Pag-e 2 College Station, Texas Thursday, December 18, 1969 THE BATTALI^DN
Robinson’s Crusoe
By Bob Robinson
Snowflakes were starting to
fill the twin beams of light that
pierced the darkness ahead. The
forecast on the radio had been
correct. It had said flurries of
snow mixed with rain, possibly
turning to ice.
Bill slowed down slightly and
switched on his interior light so
he could see the time. He turned
the light off.
3 a.m. 50 miles to go.
The neon lights of the all-night
cafe flashed by him, gone almost
before they were noticed. Bill
slowed down and then, thinking
better of it, speeded up again.
He was tired and needed some
coffee, but the snow was getting
worse and he wanted to get home
before it was too bad to drive in.
Only 30 miles to go.
Bill swerved his car to the
right, barely missing the large
headlights that just passed him
on the left.
He had been drowsing. He
knew he should pull off to the
side road and sleep, but . . .
Only 20 miles to go.
It is Jan. 5, 1970. At 10-15 p.m.
the hall lights of the dormitories
on the Texas A&M campus were
switched on and off several times,
and then left off. Several thou
sand students began quietly to
leave their rooms and walk to
ward the Academic Building . . .
Jim has just dropped off one
of his riders in Texarkana. Spir
its were high as the other three
lived in western Tennessee and
they knew their trip home for the
holidays was almost over.
Spirits were also high because
all three had accepted an offer of
a drink at the one Aggie’s home
before continuing the trip. The
one drink turned into two, and
then three.
Jim had assured the Aggie’s
parents that the drinks hadn’t
affected him and that he would
pull off to the side of the road if
he got tired.
. . . the organ music from the
Memorial Student Center settled
heavily on the campus, which was
growing darker as, one by one,
the various buildings went black.
The students gathered in ones,
twos, and threes around the
statue of Lawrence Sullivan Ross.
Not a word was spoken . . .
A car carrying students to west
Texas for the holidays was speed
ing along Highway 21. It had
been raining and the road was
slick, but at least visibility, which
had been hampered by the rain,
was good again.
The road at that time of day
wasn’t very heavily traveled, so
all three looked forward to being
able to make good time.
One of the students was telling
the other two about the engage
ment he had bought and was go
ing to give his girl for Christmas.
Another, the one in back, had
just told his buddies about the
coed he’d met just before the
holidays. He was looking forward
to seeing his parents again, but
for once, he wouldn’t gripe too
much about the holidays being
over.
The car traveled swiftly around
a curve and almost immediately
came upon a tractor being fol
lowed slowly by another car wait
ing to pass.
The driver was going too fast
to slow down, so he deciced to go
around both vehicles. It wasn’t
until he got in the other lane that
he saw the pick-up truck bearing
down on him.
Only the student in the back
seat was wearing his seat belt.
. . . the music stopped and for
several seconds, not a sound could
be heard except for the rustle of
a breeze through the branches of
the trees surrounding Sully.
Then, almost as if it was imag
ined, the slow, funeral cadence of
the Ross Volunteers became audi
ble, then louder, as it came closer
In 1968, we killed over 55,000
people on the nation’s highways.
In Texas alone, a record number
of 3,481 people died. 216,972 were
injured.
Col. Wilson E. Speir, director
of the Texas Department of Pub
lic Safety, estimates that 87 peo
ple in Texas alone will not live
to see the end of the holiday sea
son.
In the last 14 years, seven Ag
gies died over the holidays as a
result of a traffic accident.
Every time someone gets be
hind the wheel of a car, three
things are required: perception,
decision, and performance. If the
time needed for, or the correct
ness of, any of these actions are
impaired, the possibilities of an
accident are magnified.
. . . precision movement fol
lowed sharp, but softly spoken
commands. The order, “fire," was
heard and seven shots pierced the
black sky in unison and echoed
off the surrounding buildings.
Twice more the command was
given and twice more volleys of
seven rang out . . .
Sgt. Paul Allen of the Depart
ment of Public Safety headquar
ters in Bryan had this to say:
"Most of the time students are
in a hurry to get home for the
holidays and will take unneces
sary chances. The vehicles are
heavily loaded and carry a lot of
weight that they (the students)
are not used to driving with. The
whole center of gravity of the car
is changed. The braking system
is not as effective.
“I suggest they take these fac
tors into consideration and drive
accordingly.”
... a deafening stillness hung
in the air several seconds, then
the slow, mournful sound of four
silver trumpets played Taps.
Three times Taps was sounded;
first north, then south, and final
ly, west . . .
Eighty-seven are expected to
die between the start of the
Christmas holidays and the end
of the New Year holiday. Only
the persons driving can do any
thing about it . . .
“We urge each individual driv
er to accept the challenge of
proving our estimates are too
high. Many holiday accidents can
be prevented if Texans will drive
safely and realize that no one is
immune to a traffic crash.”
said Speir, Texas Department of
Public Safety.
. . . Silence again reigned. Silver
Taps was over, though not the
feeling of sadness in each Aggie's
heart as he walked quietly back
to his dormitory. There was
something no longer quite mght
about the last couple weeks, the
Christmas season, the season of
joy and happiness. An Aggie
was gone . . .
The house was dark. The
Christmas tree stood dark and
forgotten in the living room.
Friends and sympathizers had
left long ago.
A mother was weeping silent
ly. A sad, quiet father was doing
his best to console her.
Neither of them could under
stand why their son hadn’t been
a little more careful, taken a lit
tle more time on the trip home.
Editor:
In response to Professor Dou
glas’ letter of Dec. 12, I would
like to present the following list
of speakers which Political Forum
has presented in the past and
speakers to whom invitations
have been extended and allow
you to decide for yourself if the
program of Political Forum is
designed to “warp the minds of
students and faculty to the left.”
CONSERVATIVES
These have spoken: Bill Pres-
nal-D, Bill Moore-D, Henry Gro-
ver-R, Bill Bass-D, George Bush-
R, W. S. Heatley-D, Olin Teague-
D, and Mrs. S. W. Kowierschke-R
and David Crews-D.
These have been invited to
speak: Strom Thurmond-R, Rus
sell Kirk-R, Leroy Collins-D,
Will D. Davis-D, John Tower-R,
Howard Baker-R, John Connally-
D, Ben Barnes-D, Dan Gumey-R,
Barry Goldwater-R, and Andrew
Hacker.
MODERATES
These have spoken: W. T. Mc-
Donald-D, V. E. (Red) Berry-D,
B. H. Dewey-D, Cliff C&rter-D
and Mrs. Walt Rostow-D.
These have been invited to
speak: Winthrop Rockefeller-R
and Margaret Chase Smith-R.
LIBERALS
These have spoken: Barbara
Jordan-D, A. R. Schwartz-D, Bob
Eckart-D, Wych Fowler-D, Ralph
Yarborough-D.
These have been invited to
speak: Mark Hatfield-R, Shirley
Chisholm-D, Harold Hughes-D,
George McGovem-D, Edmund
Brooke-R, Jesse Unruh-D, Albert
Pena-D, Birch Bayh-D, Kenneth
Keating-R, and Don Gladden-D.
(I do realize that classifications
of this type are rather arbitrary
but these classifications would be
those of a substantial number of
political observers.)
Tommy Henderson
Student Senator
Vet Prof Attending
Rijswijk Symposium
Dr. Stewart McConnell, associ
ate professor in the Veterinary
Microbiology Department at the
College of Veterinary Medicine, is
participating in a symposium this
week at Rijswijk, The Nether
lands.
Dr. McConnell received a special
invitation to present a paper en
titled “Monkey Pox—Prevention
and Control.”
Cbe Battalion
Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those of
the student writers only. The Battalion is a non tax-
MEMBER
The Associated Press, Texas Press Association
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.
The Associated Collegiate Press
Mail subscriptions are $3.50 per semester; $6 per school
year; $6.50 per full year. All subscriptions subject to 4 1 /4%
sales tax. Advertising rate furnished on request. Address:
The Battalion, Room 217, Services Building, College Station,
Texas 77843.
The Associated Press is entitled exclusively to the use for
republication of all new 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.
1969 TP A Award Winner
Members of the Student Publications Board are: Jim
Lindsey, chairman ; H. F. Filers, College of Liberal Arts ;
F. S. White, College of Engineering; Dr. Asa B. Childers, Ja.
College of Veterinary Medicine; and Dr. Z. L. Carpenter,
College of Agriculture.
The Battalion, a student newspaper at Texas A&M is
ished in College Station, Texas daily except £
nday, and Monday, and holiday periods, September
d once a week during summer school.
iblis!
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EDITOR DAVE MAYES
Managing Editor David Middlebrooke
Sports Editor Richard Campbell
Assistant Sports Editor Mike Wright
Staff Writers Tom Curl, Janie Wallace, Jay F.
Goode, Pam Troboy, Steve For
man, Gary Mayfield, Payne-
Harrison, Raul Pineda, Hayden
Whitsett, Clifford Broyles, Pat
Little, Tim Searson, Bob
Robinson
Columnists Monty Stanley, Bob Peek, John
Platzer, Gary McDonald
Photographers Steve Bryant, Bob Stump
Sports Photographer Mike Wright
Mechanical Engineering
Shamrock
EMPLOYMENT SERVCE
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On Flying Saucers
Project Blue Book
Ends Last Chapter
By Frank Carey
AP Science Writer
WASHINGTON <A>) — Dr. Ed
ward U. Condon, chief of a panel
which recommended an end to the
flying saucer hunt, says “there’s
no reason why the government
should spend a lot of money
checking up on lights in the sky.”
Neither national security nor
science were being served, the
Air Force said in announcing an
end Wednesday to 21-year-old
project Blue Book, which kept
voluminous files on reported
sightings of unidentified flying
objects.
Hundreds of thousands of dol
lars were spent on Blue Book in
addition to the $539,000 for the
Condon panel’s 18-month study.
The University of Colorado
physicist, in a telephone inter
view from Boulder, Colo., said
though there are “plenty of
kooks” who claim otherwise, “no
body has produced a shred of
solid, credible evidence to support
the idea that these UFOs repre
sent visitors from outer space.”
However, Condon emphasized
the panel’s January report, “also
said that if any scientist came
up with a clearly defined, specific
proposal for study, and he was
professionally qualified ... he
should be supported.”
What now if someone wants to
report a UFO ?
The Air Force said it had no
specific recommendation, but the
viewer could pass on his informa
tion to a scientist, check signals
with the local air base, or call the
police department.
A member of the House space
committee, Rep. William F. Ryan,
D-N.Y., urged that investigation
of UFO’s be the responsibility of
the National Aeronautics and
Space Agency.
The National Investigations
Committee on Aerial Phenomena,
a private group, announced that
the end of Blue Book means,
“Congress can now discuss the
possibility of turning over UFO
investigations to a civilian, fed
eral or private scientific organi
zation.”
Phi Delta Sigma
Aids Toy Drive
Phi Delta Sigma pledges and
the Bryan-College Station Jay-
cees are cooperating in a Christ
mas toy drive for orphans and
underprivileged children.
The pledges have worked two
nights a week for the past two
weeks sorting toys.
The drive will end Friday and
the toys will be distributed dur
ing the holidays.
Snack Bar, Cafeteria
Announce Hours
The Golf Club Snack Bar and
the Memorial Student Center
Cafeteria will be open on a holi
day schedule, according to Fred
W. Dollar, director of food serv-
ices.
open ja:
The snack bar will be
daily from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m,
and the cafeteria will be open
from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Dec. 29-!
31, it ' viU
LET US ARRANGE YOUR
TRAVEL...
ANYWHERE IN THE U. S. A.
ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD
Reservations and Tickets For All Airlines
and Steamships — Hotels and
Rent Car Reservations
-Call 822-3737-
Robert Halsell Travel Service
1016 Texas Avenue Bryan
GOLF CLUB SNACK BAR
The Golf Club Snack Bar will be open each day
from 10:30 to 4:30 p. m. during Christmas and
New Years Holidays.
Hnppy Holidays ! !
B. L. “BOB” RYCHLIK, C.LU.
PROVIDES MORE
THAN A POLICY!
The College Career Plan
is available exclusively to
C ol 1 e g e students by
specially trained College
Representatives!
B. L. ‘•BOB” RYCHLIK, C.L.U.
SUITE 220—BRYAN BLDG.
AND LOAN BLDG.
BRYAN, TEXAS 77801
TELEPHONE 823-0031
COL. LEGE
CAREER
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