The North Texas Daily (Denton, Tex.), Vol. 75, No. 77, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 25, 1993 Page: 2 of 6
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The North Texas Daily
Thursday, February 25,1993
Page 2
Commentary
Buffet
Editorials
Concealed guns
J
Handgun bill not needed
।
HAN
Sex education
Letters to the Editor
7)
e
l
makes
history
Cheryl Wilkerson is editor of The
Daily.
P.F. Roden
Professor of finance
Steve Boedeker
The Trophy Club junior
The price of new books rewards
the creative forces—authors, art-
ists, editors—responsible for the
flow of books to consumers. The
price of used books rewards the
book store and used-book deal-
ers.
To students, why not buy a
, new book to use, if the purchase
price is $60 and the bookstore re-
purchases it for $30. You will buy
a used book for $42.50 and the
bookstore will repurchase it for
$20.25. Incremental cost to use a
new book is $9.75. These num-
bers are conservative because the
bookstore sometimes increases
the spread on used books.
Why doesn't the SA encourage
the University Store to sell books
at zero markup? Rob Stetson, a
member of the SA, notes that prof-
its go bact to the university. It
Editorial Policy
The stances taken in Daily editorials are decided on in editorial board meetings.
Majority opinion rules at these meetings. Staff members rotate the responsibility of
writing editorials, which are unsigned because they reflect the majority opinion of
the newspaper staff. Editorials normally appear in every issue on the left side of Page
2.
This weekend
I got a chance to
witness history in
the making — a
cycle in the evo-
lution of the buf-
fet.
Saturday night
a friend and I de-
cided to drive
down Interstate Wilkerson
35E to an all-you-
can-eat catfish
place. We'd been
there before and it was pretty
good, even though it was expen-
sive.
But the place had changed since
we'd been there the last time. The
price had gone down considera-
bly. And instead of bringing more
food to your table whenyou asked
for it, the owners set up a buffet
line.
There was more than fish.
You can forget about doggie
bags. Too bad for those poor pets
whose owners forgot to stop on
the way home to buy dried food
in a bag. There are no leftovers for
you, Spot — Mom and Dad went
to a buffet.
The food bar has definitely
changed America. Families once
sat at a table and discussed the
day’s events while enjoying
Mom's homemade apple pie. Now
it's considered a treat to be able to
get together to inhale some food
before they rush off to do other
things.
What will be the next cycle in
the buffet evolution?
Maybe waiters and waitresses
will bring food out in bowls and
set them right on the customers'
tables. The customers will have to
actually pass the bowls around
and spoon food out onto their
plates.
Naw — that's getting a little
carried away.
The earliest form I can think of
would have to be the go-back-for-
more salad bars. I guess that was
a relatively new thing in the '70s
(or new to me).
Then restaurant owners got
smart. They put hot vegetables
and dinner rolls with the salad
fixins' and called them food bars.
Of course, pizza places didn't
want to be left out. And once the
first pizza, spaghetti and salad
were offered at a low price, some
of the other Italian food restau-
rants followed.
Chinese restaurants are also
common places for buffets. But
because I first tasted Oriental
food only a few years ago, I don't
know if Chinese buffets have been
common.
That's what led me to where I
was — surrounded by people
fighting over who gets the last
hush puppie.
It was shocking to see what the
evolution of the buffet had done
to the people who ate at them. <
I'll begin with the manners. ■
Nobody had any.
There wasn’t any room for
dinner conversation—just occa-
sional grunts and belches.
There was barely room for all
the food. Pants were unbuttoned
and shirts were untucked. Some
people would even shake a little
when they got up — to pack that
food into their big toes to make
room for more.
People sat around shoveling
in food as if they would never eat
again. Dainty ladies who would
normally have nibbled a few bites
and then taken the rest home in a
doggie bag made several trips
back to get one more piece of
chicken or a few more french fries.
"o
till
‘ a
what Clinton is attempting to do. ket. Students probably, have
One note to those of you bought books with a label on the
screaming, "I told you so." Go cry cover stating that the book was
in a closet somewhere, I'm tired of given to a faculty member. Pub-
hearing it. It is negative and stub- lishers must price new books to
bom attitudes such as yours that cover these lost sales.
cards and sell them for a profit. they receive money for putting There were plenty of mashed po-
I asked them if they ever traded their names on a piece of paper, tatoes and gravy, french fries,
cards and they said no. Their rea- This takes the fun out of auto- fresh green beans, rice and red
soning was that it's hard to get graph seeking. It was an accom- beans — the works. And there
equal value from trading. plishment when you gotaplayer's was a bunch of other fried stuff
Whenl traded cards, my friends autograph at a ballpark or an too. And not to mention the bar
and I didn't seek only financial arena. Not everyone who sought devoted to salads and desserts,
value. Trading for our favorite a certain player's autograph re- As I watched people grazing
like cattle, I started to wonder
how this thing we know as buffet
began.
MR. carter, wat is yooa
about the Northstars
HOCKEf TEAM CoMtN& To
AEUN/ON ARENA 7
ball game I asked two guys about contracts that forbid them from it.
theirbasketball card collection that Who can blame them?
they brought along. They said that They receive money to appear ason M. Schwartz is sports edi-
they get players to autograph the at trading-card shows. In addition, tor for The Daily
1
Br- 1B
Cheryl
T
not one of them. sional sporting
Dallas Police Chief Bill Rathbum joined Brady in opposition to events was trying
the bills, calling them a "giant step backward," and pointing out to get the players'
that with such a law, the number of accidental shootings and autographs.
Jason X^lvato^
solutions are needed m a hurry. To revert to the ways of the old while getting the Schwartz but the idea was to build the collec- Cash to get into a card show
West where justice came from a gun barrel is not the answer. best nosition to tion with the best players instead and additional monev for an auto-
What kind of message will the Legislature be sending if one of have a player signof the most expensive. graph is almost as expensive as
these bills passes? Will it be, "Sorry, Jane and John Q. Public, his name on a sheet of paper or It wouldn't make sense to trade ballgames.
you're on your own? The only way to stop crime is to turn Texas trading card. Getting an autograph for a player that was not as good as The guys sitting next to me at
in to an armed camp."? gave me a victorious feeling. I the one you're giving up. My the Mavericks'game told me that
Honda passed a law easing restrictions on handgun conceal- would boast to my friends about friends and I wanted to get our they hang out at the opposing
IMrm" i , . _________ the autographs I had gotten at the favorite players, because we players hotel until after the game,
ment in 1987.-The result violent crime increased p previous nighrs game. wanted to take them to sporting This way there is a chance to get a
from 1987 to 1991. .. I had a drawer full of events and get autographs. player's autograph..
Look around the next time you are on a crowded bus or waiting players’signatures from major Having these players'signatures The boys said it is not likely
in line to see a movie. Imagine how it might feel to speculate how league baseball and the National on their cards was great to hang on most of the time because hotel
many of the people you see have a gun. Basketball Association. Big names the wall. My favorite players were security throws them out. Even
Crime in this state and this country must be curbed. The future such as Reggie Jackson, Michael the only ones I'd get autographs when they are allowed to stay,
of our society depends on it. A comprehensive plan that takes Jordan and Jose Canseco decorate from. The remaining autographs I the players rarely sign,
into consideration all aspects of solving the crime problem is my autograph collection. received would be on sheets of At professional sporting events
what's needed, not arming the public to the teeth. In my autograph-seeking days paper. I stuffed these in my drawer. these days, I notice some players
Allowing people to legally conceal weapons will not solve thehobby was different. At sport- Thetradingcardboomhastaken signing autographs But most
anything. It will lead only to more loss of life, both accidental and ingevents there were youngsters its toll on autograph-seekers. Im don t if they get a good deal from
:-1 7 with booksoftradingcardsor other glad I'm no longer active in the a card show.
intentionan. . types of memorabilia to get signed. hobby. There are players who Autograph seeking is not what
And it won t do any good for the public s peace of mind either. At a Dallas Mavericks' basket- won't sign their cards because of it used to be.
Two Texas state representatives have bills before the Texas
House that if passed, would allow people to carry concealed
handguns.
Testimony began last week on bills by state Rep. Bill Carter, R-
Fort Worth, and Rep. Ron Wilson, D-Houston, with the premise
of each proposal being that law-abiding citizens need to have a
"fighting chance against armed criminals."
That's a commendable sentiment, but the means to achieve
that end are misguided and dangerous.
To allow the legal concealment of weapons would be an
irresponsible action by our elected officials in Austinand it would
open the possibility of more mayhem in our society.
What wouldt the Dallas Cowboy victory parade Feb. 9 have
been like if a concealment law had been in effect?
Former presidential press secretary James Brady who was shot
and paralyzed in the attempt on President Ronald Reagan's life
in 1981, was in Dallas last week to denounce such a law in Texas.
At the press conference Brady said, "Even though the presi-
dent and I were surrounded by the most highly trained and I - g -
experienced Secret Service men — who were armed with high- AC C Q A 4 A 1s •m C AM C
powered concealed handguns — we still became victims." JL • A L • • “ • ML • • 2- CL I L •
Brady said Texas had the "dubious distinction of being the first A
state to lose more residents to gun injuries than to automobile in- As I was grow-
juries." ing up, one aspect
Texas should be proud of being first in many areas; but that's of going to profes-
children from pre-kindergarten through high school. ing about President Clinton are
-Sex education and health curriculums should be developed doing it out of spite, not because - , .
locally, such as by school boards. Parents should have the they have researched his plans TextbOOK article
option of removing their children from sex education classes. enough to conclude that they are
- The council says it "continues to give priority to abstinence wrong decisions. WaS -isleadn8
asan appropriatestrategy forreducingadolescent pregnancy." Your tocent article—g
-Schools should allow excused absences for confidential 4 the moden on -0ur.resenname.esaron
reproductivehealehcare.Theproposanwasdesignedtoprotect TVreadingaycuecard.BiUClinton tmxbpakinashnasebalngnasn
teenagers who become pregnant through abusive relationships, is our president for the next four complete in several ways.
-The council does not address the issue of abortion. years and if we continue to argue I‛m attempting to puzzle
is this too radical for Texas? ' with every plan the man comes through the figure titled "Aver-
No. Sexual education programs in Texas schools are appro- up with, nothing will get accom- age increase of Textbook Prices."
priate and overdue. plished. It suggested that the price of an
in 1991 Texas led the nation in births to girls age 14 and under. • I think it is wonderful that Clin- average textbook would be about
It ranked second that year in births to girls ages 15 to 17. ton is trying to jump start our $155, beginning from the $20 base does not go to those who bought
Action needs to be taken now; economy. During the past four in 1987. Perhaps the figure title the book. Those buying books are
Opponents of sexual education believe that creating pro- years, the Bush administration has should have been "Average Price subsidizing those who do not.
grams to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases done relatively nothing to stimu of Textbooks." To the University Store, why
willtakethe parents’powertocontrol what their teens do away late grth-tTheprogramsth .Buyingtextbookswillnotsolve should you careif the markup is
, r r aid aammister were rauures in the problem of the increase in 15 percent or 35 percent? Does
om paren s. -L---LOs, retrospect to the state of the union prices. The used-book market is the profit return to the students?
In reality teens have already robbed their parents o now. I realize that Republicans part of the problem. Publishers
privileges. Our country should deal with how to decrease sexu- are proud of a status-quo commit- must price new books to cover
ally transmitted diseases that threaten our country. ment but this is not the answer to the lost sales arising from the
However needed sexual education is, the plans should be America's problems. used-book market. They must also
developed locally. School boards and parents should work if you own an expensive car revise books every three years to
together to create acceptable plans for their districts. and it breaks down — you fix it. stay ahead of the game.
Also the council should not ignore the issue of abortion within you don't wait for it to fix itself, it Publishers send thousands of
the plan. just won't happen. When we fix free books to faculty members to
Texas, in 1993, has to face facts. Its teens are sexually active, something we often have to ex- get the product intothe hands of
The state must deal with it and take some action. periment to find the best solution adopters. Mostof these books find
for the problem and that is exactly their way into the used book mar-
State should teach students
The Adolescent Pregnancy and Parenthood Advisory Coun-
cil, urged lawmakers to require public schools to offer sex V.+-C -noere havecausedanindestructiblegri-
education that promotes abstinence, but allows reproductive dlock in the U.S. Congress and a
counseling and contraceptives for sexually active students, about complaints propkdotwnstafotepoamenisyn
The plan suggests: tem.
-That the state should provide programs for teens who are I am writing as a angry regis-
pregnant and those who have children. tered voter. It seems that the ma-
- The state should provide comprehensive sex education for jority of people who are complain-
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The North Texas Daily (Denton, Tex.), Vol. 75, No. 77, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 25, 1993, newspaper, February 25, 1993; Denton, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1410399/m1/2/: accessed June 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.