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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 5, 1975)
Page 2 THE BATTALION WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5, 1975 mrnmi hliiiiiilWili! I ! It's Perrin's turn again Student Government viewpoint evaluated By MIKE PERRIN Tom Walker critiqued my Feb. 25 column in yesterday’s paper. He made several statements in that critique which require clarification. In my last column, I never argued that the Student Government, “in large part or as whole,” is con spiring against the student body. I observed X- that the Necktie r Party thinks that y i six people have overnment, split up six po sitions for next year among themselves. Since there are 70 senators and six top positions plus nine Judicial Board members plus an Executive Director, which makes 86 people at least, I fail to see where the report ed conspiracy of six is a majority or large part of SG. I have always argued that people are not evil, but that SG’s structure makes it behave contrary to the best interests of all concerned. Blaming Student Government’s lack of effectiveness on poor voter turnout won’t wash. It won’t wash because after arguing that SG can’t be effective. Walker turns around and tries to show how it really is effective. Walker also ignores the point that there are good SGs a- round in spite of poor voter turnouts everywhere. So Walker either has to argue that poor turnouts make poor SG or that SG is good. He can’t argue both. Passing the buck to the Admini stration on Student Service Fees won’t work, either. The SG makes recommendations to the Adminis tration and so far, the Administra tion has always abided by those recommendations. He also tries to pass the $9.50 Ag- gieland off on Student Publications. This won’t work, either, since it has to be approved by the SG before it goes to the Administration. Walker points out that the Batt gets services fees. I lamented this fact in a column last semester. Nei ther I nor any student who works on the Battalion voted on the Battalion student service fee request. But when Walker asserts that the Executive Committee of SG serves without compensation, he has to be kidding. The Student Body Presi dent receives money from Univer sity National Bank and from the Former Students. Several thou sands of dollars are spent by SG traveling around to conventions and meetings. The Batt staff is taking 18 people to a convention this week. Fourteen are paying their own com plete way. SG officers also receive other niceties — parking privileges, dining privileges, private office for the President, invitations to so cial events, dinners with the Ad ministration, and so forth and so on. This type of patronage is compen sation, although it is not labeled paycheck. Except for the bank and Former Students money. Walker says that I should see to it that the Senate is strong if I want it strong. As a member of the Judi cial Board, the only way I can do this is to make sure that everyone knows that their senator can be un seated if he does not meet constitu tional requirements in fulfilling his office. I guess that this information is what Walker wants out. Anyone who thinks that his Senator does not belong to a committee or who does not report his constituents’ views to the Senate should contact Jerri Ward, Judicial Board Chairperson at 845-3051. A hearing can be called and the senator removed if the charges are true. Walker says that he was at the Board of Directors meeting. I didn’t see where he made any student input at that meeting. I didn’t see him at the University Rules and Regulations meeting the other day, although I saw him at the service fee allocation hearing last night. We didn’t see each other at the Aca demic Council, Thursday. All this is meaningless since I can play the “I went to a meeting’’ game as long as anybody else. In my three years with SG, I’ve been to a lot of them. If another university has a good idea, use it. But why can’t we have a good idea of our own? If we’ve had one, what is it? I ask for more services and less services fees because services fees are a dull, political and stifling method of finance; a little dynam ism and you have OPAS — a little salesmanship and you have Aggie Cinema. Neither of these outfits gets fees. A litde more imagination would cure a lot of problems with out forced outlays from students. I easily accept that I have been timid on the Judicial Board. But my personal failures do not excuse the other 85 members of SG. I believe that the J-Board has been more ac tive this year, what with injunctions and writs of mandamus and throw ing senators out. I mean, a lot of people in the rest of the SG are wor ried about the “monster’ that the J- Board has become. And we did it all in this one semester. Student Government should compromise, but as it is, we are compromised right out of the game. Compromise at the University of Houston means a real student law yers, discount pharmacy, day care center, alcohol on campus and waiver of building use fees for stu dents with economic hardships. At A&M, compromise meand “High way 6 runs both ways” and “Suck it up.” 'I WANT YOU ALL TO FEEL SECURE ABOUT AMERICA'S FOREIGN POLICY COMMITMENTS . . . HAVE A CIGAR!' Captain America comes to town By ROD SPEER The first order of business for Cloud 9 is an apology to County Judge Bill Vance for misinforma tion and a misunderstanding re sulting from a previous Cloud 9 column. Two weeks ago this column re ported that Vance told the local chamber of commerce he endorsed using funds authorized under the Housing and Community Develop ment Act of 1974 to build the Brazos County Park. However, Vance was talking about funding available un der the act to governments in urban areas other than cities — money which the county can seek since it has a / J / Standard Metro- \ politan Statistical i r ^ Area (an urban region with more than 50,000 popu lation) within its boundaries. Vance’s funding source is totally separate from grants available to the twin cities, a confusion made in the previous column. The cities are using their grants to improve low-income neighborhoods by paving streets, improving drainage, establishing neighborhood parks and similar projects. Again, Cloud 9 apologizes for any ; available un- 0 misunderstanding resulting from the article. ★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★ Last week more than 500 local businessmen attended the Bryan- College Station Chamber of Com merce annual banquet. I didn’t think the event deserved a big play- up in the news columns (The Eagle ran a banner headline which read, “American System Emphasized,” referring to the banquet speaker’s theme); however, observing the three-hour dinner reveals some thing about the political philoso phy of local businessmen as well as the business mood of the times. The Chamber’s executive direc tor, Pat Mann, said the organiza tion paid approximately $1,000 in fees and expenses for the dinner’s main event. Dr. Kenneth McFar land, a professional speaker who tours the country preaching a con servative political doctrine. The local businessmen apparent ly liked the man, his doctrine or both. McFarland spoke at a cham ber banquet 10 years ago and the group was willing to pay the fee for a second talk. The man received a standing ovation and was interrup ted several times with applause. But the conservative philosophy espoused by McFarland was not the average conservatism seen today, it was an extremist point-of-view reminiscent of the Cold War days in the Fifties and early Sixties, and of the backlash to anti-war demon strations of the late Sixties. McFarland called today’s leaders of Communist nations “internation al thieves, murderers and outlaws. He said the Communists, (not refer ring to any particular Communist nation, but to Communists in gen eral) are still as much as ever bent on world take-over and already have half the world under their control. He declared it was the military of the United States that has saved the other half of the world from Communist domination. The 500 plus attending the banquet were solemn when he discussed the cur rent economic problems in socialist England and announced that Eng land will go to the Communists in five years. McFarland compared non-demo- cratic countries to the Titantic, where people think they are doing fine until the proud ship hits the iceberg and sinks. The United States, he contended, is like a raft, which never sinks. He said “the en emy” (I presume he meant Com munist sympathizers) is on-board the raft. He added that sometimes the enemy doesn’t realize he’s the enemy, but thinks the enemy is you! He called on Americans to proud ly display the flag, honor the armed forces, teach the Bible in public schools and “respect our institu tions,” leaving out only motherhood and apple pie. He criticized “left-wing profes sors from Far-out U. ” who are quot ed in the national media telling us things are bad, when they’re not so bad. The banquet program pointed out that McFarland received the Captain Eddie Rickenbacker Award for being America’s Number One Air Passenger. In my opinion, that qualifies him for flying out of town, but not for flying in. FINANCIAL ACHIEVEMENTS, INC. CASUALTY AGENCY AUTO-HOME-MOBILE HOME-BUSINESS-BOAT 303 College Main 846-8791 College Station i Stop, look, listen Freedom goes down the drain STOP: Tom Adair, faculty member of the “Student” Publications Board, has one more item to consider before the board adjourns. Who are the likely candidates for editor of “The Battalion”?, he asks. Will Anderson, assistant editor, and LaTonya Perrin, managing editor, he is told. Two others are considering the job and more are eligible. Anderson may have trouble with grades. “That leaves LaTonya Perrin,” says Adair. He suggests the board waive, for one year, the requirement that applicants need one year s experience on The Battalion. The motion passes with one dissenting vote. LOOK: Student Body President Steve Eberhard, a member of the publications board, writes a letter to Rules and Regulations Chair man Dr. Haskell Monroe. He tells Monroe that this year’s competi tion for editor is narrowing: “The rationale for the resolution,” writes Eberhard, “is simply that under this regulation, there is effectively no competition for the position of editor. For the past two years, there has been only one viable applicant each year, and it seems that LaTonya Perrin may be the only one this year. It is the feeling of the Board that there may be other capable students who fail to meet only this one qualification, and that some sort of competition would be healthy. Rules and Regulations Committee rubber stamps the resolution and passes it to the Academic Council. LISTEN: President Jack K. Williams tells the Academic Council that one candidate for editor will not be editor as long as he is president of Texas A&M — even if no paper is published. Applause follows from a section of people around Dr. Haskell Monroe, dean of faculties. Williams’ remark is made during discussion following Monroe’s presentation of the one-year waiver. Eberhard and Adair also speak in favor of the resolution. One member of the council questions the intent of the change. He wonders how the publications board can insure an editor who knows how to run The Battalion. Williams, chairman of the council, says he must approve the publica tion board recommendation — be says he is a check against any unwise choices the board might make. Dr. Monroe then assures the council that the motives behind the resolution are pure. The motion carries overwhelmingly, with a few muffled no’s. That’s it! Three easy steps toward control and censorship of the student newspaper at Texas A&M. Rationales which simply favor open competition for a powerful student position fall flat when one considers the timing of the change. The motion is originally made after the names of the candi dates for editor are known. And the exemption is made for this year only. It s hard to pretend the resolution is in the best interests of The Battalion. And it s hard to pretend we can trust Williams to consider the best interests of The Battalion when he considers the publica tions board nomination. He vetoes one candidate, before applica tions were submitted. He has said a paper will not be published if that candidate is selected. It is hard to pretend that the publications board will not weigh Williams’ comments when it considers the applicants. Williams told the Academic Council that the present system creates a danger of inbreeding. He’s right. There is a danger. But there is also some assurance that an editor will know how to manage The Battalion. The dangers in the new system are worse, especially in light of Williams unfounded and irresponsible comments. What assurance does The Battalion now have for its constitutionally guaranteed freedom of expression? What Battalion staff member, seeking the editorship, can write without fear that he (she) might be stricken from the list of editor hopefuls because of that writing? The Battalion has witnessed a decay in freedom of public expres sion at Texas A&M. Two employees of the Housing Office were fired because of a letter to the editor. One faculty member in a high academic position resigned because of reaction to public comments against policies of the Board of Directors and the administration (until he (she) comments for the record we can give no more details). During Christmas vacation, two Battalion reporters canvas sed the campus to ask people what they thought of A&M. Too many times they were told, “But you can’t print that or I’ll he fired.” It’s hard to pretend that this is a great university in a free society. It took a revolution and 200 years to make the presses of America free. It took 10 days to snuff freedom of the press at Texas A&M. Implications here cannot be overstated. The Battalion hopes the university community understands these implications. But it’s hard to pretend that many will give as much thought to these implications as they do to the sex of people who lead cheers at football games. I prc .Today Tex; un accident Jd have n | u ry a few ; New type lardrails an feforcuttinj L more thai Irt TAMU fexas Tran TI). “Guardrai je structun idges that tal acciden lid Dr. R. > |ge of fatal Le end of eased in T imber of n mnd tran; rails on bri ridge rail.’ Their rep y of fataliti ry, good p; f them at : liles per h Olson ni lending Breakaway If curbs. Craft! to be atloc The Con am is ad lourses cu A five-w kill begin elemental un each J [fod registi A sectio egin on kith a ses p.m. to 9 [inly. Reg A six- naintenai ivith a $5 Beginn: school is a Ristration Reserv Sing Erne |ty Educa m .V.WV. |0CIETY Ol p.m. in n yearbook |L PASO H( I in Lounj PIE-VET S( Zachry fi tog. ^SENIOR CL room 50 hemistr ture by 1 sityofN Chemisl try of M meteoro Stepher room 2] Cbe Battalion We are your Off-Campus Graduate Student Senators, and we invite any questions or comments you have regarding Student Government. Glen Brown Payne Harrison, Jr. Fran McNeely Julie Reedy marine Thom Culfc D R. P. 1 Corre Rates w ater i 225 o Conn 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. LETTERS POUCY 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 verifica tion. v 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. Tom 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. 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 \lay, and once a week during summer school. Mail subscriptions are $5.00 per semester; $9.50 per school year; $10.50 per full year. All subscriptions subject to 5^ sales tax. Advertising rate furnished _ on request. Address: The Battalion, Room ^17, 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 Assistant Managing Editor Roxie Hearn Sports Editor Mike Bruton Photo Editor Glen Johnson City Editor Rod Speer News Editors Barbara West Douglas Winship Reporters. . .T.C. Gallucci, Tony Gallucci, Paul McGrath, Robert Cessna, Gerald Olivier, Rose Mary Traverse, Steve Gray, Judy Baggett, Alan Killingsworth, Sayeeful Islam, Mary Jeanne Quebe, Cathryn Clement, Cindy Maciel, Jim Peters, Mark Schluter, Steve Ussery, B. Babji Singh, Don Middleton, Mike Kimmey, Jerry Geary, Chris Askew. Photographers Douglas Winship, David Kimmel, Gary Baldasari, Jack Holm, Chris Svatek, Steve Krauss, Kevin Fotorny, Tom Kayser, David McCarroll. Artists and cartoonists Dr. James H. Earle, Nguyen Dziem, Brad Foster, Rodney Hammack, Tom Brents, Scott Morgan. Columnists Bill Sheen, Mike Perrin, John Vanore, John Tim Cowden