
Joshua Dwyer wants
abstinence-only texts
A eurreni detmte in education is whether
health textbooks should inform students about
the role contraceptives could play in preventing
unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted
diseases versus the viewpoint that abstaining
from sexual activity prior to marriage is the best
message lor the students\
According to State Board ofjEducation
member Dr. Don McLeroy, the textbooks to
be approved lack content on contraceptives
because each school district can supplement
them as it sees fit. To include contraceptive
information in the textbooks would undermihe the school districts
that wanted to promote abstinence, and McLeroy Ibresees no major
changes to the textbooks.
The State Board of Education should approve the list of abstinence-
JOSHUA
DWYER
only health textbooks, and if school districts were truly concerned
about the health of children, each would adopt an abstinence-until-
mairiage program At least 10 scientific studies have found that absti
nence programs significantly reduce early sexual activity, according
to the Heritage Foundation, a public policy research organization.
Some alternatives to abstinence until marriage have been incorrect
ly labeled “abstinence-plus.’^Advocates often use the term to describe
curricula that actually marginalize the effectiveness of abstinence. In
a review of nine such programs, fewer than 10 sentences out of 1.000
pages of material “urged or suggested that teens wait before begin
ning sexual activity,” according to a Heritage Foundation study. By
comparison “nearly 30 percent of their page content” described and
encouraged the use of contraceptives. These programs also neglected
to educate students on building healthy relationships or marriage, so
they can hardly be considered comprehensive sex education.
According to a poll by die nonpartisan turn Zogby International,
/Opercent of parents of school-aged children disapproved of the
content of “abstinence-plus” curricula when it was quoted to them.
A separate poll by the same organization found that 96 percent of
parents agreed that “abstinence from sexual activity was best for
teens,” and 85 percent believed that teaching abstinence should be
emphasized as much or more than the use of contraceptives. Only 8
percent believed education about contraceptives should be empha
sized more than abstinence.
The primary reluctance to promote the abstinence-until-mar-
riage program is the fear that such an approach is simply unrealistic
given the number of schoolage children who engage in sexual
activity. Granted, regardless of the amount and intent of the instruc
tion, there will be students who decide not to listen. However, if
abstinence education is neglected on that philosophy alone, school
districts must abandon teaching children to avoid drugs, alcohol
and tobacco products.
Such an abdication of responsibility would be absurd. Adolescents
are not animals that are unable to control their desires or resist physi
cal drives. To expect them to fail and to teach them accordingly is
tantamount to dooming the students to failure. Teachers don’t lower
the passing grade so that more students will graduate; they know that
some will fail, but they do their best to make sure it’s as few as pos
sible. Similarly, knowing that some students won’t wait until marriage
to become sexually active shouldn't keep schools from promoting it.
The decision whether to become sexually active before marriage
is a health issue. The costs of premarital sex can be devastating. A
Heritage Foundation report found that sexually active girls are three
times more likely to be depressed, as well as three times more likely
to attempt suicide than girls who are not sexually active. Sexually
active boys are twice as likely to be depressed and eight times more
prone to attempt suicide as non-sexually active boys. Perhaps that
explains why the same study also reported that 67 percent of teens and
77 percent of teenage girls who had sexual intercourse regret it.
Sex education should be more than how to avoid the threat of
disease and inconvenience of pregnancy. Sex should not be portrayed
simply as a means of recreation, a tool to be used for selfish gratifi
cation, nor an activity that “everyone is doing.” Its effects are more
significant and more extensive than just physical.
Given these facts, it seems obvious that few teens participate in
sexual activities for purely rational reasons. Some young people
believe the intimacy and approval they lack at home can be pro
vided by some physical activity with a peer. This “solution” usually
compounds the problem, leaving the teen feeling more alone and
less loved. Hardly a pattern that schools should encourage by teach
ing students how to avoid the negative physical aspects of sexual
activity without addressing other issues like the difference between
love and sex.
Students should be taught what their parents approve of and what
history and science substantiate: Outside the intended bounds of
marriage, sexual activity is detrimental to the physical, emotional,
psychological health of individuals, especially adolescents. To tell the
students anything else is dishonest and should not be included in their
education.
Joshua Dwyer is a sophomore
political science major.
Adam Scharn argues for
contraceptive teaching
T
ADAM
SCHARN
he Texas Slate Board of Education
will adopt a new list of textbooks
this year. A great deal of contro
versy has risen over the deciirfon^because
three of the four books likely to be\hosen
are considered “abstinenoS-only” text-
i books; that is, m the sexual education see-
tiort, itofTfJtef of the books explicitlyjpt^ers
1 the ust of contraceptives.‘S^x'eiLKfation
is taught la schools not onty^) educate
/ students about the process qnd purpose
sexualfintercoursc, but as a w^y to inform
students of S i i>s and teen pregnam^, inc 1 udumg-prev
measures. The curriculum standard set by the^ducation Board
exemplifies this|point, stating- ’“(TexthaokSf should analyze
the cffcctiveness&nd ineffectiveness of barrier pipfcctioramd
other contraceptive methods, keeping in mind fee effectiveflegs
of remaining abstinent until mtirriage.” Afetinence-only text
books not only fail to actomplish this goal, they have negatiVe
effects on the students with regard to sex education
A fearful audience is often an uninformed audience. Chil
dren must be made aware of STDs and the risk ud’ prcunaiAuy^,-
before they can be taught how to prevent each. However, after
teaching students these risks, by preaching abstinence and
nothing else, the students may become fearful of sex itself.
Abstinence in this context means refraining,/r5W^tCtal
activity. Sending a class of high school students the message
that, “The only way to prevent STDs is to not have sex,” may
send a message that sex leads only to negative, detrimen
tal results. This strategy misses the overall purpose of sex
education, w hich is to inform students of possible negative
outcomes, as well as different methods of prevention and their
effectiveness. Teaching students about contraceptives and
weighing that against abstinence will give them a much better
understanding of the risks involved.
Excluding material about the use of contraceptives does
not mean children will not learn that condoms and pills can
be used to prevent pregnancy and some STDs. Some students
may even learn by reading the box that condoms are only 97
percent effective. However, according to The Culture of Life
Foundation and Institute, condoms can have a failure rate as
high as 30 percent. Moreover, these effective rates are based
on birth prevention, not disease prevention. Where will adoles
cent males learn this, if not in a textbook? These success rates
are not just common knowledge.
Furthermore, although birth control pills are 99.9 percent
effective, that is only if the pill is taketi every day”,'£fe"a' related
publication on e-pill.com explains. Perhaps doctors can inform
females of the birth control statistics, but condoms are sold at
most grocery stores and gas stations in the over-the-counter
drug aisles. Students must at least be informed of these is
sues to understand why abstinence is still the best alternative.
Simply explaining that, “Barrier protection is not 100 percent
effective in preventing the spread of STDs,” as the Glencoe/
McGraw-Hill textbook says, is not enough.
To make matters worse, textbooks are not only leaving out
the mention of contraceptives, but one book has even replaced
the topic with a ridiculous, unproven idea. “Lifetime Health,”
published by Holt, Rinehart and Winston, lists 10 steps for
students to protect themselves from sexually transmitted dis
eases. One of these steps actually admonishes students to “get
plenty of rest,” because “when you’re tired, it’s hard to think
clearly.” Sleeping eight or nine hours a day is not going to
prevent a person from contracting the AIDS virus. Leading a
student to believe sleep is all he needs does absolutely nothing
in accomplishing the goals of education.
The main arguments for abstinence-only education are
based on moral issues. For example, some will argue that
sex should be reserved for married couples. Teaching about
contraceptives, they say, advocates premarital sex. For that
reason, supporters claim, only married couples should use
contraceptives. This ignores the fact that half of Texas’ high
school students have had sex, according to statistics from the
Centers for Disease Control.
Supporters claim teaching the use of contraceptives sends
students the message that premarital sex is OK, as long as it is
protected. Once again, this misses the purpose of education:
To inform. Neither view should be advocated nor forced upon
students without the alternative.
Adam Scharn is a junior
political science major.
Graphic by Brandi Dunn
Byrne's spirit band wastes the students' money
As another school year begins, students are
seeing more changes by Texas A&M Director of
Athletics Bill Byrne — some for the better, some
for the worse. Unfortunately one that’s for the
worse is the new spirit band.
For any student who has not had the opportunity
to attend an A&M volleyball game this semester,
not only is he missing out on seeing quite a good team this year, but he’s
also missing out on a chance to hear the new spirit band. Hullabaloo.
The spirit band was formed because attendance at A&M men’s and
women’s basketball games over the past few years has been less than
pitiful.
Byrne thinks making the game more exciting with a spirit band will
help to increase attendance.
Before making the assumption that changing the atmosphere would
help increase attendance, Byrne should have looked at the records of the
teams and known that not winning games might be a big factor in low
attendance. Nobody wants to come and see losers play.
Winning, however is not a problem for the volleyball team and atten
dance is generally high at volleyball matches as a result.
On top of the poor ideal on which the spirit band was formed, it is a
complete waste of money. About $ 1 (X),000 was spent on initial costs for
the band. New instruments had to be purchased, shirts were bought and
a new staff member was hired to direct it.
It is quite interesting that the Athletic Department can come up with
this kind of money to start a band it likes, yet a few years ago, members
of the Aggie Band who played at basketball games would have to pay to
park at Reed Arena.
Also, members of the spirit band are not representative of the student
body. Some are aide and lack complete respect for the Aggie Spirit and
what it means.
In an e-mail to a former band member written by Kevin Sullivan, a
senior sports management major and bass guitarist for Hullabaloo, said,
“...I joined the pep band because the Corps of Cadets does not play at all
of the men’s basketball games, none of the women’s basketball games
and none of the volleyball games. A pep band was created to fill in for
their lack of school spirit (or maybe is it their laziness?). On top of that,
they are ‘B-rate’ musicians that play boring music.”
Sullivan has not attended a basketball game in his previous years here,
because if he had, he would have known that the Aggie Band did in fact
play at men’s and woman’s basketball games and volleyball games. But
due to time and schedule constraints, the band was unable to attend all
the games, as the Athletic Department had wanted.
Sullivan also wrote, “’The War Hymn’ is the same song you are hear
ing when the Corps plays it, with the exception that it is played with
better quality by the pep band.”
Sullivan has a skewed perception of quality and school spirit. To say
the Aggie Band has a lack of school spirit and are B-rate musicians is an
insult to the thousands of Aggie Band members who have attended this
school and helped make it what it is today.
If the rest of the student body thought this of the Aggie Band, it prob
ably wouldn’t stand for the halftime perfonnance.
The Athletic Department should take a step back and ask itself if this
is the quality of students we want to represent us? Should this kind of
investment be made on something that will not last long?
Of course, like Transportation Services, the Athletic Department has
many moneymaking schemes to pay for all of its blunders. More control
should be exercised over its expenditures. So hopefully in the future,
there is not another costly mistake as the one in question.
Eric Brown is a student
of post bacculoriate studies in education
ERIC
BROWN