The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, May 02, 1961, Image 1
The Battalion Volume 59 COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS TUESDAY, MAY 2, 1961 Number 106 NIFA Meet Participants’ Opinions Vary Saturday morning, Easterwood Airport was literally packed with people; interested students, and mothers with small children rim ing about, and more attentive than anyone, the participating pilots waiting their turn to be airborne. Sixteen schools’ teams partic ipated in the meet; among the IfiG delegates, various impress ions of the three-day feast were expressed. Traveling over 1,450 miles, delegates from Montana State College finally landed on Easter wood Strip Saturday morning after being detained by weather in several spots during the trip. “But we finally made it, and it has been a mighty fine meet so far,” said Dan Weppler, one of two men piloting the Montana State Cessna 150. “I just hope we can get it in 1964 and do as good a job,” add ed Larry Jens, other member of the pair. The University of Minnesota’s club, “The Flying Gophers,” brought four planes and sixteen pilots to the meet. Decked in new western hats bought to ward off the hot sun beaming down on Easterwood, they expressed disapproval of control tower practices during the meet. “The meet is going too slow, and we think the tower is to blame! it is messing up our fly ing, and we feel all other air craft besides those entered, should have been baned from landing here during the event,” said one of the delegates. ‘Heavy Flying’ Team Inspects Army Units Unofficial NIFA Headquarters . . . tent for registration, communications Highlights NIFA Meet Annual ‘Federal’ Now In Progress By RONNIE BOOKMAN Battalion News Editor A 12-member team of Fourth Army officers was busy today inspecting the military science program at A&M. On tan for the group are visits to military science class rooms, all instructional facilities, spot checks of cadet dormitories and an inspection in ranks of all Army cadets. The team, headed by Col. Lawrence E. Cummings of Fort Sam Houston, arrived on campus yesterday afternoon. “This inspection is a two-edged sword.” Col. Frank L. Elder, professor of military science, said, “the ROTC instruc tion unit will be inspected as well as the cadets.” Elder explained that the instructor unit’s grading would be based on administration, quality of instruction and use of facilities. Military science classes of freshman, sophomore, junior and senior levels were to be visited and scored. A general inspection in ranks for Army cadets is set for 5:15 p.m. in the dorm areas. After the inspection the cadets will have a “pass-by” on their way to evening chow. This is to give the inspectors a look at the units’ marching abilities. Elder said the inspection would be held inside the dorms in the event of inclement weather. A breakfast for the inspectors was held this morning in the Me morial Student Center. At the breakfast Cadet Col. of the Corps Sydney N. Heaton and Elder brief ed the team on various phases of the military program here. Heaton gave the officers an in sight to corps life and activities and Elder covered the instructional and administrative end of the mil itary operation here. The team is to leave College Sta tion tomorrow Elder said. After three days of “heavy flying,” the National Inter collegiate Flying Meet and Conference ended Sunday morning with a flyaway breakfast at Easterwood Air port. During the conference, dele gates from the North and Midwest circulated about and over Easterwood decked in newly-bought Texan western hats and jeans; in the words of an Oklahoma State University pi lot, ‘It has all been a helluva good time!” An activity-filled program con fronted the college pilots from all over the nation, opening Friday with preliminary competition in power-on and power-off landings, filing and flying a cross country course, and flour bag bombing. Saturday morning, the Corps of Cadets passed in review honoring distinguished guest, Gen. Bernard Schriever and delegates to the meet. The review was followed by a talk in G. Rollie White Coliseum by the visiting General. Special entertainment was pro vided the crowds of interested ob servers and pilots at the airport Saturday afternoon when the Thunderbirds, Air Force jet aero batics team, performed a 30-min ute program of aerial skill. That night, the NIFA Awards Banquet was held in the Memorial Student Center, with the presenta tion of awards and an address by Gen. Schriever entitled “Technol- A&M Students Arested During 4 Splash Day’ Fun By TOMMY HOLBEIN Battalion Managing Editor Galveston’s Splash Day mass arrests were not without their share of A&M students this past weekend. The trouble started Friday, when minor student riots touched off a rage of police-versus-student inci dents leading to the apprehension of over 600 holiday participants. Armed with sawed-off shotguns, tear gas, clubs and various other weapons, law enforcement officers from eight cities moved onto the Island during the weekend in an attempt to maintain peace and order. Techniques used by the police in cluded mass arrests on various charges; at least two A&M stu dents were victims of such tactics. Norris Gilbreath, junior electric al engineering major from Mt. Pleasant, said that he and four other people were stopped on the Way to a motel while driving down a street, following instructions of a policeman. “We were forced to get out while tW’O policemen searched our per sons and car. We had no liquor, firearms, or even identification, since we were in swimming trunks and had left our wallets at the motel,” Gilbreath said. “One officer turned to the other, and said, “What do you want to do with them?’ The answer was, ‘Lock ’em up!’ “The next thing we knew, we Vere in the city jail, which was already packed and swarming with apprehended students. After being hooked, we were taken to the county jail, and over 150 of us were crowded into cells made to hold a maximum of 40 people. “During the entire time from 2 a.m. until 10 a.m. .Saturday, we were given no water or food, or permitted to make phone calls. “Three times, policemen brought police dogs into the cells with us, permitting the animals to charge and scratch several of the inmates. “We continued to protest about no water, and also the fast that the majority of us were arrested for no apparent reason. We quiet ed down when they threatened to shoot tear gas into our cell. “Among us in the cell was one person whose hand had been muti lated by a police dog; he was given no medical aid until we were re leased nine hours later. “When we were finally released, I found out w T hat they had charged me with: disturbing the peace. My four companions riding in the same car with me were charged with un lawful assembly. We all had to pay a $15 fine before being re leased.” Gilbreath, who is vice president of the Student Senate, said plans were being formulated for a for mal protest to the City of Gal veston. Gary Byrd, freshman electrical engineering major from Dallas, had a similar story about the Splash Day arrests. “Four of us were walking along the sea wall when we were stop ped by several policemen. As they were talking to us, another offi cer from across the street called and said he had room for five more in his paddy wagon. “Two of us were thrown in it, and taken to city jail; we had a choice of paying $15 or being lock ed up; since I had only $3 on me, there wasn’t much choice. We weren’t allowed to write checks or use the telephone. “I had seen one or two students try to disagree with the police at the station; they got slugged across the head with a piece of rubber pipe. So we took our charges, mine was for loitering and my buddy’s was for vagrancy, and went into the cell. “Most of the students were quite irate about the whole thing, and loud protest was raised; soon after, we were moved to the county jail, where I saw several men get beat en with rubber pipes, and police dogs turned on some of the pris oners. “After we persisted in raising more protest, crying for water and telephones, the police turned water hoses on us; as a result, most of the students almost froze to death all night long. “We were all without food or water for 13 hours, when we were finally released. We didn’t stay very much longer in Galveston af ter being turned loose, either,” concluded Byrd. ogy, Time and Man.” The commander of the Air For ce’s research and development pro grams dealing with such missiles as the Atlas, Titan, Thor, and Min- uteman, said man can be the only ultimate weapon in warfare. “It is men, Gen. Schriever said,” not machines, that fight the wars.” And he added that it is men who make the peace. The General likened this nations’ competition with Russia to a tech nological explosion. He said the chief battle lines are drawn in the research laboratories with victory locked in countless test tubes. He added that “When you com bine a contest of ideologies with a technological explosion, you get in tense competition—competition in which no prizes are given for sec ond place.” “You are all familiar with the saying that necessity is the mother of invention, and when that neces sity is a military one, there is a tremendous surge in science,” the General said. “But man himself is still the ultimate, either in war or in peace,” he concluded. Among recipients of the various flying awards was Jack Thread- gill of A&M, a junior electrical en gineering major from Brady. Threadgill placed third in naviga tion in the meet; the first place winner was ftuss Gerber, of the University of Missouri. Other first place winners, in cluded David Dixon, of St. Cloud University, in the Power-Off Land ing event; Robert Keller, of West ern Michigan University, in the Power-On Landing, and C. De wain Carnes of Oklahoma State University in the Bomb Dropping event. SECOND IN A SERIES Extension Award Is Newest Prize (Editor’s note: This article is the second in a series on the faculty distinguished achievement awards to be presented May 23 in Guion Hall). The faculty distinguished a- chievement awards programs, sche duled for May 23 in Guion Hall, will assume new demensions when the first $1000 award is made for meritorious service in the areas of extension work. Supported by the Association of Former Students, the new exten sion service award will bring the number of yearly awards to seven. Other $1000 awards include four in teaching, one in individual stu dent relationships, and one in re search. J. B. Hervey, executive secretary of the Association, said the basic purpose behind the new award is to recognize a man or woman in either the Agricultural or Engi neering Extension Services who through dedication to duty, inter est, enthusiasm, and attitude has brought high honor to the College and to the Extension Services. “This new award is tangible evi dence of the deep appreciation wo hold for the Collegs’s extension workers. These people play a sig nificant part in molding the fu ture of our State. For this reason the Association is honored to rec ognize distinguished work in ex tension,” Hervey said. The achievement awards were established in 1955 by the Associa tion through the College Develop ment Fund. Nominations for the awards are submitted by faculty and students, and selections are made by a faculty committee whose identity remains secret. Hervey pointed out that the a- wards are designed to illuminate distinguished work in areas of teaching, research, student rela tionships and extension. “We can’t recognize everyone for obvious reasons,” Hervey said, “But by singling out a few, we hope to stimulate and encourage the entire faculty and staff to their best efforts.” KK’s Go Kompact The era of the compact has come to A&M! Campus Security Patrolman Curtis E. Lusk shows off the “Kampus Kops’ ” new Falcon which arrived last week. Opinion on the new addition to the Campus Security force varies, however. Security Officer Rufus Batten likes the little car for its manuverability. “We do most of our driving in parking lots and other close areas. It’s just what we need,” he said. Other officers disagree. “Try driving that little thing on those dirt roads behind the dairy barns and see how fast you want to get back into a big car,” said one. Nevertheless, the compact is here to stay . . . and there may be more.