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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 5, 1969)
CADET SLOUCH by Jim Earle “If they don’t hurry up and show that segment about A&M on Huntley-Brinkley we’ll flunk out!” Anti-Disruption Bill Might Backfire The prediction of Phillip Abbot Luce, activist anti-New Left leader, that state legislatures will begin to “crack down” on campus disruptions, seems to have come true with Tuesday’s passage of the college disorders bill (page 1). At least, the Texas Senate’s action represents an attempt to crack down; whether it works out that way in practice seems, on closer examination, somewhat doubtful. The Senate is, after all, an arm of constituted authority, a voice of the Establishment. It cannot be expected to favor repeated shutdowns of state-tax-supported institutions. But its unanimous passage of the bill, in less than the quick 48-hour period taken by the House to approve it, indicates the sort of hysteria which could easily result in a backfire. The bill’s author, Sen. H. J. Blanchard of Lubbock, admitted earlier this week that Texas has had “no great violence,” although “one college was closed down temporar ily” and has since been reopened. Blanchard explained that the bill “would cope with any attempt to take over the University of Texas, Texas Tech ... or any other school.” In effect, he was saying that the Legislature should anticipate disruptions at Tech and the Austin campus and deter them. It is probably no coincidence that the two colleges Blanchard named have chapters of the Students for a Democratic Society. SDS is in the forefront of New Left organizations dedicated to effecting “a fundamental change in the purposes and structure of American universities,” as author Nat Hentoff noted in a recent issue of Evergreen Review magazine. Austin’s relatively large and active SDS chapter has not yet led a major take-over, and it might be argued that its members have not yet felt themselves pushed to that extremity by resolute resistance to change at the university. But in any event, enforcement of the anti disruption bill is sure to create martyrs—and few conscien tious revoluntionaries have overlooked that factor in their strategy. What’s even more unfortunate about the bill is that these martyrs could conceivably be admitted to the New Left Hall of Fame for less than the price of a movie ticket, under a Senate amendment lowering the minimum fine from $25 to $1. This fascinating ambivalence was more noticeable in the vain attempt by Sen. A. R. Schwartz of Galveston to remove from the bill the possible jail sentence of 10 days to six months as part of the maximum punishment; Schwartz went on to call the bill “about as necessary as a third shoe” and then voted for it anyway. Whether the legislators’ hysteria will carry the day now depends on the House, which must approve all the Senate amendments if the bill is to go to Gov. Smith. Hopefully, it will go instead to a House-Senate conference committee, where speed records might not seem so desirable, and where more thoughtful analysis of the measure’s possible conse quences will be made. X* Bulletin Board the graduate By MITTY C. PLUMMER This “Graduate” is a rather introspective look at the graduate student body, where it stands, its history, and what it will look like in the future. I don’t know when the first graduate student appeared on this campus, but he must have been a lonely soul. The first year I have data for is 1945 and there were only 63 on campus then. By 1960, there were 674 graduate students distributed among the total student body of 7,221. This last fall there were 2,661 gradu ates in the total of 12,867. One way of looking at this is to say that in growing from 9 percent of the student body in 1960 to 21 percent in 1968, graduate students have contributed 35 percent of the total growth of the university during this decade. This is in sharp contrast to the 1950’s when the number of graduate students grew from 484 in ’49 to 626 in '59, while the undergraduate stu dent body shrank from 7,288 to 6,468. So it seems that our func tion to the university has changed from keeping it from blowing away to actually leading its growth. LET’S COMPARE this to other groups on campus. When I first came here in ’61, the Corps of Cadets boasted an enrollment of 6,500. Cadet Colonel of the Corps Hector Gutierrez tells met there are 2,525 in the Corps this spring. This is up from the near 2,300 I know it was a couple of years ago at this same time. The de cline of the Corps was due mainly to a decision to make ROTC op tional where it was once required during the first two years. Its recent growth has been in part a result of the Vietnam War, but mostly it has been the vig-orous effort of the Corps itself to retain freshmen and sophomores by re moving much of the meaningless bunk underclassmen were sub jected to in the past. THE COEDS have come on strong since their admission in 1963. They contributed 986 to the total of 12,054 this spring. Eleven males to every female isn’t good, but it’s a whole lot better than 8,200 to the zero it was in ’62. Now let’s take a look at who graduate students are. The uni versity works to get graduate students, partly because they are worth more in terms of dollars from the state and federal gov ernments and in research dollars. They are mainly good students and they are sought after. They cost more, too, in terms of office and lab space, financial assist ance, etc. THEY ARE admitted to grad school one at a time, based on individual grades, and GRE scores, both of which are indi vidual accomplishments. And in dividual they are, too. There is probably less cohesion among graduate students than any group on campus. Each has his own private research and interests that he pursues, presumably and Chem Club Elects Slate Of Officers The Chemistry Club recently elected officers for the coming year. They are president, Donald Birkelbach; vice-president, Jim Blanke; treasurer, Roger Hall; secretary, Kris Ranck, and re porters, Robert O’Neal, Robert Howard, Bruce Crumley. Anyone interested in chemistry or similar science is invited to join the club, O’Neal said. 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 enter prise edited and operated by students as a university and community newspaper. LETTERS POLICY Letters to the editor should be typed, double-spaced, and must be no more than 300 words in length. They must be signed, although the writer’s name will be with held by arrangement with the editor. Address corre spondence to Listen Up, The Battalion, Room 217, Services Building, College Station, Texas 77843. MEMBER The Associated Press, Texas Press Association Mail subscription tax. A The Battalio: Texas 7784 riptions are $3.50 per semester; $6 per school year; $6.50 per full year. All subscriptions subject to 4% sales tax. Advertisingr rate furnished on request. Address: an, Room 217, Services Building, College Station, 3. The Associated Press is entitled exclusively to the republication of all new dispatches credited to it otherwise credited in the paper and local news of spor origin published herein. Rights of republication of herein are also reserved. use for or not ;ter Se< ontaneous all other econd-Class postage paid at College Station, Texas. Members of the Student Publications Board are: Jim dsey, chairn s; F. S. W Clark, College < lege of Agricult bers Lindsey, chairman ; Dr. David ts ; F. S. White, College of Engineering; Dr Clark, College of Veterinary Medicine ; and Hal Taylor, Col- i Boar College Dr : Jim of Liberal Donald R. Sunday, May, an student newspaper at Texas A&M is station, Texas daily except Saturda The Battalion, published in College Station, Texas daily except Saturday, and Monday, and holiday periods, September through d once a week during summer school. Represented nationally by National Educational Advertisjng Services, Inc., New York City, Chicago, Los Francisco. cago, Los Angeles and San EDITOR JOHN W. FULLER Managing Editor Dave Mayes Sports Editor John Platzer News Editor Bob Palmer Staff Columnists John McCarroll, Mike Plake, Monty Stanley, Jan Moulden Staff Writers Tom Curl, Janie Wallace, Tony Huddleston, David Middlebrooke Assistant Sports Editor Richard Campbell Photographer W. R. Wright Get those GRIPES ready . . . the FORUM is coming! perhaps seemingly abstractly, to the benefit of the largest segment of mankind by creating new knowledge. Despite vast experience in vari ous activities, including student government, this group seems un likely to assume a major role in campus activities. Most are dedi cated to improving their lot in a job somewhere in the future rather than improving their en vironment while in school. And this will be something of a shame, when the number of graduate students is the 6,000 the Century Committee plans for in the stu dent body of 20,000 expected, in 1976. ONE THING that looks im portant to me at this point is the fact that not many opportuni ties are available for graduate students, perhaps justifiably, to become involved in the campus politics. There will be filing for seven representatives of the Graduate Student Council be tween now- and March 18 in the Graduate College office on forms we hope have reached every stu dent through the campus mail. These are seven good opportuni ties, one for each college. From there the opportunities diminish rapidly to an all-or-none proposi tion from the Student Senate; all of the power of president of the student body or practically none for the parliamentarian. These are the only elected offices that graduate students can hold on the entire campus. SO THAT’S the graduate stu dent body, a bit of its history, a bit of its personality, and a bit of its future. That it will grow seems certain; whether it be comes an important functioning member of the whole student body or grows into a kind of benign tumor, adding weight but serving no vital purpose, will depend largely upon the efforts that are made to shape it by its own student leaders and by of ficials of the university. TONIGHT Zeto Iota Nu will meet at 8 p.m. in room 321 of the Physics Building. Plans for banquet and field trip to Federal Reserve will be made. A philosophy discussion, “The A Priori,” will be held at 7:30 p.m. at St. Mary’s Student Center. Aggie Wives Bridge Club will meet at 7:30 p.m. in the MSC. Intermediates Question Period begins at 7:25. Regulars, Inter mediates and Beginners with pre vious instruction are invited. Come and bring a friend. Aggie Christian Fellowship will meet at 5:30 p.m. in room 3-D of the MSC. Bob Montgomery, B.S. in geology, will speak on “My Uncle, the Ape?,” a discussion on evolution. Handball Club will meet at 7:30 p.m. in room 232 of G. Rollie White Coliseum. THE BATTALION Page 2 College Station, Texas Wednesday, March i, BUSIEK AGENCY REAL ESTATE • INSURANCE F.H.A.—Veterans and Conveatioiul Loui ABM & HOME SAVINGS ASSOCIATION Home Office: Nevada, Mo. 3523 Texas Ave. (in Ridgecrest) 846-3708 Would You Believe? Fresh From The Gulf OYSTERS on the half-shell or fried to order Served Right Here on the Campus 5 to 7 each evening at the famous Oyster Room MSjC Cafcterii Senate Agenda The following topics will be discussed by the Student Senate at its meeting Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in the library conference room, according to Senate Presi dent Bill Carter: • Committee and Representative Reports • Senate Pictures for the Aggieland • Old Business A. Blue Book Revision • New Business A. Class Officers Sweaters B. Recruiting Committee Report Aid to Dallasi Student Report on Executive Board Meeting MSC Expansion Committee Recommendation Report on Austin Meeting Student Use of Silver Service MSC Space Utilization TV and FM Cable Senate Access to Grades for Professor Evaluation Recommendation on Department Curriculum Advisory Committee Treasurer of Student Senate C. D. F. G. H. I. J. rour new boyfriend has a new girlfriend? Think it over, over coffee. TheThink Drink. For your own Think Drink Mug, send 75C and your name and address to: Think Drink Mug, Dept. N, P.O. Box 559, New York, N.Y. 10046. The International Coffee Organnalioi ENGINEERS— SCIENTISTS GROW WITH... U. S. ARMY MATERIEL COMMAND... the World’s largest research, development, test and evaluation activity with 150,000 employees at over 30 Nationwide locations from coast to coast quietly going about the business of being first. IF YOU WANT CHALLENGE — FUTURE — GROWTH — OPPORTUNITY And you think a bright young scientist or engineer should expect... m An Outstanding Professional Climate 1X1 Guaranteed Job Stability Rapid Career Advancement |X| Excellent Graduate Study Programs A Total FRINGE” Package |Xl An Opportunity to Contribute The Best in Facilities and Equipment [X| An Unlimited Range of Assignments Then WE Invite YOU to Discuss YOUR CAREER with Mr. H. D. Barnes or Mr. Don Abell WHO WILL BE ON CAMPUS Thursday, March 13 AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER T< Ai PEANUTS By Charles M. Srt V64, MAM? V64, MA'AM, IF W0 6M <50. JF I MUST.JF I HAVE TO...IF I HAVE NO CHOICE.... Te eral fund Polli to r< spok Fi man ‘‘Te: the : of trail tion C< eral Jr. 1 51st ciati the com ours H over ing i pie pro; note thei peri C ovei in t reli< now grai D said in t but h ton pie, ing E gra adn cles soir 4 « « era 4 in pre E Ber wai tha ere; ( Te) "If con yoi reli ( wil dai the in is ehi so< 13 Jo: C01 Dc Mi Ri erl 'M< Pa m< re: lia Ber