The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, April 24, 1970, Image 1

Texas A&M Newspaper Collection

The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, April 24, 1970, Image 1

Newspaper Page TextChe Battalion Friday, April 24, 1970 College Station, Texas Vol. 65 No. 106 Telephone 845-2226 Caperton, 5th Wheel Roll To Top Senate Positions a price cl them THE WINNER—Kent Caperton, senate vice president and now senate president-elect, polled more than 3,700 votes to swamp his only rival, Bill Maskal, who received 1,290. Kent Caperton and his Fifth Wheel Committee rolled past their opponents to take six of the nine positions on the Senate executive committee in Thurs day’s record turnout election. Caperton defeated William M. (Bill) Maskal by a margin of 3,707 to 1,286. There were nearly 5,000 votes cast in the election — 1,400 more than last year’s rec ord. Caperton, a junior finance ma jor from Caldwell, took a steady lead from the beginning in the race against Maskal, a member of the Campus Committee of Concern. The Fifth Wheel Committee took the presidency, vice presi dency, recording secretary’s posi tion, and the chairmanships of the issues, life, and welfare com mittee. Roger Miller, a sophomore journalism major from Hamilton, defeated David Moore for the vice presidency of the Senate by a vote of 2,476 to 2,439. The recording secretary’s posi tion was won by Bill Hartsfield with 2,638 votes to Dale Foster’s 2,439. Another reasonably close race was the treasurer’s race in which Eddie Duryea defeated Jimmy Alexander by a vote of 2,497 to 2,304. Other top executive committee races were: Parliamentarian — Michael Essmyer, 2,534; Allen Giles, 2,188; Student Life — John sharp, 3,445; Rudy de la Garza, 1,224; Issues — Kirby Brown, 2,650; Charles Hoffman, 1,899; Welfare — Charles Hicks, 3,812; Public Relations — Jimmy O’Jib- way, 2,650, Mike van Bavel, 2,138. Student Senators: College of Agriculture (two senior, junior and sophomore representatives): Senior-—Randall Betty, 101; Gerald Witkowski, 64; Charles Mueller, 58; David Reynolds, 55; David Frost, 49; Junior—Kenny Hensley, 72; Ira Lee, 72; Court Koontz, 46; Mike Latta, 38; Schuck Donnell, 30; Sophomore—Mark Kidd, 97; Paul Puryear, 89. College of Architecture (one senior, junior and sophomore); Senior: Robert Riggs, 52; Gary Boyd, 27; Joe Flores, 23; David Stephens, 10; Matt Carroll, 9; Junior—Pearre Chase, 34; Bob Thompson, 21; Ric de Neve, 18; Sophomore—Corky Houchard, 45; Ed Huckaby, 43; Darryl Baker, 17; M. Myers, 15. College of Business Admini stration (two senior, junior and sophomore): Senior — David Christiani, 106; Frank McAllister, 102; Paul Scopel, 76; Mike Frank lin, 47; Junior—Sam Roosth, 68; Gary Singletary, 53; Spike Day- ton, 51; Frank Richter, 44; David Berend, 17; Sophomore — Paul Nauschutz, 72; Russell Phillips, 51; David J. Russo, 49; Mike Hol ley, 45; Tom Bauch, 29; James Sears, 22. (See Election, page 3) Some May Protest Election Methods Maskal did Win Say. By Billy Buchanan Battalion Staff Writer “I believe that we did win,” William M. (Bill) Maskal said early today when he learned that in Thursday’s general election that he lost to Fifth Wheel Can didate Kent Caperton. “I feel that the student body had the right to remain apathetic in the past, but I feel that the student body has suffered the consequences of their apathy long enough,” Maskal said. “They proved in this election that they are concerned about their university and I hope that the administration will be con cerned with the undergraduate student body,” he added. Tm deeply indebted to those who voted for me,” Caperton said. “I hope that we can really get down to what we’ve been work ing for” he added. “To those who opposed me and the Fifth Wheel Committee and those who didn’t vote at all, I can say that they are just as much my constituents as those who did vote for me and what I want to do is really get this stu dent government to working.” “As far as the pettiness that has clouded this election, I hope that this pettiness and factional- s He Anyway ism will clear up and the student government can get to work,” he added. David Moore, who lost the elec tion by a slim margin of 37 votes to Fifth Wheel Committee candi date Roger Miller, said, “I feel that the people who voted for me voted because they knew me.” “Many Fifth Wheel candidates won because their names were printed on a sheet” Moore said. Moore added, “I will work next year to see that it never happens again.” He said that he would not contest the election. Miller gave The Battalion the following statement: “I feel that the voters that turned out today demonstrates that student gov ernment is finally heading to ward the students.” “Five thousand votes are not as many as we had hoped for, but the thing is that a “hell of a lot’ more voted than had ever (See Comments, page 3) AT THE POLLS—Students fumble for identification and activity cards, two require ments watchdog election officials insist upon. Nearly 5,000 students—a record—queued up to cast their votes, deciding the fate of more than 200 candidates. (Photo by Hay den Whitsett) By Hayden Whitsett Battalion Staff Writer Speculation was high that some elections will be protested as can didates waited early this morn ing for returns to be tabulated. Much of the controversy stemmed from disagreement over the voters’ use of lists of candi dates within the polling places. Election commission officials had decided Wednesday morning that printed lists could not be allowed in the polls but that hand written ones could be used. All lists were confiscated after the voter had cast his ballot. The commission said that “turning these lists over to an other voter would be a form of campaigning.” Marcus Hill, member of the election commission and a former member of the Fifth Wheel, led the opposition to the lists, calling them “underhanded and immoral.” Hill urged that the lists were “cheat sheets” that had previous ly been prepared by the Commit tee to replace the printed ones that were declared illegal by the Election Commission. “Lists that have been prepared by the individual to aid him in his voting are fine,” Hill said. “But previously prepared sheets by somebody else is campaign literature and nothing else.” “If somebody wishes to dis agree with me about the sheets, To Conform to U.S. Constitution Senate Wants Regulations Revision I have pictures proving that they had been written up earlier and handed out,” he added. The Elec tion Commission kept them from being passed on to other voters but by that time they had ful filled their purpose as campaign literature.” In an emotional, quavering voice, David Moore, the defeated student senate vice-president can didate, said he believed the many people on the Fifth Wheel won because they had their name on a sheet. “I feel it was unfair to the students running and to the stu dent body in general,” he said. “I think it is something I thought I”d never see at A&M.” Kent Caperton, current vice president of the Student Senate and president-elect, opposed Hill’s views, saying that the lists were legal. “At the beginning of the cam paign we resolved to play the game by the rules,” Caperton said, “the Election Commission changed the rules and we followed suit. So far as I am concerned we have done nothing illegal.” Caperton’s views were upheld by fellow members of the Fifth Wheel, many of whom had been up the preceding night preparing the lists. “We worked long and hard and we didn’t do a damn thing wrong,” one candidate said. Others said they felt that there should be a university regulation prohibiting changes in election regulations within a week of the elections. Disagreement over the ruling precipitated a vehement argument between Hill and Caperton early this morning while they were in (See Contest, page 2) D E FENDS ACTIONS— Richard Worth tells the sen ate about his part in last week’s peace rally. By Dave Mayes Battalion Editor Student Senators Thursday called for a revision of those uni versity regulations which “con flict” with the exercise of free speech and peaceable assembly on campus. By a one-sided 51-2 vote, the senate in a resolution recommend ed that regulations “be revised guaranteeing without threat or coercion to the student body of A&M those rights specifically guaranteeing freedom of speech and freedom of assembly of stu dents as enumerated in the first amendment of the U.S. Constitu tion.” The measure was introduced by Jim Stephenson (sr-LA) who said that there seems to be “a conflict between the interpretation of present university rules and reg ulations and the first amend ment.” He was referring to action tak en by the office of the Dean of Students concerning last Wednes day’s peace rally, an event uni versity offiicals had not sanc tioned. University Police and a Texas Ranger broke up the throng of students around the reviewing platform on the parade grounds by arresting an Austin man as he spoke and escorting four A&M students to the dean’s office. The students were later placed on conduct probation for disre garding the dean’s direct instruc tions banning the rally—issued on the same day, and for invit- University National Bank “On the side of Texas A&M.” —Adv. ing to the campus a speaker not authorized by the university. In the absence of Dean of Stu dents James P. Hannigan, Asso ciate Dean Don R. Stafford told the senate that there has been no intent by the dean or his staff to abridge students’ constitution al rights. He said that the senate should first consider two points before voting on the resolution. He noted that the fact that the students were disciplined for hav ing an unsanctioned rally on cam pus should be interpreted in light of the other fact—that they also asked an unauthorized person to speak on campus. “Would the university have punished the students if only they had spoken at the rally?” Vice President Kent Caperton asked. “Well, I can’t say what would have happened in that case, be cause it didn’t happen that way,” Stafford replied, adding that the action taken against the students was not the arbitrary act of one man, Hannigan, but the proce dure agreed upon by he and his staff. Over the objections of some senators, notably Head Yell Lead er Sam Torn and Senior Class President Jimmy Dunham, the senate agreed to suspend the rules to hear Richard Worth, one of the four students placed on pro bation for the rally incident. Worth pointed out that the rally participants did not disrupt university activities, and there fore should not have been pun ished. The vice president of the local chapter of the Young Democrats said that he wasn’t taken to the dean’s office for his part in the rally, but was grabbed by police when he yelled, “What’s the mat ter, don’t you allow free speech here?,” as officers were taking the Austin man away. Dunham said that the university was within its rights in the way it handled the incident. “I don’t want to read about peace rallies here when I’m fight ing over in Vietnam,” he said. Other senators said that whether or not the rallies were for peace was not the point. “Sure there is a denial here of the right to free speech,” Joe McCall (sr-Arch) said. “We were going to have Sen. Ralph Yar borough speak at on-campus Earth Day activities, but found out we couldn’t invite him be cause of the university’s policy that bars political candidates from the campus.” Torn asked Stafford a direct question: “If a group of students wanted to hold a peaceful as sembly, would the university try Civilian Week Activities Tonight 5 p.m. Mud Football - West Gate 8 p.m. Dance - KC Hall with Z-Z Top. Tickets are $2.50 advance at the Student Co-op and $3 at the door Saturday 9 a.m. Mud Football, Tug of War, Push Ball-Intra mural Field at West Gate 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Model Airplanes National competition Drill Field and East of Kyle Field 12 noon Barbecue - Grove 1:30 p.m. Time Trials 2:00 p.m. Grand Prix gocart race - Law Hall parking lot 3:00 p.m. Rugby Game - Drill Field - Texas A&M vs. Texas 7:00 p.m. Town Hall presents “Smith” and “Tony Joe White” 9:00 p.m. Presentation Dance - Club Sbisa annex Sunday 11:00 a.m. Services in All Faiths Chapel to prevent them from doing so?” Stafford replied that he “was not really sure,” that certainly if they disrupted university func tions they could not. Several senators objected to the senate’s even discussing the inci dent, saying that it was not the senate’s job to interpret univer sity regulations. Others urged that the senate table the measure until Dean Hannigan could speak for himself on the incident. Finally, Mel Hamilton (jr- Arch) urged adoption of Stephen son’s resolution, challenging the senate to “have guts enough to pass something half—strong.” With that, the senate acted, sending the resolution on to the university’s Rules and Regula tions committee, then the Exec utive Committee and finally the Academic Council for approval. The senate refused, however, to consider another resolution Ste phenson submitted right after his first one was passed. The measure requested acting A&M President A. R. Luedecke to allow the university’s Appeals Committee to consider the con duct probation assessed the four students by Dean Hannigan. Most senators agreed that since Luedecke had received the same request from the four stu dents this week, that he be given some reasonable time in which to reply. In other business, the senate agreed to appoint a committee to determine whether existing funds could support the building of part of a house belonging to a needy colored family in the Brushy area. SPEAKS FOR ADMINIS TRATION—Associate Dean Don Stafford explains the university’s stand on the “free speech” issue.

Texas A&M Newspaper Collection

Texas A&M Newspaper Collection

The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, April 24, 1970, Image 1

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