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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 24, 1975)
Page 2 THE BATTALION FRIDAY, JANUARY 24, 1975 ^CHRlSmAS VACATION WAS bREAT, BUT \T FEELS K\Nb OF N\CE 10 BE R>NCK \N SCHOOL AbAIN). ^. ,l «^r->;•!jV.^IacV .-^ .•■ > J-v*y^ T hui\k:& m ti\I&VZl4^ AV - ! ' *^ ^ l iif£e Bafr&afera go^asKiS’s a SstpSair©ca ftfoe agO^fSffu'S’rspgs ai? §jcaS ■— '— <$$ ^ Challenge by students urged Dear Editor: It is time for the students to chal lenge the actions of the administra tion and their ridiculous actions in trying to make A&M, according to our beloved Pres. Williams, “a showplace of the nation” for cen tennial year 1976. Instead of a showplace, they are converting our campus into one big luxurious joke. The University Center, formerly the MSC, is only one example of the stupidity of the administration in letting this monstrosity exemplify a place, according to the catalogue, “to foster the social, cultural, and recreational phases of students, fa culty, and alumni lives. ’’The Center was not built for the students or with their ideas, and it is being furnished with lavish and hideous monuments that serve no purpose but to create an environment of wealth. The $450,000 wall on the north side of the campus resembles the actions at t.u. where students won der if their administration spends more money on landscaping rather than on education. Is A&M going to follow? And then those needless brick arches in the corps area. Another waste of money. The results of these actions has increased the building use fees to outrageous proportions. As students of this great univer sity, we must act together soon to oppose the further actions of the administration and to voice our dis content with their past actions as well. Unless we do, we will con tinue to be neglected and shoved around. What will happen next? Ken Koehler Parting shots Dear Editor: I have faith in our team and coaches that they can and will work out any problems that they have. It is the problem of the Aggie fans that concerns me, because I honestly feel that the lickin’ we got in Austin was our fault, not the team’s or the coaches’. Let me illustrate: Some Aggies live totally in a world of “Beat Texas.” I honestly think that many would be satisfied if we lost 10 games in a season so long as we beat Texas. This has to be based on some deep-rooted, exagg erated animosity toward our com petitors across the Brazos. This general feeling appears to have rooted itself on the campus, and in the hearts of many Aggies. We spend the entire year building the tempo, instilling desire, pumping adrenalin to develop the super strength to whip Texas. By the time we get to the game, we have pumped our team dry and left them a quivering bundle of nerves, totally unable to utilize their outstanding ability and preparation for the game — and we created this mess — the wild-eyed group that worked ourse lves into a state of furious passion. When it’s over, we are drained — and embarrassed — ready to strike at the fissure in the dike — spill out our frustrations and tear down the great structure that we built. In stead, let’s go back home and lick our wounds, determine the source of our problem, and take steps to correct it. Would you believe that an in tense desire to win could be detri mental? Never! — except when it is heaped so disproportionately on beating only one of our eleven athle tic competitors. The grand Aggie tradition is Pride and Spirit, and it should manifest itself in a “Winning Attitude” — not “Beat Texas.” In order that we may develop this “Winning Attitude”, I would like to suggest three major actions to re-order our priorities. These are likely to be questioned by some, but deep down in my Aggie soul, I be lieve they must be done: 1. Write new words to the Aggie War Hymn. The lyrics give me a wonderful sensation up and down my spine, similar in nature to other “blissful” experiences, but the words leave me cold when we are playing a team in red and white, and the mascot has tusks rather than horns. A war hymn should apply to the foe, whoever he may be, not just the school across the Brazos. Frankly, I don’t feel that bunch over there deserves that much recogni tion. 2. Abolish the bonfire! This is the focal point of our year-long build up. We bring everyone up — in cluding the team. Although in tended to kindle the flame of desire, it is so strong at that point it goes beyond a mere kindling and bums out the whole body. 3. Develop a winning attitude! What is past is past — jinxes are formed in the mind. So, let’s set our goals for the whole season. Next year, we play eleven games, then the Cotton Bowl. One game is as important as the next — none more important than others. Let’s con centrate on winning each game as it comes with a healthy enthusiasm of performing with pride and humility — Pride that we are a great institu tion, and Humility that God has so blessed us. I say “Gig ’Em Aggies.” We are great, and with the talents we have, we ll be even greater. N. J. Rowan ’59, ’67 Objectives lost Dear Editor, When my bill for the spring semester arrived I almost lost my lunch. The Building Use Fee has gone from $2 per hour to $6 per hour — an increase of200 per cent!! Is the administration ofourcampm competent? How, in these times of spirallinj inflation, can the administrationjiu- tify outrageous expenditures od construction projects — unwanted and not needed by the student bod) — and in the same breath, sockus with ridiculous fee increases. The students are begging!di| more recreational facilities, more room for the committees of the Sta- dent Programs Office—justifiable increases in spending. The ad ministration returns with awallthat mocks our campus traditionofopec friendliness, destruction of grasi with concrete malls, and continual increasing fees. What next? Pay toilets, pay to stiles into buildings, more MSC French whorehouse furniture. Texas A&M is not a sandbox to) for Dr. Williams and his crew to play construction with, nor is it something pretty for the formti students to look at. This university is for the quality, “economical eda cation of the taxpaying citizens ol this state. I sincerely believe that the Ad ministration has lost sight, in theii careless rush for notoriety, of (be objectives of this University. If they do not reclaim these objectives, then the wall the students should build will surround the administra tion building. Gordon A. Stewart Rickey H. Grochosk Randy E. Houghton and four othen 1*9 ro i R —l Lobby available to students A BIRD’S EYE VIEW By ROD SPEER “Cloud 9 — A Bird’s Eye View” will be a weekly feature of the editorial page involving myself and city news reporter Gerald Olivier. We will be bringing you behind- the-scene interpretive evaluations of the personalities and events that influence off-campus news of in terest to A&M students. ★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★ With the 64th Texas Legislature beginning its lawmaking business this month, everybody wants to get into the act of influencing legislation — including students. The students of A&M and the other major uni versities will be officially repre sented by the Texas Student Association (TSA) and pos sibly the Texas Student Lobby, depending on ^ the outcome of a three-day TSA convention in Austin beginning Jan. 31. The TSA is primarily concerned with student services such as insur ance programs, book co-ops and the like. Lobbying is a sidelight TSA plans to take up and will be a major order of business at its turn-of- the-month convention. Among causes that the TSA will lobby for is a bill that will consoli date a conglomerate of state-funded grants for higher education into two grant programs. John Nash, exter nal affairs committee chairman for the Student Senate, explained that currently the state has a number of little-known grants available that involve considerable expense to administer and have only limited student use. The consolidation would be under the State Coor dinating Board for Higher Educa tion and would theoretically cut the administrative cost as well as simplifying the procedure for secur ing a state grant. Other topics of concern will be insuring student representation on school board of directors and put ting a ceiling on the extent schools can raise building use fees. The board of directors for both the TSA and the TSL will be attend ing the upcoming convention. A main question to be settled is whether the TSL will be eliminated and a professional lobbyist hired by the TSA to look after its interest or whether TSA will re-incorporate the TSL under its wing to carry out that function. Within the last two years the TSA and the TSL were part of the same organization, the Texas In terscholastic Student Association. A rift developed when certain factions of the TISA became interested in lobbying statewide for marijuana decriminalization, liberal abortion laws and similar issues. Some schools, including TCU, SMU and Baylor, decided the TISA was an abortion and declined to even join either the TSA or the TSL when the larger group was dissolved. Since the division, TSL has moved away from the glamor issues. TSL Director Sandy Kress, a former student body president at the Uni versity ofTexas, has said the group’s main concern now is increasing stu dent financial aid. According to Nash, the TSL, which operates without a financial base, has done little if any lobbying in recent months. The group has a chance to re-unite and re-organize with the financially-backed TSA. With this order of business out of the way, the focus of attention will hopefully concentrate on pushing enactment of the student-supported legislation. 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. Editorial policy is determined by the editor. MEMBER The Associated Press, Texas Press Association 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 S/lay, and once a week during summer school. 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 guaran- | tee to publish any letter. Each letter must be signed, show the | address of the writer and list a telephone number for cerifica- i tion. Address correspondence to Listen Up, The Battalion, Room ^ 217, Services Building, College Station, Texas 77843. / Members of the Student Publications Board are: Jim Lindsey, chairman; Dr. Toni Adair, Dr. R. A. Albanese, Dr. H. E. Hierth, W. C. Harrison, Steve Eberhard, Don Hegi, and John Nash, Jr. Represented nationally by National Educational Advertising Services, Inc., New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles. Mail subscriptions are $5.00 per semester; $9.50 per school year; $10.50 per full year. All subscriptions subject to 5<2 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 Greg Moses Assistant Editor ‘ Will Anderson Managing Editor LaTonya Perrin Sports Editor Mike Bruton Photo Editor Glen Johnson City Editor Rod Speer Reporters . . . Teresa Coslett, T. C. Gallucci, Tony Gallucci, Paul McGrath, Robert Cessna, Gerald Olivier, Rose Mary Traverse, Steve Gray, Judy Baggett, Roxie Hearn, Alan Killingsworth, Sayeeful Islam. Photographers . . . Douglas Winship, David Kimmel, Chris Svatek, Jack Holm, Gary Baldasari, Steve Krauss. PEANUTS THE BURGLARS ARE COMING BACK • I CAN HEAR THEM IN THE LIVING ROOM tTHEY'RE STEAL ING ALL OUR FURNITURE! DO 5omethins,snoopy/ SCAKE THEM OFF l BARK AT THEM'. 1 . 1 PICTURES FOR 1975 AGGIELAND Seniors & Graduates — Make-up Deadline Jan. 31 JUNIORS & SOPHOMORES Jan 20 — Jan 24 A — G Jan 27 — Jan 31 H — M Feb 3 — Feb 7 N — R Feb 10—Feb 14 S —V Feb 17—Feb 21 W —Z Photographs are taken on a drop-in basis, 8 — 5 weekdays and 8 — 12 Sat. For further information contact the Studio. Students who have paid to have their pictures placed in the 1975 Aggieiand should have their photograph taken according to schedule at — UNIVERSITY STUDIO 115 North Main 846-8019 College Station