The J-TAC (Stephenville, Tex.), Ed. 1 Thursday, September 27, 1990 Page: 3 of 8
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the J-TAC/Thursday, September 27, 199()/Pag<> 3
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Truth exposed with question
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If clothes make the man, then
what arc we when we ate naked?
A good Mend, Sherman Pow-
ers, of mine once asked me that, and
I don't think I ever came up with an
answer that I really liked.
What are we when we're naked?
By some standards we arc the
most sinful, shame-filled, evil beasts
to ever walk the planet We should
hide our bodies away and forego
things of the flesh,
By other standards, we are the
most beautiful, art-filled, wonder-
ous creatures conceivable. The
human body is the perfection of struc-
ture and balance, with symmetry as
its crowning glory.
Walking across campus on an
average day, looking around, watch-
ing the world around me, I see bodies
that make me look two or sometimes
three times, although the term "geo-
metric wonder" rarely crosses my
mind.
I see women who make me for-
get my name. Men, you know who
I mean, I'm talking about the ones
who you ALWAYS trip in front of,
drop your books as soon as you are
within ten feet of them. The ones
that you get introduced to on the day
before you do laundry, when all you
have <si is a pair of okl sweats and a
"Where the HELL is my underwear?"
T-shirt, or you get to talk to her, and
as you walk away, somebody tells
you that your zipper is down.
I also see people on campus that
I never stopped to look at before.
ft
I have to assume that he did not mean
for me to analyze his question so
intently, but I did.
I just rephrased it a little: "What
are we when we have nothing to hide
behind?"
What am I, when I can't sit up
here in my office at 2:00 am, listen-
ing to Lenny Kravitz, trying to get
something inside of me to appear on/
a video display terminal so that 6000
students and several hundred faculty
members can decide if what I write
has any merit?
When it comes right down to it,
I pour my heart out to a computer and
let 6000 and several hundred people
examine and judge me, and the only
justification I can find is that I want
people to know what I feel and be-
lieve.
If clothes make the man, then
what are we when we're naked?"
People who 1 didn't see very often,
and noticed even less. I realize now
that I was made less for not knowing
them, but by nature, I didn't actively
try to concentrate on seeing every-
one.
My friend's question made me
put my observation skills into per-
spective.
"What are we when we're
naked?" he asked.
My friend is at times wise, but
he is not a Zen master sitting on a
remote peak, dealing out wisdom, so
Maybe, I believe that my words
will also be your words. Maybe, I
believe that someone will feel a
kinship to me and not feel alone, and
I hope that the rest of you won't laugh
too hard,
I have at times had a reputation
as being a humorous columnist, at
other times, a columnist who related
to his readers, and still at other times,
a columnist who really sucked, but
when it cranes right down to it, when
I'm naked, I'm just another student.
I look too much at the clothes
and not enough at the person. I see
the body but not the sail. Do we ever
really look at each other?
My good friend, L.H. Harris,
told me once that he liked to read my
columns because they made him
laugh. When I write, I really look
inside myself, and lately I find it
hard to be funny when I realize that
one of my best friends is in a hospital
300 miles away, but I can do iL
Why are there locks on a 7-11?
What we the New Kids On the
Block going io call themselves in five
years? (unemployed hopefully)
Where do rubber bands come
from?
Why does McDonald's have a
basement?
/ have so many spiders in my
bathroom that it looks like a scene
from Arachnaphobia.
My roaches are so big that when
I come home, they are trying on my
cloths, and playing my records. 1 left
a grocery list on my table one night
and in the morning there were two
more items on the list; Beer, and a
Roach Motel with a pool.
(I'm just kidding about the spi-
de« and the roaches, I like my apart-
ment just fine)
It's that easy to put on a mask.
Sometimes, I can't even keep track
of who I really am, and I wonder who
those people that I never meet are.
Question: What are we when
we're naked?
Answer: Just people.
Pmanuel Alvear is Editor in
Chief of the J-TAC.
Moving forward
Priorities focus as year begins
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cure the ills of our society.
Our economic system and
our tax burdens (especially here in
Texas) need your fresh ideas and
energy. Our social values and
150 and you're a mere youth of
100.
In summary, let me say that
this is both the finest and toughest
part of your life. You're here a
t witli banquet material! ..
I stilt to-
banquet,-, material! member thalime we .wetie ainuug
for Canyon,.which is alxm ft) miles "
It's always difficult to
refocus your attention on what's
important about your list of
priorities in a new year at college.
The fact that each of your
professors thinks that the course
you registered for under them is the
only three hours you'll be taking
this year. Oh well, perhaps you
can overcome that. Let's see, what
worked best last year?
Grandmother's funeral, dental
appointment, and there's always the
flu.
You promised yourself to
get more involved with campus
activities. Maybe you'll even run
for student government. That
would take at least one night at
Bostock's and Thursday night at
The Dodge House. Decisions,
1 ecisions. They make one so tired.
Maybe you need to take the first of
those three cuts you planned for
each class tomorrow and sleep in.
That way, your mind will be clear
and you can make an attainable plan
for the semester.
Seriously, you iare facing
some tough choices. Not only in
your college career, but choices and
opportunities you are opening up
for the future just by being here. It
is obvious that you are talented in
comparison to your peers. They
idn't get in or chose to go it
without the powerful ally one gets
with higher education.
This is the era of
information where the United States
has shifted its priorities - from
selling manufactured goods to
selling information and technology
to the world. A degree becomes
ever more important to your ability
to survive. It's not the ultimate
cure-all for your future, but it does
prove that you have the ability to
gather information and follow a
plan for at least four or five years of
your life.
Those of us who have been
out there in the corporate wilderness
can tell you very quickly that a
degree opens a lot of doors, but
when the door opens you have to
produce to climb that corporate
ladder.
There are other
responsibilities that go with the
"sheepskin" you're pursuing. This
is not an attempt to depress your
pursuit of education. It's only a
reminder that most of us have
wrestled with these or similar
problems. We helped solve a few
and helped create some more.
Perhaps that's why we're here with
you now. We're optimistic enough
to think that by spending our time
with you we can influence you to
carry on the good fight to try and
of each and every one of you.
Our political systems,
especially on the domestic front,
make me long for another way to
be represented. We've made giant
strides in our foreign policy. It was
beyond my comprehension when I
was a student to think that we as a
nation could ally with Russia on
any common goal.
The possibility of a
shooting war is perhaps the
blackest immediate threat we face.
I have lived and served through
several of those. They become
personal overnight. Two of my
students and numerous friends died
in Vietnam. It's difficult for me
to justify their loss even today.
There have already been 16
American casualties in Desert
Shield and we're only staging
troops. The thought of a hot war
makes me shudder.
Our generations have made a
lasting impact through medical
technology. There are still a
million frontiers unconquered and
untouched. AIDS and cancer may
be the two most threatening. I
hope one of you has the answer or
can help find a cure. The advent of
genetic engineering gives rise to
predictions of immortality. If that
comes to pass, I want all of you to
be as educated and socialized as
possible. I may be beyond help; so
if I have to live with you forever, I
want you to be prepared to shoulder
some of this burden. I want to be
the one at Bostock's and The Dodge
House on Thursday night when I'm
choice is yours," Most of these
choices will affect you. Some of
them will affect me. Make them
wisely.
Charles Reynolds is Advisor
for The J-TAC.
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T S U c
<^Texans for a Safe University
CRIME OF THE WEEK
FOR WEEK OF
THE ROOM THIEVES ARE BACK!
Each semester there seems to be those that can't stand to see money laying around.
Crime Stoppers would like to catch some of these thieves.
The crime of the week involves a burglary of room #203 in Lewis Hall. Robyn Young
left her purse in the room to go register on Wednesday, August, 28 at about I PM.
She returned at approximately 3 PM and found that someone had taken some
money from her purse.
I
Campus Crime Stoppers would like to identify the thieves and get Robyn's money
back. If you have any information on this case, call and make Robyn's day.
9/24/90 - 9/30/90
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the Winner!! ;
If you have information that could help solve the above crime,
Crime Stoppers wants to reward you for your help.
REWARD REQUIREMENTS .
FELONY CASES - The offender must be arrested and Grand Jury Indictment issued for same.
MISDEMEANOR CASES - The offender must be arrested and complaint and information filed by the
County Attorney or referral to the Dean of Students at Tarleton State University for administrative
discipline.
CRIME STOPPERS will pay you up to $1,000 on felony crimes and up to
$100 on misdemeanor crimes.
CALL 965-CASH
PERSONS INELIGIBLE FOR REWARD
Peace Officers or members of their immediate family.
Members of the Crime Stoppers Board or members of their immediate family.
Any pany to the crime being reported or a member of their immediate family.
INVESTIGATOR, RANDALL DOLLOFF
T. S. U. CRIME STOPPERS COORDINATOR
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The J-TAC (Stephenville, Tex.), Ed. 1 Thursday, September 27, 1990, newspaper, September 27, 1990; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth141735/m1/3/: accessed May 3, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Tarleton State University.