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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 23, 1971)
H la rant Hil1 is it), Usc i e , SO | :et | ^ win] ^ eir moms % one i, im proven^ lct °r in : out to atlj Che Battalion Fair and cool Vol. 66 No. 98 College Station, Texas Tuesday, March 23, 1971 Wednesday —■ Cloudy with light rain. Winds easterly at 10-15 mph. High 72°, low 58°. Thursday — Partly cloudy to cloudy. Winds southerly at 15-20 mph. High 77°, low 54°. 845-2226 Black Experience I set for first April weekend By FRAN ZUPAN Battalion Managing Editor A poetry ensemble and native dance presentation by Sudan Arts of Houston was approved Mon day night by the Memorial Stu dent Council for Black Experi ence I scheduled for the first weekend in April. The Black Awareness Commit tee will sponsor Sudan Arts and a dance at the Red Lion with music by the Chocolate Glass of Houston that weekend, next year’s BAG chairman, Vernon Lewis, said. A Great Issues Ethnic Studies Seminar presentation on “The Origin and Progress of the Black Militant Movement” by Price Cobb, black psychiatrist and au thor of “Black Rage” and “Jesus’ Bag,” will start the weekend off April 1 in the MSC Ballroom at 8 p.m. The Sudan Arts presentation, by five performers and two drum mers “native African style,” is set for 8 p.m. April 2 in the Ball room. Admission is free. The dance April 3 will be from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. at the Red Lion in Bryan. Tickets may be bought from BAG members for $4 per couple or $2.50 stag. Anyone wishing to buy tickets can call Lewis at 845-5975, William Grays at 845-6575 or Cecil Nutall at 845-5396. In other Council business, man agement sophomore Bob Lackey was elected Basement Committee chairman; environmental design junior Howard Creek, Recreation Committee chairman; physics jun ior Miles Vincin, chairman of the New Tradition Singers, all for 1971-72. rHE GANG Apollo 13 astronaut Fred W. Haise, Friday tells of his experiences on the aborted mission at the Southwestern Journalism Congress. (Photo by Gary Aven) The Council also passed a reso lution—to be presented to the University Executive Committee —requesting that the spring holi days in 1972 be scheduled to in clude two weekends instead of one. The Travel Committee was of fered a low-cost round trip to Spain for seven days this spring at $275-85. The trip, on the order of the “Ski the Alps” trip taken between the semesters, had to be turned down because “the holi days were split over the week end,” the resolution states. “North Texas State University, East Texas State University, TCU, SMU and Texas Tech all have their holidays in one week which gives them two weekends off, whereas the A&M student body and faculty only has one weekend tied with their spring holidays,” the resolution says. “This is to respectfully request that the Executive Committee consider having the holidays be gin on a Friday and terminate at 8 a.m. on the second Monday, which would involve, of course, the students and faculty having one more holiday than they did this year. “It is also recommended that the holiday period in the spring not have to be necessarily tied in with the Easter holiday week end.” “We may try to take this to the Student Senate to get their back ing,” 1971-72 Council President John Dacus said. “The University Executive Committee already has set the holidays for next year. But we feel there is a lot of sup port (for the resolution), and they may be changed with a good cause. The Council approved a Poli tical Forum budget request for $175 for travel expenses for Sen. Lloyd Bentsen (D-Tex.). Council member Ron Clark questioned the allocation of $15 for radio advertisements for Bent- sen and $34 for a Battalion ad. He said he didn’t think these were needed to draw a crowd and pro posed an amendment that this $49 be transferred to the funds for Oliver. The amendment was de feated. Appreciation Awards, given this year at the committee level rath er than at the Awards Banquet April 6, were presented to six di rectorate assistants. They were Owen Dewing, William Heeter, Keith Kauffman, Wade Seidel, Sam Walser and Mickey Wiesin- ger. AT 6:501’. J ’E TRASH' p. m. VILLING" AT 6:40 P. II \ey’s Hits COUNTRf : Forrest p. m. >rd As PH” exploration Haise says Foreman talks of free press, fair trial m “The day man ceases to have a thirst for knowledge of the universe and stops exploring, then he is no longer the creature we call man today. I contend that he will be the worse for it.” Apollo 13 astronaut Fred W. Haise Jr. gave this, and a number of other reasons, for continuing our present space program at a banquet Friday night at the Ramada Inn. The banquet, the last formal event of the annual Southwest Journalism Congress, was also attended by Alton Blakeslee, Associated Press sci- .. enee editor; Brian Duff, public ^ affairs officer of the Manned US MAGEI Spacecraft Center; Jim Thompson of Taylor Publishing Company; Anson Mount, the public affairs manager of Playboy; and journal ism students of 15 Southwest colleges. The astronaut cited numerous ACTION SAl figures in his talk which showed how relatively little was being spent on the United States space program in comparison with other aspects of American life. In the current fiscal budget only 1.6% has been allocated to NASA. From a different perspective the aver age person spends $17 per year on the space program, $17 per year on tobacco, $32 per year on alcohol and $14 on women’s cos metics, Haise said, k Economically, the space pro gram has provided the United States with jobs for about 100,000 ® who otherwise might have in- creased this country’s unemploy ment figures, he said. i Sinatra p. m. X)ZEN” Marvin ’ERE YOU 5 LIGHTS our ris Day “The space program has tech nologically benefited everybody. It has made some discoveries which have been put to use in many facets of our everyday life,” Haise said. He gave as examples computers, communication and weather satellites as the three main fields where space tech nology has had an effect. Haise credited the space pro gram with providing opportuni ties for many of the nation’s young “which are important in developing incentive and good work habits no matter what field they may choose to enter.” Lastly, he credited the space program for increasing American prestige both here and abroad. “I don’t think that there is any argument that the space program is internationally recognized as the outstanding accomplishment of this country in the past decade.” He used the good-will tours made by both the Apollo 13 and the Apollo 14 crews as examples. Haise states that he is a career man with NASA and that he would “very much like to fly another space mission.” He also feels that it is “our duty—our obligation—to use our God-given talents to explore space.” Also at the congress, Associated Press Science Editor Alton Blakeslee said the United States “must have the Apollo program.” Blakeslee said he could not see “the saving of a great deal of money if Apollo is cut back.” No constitutional guarantee, in cluding the right of a free press, takes precendence over the right to a fair trial, prominent trial lawyer Percy Foreman said here Friday. “The Fh*st Amendment to the U. S. Constitution is no more im portant than the right of an in dividual to trial by jury,” he told more than 200 delegates to the 41st Southern Journalism Congress. Nothing that the press itself has often been placed on trial recently, Foreman observed that the Fourth Estate itself serves such a purpose, helping keep courts honest. “The authors of the constitu tion knew that unbridled human nature is a menace to liberty of people,” the luncheon speaker said. Thei’e is no difference in the psychology of law in Russia or free countries, except that in the Western democracies limitations are placed on the power of the state because of the concept of individual freedom, Foreman went on. He elaborated on the First Amendment, saying that the guar antee thaf the people shall have a free press doesn’t grant news men a freedom that is peculiarly theirs. “The guarantee is to the public as a whole, with the duty and responsibility resting on your shoulders,” Foreman remarked. “One of the fundamental princi ples of law is that with freedom goes a responsibility and duty.”.. The famous attorney warned future journalists of Texas, Ark ansas and Louisiana of one danger to be encountered in practicing the profession. He also made several suggestions. “You will find,” Foreman stated, “that individual psychol ogy is similar everywhere and that one of the most prominent features of any individual is the need for self-realization, to want to be important in the eyes of someone.” ... *, ; .'V ^ I m ' ■' ' ' ' Trial Lawyer Percy Foreman (left) speaks with assistant professor Bill Harrison of the A&M Journalism Dept, and others at the Southwestern Journalism Congress Friday. (Photo by Gary Aven) Cadets study attitudes, ideas at Think Tank By JOHN CURLYO Assistant Sports Editor Representatives of each class in all the units of the Corps of Cadets spent the weekend study ing the structure, policies and attitudes of the organization and suggesting changes for the com ing year. Lakeview Methodist Assembly in Palestine was the scene of Think Tank II, attended by cadets, 3:00 P- 1 "’ ALPHA PHI OMEGA turned a constructive weekend by redecorating part of the univer sity hospital. Preparing an upstairs ward for the Saturday painting are (from left) Tom Newsom, Mike Kelly and Mike Holley. About 25 Xi Delta chapter “brothers” pitched in on the effort. former students, and military officers of the Army and Air Force at A&M. Five topics were discussed by 20 subgroups, each consisting of 10 cadets, an officer, and a former student. Among the subjects were the discipline system, efficient corps structure, image, scholas tics, and ways of achieving corps unity. “We took these five areas from Fish and sophomore surveys and discussed them here,” Tom Stan ley, corps sergeant major, ex plained. “We used last year’s Think Tank and got topics, too. Theoretically, we’re open to any change and improvements. All these areas are broad enough to encompass a lot. “We came here, away from the campus, to have a more informal atmosphere, better for discussion, and free from class distinction,” the junior political science major continued. “Seniors were used only as leaders of the discussion groups. There weren’t that many because this is next year’s corps. Their experience helped in rela tion to the topics and in getting everyone to speak up.” The actual coordination of Think Tank II was done by Dr. William R. Smith, head of the Psychology Department at A&M. The basis of the program was a brief introduction and then dis cussions by the subgroups. The entire conference met to listen to basic ideas on the subjects assigned. Then, each topic was discussed by the four subgroups, working as a single unit. Plans for improvement and correction were written by each of these larger groups, and then University National Bank “On the side of Texas A&M.” —Adv. they were presented to the whole conference in their final stages. Among the final plans were pro visions for putting the ideas into practice. “The only way this whole thing can be successful,” Dr. Smith told the more than 200 cadets, “is if plans are made that will be im plemented.” In the opening session of the program, brief talks were given by Ed Cooper, representing Dr. Jack Williams, Col. Jim H. Mc Coy, Commandant of the Corps, Richard (Buck) Weirus, execu tive director of the Association of Former Students, and Van H. Taylor, Corps Commander. McCoy commended the cadets for the overall improvement of the corps and the progress made since Think Tank I of a year ago. “We must remember that the goal of the corps is development of the whole man,” the officer said, “and not necessarily the military man.” Weirus pointed out that A&M is the last state supported, land grant college in the United States to have an active ROTC program. He also told of the reaction of such football greats as Bill (Jitterbug) Henderson and Willie Zapalac to their last Final Re view, and the pride and unity they had about the corps. Taylor challenged all present to solve, not just identify problems. The senior said that the purpose of the conference was not only for the present, but for the cadets to take the ideas back to the campus and discuss them in their respective units and classes. Among the final proposals brought up by the groups were several ideas about changing past practices and the reorganization of corps structure. Specific areas under the general topics were selection of positions, staff struc ture, attitude changes in regard to the image of the corps, con duct at corps parties, in the dining hall, and at midnight yell prac tice, a more specifically outlined scholastic policy, a review of class privileges, and a system of having unit discussions similar to Think Tank to improve com munications in the corps. More meetings among the vari ous echelons of the corps would improve unity and help under standing at all levels, one group said. They suggested monthly conferences in which representa tives of all the units could get together and talk about the activi ties and efficiency of the corps. The image group said that much of the problem in this area could be avoided if cadets would con duct themselves at all times “in a gentlemanly manner to be ac ceptable to family, friends, and respected guests.” They added that this criteria should be ap plied to all actions in any situ ation, whether it be in public or on campus. The main proposals outlined by the group reviewing scholastics were in the area of call to quar ters. Standardization of the corps policy and a graduated incentive system were suggested. “I think the results are more concrete than last year,” Stanley said after Think Tank. “Each group wrote up definite policies in the five most critical areas of the corps. We had good com munication between the former students, the officers, and the classes in the corps. Think Tank II will make it easier for next year’s cadet leaders to make any changes they feel are necessary.” A&M takes fifth in congress; four Battalion staffers place A&M took fifth place in the Southwestern Journalism Con gress competition here Friday night. Of the fifteen colleges and uni versities from Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Louisiana, Aggie journalists won prizes in five categories. Winners included; David Middlebrooke, Battalion editor, placing third in the gen eral news story categoric for “Confrontation part of first day in job.” Pam Troboy, Battalion staff writer taking a second place in Series of Stories for “Coed Life at A&M.” Hayden Whitsett, Battalion assistant editor placing first in Speech of Interview Story “Scary as Hell Prisoner Says.” Fran Zupan, taking first place for Magazine Articles for “Will It Ever Change.” The competition was judged by the Southern Living Magazine staff and the Memphis Commer cial Appeal staff. The Texas A&M Engineer was second in best special interest campus magazine. The University of Texas at Austin placed first in the com petition, nosing the University of Oklahoma into the second place school. Banking is a pleasure at First Bank & Trust.