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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 29, 1970)
Guest Opinion When Four Overrule 5,000 By Joe Mac Spears Student government lost still another battle last night. Our Election Commission threw out last Thursday’s election by a vote of four to two. In effect four people overruled 5,000. The Election Commission took the final step in becoming the irra tional, incompetent, prejudiced body it has strived so hard to be. Examine for yourself what has happened in this last election alone: 1. One day before the elec tion it was ruled that printed campaign material could not be carried into the polls by voters. This was despite the fact that the same rules allowed this in the past years, and that nearly every state and national election rule allows this. 2. On the morning of the elec tion another ruling was given that no list (handwritten or printed) would be allowed into the polls. 3. For a brief period voters were told to vote for as many people as they could remember, go outside the 50-foot limit, check whatever list they wanted and then go back and finish vot ing. A somewhat ridiculous sit uation to say the least. 4. Finally, people were al lowed to carry handwritten lists in, but could not carry them back out — a violation of personal property. 5. Candidates and their sup porters were allowed to count ballots. This could have been the reason for the 100-vote error discovered in the only two races that have been recounted to date. 6. Ballots (both blank and marked) have been kept in the MSC since Thursday night — ac cessible to at least one candidate that I am aware of and probably several more. This is despite the fact that these ballots are still subject to recount. 7. Finally, last night the com mission threw out the election because there was no secret bal lot. This is obviously true. Per haps they should have considered this in setting up the election in the first place. The Election Commission was scheduled to meet again this morning to “reconsider” its deci sion. This is partly due to the fact that the commission failed to discuss section 4, page 34 of University Regulations which states “candidates or election commissioners may protest elec tions” and makes no provisions for non-candidates or non-elec tion commissioners. The protest was brought by students who were neither candidates nor elec tion commissioners. Possibly the Election Commission should be familiar enough with the nine pages of election rules that they could fully discuss one protest in one meeting. It is my thought that regard less of the Election Commission’s next decision, they cannot cor rect the injustices they have done individual candidates and the student body as a whole. Though I was very active in the last election, I could not in good faith look a student in the eye and tell him that student government can work if this final lunacy is not stopped. If the Election Commission does not change its mind again, the decision will be protested at Thursday night’s senate meet ing. I urge you to contact your senate representative and urge him to vote against this latest folly of the Election Commission, and also ask that you attend Thursday night’s meeting in the Library Conference Room and give evidence of the student feel ing. Finally I request that you demand a total revamping of the Election Commission and election procedures for next year. I ListenTlp - ” the batt forum Editor: I do not understand how a University Administration with a maturation of nearly 100 years could be so naive as to interupt an exercise in free speech. How can I reasonably support an Ad ministration which panics when students choose to openly express opinions? If our Administration were as sophisticated as its long heritege infers, it would not have considered interfering. It certain ly would not issue a memorandum so blatantly dictatorial as: Promotion and/or support of, or participation in or attendance at, any on campus function or activity not specifically author ized by the Dean of Students, is prohibited. Violation of this direct instruction is sufficient cause for immediate suspension from the rolls of the University. This provides one obvious con clusion, that the Dean of Students intends to straight-jacket at tempts for idea exchange on cam pus, outside the classroom. I Bulletin Board TONIGHT The Host and Fashion Com mittee will meet at 7 p.m. in the Birch Room, Memorial Student Center for induction of new of ficers and a general organiza tional meeting. THURSDAY Mid-County Hometown Club will meet at 8 p.m. in the Lobby Memorial Student Center. San Angelo-West Texas Home town Club will meet at 7:30 p.m. in Room 3C, Memorial Student Center to elect new officers. Irving Hometown Club will meet at 8 p.m. in Social Room, Memorial Student Center. Dallas Hometown Club will meet at 8 p.m. in the MSC Cen ter to elect officers. question whether Texas A&M is an Educational Institution or simply an Institution desperately clinging to a cherished history. Texas A&M seems to have grown so old that it has ceased to pro gress and contribute. And the only facility left is that of recall. Recollection of the good times, war times, when all the student cared about was learning a trade, raising a family and doing the same things as the generation be fore. So deeply entrenched is this tradition syndrome, that no sem blance of student dissatisfaction has been observed until just re cently. This sudden change may be credited to widespread public ity of student issues on other campuses. And this has stimu lated the latent curiosity in many students here who before were contented in their academic iso lation. But now they want some thing better than pure academics, they want to carry their class room theories outside, to test them on real people and real issues. All people demand this basic freedom, all people will have this freedom. Tom Ellis Editor: An Open letter of thanks to Law Enforcement and Company: Thank you for protecting me from, what certainly would have been the inane and irrelevant utterings of Earl Brown and Numbers in () denote channels nels on the cable. 5:00 3 (5) General Hospital 5:30 3 (5) CBS Evening News 6:00 3 (5) News 6:30 3 (5) Hee Haw Company. What Earl Brown could have said might upset me to an irrational state. An irra tional state of mind would de tract from my course of study and result in poor performance for the Registrars transcript. I certainly don’t want that to happen. In this academic atmosphere I don’t want anything to interfere with my educational experience. It is comforting to know that I can count on you to be ever vigilent to protect me and the rights of free men everywhere. Doug Goodgame ’70 Editor: I am writing this in protest of this university’s inaction on the grievances of black students. None of these grievances are new. We have asked for them before, but instead of receiving attempts at understanding, we only receiv ed hostile flack. We have asked for the following: 1. An organization for black students. 2. Program for recruitment of minority students. 3. Courses relevant to the black man integrated into the curric ulum. 4. Black counselor to serve as liaison between black students and the administration. 5. Investigation of recruitment policies in major sports. Elroy Mills Paul Greer 7:30 3 (5) Beverly Hillbillies 8:00 3 (5) Johnny Cash 9:00 3 (5) Hawaii Five-O 10:00 3 (5) News 10:30 3 (5) It Takes a Thief 11:30 3 (5) Richard Diamond tonight on the tube €bt 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 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. 1969 TPA 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, Jr., College of Veterinary Medicine; and Dr. Z. L. Carpenter, College of Agriculture. 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 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. MEMBER The Associated Press, Texas Press Association The Associated Collegiate Press Mail subscriptions are $3.50 per semester; $6 per school year; $6.60 per full year. All subscriptions subject to 4^4% 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 reproduction of all news 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. EDITOR DAVE MAYES Managing Editor David Middlebrooke Women’s Editor Cindy Burleson News Editor Pam Troboy Sports Editor Richard Campbell Assistant Sports Editor Mike Wright Staff Writers Hayden Whitsett, Bob Robinson, Chancy Lewis, Janie Wallace, Fran Haugen, Randy Murdock, Billy Buchanan, Gibril Fadika, Tommy Thompson Sports Writer Clifford Broyles Columnists Roger Miller, Mike McClain Photographers Jim Berry, David Gawthorpe, Mel Miller, Robert Boyd Sports Photographer Mike Wright Professional and Technical Graduates Apply Now Home Office: Houston, Texas Shamrock EMPLOYMENT SERVICE • College Division • North Gate 331 University Dr. 846-3737 A division of ERC CADET SLOUCH by Jim Earle Page 2 THE BATTALION College Station, Texas Wednesday, April 29,1971) Read Classifieds Dal “If they made civilian student week a two-week affair, it would kill us!” “PARENTS WEEKEND” SPECIAL Take her to see and hear SINGING CADET LOCAL CONCERT BRYAN CIVIC AUDITORIUM FRIDAY, MAY 8, 1970 “Her” can be Mom, Sis, or, Sweet Young Thing. You’ll have fun too, Aggie! Tickets: $1.50 & 75* Student Programs Office, M.S.C. Any Singing Cadet Buy your tickets early SP^c/ALS P0/P.:TUURS>-F£li-SAT MIL 30 / MAYI+3. \<r'70 LIQUID f/il Qo/iMrrn rights VtLLSguZ'i O# &ALLAZD TOY -2 2. or. BoT~rL£ $ATHKOOr(\ Fol. ’s TISSUE GaADIOCA Pouct MIXES Rath BHC0N 4 Roll !><&■ gjlaviola Pouch CozABKEAT) 'tmUEF/ti Ml F, oFL |TV\K>cAK£* P\ 1 x. Rath Lb. Pkg. M I • V\LLS8uZ'i 'BALLAZD M , ^ mil 49’ i BISCUITS #35 39 10 lb- CA ^ U>/774 fvfi.- D*. /hoa£ I • COFFE E T> V El l C f O 03 APPLES - 85'iPiES PA/Jpuar fruit APPLE cheer / (LL'STAfZJ) RXDEKM AT BROOKSHIRE BROS. REDEEM AT BROOKSHIRE BROS. ■ KOBE SO FREE TOP VALUE STAMPS With Purchase of Two - '/z Gal* Frostie Root Beer Coupon Expires May 2, 1970. 50 FREE TOP VALUE STAMPS With Purchase of 14-Qz. Bottle Heinz Ketchup with Onions or Ketchup with Relish Coupon Expires May 2, 1970. ^ REDEEM AT BROOKSHIRE BROS. 100 EXTRA TOP VALUE STAMPS With Purchase of $10.00 or More (Excluding Cigarettes) • One Per Family Coupon Expires May 2, 1970. PEANUTS IT WAS ALL VER7 DEPRE55IN6,, i Wish i wouldn't have THOSE DREAMS... IT 5 TOO BAD U)E CAN'T KNOW AHEAD OF TIME WHAT WE'RE 60INS TO DREAM By Charleo ftL Schnlr MAYBE THEY COULD [A PUBLISH REVIEWS >