Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 17, 1966)
grab bag By Glenn Dromgoole Student unrest: Part 3. The growing size and impersonality of today’s college and universities have been blamed for much of the unrest present on campus. Students feel, or so it is said, that they are being ‘lost in the shuffle.” With professors and administrators facing larger classes and enrollments, students have been forced to accept a lack of direct relations between themselves and their educators. As demands for higher education increase and uni versities encounter skyrocketing enrollments, there is not likely to be any reversal in the trend toward impersonality. Impersonality was a primary cause of the Berkeley revolt, often considered synonymous with student unrest. Berkeley students complained that “just to have a pro fessor nod at you in the hall is a big deal.” And while size might be contributing to student unrest, it is something upcoming college generations will have to accept. Colleges are getting larger, and there is nothing presently that appears to contradict this direction. “The university,” writes Cornell president James A. Perkins, “with its three fundamental missions of research, teaching and public service, has become the pump that feeds fresh ideas and manpower into the bloodstream of American life. This vital role has caused much of the formidable growth of the university, which in turn has created many problems.” But size alone is not the entire problem, for many small colleges are reporting unrest. Rumbling on these campuses are not as often heard, but they are nevertheless just as present according to many leading educators — both on the multiversity and small colleges scales. Buell G. Gallagher, president of the City College of New York, told U. S. News and World Report, “I’ve been president of a college of 320 students, and now I’m pres ident of a college at the other extreme, with more than 33,000 students. The same kind of problems emerge in both situations.” At tiny Amherst College, a committee to study student life reported last summer : “The false hopes generated by this stereotype (of college as a large, happy family) begin to do their damage as soon as the incoming freshman discovers how little of the intimate small college atmos phere actually exists. Of course he is disappointed and frustrated. He feels cheated, and if he consoles himself with the thought that he and his teachers will become closer friends later on when he is an upperclassman, he will feel even more cheated as a senior when he discovers how few (if any) faculty members know him well enough to write a convincing letter of recommendation.” “Size in numbers of enrollment is not a factor,” writes William R. Mathews, editor and publisher of the Arizona Daily Star in Tucson. “Student restlessness goes on in big and small institutions.” Tommorow: Contributing factors. Wanderin'— By Larry R. Jerden Happy tidings and great joy! Spread the word to the anxious juniors, the senior rings are in! While this glad occasion is traditionally a time for celebration among those who have finally earned that most sacred symbol of Aggieland, some strange comments have been heard lately. “Frankly, I’m not proud to wear this,” one new senior commented in the MSC yesterday afternoon. “I’m glad to get it, and 10 years from now it won’t make any difference, but I think the students should have been notified of the change. This seems like the administra tion is trying to pull the wool over our eyes again,” another said. The cause of all the complaints, and bitter feelings in some cases, is an altered appearance in the new rings that some simply describe as “cheap-looking.” The same design is present on the rings: the flags, crossed weapons, eagle, shield, stars, etc. But even a glance uncovers some not-so-subtle changes. In comparing a new ring even a size larger than an old one, it is apparent that the crest is smaller, and the crown rim is both thinner and not as high. The lettering is smaller, as is the shield and the numbers are flat looking. On some rings the black completely hides the eagle wings, and the centers of the figure “8” are decidedly smaller. Whoever initiated this change probably thought it would not be noticed, but when an Aggie works mentally and physically for three years to earn his ring, gaining a place among that sacred group known as the Fightin’ Texas Aggies, he deserves a ring of which he can be proud. No matter what the reason, when the ring is placed on the Aggie’s finger and all he can say is he honestly can’t be proud of it, then something should be done quickly. As a friend of mine told me who will order his ring this semester, “I don’t know what can be done, but I hope they do it soon; I sure don’t want to get stuck with one of those things.” Not to let anyone think all the world is lost, an improve ment in the matter of choosing a date has been found by our brethren in the Northeast. It seems a group at Harvard and another at MIT have adapted the computer-dating idea to a regular date-finding service. The theory, of course, is to dispense with the old long and inefficient trial-and-error process by assuring compata- bility from the first meeting. Then, college men and women being what they are, things should, and so far do, work out well. One interesting note from an article in Look Magazine about the craze was the plight of the Ivy League male students. They all commented on how they were “Monk- scholars,” and tried to cram a whole week’s lovin’ into a weekend. They also said their weekends developed into a sex hunt, and that it was all a terribly money-wasting affair. Their problem? Non-coed schools. Maybe we could give them some hints on how to solve the dilemna. On the other hand, since we boast long and loud about our tremendous data-processing facilities; maybe this is the time to turn to Date Processing. TU, always trying to stay a bit ahead of the Aggies, has come up with something of a solution to the dating problem, or so it appeared during a recent visit to the Austin campus. What was in more evidence than a lot of people would like to admit was a group of somethings that tend to resemble what a national magazine recently called “Unisex.” Our guide to the TU Zoo said some of them had been around three or four years and no one was really sui'e yet what they were, and he said he certainly wasn’t going to hazard a guess. I wonder if they know, themselves. Governor T alks Here Friday LESTER FLATT AND EARL SCRUGGS . . . popular duo to head Hayride show. Flatt, Scruggs To Louisiana Hayride New Exes Head Praises Conduct Of Student Body Headline March 19 By DANI PRESSWOOD Country and western recording stars Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs and Little Jimmy Dickens will highlight the 1966 Louisiana Hayride March 19 in G. Rollie White Coliseum. The Hayride, presented for the second straight year by Sigma Delta Chi, professional journal istic society, will also feature Nat Stuckey, Debbie Day, Wilma Burgess and Archie Campbell. Flatt and Scruggs have gained national prominence with their unique style of banjo playing. They are long-time stars of The Grand Ole Opry and The Beverly Hillbillies. The Foggy Mountain Boys will accompany the duo. Flatt’s career as a professional Spring ID Cards Ready Monday Identification cards may be pick ed up Monday and Tuesday by students who had ID pictures taken at registration for the spring semester. Cards may be picked up in room 7 of the Richard Coke Building. By TOMMY DeFRANK Battalion Managing Editor The A&M College Board of Directors passed a ruling perma nently prohibiting women from attending classes in 1926, the same year Mary Evelyn Craw ford received the first diploma granted to a woman. But in 1933, in the strangle hold of the Depression, the college was forced to severely reduce sal aries of faculty members. As a compensation to those who had received cutbacks, the Board passed an emergency resolution permitting daughters of em ployes living in Brazos County to attend classes on a regular, day student basis. Several girls ineligible for ad mission under the terms of the Board ruling also applied but were refused permission to en roll. Some of the group contacted an attorney to consider legal action against the college on grounds of discrimination. The ensuing civil lawsuit, first of its kind to be brought against the college, was filed in late September in Bryan’s 85th Dis trict Court on behalf of Mrs. W. E. Neely, Mrs. O. A. Fox, Mrs. Louise B. Jones and fathers of five girls who had been refused admission. The group’s attorney, Col. C. C. Todd, filed a writ of mandamus against the Board of Directors and President T. O. Walton ask ing the Board to show cause why girls should not be permitted to attend regular sessions. musician dates back to 1939, while Scruggs has been display ing his hard driving three-finger ed banjo playing style before audiences since 1945. Since teaming up, the two have performed in concert halls, col leges, and radio and television. Appearances include The Ten nessee Ernie Ford Show, Tonight JIMMY DICKENS The Board was represented by Judge Nelson Phillips of Dallas and his son, both of whom were assisted by Assistant State Attor ney General Homer DeWolfe. Counsel for the relators, or plaintiffs, Todd based his case on contentions that the Board’s re fusal to admit his clients was “unlawful, arbitrary and capri cious” in the following ways: —Statutes of the State of Texas held that the University of Texas was open to both sexes and that A&M College was a branch of the University for in struction in the agricultural and mechanical arts as well as the natural sciences. Thus, as a branch of the Uni- verstiy, statute law held A&M should be open to both sexes. —The Legislature had created two junior colleges under the jurisdiction of A&M in 1917 and had provided for the education of both sexes in them (John Tarleton Agricultural College and the North Texas Junior Agricul tural College). “Placing same under the man agement and control of the Agri cultural and Mechanical College of Texas . . . clearly shows the intent that the parent institution should continue the education of the pupils in the said junior col leges in the parent institution . . . including both sexes,” Todd argued. —The Legislature had also passed in 1909 an act directing the A&M Board to provide a Newly-elected President of the Association of Former Students Royce E. Wisenbaker said Wed nesday night recent resolutions passed by the Association Coun cil expressed the organization’s pride in both the present student body and the former students in the armed forces. “The resolutions we passed were intended to express our ap preciation for the fine behavior of these Aggies,” he noted. The first resolution states in brief: Show and Hootenanny. Dickens, whose latest hit “May the Bird of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose” hit the best-seller list in both the country and pop music charts, has circled the globe on his musical tours. Acclaimed “Mr. Personality” of country music, Dickens is one of the top attractions in country- western halls. He has appeared on Hullabaloo, The Jimmy Dean Show, The Lloyd Thaxton Show, The Johnny Carson Show and Hollywood A Go Go. Another Grand Ole Opry star, Campbell has been tagged the crown prince of humor in western circles. His recordings of “Trouble in the Amen Corner” and “Beeping Sleauty” are country music fav orites, and his album “Bedtime Stories For Adults” became the number one country comedy al bum in sales. Miss Burgess brings to the Louisiana Hayride a singing style greatly influenced by the late Jim Reeves and pop artist Jo Stafford. special summer school each year for training of special students to be admitted without entrance examinations. (More than 1800 women had attended these ses sions the previous summer.) “The Board of Directors and president ... by authorizing and permitting short courses for both men and women in the summer time in the industrial courses taught in said institution have construed said laws of this State and of the United States as in cluding women as well as men as eligible to enroll,” Todd con tended. Attorneys for the Board and Walton submitted an elaborate 66-page brief plus a supplement ary brief from the Attorney Gen eral’s office. Both cited page upon page of court cases to prove the Board of Directors had abso lute authority over the matter of admission policy. “If . . . the Legislature intended that the female sex should be eligible, as a matter of plain and positive law we would naturally expect to find ... an express provision to that effect. In none of them, nor anywhere else be tween the lids of the statute book, is there any such provision,” the brief pointed out. Phillips, chief counsel for the respondents, or defendants, ham mered away at the plaintiffs’ allegation that A&M should be coeducational since it was a branch of the University of Texas. He argued instead the sole reason for making A&M a “Whereas the students of Tex as A&M have kept closed ranks in time of emergency such as this country is now facing in Southeast Asia, since the pres ent-day student body has dis tinguished itself from the dem onstrators and objectors who have brought ridicule to some other campuses and since 2,148 A&M students showed their pa triotism by sending a telegram to President Johnson supporting U. S. policy, “Therefore, be it resolved that the Executive Board of the As sociation of Former Students . . . extends its deepest thanks and appreciation to A&M’s students . . . for continuing in the fine tradition of the institution and giving all of us cause for addi tional pride in them by their fine conduct in patriotic support of their country.” The second resolution reads: “Whereas A&M men have al ways inscribed the name of Tex as A&M large on the records of history by serving with distinc tion in the armed forces, since Aggies are serving presently in Viet Nam and other places in the world and since these Aggies are showing the valor, loyalty and willingness to make every sacri fice that they and their predeces sors have made famous, “Therefore, be it resolved that the Executive Board of the Asso ciation of Former Students . . . expresses to these many individ ual Former Students of Texas A&M the admiration of all of us for their patriotism, our grati tude to them for continuing A&M’s finest traditions and our prayers for their well-being.” The resolutions, proposed by Frank Pool of San Angelo, were passed unanimously Saturday by the Association Council, the group’s governing body. branch of the University was to enable it to share in the land en dowment provided for the Uni versity by Constitutional law. He completed his summation with this passage: “This college has existed to the end that a splendid and useful plan of education for the boys of this state might be brought for the public good into being. It has played a great part in the de velopment of sturdy Texas boys into valued citizens. Because of its character as a school for the training of boys, and the train ing of them in military science ... its fame has spread over the land and in every educational circle it commands admiration and respect. “If it is to be changed into a coeducational institution by a judicial decree, its character will have ended. Through no legisla tion have the people of the State ever intimated that such was their will. No court, we respect fully submit, can rightfully assume the province of writing such a chapter in its history.” After 12 days of testimony and arguments court was recessed until Judge W. C. Davis ruled in favor of the College Jan. 5, 1934. Davis found that Congress, in passing the Morrill Land Grant Act, did not intend to prescribe who should or should not attend the schools established by the act. He also dismissed the plaintiffs’ proposals linking A&M with the University of Texas. (See 1933, Page 3) Gov. John Connally will be met by the traditional Ross Volun teer honor guard when he arrives Friday to speak at the eighth an nual County Judges and Commis sioners Conference, Dean of Stu dents James P. Hannigan an nounced Wednesday. Connally will speak at the last general session of the conference at 10 a.m. in the Memorial Stu dent Ballroom. The governor will speak on “Blueprint for Progress”. He is also expected to touch on topics that will be of vital interest to county officials. Registration, which concluded Wednesday afternoon, included representatives from over 100 counties. The keynote speaker Thursday was J. C. Davis, assistant attor ney general for state and county affairs, who spoke on “Acts of the 59th Legislature That Af fect County Officials”. His address was followed by a panel discussion with Jack Sloan and C. E. Heaton of the Agri cultural Extension Service, Gus Herzik of the Texas State De partment of Health and W. Rich ter of the Office of Economic Op portunity. After conference participants ate lunch with the Corps of Cadets in Sbisa Dining Hall, the conference resumed with a panel discussion on “Precinct Opera tions” or commissioners and talks on the “New Criminal Code of Procedures” and “Problems Af fecting County Justice Offices” for judges. Activities will begin at 8:30 a.m. Friday with a talk on “Is Your County Organized For an Emergency ?” A coffee will be given at 9:30 in Connally’s honor in the Social Room of the MSC and will be at tended by Texas A&M President Earl Rudder and the Executive Committee. Connally will leave immediate ly following his address for Aus tin. Aggie Players Present ‘Shrew’ An adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Taming of the Shrew” will be presented at 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday in the Fallout Theater. This adaptation of the original play consists of the best part of the play. It is the story of Kate and her energetic suitor, Petru- chio, who is determined to curb her proud and headstrong ways. The play has witty dialogue and delightful characters and the ten derness of Kate’s final speech are such that they have endeared this play to countless thousands. Kipp Blair is directing the play. His cast consists of Paul Bleau as Petruchio, S. A. What ley as Grumio, Randall Bubb as Hortensio, George Long as Bap- tista, Richard Weathers as Tra- nio, Frances Flynn as Kather ine and Mike Ryan as Curtis. The Aggie Players will provide the technical crew, and the pro duction is under the sponsorship of the Aggie Players, C. K. Esten, producer. Admission is 50 cents. Danforth Lecturer To Speak Friday Dr. Jose Maria Chaves, a Dan forth visiting lecturer, will dis cuss “Latin America, the New Frontier” in an 8 p.m. Friday lecture in the Chemistry Building lecture room. Academic Vice President Wayne C. Hall said the talk is a comprehensive survey of Latin America with particular empha sis on the close relationship with the United States and the need for continental solidarity. Chaves has earned wide recog nition for his achievements as an educator, lawyer, diplomat, and authority on Cervantes. History Of Coeducation —3 Women Lose 1933 Lawsuit