vf72—The year young people make a move into politics itfhts attfl ^J JL JL JL ights artj deep 1 by DEBBIE BLACKMON ’ ™ u ^Bl972 is going to be the Year of - ^“'^■oiitics in the United States, r ana K;»B cross America the college cam- ch. Tiir l (M seS) the student communities, >cker nn&ave become fully-enfranchised 3 comingiRlitical forces capable of using I B e direct route of the ballot box. '^■he 18-year old, now, has been fiddled with the responsibility to thinkiiijfirislate responsive government r, fi local, state and national levels «m finch will look to the true needs lit fed wishes of the American flfiople. We no longer have to "*'[||vors or for support. We can ■peal to representatives for Rpport ourselves and our own fididates who can look at the lue needs and wishes of the ‘‘^[American people. llirBPolitical pundits have been ar- lll!i Bring for months now about the ijlUfifluence that we are going to five on the outcome of the pri maries and the general elections, later in November. They’ve speculated on the local partici- Ipation of “uprooted students,” hd the real interest of the col lege-aged American on the higher level of politics. Many experts have raised the fear that the New Voters have so little practical experience with the political process that we are going to be easily swayed by the most super ficial considerations, if we are “swayed” at all. Many new voters have a hesi tancy about coming into the direct politics and all its dirty laundry, but not all of us are going to ignore the whole business and hope it will go quietly away. Those who feel they have a stake in this mess of American politics are going to do a lot of “swaying” disconcerting established petty politicians and petty politics. We will be trying to support candi dates who can continue handling their duties competently, and those who can replace our “city fathers.” Politicians involved in this year’s “races” are going to stand before 3,839,000 college-aged con stituents and have to reason with a lot of ideas, independent of petty politics and band wagons. I think The New Voters will initiate a purer democracy in the United States. Responding to the enactment of a Bill providing for the suspen sion of the restricting system of voter registration and eligibili ties, over 1250 young Texans gathered in Austin this summer to call for constructive change. Thirteen people from Texas A&M went to the conference which be gan as a “get rid of Nixon” and “Get out of Viet-Nam” sort of movement. But the conference evolved into a forum of concerned new voters interested in intensive examination of voter registration techniques and the laws they now were responsible for. This is a unique feature of the evolving mode of thought of the new voters. An overwhelming insist ence on standing up for prin ciples and insisting them out loud, rather than depending upon the traditional politics of the “smoke-filled” room have distin guished them from those who have continually defeated true democracy in the United States. They declared nonpartisanism and stood by it. Not for party recognition but for the recogni tion of principles of American ideas of today. They have been one of the many nationwide ve hicles organizing for the educa tion of the informed young citi zens participating in basic demo cratic decisions which will affect their lives and their reputations in our country’s politics. In September, a major change was made in the revised voter registration restrictions for the Texas Election Code concerning the ability of the newly enfran chised voters who live on a cam pus to vote in their local elec tions. As the result of a court suit, the state decided that the requirement that unmarried per sons under age 21 vote in the county of their parents’ residence was unconstitutional. Students aren’t entitled to any special con siderations from the registrar’s office, but neither are we to re ceive any special discrimination. This particular provision was in serted by the House of Repre sentatives in a conference com mittee during the last session of the legislature and was directed at keeping college students from voting in the town where they attended school. Now with the declaration of its unconstitution ality, a college student under 21 can register and vote in the town where he attends school. This is the biggest victory that we new voters have gotten. Out of state students and out of county stu dents at Texas A&M may regis ter in Brazos County, if they tell the county tax assessor-collector that they definitely are making A&M their permanent home. Any student can determine this when he is registering at the County Court House in Bryan. He does not have to be here during the summer to be a resident. On ac count of the student economic impact from his local area, every student should be active in his local elections as he is directly be Battalion affected by its expenditures and the local taxes he is burdened with. He is affected by the markup of retail prices of food, sales taxes paid to the communi ty, income taxes from his pay check if he happens to work in the community, and many other municipal services every citizen has to pay for. When a student stops and considers that $78,000,- 000 was spent in the Bryan-Col- lege Station area last year by Texas A&M and connected indi viduals, he will notice that some of that came out of his pocket. As a registered voter of College Station, he has a say in all local bond issues and specially created sales tax issues. If you, as a Texas A&M student don’t con sider yourself a resident of Col lege Station, because you plan to skip this place as soon as possi ble, you are going to find your taxes being levied by your locally registered businessmen. Getting the opportunity to vote and having a direct say with grubby personalities and nifty Cloudy and cool stock scandals isn’t what some people get excited about. The chance to jump right in the most questionable and 2nd oldest oc cupation in the history of man— politics—is something that is part of the staunch American guarantee—life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. A lot of adults “don’t have the time” or feel that their vote “won’t mat ter anyway.” New blood, new voters, and new issues are mak ing this year’s elections special. It will be a rejuvenating chance for politics in Texas and the na tion to be taken by the roots and shaked out. For too long politics have been controlled by a sti fling, regressive group who have become bogged down in the laws that they administer. Now that younger voters have been enfran chised, we have the chance to prove our maturity and abilities in handling the government that we have criticized, griped about, and attacked. Together we can work within the system to make the system work for us. Friday — Partly cloudy in the afternoon. Southeasterly winds 10-15 mph. High 84°, low 64°. Saturday — Mostly cloudy. Afternoon thundershowers. South westerly winds 15-20 mph. High 83°, low 68°. No. 120 College Station, Texas Thursday, May 4, 1972 845-2226 ocal politicos tate positions Ulllj;Aggie senior Mike Essmyer and r I£^|Bryan chiropractor Ed Stephen- I jMB n w '^ challenge incumbent Bill ; JWMpresnal for the District 28 state | SSSKjBpresentative seat this Saturday in local primaries. 11JP | Essrn y er > ex-Student Senate Bee-president, said that the new r| l/r|ate constitution should be flex- UliIBle and provide for annual un- IpSBHited sessions of the legislature. I UEEssmyer feels the constitution be a structural outline of aSSlKlfit® government, contain a civil bill and allow for more tirf r xible count y an d local govern- TlX F™! 8, "He said citizens should be eated and cured rather than de- royed for their use of marijua na. “The crime committeed for is use should be lowered to a aisdemeanor” he said. His opponent, Bill Presnal, has iad three and one-half years ex perience as the state represen tative from this district. Presnal told the League of Women Voters that he believes a good constitution would have a pay-as-you-go system of financ ing and give more authority to the legislature and local govern ments. In addition he said that the executive branch should be re structured. “The first offense for the pos session of marijuana should be treated as a misdemeanor,” Pres nal said. Ed Stephenson, the third con testant for the office, has had seven years of college and is a local chiropractor. Stephenson told the League of Women Voters the constitution should guarantee equal rights, freedom of the press, religion, and speech for all and provide News SummaryX WASHINGTON ) _ Late Wednesday the White House dis closed that Nixon has selected [Asst. Atty. Gen. L. Patrick Gray III to serve as FBI director on [an interim basis at least until [after the November election. A presidential spokesman ex plained the appointment of a reg- ilar director was being delayed avoid the possibility of an 6lection-year political fight over Hie nomination. Gray will not leed Senate confirmation to fill ;he job in an acting capacity. but had no comment. KELLOGG, Idaho > _ As pumps sent tons of air under ground, rescue workers began probing the hot, smoky shafts of the Sunshine silver mine Wednes day in search of more than 50 miners missing in a fire that killed at least 24 other men. Mine officials said 58 men were unaccounted for; 108 others escaped to safety soon after the fire broke out in the nation’s richest silver mine shortly after noon Tuesday. Sen. Hubert H. Humphrey narrowly defeated Sen. George 3. McGovern early Thursday in Ihe trouble-plagued Ohio primary Section for the state’s 38 at- large Democratic National Con vention delegate votes. PARIS ) — Presi dent Nixon’s chief economist says it is unlikely that wage-price controls will be removed this year. Herbert Stein, chairman of the Council of Economic Advis ers, also told reporters Tuesday that price controls “are consistent with a very substantial increase in profits this year” and that he doesn’t find great anxiety among American businessmen over profit curbs. Stein, who just returned from Europe where he conferred with economic officials from several countries, said he found a “strong feeling of confidence in the inter national situation.” WASHINGTON )_With the military situation worsening, Sec retary of Defense Melvin R. Laird ordered a top-level team of logistics specialists to Viet nam Wednesday to determine whether Saigon requires more American military aid. Pentagon spokesman Jerry W. Friedheim said the group will consider both Saigon’s military needs and what additional meas ures may be needed to protect the remaining U. S. troops. a moral code for legislators. Stephenson disagrees with reducing the possession of mari juana charge to a misdemeanor. In the county commissioner’s race, the Democratic party boasts two candidates in Lester (Red) Parsons and Bill Cooley. The county commissioners court decides where voting precincts will be within the county. In a recent interview Bill Cooley said he could visualize two voting precincts on campus if current trends keep going. “I recognize that the student body is the largest single seg ment of the population in Pre cinct 1,” he said. “Without it, very few of us would be in of fice. I feel that voter registration will grow faster than student en rollment.” He also said that the A&M Consolidated voting box is over crowded with 3,700 registered vot ers. He added that one polling place on campus and one near North Gate for students who live on the north side of campus should be added. His opponent, Parsons, has no objections to a polling place on campus, if it is in keeping with the county election code. Parsons, a heavy equipment op erator for Brazos County, said it doesn’t matter where the polls are located, but that he thinks A&M should be a regular polling place. “A&M Consolidated is too crowded. The majority of those who vote there come from the A&M campus,” he said. On the Republican side of the elections, Howard N. Anderson said that he is also in favor of a campus polling spot. Howard, a self-employed businessman, taught for five years at A&M Consolidated. “I’m all for it,” he said. “I think it would make it much more convenient for students to vote.” His opponent, James Carroll, could not be reached for com ment. The polling area for A&M stu dents is located at A&M Consoli dated High School’s band room. Graduate College program Friday A record 297 graduate students will receive degrees at 7:30 p.m. Friday in G. Rollie White Coli seum. Dr. George W. Kunze, Graduate College dean, said 232 students will receive master’s degrees and 65 will be awarded doctorates. TAMU’s traditional undergrad uate commencement exercises will be held at 9 a.m. Saturday, also in the coliseum. Dr. Norman Hackerman, Rice University president, will speak at the Graduate College exercises. MAKING WAY FOR THE NEW is the case of the demo- signed inline with the architecture of the eight-story build- lition of Bagley Hall which has been occupied for the ing shown behind it. past 68 years. A new two-story building has been de- All you could ask for Saunas and store in new dorm By MARGARET SHAW The 1972 fall semester will find 1,000 A&M students, at least half of them women, living in a dorm complex that has almost every available service on campus con tained in its three adjoining build ings. Named for former students, C. C. Krueger of San Antonio and J. Harold Dunn of Amarillo, the 270,000 square feet of space houses not only living areas but study and recreational facilities. Wider sidewalks, circular fountain to be added soon Wider sidewalks and a better lighted ‘Academic Tri angle’ are in the works for construction this summer with completion scheduled for the fall of 1972. The area between the Academic Building, Bolton Hall, Nagle Hall, and over to Legett and Hart Hall on the sides will receive new sidewalks, Paul Stevens, manager of tech nical services, announced Wednesday. Two new angled sidewalks will be laid in a washed- gravel surface in place of the present ones. The areas around the Sull Ross statue and the flagpole will also be repaved. A circular fountain, 40 feet in diameter, is also being planned for the area in front of the flagpole. This, how ever, will come later, Stevens said. Two plazas will be built along Military Walk. One will be in front of Hart Hall and another in front of Legett Hall. Each will have a rectangular depressed area with concrete benches, noted Stevens. A lighting pattern is being worked out for the area to better light it, Stevens said. “No trees will be affected by the construction,” he stressed. Quiet areas are provided by carrels and typing rooms located in several places in each wing. The living area is designed in a suite arrangement. Modular furniture, designed especially for the dorm by Bob Boyce, an A&M designer, will be the main feature of each room. Chosen from three proposed sets of furniture by a committee that included students, it was tested by A&M students before a final selection was made. The pieces are black and white, giving the residents a wide choice of colors for accents. Storage space was of prime concern and each piece provides maximum storage. Beds have large drawers built in beneath them and with the addition of bolsters to the beds the room be comes a sitting room. A definite advantage of the design is the uniform height of all pieces which can be placed side-by-side to make one long continuous workspace. Units are also stackable to increase floor space. Recreation areas are not lack ing. The commons building be tween the two dormitory wings has game rooms equipped with table tennis and pool tables. Also in the central area is a complete exercise room and four color tele vision lounges. Each wing has its own sauna on the third floor, in addition to lounges on each floor. Post office facilities are in cluded in the list of services for the residents. The Exchange Store is planning a branch for the dorm, specializing in personal needs and school supplies. Residents will eat in the dining hall located in the commons area. A snack bar will be operated in addition to the cafeteria. Women residents will be placed under an hours policy as fresh men.Coed upperclassmen, with parental consent, may participate in self-limiting hours. However, they will be required to sign out at the front desk when leaving for the evening. Women leaving town must also sign out so they may be reached in case of emer gency. Closing hours for those who do not have self-limiting hours will be 12 midnight until 7 a.m. Sun day through Thursday, and 2 a.m. until 7 a.m. on Friday and Satur day nights. Exceptions may be made for students by the head resident. Hours of visitation will be es tablished by hall members within the framework of the policy cur rently in effect in civilian dormi tories. The rules and regulations will be administered by a staff headed by a complex director. Each wing will have a head resident. Women will have three resident advisors per floor and men will have two. As of May 3, there were still limited spaces available for women. Dedication will be during the fall semester 1972.