Tradition yields
women given chance at yell leader
By JERRY GEARY
Staff Writer
Shattering a long held tradition,
the Student Senate resolved, Wed
nesday night, to strike the word
“male” from the qualifications for
student Yell Leaders.
As expected, the line of discus
sion ranged from laughter to heated
debate.
For instance, Curt Marsh, stu
dent vice president of finance, sug
gested that a woman who wished to
run for Yell Leader could bring a
case of sexual discrimination to the
courts and gain publicity that would
aid her election.
Supporting the resolution, Marsh
emphasized, “What I want to do is
cheat this girl of any chance of pub
licity.”
On the other hand, Freshman
Senator Ann Stone cited crowd con
trol and respect for Yell Leaders as
reasons for defeating the resolution,
mentioning the 1973 Rice football
game as an example.
Many will look at the yell leader
(presumably female) as a piece, ” she
said.
Meanwhile, Steve Taylor, a cur
rent Yell Leader, delivered a verbal
lashing to the Senate, saying, “The
student body should decide on it
and not the Student Senate,” refer
ring to earlier senate action which
refused a student referendum on
the subject.
The Senate, in a roll call vote,
opted 36-32 in favor of the resolu
tion.
In an urgent matter concerning
Thought for today: Meet suc
cess like a gentleman and
disaster like a man — Lord
Birkenhead, English states
man, 1872-1930.
Battalion
Vol. 68 No. 81
College Station, Texas
Thursday, February 27, 1975
international students, the senate
recommended to the Texas Senate
and the Texas House of Representa
tives that the Senate Bill concerning
the possible increase in interna-
tional student s tuition to 40 dollars
per semester hour be defeated or at
least amended to allow present
foreign students to finish their edu
cation at $14 per semester hour.
The prevailing reasons for the
senate’s decision were financial and
ethical.
In a presentation to the senate by
John Sharp who represented Lt.
Gov. Bill Hobby, it was discovered
that by increasing tuition the state
would produce revenues of4.3 mill
ion dollars at a loss of 6-8 percent of
all foreign students. The fact that
$40 million worth of revenue is
brought into Texas each year by in
ternational students was pointed
out. Consequently, the state would
not realize any substantial revenue
gain by increasing foreign student’s
tuition.
It was brought to the senate’s at
tention by Fathallah Ben-Ali and
Senator Rajesh Kent that 85 percent
of the international students live in
developing countries where the in
come is $1,000 - 1,500 per year.
Senator Tony Pelletier from the
Corps of Cadets held “that Ameri
can citizens (out of state) should pay
what a non-American citizen pays.”
But Freshman Senator Paul Ferrar
pointed out that the state’s motive is
only financial and Texas would gain
$4 million, which was “a drop in the
bucket.” Meanwhile, he stated the
international student is not only
contributing socially and culturally,
but is helping in the U.S. balance of
payments.
When debate closed, the resolu
tion was accepted 34 - 17.
In other business:
— The senate voted against fund
ing the graduate Student Council
from student fees.
— Recommendations for a Study
Abroad program were approved.
— The senate allocated $500 from
the Academic Affairs Budget in
order to broaden research for
student’s choice of Professors.
Confusion on the Parking Resolu
tion caused it to be defeated. The
Traffic Panel wished to close all
parking lots in the middle of campus
so a shuttle system could be insti
tuted that would transport students
into the campus interior. Since the
Administration was thought to be
doing this in the future anyway, the
resolution was canned.
The Student Business Council re
solution was enacted which estab
lishes a student committee to prom
ote the financial welfare of the stu
dent body.
A motion to incorporate the
Moody College of Marine Sciences
and Maritime Resources more ac
tively into the programs of the main
campus was approved. These pro
grams include the presentation of
Gathright Academic Awards to
three students of Moody College
and for balloting in elections.
The Blood Drive Proposition was
also approved which would investi
gate the feasibility of transferring
from the Wadley Blood Bank lo
cated in Dallas to the Red Cross
which would establish a distributing
center in Bryan.
Finally, the Recycling Program,
the Tuition Tax Exemption, Teach
ing Assignments for the spring,
Academic Program Evaluation and
the Vending Machine Reform re
solutions were discussed but no
vote was taken.
The deadline for filing for the three
open positions on the College Station City
Council is 5 p.m. Friday and, as of Wednes
day afternoon, only two candidates had of
ficially filed for those posts at City Hall.
Gary Halter, a political science profes
sor, has filed for Place 1. Incumbent Fred
Brison said he will retire from the council
and not seek re-election.
Larry Bravenec has filed for re-election
to Place 5.
Don Dale has announced he will run for
re-election from Place 3, although he has
not filed for the position. Resident Hall As
sociation president Greg Magruder and
KTAM station manager Bob Bell plan to
seek one of the open positions, although
neither of them have filed.
Foreigners request
grandfather clause’
in letter to Williams
By JUDY BAGGETT
Staff Writer
Even if the bill to raise foreign
student tuition passes, students al
ready enrolled may be allowed to
pay the same rates until graduation.
The bill, sponsored by State
Senator Bill Moore, would raise
foreign student tuition from $14 to
$40 per semester hour.
In a letter sent to President Jack
K. Williams, Charles Hornstein,
Foreign Student Adviser, recom
mended that foreign students pres
ently enrolled be charged the pres
ent tuition. He also said he would
Me to see more scholarships and
aids for these students.
Presently there are 25 foreign
students with scholarships attend
ing A&M. They cannot apply for
these scholarships until they have
been accepted in the university.
“Competition is quite high,’’
Robert Logan, Director of Financial
Aid, said yesterday.
There are 200 scholarships avail
able. Students from 20 countries are
eligible for the scholarships.
“About 20 to 30 per cent of all that
apply through A&M are selected,”
Logan said.
Financial aid is very limited be
cause the students have certified to
the American Consul that they are
able to pay their way and not be
dependent on anyone in the United
States, Logan said.
It is hard for a foreign student to
obtain permission to work during
the school year or in the summer.
“It’s almost virtually impossible,”
Hornstein said.
A student may work only if there
has been an unforeseen change in
his economic situation since he ar
rived. Difficulty lies in proving the
change, Hornstein said.
The stringent work law results
from the high unemployment rate
in the U.S. With 150,000 foreign
students, it would cut the job mar
ket for Americans.
The International Student As
sociation (ISA) circulated a petition
which 1,300 students signed. It will
be sent to the state senate.
The petition is to make the stu
dents aware of what < is going on,
Fathallah Mohamnrfed Ben-ali,
President of ISA, said. Some may
have been afraid to petition.
The student senate met Wednesday at eight
o’clock. Topics of discussion at the meeting in-
Photo by Tom Kayser
eluded higher tuition for foreign students and a
vote to allow women yell leaders at A&M.
Religious groups can return to campus
"i - — 1 Tl r^m.niHw anrl sHidpnt tornev General’s oninion our
By DON MIDDLETON
Staff Writer
Religious organizations may soon
M meeting on the A&M campus.
An opinion issued by Texas Attor
ney General John Hill holds that the
use of university facilities by religi
ous groups is legal under the Texas
and U.S. constitutions.
The state charter prohibits the
appropriation of state funds for sup
port of religious programs. How-
over, the expenditure for utilities
and maintenance of buildings used
only occasionally by such groups is
so small that it is insignificant, ac
cording to the Attorney General’s
opinion.
The University is now deciding
now this statement will affect the
A&M campus. “We’re in the pro
cess of coming up with a policy as
relates to the Attorney General’s
opinion,” said Dr. John Koldus,
vice president for Student Services.
The policy being drafted by Kol-
ous has been submitted to the vari
ous deans, members of the Faculty
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Advisory Committee, and student
leadership groups for approval and
possible changes.
The final draft will then go to the
University Rules and Regulations
Committee for its approval.
Koldus says he believes minimal
use of campus facilities by religious
organizations is within the scope of
the Texas Constitution as inter
preted by the Attorney General.
He stressed, however, that any
organization using campus build
ings or grounds must be a recog
nized student organization.
Meetings would be scheduled on
a first-come, first-served basis for all
student groups officially registered
with Dr. Koldus’ office.
The effect of the Attorney
General s statement on certain
campus and community organiza
tions is one of “wait and see.”
“There is no change as of this
time,” said Colonel Logan Weston
of the Student Y Association. “Until
we receive a refinement of the At
torney General’s opinion our pro
gram is unaffected.”
Colonel Weston also stated that
all applications for University rec
ognition by religious organizations
would be channeled through his of
fice. They will be under the same
restrictions and obligations that per
tain to all organizations. No applica
tions have been filed yet.
The new stand will also allow cer
tain off-campus groups to expand
their programs.
“This will enable us to take our
program to the people, rather than
making the people come to us,” said
Ron Wells, director of the Baptist
Student Center. “We’re moving as
fast as we can to start planning
events.”
Certain functions would not be
allowed under the new policy. Wor
ship services may not be held any
where except the All Faiths Chapel,
Dr. Koldus said, and religious re 7
treats or conventions could not be
held on campus.
Today.
Inside
Student Senate p. 3
Over the Wall p. 3
Rules and Regulations .p. 5
Weather
Partly cloudy and mild
Thursday and Friday
with easterly winds 8-13
mph. High today 69; low
tonight 45; high Friday
76.
Inquiring
Should international student tuition be raised to $40?
Hart, Freshman, Account-
ing
I really don’t think a foreign stu-
er >t should have to pay more than a
student from here.”
Richard Phillips, Junior, Nuc
lear Engineering
“I think that it is a rather poor
suggestion. The influx of foreign
students into A&M and the U. S. as a
whole has helped us. I think it wjll
help foreign relations.
U Jgi|.
Lisa Jones, Freshman, Biologi
cal Medicine
“I think it’s good right now be
cause A&M is growing so much and
it’s a way of controlling it.
Buster Williams, Freshman,
Biological Medicine
“I guess you might call it biased
right now, but I think it’s only fair
that they should pay the same as
us.”
Joseph Yu, Graduate, Chemical
Engineering
“I don’t like any of it. The parents
of foreign students can only support
them with so much. ”
mm
Bhupendra Patel, Graduate,
Industrial Engineering
“It’s just impossible to pay that
much. It’s not a worthwhile sugges
tion.”
Nazimuddin Dhanani, Sopho
more, Computer Science
“I feel that foreign students
shouldn’t have to pay more than
they have in the past. Most of us are
not from oil producing countries.