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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 27, 1973)
Page 2 THE BATTALION TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1973 Bait Commentary Volunteer Help A moderate electricity brown out took place almost a year ago here as University Purchasing Agent Herb Gersbach was just beginning his diligent search for enough fuel to keep the University operating. And for University officials, the energy crisis has been uppermost on their minds since the beginning of the year. Within the next few days, the unveiling of plans to cutback electrical demands at TAMU will probably occur as the special Energy Management Committee, chaired by Dr. Richard Wainerdi, met today. We have been advised that recommendations will most likely come out of this meeting for immediate approval and instrumentation. These recommendations were fairly well developed in what was termed last year as Phase I of an energy cutback program, which is still being developed. Last week, we met with the Energy Information Subcommittee of the EMC to help work out plans for the most efficient handling of news of cutbacks and how to conserve fuel. One of the main points stressed in the meeting was that citizens with a valid and reasonable suggestion should get in touch with the committee. This can be done easily by calling The Battalion. The crisis is real and is already causing adjustments in lifestyles, industry, commerce and the stock market. All tips and voluntary help should certainly be appreciated by all citizens. Acquiring the News Statements made recently by a member of the Black Awareness Committee about the extent of campus news coverage by The Battalion, prompted us to explain how we get our news. The writing staff of The Battalion consists of only 10 regular people and these few people can never hope to be omni for all events, speeches, committee meetings, or otherwise without help from students and faculty. Surely, if there was at least a sense of competitiveness among our own journalism students, we might not be facing this problem. Therefore, reader attention to current events becomes quite important to us. The staff of The Battalion could cover more committee meetings and alert others to more coming events and meetings in Bulletin Board and a meeting schedule. But, these must be submitted to The Battalion before 9 p.m. two days beforehand. A common complaint also occurs when critics say all events covered by The Battalion are Student Government or administratively related. To some extent this is true, but only because these people go out of their way to create news for us and tell us about it. On many stories, though, a good deal of research needs to be done—and there’s a lot of news here, too. However, the size of our writing staff stretches only so far. If you’ve got a story to tell us, a problem, or just a hometown meeting to announce, get it to us. Help us help everyone stay in the know. Good Show—So Far A sound start has been made on the massive task of rewriting Texas’ antiquated constitution. After seven months of public hearings, research and deliberation, the 37-member Constitutional Revision Commission has produced an impressive document for consideration by the Legislature, sitting as a constitutional convention in January. The revision panel draft strengthens the three branches of government, substitutes flexibility and broad principle for the detailed, constrictive language of our Reconstruction-era state charter, and it is only a fourth the length of the present document. The convention delegates can improve on the commission’s draft, but they should not dilute its basic strengths. As essential to the revision effort as producing a modern, streamlined constitution will be keeping the public informed on the progress of the work. It will in turn be our responsibility as voters to understand not only the convention’s final recommendations but how they were formed. The revision commission has shown that it understands the importance of public participation in the revision process and of keeping us informed so we can properly evaluate its work. It began with public hearings throughout the state at which citizens could express their views on a new constitution. Its subsequent deliberations were open to the press and the public. It has kept the news media informed of every step of its progress. It has not shied away from controversy or attempted to hide differences of opinion among its members. On the contrary, it has exercised admirable candor. The commission recently installed a toll-free phone in its Austin headquarters to answer citizens’ questions and has scheduled a series of 20 public meetings across the state to discuss its work. The Houston meeting will be on Nov. 28 at the Rice Hotel. This is a promising beginning for the revision effort. Now those responsible for keeping this information pipeline open must follow through, both during and after next year’s constitutional convention. And we, the voters, should take advantage of it so that we can intelligently judge the convention’s final product. —The Houston Post Cbe Battalion Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those of the editor or of the writer of the article and are not necessarily those of the University administration or the Board of Directors. The Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting enterprise. operated by students as a University and Community newspaper. LETTERS POLICY Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words and are subject to being cut to that length or less if longer. The editorial staff reserves the right to edit such letters and does not guarantee to publish any letter. Each letter must be signed and show the address of the writer. Address correspondetice to Listen Up, The Battalion, Room 217, Services Building, College Station, Texas 77813. Members of the Student Publications Board are: Jim Lindsey, chairman ; Dr. Tom Adair, Dr. R. A. Albanese, Dr. H. E. Hierth, W. C. Harrison, Randy Ross, T. Chet Edwards, and Jan Faber. Represented nationally by National Educational Advertising: Services. Inc, New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles. The Battalion, a student newspaper at Texas A&M, is published in College Station, Texas, daily except Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and holiday periods, September through May, and once a week during summer school. MEMBER The Associated Press, Texas Press Association Mail subscriptions are $3.50 per semester; $6 per school year; $6.50 per full year. All subscriptions subject to 5% sales tax. Advertising rate furnished on request. Address: The Battalion, Room 217, Services Building, College Station, Texas 77843. The Associated Press is entitled exclusively to the use for reproduction of all news dispatches credited to it or not otherwise credited in the paper and local news of spontaneous origin published herein. Right of reproduction of all other matter herein are also reserved. Second-Class postage paid at College Station, Texas. EDITOR MIKE RICE Assistant to the Editor Rod Speer Managing Editor Greg Moses News Editor T. C. Gallucci Sports Editor Kevin Coffey Ass’t. Sports Editor Ted Boriskie Schools Boost Petition Heard from your favorite Southwest Conference female athlete yet ? Probably not, see ing as there presently are none here, or at any other SWC School. The main obstacle to fe male eligibility for competition with members of the same sex from other schools is the inter pretation of a SWC rule that says only men can compete. Newspapers from schools with in the conference have banded to gether to bring and press atten tion to the growing number of women competing in club athletics and the rising need for SWC rec ognition of the opposite sex. The complexity of the TAMU Wom en’s Sports Association attests locally to the need. The Battalion would like to help push this issue into discussion by our own ath letic council, chaired by Dr. Charles Samson. The issue, just gaining momen tum as awareness of women’s rights grows, arises with a great deal of timeliness. Southwest Conference officials are slated to meet Dec. 6-8 and, hopefully, the idea may be passed for immedi ate approval or at least commit tee consideration. A petition, which is being re printed on this page is being cir culated by university papers and women’s groups at other confer ence schools for presentation to their respective athletic councils and to the SWC as a whole. Al though the petition may not re sult in immediate implementation of women’s sports, it would show the amount of interest prevalent in the student community. A PETITION We hereby call upon the Athletic Council of Texas A&M University to take all steps necessary to immediately create a complete fully funded program of intercollegiate athletics for women within the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. We also call upon the Southwest Conference to create a program of intercollegiate athletics for women and finally end all sex discrimination in athletics at its nine member schools. Please fill this petition with signatures and send to The Battalion, to the Student Government office at the Memorial Student Center or to the Dean of Women’s Office. Name Address Phone 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 'NOW, LET ME EXPLAIN (IN ALL CANDOR) EXACTLY WHAT I MEANT WHEN I TOLD THE GOVERNORS (IN ALL SINCERITY) THERE WERE NO FURTHER BOMBSHELLS. . ' Bai QBQQ It would be appropriate for the Women’s Awareness Workshop here to help develop the petition’s effectiveness, even the point of preparing it for the National Col legiate Athletic Association’s January meeting. Samson is TA- MU’s representative to this meet ing. Listen Up— Suggestions Made For Drawbacks have been raised by several officials in the confer ence, who cite a lack of money: as the main problem. The only money maker in the athletic pro gram here is football, despite the fact that other sports are capable of making money. Post-Thanksgiving Blues But, athletic departments don’t seem to realize that. Consequent ly, it seems that the athletic de partments’ efforts are concen trated around perpetuating foot ball as a money maker, above and beyond all other sports. As long as things remain that way, there will never be any money for women’s athletics at the university. But, students pay to attend the university. So, since we’re paying, we might as well have a little say in some of the practices of this university. So clip out this petition and pass it around to all students. The petitions can be returned to The Battalion, the Dean of Women’s Office, or the Student Govern ment Office in the MSC. It’s the only way to tell the Athletic Council what we, the students, feel about this issue. Editor; AftfiT experiencing Thanksgiv ing at A&M, I am thankful that it is over. I don’t believe that any one should gripe against the sys tem without rebutting with solid facts and pertinent suggestions. So hold on to your hat. Why must I be restricted to only sitting with my friends who are in my class, or those who have the same color activity card ? Our school’s answer is that they plainly don’t want to condone homosexuality. Is going to the game with a friend of the same sex homosexuality ? Do you sup port the answer? So what hap pens, many people don’t end up sitting - where their ticket speci fies. My answer is simple. Why not permit an upperclassman to get one underclassman ticket, whether it be a date or not. There are always skeptics who say that many Aggies will abuse this priv ilege. Maybe, but if one person gets a ticket for another, he is going to have to sit with him at the game. I can’t think of any better way to meet other people than to root for the Ags (not the Army) together. Then there’s Town Hall. You might ask, “Yeah, where is Town Hall ?” and I say to you, “Damn good question.” Take a minute and look at your Aggielands, of the past few years, at the Town Hall “group” picture. How many uniforms do you see ? Does it make you wonder why we haven’t seen: SGT BARRY SADLER CONDUCTS THE TEXAS AG GIE BAND? The Corps is 18 per cent of the student body and 85 per cent of Town Hall. Talk about a military coup . . . Why can’t we get some above average entertainment around here ? One answer may be the students. Many students feel compelled to go to a concert, just because they are “good Ags.” So, it doesn’t matter who Town Hall gets (as long as they’re cheap); they know it will be a sellout and the Aggies will come. Has Town Hall ever heard of: The Guess Who, Three Dog Night, Johnny Cash, Bill Cosby or the Moody Blues, just to name a few ? Has Town Hall ever thought of an open-air concert in Kyle Field ? I can think of nothing better il to sit next to my date (warm side and out) and freak-out tt good concert. Noise pollutio: Aggies make more noise figii ing farmers at a football gst Rain? Tents for the players a umbrellas for the fans. 1 How many times bigger is Kjl Field than G. Rollie? Come on Ags, let us all chan for the better! Lee Blumenthal Main considerations for gmil such as you’ve named are tli they aren’t cheap and many »i not play college campuses. 1 get quality groups, Town Ha needs more money and better il tendance for the more expensit concerts. The group started 11 semester with a $7,000 defiti lost $3,000 on the Henry Mantii concert and, hopefully, brokeerti with its Mancini loss with Ik Johnny Rivers concert. Manycil leges have many small concert that are just as good as the til ones. One question: have y# attempted to get on the Ton Hall Selection Committee? H students can serve on this.-B 1 mile i Volleybi Swim Recreat AU Util paid Now At 1 Bedro 2 Bedro 2 Bedro FAMIL SECTIC These coupons and three SCstamps can save you a bundle. If you've flown recently you know that a youth fare ticket costs about 50% more than it did last year By this time next year, youth fares will be a thing of the past Unless you do something about it That's because the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) thinks that airlines shouldn't "discriminate" by charging some people less money for tickets than other people Despite the fact that some people have less money than other people And despite the fact that most of the airlines believe youth fares should be retained since last year, they accounted for over 5 million trips and $400 million in revenues We Right Wrongs Shortly after the CAB's announcement last December, the National Student Lobby began a campaign to override the Board's decision Together with representatives of industry, labor, other citizens' groups, and like-minded senators, we recently won passage of a bill which would create youth and senior citizen discounts on all domestic flights Similar legislation is now pending in the House Your Lobby Needs You To push this bill through, though, your help is required Lobbies can aid legislators when they already see our point of view, but only an aroused constituent can make a Con- gressperson change his mind So we'd like to encourage you to use the coupons at the bottom of this ad (or better still, write your own letter, or send a telegram) One goes to Cong John larman of Oklahoma, Chairman of the House Transporta tion and Aeronautics Subcommittee Ask him to hold hearings immediately, and support HR 2698, sponsored by Rep John Keating and 86 other representatives This bill, if passed, will create discount air fares for both young people and senior citizens The second coupon goes to your Con- gressperson Tell him that you expect him to support HR 2698 or similar legislation And tell him that you'll remember how he votes the next time you vote programs We lobby on legislation which affects your right to vote, student partcipation in university governance, and the minimum wage you receive for work you do on your campus We'd like you to know more about us, and we'd like to know more about your needs So we are offering memberships to individual students, and not just student organizations They cost $6 00 per year, and include not only a subscription to our monthly newspaper, The Student Lobbyist, but also give you an equal voice in determining the Lobby's position on issues of public importance through our annual referendum You'll also receive our Voting Record Poster (suitable for framing) which helps you keep tabs on your Congressperson, just in case he hasn't called you in for a briefing lately So use the coupons You'll find the 24$ well .spent And Last, But Not Least... The third one goes to us, the National Student Lobby the only lobby on Capitol Hill which protects students' interests and defends their rights We give you a voice on issues which affect the cost of your education, such as federal funding of student loan and other financial aid iiiil 2 bedi air - ( dispos back 846 cou > Susa 1 -be porai equij or p paid tenai The Honorable John Jarman, Chairman House Transportation and Aeronautics Subcommittee House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 Dear Representative Jarman 1 urge you to hold hearings immediately on HR 2698 and HR 3859, which would establish discounts for young people and senior citizens on domestic air routes I am sure that once you have considered all the relevant testimony, you will find that this legislation merits your support _ Signed. The Honorable - House of’Representatives Washington, D C 20515 Dear As one of your younger, more vocal, constituents, I urge you to support HR 2698 and HR 3859 which would establish discounts for young people and senior citizens on domestic air routes Since such fares do not adversely effect either passengers paying full fares, or airline profits, I am sure you will find that this legislation merits your vigorous support I look forward to learning your position on this crucial matter in the very near future Signed, National Student Lobby 413 East Capitol Street Washington, D C 20(303 Dfear Folks, I find your work interesting and would like to lend my support Find my six bucks enclosed □ Please send me information on how I can organize to retain youth fares or work on other student issues in my school or community Q My name is and I live at —-—- I attend school at 1 am also concerned about the following issues