University Press (Beaumont, Tex.), Vol. 64, No. 16, Ed. 1 Friday, November 13, 1987 Page: 3 of 6
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-fair-
Comment
UNIVERSITY PRESS November 13,1987*3
Action is needed,
not observation,
to fight problems
Something is rotten at
Lamar, but it is improving.
Despite the fact that Mike
Brezina, Student Government
Association vice president,
and Martin Shrode, public af-
fairs chairman, picked up
over 400 alcoholic beverage
containers in Lamar parking
lots last Saturday, Brezina
said the litter problem on
campus is actually getting
better.
After the issue came into
public light, Brezina said that
the trash problem was 100
percent better after the last
home game.
Part of the problem last
weekend was the West Brook-
Central high school football
game, which brought many
non-students to the campus.
“This is a high school
game,” Brezina said. “They
don’t know that we’re trying
to clean up our act.”
Litter on campus is not only
an eyesore to us and to
visitors, it is a potential
hazard to students.
For example, shattered
glass in the parking lot poses
a threat to tires and to bicycle
riders if they fall on it.
The SGA is looking into
having a sweeper come out
and clean the parking lots.
Though nothing is definite,
it is a move in the right direc-
tion.
Instead of complaining
about trash, some steps are
being taken to alleviate the
problem.
However, problems still re-
main, some of which are not
related to litter.
The covered walkways are
still leaking as they have been
for quite a few semesters
now. Even after the rain
stops, students often need
umbrellas so as not to get
drenched by the water com-
ing through the cracks at the
top.
Building plaques should be
cleaned — after all, they were
put there for a purpose as
Brezina pointed out.
Tree limbs and bushes in
the quadrangle need trimm-
ing so they will not snag so-
meone’s clothes or cause an
injury.
The walkways over Martin
Luther King Parkway should
be covered. Wet, cold, winter
weather is upon us, and there
is only a fence to protect
students from wind, rain and,
just in case, ice.
There are some places on
campus that could use more
lighting. Dark places create
potential dangers for all
students.
There is, to paraphrase
writer William Green, a
human instinct for group ac-
tion in dealing witn group pro-
blems.
Many of the issues men-
tioned above have been
brought to the attention of an
executive committee, which
is now studying them.
Let’s hope the committee
speaks the language of ac-
tion, not of observation.
Reagan’s errors cost
public in crucial times
And so once again Presi-
dent Reagan goes away from
a political battle licking his
wounds.
The dust from the nine-day
ordeal of Judge Douglas
Ginsburg has now settled, but
the storm clouds within the
Reagan administration are
still brewing.
We should look past the
marijuana question in this
political battle and look into
the problems this latest
defeat will pose for an already
embattled presidency.
Reagan has lost much
political clout recently, and
he has lost it at the wrong
time in this country’s history.
With Iranscam, the
Wedtech scandal, the Bork
nomination, the stock market
crash and now the Ginsburg
nomination, Reagan’s ad-
ministration is finding it hard
to turn around without being
confronted with another
revelation.
But the scary part of all this
is that this president still has
18 months in office. An 18
months that will be filled, ob-
viously, with tough decisions
and many compromises.
The U.S. government is cur-
rently laboring under an im-
mense federal deficit that
must be cut. Tough choices
are going to have to be made
in the budget battle that is
just around the corner.
In addition, the economy is
burdened with a trade deficit
that is growing, and Wall
Street is getting antsy about
the lack of fiscal responsibili-
ty in the government.
And there are still only
eight justices sitting on the
Supreme Court.
On the foreign policy front,
Reagan is negotiating for an
INF treaty with the Soviet
Union which could prove to
be the first step towards rid-
ding the world of nuclear
weapons.
The signs still point toward
peace breaking out in Central
America, and Reagan has
finally agreed to talk with the
Sandinistas. His bargaining
position cannot be helped by
the scandals at home.
U.S. Naval forces are still
active in the Persian Gulf, and
Congress is getting restless
for a solution to the tensions
between Iran and the U.S.
President Reagan has been
through much trouble in the
past months, but the future of
this country hangs in the
balance. Now is not the time
for him to hang up his hat. In-
stead, Reagan, and, yes, the
congressmen too, must begin
acting for the benefit of the
American people who elected
them.
We should all send a
message to Capitol Hill and
the President — scandals and
partisan politics aside, now is
the time for statesman-like
behavior.
‘Hipper than thou’
Reviewer’s comments elicit
readers’ critical responses
President
gets reacfy
for treaty
trim
By Helen Thomas
UPI columnist
WASHINGTON - White^ House
police swear by it. A full mopnwill
bring out the eccentric,,and they
seem to gravitate to the White House
northwest gate.
‘‘It’s uncanny,,’.’ fcaid one
policeman who has been in the pro-
tective service for years. Many of
the visitors, some with knapsacks,
some with letters, all would like to
see the president. Of course, that is
impossible. A lot of patience is re-
quired of the White House
policemen, and they seem to have it,
treating those Americans with
respect.
White House spokesman Marlin
Fitzwater is still puzzling somewhat
over his meeting with Soviet Foreign
Minister Eduard Shevardnadze —
well, maybe not.
When national security adviser
Frank Carlucci introduced Fitz-
water to Shevardnadze on the Soviet
top diplomat’s recent visit to
Washington, Shevardnadze shook
hands with Fitzwater and said: “I
know the name.”
Perhaps he was remembering a
couple of weeks ago when Soviet
leader Mikhail Gorbachev reneged
on holding a summit meeting (later,
he flip-flopped, and the summit is
on), Fitzwater caustically com-
mented that the Soviets were getting
“cold feet on peace.”
•
When the summit meeting, set for
Dec. 7 between President Reagan
and Gorbachev, was announced, the
president was asked whether he was
disappointed that Gorbachev had
limited his visit to about three days
and decided not to take a U.S.A.
cross-country tour.
The president replied: “Well,
maybe there could be another
meeting, that he would come purely
for that purpose and I would still like
to do that. Just as I know when he
discussed these two meetings in
Geneva, he suggested that there
might be things in the Soviet Union
that he would like to show me.”
“Like the Gulag,” a reporter quip-
ped.
Editor:
I was very amused by Brent
Snyder’s review of the Field Trip
concert at the Sigma Phi Epsilon
house. It was not the comments that
Mr. Snyder intended to be humorous
that made me laugh, however. It
was his own self-centered, hipper-
than-thou snotty attitude.
First, Brent, you seemed offended
that the fraternity would give the
band a list of requested songs to
play. Why? The band was hired to
perform at a party. Shouldn’t they
be expected to play some songs that
the audience likes, or at least that
the audience knows?
Secondly, you insult the fraternity
crowd for wanting to hear “cliched
frat-party songs” like “Louie,
Louie” and “Twist and Shout.” Did
you consider that Field Trip’s own
choice of covers included “Wild
Thing” (How old is that song,
Brent?) and Iggy Pop and the
Stooges’ “Search and Destroy,”
released 14 years ago?
Lastly, you insult the intelligence
of the sorority girl who thought the
Velvet Underground cover was an
R.E.M. song. This is not surprising
to me. R.E.M. plays plenty of VU
songs in concert and recorded three
of them for their “Dead Letter Of-
fice” album.
All of this is not to disparage you
or Field Trip or anyone else I’ve
mentioned. I’m sorry I missed the
show as Field Trip sounds like an in-
teresting band. But why do you call
them “alternative music”? Alter-
native to what? Jazz? Classical?
I like the Velvet Underground, and
all the other bands you mentioned.
So what? That doesn’t make me
cooler than anybody else. And it
doesn’t make you cooler either.
Cool people like who they want to
like and listen to who they want to
listen to.
Since I’ve opened my mind and
stopped cutting down music because
I think some group of people I don’t
like is listening to it, I’ve discovered
a lot of great stuff and met a lot of
neat people. You should do the same.
When everyone can jam together to
whatever’s being played we’ll all be
a lot better off.
And the next time you want to
make a comment about the size of
someone else’s hair, you should ex-
amine the size of your own head.
Your writing will “open up” as soon
as your mind does.
James Wood
Humble freshman
Letters to the editor
Editor:
Despite the setbacks of having a
liberal like Brent Snyder at our Skull
Bash party, it was a success. There
are a few inaccuracies and correc-
tions to be made in Brent’s so-called
review.
During the band’s sound check, we
requested that they turn the sound
down a bit to reduce the possibility
of complaints (which we received
anyway from two policemen). We
hired a band to entertain the crowd,
not what Brent’s “underground”
friends want to hear.
We added Field Trip’s name and
logo to all forms of advertisement
that we used (cups, flyers, posters,
etc.) but forgot to add them to the
party shirts. j
During a break in sets, a few peo-
ple danced on stage, but they did not
spill beer or knock over the equip-
ment that we let the band use.
Yes, some of the music Field Trip
played was new to us, but then
again, we aren’t all as “hip” as you,
Brent.
Field Trip has potential to become
very successful, but their efforts are
being hampered by Brent’s narrow
mind and infatuation with “big
hair.”
Sam Guseman
Beaumont Sophomore
P.S. Out of the 500 guests at the par-
ty, obviously 499 had fun.
Editor:
In the Nov. 4 issue of the Universi-
ty Press, the band Field Trip was
given a very favorable review by
reporter Brent Snyder.
As I read the article, I couldn’t
help but notice the subtle insults
directed toward the audience of
“dumbfounded” frat boys and “big
haired sorority girls.”
Frankly, I find such convenient
labeling to be facetious, child-like
and unprofessional, but more impor-
tantly this form of reporting may
have dealt a crucial blow to the
band’s image by insulting and
perhaps alienating a potentially
large audience.
I was one who attended the Sigma
Phi Epsilon Skull Bash, and I found
the audience quite enthused and
receptive to the band’s presentation
of both cover songs and originals.
This review, however, has proved
to sour many of these same listeners
to the idea of hiring Field Trip for
future engagements.
As for myself, I found Field Trip to
be a fabulous change of pace. As for
Mr. Synder, I cringe to think what
might be in store for bands he
dislikes.
David Thibodeaux
Beaumont senior
Editor:
I take exception to your editorial
about Ed Meese found in the Nov. 6
issue. Meese is not lucky, heis simp-
ly not guilty of any wrong doing.
If there is anyone in Washington
who has been investigated more
times than Mr. Meese, I would like
to hear about it. Yet in each in-
vestigation, the charges are shouted
loudly by the Kennedys, Bidens and
Wrights, but they say nothing when
the investigation is dropped for lack
of credence.
Your editorial has the assumption
of where there’s smoke there’s fire,
but in this country, everyone is inno-
cent until proven guilty (unless you
are a non-liberal being attacked by
liberals).
Mr. Meese is not the most in-
telligent public servant we have had
in Washington, elected or appointed,
but Washington is not noted for its
intelligent people. Therefore, like all
the others, he should be forgiven his
“not-so-smart” mistakes and allow-
ed to enjoy the remaining year of his
appointment without the carping of
the liberals.
Mark Hamilton
Port Arthur graduate student
The UP student management
welcomes letters to the editor. They
will be run on Friday’s editorial
page as space permits. Letters
should be typed and double spaced.
All letters must be signed. Students
must give their hometown and
classification. Faculty and staff
must give their job titles. The
editorial page staff reserves the
right to edit letters for length, gram-
mar and material that could be
potentially libelous.
Actually, Reagan had hoped to
show off a bit, taking the Kremlin
leader to a model Iowa farm, to a
factory and to show them all those
“swimming pools” in the backyards
of ordinary folks.
He also wanted to invite Gor-
bachev to his mountaintop ranch
near Santa Barbara, Calif., to im-
press on him the simplicity of his
own little five-room adobe house
that is heated with two fireplaces.
Mostly, Reagan had hoped that
Gorbachev would make a good com-
parison between the socialistic
system and the capitalistic system.
Whan the president visited China,
he saw the trends toward
capitalism, and he was on the right
track.
When he goes to Moscow next spr-
ing, perhaps, he may not see such
trends as pronounced as on
mainland China, but he will see Gor-
bachev trying to move a stagnant
economy by permitting more enter-
prise, or so it appears from the
Soviet leader’s speech on the 70th
anniversary of the Bolshevik
Revolution.
UNIVERSITY PRESS
Editor ................
Managing Editor.....
News Editor...........
Sports Editor ........
Photo Editor..........
Copy Editor ..........
Photographer.........
Entertainment Writer .
____Steven Ford
.. Bryan Murley
.. .Evelyn Hawn
. Danny Bledsoe
... Lyra Katena
____Karen Davis
.....Drek Reese
...Brent Snyder
Stall Writers................Marlene Auster,
Patti Baker, Tina Freeman,
Tracey Granger, Tammee LeVieux,
Earnest Moore, Leah Russell,
Stephanie Russell, Jake Smith,
Terry Ward, Brad Wills
Advertising Assistants ......Martha EnsjQw,
Antionette Kelly
Circulation Manager............Darrell Ford
Office Assistants................Dung Phs$n,
Anh Pham, Parisima Dolatkhani
Marketing Representative
Elaine Butler
Production Manager
Gloria Post
Assistant Director of Student Publications
Louise Wood
Director of Student Publications
Howard Perkins
Publisher
Students Publication Board
Ann Shaw, Chairman
The University Press is the official student
newspaper of Lamar University, and is
published every Wednesday and Friday dur-
ing long semesters, excluding holidays and
Wednesdays immediately following holidays.
Offices are located at P.O. Box 10055, 200
Setter Student Center, University Station,
Beaumont, Texas 77710.
Opinions expressed in editorials and col-
umns are those of the student management of
the newspaper. These opinions are not
necessarily those of the university administra-
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Ford, Steven. University Press (Beaumont, Tex.), Vol. 64, No. 16, Ed. 1 Friday, November 13, 1987, newspaper, November 13, 1987; Beaumont, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth500302/m1/3/: accessed July 10, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Lamar University.