Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 28, 1974)
Page 2 Listen Up Batt interview was ‘over-condensed’ Editor: I appreciate the Battalion’s ef forts to publicize my views (and those of my opponents) of issues confronting A&M. While reading my own interview, however, I noted that some of my comments had been over-condensed in the interest of brevity and did not re late my true feedings. In particular it appeared that I am down on sports in general and football in particular. This is sim ply not the case. I have been in volved in some form of athletic endeavor since transferring to A&M two years ago and served as an assistant instructor of one of the karate clubs until last sum mer. It is true that I do not at tend football games; however, I I am not a spectator of any sport. For that reason I don’t want my money that goes to athletics to pay for someone else to see a home game. I would much rather see my sports dollar, and many more besides, going to better sports facilities and equipment at A&M that everyone can use. Pre sumably that is the point of school athletic programs. Personally, I would like to see the rugby, soccer and women’s teams receive more support, par ticularly monetary support. The point is that if A&M is going to be proud of its athletics it should give maximum support to all sports and not just select inter collegiate teams. Secondly, concerning on-campus topics such as drinking, coed dorms and streaking it may ap pear that I have no interest in them simply because I live off- campus. Again, this is not the case. I must admit that I fail to see the logic of the way these sub jects are presently being handled (or ignored as the case may be). For some time now Texans that attain the age of 18 are considered citizens with full privileges and responsibilities. Most students here fall into this category. Yet the administration imposes a code on the men and women on campus much like I suffered in junior high school. If the students of A&M are of legal age then to me it seems ob vious that we should be allowed to drink wherever we please that is within the law. A student can sign a contract to live in an apart ment building with members of the opposite sex; why shouldn’t students live in coed dorms? Stu dents were given these rights by the state and I can only wonder why the school has been so tardy in making concessions to us. On the other hand I believe stu dents at A&M must uphold their responsibilities as adults. Abusing privacy of others, disturbing the peace, violent assault, public in decency and theft are breaches of civil law and should be treated as such not as infractions of a school code. This I give in answer to those who feel a liberal drink ing/coed situation would degen erate A&M into a drunken orgy raging semester after semester. As an ending comment I want to urge everyone to vote April 4th for SOMEONE. This is your school and nothing will change Endorsements A&M students will decide next Thursday which among them will represent the student body as its government and will continue the perennial dogfight with administrators for more rights and advantages. The Battalion has examined the race for the top Student Government posts and feels the following people can best carry the standard of student rights in the upcoming year. The candidates below were selected by a popular vote of the Battalion editorial staff after considering staff inputs. Participating were Rod Speer, Steve Goble, Greg Moses, Kevin Coffey, Will Anderson, Gary Baldasari and Ted Boriskie. The below opinions do not necessarily represent those of any particular Battalion staff member. For the office of president of Student Government, The Battalion supports STEVE EBERHARD. He tops his competitors in SG experience, having worked two years in Student Government, including a year as chairman of the Academic Affairs committee. He was one of the main proponents of optional athletic fees and has fought with the Academic Council and administrators to try and begin publishing faculty evaluations. BARRY BROOKS gets our backing for vice president of student services. Brook’s work on SG’s Student Services, Business Relations and Academic Affairs committee has been admirable. In other duties he was instrumental in putting pressure on General . Luedecke to get student input on the long-range campus planning. The key issue in the race for vice president for finance is optional and user fees, and TOM TAYLOR has been a major spokesman for an athletic user fee in the Senate and finance committee hearings and has earned The Battalion’s support. Both he and his competitor, Curt Marsh, are well experienced in Student Government. The Battalion will make no comment in the vice president for external affairs race as one of its staff members is in the running for that position. JOHN TYLER is the Batt’s pick for vice president for rules and regulations. He has been a hard worker in the Senate’s book exchange program and has shown good leadership qualities in the sponsorship of bills throughout the year. His two years experience in Student Government (although not on the Rules and Regulations Committee) and upperclassman standing give him an edge over his opponents. The Battalion was widely split on opinions in the vice president for academic affairs contest and chose not to endorse a candidate for that post. Looking to the world of civilian dormitories, The Battalion supports the candidacy of TIM JORDAN for Resident Hall president. His experience as president and head Resident Adviser for Law Hall are good credentials for the job. * * * In order to give candidates equal time for rebuttal, The Battalion will print all letters concerning Student Govern ment elections received by 9 p.m. Monday in Tuesday’s edition. Cbe Battalion Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those of The Battalion, a student newspaper at Texas A&M, is U.c editor or o, the writer of the article and are not necessarily those of the University administration or May, and once a week during summer school. the Board of Directors. The Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting enterprise operated by students as a University and Community newspaper. The%attalio^ V ^m ^nrle^^ild^ng. College Station. LETTERS POLICY Texas 77843. Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words The Associated Press is entitled exclusively to the use for and are subject to being cut to that length or less if reproduction of all news dispatches credited to it or not , otherwise credited in the paper and local news of spontaneous longer. The editorial Staff reserves the right to edit origin published herein. Right of reproduction of all other such letters and does not guarantee to publish any matter herein are also reserved. ,,, t- i t .. i u ■ j i . I jj , Second-Class postage paid at College Station, Texas. letter. Each letter must be signed, show the address of : the writer and list a telephone number for verification. Editor Rod Speer Address correspondence to Listen Up, The Battalion, Managing 1 Editor Stephen Goble Room 217, Services Building, College Station, Texas Assistant to the Editor Greg Moses 77813. News Editor Will Anderson ‘ Photo Editor Gary Baldasari Sports Editor Kevin Coffey Ass’t. Sports Editor Ted Boriskie . T „ , Staff writers Vickie Ashwill, LaTonya Perrin, an Jan a er. Mary Russo, Tony Gallucci, Cliff Lewis, Brad 15 * J n v XT *• , ITT *• Ellis, Hank Wahrmund, Kathy Young, T. C. Gallucci,, Norine Harris, Sally Hamilton, Julia Jones. MEMBER Photographers Roger Mallison, Kathy Curtis, The Associated Press, Texas Press Association Alan Killingsworth, Steve Ueckert. Pd. Pol. ad by C. Johnson -« r^vr ■ 1Advertisement published in compliance with Texas ▼ '-J X A-i Election Code Article 14.10 (B). Student Four Publications De P t -' Publisher, The Battalion, College Station, Tex. Charles F. Johnson Four Jl Councilman Four Place Four b MmiCOLLEGE STATION TUBS., APRIL 2, 1974 ; 7 vfjHNSi “Quality Growth Not Quantity” pd. Pol. Ad. by C. Johnson and no wrongs will be righted unless you care. Thank you all for your time and patience. Mike Greiser ★ ★ ★ Editor: It appears that the MSC Coun cil’s next excuse for its sudden development of censorial powers is that they are merely a helpful service to save harried students the trouble of wasting their time by watching a bad movie. What they seem to have forgotten is that, in an institution as large as A&M, it is quite plausible that some students get their kicks by watching bad movies. What won derful idea will they next come up with to keep us children from the pursuit of our happiness? David Garver ★ ★ ★ Editor: In response to the letter con cerning Sissy Farenthold and the Declaration Of Rights Of The Child in Tuesday’s Batt, I would like to thank John Reyland for letting us know he disapproves of abortion! His letter states, when asked whether she would support a constitutional amendment which would put into effect the Declara tion Of Rights Of The Child, she very bluntly replied “NO.” He then goes on and informs us that “she seems to be more interested in just getting elected than in nothing less than the total social health of America at heart. Ap- Lease Line— parently Mrs. Farenthold has no regard for human life before birth.” John then asks, “Is it human life?” My answer to you John is that after making those statements about Ms. Farenthold’s political interest and lack of re gard for human life, you have a lot of nerve to ask the ques tion “Is it human life?” It may be that a very bluntly replied “NO,” could give you, myself and more important the pregnant wo man that must find an answer for that question, the right to. Rudy Vavra ★ ★ ★ Godiva not first Editor: The poem by Allen Williams (March 20) wrongly credits La dy Godiva as the first streaker. According to the Houston Post, the first “streak” occurred in 720 B.C. at the Olympic Games. It seems that the competitors at the games wore nothing but small loin cloths. A competitor in a running event by the name of Orsippus of Megara had appar ently tied a poor knot in his loin cloth because shortly after the start of the race he was running completely naked. Orsippus, nor mally just an average runner, was soon leading the entire field of runners in nothing more than his birthday suit. With the all male audience cheering him on, he effortlessly outdistanced eve ryone else and streaked to a win. Charles R. Ursell I WILL DO NOW “I figure that this should be a relief to th’ voters!" Housing Code retroactive, ignored By BARB SEARS Although College Station’s Standard Housing Code was es tablished to eliminate building de fects and guarantee habitable dwellings, it is questionable whether these goals are currently being fulfilled. This column has repeatedly cit ed instances of poor maintenance, and a particular sorepoint has been the roofing situation at West Knoll Townhouses. The tenants there, upon calling the Building Official’s Office, were told by a secretary that the Building Code only applied to dwellings built after the adoption of the Code in 1969. Acting on the assumption that this information was correct, the members of the Fair Housing Commission have been frustrated in attempting to guarantee that older dwelling units will be prop erly maintained. Hearing of our dilemma, Jim Gardner, a professor in Urban Planning at A&M, con tacted me to explain that apart from the Building Code, there is a separate Standard Housing Code which is indeed retrocative. All dwelling units must comply with this code or the owners are faced with possible condemnation of the building or may be found guilty of a misdemeanor for each day in which they violate the Housing Code! The Standard Housing Code is very comprehensive and as Gard ner pointed out, if it was ade quately enforced, there would be few tenant complaints. In gen eral, the Code requires that dwell ings be maintained in a “safe and sanitary condition” and prohibits leasing any dwelling place which does not comply with the regula tions. So, in effect, landlords may not lease apartments unless they maintain them to. a degree con forming with the standards of the Housing Code. The Code specified that “roofs shall be maintained in a safe man ner and have no defects which might admit rain or cause damp ness in the walls or interior por tion of the buildings.” There are also a requirement that doors and windows be weathertight and terproof. Buildings are to be rodentpw! and when there are two or Ml dwelling units involved, the on er is responsible for exterminatir. of insects rodents or pests. Its also the owner’s responsibil maintain the public areas ini clean and sanitary condition c to provide adequate lighting! halls and stairways. Accordinf to the Code, itist responsibility of the Building II I spector, L. P. Dulaney, of the Cit| Public Works Office to inspects condition of dwelling units, Heii also supposed to bring charpl against owners to force themli j comply with the housing stani| ards. EUROPE $38695 From Round-Trip Airfare from Dallas 846-7833 Between 5 - 10 p. m. Including All Taxes LAKE VIEW CLIJI 3 Miles N. On Tabor Road Saturday Night: Dennis Ivey & The Waymen From 9 -1 p. m. STAMPEDE Every Thursday Nite (ALL BRANDS BEER 35*) Let me show you the value differences in diamonds. You should know what you are buying. Carl Bussells ~iamond Room (713) 846-4708 Town &. Country Center 3731 E. 29th Bryan, Texas 77801 The little shop with YOU in mind! The Clothes Horse jr.shop 3801 E. 29th — 846-2940 Dick Kutches is back in town and invites you to PENISTON CAFETERIA Open Sunday Through Friday Breakfast-7:00 a.m.-9:00 a.m. Coffee & Pastry-9:00 a.m. -11:00 a.m Featuring Klechka’s Kolaches each morning- A dining treat from old Europe you will never forget. DINNER 11:00 a.m. -1:15 p.m. SUPPER 4:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. “Quality First” T