Page 2 THE BATTALION
THURSDAY, JANUARY 27, 1977
Opinion/Commentary/Letters Bert Lance in position of pow
New dormitory policy unjustified
Editor:
This letter is in reference to your
article of January 25 on the new
housing policy.
The Administration at A&M has
finally reached the ultimate in poor
planning. The A&M On-Campus
Housing system itself is a model of
mis-management, with its preferen
tial treatment to some students,
policies of letting students violate
dorm commitments far too late, and
late notification of female students
on dorm status. These, however,
are trivial compared to the latest
outrage. We refer to the new policy
of letting 70 per cent of all dorm
vacancies go to freshmen, while up
perclassmen, regardless of how long
they have waited, receive only 30
per cent.
This new policy is grossly unfair
for several reasons. First, the new
method of accepting housing re
quests 15 months prior to admission
is a distinct advantage over the
method most upperclassmen were
forced to use. The reason for this
new policy is that there are “so
many variables involved in admis
sion procedures.” These variables
are precisely the reason we were
denied dorm space. These factors
are being used to punish up
perclassmen and to aid incoming
freshmen. Second, this policy dis
criminates openly against up
perclassmen. The policy more or
What happened to seniority?
Editor:
School officials in the past have
voiced overwhelming support for
the good old Aggie traditions. Why
don’t those same hypocritical stu
dent affairs officials take a good,
hard look at their latest contradic
tory act, and try to work for the
majority of students?
Instead of the respect and
privileges which are due, in good
Aggie tradition, to upperclassmen,
the school is now beginning to re
voke the rights of upperclassmen. I
am referring to the new policy
which will give incoming freshmen
priority over upperclassmen for
dormitory rooms.
As an out-of-state student, my
quest for a dorm has not been easy.
Now with this latest barrier to over
come, it might be easier to pitch a
tent on Mt. Everest and commute!
After my application was ac
cepted, I was sent a dorm card. But
I also received a letter explaining
thre was no dorm space. Now what
do I do? Oregon is not exactly Hous
ton, so I can’t just run up and check
out apartments! Well, I ended up
coming down anyway, since I
needed a place to stay. Now I’m on
a waiting list and I’ll now have to
wait for the incoming freshmen to
get rooms. In essence, I will have to
wait at least 2Vfe years for a dorm!
So here I am now, way out in the
middle of nowhere, having to brave
the wilds to make it to school daily
from my apartment. It’s not handy
to use any of the school facilities: the
library, the fieldhouse, or the din
ing halls. Life is complicated by
living off campus, to say the last.
Yet this, my freshman year, will
be no comparison to next year and
its hassles. I’ll have more hours and
harder classes. I won’t have time to
be waiting for a shuttle bus, to run
back and forth between home and
school in between classes, or to
mount a safari if I want to go to the
library.
The point is: sure it’s rough being
a freshman. But it’s a lot rougher
being an upperclassman. So let the
freshmen start where all good Ags
do — at the bottom, and work their
way up. It seems unjust to revoke
the rights and privileges of all of the
upperclass majority for just a few in
the freshmen minority!
—Eric Long
less says that our contributions,
both monetary and academic, mean
nothing! The fact that we are al
ready Aggies and have waited pa
tiently one year or more, counts for
nothing in the face of these
freshmen claims, who have never
attended A&M.
Extremely galling to us was the
following, “.. . . to the point
where no freshman would be al
lowed to live on campus.’’ This abso
lutely takes precedence as the
weakest excuse ever on record.
Where was this concern last year
when we tried to get on campus?
“Upperclassmen have precedence,
you’ll get on campus next year,”
people in offices told us in soothing
tones. We were shunted out to
make our own arrangements.
It is evident that A&M has a sig
nificant housing problem. Limited
dorm space and an autrocious lack of
reasonably priced apartments are
only a few sides of the dilemma. We
agree with the policy’s aim, not,
however, with the drastic im
plementation. Perhaps 30 per cent
next year, 50 per cent the next, and
so on. Nowhere, however, can we
see justification for the 70 per cent
mentioned. As much as we under
stand the problem, we cannot agree
to the complete sell-out of some
6,000 students already on the wait
ing lists. _Karla Lacey, ’80
—Pam Laxson, ’80
—Lynnette Spurrier, ’80
Readers’ forum
Guest viewpoints, in addition to
Letters to the Editor, are welcome.
All pieces submitted to Readers’
forum should be:
• Typed triple space
• Limited to 60 characters per line
• Limited to 100 lines
Submit articles to Reed
McDonald 217, College Station,
Texas, 77843. Author’s name and
phone number must accompany all
submissions.
WASHINGTON—Six days be
fore the change in administrations, a
distinguished scholar of the presi
dency got a phone call from a rela
tive stranger and found himself in
what he called “a rather lengthy but
not very sophisticated” discussion
about tbe duties and problems of a
particular White House staff job.
The only thing that made the call
memorable was that it came from
the young man who that very day
had been announced as the holder
of the job, one of seven senior assis
tants to President Carter.
That incident is cited as a neces
sary caution to the reader about any
judgment on the figures in the Car
ter high command. The most impor
tant thing about them is also the
most obvious — they are new at
their jobs.
Nonetheless, it is interesting to
set down some of the initial impres
sions the new people have created,
if only as a reference point for the
inevitable future upheavals.
Among the Cabinet members,
those who draw special praise from
their associates in the administra
tion are two of the new faces. Secre
tary of Commerce Juanita M. Kreps
and Secretary of Labor F. Ray Mar
shall.
Neither occupies what can be
called a “power position.” But
Kreps has quietly assembled an ex
ceptionally able team of associates,
including Jerry Jasinowski, Carter’s
chief campaign adviser of eco
nomics, and two of the most astute
politicals in the Democratic party,
Anne Wexler and John Stewart.
Marshall has shown himself so ef
fective in the early economic dis
cussions that some are predicting
that he may emerge as the George
Shultz of the Carter administration.
Shultz started with Richard Nixon
as an unknown academic stuck away
in the Labor Department, and then
went on to achieve great power
there and in Treasury and the Office
of Management and Budget.
At the White House, Hamilton
Jordan begins as the first among
equals, if only because he and press
secretary Jody Powell have been
with Carter from the start and
David S.
Broder
Battling the hureacracy
Editor:
It is indeed unfortunate that Car
ter’s plan to reorganize the bureau
cracy of government does not extend
into the university bureaucracy as
certainly A&M’s bureaucracy would
do well with a similar revamping.
Although my only exposure with
them has been my own recent has
sles with the Housing Office it
would seem these university
bureaucrats are well-seasoned at
“passing-the-buck.” Probably other
Aggies have left these offices feeling
just as frustrated as myself.
Recently I made a request to
leave the dorm for both academic
and health reasons, with a refund of
my payments. The chairman of my
section has notified the Housing Of
fice it would be desirable for me to
move from the dorm because of
fraternization with undergraduates
for whom I am the teaching assis
tant. Certainly I do not intentionally
give anyone any advantages but
others may think it, so such situa
tions should be avoided.
Presently I am under medication
for a nervous condition with the re
sult being that I need more rest be
cause of the debilitating effect of the
medicine. In the dorm situation this
was not possible and I ended up
hospitalized last semester. I have
letters from my physicians support
ing my move from the dorms on
these grounds as well. Certainly this
is a legitimate request yet the Hous
ing Office and Review Board were
unwilling to back down on their rul
ing either because they have no
power to or just didn’t want to. I
should be the first to point out that
all of the people I met in my
bureaucratic battles seemed pleas
ant and sympathetic so it may well be
their hands are bound by regulation.
Battalion
Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those of the
editor or of the writer of the article and are not neces-
sarihj those of the University administration or the
Board of Regents. The Battalion is a non-profit, self-
supporting enterjfrise operated by students as a uni
versity and community newspaper. Editorial policy is
determined by the editor.
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 guarantee to publish any
letter. Each letter must be signed, show the address of
the writer and list a telephone number for verification.
Address correspondence to Letters to the Editor,
The Battalion, Room 216, Reed McDonald Building,
College Station, Texas 77843.
Represented nationally by National Educational
Advertising Services, Inc., New York City, Chicago
and Los Angeles.
Mail subscriptions are $16.75 per semester; $33.25
per school year; $35.00 per full year. All subscriptions
subject to 5% sales tax. Advertising rates furnished on
request. Address: The Battalion, Room 216, Reed
McDonald Building, College Station, Texas 77843.
United Press International is entitled exclusively to
the use for reproduction of all news dispatches cred
ited to it. Rights of reproduction of all other matter
herein reserved. Second-Class postage paid at College
Station, Texas.
MEMBER
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Congress
Editor Jerry Needham
Managing Editor James Aitken
Assignments Editor Rusty Cawley
Features Editor Lisa Junod
News Editor Debby Krenek
News Assistant Carol Meyer
Photography Director Kevin Venner
Sports Editor Paul Arnett
Copy Editor Steve Reis
Reporters George Maselli, Paul
McGrath, Lynn Rossi, JohnTynes, Lee Roy Leschper
Jr., Mary Hesalroad, Jan Bailey
Asst. Photo Editors Tracie Nordheim,
Mike Willy
shared every step of the journey
that made him President.
Jordan has already displayed con
siderable skill at bureaucratic in
fighting. From the staff he assem
bled as campaign manager, he has
placed one man as the gatekeeper
for presidential appointments,
another as the traffic cop for papers
headed for the President. He also
has, at least at the outset, a bigger
chunk of the White House adminis
trative tasks than anyone else, and is
the liaison to the Democratic Na
tional Committee, where yet
another campaign aide of his has
been installed as executive director
of the party.
What remains to be seen is
whether Jordan — who is, by his
own admission, indifferent to gov
ernment policy — can avoid being
elbowed out of the way as Carter
turns more and more to the sub
stance of issues. Jordan has
strengthened his hand by adding
the able Mark Siegel, a political sci
ence Ph.D. who served four years
as executive director of the Demo
cratic National Committee, to his
own staff as a policy planning dep
uty.
In policy areas, Jordan and his
deputies will inevitably come up
against the competing claims of
Stuart Eizenstat, the domestic pol
icy assistant; Jack Watson, the sec
retary of the Cabinet; Robert Lip-
shutz, the presidential counsel; and
the specialized advisers on energy,
the economy and national security.
But in many respects, the man
who may overshadow anyone in the
Cabinet and on the White House
staff at least in this first stage of
the administration — is Thomas B.
(Bert) Lance, the director of the Of
fice of Management and Budget.
At the moment, Lance is at the
ceuter of two of Carter’s top-priority
projects, the revision of President
Ford’s budget proposals for next
year and the drive for Congressional
authority that would let Carter
begin his promised reorganization
of the executive branch.
He occupies that position in part
because OMB is the President’s
right arm on budget and manage
ment matters — and in part because
Lance personally is the closest thing
to “another Jimmy Carter” in the
Carter administration.
It is that combination of institu
tional and personal power that
makes some Washington veterans
put their money on Lance as a po
tential “strong man” in this adminis
tration.
OMB is an agency of 650 em
ployees — 200 more than are on the
Slouch
entire White House staff
reputation as the elite of
service. As head of OMB I
a right - a nd duty-to^
spending, the legislative,,
and the operations of even!
agency.
He has the right qualifj
the job. The 45-year-old fil
inch 240-pound millionJ
combination of banker andl
cian, a man who can couj
money and votes.
(c) 1977, The Washingtonpj
ternatic
men’tB
:utive y
jversib
Get into some
\ great pants!
TOP DRAWER
Culpepper Plaza
Certainly, however, a committee
should be established to deal with
legitimate requests so university
policy may be overturned due to ex
tenuating circumstances.
—Kevin C. Vaughn
Sun Theatres
333 University 846-9808
Super-Grody Movies
SSSSSSSS2
HAIRl
STYLING SALON
presents
Lawrence & Marci
A Duo Hair-Styling Team
822-1183
Embrey’s Jewelry
We Specialize In
Aggie Rings.
Diamonds Set —
Sizing —
Reoxidizing —
All types watch/jewelry
Repair
Aggie Charge Accounts
9-5:30 846-5816
JirpTnamba
Eddie Dominguez ’66
Joe Arciniega ’74
Greg Price
Double-Feature Every Week
Special Midnight Shows Friday & Saturday S2 per person
No one under 18
Escorted Ladies Free
$2 With This Ad
BOOK STORE & 25c PEEP SHOWS
SQUARE DANCING
IS FUN
Learn to square dance with
the Aggie Allemanders.
Classes begin Monday Jan.
31 in 226 MSC 7:30-9:30.
For information Call: Robert
693-9869, Bob 845-5970, or
Vicki 846-7597.
APARTMENT PLACEMENT
SERVICE
204 Texas Avenue
(Western Motel Lobby)
11823-7506II
A FREE SERVICE
Rooms and bath close to campus. Apartmef]
One, Two, or Three Bedrooms. Duplexes,
Homes.
LET US SHOW YOU A SELECTION
IN THE B-CS AREA
HAVI
F0R(
SOM
In evening, call
Karen 846-3420 or Cynthia 779-2047
XT'-' O' N v
Dallas location;
*071 Northwaat Hwy
352-8570
\ <® S ° c,\
N oV> X'®" co XX ® * ° AVe''
N so**® 4<U' |e
MAKE THE MOST OF
YOUR COLLEGE EXPERIENCE!
The Corps of Cadets offers a unique
blend of daily management and leadership
training, a world renowned espirit-de-corps,
extra-curricular enrichment and varied social
activities.
1403 University
846-5764
All this and more can be yours by joining
the Corps today. For more information, contact
the Office of the Commandant at 845-2811-