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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 27, 1974)
Page 2 THE BATTALION WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 1974 Listen Up ‘The days of the Spanish Inquisition have passed’ Editor: It became apparent last night that A&M does not have a cen sorship board; rather, it has a programming committee under the guise of the MSG Council, which is determined to simply “program” the films available to be seen by the student body, whether the student body likes it Editor's Notes Last Friday three students were nabbed by university officials for illicit drug use and are facing misdemeanor charges for possession of marijuana. This incident kindled my interest into how elaborate are the university’s drug abuse prevention efforts and what happens to students caught with illegal drugs. According to Dean of Men Charles Powell, the main enforcers of drug laws in the dormitories are the resident advisers. They are instructed to give warnings to students the First time illicit drug use is suspected. If a student is caught with drugs after an initial warning, an RA would refer the case to Dean Powell. Powell says the usual punishment is conduct probation, but if the offense is repeated the student would be suspended from the univer sity. Not surprisingly, “pushing” illegal drugs calls for immediate suspension, but Dean Powell says this has happened only three or four times in the two years he has been at A&M. “We try to make discipline a learning experience,” Powell said, “but, on the other hand, we have to provide a degree of security in the campus community.” If a person is a compulsive thief or drug user, he added, and the campus can’t live with him—“We’ll have to live without him.” Powell said drugs are not a major problem in the dormitories. The quantities involved are not large, he said, and almost invariably, the pushers work off campus. In addition, dormitory drug abuse (ignoring alcohol use) seems to be limited to smoking or otherwise possessing marijuana. Powell said only one person has been caught with LSD on campus while he has been here, and that person was not a student. “I can’t say they’re not using it,” he said, “just that we haven’t caught them with it.” He added that occasionally a student will take an overdose of tran quilizers, but that medical, not disciplinary, help is sought for these people. In two years, he said, no one has been caught with heroin. Unlike the University of Texas, A&M does not have a fulltime narcotics agent, as such. However, two of the University Police’s 34 officers are investigators that concern themselves solely with criminal matters. According to University Police Chief O. L. Luther, “a considerable amount of their time” is spent with drug cases. Department of Public Safety officers can come on campus and act independently from University Police. Normally, Chief Luther will ask DPS officers that campus officers and resident advisers accompany the DPS people when an actual “bust” is taking place. Dean Powell said this policy helps student victims feel more comfortable and can protect them from overzealous state officials. Police, Powell emphasized, are seldom used to catch students with drugs, as most cases are handled between the students, resident advisers and the dean. or not. The reference is to the rejec tion of “Pink Flamingos” as a film worthy of showing on this campus, because some rather veh ement complaints about other films were received and because Mr. Stark and, apparently, six other council members do not con sider the film “fine art” even though they have never seen the film themselves and have based their opinions entirely on hear say “evidence.” A reasonable proposal suggest ed was an “experimental” show ing with questionnaires handed out in order to determine if a significant fraction of A&M stu dents desired such “program ming.” The Arts Committee urg ed this be done. They selected the film because it is, in their opin ion, “significant,” e.g. it has made enough impact to be reviewed in the New York Times. Indeed, it seems to us that one important facet of the educational process is to let students know what is going on in this world, if they want to know, whether it is pret ty and “decent” or not. Even though the Arts Film Se ries has been drawing increasing numbers of students, the council says it has “responsibilities.” It might be noted that similar “re sponsibilities” almost kept a speaker off of this campus that quite a few students were inter ested in hearing. The open-mindedness of some council members was obvious, though one was too busy with her needlepoint to say much. In closing, it is suggested that while the council considers its “responsibilities,” it also ponders the concept of the university as an open forum for the free ex change of ideas and realizes that the days of the Spanish Inquisi tion (hopefully) have passed. Ralph McNutt Thomas P. Donahue does not deserve our respect. Too long, the TSA and TSL have been dominated by Sandy Kress and Co. from TU and have degenerat ed into a farce. A&M should only be a member of these organiza tions as long as it can exercise a sobering, moderating and influen tial role. If the issues before the NSL, like improved funding for higher educations, lower air-rail fares for senior citizens and students, etc. are acted upon, certainly the A&M students stand to benefit. As a veteran, I have also noted with great interest NSL’s role in getting improved veteran’s bene fits. In the interview I was trying to point out that we should be long to those organizations | concern themselves withii ual issues. Also, to bemotti. resentative, NSL should trji bring schools like TCU, Jsj', and SMU into its realm. Tts, not done by doing things Isj dorsing the armadillo for ss animal. Wally Reinke ★ ★ ★ Wrong idea INSURANCE —HOME LOANS BUSIER-JONES AGENCY Equal Opportunity Housing 1200 FARM & HOME SA Av r jlla Maria — 823-0911 INC ASSOCIATION (Nevada, Mo.) By TC GAL Dr. Harri 0 f the Stat< sor y Counci spoke to a c Bi Editor: Re: printed response to the question in the March 26 Battal ion on the NSL, TSL and TSA. My answer in The Battalion to the question on lobby groups may have created on incorrect impres sion in the minds of your readers. I am completely in favor of mem bership in an effective lobbying organization. I do not consider the TSL as an effective lobbying organization at the present. Recently, for example, the TSL endorsed the armadillo as the state animal of Texas! An organ ization that concerns itself with such frivolous and petty matters OPAS Special Attraction THE LYRIC ART QUARTET Fredell Lack—violin Albert Muenzer—violin Wayne Crouse—viola Shirley Trepel—cello ALBERT HIRSH ~ piano CADET SLOUCH by Jim Earle Dynamic expenses A representative of Evelyn Wood’s Reading Dynamics Institute is in town this week seeking students for a course in speed reading. The institute guarantees it will improve someone’s reading efficiency by at least three times and boasts of having over 500,000 graduates including key members of the Nixon and Kennedy administrations. The catch is—the tuition for the seven-lesson course is $325. Since, each lesson is three hours long, a student pays $15.48 for each hour he learns to read faster. The institutes’ rep, Barry Rountree, cited high advertising costs as the reason for the high tuition fee. March 28, 1974 8 p.m. Rudder Center Theatre Tickets at Rudder Center Box Office (Everyone must buy a ticket.) Office hours: 9 a.m. - 4 p.m., Monday through Friday OPAS is a functioning committee of the Town Hall Committee of Texas A&M University “We appreciate your offer to serve on our committee that reviews material to determine if it is pornographic, but there is an extensive waiting list to serve on this committee!” Danny R. Hayes joins the team of professionals at Charles E.Thomas & Associates. A Ts Acts Vocal l Cbe Battalion Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those of The Battalion, a student newspaper at Texas A&M, is We editor or „l ,l,e ,order of We artide aod arc not necessarily those of the University administration or May, and once a week during summer schooi. the Hoard of Directors. The Battalion is a non-profit, Mail subscriptions are $3.50 per semester; $6 per school self-snpl)orting etiterprise operated by students as a year; $6.50 per full year. All subscriptions subject to 6% Umverdly and Conun uniiy neouM,,,. LETTERS POLICY Texas 77843. 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News Editor Will Anderson Photo Editor Gary Baldasari Members of the Student Publications Board are: Jim Sports Editor Kevin Coffey Lindsey, chairman ; Dr. Tom Adair, Dr. R. A. Albanese, Dr. Ass’t. Sports Editor Ted Boriskie H - E - Hierth, w. c. Harrison, Randy Ross, T. Chet Edwards, staff writers Vickie Ashwill, LaTonya Perrin, an an a er. Mary Russo, Tony Gallucci, Cliff Lewis, Brad „ , , i i • Ellis, Hank Wahrmund, Kathy Young, T. C. Gallucci,, Norinc Harris', Sally Hamilton, Julia Jones. MEMBER Photographers Roger Mallison, Kathy Curtis, The Associated Press, Texas Press Association Alan Killingsworth, Steve Ueckert. LOVE COMES IN TWO’S OPAS STUDENT COMMITTEE APPLICATIONS ARE NOW BEING ACCEPTED. APPLICATIONS MUST BE IN BY APRIL 5 AT 5 P.M. See Secretaries In The Student Program Office Keepsake matching engagement and wedding rings. Perfect diamonds, set in 14 karat gold, guaranteed and protected against loss. 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