Che Battalion
Texas
A&M
University
Volume 61
COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS FRIDAY, MARCH 19, 1965
Number 154
Frosh Raise
Nation-Wide
Test Ranking
A “significant” rise in scores
of A&M University freshmen on
nationally-standardized tests is
reported. The trend is revealed
in a newly-released evaluation
of scores made by entering fresh
men of recent years.
University officials also cite
the rank in high school classes of
these freshmen. More than 80
per cent of the students entering
this academic year ranked in the
top half of their high school
class.
“The trends of higher rank in
high school class and higher
scores on aptitude tests at A&M
definitely indicate the new fresh
man is of much higher caliber
than his counterpart of 15 or 20
years ago,” Dr. W. J. Graff said.
“These trends, coupled with
the emphasis at A&M on excel
lence in teaching and the im
proved academic facilities, mean
added strength for the academic
program,” the dean of instruction
said.
A&M officials agree with na
tional testing authorities that
there is no single method or
test for precisely predicting an
individual’s subsequent academic
performance. But all feel that
high school class rank plus re
sults of the nationally-standard
ized tests provide solid informa
tion.
“Since 1949 the percentage of
students entering A&M with rank
in the upper half of their high
school class has steadily increased
from about 60 percent to more
than 80 percent,” Dean Graff
said. “As far as high school
rank in class can measure aca
demic excellence, the A&M fresh
men were about average in 1949.
The trend tow'ard higher rank
in high school class has been
noted at other universities but
the dean said “a sudden spurt”
Loan Association
Gets Approval
The First Federal Savings &
Loan Association Thursday re
ceived official notice of its ac
ceptance by the Federal Home
Loan Bank System.
“This makes our association
fully operative,” Glynn A. (Bud
dy) Williams Jr., president said.
"Now we can accept deposits for
savings accounts and make home
loans.”
Offices of the only federally-
chartered association are located
at 2913 Texas Ave. in Bryan.
“I wish to sincerely thank the
more than 350 charter members
who provided more than $500,063
capital to form this new associa
tion,” Williams said.
commencing in 1961 held special
meaning for A&M.
“A steady increase” in the
scores of A&M freshmen of cer
tain nationally-standardized tests
also is apparent. The university
began using the College Entrance
Examination Boards exclusively
in 1961. Prior to that time, the
School and College Ability Test,
another nationally - recognized
examination, was used.
“Since 1957 the scores have
steadily increased until the pre
sent average score (the 1964 en
tering class) is at the 60 per
centile rank compared to the na
tional average,” Dean Graff said.
This means that the A&M fresh
men rank above 60 percent of
those taking the tests.
The improvements in high
school class rank and scores on
the national tests, coupled with
improved teaching, hold im
portant advantages to A&M’s
future the dean noted. An exam
ple is that a greater share of
the students likely will enter
graduate and professional schools.
Testing Center
Conducting Poll
Of Area Girls
The Counseling and Testing
Center is presently conducting a
study to find out how many fe
males in the area would attend
A&M if barriers were lifted.
Dean of Instruction W. J. Graff
said the study is being made upon
the request of the Board of Di
rectors. Graff said the results
should be completed within a
month.
The information will be present
ed to President Earl Rudder and
the Board of Directors.
Graff said IBM cards were ad
dressed to be returned and were
distributed to grade schools. He
said the cards had postal permit
numbers so the cards could be
mailed back as a card, to those
conducting the study.
The survey attempts to research
two areas. The first will research
last years’ graduating seniors and
where they are now attending
school, and a survey of junior and
senior girls in high schools in the
area.
The second part of the research
will poll women who graduated
before 1964. Graff said that the
IBM cards distributed in the grade
schools would be taken home to
the students’ parents.
The parents would give the name
of female relatives who might en
roll at A&M.
8 Student Posts Filled
Run-Offs To Determine
13 Class Offices Thursday
Mistaken Identities
Pictured above are the two sets of onstage twins that are
key factors in The Aggie Players’ “The Comedy of Errors.”
Standing, left to right, are Jordan A. Brooks and Terry
Mayfield. Below are Thomas Avant and Bud Franks. (See
review, Page 2.)
Eight positions were decided
Thursday in the Student Elections
and 13 positions will be decided
in run-offs Thursday.
A total of 1,586 votes were
cast in the election.
For president of the class of
1966, Narciso Cano and Jack R.
Fickessen will be in a run-off.
Thomas R. Hargrove and Marion
H. Tindall will meet in the run
off for the position of vice-presi
dent.
The secretary-treasurer for ’66
will be decided between Charles T.
McGinnis III and Louis Sabayrac.
Other positions for the Class
of ’66: social-secretary was won
by Harris Pappas. John D. Gaden
Jr., will meet Charles A. Mella
in the run-off for historian.
Joseph K. Bush was elected head
Fish Drill Team
Competes At LSU
The Freshman Drill Team will
compete Saturday in the South
ern Invitational Drill Meet at
Louisiana State University and
will host the first annual A&M
Invitational Meet March 27.
The cadets will be among 10
drill teams expected to attend the
meet in Louisiana. Teams will
represent schools in four states.
Teams from nine colleges and
universities have accepted invita
tions to participate in the meet
scheduled at A&M. Officials
expect approximately 300 cadets
to represent the nine teams.
The first annual meet at A&M
will be held on the main drill
field. An inspection at 8:15 a.m.
will begin the competition and
the meet will continue through
basic and fancy drills.
Eight trophies will be awarded
to winners. In addition to a
large trophy for the winner in
all phases of competition, there
will be trophies for teams scor-
Student Solons Ask Change
In Entertainment Office
A resolution recommending
that the office of entertainment
chairman be put under the Mem
orial Student Center Directorate
for appointment instead of being
elected by the senior class was
passed by the Student Senate
Thursday night.
The resolution would replace
the Senior Class office of en
tertainment chairman with a
concessions manager, an office
previously appointed by the class
president.
The resolution will be given
to the Executive Committee of
the Academic Council for ap
proval. It will not affect the
election of entertainment chair
man for the class of '66.
“The Town Hall Committee is
under the MSC Directorate in all
ways except that the chairman
is elected by the senior class,”
said Robert Boone, supervisor of
the Town Hall program. All
other chairmanships are chosen
by a panel and judged on ability.
The present system requires
Cards Are Ready
For Who’s Who
A&M students selected to appear
in the 1964-65 edition of “Who’s
Who Among Students in American
Universities and Colleges” are
urged to pick up their certificates.
Certificates may be obtained
at the office of the Dean of Stu
dents, Room 209, of the YMCA.
Building.
the MSC to screen candidates for
entertainment chairman before
they may stand for election.
In other Senate action, Bill
Altman, welfare chairman, said
that the Aggie Blood Drive will
be held April 7-8 in the basement
of the MSC.
Pre-registration will be con
ducted near the MSC post office
March 30-April 2.
Altman brought up the possi
bility of opening the drive to
all members of the faculty and
staff of the university; and ap
proval of members of the Senate
was voiced.
Charles Wallace, chairman of
the Election Commision said the
commission was considering a $1
fee for replacing lost voting
cards.
ing high in inspection and drill.
The Association of Former Fish
Drill Team Members is sponsor
ing the meet.
Teams that have accepted invi
tations for the March 27 compe
tition include Arlington State,
Sam Houston State, West Texas
State, Texas A&I, University of
Houston, Hardin-Simmons, Uni
versity of Texas, A&M Southern
University and A&M College,
Baton Rouge.
Army and Marine Corps repre
sentatives will judge the teams.
The drill team will march in
San Antonio’s Fiesta Flambeau
parade on April 24 and will ap
pear on May 1 in Corpus Christi.
“The team this year is small,
but it looks good,” Calvin Reese,
one of the sponsors, said. Other
sponsors are Air Force Maj.
Thomas F. Hines and Army Capt.
John L. Lorms.
Members of the drill team have
at least a “C” average in their
studies. Several are listed as
Distinguished Students .
Malon Southerland is the presi
dent of the Association of Former
Drill Team Members. He said
other teams may still join in the
competition to be held at A&M.
2 Debaters Added
To Tourney Team
Two additional A&M debaters
have been named to participate in
the Southwest Conference Tourna
ment Friday and Saturday on the
Texas Christian University cam
pus.
Newly-announced as the team to
represent A&M with the negative
proposal in the seven rounds are
Karl L. Rubinstein and Sam S.
Henry Jr.
Rubinstein, from San Antonio, is
a senior majoring in English. He
serves as adjutant of the Fourth
Group Staff.
Henry is a junior majoring in
government. He is a technical ser
geant on the Fourth Battalion
Staff.
yell leader. Also elected was Tif-
ton Simmons Jr.
Roy L. May and Russel Stein
outpolled Michael Beck for Mem
orial Student Center Council Rep
resentative.
Michael Nabors won the stu
dent entertainment manager posi
tion over Robert W. Owen.
Four posts were filled in the
class of ’67 elections. Three will
be decided by run-offs.
Mark C. Berry won the social
secretary post over Rex O. Grey.
William R. Hindman will handle
the MSC council representative
post.
Also decided was the yell lead
er race. Thomas C. Stone and
Rayford R. Carey won.
Run-offs will include president,
vice-president and secretary-trea
surer. William W. Gordon and
Donald J. Matocha will vie for the
presidental post, Eddie Joe Davis
and Neal C. Ward for the vice-
president and Harold C. Schade
and Robert J. Meyers for secre
tary treasurer.
All races for the class of '68
will be decided in the run-off.
Jack R. Coleman and Bennie G.
Mays will compete for president,
Neal W. Adams and Stephen E.
Menczer for vice-president and
Wayne J. Baird and Henry G.
Cisneros for secretary-treasurer.
Social-secretary - will be between
John Daly and Lee Horton and the
MSC Council post between Donald
L. Allen and Clyde R. Westbrook.
TV Program Set
By Singing Cadets
The Singing Cadets, men’s choral
group at A&M, will participate in
a statewide television special on
KHOU-TV, channel 11, in mid-
May.
The cadets will join outstanding
college talent from all over the
state in the “Talent ‘65” presenta
tion.
A TV production crew with mo
bile tape-camera unit will record
the Singing Cadets performance
Monday on the steps in front of
the Coke Building.
Robert Boone, director of the
group, will supervise the musical
production.
The hour-long special will be
sponsored by Southwestern Bell
Telephone Company.
This week groups from the Uni
versity of Texas and Baylor Uni
versity are being recorded. Fol
lowing the College Station visit,
the unit will move on to Sam Hous
ton State Teachers College, South
ern Methodist University and Tex
as Christian University. Other
schools are also scheduled to parti
cipate.
jPII
Candid Comments On Current Crises
‘Super’ Campus Government Given Varied Support
Question: Do you favor a consolidation of all student governments into a single body?
TOM ROSENSTEIN
Sophomore, Spring Branch
I believe in two separate student
body governments—one repre
senting the Corps and one the
Civilians. These two governing
bodies would then be responsible
to a major body which would
weigh the views of the two
separate bodies equally and
develop a subsequent opinion.
This opinion would then repre
sent the complete student body.
BOB NICHOLAS
Senior, Dallas
Maybe this is what our student
body needs. I don’t know. If
this was done perhaps the efforts
of our student leaders could be
coordinated to work as a team,
not just for the Corps or Civil
ians. I do believe, however, that
the student body as a whole de
serves a lot more power in
school government than it has
now.
EUGENE SUPAK
Freshman, Fayetteville
I do favor consolidation of the
various governing student bodies
into one. I feel that one united
student body could function with
much more efficiency. A united
student governing body could
consolidate the ideas and opin
ions of the separate groups and
in this way decisions could be
reached based on the greater ma
jority.
MELVIN BEYER
Junior, Sinton
I think the consolidation of the
small councils would be more
beneficial to the students of
A&M. This would centralize the
government plus prevent con
flicting opinions between coun
cils. The only drawback is that
some offices would be closed for
many students wishing to run.
RICHARD J. MERGEN
Sophomore, El Paso
In my opinion there should be
three bodies. There should be
a body consisting of only Corps
personnel and one having only
Civilians. Then, there should be
a body that has both the Corps
and Civilians represented. With
this set up, the two lower bodies
could pass resolutions to the
combined body and this body
could rule on the decisions.
THOMAS I. BROWN III
Junior, Bishop
I believe that all the individual
student councils should be re
organized into one governing
body. This would allow a more
efficient way of governing the
students. It would also prevent
the policies of one group from
conflicting with other groups.
A more efficient governing body
would provide for a better stu
dent body.
JACK E. MYERS
Sophomore, Cleveland
I do not think that combining
the different student govern
ments would be a good idea be
cause some of the people on
those positions do not really
know very much about the func
tions of the other organizations.
A student who has never been
in the Corps would know very
little about its functions. This
also applies to a Corps member
serving on a Civilian governmen
tal body.