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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (May 28, 1953)
Page 2 THE BATTALION Thursday, May 28, 1953 A&M Is One-Dress College (Continued from Page 1) One does need, however, an at mosphere at college which will encourage a person to seek for him self the life he plans to live. Why should a college lie to a person by letting him believe he is equal to others ? Why should it continue to parade gallantly before the masses on weekends and special events, while at other times show minimum attention to military af fairs ? Why say it is a military school when in tnith it is merely a college decked-out in one type of suit? Isn’t it more truthful to say it is a regimented college—both in at mosphere and clothes ? Not Just Coed This does not mean, however, that A&M should be a coeducation al institution. I think it will come. The sooner the better because the cost will be less now than tomor row. It also will provide a more healthy attitude—both for educa tional and social purposes. When the coeducational issue was raised in the Legislature, the college was rocking with various opinions yet no one ever obtained the correct attitude of the stu dents. Actually, this isn’t neces sary. When the college decides to go coed, it will not bother to ask the students. If there was an all-girls school, or a coeducational college nearby, or if A&M was nearer large city, there would be less of a necessity that A&M be coed. However, even the college’s ob jectives seem to favor coeduca tion. One of the objectives reads: “To provide an environment for student bodies comparable to that which usually prevails in the sub stantial Texas homes from which these students come ...” Objectives, Objectives I am aware that the objectives growth of his own human mind and spirit enriches and graces all his social experience. We are not at college to become mere scholars, nor to become military heroes, but through some measure of scholar ship to become better persons. We are here to become studious toward learning all the ways which in creasingly will help us attack life eagerly and with constructive power—and not merely to make “the dollar.” This is from The Education Forum. I believe it stresses points which A&M has failed to achieve. “ . . . We need to stress the valuable place of college life out side the classroom in the total educational experience. It is im possible to separate the cultiva tion of the mind and of the feel ings, of the intellectual and emotional aspects of our natures. We should like ideally to be always thinging with eager zest, and to be feeling and desiring with some coherence and pur pose. “Beyond the classroom in the other activities which crowd each student’s calendar, the aspects of how deeply you feel and about what, of how well one re lates oneself co-operatively and happily to other people—all this becomes most important to knowing one’s own self as a growing person. “To become able to get along better with more kinds and con ditions of people, to extend one’s sympathy, tolerance, understand ing and love, to apply oneself responsibly to doing a job well without thought of reward, to be sensitized to more kinds of beauty—all this college life in all its human relations is design-< ed to further. “And these ways are learned not only through what you study but also through how you live here as an alert social being.” A&M Different also call fox- “supei’ioi* instx-uction . . . . a sti'ong and effective system of militai'y ti'aining fox- male stu dents . . .” Perhaps these are ob jectives merely in the true mean ing of the woi’d. Many, many students believe the answer is the building of an all , uge boards> con tinually ovexwork girl school nearer and by the col- our Wet;™ other persons and A&M diffex-s from other colleges m many ways. To say other stu dents ax-e angels or devils is absux-d. They eat goldfish, dx-ive hearses, have pantie raids, dxink beex- and chase women. We also lege whereby the females would use the same available classroom facilities with the construction of othei-s to help present a well- x-ounded px-ogi-am. A&M is one of the few land grant colleges, — the only one I know—whex-e home economics not taught. It is txue that A&M is the headquax-tex-s for the home economics extension services. Besides helping the college, co education would help the sux-round- ing community. At any rate, the chui'ches could return to their x-e- ligions, leaving the advex-tising of “girls, gii'ls, gix-ls” to all points south. But whether ox* not A&M be comes a coeducational institution is not for ax-gument, nor my de- sii’e. It will come. Evex-yone’s objective I believe, remains that A&M should be first and fox-emost an educational insti tution and not necessaxily “the lax-gest militax-y school in the world.” How this phi-ase ixks me. A&M is the home of veterinax-y medicine in Texas; it px-oduces about 30 excellent px-e-dental and pre-med students each yeax* fox- schools of medicine; it has done a tx-emendous amount of x-eseax-ch -which has proved beneficial to the state and the world; it has a good, sound, physical plant which is cap able of producing educated pex-sons of the highest caliber; and many other benefits; but it continues to claim fii'st and fox-emost, the Max-s- like statement of “the largest mili tary school in the world.” College life is a labox-atoi-y in which each one tests how the eqtxng otner per leax-n the necessity fox- a hypo- cx-ite’s smile in living one with the other. Take the “friendliness” of the campus: How many visitox-s ax*e told, when they comment on how fx-iendly evex-yone is, that every one is made to speak, except the seniors, and many seniox-s rax-ely speak. It’s their px-ivilege not to. How many times have visitox-s been told that evex-yone wildcats and goes to yell px-actices (except the seniox-s for many do not go), because they are made to go ? Can anyone tx-uthfully say that this is building the entexpx-ising, free thinking All-Amex-ican this countx-y boasts so much about? For two yeaxs, A&M men ax-e told when to eat, sleep, drink, max-ch, study and must get passes for the othex* natural effects. If these ax-e normal conditions for matux-ing pexson, then this person must be abnormal in the beginning. Secret Frat Rats And on the subject of Aggie fel lowship. What about the secx-et fraternities which have been in existence since 1905, so far as I know, and attempting to x-un— many, many times successfully the elections and the corps promotions ? I don’t believe that anyone can imagine the contxoversy, distxust, and ill will which these frateraities have caused on this campus. I must say I’m paxtly x-esponsible for try ing to bring them out into the open. But thex-e was a big x-ock in the x'oad and that stx*eet cleanei' was stopped. A&M made some px-ogress to stop the fx-atexmities’ powex* with the intxoduction of secret ballot elections. Inevitable foi-mation of political parties on the campus will help iricx-ease the strength of free elections. Another sti’ess on campus life, unknown to many, is the ever active possibility of trouble be cause of oux- athletics. A&M men cannot seem to re member that education comes first and athletics second. However, I admire the stand that was taken recently by the Boaid of Directors in alloting the money to inci'ease the size of the stadium instead of using the funds, as a few suggest ed, to solicit and buy winning athletic teams. Comes The Revolution Mox-e and better classrooms, however, ax-e needed before mox-e wox-k is done on our athletic sys tem. With the completion of the new field house and stadium, the athletic plant should be complete. I hope that athletics can x-emain a sport and not because a curriculum of the college nox- a business. With the coming increase in en rollment during the next ten years, A&M will change. It will change for the best. Although many times it will seem like a x-everse motion to many of the former students, I look with enthusiasm fox- next year’s revolt and what it bx-ings. I believe it will result in a better A&M. Goal Exceeds Blood Drive For First Time The Southeast Texas De fense Blood Center exceeded its weekly quota for the first time, announced Dr. Ray mond O. Dart, medical di rector of the Beaumont center. The quota for the week of May 11-18 was 1,200 pints. However, dux-ing this period 1,305 pints were collected. “This recox-d was achieved at a three-pi-onged operation in Bry an,” Dr. Dax-t said. The bloodmobile collected 562 pints in A&M, 230 pints in Bryan, and 513 pints at Bryan Air Force Base. The Bx-yan visit was for one day only, while the other visits were for two days. Di\ Dax-t also px-aised the large number of donations in a lettei" to Harry Boyer who handled the drive at the college. His letter read in pax-t: “. . . Our staff I'eports that they never had mox-e competent volun- teex- assistants ox- a sixioothex- x-un- ning operation. Your accomplish ments on those days ai-e all the more noteworthy because of the sevex-e storm which occurred dui-- ing these days.” The past school yeax-, mox-e than 1,000 pints of blood were given at A&M the four days the blood- mobile was here. LETTERS TO THE EDITORS Students Creating Democracy and W r ong J ustice Editors, The Battalion: If there is to be anothex- issue of The Battalion I would appre ciate your printing this answer- to Elbex-t Little, Iowa Paxk. Local Bible School Will Open in June The A&M Church of Chx-ist will start its annual Vacation Bible School the first week of June. The one week school will be from 9 a. m. to 11 a. m. each day and will consist of two Bible study periods with a recess between. James F. Fowler, minister of the chux-ch, will conduct a 15 minute assembly at 9 a. m. each day for all classes except the pi'e-school children. Mrs. B. A. Hardaway will be in charge of the assembly for all px-e- school pupils. She will also teach a class for kindergarden age chil- di-en. Classes for people of all ages will be px-ovided, Fowler said. He will conduct a class for adults in the Chuxch auditoxium on the Book of James. His letter can be easily sum marized. “Students, anytime you do not like something start de- stx-oying your institution, defying legal authoxity, and ex-eating bit terness and resentment. There will then be democracy and justice fox- all.” Who wants that kind of demo- cx-acy and equality ? Mi-. Little, evex-y student who at tends A&M College has had ample opportunity to learn what type of college it is; has exex-cised his light of choice; and freely and voluntax-ily signed a promise to up hold the x-ules and i-egulations of the college and the corps. Px-oper provisions ax-e made by the college and the coxps for hear ing complaints, x-eports, and re commendations, and for making Air Force Bases Prepare For Biggest Summer Camp Nursery Short Course Planned for June 1-3 The short coui-se for Commercial Nurserymen will be held hex-e June 1-3. A. F. DeWerth, head of the floxiculture and landscape archi tecture depax-tment, will preside over the shox-t course, which is sponsored by the depaxtment. Px-epax-ations for the lax-gest summer camp program in the AF- ROTC’s history are now being made at 61 Air Force bases thxoughout the United States, ac cording to a release from the AF- ROTC Headquarters in Montgom ery, Ala. The bases will be the camp-sites for the four week programs in which appx-oximately 17,000 cadets from 209 institutions will partici pate as pax-t of their foux--year AFROTC txaining. The majoi-ity of the cadets take -the summer camp training between their jun ior and seniox- yeaxs in college. Most of the „qamp9 start process ing the students June 22, while some bases also plan to inn sec ond camps beginning July 20 and 27. Headquarters AFROTC For the first time, the AFROTC summer camp program will be un der the jurisdiction of the newly cxeated Headquarters AFROTC, of the Air University, located in Montgomex-y, Ala. Last year’s piogram was under the supexvis- ion of the Continental Air Com mand. For many of the cadets, the summer camp will be their first taste of militax-y life. A 16-hour px-ocessing and ox-ientation period, in which the students will be given a complete medical examination, will take place the first day of camp. The AFROTC cadets dur ing the encampment will be given the same status x-egax-ding accom modations, past exchange privi leges and social aspects as West Point cadets insofar as base facil ities will permit. The 188-hour training progx-am in camp will be a busy one for the cadets, xvith primary emphasis on oxdenting the students towax-d a better understanding of the main weapon of the Air Force, the air craft, and its place in the Aix- Force mission. Development of leader ship qualities in the cadets Avill draw constant emphasis through out the four-week encampment. Discipline and Customs Ti’aining- in military coux-tesy, discipline, customs of the service and beax-ing and appearance will also be stx-essed. Aircrew and aircraft indoctrin ation training will occupy more of the cadets’ time than any other block of instruction, with training in drill, voice and exex-cise of com mand x-unning a close second. Ox-ientation flights in vai’ious types of military aircraft, airex-aft ! inspection, aix-craft equipment and mockups, navigation techniques and flight planning are some of the aspects of the aircraft indoc trination which the cadets will x-e- ceive. Cadets will be rotated in com mand positions as much as possible during the four-week pex-iod as a part of the leadership and drill phases of the operation. Drill will be held at squad, flight and squad- ron levels and instruction in the security px-actices of an Air Force Base, such as Officer of the Day, Officer of the Guax-d and Airdrome Officers xvill also be given. Other sediicfhs of thfe tx-aining program will include: Weapons and mai-ksmanship, physical train ing, officer ox-ientation seminars oi - ganization and functions of an Air Fox-ce base and chaplain oxien- tation period. Instx-uctors for the various phas es of the txaining program will be operating officials of those phases at the Air Foxce bases. AFROTC detachment officers will act in the capacity of tactical officers and will supei’vise and counsel the ca dets and determine each cadet’s xating at the completion of the- tx-aining pi-ogram. (See AIR FORCE, Page 4) TODAY & FRIDAY VYftpPY LIVIN’! ^ changes when necessax-y and advis able. Any student with the courage of his conA-ictions can choose to use the px-oper method, ox* can choose to leave a college he dislikes and thinks unfair. That is the tx-ue democracy and equality. When* promises are broken, rights also cease to exist. No one claims that A&M is pex-- fect in all x-espects. It seems to* me, howeA^er, that the x-oot of the entire incident of the flooding of Ross Hall goes back to the un- AA-ise, fox- them, and ox-iginal choice of a militaiy school by the boys A\ r ho caused the destruction. It is obvioxis that they are still making unwise choices, and need encoux-agement in leax-nixxg the Avay to corx-ect Avxongs. I also have an idea that they are regretting their impulsNe actions, and Avould not mox^e a single step toAvard you, Mr. Little, to accept a medal. No boy can stay in A&M long AA-ithout some sense of honox*, and they will not AA r ant the dubious “honor” you offer. Mrs. T. W. Moore San Benito DRIVE-IN ft. 1 - T* *■ ?^ CHILDREN UNDER 12 VtARS-T RANDOLPH SCOTT— IN “Man Behind the Gun” “Breaking- the Sound Barrier” Sunday: “IVANMOE’ Today thru Saturday —Feature Starts— 1:25 - 3:08 - 4:51 - 6:34 8:17 - 10:00 DAN DAILEY-DIANA LYNN with HUGH O'BRIAN • CAROLE MATHEWS "SCAT MAN" CROTHERS snd introducing CHET ALLEN W) a storring JQHNDEREK * BAR8M J?SH NEWS — CARTOON A UNIVERSAL INTERNATIONAL PICTURE 77ie Battalion Lawrence Sullivan Ross, Founder of Aggie Traditions “Soldier, Statesman, Knightly Gentleman” The Battalion, official newspaper of the Agricultural and Mechan ical College of Texas, is published by students four times a week, during the regular school year. During the summer terms, and examination and vacation periods. The Battalion is published twice a week. Days of publications are Tuesday through Friday for the regular school year, and Tuesday and Thursday during examination and vacation periods and the summer tei-ms. Subscription rates $6.00 per year or $.50 per month. Advertising rates fux-nished on request. Entered as second-class matter at Post Office at College Station, Texas under the Act of Con gress of March 3, 1870. Member of The Associated Press Represented nationally by National Advertising Services. Inc., at New I York City, Chicago, Los | Angeles, and San Fran- j cisco. The Associated Press is entitled exclusively to the use for republx- f cation of all news dispatches credited to it or not otherwise credited in | the paper and local news of spontaneous origin published herein. Rights of republication of all other matter herein are also resei-ved. News contributions may be made by telephone (4-5444 or 4-7604) or at the editorial office room, 202 Goodwin Hall. Classified ads may be placed by telephone (4-5324) or at the Student Activities Office, Room 209 Goodwin Hall. JERRY BENNET, ED HOLDER Co-Editors Harri Baker City Editor Peggy Maddox. Women’s News Editor Jerx-y Bennett. John Kinslow Ed Holder Today *8 Issue Managing Editor .. News Editor Sports News Editor AMAZING NEW TRAVEL KIT This cheerful red plastic'case folds up into a compact, space-saving -waterproof kit. Ideal tor weekends or longer trips, golf lockers and plane travel. Keep one on hand tor unexpected overnight guests. And it makes a wonderful gift I TH E EXCHANGE STORE “Serving Texas Aggies” Takes SO LITTLE room — yet carries SO MUCH! lawn After-Shave Lotion Town Brushless Shave Town Talc Town Cologne Deodorant Town Shampoo Town Hair Dressing.’ PLUS Gillette Tech Razor Gillette Blue Blades Dr. West's Toothbrush Calox Tooth Powder Styptic pencil Plastic comb nxnmri Bryan 2-8879 Now Showing DAN WMMIT1 CIRCLE 4-1250 Tonight Last Night Children under 12 admitted FREE wheix accompanied by an adult. “Battle Circus” Starring Humphrey Bogart June Allyson —ALSO— ‘ Holiday for Sinners” Friday Preview Only Saturday Only Apache ■war l : f QUEEN Today thru Saturday Gilbert ROLAND Gienda FARRELL • Robert HORTON Barbara RUJCK • Gene LOCKHART — Also — !NTH£ starring Ralph MEEKER • Nancy DAVIS lames WHITMORE-lean HAGEN