Che Battalion
Weather
There is a 20 per cent chance
of rain through tomorrow.
Wind warnings up to 25 miles
per hour.
College Station, Texas
Friday, March 8, 1974
Nacogdoches ‘streak
dance’ draws 2,000
|THE FEMALE ENSEMBLE of the Ballet Folklorico of Mexico go through the movements
-of a Chiapan waltz during the company’s Thursday night performance in the Rudder Center
Auditorium. An enthusiastic crowd attended the pageant of tradition-inspired dance. (Pho
to by Gary Baldasari)
y Center
’801
\ Library computer
rejecting students
Beginning Friday, the University Library will start rejecting
ielinquent students.
A new program will kick out the ID card of anyone
attempting to check out a book, who has another book overdue
15 days or more.
Their checkout privileges will be returned when the books
are.
According to Richard Puckett, assistant director for public
services with the library, the program should be completely
operational and de-bugged by April 1.
Work will then begin on upgrading the system to be
:ompletely automatic, and programming it to reject users who
have books overdue as few as three days.
The rejection program is being initiated in conjunction with
a library decision to drop fines for overdue books Sept. 1 next
fan.
The goal of the Library Council, according to Puckett, is to
make the largest number of books available to the largest number
of people.
Other council steps in that direction have included reducing
regular loans to two weeks from four earlier in the year.
Notice
Due to Spring Break, the
Battalion will be published only
one day next week, Wednesday.
NACOGDOCHES (^—Hundreds of stu
dents at Stephen F. Austin University, in
the heart of East Texas' Bible belt, began
a spring break today in their birthday
suits, joining a crowd of about 2,000 in a
“streak dance.”
A bosomy brunette co-ed, 19, stood naked
in the throng and declared, “It’s exhilarat
ing,”
University President Ralph Steen said
the affair had the reluctant approval of the
school.
“What else can you do? If we make one
arrest it could touch off a confrontation
with police,” he said. “I’ve told them when
they return from spring break there will be
no more streaking. If we can help it.”
Campus police wandered amid the danc
ers and spectators merely to keep order.
CITY POLICE took a hands-off attitude.
“They’re really having a party out there.
Our hands are tied. We can’t go on campus
unless they ask us,” said police dispatcher
Danny Shull.
The “streak dance” began around 8 p.m.
with students blocking off about 300 yards
of East College Drive on the campus. It
started breaking up about 12:45 a.m. as rain
began falling and the band stopped playing.
While “The Tight Squeeze” ground out
hard rock music, about 10 nude girls climb
ed atop a ledge over the makeshift band
stand and waved to the cheering mobs.
Flashbulbs popped in an explosion of light
each time a nude streaker ran through the
mob.
By student count, the number of students
who doffed their garments reached 415 at
midnight.
“I think it’s great,” commented a dor
mitory mother, a middle-aged matron who
didn’t want her name revealed. “I just hope
there’s no violence.”
There were scattered reports of open
sexual activity but for the most part, said
spectators, no serious displays occurred.
“There are few couples, nude, dancing
close^—that kind of thing. There’s a lot of
drinking, though,” said one.
A LIQUOR STORE three blocks from the
campus was reported to have done a heavy
business supplying the crowd beer and
whisky.
“Yes, I know we have some unhappy par
ents over this, but what else can you do?”
Steen asked. “The best thing to do is try
to keep it under control. The kids aren’t
hurting anything. We haven’t had the kinds
of problems here that they’ve had on other
campuses.”
“It’ll probably go all night,” observed one
reveler before the rain began. “Many people
are wearing masks, taking off their clothes,
boozing it up.”
“It’s turned into a regular tourist attrac
tion,” said another.
Dispatcher Shull said city police did not
patrol the campus area more than usual,
adding, “Of course, if they step off the
campus we’ll have to arrest them. But what
they do out there is their own business.”
Asked what her parents would think of
her public nudity, a shapely co-ed said,
“They’re in Chicago. I’m in Nacogdoches.”
Police said at a late hour they had made
no arrests and had no reports of injuries
or violence at the campus of some 11,000
students.
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Chappells, Gray
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John D. Chappelle and Rickey
A. Gray of Dallas were named
Thursday to head the 1974-75
Corps of Cadets.
Chappelle will be corps com
mander, with the rank of cadet
colonel of the corps. As deputy
commander, Gray will be a cadet
colonel.
Army Col. Thomas R. Parsons
announced the appointments.
The commandant noted that
both cadets are on contract to ac
cept officer’s commissions on
graduation. Chappelle is in Ar
my ROTC; Gray, Air Force RO-
They will succeed Scott Eber-
hart of Dallas and Melvin P.
“Slim” Noack of Georgetown.
“The corps has had a good
year,” Col. Parsons charged the
junior cadets. “You have a good
base on which to build and im
prove the corps next year.”
Air Force Col. R. F. Crossland
and Marine Corps Col. C. E. Ho
gan were involved in selection
of the new corps leaders. They
head TAMU’s Air Force and Na
val ROTC programs.
(See CHAPPELLE, page 2)
New water Saloon death still
tower to alter being investigated
STARTING AT THE BOTTOM are these workmen who are
piecing together a shed storage area at the base of the new
water tower. The tower, located near the A&M Laundry, will
hold two million gallons. (Photo by Steve Ueckert)
TAMU skyline
By JULIA JONES
One of TAMU’s more noticeable
landmarks, the old spiderley
water tower, is being replaced by
a new super, light blue model.
Currently under construction
behind Sbisa, the new 160-foot
tower will have a two million gal
lon tank capacity, with a hydro
poise design and a sprioid shaped
tank. It will look somewhat like
a tall matchstick
The $785,000 tank, one of the
last major improvements of the
University water system, it will
be capable of handling the Uni
versity’s growing water needs,
currently three to three and a half
million gallons daily. It is also de
signed to provide adequate pro
tection in case of a major fire.
Other major improvements have
been a new system of pipes in
1972, in front of the Academic
buildings; and the increase of,
the capacity of pumping stations
located on Fin Feather Road to
a 16 million gallon capacity.
The old 160 foot tower was for
many years the highest point on
campus. It had a 150,000 gallon
capacity. Built in 1920, it was for
many years the target of graffiti
and class insignias. “Welcome to
Aggieland” was painted on it in
the early 50s and graffitti ended.
The new tower completion date
is targeted for March 1975. The
old tower will be scrapped.
The steel shortage has pushed
the completion date back from
September 1974.
The Feb. 8 death of Larry Dow Sanders of Kurten at the
Silver Dollar Saloon is still under investigation by the College
Station police department.
Sanders was involved in a pushing incident at the saloon. He
was dead on arrival at St. Joseph’s Hospital.
Although the case has not yet been turned over to the
district attorney’s office, the incident is being investigated as a
voluntary manslaughter.
A story in Wednesday’s Battalion erroneously quoted police
as saying no charges were to be filed and cited the autopsy as
revealing Sanders had chocked on his own vomit.
According to Detective Johnny Miller, the official autopsy
report has not yet been received, and that is why the case has not
reached the DA’s office.
Miller said whether or not charges are filed in the case will
be decided by the grand jury.
Break slows down
University Center
Parts of the University Center
will close during spring recess.
The student holiday starts after
Friday classes. Classes resume
March 18. Faculty-staff will have
March 14-15 holidays.
All areas of the University
Center except the Rudder Tower
and dining room, Aggieland Sta
tion Post Office lobby and Bra-
ley Travel Service will be closed
Saturday, Sunday and March 14-
17.
Normal services will be provid
ed at regular hours Monday
through Wednesday (March 11-
13) next week. The Memorial
Student Center snack bar and
bowling- games area will remain
closed throughout the student hol
iday period.
Entrance to the post office,
which will have window service
March 14 and 15, travel service
and Association of Former Stu
dents offices on days the remain
der of the building is locked
should be by the south entrance.
It is on Joe Routt Blvd., across
from G. Rollie White Coliseum.
The University Center will re
turn to normal operating hours
Monday morning, March 18.
University National Bank
"On the side of Texas A&M.”
Adv.
W
The inquiring Battman
Should streakers be suspended from the University?
Interviews by T. C. Gallucci
Survey taken by MSC fountain
Photos by Rodger Mallison
Sharon Elliot
fo, not suspended, but there
hould be some kind of regulation.
3 eople shouldn’t go around inde
tent and the University shouldn’t
et down it s image.
Mike Glynn
I believe there should be action
taken, but that’s too strict.
John Roberts
What are streakers? . . . oh,
them! No, they’re just having a
lot of fun. Of course they should
n’t be suspended.
Richard Pugh
Yes, definitely. It’s indecent.
For moral reasons, I think it’s not
good for the image of the univer
sity to have a bunch of naked peo
ple running around campus.
Lorraine Ploch
No, it’s nothing serious. If it hap
pens on the streets, it would be a
different matter. But it’s just a
lot of fun.
Carol Adams
I really don’t care. I think it’s real
stupid. A&M had to copy it and
couldn’t even invent it them
selves.
Sandy Kovoussi
No, leave ’em alone. Let ’em do
what they want. It’s not right to
go running through girls' dorms.
That’s exhibition. Elsewhere it’s
let down its image.