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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 12, 1971)
Che Battalion Cloudy and mild Vol. 67 No. 25 College Station, Texas Tuesday, October 12, 1971 Wednesday —- Cloudy. Inter mittent light rainshowers. South erly winds 10-15 mph, becoming northerly 15-20 mph in afternoon. High 76°, low 66°. Thursday — Clear to partly cloudy. Westerly winds 10-15 mph. High 72°, low 51°. 845-2226 OK 1= e W L 4 ' ] j 1 ' If, 13 It 43i k-.-'-—V' * 11 III Prisoner exchange ■( lifts hopes for more i P&tTvyl THE COTTON BOWL was crammed Saturday to see the University of Texas take a bit ter plunge to Oklahoma University. The game, one of the highlights of an Aggies week end, also started the 86th State Fair. (AP Wirephoto) SAIGON (A?)—The release of a North Vietnamese war prison er Monday raised cautious hope for the freeing of more U.S. prisoners by the enemy. The U.S. Embassy said a North Vietnamese lieutenant was freed in Cambodia as a “recipro cal gesture” for the return on Friday of an American Army sergeant. The U.S. statement said the release of the lieutenant was made “in response to indications that the enemy would wecome such a release at a given time and place.” The statement gave no clue as to these “indications” and turned aside all questions related to the unusual prisoner exchange, mark ing the first time since 1969 an American captive was set free. Embassy spokesmen went to lengths to discourage further dis cussion by newsmen on grounds it could jeopardize efforts to obtain the release of additional Americans. The Embassy statement said: “We have no assurance whatso ever at present that this recip rocal gesture will lead to the release of additional American prisoners. That, however, is the goal toward which we are work ing.” The reference to the “given time and place” indicated that the Americans had communicated with the Communist command on the freeing of POWs since Staff Sgt. John C. Sexton Jr., 23, of Warren, Mich., was released. The reciprocal release of the North Vietnamese lieutenant ap parently was carried out in ac cordance with instructions given by the other side. The U.S. Army helicopter carrying the prisoner, two Viet namese guards and a four-man American crew flew into an area on the Cambodian side of the frontier just after dawn. It had an escort of U.S. helicopter gun- ships but they hung back dis creetly and there was no sign of enemy activity in the area. All artillery and air strikes were suspended in the area, about 15 miles from the South Viet namese basecamp at Loc Ninh, where Sexton showed up after what he said was an eight-hour hike. The South Vietnamese were “informed but not involved” in the mechanics of the release al though they supplied the prison er. A Foreign Ministry source said it was made through “an agreement between the two gov ernments,” U.S. and South Viet namese. The POW was said by one source to have been among a group of North Vietnamese prisoners pre-selected for return home in case an initiative de veloped on either side for ex changing. Speculation that U.S. officials hoped for further POW releases was encouraged by the fact that it was the first one ever deliv ered by the United States rather than South Vietnam, the obvious haste in which it was arranged, and the fact that the U.S. Em bassy announced it. Reasons given to explain rigid football ticket policy By staff and students Bicycles to be object of study By DEBI BLACKMON Staff Writer A Cyclist’s Legal Committee, sponsored by A&M’s Wheelmen, will work with the Traffic Plan ning Council this year, studying bicycle parking problems and walkway congestion problems now occurring on campus. “Working through the office of the Campus Planner,” says Rob ert Cornish, associate professor in urban planning,” the students will study the problems that cycl ists seem to be having with pedes trians on sidewalks, cars and trucks in the street, and other bicycles all over the place.” The Legal Committee was established by the Wheelmen to study the new bicycle laws that were put into effect last month by the state legislature. Cata loged under Article XXI, “The Operation of Bicycles and Play Vehicles,” the laws apply to any device “propelled by human pow er upon which any person may ride, having two tandem wheels of at least 14 inches in diameter. Violations of these laws are considered misdemeanors. These regulations will apply whenever a bicycle is operated on any high way or path set aside for the ex- Banking is a pleasure at First Bank & Trust. elusive use of bicycles. The new traffic laws apply to persons riding bicycles. Every person riding a bicycle upon a roadway will be granted all of the rights and be subject to all of the duties applicable to the driver of a motor vehicle included in this act. Anybody operating a bicycle on a roadway should ride as near to the right side of the road as practicable, exercising due care when passing a standing vehicle or one proceeding in the same direction. People riding bicycles upon a roadway cannot ride more than two abreast except on paths or parts of roadways set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles. Whenever a usable path for bi cycles has been provided adjacent to a roadway, bicycle riders should use such paths and not the actual roadway. In the B-CS area, bicycles have to use the hard surface shoulders. Anyone operating a bicycle can’t carry any package, bundle, or article which would prevent the driver from keeping at least one hand upon the handlebars. The new revisions also set ex act standards for the equipping of bicycles with lights and other equipment. Every bicycle when in use at night has to be equipped with a light on the front which emits a white light visible from a distance of at least 500 feet to the front and with a red reflector on the rear of a type approved by the department which is vis ible from all distances from 60 to 300 feet to the rear under a motor vehicle’s high beam lights. All bicycles have to be equipped with brakes which will enable the rider to make the braked wheels skid on dry, level, clean pavement. Racing on streets is also pro hibited. No one can ride a bicycle in any race, speed competition or contest, drag race or acceler ation contest, test of physical en durance, exhibition of speed or acceleration, or for the purpose of making a speed record. Racing is defined as the inten tion to test the physical stamina or endurance of cyclists over long distance driving routes. A special emphasis is given to driving on sidewalks. The revi sions state that no one can drive any vehicle on a sidewalk or side walk area except on a permanent or duly authorized temporary driveway. Cutting across certain property is also prohibited. No bicyclist should cross a sidewalk or drive through a driveway, parking lot, or business or residential entrance without bringing the vehicle to a complete stop. No one driving a vehicle should cross, drive on sidewalks, driveways, parking lots or entrances at an intersec tion for the purpose of making either a right or left turn from one street or highway to another street or highway. These new legal revisions to the laws restricting cycling apply to all bicycles on campus. Viola tions run from tickets costing $10 to $200, just like motor ve hicle violations. “The Legal Committee will study problems in relationship to this campus,” Cornish said, “and come up with revisions the stu dents feel are necessary.” The new bicycle laws will be submitted to the Traffic Com mittee.” The Texas A&M Wheelmen created the Legal Committee af ter students began receiving warnings from University Police. A&M’s Traffic Panel, a part of the University’s Planning and Analytical Studies Group, has discussed the bicycle problems on campus. University National Bank “On the side of Texas A&M.” —Adv. The reasons for the football game tickets policy of the Ath letic Business Office were ex plained Monday by Wally Groff, athletic business manager. “We haven’t really changed our policy,” Groff said, “we are only enforcing rules more strin gently.” “It had gotten out of hand this year,” he said. Groff has recently come under fire from students because he ordered stringent checking of date tickets at the Cincinnati game without warning students that he would do so. The check, according to Griff’s estimate, showed that one out of four dates were turned away be cause they were trying to enter on student tickets when they didn’t attend A&M. “I was surprised at the num ber caught in the check,” Groff said, “usually we only spot check but it looks like now we’ll have to keep this up all year.” “We had no idea it was this far out of hand,” he went on. Groff explained that the busi ness office must require ID’s at the football games and must charge $6 for each date ticket because of Southwest Conference rules. “These are rules we must fol low,” he said. Groff said that he feels a stu dent is cheating the others when he gets a date into a football game without buying a date ticket. “Everyone else pays $6, why shouldn’t he,” he asked. Groff said that a new stamp had been made to be put on the back of each student ticket, say ing, “Texas A&M Student Only, Must Be Accompanied by Student I.D. Card.” The tickets at earlier games only had “Texas A&M Student” stamped on them. About $89,000, or seven per cent, of the money used by ath letics comes from student activity fees. Athletics cost A&M about $1.25 million a year. “This is actually low compared to some schools,” Groff said. The cost paid per student for each ticket is $1.27. The mandatory payment of the football ticket is a difficult point, Groff admits. “It doesn’t seem to please either of us,” Groff said. “We could make more money by charg ing $3 for each student ticket and letting him decide which games he wants to attend,” he added. “Actually,” he continued, “we treat our students better than most other schools. Some of them are forced into really ter rible ticket policies.” Fisher is scheduled to speak concerning women’s liberation A Great Issues presentation on women’s liberation will feature Dr. Marguerite J. Fisher Wed nesday at A&M. A lecturer to local, state and national organizations on world and national affairs and local government problems, Dr. Fisher teaches political science at Syra cuse University. Great Issue chairman Sam Drugan said Dr. Fisher’s talk at 8 p.m. in the Memorial Student Center Ballroom is a public-free event. A Democratic and liberal can didate for councilman-at-large in Syracuse, N. Y., Dr. Fisher has spoken previously on more equi table rights for women, particu larly in areas of voting and salary. Her civic and professional ac tivities have won “Who’s Who of American Women” listing, two awards as Fulbright Professor in India and the Philippines, ap pointment to the New York State Women’s Council by former Gov ernor Dewey and a radio station award for civic service in Syra- Annual Aggie Blood Drive to be conducted this month A&M students will register Wednesday and Thursday for the annual Aggie Blood Drive. Contributions during the Oct. 20-21 drive will aid treatment and research programs of the Wadley Institutes of Molecular Medicine in Dallas and make stu dents and their immediate fami lies eligible to draw blood from the Wadley bank during the next year. The A&M drive is co-spon sored by the Student Senate and Xi Delta chapter of Alpha Phi Omega, national service fra ternity. APO public relations officer Mike Ballew said registration will be in the Memorial Student Center. By registering, students can assist Wadley technicians and APO workers with a steadier flow of donors on the drive dates, Ballew indicated. Donors will be received at the university hospital. A&M students donated 435 pints of blood in fall and spring drives last year, with Walton Hall and Squadron 5 winning awards for best percentage par ticipation. Aggie donations since 1959 total 5,306 units. — The inquiring Battman Do you think A&M should keep maintaining traditions? Gene Evans senior Yes, we still need our tradi tions, but we must also still look to the future. Michel Bunch senior No! It’s archaic and causes nothing but problems. In a time when change is dearly needed, we live at A&M in an age of Robert Holcomb graduate I feel it does. It helps unite the student body in support of their school in all its activities. It also helps keep the students interested after they have grad uated if they share a common background as undergraduates. Karl Cook junior A&M can retain its traditions as long as they do not retain A&M. Don Shelton junior Traditions are important for any school. Pep rallies, spirit, etc. help make the school what it is. John Howard junior The students at this university need to put more emphasis on education and less on tradition. I fail to see how some of our traditions build character. Eva Gramberg senior Not to the extent that it curbs human spontaneity and the flow of ideas. When people are so tied by tradation that they inhibit the unthinking innocent actions of others, then those traditional values become ridiculous.