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THE BATTALION
College Station, Texas Thursday, December 17, 1964
CADET SLOUCH
by Jim Earle
. *•* «
Modern Driver’s Philosophy Has 2 Fallack
By JIMMY JONES
Special Writer
Two fallacies characterize the
modem driver’s philosiphy of
driving. One is to think that
he can drive endless miles with
out sufficient rest every time he
takes a trip. The other is to
think that he can cruise at 75
to 95 miles an hour and not en
danger the lives of others.
This writer has learned the
hard way, though not as hard
as some, that crime doesn’t pay.
TSA Gives
Safety Tips
For Holidays
“We’re havin’ Silver Taps before th’ holidays this year so
those of you who’re determined to kill yourself can say
goodby!”
BATTALION EDITORIALS
Keep It Spotless
GET PARKED VEHICLE
OFF THE ROADWAY
Not all accidents happen while
vehicles are being driven. A parked
or stalled vehicle on the roadway
also may cause an accident. If you
have car trouble on the road, get
your automobile as far off the
highway as possible. And, before
leaving it for assistance, be sure
to set the hand brake.
Texas A&M has a perfect record in something this year:
student deaths by traffic accident.
The Aggies put this mark on the line Friday as they
journey to various parts of the state and nation for the
Christmas holidays.
No one wants the string broken. No one wants to be
the first Aggie fatality of the school year. But someone
may splatter blood on this spotless record.
Silver Taps, that most solemn and meaningful ceremony,
may be held Jan. 6. The bell might toll, the bugle might
blow, the squad might fire for you.
The Battalion with this edition seeks to make students
more keenly aware of the dangers in holiday travel, hopes
to provide tips that could save a life, and in general, desires
to remind students to take all safety precautions en route
home.
The Department of Public Safety predicts 105 deaths
on Texas highways during the holiday period. Statistics
are rather dry, until you are one. Your life is worth more
than just a little stick figure on a fatality chart.—GAD.
PROTECT YOUR
DRIVER’S LICENSE
Your driving license gives you
the privilege of driving a motor
vehicle on streets and highways,
but only as long as you do so
safely. If you break the traffic
laws of the state or its cities, your
driving license may be taken away.
Drive by the rules. Protect your
driving privilege and your LIFE!
LEAVE ALCOHOL
AT HOME
Motorists and pedestrians are
advised to leave alcoholic beverages
at home during the holidays. In the
pandemonium of holiday traffic,
you need all your senses for driving
or walking.
Holiday Tragedy
Christmas is a wondrous time when the miraculous
becomes commonplace. A time for petty differences to be
put aside and one and all extend their hands and hearts
in a sincere wish of “Peace on Earth, Goodwill Toward Men.”
It is a time for family reunions, a time when our
thoughts and feelings focus on our loved ones and our friends.
But the festive season is tinged increasingly each year with
the sadness of death and injury on our streets and highways.
Modern progress has brought with it not only comfort and
luxury hitherto undreamed of, but a regrettable disregard
for our fellowman.
GET CAR ‘WINTERIZED’
FOR HOLIDAY TRAVEL
If you’re planning a trip during
the holidays, get your car “winter-
izer” to avoid getting into trouble
on the road. This includes putting
tire chains in the trunk and having
all winter safety features on your
automobile in first class shape.
The Commandment, “Thou Shalt Not Kill,” seems to
have little moral influence on drivers of automobiles, whether
the warning comes from God or traffic authorities. The
privilege to operate a car is bestowed by the state. The
manner in which a car is driven is prescribed by law.
But transcending the legal law is the moral law, “Thou
Shalt Not Kill.” It imposes a moral responsibility on all
drivers to operate their vehicles without maiming or killing
themselves or others.
Hundreds of men, women and children will die and
thousands will end up in hospitals this holiday season unless
we, as drivers, assume our legal and moral responsibilities
to drive with care.
The Texas Safety Association urges drivers to give
thought to the purpose and spirit of Christmas in making
holiday travel plans. Be constantly alert when behind the
wheel. Think of the tragedy and unhappiness that a
moment’s carelessness can bring about. Remember that your
loved ones are relying on you. And give a thought also for
the other driver and his family.
Let the moral law, “Thou Shalt Not Kill,” govern your
actions. In this way you can play your part in making this
great holiday season a safe and happy one!—Texas Safety
Association.
DRUG SIDE EFFECTS
MAY CAUSE ACCIDENTS
Some drugs impair driving abil
ity and should never be used when
driving. Report any side effects
from using antihistamines, pain re
lievers, tranquilizers, nerve stimu
lants or other drugs to your physi
cian. He can advise you if it is
safe for you to drive.
YOUR FIRST DRINK
MAY BE YOUR LAST
The more alcohol there is in the
blood, the longer you must wait
until you can drive safely. On the
average, it takes one hour for each
bottle of beer or each ounce of
whiskey to be absorbed by the body.
Even if you seem to be able to hold
your own with alcohol, your driving
ability is impaired during this
period. Stay on the safe side—don’t
drink if you plan to drive. Your
first drink could be your last!
THE BATTALION
Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those of the
student writers only. The Battalion is a non tax-supported,
non-profit, self-supporting educational enterprise edited and
operated by students as a university and community news
paper and is under the supervision of the director of Stu
dent Publications at Texas A&M University.
Members of the Student Publications Board are James L. Lindsey, chairman ; Delbert
McGuire, College of Arts and Sciences ; J. A. Orr, College of Engineering; J. M.
Holcome, College of Agriculture ; and Dr. R. S. Titus, College of Veterinary Medicine.
The Battalion, a student newspaper at Texas A&M is
tion, Texas daily except Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, ant
ber through May, and once a week during summer school.
published in College Sta-
holiday periods, Septem-
The Associated Press is entitled exclusively to the use for republication 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 here
in are also reserved.
Second-Class postage paid
at College Station, Texas.
MEMBER:
The Associated Press
Texas Press Assn.
Represented nationally by
National Advertising
Service, Inc., New York
City, Chicago, Los An
geles and San Francisco.
Mail subscriptions are $3.50 per semester; $6 per school year, $6.50 per full year.
All subscriptions subject to 2% sales tax. Advertising rate furnished on request
Address: The Battalion, Room 4, YMCA Building; College ’Station, Texas.
News contributions m
editorial office. Room 4,
ay be made by telephoning VI 6-6618. or VI 6-4910 or at the
YMCA Building. For advertising or delivery call VI 6-6415.
EDITOR RONALD L. FANN
Managing Editor Glenn Dromgoole
Sports Editor Lani Presswood
Day News Editor Mike Reynolds
APPLY GOODWILL
IN DRIVING
The spirit of goodwill during
the holiday season should be just
as evident on our roads as it is
in our homes. The application of
such spirit by both drivers and
pedestrians will help to make the
Christmas season a happy time for
all.
PALACE
Brcjan 2‘8879
To all the Students &
Personnel of Texas A&M
University
A VERY
MERRY CHRISTMAS
and
HAPPY NEW YEAR
Management and Staff
Palace & Queen Theatres
Only recently I went to Ten
nessee to make preparations for
starting by career in Journalism.
Circumstances compelled me to
leave Bryan at 9 on Sunday night.
Everything went smoothly un
til I reached- Texarkana. It was
about then that I began to get
sleepy; who wouldn’t at 2 a.m.
after five hours of driving and
300 miles! (I detoured via Cart
hage to deliver a package.)
By The Texas Safety Association
KNOW AND OBSERVE.
DRIVING RULES
Our state’s highways are among
the best in the nation. It can and
should be a pleasure to drive on
them, but the efforts of our state
highway department to make trav
eling a pleasure are wasted if
drivers disregard safe driving prac
tices. If you’re planning a trip
for the holidays, make sure you
know and observe all safe driving
rules.
I got miserably sleeply; driv
ing had become montonous. My
half-opened eyes became fixed in
a glare and I fell into a trance,
practically asleep. For miles I
drove; nothing could wake me
out of the stuper. How I stayed
on the road is a puzzle to me.
By the time I had driven 100
miles in that state of nightmare,
I just couldn’t go any more with
out going completely to sleep; in
fact I did just that one time, but
it lasted only long enough for
me to run off the pavement and
jar me into my senses. So re
luctantly I stopped at a gas sta
tion and slept about 20 minutes.
After continuing the journey I
felt somewhat better. Little Rock
was still asleep as I passed
through the big city.
Dawn broke and everything was
covered in frost. It was beauti
ful — an endless expanse of
white.
over the horizon shined bright
ly in my eyes. Again I began
to feel like Rip Van Winkle at
an all-night party. I grew sleepy.
Suddenly a car in front slowed
to turn; I seemed to automati
cally hit the brake.
“That one was close,” I thought
as I resumed normal speed. But
I couldn’t help remembering just
then that others weren’t that
fortunate. They had not hit
the brake in time.
But I refused to stop for cof
fee to get myself awake. Time
was valuable.
Time after time for the next
100 miles I almost went complete
ly to sleep; traffic became heav
ier and school buses slowed the
cars as they stopped to pick up
children.
Finally I reached Memphis. As
I crossed the Mississippi river I
breathed a sigh of relief. Nash
ville wasn’t far.
The trip took 18 hours. Nor
mally it takes 16, but my tired-
Correction
Traffic increased and my at
tention turned to my driving. The
miles passed slowly by, even at
70 miles an hour. Memphis still
lay 100 miles away, and Nash
ville 340. The sun creeping up
In a column headed “Reynolds’
Rap” in Tuesday’s Battalion the
statement was made that the
Civilian Student Council adopted
a resolution favoring the chang
ing of the site of the Aggie
Sweetheart presentation.
This was incorrect.
The council adopted a resolu
tion asking their traditions com
mittee to study the change. An
informal poll of the members of
the council favored the change
with only two dissenting votes.
Bulletin Board
THURSDAY
Bay Area Hometown Club will
meet at 7:30 p.m. in Room 108
of the Academic Building.
El Paso Hometown Club will
meet at 7:30 p.m. in the Social
Room of the Memorial Student
Center.
Jackson County Hometown Club
will meet at 7:30 p.m. in the MSC.
San Angelo-West Texas Home
town Club will meet at 7:30 p.m.
in the Art Room of the MSC.
Fort Worth Hometown Club Will
meet at 7:15 p.m. in Room 105
of the Academic Building.
Mid-County Hometown Club
will meet at 7:30 p.m. in Room
206 of the Academic Building.
Laredo Hometown Club will
meet at 7:30 p.m. in the MSC
lounge.
Wichita Falls Hometown Club
will meet at 7:30 p.m. in the
Lecture Room of the Biological
Sciences Building.
Dallas Hometown Club will
meet at 7:30 p.m. in the YMCA
Building.
Matagorda County Hometown
Club will meet at 7 p.m. in the
MSC lobby.
Corpus Christi Hometown Club
will meet at 7:30 p.m. in Room
125 of the Academic Building.
Temple Hometown Club will
meet at 7:30 p.m. in Room 205 of
the Academic Building.
Bell County Hometown Club
will meet at 7:30 p.m. in Room
'205 of the Academic Building.
A&M Band Wives Club will
meet at 7:30 p.m. in Apt. B-13-W
of College View.
ness slowed me down even though
I had driven 60 to 75 miles an
hour.
I was determined to get back
home in less time. One week
later on Saturday as I pulled out
of the Grand Ole’ Opry city that
is famous for its crime and its
churches, I pushed the ’59 Ford
up to 75 mph. Sometimes on a
good stretch of road I drove 85
to 90. Memphis rolled by in less
than four hours.
The Arkansas highway was
level and smooth. I picked up
speed until I was doing 85 to
95 mph. In about seven hours I
entered Little Rock, turned left
onto the interstate, and resumed
the much-to-fast speed.
At 5 p.m. Texarkana people
looked busier than Nashvillians
did at 7:30 that morning.
Texas looked beautiful as I
drove down the four-lane high
way. The sun was setting and the
hills appeared to be something
of a never-never land. There was
hardly any traffic, the air was
fresh and cool; I felt like fly
ing ... so I did.
One by one the small East
Texas towns dotting the big high
way at regular intervals whizzed
by. The speedometer registered
95 and sometimes 110 mph. The
little Ford was running quietly.
The land became less hilly and
the road straighter. I moved it
up to 115 mph at one point t
few miles. I wanted to getfc
Tyler loomed up out of tktj
suddenly, and I turned Idt
the last stretch before home
The small community of M
falo was quiet for a Salt
night as I drove through it,
“Ah! No highway patnl
round here,” I thought. F«
next few miles I drove 75 ti
mph. I wanted to maker;
didn’t get a ticket this clos
home.
Suddenly, just off the
under a tree a radar clocltt
at 70. A little red light hi
behind me and all of my
disappeared.
I was really fortunate it
having a wreck, during tkf
mile trip, which took 13 fe
But it was nevertheless is
that I had to learn in a t
way that crime doesn’t pay, |
Dr.
cation
of Ind
follow
their
Stuc
long ti
about
should
person
Stop
cause
able b
of da
are n
there
them
It’s
or slei
Nig
Season’s Greeting
From Bait Stajj
This is the last issue of 1
Battalion for 1964. Oar k
publication date is Jan. 6, Iff
The staff wishes you a 5lti
Christmas and a Happy hi
Year, and urges you to it
carefully to and from home,
See you in 1965.
CAMPU
THE MANAGEMENT
& STAFF
OF THE CAMPUS & CIRCLE
DRIVE IN THEATRES
WISH TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY
TO WISH ALL STUDENTS &
PERSONNEL OF TEXAS A&M UNIVERSI!
A VERY
MERRY CHRISTMAS
&
HAPPY NEW YEAR
PEi*
‘PLEASE
DRIVE CAREFUL ON YOUR WAY HOME
'V t • •• U >;*V •?. ty
SRsP; 1
i, *:
PLAY FUNNY MONEY TODAY!
This is Monkey Week at Piggly Wiggly
SAT. JACK POT $100.00 CASH.
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