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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 25, 1970)
v; '.vw . - • comment Jericho: An Evaluation By Roger Miller “Operation Jericho” was an at tempt to tear down the walls of communication which exist be tween students and administra tion. It was an attempt to provide workable solutions to campus problems. It was an attempt to increase understanding and co operation among leaders of stu dent organizations. How well did Jericho accom plish its goals? This really won’t be known for several months. However, there were numerous criticisms of Jericho by the stu dent delegates. An evaluation at this time may help future Jeri- chos in solving these problems. This column is not to be taken as condemnation of Jericho. Quite the contrary, it is intended only as a constructive evaluation. The simplest way to evaluate Jericho is to examine how well it accomplished its stated goals, keeping in mind that much will not be known for some time. (1) To increase problem-solv ing and leadership abilities of the student body. The three training sessions were the main effort here. Students met in groups of five or six and pooled their ef forts to solve “paper problems.” The groups solved two problems each night. After each problem solving effort a faculty observer evaluated each student on his contribution and then the group as a whole. The first two sessions were moderately effective, but by the third session the students were tired of trying to solve paper problems, some of which were pointless and solutionless. Although most of the faculty observers did excellent jobs, a few obviously were not prepared to perform this job. What about the actual problem solving efforts of the conference itself? Most of the topics, such as intra-student relationships, lent themselves more to philo sophical discussions than to con crete solutions. However, in all probability the conference did produce many con crete solutions to existing prob lems. It remains to be seen what happens to these solutions. Hope fully, the administration will show that its backing of Jericho was more than just show by acting on the solutions offered by the students. (2) To stimulate intra-student relationships and combat fraction- alism in the student body. No members of the Campus Commit tee of Concern (CCOC) or the Afro-American Society were in cluded in the original delegate invitation list. When individuals from these two groups asked for invitations, they received them. The point is that if the confer ence was to combat fractionalism in the student body, the delegate selection committee picked a poor way to do it. You don’t combat fractionalism or stimulate intra student relationships by excluding segments of the student body. If the conference did not com bat fractionalism, it did bring into clear focus one of the big gest, if not the biggest, campus problem—Corps-Civilian relation ship. Student Senate president Gerry Geistweidt and vice-presi dent Kent Caperton both address ed themselves to the problem in speeches delivered to the confer ence. The topic came up in almost every discussion group regardless of composition or assigned topic. Although different solutions were given for the problem, no one denied the problem existed. All seemed to agree that “cover up” unity is not the answer. (3) Open new channels of com munication between administra tion and students. In this area Jericho did all it could. It pre sented panel discussions by top administrative officials on topics of vital interest to students. Then the officials were invited to tour the roundtable discussion groups to answer student questions. So the attainment of the third goal depended on the administration. The administration gave ex tensive backing to Jericho. In fact, half of the funds for Jeri cho were provided by the Univer sity. However, backing is not enough. Full participation is necessary for success. Some of the administrative of ficials were frank and to the point with the students; others were not. I hope that the good accomplished by the first group is not outweighed by the harm done by the second group. If the administration does not act on at least some of the student recommendations, it will only be adding to the frustration many students already feel. Instead of opening new channels of com munication, it will be closing old ones. I Listen Up the hatt forum Editor: A re-occurring issue here at A&M is the Corps-Civilian sepera- tion or rather the reasons for this fragmentation. I came to this school less than a year ago, but I came with a pre-conceived idea of what I had heard about the Aggies. I expected to see, and become a part of, Aggies striving together for common goals whether they were civilians or cadets. But instead I’ve found bitterness, rejection, +-and disre spect on the part of both sides toward each other. Feelings such as these by many, not all, are tearing apart the Aggie unifica tion that was once the symbol of Aggieland. Many people on this campus today are being judged by what type of clothing they wear or by the length of their hair rather than as individuals. There are several reasons why these feelings exist. One is the Corps’ inability to adjust to the changing attitudes that have arisen from the change in the student body population from strictly corps to eighty per-cent civilians. The Corps is rich in heritage and tradition and through the years has given the respecti- bility, honor, and national pres tige that A&M now holds. But things have changed and the Corps is in the middle of change. In accordance with this problem is the civilians’ impatience with the amount of change that has taken place so far. With the amount of school tradition that we have here it will take a little longer than most people think for A&M to conform to a civilian- orientated campus. But certainly there must be certain measures that can be done to help lessen the separation rather than letting it grow any larger. The day A&M officially made the Corps voluntary should have been the day to start revisions. We have waited too long — let’s not wait any longer. Let’s start working “together” to preserve the Spirit of Aggieland. B. Paul Quinn ’71 ★ ★ ★ sibilities. If our student body is to unite, the Council must dis continue rejecting unpopular in dividuals for personal reasons should they find him offensive to their ever-sensitivity. Soi it is the Civilian Student Council, since when have the interests of the cadets run so contradictory to those of the civilians? Editor: Dear Civilian Student Council: Being the “dumb Aggie” that I am, and not knowing exactly what to do when censured, I was wondering when I should stop breathing? William M. Hathaway Jr. “Alleged” author of the Review Bonfire story ★ ★ ★ Editor: Since last September, much ri valry has existed between the ca dets and the civilians, and it has now touched student politics with in the Student Council, the “unit ed” assembly instituted to pro mote the interests of students at A&M. Both factions list innumer able grievances, and exhibit ruf fled feathers accusingly. It is evident that the Council has de generated to a power struggle, drastically limiting its effective ness, and it appears many of our representatives prefer playing games that build their egos rath er than carrying out their respon- I suggest this campus organ ize as a truly united body, exclud ing none from their assemblies, that these grievances might be worked out and the Aggie Broth erhood be restored. In addition, it would probably be wise to ex tend invitations to representa tives from the Administration and faculty, that better relations might be accomplished among all involved in the academic proc ess at A&M. I applaud Operation Jericho; however, it cannot be totally effective alone, unaccom panied by effort on all sides. The time has come for power games and psuedo-politics be removed from the Council scene, and true unity come to A&M, that it might regain its peaceful unity, unique among the campuses of the na tion. Gary M. Lewis Class of ’73 WEATHER Thursday — Clear to partly cloudy. Wind East 15 to 20 m.p.h. High 59, low 37. Friday — Partly cloudy. Wind East 10 to 15 m.p.h. High 68, low 41. Cbe Battalion Opinions expressed in The Bettalion 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 MEMBER The Associated Press, Texas Press Association The Associated Collegiate Press Mail subscriptions are $3.50 per semester; $6 per school r; $6.50 per full year. All subscriptions subject to 4'/,% Advertising rate furnished Letters to the editor should be typed, double-spaced, and no more than 300 words in length. They must be signed, although the writer’s name will be withheld by arrangement with the editor. Address correspondence to Listen Up, The Battalion, Room 217, Services Building, College Station, Texas 77843. tax. The Battalion, Room Texas 77843. g rate furnished on request. Address: 217, Services Building, College Station. The Associated Press is entitled exclusively to the use for eduction of all news dispatches credited to it or in th published herein matter herein are also reserved. spatches se credited in the paper and local news of spont: origin published herein. Rights of republication of all ot eproducti therwise ous her 1969 TPA Award Winner Second-Class postage paid at College Station, Texas. Members of the Student Publications Board are: Jim ers chai College of Agricu EDITOR DAVE MAYES Managing Editor David Middlebrooke Sports Editor Richard Campbell Assistant Sports Editor Mike Wright The Battalion, a student newspaper at Texas A&M, is published in College Station, Texas, daily except Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and holiday periods, September through Staff Writers Pam Troboy, Payne-Harrison, Hayden Whitsett, Clifford Broyles, May, and once a week during summer school. Represented nationally by National Educational Advertising Services. Inc., New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Bob Robinson, Tony Huddleston, Chancy Lewis, Janie Wallace, George Scott Columnist Roger Miller Photographer Jim Berry Sports Photographer Mike Wright Civil Engineering Shamrock EMPLOYMENT SERVCE OCCUPATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AWAIT YOU, THE ’70 GRADUATE ★ “EMPLOYERS PAY FOR OUR SERVICES.’ • College Division • North Gate 331 University Dr. 846-3737 A division of ERC CADET SLOUCH SP&CIALS FOtL'.-mUkS-F-lit-lSHT ^ 8 " 2t ^^ FI8 59 AGG1 Orde Deli\ 'TRELLIS m SLICED PICNICS lb. 45f GOLD mtVAL REDEEM AT BROOKSHIRE BROS. <JtJMT7TY 50 FREE TOP VALUE STAMPS With Purchase of Two 14-Oz. Bottles Heinz Ketchup Coupon Expires Feb. 28, 1970. r* 1 O XT' TVIT VlLfAT’ Ki6ffrs , FL0UD49 OWE REDEEM AT BROOKSHIRE BROS. 50 FREE TOP VALUE STAMPS With Purchase of 14-Oz. Can Johnson’s Pledge Wax Coupon Expires Feb. 28, 1970. 'A’ LAAGL EGGS Doz. REDEEM AT BROOKSHIRE BROS. 100 EXTRA TOP VALUE STAMPS gKTKA Fcy.WIWlFKTDW R€P. *££.. With Purchase of $10.00 or More (Excluding Cigarettes) • One Per Family Coupon Expires Feb. 28, 1970. APPLES PEANUTS PEANUTS HERE'S THE HEAP BEA6LE RETURNING HOME AFTER HEARING CASES ALLOW I NEVER KNEW SO MANY D06S C0ULP 6ET INTO 50 MUCH TROUBLE By Charles M. Schulz ten