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A bureaucratic maze
Just suppose that last week you
had wanted to find out about the
athletic user fee proposal before it
was actually to go into effect, or that
this week you had wanted to find out
what the board of directors would
discuss at its special meeting in Dal
las. You would probably try The
Battalion first, right? Well, if you
had you wouldn’t have gotten any
more information than you started
with.
It wouldn’t have been fair how
ever to blame the paper for not
knowing. Information is often lost or
hidden in the existing maze of
bureaucratic channels. That infor
mation which isn’t processed
through university channels (a spe
cial meeting of the board of direc
tors for example) is even harder to
find out about. Yet, the point is that
these matters concern the student
body. They have the right to know
what is going on.
The function of this newspaper is
precisely that; to let the student
body and the community know what
is happening in the world around
them. If the athletic department re-
ally isn’t trying to pull the wool over
our eyes and if student government,
the administration or any other
campus group is sincere in its efforts
to act in the best interest in the stu
dent body, they must let their ac
tions be known before they actually
happen. The best way to do this is to
let The Battalion know the facts in
stead of trying to make us guess and
possibly misrepresent the truth.
'DON'T MIND ME—I ALWAYS CRY AT WEDDINGS!'
(Ceteris Paribus)
Football: fee
or
free?
By MARK RANKIN
The current controversy sur
rounding the user fee is destined to
be the “cowhide bench’’ of the next
few months, but it need not be if the
economics of the situation can be
isolated from the politics.
It is unclear at this time who will
actually make the decision for or
against the proposal but one thing is
clear, the outcome will mean much
more than a gain or loss in revenue.
The real question here is whether or
not a seat in Kyle Field will continue
to be considered a public good and
to what extent.
The present policy taxes all stu
dents in order to provide free space
Loss of Joy ‘regretful’
Editor:
After seeing Saturday night’s per
formance of “Godspell,” which by
the way was nothing less than
superior, in respect to the cast and
tech crew, I would like to say that I
think it is regretful that the Univer
sity has to forfeit such a fine director
as John Joy.
Some have said that new blood is
a good thing, and to the point of the
production of “Godspell, and other
shows done here this season, Joy has
without doubt given our theater and
the “Aggie Players” the recognition
they deserve, through his quality of
direction and love for the theater.
In “Godspell” Joy has brought to
gether a large cast; not only is the
Department of Theater rep
resented, but accounting, engineer
ing, math, biology, parks and recre
ation and others through their re
spective students, who give one hell
of a fine performance.
I know that there is nothing that I
can say or do that will in any way
enhance the possibility of the Uni
versity to retain Dr. Joy, but every
student, faculty member, adminis
trator, or board member who fails to
see “Godspell,” fails himself and the
experience of a unique cast-
audience rapport that can only come
about as a result of an equally uni
que director.
So, let the wall rise, new build
ings tower, and the board meet in
splendor, because director John Joy
and his cast prove that at TAMU the
theater is alive.
Tom Bond
MERLITE WHOLESALE JEWELRY CO.
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Room fees
Editor:
Having found some time to look
at the proposed room fees for next
year, I was curious as to where the
money is going. Just figuring the
dorm I am living in, Davis-Gary, I
will be paying $235 a semester.
Multiplying that by 250 residents,
one comes up with $117,500 per
year. My question is, where is this
money being spent? The dorm, like
many others, is only 40 years old.
Surely it has been paid for.
In D-G, very little maintenance
has been done. Oh, before Christ
mas, the corridor walls were
scraped where the plaster had
peeled, and patched. These walls
have yet to be painted and some
plaster has fallen off. Several rooms
have cultures of mold growing on
the ceilings. Also, D-G still has
two-faucet sinks.
I would like to see a list of where
room money is spent sent to all
dorm residents. As in D-G, it s only
$117,500. Also, I would like to see
The Batt run a special on residence
halls on campus.
Douglas T. Gates
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.
\
LETTERS POLICY
Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words and arc
subject to being cut to that length itrless if longer. The editoruil
staff reserves the right to edit such letters and dors not guaran
tee to publish any letter. Each letter must be signed, slum the
address of the writer and list a telephone n'tunber for verifica
tion.
Address correspondence to Listen l j>. The Battalion. Room
217 s Services Building, College Station, Texas 77S4 >
Members of the Student Publications Board are: Bob G. Rogers, chairman; Dr.
Gary Halter; Dr. John Hanna; Roger P. Miller; Dr. Clinton A. Phillips; Steve
Eberhard; Don Hegi and John Nash Jr.
Represented nationally by National Educational Advertising Services I ml
New York Cite, C hicago and Los Angeles
The Battalion, a student new spaper at Texas A&M is published in C ollege
Station lexas daih except Saturday. Sunda\ . Monda\ and holid.w penod-
September through Mav. and once a week during summer schoo
Mail subscriptions are $5.00 per semester: S^.5n per s* h,.,>| war <l(i “mi p,..'
lull \ear All subscriptions subject to 5<4 sales tax Advertising .at« nnnished
on request. Address: The Battalion. Ropm ^l7.Lf^rvict"> Building L oliege
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 papei am. an a!
news ot spum.meous origin published herein Right of reprdvluc' i'
other mattei herein are als». reserved
Second-C la- • o*‘stage paid at College Station lex.i-
oj aO
Editor
Assistant Editor .
Managing Editor .
Sports Editor . . .
City Editor
Campus Editor . .
Photo Editor . . . .
.James Breedlove
Roxie Hearn
. . Paul McGrath
Mike Bruton
Steve Gray
Jerry Geary
Jack Holm
MEMBER
The Associated Press, Texas Press A^souatio!'
Reporters Jim Crawley,
MikeKimmey, Don Middleton, Jerry Needham, NickVoinis, David Walker, John
Zimmerman.
Photographers Gary Baldasari,
Jack Holm, Glen Johnson, Tom Kayser, David McCarroll, Steve McGown, Chris
Svatek.
McGown, Chris Svatek.
Artists and cartoonists Dr. James H. Earle,
Nguyen Dziem, Brad Foster, Rodney Hammack.
Columnists Will Anderson.
Jerry Geary, Alan Killingsworth, Don Middleton, John Vanore
FINANCIAL
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Come enjoy an evening (or luncheon) in a relaxed cozy atmosphere unequal
led in the Southwest (honest).
for any student desiring to see a
home game. A certain portion of
each Student Service Fee is allo
cated to the Athletic Department,
theoretically compensating it for the
loss in revenue caused by “giving
away” space to activity card holders.
It should be obvious that the system
as it now exists is somewhat inequit
able since those who do not attend
any given home game are, in effect,
subsidizing those who do. Yet the
system exists because it is consi
dered “in the public interest” to
allow Aggies “zero priced” tickets.
The situation is much like a munici
pal park built with tax revenue and
available to all citizens yet only
utilized by a small percentage. The
park is considered for the good of all
and thus a public good.
The problem with the current
ticket price controversy is that it is
prima facie evidence that the Athle
tic Department feels a need for
more funds. Assuming this is true,
the policy-makers must look at the
avenues open to them and the im
plications of each.
The first option would concern a
solution tied to the existing method
of funding, the Student Service Fee
and the non-student ticket price. If
it is desirable to maintain student
tickets as public goods, the in
creased revenue will have to come
from: a) an increase in the price of
non-student tickets, b) an increase
in the percentage of the Student
Service Fees going to the program
or c) a sur-tax on the present Stu
dent Service Fee, the proceeds
going to the Athletic Department.
Each of these choices would con
tinue the subsidization of student
tickets in essentially the same man
ner as is now the policy.
The second option would be to
eliminate the subsidization of stu
dent tickets altogether. This would
involve charging the same price to
students and non-students alike and
making the proper adjustments to
the Student Service Fee (cutting
Batt seeks
reporters
The Battalion is seeking re
porters for now, next fall and the
summer. Experience is helpful,
but not necessary.
Anyone interested should
come by Student Publications,
room 216 of the Reed McDon
ald Services Building.
'TSptnmb*
! T Eddie Dominguez '66
fT]7 17 w' Joe Arciniega '74 -
. J3 re g pri ce_ ’
j If you want the real
Fthlng, not frozen or
(canned ... We call it
“Mexican Food
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Dallas location:'
3071 Northwest Hwy.
352-8570
that portion which would have gone
to the Athletic Department).
It seems to me that this is the
most prudent option since it accom
plishes the following: a) it estab
lishes equality for all Aggies since
students and former students would
now pay the same price and b) it
would eliminate many “two percen
ters” since the more avid fans would
be more likely to pay the price and
c) it would eliminate the inequity
involved when those who do not at
tend a given game pay for a portion
of the ticket of those who do.
Although this option is undoub
tedly politically distasteful it is
economically efficient whereas the
first option is politically blissful and
economically impotent.
The third option, a user fee,
would involve characteristics of the
first and second options and thus, a
compromise.
The user fee system would not
accentuate the service fee ine
quities as would option one and
would not involve quite the degree
of increased ticket price inherent in
option two. Therefore it is less polit
ically distasteful than two and more
economically efficient than one.
The Athletic Department would
continue to collect a portion of the
Student Service Fee but any funds
needed above that amount would
come from those who actually go to
the games.
The ticket price controversy is an
important one that should give us
some key indications about the
changing atmosphere at A&M.
When the decision is made, it will
more than likely be by the real
center of decision -making power on
campus, thus exposing the relative
strength of the administration and
the student government. We will
also have some indication of the re
lative importance of political suita-
ibility and economical efficiency in
the decision-making process. Of
more considerable importance,
however, will be finding whether
traditional public goods such as free
football tickets will continue, or, in
effect, who pays for the Twelfth
Man.
OVERSEAS
EMPLOYEES GUIDE
Essential when considering foreign
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conditions of employment for con
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CA. 91360.
Page 2 THE BATTALION
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30, 1975
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