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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 18, 1970)
DN it Mez- >under n and Eeten (5.7) i’ish. Che Battalion Vol. 65 No. 72 College Station, Texas Wednesday, February 18, 1970 Telephone 845-2226 k Lower Voting Age Sought by Nixon world ova by n said, me at th im- th the t med- David Dermis in the bird in eap of tossed (eventh for the hurdles -atched of an By William Barton Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP)_The Nix on administration asked Congress today to follow the lead of Great Britain and approve a constitu tional amendment lowering the voting age to 18 for federal elec tions. The administration position was presented by Deputy Atty. Gen. Richard G. Kleindienst, who noted that Britain—which origin ated the traditional voting age of 21—recently abandoned it. "The time has come for us also to measure the constraints of custom and tradition against the compelling force of reason and the every-day facts of life which surround us,” Kleindienst said. He told a Senate judiciary sub committee the nation does not wait until 21 years of age for young people to enter the labor market, to pay income taxes or to serve in the military. Kleindienst also suggested a uniform voting age of 18 is neces sary if Congress clears another amendment, already approved by the House for direct election of presidents and vice presidents by popular vote. “Without a nationwide rule,” he said, “it is possible that states would arbitrarily lower the age requirement to insure the largest number of prospective voters and thus obtain an unfair share of the presidential popular vote— completely out of line with its percentage of population.” Answering arguments of amendment opponents who cite involvement of college students in violent demonstrations, Klein dienst said “the proper response” to that objection is threefold: — Many persons involved in campus rebellions “are well past the age of 21.” — Those who have engaged in disturbances “represent only a small percentage” of young Americans. — Giving youth a role in the 90 Student Delegates Begin 3-Day ‘Jericho’ By David Middlebrooke Battalion Managing Editor Approximately 90 students be gan today a new approach to student-administration communi cations—Operation Jericho. Called by A&M student leaders a positive and rational approach to the subject, Jericho is designed to give the leaders and potential leaders among the student body a chance to be heard by and to work constructively with univers ity officials toward solutions to said, but questions or debate will problems on the campus. Along with opening new chan nels of communication Jericho is intended to stimulate intrastudent relationships and combat fraction- alism on the campus. During the conference, James R. Hawthorne, project chairman, explained Tuesday, panel discus sions or talks will be given by administration officials and stu dent leaders. These sessions will be open to the public, Hawthorne Jericho Highlights Tonight Campus Apathy—Assembly Room, MSC 7:30 p.m. Student Senate Memorial Student Center Elections —Kent Caperton, senate vice president Thursday Academic Excellence—Assembly Room, MSC 9:30 a.m. Pass-Fail—Assistant Dean Dan C. Lowe Quality of Instruction—Barbara J. Davis Relevancy of Courses—Vice President Horace R. Byers Examination Procedures and Dead Week- Dean Frank W. R. Hubert Intrastudent Relations—Assembly Room, MSC 2:15 p.m. Corps-Civilian Role of the Female Political Minority Groups Social Fraternities —Gerald Geistweidt, senate president be discouraged. The five general areas to be covered during the three-day “brainstorming session” include allocation of student monies, campus apathy, academic excel lence, intrastudent relations, and the direction of Teaxs A&M. Following each open discussion, the delegates and participating administrators will go into closed sessions to consider problems in the areas discussed in the open sessions, and to seek solutions to those problems. The results of these closed sessions will not be seen immedi ately. From time to time, the admnistration will present the Student Senate wtih solutions to problems, the solutions embody ing ideas brought out in the closed discussion sessions during Jericho. The senate will consider the administration proposals and send its response, via resolutions, back to the administration. Depending on senate response, the administration may take steps to implement the solutions it proposes. The Jericho delegates have undergone a three-week training session for this project under the direction of Dr. William R. Smith, Psychology Department head. Ninety-seven delegates were originally selected, Hawthorne said, but seven or eight failed to make the training sessions, which were required for all dele gates. Operation Jericho is being spon sored and run by the Memorial Student Center Leadership Com mittee. It is being financed by $2,000 in university and student funds. political process “may eliminate a sense of frustration, a feeling of noninvolvement, that quite possibly has contributed to the irresponsible behavior” of some young people. The proposed amendment would only affect elections for president, vice president, U. S. senators and members of the House of Repre sentatives. Kleindienst said the adminis tration believes it is the province of state and local governments to establish the voting age for nonfederal elections. ■9mii BUSY SPOT—College Station police officer Harold Bishop directs noontime traffic Tues day at the intersection of FM 60 and South College. Bishop also serves as the College Station dogcatcher. (Photo by Bob Stump) New Club Formed to Aid Veterans Attending A&M “OH, NO ! ! ” — Head Yell Leader Sam Torn expresses disbelief following a call made in the A&M - Texas Tech game last night. The Aggies won, 82-74. See story, page 7. (Photo by Mike Wright) Rudder Condition Report: Serious HOUSTON — A St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital spokesman said this morning that A&M President Earl Rudder was to be moved out of the hospital’s oper ation recovery room this after noon, but that the retired Army general remained in serious con dition. Assistant administrator Henry C. Reinhard Jr. said Rudder is still being treated in the recovery room following a Feb. 6 operation to relieve a bleeding ulcer. Twen ty-eight hours earlier he had a blood clot removed at Methodist following a cerebral hemorrhage. By Chancy Lewis Battalion Staff Writer Veterans attending A&M, espe cially those who are freshmen, can get off to a better start by joining the newly-formed Veter an’s Club. Tommy Burdett, one of the club’s three co-chairmen, said that an organizational meeting was held last week. He explained that the club was being formed to aid the more than 700 veterans attending A&M. Six hundred attended last year, he said, and 50 of that 600 have dropped out. The aim of the club, he said, is to provide the help necessary to keep veterans in school. The major drawback for veter ans, Burdett said, is that they are mostly family men, at A&M only for an education. In addi tion, he added, most of them are older than the average freshman and have been out of contact with studying and school life for several years. This, he noted, cause trouble as far as getting back into the swing of things is concerned. “We hope to help them through that critical first year,” Burdett said. Membership in the club is ex tended to any student eligible for the Veteran’s GI Bill or on active duty status, Burdett said. He noted that war orphans are included under the GI bill and therefore are welcome to join the club. Those interested in the club or who want to learn more about it should sign their names at the bottom of posters located around campus, Burdett said, and they will be contacted. Interested persons may also contact Carl Macky, Eddie Hig gins, or himself, Burdett added. Burdett said that organizers last Saturday discussed the possi bility of asquiring a blood bank account to aid members and needy students. Another meeting will be held within the next two weeks, Bur dett said, as soon as student response, as indicated by the num ber who sign the posters, can be determined. Burdett said tables will be set up in the Memorial Student Cen ter soon to aid in signing up members. Graduate Council Backs Environmental Teach-In By Dave Mayes Battalion Editor The Graduate Student Council Tuesday endorsed the aims of the Symposium for Environmental Awareness, a student group spon soring a local environmental teach-in planned in April. Bill Voigt, student coordinator for the symposium, told council members that 12 committees are working in as many areas in an effort to make people aware of both national and local pollution problems. He said that the local chapters of the American Institute of Architects and the American In stitute of Planners have endors ed the symposium, and that the Civilian Student Council passed a favorable resolution Thursday. Bob Fried presented a resolu tion endorsing the symposium and, after some debate, the coun cil passed it. Henry Williams, who alone vot ed against the measure, said he was not opposed to people want- Fish Drill Team to Perform At 1970 Dallas Military Ball DUSTY WORK—Workmen were hard at it Tuesday afternoon filling in and leveling the roadbed of the Southern Pacific railroad tracks west of the campus. After shoveling gravel between the ties, the men packed it down with the tamping machine. (Photo by (Photo by Bob Stump) Texas A&M’s Freshman Drill Team initiates its spring semes ter activities Feb. 28 with an exhibition performance before 1,100 dinner guests at the 1970 Dallas Military Ball. The formal ball is conducted by the Dallas Council on World Affairs, honoring U. S. armed forces and ROTC in their anni versary year. The defending national cham pion A&M team will be council guests for the 7:30 p.m. affair in the Sheraton Hotel Ballroom, on invitation of Army Brig. Gen (ret) John D. Torrey Jr., council executive director and general chairman of the annual ball. Team sponsor J. Malon South erland of the commandant’s of fice said the special exhibition will serve as one of the unit’s competition appearances for the year. Following dinner, for which the 32-member team will be seated individually throughout the hall, the A&M team will present a 10- minute exhibition drill in the ballroom. Senior advisor Richard Gon zalez of San Antonio said work has begun on the special drill. Due to the 30 by 60-foot working Travel Loan Forms Due Applications fot Overseas Trav el Loans by students, faculty and staff will be accepted until March 2, announced Memorial Student Center Travel Committee treas urer Joseph Herring. Applications should be made at the MSC Student Program Office. Students use the service for participation in summer pro grams such as the Experiment in International Living and Interna tional Association for the Ex change of Students for Technical Experience (IAESTE). Further information about pro grams available through the MSC Travel Committee can also be obtained at the Student Program Office. space to which the unit will be limited, marching will be mini mized and special manuals of arms are being installed. Winner of an unprecedented two straight national champion ships at the 1968 and 1969 Cherry Blossom Festivals in Washington, D. C., the team commanded by Beverly S. Kennedy of Austin will be representing the state’s ROTC programs at the ball. Council officials have indicated representatives of all services will attend, including six or seven four-star generals. The Dallas ball performance will precede team participation in A&M’s annual Military Day re view, the A&M Invitational Drill Meet, the National Intercollegiate ROTC Drill Championships in Washington and other meets. WEATHER Thursday — Partly cloudy. Wind North 20 to 25 m.p.h. High 44, low 38. Friday — Partly cloudy. Wind East 10 to 15 m.p.h. High 58, low 31. ing to learn about the environ ment, but he questioned whether the council ought to approve an on-campus activity not yet sanc tioned by the administration. He urged that Fried’s resolu tion be amended to make admin istration approval conditional for GSC support for the symposium. Williams’ amendment failed for lack of a second. Voigt told the council that Architecture Dean E. J. Romien- iec said the administration has approved the teach-in. Graduate Dean George W. Kunze said he was a “little bit concerned” about the teach-in and asked Voigt to see Dean of Stu dents James P. Hannigan to make sure the activity was “clear.” In other business, the GSC agreed to get a newsletter out to graduate students around the first of April. Milt Garrett said the publication would contain ar ticles on the April 23 elections, library carrels, student rights, and others. Jay -Hubert told the council that there were still four library carrels available for graduates who needed a place to study for their preliminary examinations. He said that interested students should contact him for more in formation. Art to be Loaned Thursday at 1 p.m. Prints of renowned artists’ paintings will go on loan Thurs day at the A&M Library, begin ning at 1 p.m., for the spring semester. The Battalion erroneously re ported Tuesday that the prints would go on loan beginning at 2 p.m. University National Bank “On the side of Texas A&M.” —Adv.