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Columns
• Editorials
• News Briefs
Cbe Battalion
Page 2
College Station, Texas
Thursday, October 28, 1965
• Opinions
• Cartoons
Features
Double Jeopardy
CADET SLOUCH
by Jim Earle
Tim Lane
Way back a semester or two
ago I took a course that had
something to do with law — or
maybe it was just regulations.
What ever it was, I remem
ber distinctly a phrase — dou
ble jeopardy.
This concerned punishment for
proven offenses, and the main
idea was that no one should be
punished twice for the same
thing. And in this country, I
am sure the instructor said, the
individual is protected from such
action by laws and regulations
at every level of organized so
ciety.
Not at every level, sir.
The college of liberal arts
(and perhaps some of the other
colleges) has a policy that says
an instructor may, at his dis
cretion, lower a student’s grade
for “an excessive number” of
unexcused absences.
Like the old story of a gen
eral’s wish being a lieutenant’s
command, some departments,
nameless departments of course,
have formalized this policy and
made it automatic.
One department, for example,
allows one cut per credit hour
in the course; each cut above
this limit lowers the semester
grade one letter.
For example, a student with
seven cuts in a three hour course
has had it, if the policy is en
forced — no matter what he has
learned.
In theory, this is for his own
good—he can’t learn very much
if he doesn’t come to class.
In actuality, he is getting it
in the neck twice. If absences
do prevent a student’s learning
what he should in class, his
grades will suffer accordingly—
sufficient punishment. When the
policy is applied, the student
has his grades lowered a second
time.
But what if the student is
not prevented by several ab
sences from learning all he
should ? What if his grade
average (before application of
the policy) is the highest in the
class and his attendance is the
poorest ?
This happens—and. every time
it does, and the policy is ap-
plied, the policy’s avowed pur-
pose of helping to protect the -*
student from his own wayward-
ness looks pretty thin.
Call it double jeopardy, or
don’t, at best this is a policy
to intensify what happens as
one of the natural results of
lax attendance; at worst, it is
a policy that unfairly penalizes
students who are able to do the
required amount of work in less
time than their classmates; at
base, it appears to be an easy,
arbitrary substitute for upgrad
ing the interest level of courses
in order to maximize state funds
apportioned partially by attend
ance levels.
A more worthwhile, more prac
tical, and fairer policy might be
one that provided for periodic
automatic review of the qualifi
cations of instructors and the
content of courses in classes
which have chronic records of
absenteeism.
8
Constitutional Amendments
“— not only was that a careless pass, but I asked for corn
—not gravy!”
By GLENN DROMGOOLE
Battalion Editor
The major provision of Amend
ment No. 8 concerns automatic
retirement of state court judges
at age 75.
The proposed amendment to
Article XV, Section 1-a will be
considered Nov. 2 along with nine
other amendments to the Tex
as Constitution.
Basic provisions of the meas
ure are:
1. Automatic retirement of
district and appellate judges at
age 75 or earlier, not under
70, as provided by law.
2. Creation of a State Judi
cial Qualifications Commission
of nine members to review state
judges.
3. Removal of judges for
“wilful or persistent conduct,
which is clearly inconsistent with
the proper performance of said
duties or casts public discredit
upon the judiciary or adminis
tration of justice.”
4. Involuntary retirement of
judges for disability seriously
interfering with their perfor
mance of duties.
Arguments for the amendment
include:
1. The provisions of this
amendment fill a great need of
the Texas judicial system and
were sponsored by the State Bar,
Texas Civil Judicial Council and
the League of Women Voters.
A substantial number of Texas
judges have remained in office
long after their capacity has
been impaired by age or disabili
ty. Their retirement will insure
the state of a capable and alert
judiciary. Services of a judge
automatically retired will not
be lost to the state if he still
possesses the mental and physi
cal alterness, as he may be as
signed to special work where
needed and at full pay. Private
business generally requires re
tirement at an even earlier age.
2. The present retirement
law affords compensation for
judges who are disabled, but
does not require them to retire
unless they choose to do so. A
disabled or aged judge is often
the last to realize that he should
retire.
more modern and efficient than
present provisions but which do
not take any power away from
the legislature.
4. The proposal is similar to
one adopted in California in 1960
which has worked efficiently in
that state.
Arguments against include:
1. Many great jurists have
made history-making decisions
after age 75. Age is a relative
matter and it is not right to
deprive Texans of an outstand
ing judge nor the judge of his
position because of age.
2. Article XV of the Consti
tution already makes provision
for the removal of judges for
cause. This procedure should not
be so simplified as to invite fre
quent use without real justifi
cation. The complexity of re
moval is a safeguard to preser
vation of a strong judicial sys
tem.
3. The amendment establishes
procedures for removal of judges
for misconduct which are much
3. It is not wise to add need
less clutter to a document which
already contains more than 55,-
000 words. The proposal should
be handled by statute rather
than by constitutional amend
ment.
Sound Off
Ketchikan, Alaska, is the
wettest city in the continental
United States, the National
Geopraphic says. The South
Alaskan settlement is inundated
by 150 inches of rain annually.
....Editor,
The Battalion:
I want to congratulate you on
your recent stand on the demon
strations in protest of the Unit
ed States policy in Viet Nam, and
your support of the United
States actions in Viet Nam.
You, the students of A&M,
when you take a stand for free
dom have delivered a crushing
blow against the Communist
Party. Their propaganda is
aimed at high school and college
students. They want you to car
ry out their dirty work. Your
stand will boost the morale of
our men in Viet Nam and those
that go in the future will go
knowing that some of us care.
Keep up your good work and
try to influence other college
students to do the same. If I
can be of any help, feel free to
call or write.
S. D. McDuffie,
Commander
First District,
American Legion
★ ★ ★
Editor,
The Battalion:
May God bless each of you.
Your spirit sounds like our class
of ’45—20 years ago.
At last good will triumph.
What if in 1941 my husband at
A&M and me at SMU had acted
like these demonstrators today.
Our own children which are near
ing the age of you students
would not be able to live as we
do.
Mrs. Arthur Brawner,
Dallas
P.S. Saw varsity’s horns off!!
THE BATTALION
Opinions expressed in The Battalion
are those of the student ivriters only. The
Battalion is a non tax-supported non
profit, self-supporting educational enter
prise edited and operated by students as
a university and community neivspaper.
[Mortimer's Notes |
Members of the Student Publications Board are: Joe Buser,
chairman ; Dr. David Bowers, College of Liberal Arts; Dr.
Robert A. Clark, College of Geosciences ; Dr. Frank A. Mc
Donald, College of Science: Dr. J. G. McGuire, College of
Arts ; Dr.
nk A. Mc
Donald, College of Science: Dr. J. G. McGuire, College of
Engineering; Dr. Robert S. Titus, College of Veterinary
Medicine: and Dr. A. B. Wooten, College of Agriculture.
Texas A&M is
The Battalion, a student newspaper
jblished in College Station, Texas daily except Saturda
published in College Station, lexas daily except Saturday,
Sunday, and Monday, and holiday periods, September through
May, and once a week during summer school.
once
during
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 herein are also reserved.
Second-Class postage paid at College Station, Texas.
MEMBER
The Associated Press, Texas Press Association
Represented nationally by National Advertising Service,
w York City, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
:epn
Ne
News contributions may be made by telephoning 846-6618
or 846-4910 or at the editorial office. Room 4, YMCA Building.
For advertising or delivery call 846-6415.
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Mail subscriptions are $3.50 per semester; $6
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The Battalion, Room 4, YMCA Building, College Station, Texas.
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EDITOR GLENN DROMGOOLE
Managing 1 Editor Gerald Garcia
Sports Editor Larry Jerden
News Editor Tommy DeFrank
Photographers Ham McQueen,
Herky Killings worth, Gus De La Garza
Amusements Writer Lani Presswood
FOR THE RECORD: Word has reached here
that Jan Peerce will scrap his usual routine when
he comes to A&M Nov. 5. . . .
He is going to concentrate more heavily on
a selection of popular music rather than stick
rigidly to an opera program. . . .
And the Met Opera star will be on campus
much earlier than most performers for Town
Hall. . . .
He’s scheduled to arrive more than a day in
advance of his Town Hall booking. . . .
It might not be such a bad program after
all. . . .
And a little “culture” wouldn’t hurt either. ...
You’ll probably have to strain your ears Satur
day night to hear the Aggie roar in Little Rock,
for several reasons. . . .
First of all, it’s mighty far to the Land of
Opportunity, and not many students will have
the opportunity to make the trip. . . .
Secondly, those Hog fans yell pretty loud. . . .
And third, the Baylor game might have dis
illusioned some people. . . .
So this is the weekend when many Aggies
will set sail for the more metropolitan sections of
the state. . . .
But whether you’re in Houston, Dallas, Austin,
Denton, El Paso, Laredo, Beaumont or Dime Box,
tune in at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. . . .
Those Aggies might provide a few sur
prises. . . .
Kay Halsell
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