SCONA XVIII: Programmed Involvement For Everyone
By MIKE RICE
Editor
SCONA — what is it, who is
it and why is it held each year
at A&M ?
These and other questions will
probably be arising shortly as
over 160 students from schools
across the nation prepare to be
gin the eighteenth Student Con
ference on National Affairs.
SCONA is a student-planned
and operated conference which
has been presented at A&M for
the last seventeen years. Accord
ingly, the conference has come to
be very well-known to a wide
diversity of people, ranging from
professors to high-level adminis
trators in Washington, D.C.
What is it?
“It is an attempt to take edu
cation learned in the classroom
and apply this knowledge to a
kind of education impossible to
get from the classroom situa
tion,” says SCONA Chairman,
Chet Edwards.
“We are trying to bring stu
dents from across the country to
discuss issues of important na
tional concern with the objective
of creating a better awareness
and understanding of society.”
This year’s topic, “The Con
trolled Society,” promises to pro
vide one of the most stimulating
and controversial conferences in
the program’s history.
“The premise of SCONA
XVIII’s topic is that controls are
pervasive in today’s America.
Consequently, three questions
will be central to the discussion
of SCONA’s theme among dele
gates :
1. What is the nature and ex
tent of present controls ?
2. Should these controls be in
creased, decreased, or abolished?
3. What are the alternatives
to control?
“The creation of the mass man,
a unit or mechanism in a so
cietal network and subject to
ever-increasing regulation and
control” is a creation on which
SCONA XVIII is based. Individ
uals across the country are ex
pressing alarm at the many ways
in which a person is becoming an
object to be “manipulated, wheth
er for his own good or for the
benefit of another.”
So where do non-delegates fit
in to SCONA’s objectives?
“All students should have an
interest in attending,” says Phil
Smith, SCONA co-chairman. “For
their own peace of mind and de
sire to be current with the times
in thinking.
“A point frequently overlooked
by most students at A&M is that
they (all 15,000 of them) are
welcome to attend any phase of
the conference. The more, the
better,” says Smith.
The format of the conference is
organized about roundtable dis
cussion groups, with delegates
assigned to each group. Round
tables are presided over by two
people whose field of interest or
expertise falls within the limits
of the topic.
Co-chairmen range from the
minister of the Polish Embassy
(Communist) in Washington, D.
C. to A&M’s Dr. Vaughn M. Bry
ant, an assistant professor in So
ciology and Anthropology. Since
a balance of ideas is considered
vital to the success of the con
ference, diversity of viewpoint
and background were important
criteria in selecting all 16 co-
chairmen.
In addition, outstanding in
dividuals from areas relating to
the conference topic will partici
pate as keynote speakers at ma
jor plenary sessions. As a result,
delegates and the general public
have the opportunity to be ex
posed to a variety of opinions.
While only delegates will take
part in the round-table discus
sions, non-students and non-dele
gates may sit in on these as well
as ask questions of the major
speakers after their addresses.
Edwards considers SCONA
XVIII’s major speakers to be
among the best and currently
most controversial in today’s
news. Such noted individuals as
the FBI’s Acting Director, Pat
rick Gray, Minnesota Senator
Walter F. Mondale and maverick
Federal Communications Commis
sioner Nicholas Johnson will go
public record with their views
and criticisms of current issues.
As added attractions to the
conference, all students will be
able to view movies such as ‘1984’
and ‘Fahrenheit 451’ with SCONA
delegates. ‘Reefer Madness, a
1939 film production striking out
against the use of marijuana will
also be shown to the general pub
lic.
“In all this, students should
keep an open mind,” says Ed
wards. “Delegates and non-dele
gates should gather in other
viewpoints, question their own
values and then decide whether
their own need to be changed or
kept stable.”
“With students coming from
so many perspectives of life, it
should be difficult for them to
keep all their views just as intact
as before the conference,” he
added.
Che Battalion
Be Not Overcome
Of Evil,
But Overcome
Evil With Good.
Vol. 67 No. 211
College Station, Texas
Wednesday, February 7, 1973
WEDNESDAY — Cloudy with
widely scattered showers to
day and tonight. Chance of
thundershowers. High 73, low
57.
THURSDAY — Same.
845-2226
Crime
Shows
Rate At
Reverse
TOWING CARS away is a frequent happening at A&M
nowadays, says University Police Chief O. L. Luther.
Luther said cars which receive six or more unpaid tickets
are generally susceptible to the occurrence, no matter if
they are parked legally at the time of the tow-off.
Andujar To Speak Friday
Although crime is still a thriv
ing business at Texas A&M, the
rate of criminal acts being com
mitted has decreased by 25 per
cent, announced University Po
lice Chief O. L. Luther Tuesday.
He said that whereas most uni
versities were experiencing a 100
per cent increase in “crime on
campus,” it was surprising to see
A&M following the opposite
trend.
Luther said that this semes
ter’s criminal incidents total of
357 was a decrease over the fall
semester of 1971. Of these 275
incidents were cleared either by
further investigation or at the
scene.
Highlighting the number of
criminal acts reported to the Uni
versity Police, one finds that bur
glary led the field with 60 cases
reported while felony theft fol
lowed close behind with 50 cases.
In other types of incidents
there were 11 narcotics cases, 45
misdemeanor theft reports, two
indecent exposure incidents and
22 nuisance and obscene phone
call cases.
Luther also reported that his
State Sen. Betty Andujar of
Fort Worth, one of the new crop
of Texas legislators, will speak
Friday at A&M in the Political
Forum noon series.
Sen. Andujar will be here to
address a local group Thursday.
Her Political Forum topic will
be “Chapter 1 of the 1973 Legis
lature,” announced the Memorial
Student Center committee chair
man Mike Lindsey. The public-
A&M Vice-President Named
To Governor’s Committee
Tom D. Cherry, vice president
for business affairs at A&M, has
been named by Gov. Dolph Bris
coe to serve on a task force to
study operation of the informa
tion service branch of the gover
nor’s office.
Cherry will be joined on the
panel by Rex Stallings of Austin,
Foster Parker of Houston and
Robert Olson and Henry Wend-
ler, both of Dallas.
“I have asked the task force
and operations of the Office of
Information Service in the gov
ernor’s office and to recommend
any changes necessary to initiate
and maintain the most efficient
and economic procedures,” Gover
nor Briscoe noted.
In addition to reviewing cur
rent operation of the information
services, the group will interview
executives from business and gov
ernment agencies t o establish
priorities and eliminate duplicate
free presentation will be in
Rooms 2A and B of the MSC.
The first woman and first Re
publican elected from Tarrant
County to the Texas Senate, Mrs.
Andujar defeated a veteran legis
lator for the District 12 seat.
She recently introduced Senate
Bill 24, which provides for lower
penalties for possession of mari
juana. SB 24 goes before its first
hearing Tuesday.
A graduate of Wilson College
in Chambersburg, Pa., Mrs. An
dujar has resided in Fort Worth
34 years. The freshman senator
is vice chairman of the Senate
nominations subcommittee and
serves on State Affairs, Natural
Resources and Human Resources
Committees.
Among numerous activities,
she is a board member and edu
cation committee chairman of the
Planned Parenthood Association
members to study the functions functions, the governor added. of Fort Worth.
department issued 4,095 traffic
violation notices over the four-
month period, 3,337 of which were
first-time ($2) non-moving of
fenses. There were 63 five-dollar
moving violation notices issued.
He added that 2,117 notices
were excused while $10,606 was
collected for violation notices and
penalties. Property recovered and
returned to owners during the
semester was valued at $9,980.46.
In recent activities, Luther said
his officers are continuing investi
gations into two large thefts
which occurred over the weekend.
Three autos of almost identical
make were stolen from univer
sity parking lots Friday and po
lice are still searching for clues.
Missing are three 1966 Chevro
let Chevelle’s, one of them the
‘SS’ model type. One was ma
roon, w ? th Texas license GPN
GSC Considers
Retirement Bill
The Graduate Student Council
will vote on a resolution voicing
support for a Texas Legislative
bill concerning a change in man
datory retirement programs for
graduate students at a meeting
Thursday night.
The present policy states a
mandatory retirement program
for graduate students and does
not let them choose the one best
suited to their needs, said Ray
Skowronski. Passage of the reso
lution will show the GSC support
for the bill, he said.
The Input committee will re
port on the response to the Sug
gestion Box in the Library. “The
majority of the suggestions deal
with the Library, and we turn
them over to the Library Direc
tor, Jack Smith. The others are
passed on for further activity to
the appropriate people,” Skow
ronski stated.
A tax seminar will be consid
ered for students. The proposal,
submitted by Paul Boatwright,
concerns a session with a member
of the Internal Revenue Service
to aid students with their prob
lems.
786; the second was red with
Texas license SST 607; and the
third was white with black vinyl
top and Texas license MBC 142.
All had 396 cu. in. engines.
Also disappearing was elec
tronic equipment scheduled to be
installed in the new Memorial
Student Center Tower. John
Koenig of the Taft Broadcasting
Co. reported that an AM-FM
tuner, amplifier, speakers, micro
phone and patch cords were taken
from the fourth floor of the new
building.
Also stolen was soldering equip
ment.
Police are still searching for
two men who “kidnapped” two
Aggies last weekend, allegedly
forcing them at gunpoint to drive
them to Houston.
Dana Roese and Mike Morris
were abducted at the U-Tot-’M
located at the corner of Meadow-
land and University Dr. and
forced to drive Roese’s car to
Houston. The two were then
forced afoot while the suspects
still have possession of the car,
a gold American Motors Grem
lin.
The Aggie duo said they be
lieve the suspects were carrying
three suitcases of marijuana.
A NEW HOME for A&M’s on-campus postal facilities
opened Tuesday at the back end of the Memorial Student
Center on Joell Route Blvd. Here an Aggie opens his new
box for the first time with the Postal Department’s new
method of safeguarding mail, the key. (Photo by Gary
Baldasari)
4 Marijuana Reform Bills
Before Texas Legislature
AUSTIN, Tex. t® — “I have
traveled a long way on my road
to an understanding of mari
juana,” Sen. Betty Andujar, R-
Fort Worth, said Tuesday in ex
plaining one of four bills to less
en the penalties for possession of
the drug.
“I feel that what we are fac
ing here is a change of social
practices which in no way is a
criminal practice,” she told the
Senate Jurisprudence Committee.
Dozens of witnesses crammed in
to the small room to recite their
views.
Her bill would make it a mis
demeanor to possess two ounces
or less of marijuana with felony
provisions for more than that.
Other bills were introduced by
Sen. Bill Meier, D-Euless, Sen.
Raul Longoria, D-Edinburg, and
Sen. Bob Gammage, D-Houston.
All four bills were referred to
subcommittees.
Meier’ sbill, which was en
dorsed by Travis County Dist.
Atty. Bob Smith, categorized sev
eral different stages of posses
sion. Four ounces or less would
be a class B misdemeanor with a
maximum six month jail sen
tence; 4-8 ounces would be a
more serious misdemeanor, and
over 8 ounces, or sale, would con
stitute a felony.
Longoria’s measure would
make 8 ounces or less a misde
meanor punishable by a $5-500
fine and-or 60 days in jail.
The bill by Sen. Gammage
would allow possession of up to
10 ounces of marijuana with a
misdemeanor charge.
Nearly all the testimony before
the committee favored reduction
of marijuana penalties.
“If an 18-year-old boy is caught
with a six-pack of beer in his
car, it’s a misdemeanor,” said
Gammage. “If he’s caught with
a joint, it’s a felony.”
(See 4 Marijuana, page 5)
Lacrosse: At A&M To Stay
AN A&M LACROSSE MEMBER battles a Dallas player for possession of the ball.
Once he gets the ball, he can run with it, pass it or shoot it at a six by six foot goal.
The first match of the season is here against Dallas.
By ROD SPEER
Lacrosse, a game that has un
dergone considerable refinement
since the days the Indians played
it for blood, is trying to make a
name for itself at A&M.
The Texas A&M Lacrosse Asso
ciation, in its second official sea
son, began last spring in a sand
lot by the Casa Del Sol apart
ments with a handful of students
and a former high school lacrosse
coach from Long Island.
The club grew to include about
a dozen people and graduated
from the sand lot to organized
practices on the A&M Polo Field.
Through the conniving of its
coach, David Gruber, the team
managed to get $400 from the
university to purchase equipment.
Before the year was out, the
A&M Lacrosse Association had
competed against both the Dallas
and Houston Lacrosse Clubs.
This year the club is starting
out with 30 members who have
began practice for a four-game
schedule against the Dallas and
Houston teams, who proved to
be too strong for the Aggies last
year. The team has received $500
through the Exchange Store pro
fits in addition to the $3 member
ship dues it collects.
Lacrosse is played with a leath
er-webbed wooden or fiberglass
stick and is known for its body
contact and speed. Bumper stick
ers acclaim it as “the fastest
game on foot.” The goals are six
feet square and netted and are
surrounded by a nine foot radius
circle or “crease” in which oppos
ing players cannot enter. The
ball, smaller in size than a base
ball and similar in texture to a
“superball,” is advanced by run
ning or passing with the stick.
One point is scored by shooting
the ball into the opponent’s goal.
The game is similar to hockey
in that penalties result in a play
er spending time in a “penalty
box” off the playing field. Also,
as in hockey, the goals are set
apart from the endlines so that
play can continue behind them.
Each team consists of a goal
keeper, three defensemen, three
midfielders and three attack men.
They play on a rectangular field,
110 yards lonk and 60 yards wide.
The game is divided into 15-
minute quarters, and, in event of
a tie game, a 10-minute overtime
period is added.
The players wear masked hel
mets, shorts, heavy gloves and
optional body protectors. Wyatt’s
Sporting Goods Store at North-
gate now carries lacrosse sticks
and has become the first store
in Texas to carry lacrosse equip
ment.
Coach Gruber, a graduate stu
dent in biology, essentially cre
ated the A&M Lacrosse Associa
tion and was largely responsible
for the formation of the Houston
Club. He played four years of
varsity lacrosse in high school
and two years with the Long
Island Club before coaching a year
in Long Island. He considers the
Touston and Dallas players as bet
ter “stick-handlers” than the Ag
gies (many of them are lacrosse
veterans that played on Eastern
teams), but says A&M can beat
the older men by being better con
ditioned.
The American Indians origi
nated lacrosse and played it with
a savage intensity which included
crippling or even killing the op
ponents. Indian medicine men
served as referees on a field which
was several miles long. The
French Canadians refined the
game into the national sport of
Canada. The word “crosse” is
French for stick.
The Lacrosse Association cur
rently has an exhibit and slides
on display on the first floor of
the Memorial Student Center.
University National Bank
“On the side of Texas A&M.”
—Adv.