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THE BATTALION
TUESDAY, APR. 27, 1976
Readers’ forum
Czech students complain
Editor’s Comment:
A short article in the April 14 edition of the
Battalion related why the teaching of Czech is
being discontinued at Texas A&M. The A&M
Czech Club felt the article was slanted and
presented only one side of the story as given to
a Battalion reporter by Dr. Anne Marie
Elmquist, modern languages department
head. The following article was submitted by
students in the Czech Club as the other side of
the story.
By ALTON PRIHODA
and
DAVID KORANEK
What could Texas A&M have had
that was so desperately wanted by
such schools as the University of Ne
braska, UCLA, the University of
Chicago, Yale and the University of
Texas? To most minds it is not im
mediately apparent because it has
been such a secret, well-guarded by
university officials and known to only
a few students.
The answer is the Texas A&M
Summer Study Program in Prague,
Czechoslovakia, whose participants
(last year there were 25 nationwide
including five from TAMU) were
able to study at Charles University,
one of the oldest and most respected
universities in the world, entirely at
the expense of the Czech govern
ment. This had been the case for the
past three years but this year it is a
different matter, as the teaching of
Czech, and so also the Summer
Study Program has been discon
tinued at Texas A&M.
Czech language courses have
been taught at Texas A&M for over
twenty years. This is really fitting
since, according to a report by the
Texas Education Agency, Czech is
the most widely spoken language in
Texas after English and Spanish.
Yet it is doubtful that the average
student here at A&M knows that
Czech language courses have been
offered and that the Summer Study
Program awards the students with
full scholarships to study in Europe
for six weeks. Part of the blame can
be placed on the university faculty.
Student advisors have been
known to tell their students that
Czech has never been taught here at
A&M, and even worse, other stu
dents have been told that if they took
Czech, it would not count as a
modern language requirement.
There have been other cases of out
right discouragement of this kind,
ample evidence that the university
doesn’t realize that languages other
than German, French and Spanish
can be very beneficial to the stu
dents.
Professor Skrivanek, who taught
Czech for the past eight years, re
tired last spring and the Modern
Languages Department was faced
with the task of locating and hiring
another instructor. Thinking that no
one would really care, the depart
ment decided to drop the teaching of
the language entirely, primarily for
economic reasons. Also, last fall. Dr.
Anne Marie Elmquist, modern lan
guages department head, stated that
the low enrollment in Czech courses
definitely prevented the continua
tion of Czech at A&M and that only
an enrollment increase could re
verse the decision.
Now, Texas A&M is one of the
fastest growing universities in the
nation and certainly one of the
strongest financially. Therefore, it
seems much more reasonable that
the real problem is not economics
but lack of interest and desire on the
part of responsible university offi
cials to see the benefits of this unique
program. Even President Williams,
when contacted on this matter by the
president of the SPJST, a very large
Czech fraternal organization in
Texas, did not have the courtesy to
reply.
Likewise, as far as the problem of
declining enrollment is concerned,
32 students petitioned the university
to offer beginning Czech in the fall of
1976. Dr. Elmquist had promised
that if the signatures of 28 students
wishing to study Czech were ob
tained, it would be taught. But, this
promise had been broken before it
was made because, as stated pre
viously, the department had made
its final decision the previous spring,
totally unknown to these students.
Also, the department did not want to
hire another professor to teach
Czech because it claimed that one
with the proper qualifications could
not be found and/or that they could
not justify paying one a full salary. In
actuality, it seems that the depart
ment had not even considered hiring
someone who could teach both
Czech and another language. Sev
eral such qualified professors are
known to be available.
The Texas A&M Czech Club is
attempting to revive the Czech lan
guage program here at TAMU.
However, the Czech Club is a small
organization arid the help of you, the
students, is needed. If you are in
terested, please attend a meeting
which will be held Wednesday night
atSp.m. in Apt. No. Sat 303 Univer
sity Drive.
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 Regents. The
Battalion is a non-profit, self supporting enterprise operated
by student as a university and community newspaper.
Editorial policy is determined by the editor.
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Address correspondence to Listen Up, The Battalion, Room
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Editor Jerry Needham
Managing Editor Richard Chamberlain
City Editor Jamie Aitken
Campus Editor Kevin Venner
Sports Editor .Paul Arnett
Photo Director Jim Hendrickson
News Editor Lloyd Lietz
VOTE MAY 1st
for Bud Cargill
County Commissioner,
Pet. 3
You may not be a lifetime resident of Brazos
County, but you can guarantee future good
government by electing a man who will put in all
the time necessary to do the job! That man is
BUD CARGILL, candidate for County
Commissioner Precinct 3.
Pol. Ad Pd. For by Citizens for a Better Brazos County, Jocko Roberts, Chm. - 1730 Barak Lane, Bryan, Tx.
Bentsen asked to
release delegates
Associated Press
AUSTIN — Democratic national
committeewoman Billie Carr says
Sen. Lloyd Bentsen’s supporters
should put up or shut up about un
committed delegates in the May 1
presidential primary.
Mrs. Carr said delegates chosen
May 1 who are pledged to a candi
date must stick with that candidate
through two ballots at the national
convention unless the candidate re
leases them.
“This type of boss-controlled del
egation has been a characteristic of
Texas Democratic delegations going
back to a time when memory grows
dim,” she said in a statement.
“We don’t want to see Texas ‘pass’
anymore,” Mrs. Carr said.
“The Bentsen people are now
claiming their delegates will be un
committed now that he is no longer a
viable candidate for the presidential
election,” she said. “If it is true that
Sen. Bentsen is not going to require
his delegates to vote for him on the
first ballot, then I call on him to state
publicly before the May 1 primary
that his delegates are released and
can vote as they wish on the first
ballot of the Democratic National
Convention.
The statement was released at a
news conference Thursday, but em
bargoed for Monday.
“If Bentsen fails to do this, then
those of you who want an unbound
delegation — one that will not be
used for political gains and political
deals — then you should vote for the
truly uncommitted delegates,” she
said.
“Texas never got to cast its votes in
’52, ’56, ’60, ’68, and ’72 before the
presidential candidate had already
been selected,” she said.
Mrs. Carr added that she thought
Bentsen “will keep his delegates tied
to him as long as the law will allow. ”
Mrs. Carr told the news confer
ence the late Lyndon Johnson never
released the Texas delegates
pledged to him at the 1960 conven
tion when John Kennedy was nomi
nated.
At the 1972 convention, she re
minded reporters, the Texas delega
tion “passed” until after Sen. George
McGovern was nominated. Then
Gov. Dolph Briscoe announced that
Texas was voting for George Wallace
but switched moments later to
McGovern.
APPLICATIONS FOR
1976-1977 PUBLIC RE
LATIONS CHAIRMAN
AND TREASURER OF
THE RESIDENCE HALL
ASSOCIATION ARE
BEING ACCEPTED IN
THE RHA OFFICE, MSC
216, UNTIL APRIL 29
5:00 P.M.
“SAVE A BUNDLE
Remember the old, Cash and Carrj,
money saving trick?
Iash
orcl beg
Buy a pizza at the Commons Snack Bar and eat it theremt | ofth< |
anywhere you wish. Prices are right, and the pizzas are; T
lui'day
Bicentennial Special
Hamburger Pizza
Sausage Pizza ..
Pepperoni Pizza
OPEN
Monday thru Friday
11:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
7:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday
4:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m.
■ ati
Tl
rms an
Ford v
ght to l
J and
i<3t a pu
ilial m
ational
ic L(
Jk an o
I, we
Bevep
aim si
iney W<
li a f
dtl O
Ami aga
be May
“QUALITY FIRST”
Elect
Assistant District Attorney
BRADLEY SMITH
\
'
,V
Judge
Brazos County Court-at-Law
The candidate best qualified by background, training and experi
ence, will appreciate your vote on May 1.
Political Advertising paid for By Bradley Smith/Box 3387/Bryan, Texas |
/ FILMS
FOR
CREDIT
ENGLISH 489A
FALL 1976
THRILLS,
CHILLS,
a
m
he
icat
sity
he
I log
i pei
n c
pnze
ha
Tlie
’ fu
ars t
v for
Brazos Valley Art League
presents May 8 and 9
County Courthouse 9am — 6pm
METAPHYSICS
PROF. HARRIETTE
ANDREADIS
532 HEC FOR
INFORMATION
I
THE RESIDENCE HALL ASSOCIATION WISHES TO THANK THE FOLLOWING
MERCHANTS WHO HELPED MAKE CASINO 76 A SUCCESS:
A-1 AUTO PARTS OF COLLEGE STATION
AGGIELAND BARBER SHOP
AGGIELAND INN
ANDRE’S BICYCLE SHOP
ANIMAL WORLD
ASSOCIATION OF FORMER STUDENTS
BARKER PHOTOGRAPHY
BEE HIVE BOUTIQUE
BILL’S BARBER SHOP
BILL’S MOBIL & C.B. SALES
CAMPUS PHOTO CENTER
CARNABY SQUARE, LTD.
CHARLI’S BOUTIQUE
CREATIVE CONCEPTS
DAIRY QUEEN NO. 1
DAIRY PALACE
DARBY’S GARAGE
DIXIE CHICKEN
EMBREY’S JEWELRY
GIFT-A-RAMA
THE GRAPEVINE
GRAVES’ FASHIONS
HARDY-GARDENS
INTERNATIONAL HOUSE OF PANCAKES
KEN MARTIN’S STEAK HOUSE
KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN
KEYSER’S CRAFTS & HOBBIES
L0UP0TS
MCLAUGHLIN’S OF CORPUS
MERLE NORMAN COSMETICS
MR. GATH’S
MITCHELL’S DEPARTMENT STORE
MONTEREY HOUSE
NEWS OFFICE SUPPLY
NITA’S FLOWERS
N0RTHGATE BARBER SHOP
PETAL PUSHERS
PIZZA HUT OF COLLEGE STATION
PIZZA INN
REDMOND TERRACE PHARMACY
SCANLINS WASHATERIA
SEARS AND ROEBUCK COMPANY
SHALA’S SHOES
SHIRT SHOPPE
SONIC DRIVE IN
SPARKY’S
SPORTS CLUB
SUZY’S FASHIONS
TACO TORCH
THAT PLACE
TOKYO STEAKH0USE
TURF GREEN MINIATURE GOLF
THE TURQUOISE SHOP
UNIVERSITY CLEANERS
UNIVERSITY CYCLES
UNIVERSITY FRAME SHOP
UNIVERSITY STUDIO
VARSITY BARBER SHOP
W. G. & COMPANY