THE BATTALION Page 2 College Station, Texas Wednesday, March 1, 1972 Batt analysis CADET SLOUCH by Hm Earte constitution—what it is and isn’t “They’re getting more and more impatient with jay walkers!” The new constitution that will be voted on in the March 7 refer endum is quite a bit different from the one that has been used for the past several years. It is intended to replace what Student Senate President John Sharp “an obsolete constitu tion.” The proposed document, he feels, is necessary for modern student governments. The new plan is for the organi zation, to be called the student government of Texas A&M Uni versity, to be divided into three branches and for Senate repre sentation to be by a combination of the college/class system and by living areas. The three branches will be simi lar to the U. S. Constitution— executive, legislative and judicial. The Student Body President will be the executive head, and the job of presiding over the Senate will go to the Vice President. “The President’s job this year is legislative and administrative,” Sharp said. “They need to be separated, so that everyone can do a one hundred per cent thor ough job.” The representation in the pres ent Senate is apportioned to each college by class, according to en rollment. The proposed system would have 50 senators elected in this way, including, for the first time, graduate students. The remainder of the Senate would be elected by living area in the ratio of one senator for every 500 students. If adopted, the Senate would decide the “dis- Referendum voting Bulletin Board If you haven’t read the analysis on the top of this page yet, we suggest that you do so. It deals with the new constitution which the Student Senate has been slaving and griping over the last several months. We won’t go into the right or wrong of the constitution-at least not right now, but the students should. Typical reaction to that last statement is probably jeering, obscene statement or possibly a horse laugh. After all, what the hell has the Student Senate ever done for the student? That is another question we won’t pass judgment on right now but we do wish to make one statement regarding it. The new constitution has the potential to change the Student Senate for good or bad. If you want to have an effective Senate then study the constitution for the question now lies in the : student’s hands. i'OXV It is there because of the referendum to be held this Tuesday. The students have the power to approve this document or kill it. One must happen. Tliat is where the student voice in student government comes in. Whatever you do, if you want to have better student government then get out and vote one way or the other Tuesday. Thursday San Antonio HTC will meet in room 301 of the Physics building at 7. Cepheid Variable will meet in room 304 of the Physics building at 7. Panhandle Area HTC will meet in room 3D of the Memorial Stu dent Center at 8. Architectural Wives will meet at 7:30 in the Texas room of Bryan Building and Loan. Friday Chess Committee will meet in room 3C of the Memorial Student Center at 7:30. Tournament will be held. Monday Zero Population Growth will meet at 7:30 at St. Thomas Epis copal Church, Jersey St. Miss T AMU Texas politicians competition With the Mutscher bribery trial coming up and the Sharpstown Bank scandal still lingering in the air Texas politics has entered one of its most ludicrous phases. Everybody, from Preston Smith to our own Mike Essmyer, has jumped on the honesty bandwagon. “I’m honest” screams one while another denies knowing Gus Mutscher at all. Meanwhile, back with the other subpoenaed politicos, Smith keeps the whole state of Texas in frightful suspense waiting for his TV speech tonight. Of course, no one has mentioned that politicians are supposed to be honest to begin with. Or is it just that they’re not supposed to be caught? Perhaps it is that Texans are just used to finding out that their elected officials are not deserving of the public’s trust. They caught Frank Sharp, who of course had no dignified title to defend himself with and those that did have the title didn’t stick around to help, but that was it. Dowdy’s conviction even came as a shock. All, well. Perhaps it is all for the best. Now that the cat is out of the bag the Texas politico may be less eager to invest in dubious vemtires. Let us think back to the days of Pa and Ma Ferguson and reflect on how lucky we are now. will be held A Miss TAMU contest will fea ture single coeds in both formals and bathing suits March 8. The contest, sponsored by sev eral TAMU organizations, is in coordination with the Miss Texas Universe contest. The TAMU win ner will go to the Miss Texas contest. Applications for the contest may be obtained at the Dean, of Women’s office in the Academic building. The deadline is Friday. The contest will be held in the mall of the Engineering Center. Judges will be Dean of Women Toby Schrieber, Dean of Men Charles Powell, Fern Hammond of KBTX, Mayor J. B. Hervey of College Station and Ford Albrit ton. AARGH! ...John R. Moffitt Cbe Battalion Opinions expressed in The Donation ore those o, ISS "tS'X" JSpt the student writers only. The Battalion IS a non tax- Sunday, Monday, and holiday periods, September through supported, non-profit, self-supporting educational enter- May, and once a week during summer school. prise edited and operated by students as a university and MEMBER community newspaper. Associated Press, Texas Press Association LETTERS POLICY Associated Collegiate Press Letters to the editor must be typed, double-spaced, Mail subscriptions are $3.50 per semester; $6 per school and no more than 300 words in length. They must be year; $6.60 per full year. All subscriptions subject to 5% sinned, although the writer’s name Ml be Mhheld by 17^^ arrangement with the editor. Address correspondence to Texas 77843. Listen Up, 1 he Battalion, Room -17, Services Building, The Associated Press is entitled exclusively to the use for College Station, I exas 77o43. reproduction of all news dispatchs credited to it or not otherwise credited in the paper and local news of spontaneous origin published herein. Rights of republication of all other Members of the Student Publications Board are: Jim matter herein are also reserved. Lindsey, chairman ; H. F. Filers, College of Liberal Arts; Second-Class postage paid at College Station, Texas. F. S. White, College of Engineering ; Dr. Asa B. Childers, Jr., College of Veterinary Medicine; Dr. W. E. Tedrick, College VDITDI? IT A'V"nTT’'M WWTT'cnT'TT of Agriculture; and Layne Kruse, student. • -"j"-- XIAI VVnilDfhAJ. Represented nationally by National Educational Advertising News Editor —Sue DaVlS Services, Inc., New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles and San opOrtS xL Cl It OF JOlin CuryiO Francisco. Assistant Sports Editor Bill Henry tricts” in the living areas from which representatives would be elected. The Corps, due to the system of class distinction, would be as sured six representatives, and university-owned apartments will be guaranteed two. The remain der of the off-campus seats will be divided equally among the four classes, sophomore through grad uate student, with any left over to be elected at large. Freshmen representatives will be elected in the middle of the fall semester on the same 1:500 plan as the rest of the Senate. This would change the present system of electing five senators at large. “This new plan for represen tation is satisfactory to both Corps and civilians,” Sharp ex plained, “because it combines the class/college and living area methods. This should appeal to both sides.” The proposed constitution calls the Student Body President, the “chief executive officer,” adding to his present powers an ap pointment power for any admin istrative committees, the right to enter into agreement with or ganizations and agencies outside the university and the veto power. He will have the responsibility for executing legislation and the obligation to present a legislative program at the beginning of each semester. Instead of the present system of having ex-officio members of the Senate, the President will have an Advisory Council. This body will consist of the positions now classified as ex-officio and any other people the President wishes to appoint. Four standing committees will be in the executive branch. The Student Body President Execu tive Committee will consist of the officers and the chairmen of the other standing committees. The Student Election Board replaces the Election Commission. Mem bership will be by appointment. “We want to get the politics away from the Election Board, so they can do their job and avoid any hassle,” Sharp said. The Public Relations Commit tee will be relatively the same as in the present structure, with the Services Committee taking over the jobs of the other three committees now in existence. Membership to these commit tees is subject to the appoint ment of the various chairmen, who are selected by the Student Body President. These commit tees are purely administrative, having no legislative duties. The legislative branch will con sist of the Student Senate, with its Executive Committee, The Vice President will preside over the Senate, with a Chairman Pro Tern to be elected by that group. Six standing committees are planned for the Senate. The Executive Committee will con sist of the President, the Vice President, the Recorder, the chair men of the legislative standing committees and the Chairman Pro Tern of the Senate. The other committees include the Academic Affairs Committee, the Student Services Committee, the External Affairs Committee, the Rules and Regulations Com mittee and the Finance Commit tee. The Senate will have the power to override the President’s veto with a two-thirds vote. It can grant recognition to student or ganizations, but it can only rec ommend withdrawal, again with a two-thirds vote. Each year the Senate will reapportion itself prior to spring elections. The judicial branch will con sist of the Student Body Judicial Committee. There will be nine members, two from each class, sophomore through graduate stu dent, and chairman. All members are appointed by the Student Body President. The duties of this committee will be the interpretation of con stitutional questions, legislative interpretation and certification of elections. It will be their job to rule on election disputes and pro tests. Ratification of the proposed constitution will be by a two- thirds vote of the Senate, ap proval by the administration. “The main advantage of this constitution is that it allows people to do a more thorough job by specification of duties,” Sharp pointed out. “It allows more people to be involved, and t is more participation in 1 tions.” Work began on this cons tion in September. Sharp app^ ed the committee to work; in late October. This group sk] after finals before Cliristi drawing up the proposals, & izing the new plan last west Last year, the Students spent most of the second sens debating a proposed constite which was eventually rejes Sharp indicated that this s different situation, and that! is a different proposed const tion. “People from the top orgasi tions on campus participatd this constitutional committee,' explained. “The reason lastju constitution failed was thati Senate members were indsl This year, we took diffta representatives from alltheh tions on campus and people hi different areas to work ontl AGGIE PLAQUES Plaster Accessories Finished - Unfinished Working Area Free Instructions GIFT-A-RAMA Redmond Terrace College Station my - G« r CRISCO^ V^69 c iJ fr% TENNESSEE FRENCH 3»1 KRAFT MIRACLE FRIES CALIFORNIA ICEBERG LETTUCE c oo Developm a giver a sub-calib( ommended graduate ii neering. Daniel T. ricated an< swessfullj Springfield 2mm bullet His thes degree in included r< markets ar device, whi 1848 to ad; artillei guns. Whitt sa (pronounce* "ill do typii hming. Call EACH WHIP 32 0Z. JAR WITH *5 00 PURCHASE LIMIT ONE USDA GRADE A WHOLE FRYERS - 29 KRAFT MIRACLE MARGARINE KRAFT STRAWBERRY PRESERVES COKES ** e btl. e i A CTNS. ■ • O b $1 Pkg. REDEEM THIS COUPON FOR iooextim, S&H GREEN STAMPS ^ With Purchase of $10.00 or More (Excluding Cigarettes) Coupon Expires March 4, 72 r Fame' i j| ran REDEEM THIS COUPON FOR § 50 FREE ALL QUANTITY RIGHTS A M P S 18 oz. JAR RESERVED Disenfectant Spray 14 oz. can Coupon Expires 3-4-72 i p.m. di WOR .typina. Syml w 823-3838 typing near ttienced. 846-8 SPEC $? 0N si ^ oummei "ice require ‘ravel. Ser Box 1239. Ser Chrys Body W Fre Ha L8ELL Ml D °dge Sile>