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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 23, 1977)
thep ts iij 'e Sl j c of | have -tioti ie m 11 Ret The Battalion Vol. 70 No. 80 14 Pages Wednesday, February 23, 1977 College Station, Texas News Dept. 845-2611 Business Dept. 845-2611 iyinj <as 8} >e set ay 'aski tion'ft ave m; ay a@ nance, 'chan# our i le plaij nitial funding problems plague roposed A&M day care By PHYLLIS LEE Funding problems plague the proposed care center for children of Texas A&M Iniversity students. Jerry Bryant, education administration Tie! raduate student and member of the day it the) ire center advisory committee, said that mding the center until it becomes self- jfRcient is the major problem. Results of a Student Senate day care ryarei snter survey that ran between Feb. 27 ioach I ''d March 5, 1976 revealed that there was dire need for the center and a ready ientele to use the service. “Married students with children, espe- ially those living off-campus, have a defi- iteneed for this center,” Bryant said. He began work on the proposal last wnth. At that time, he said, he hoped tudent Government could finance the is hert said. program but he discovered that a current budget was not available to submit to the Senate Finance Committee. “Last summer the budget was estimated at around $48,000 per year,” Bryant said. He explained that some costs had changed since then, leaving the proposed budget outdated. Revenue from the day care center tui tion would help defray costs and eventu ally allow the institution to become self- sufficient, Bryant said. He estimated that within two years the center could support itself. “At this time, outside funding seems more desirable,” Bryant said. He ex plained that anything bought with student service fees would be property of the state. Once the center became self- igtoi in eft e. rt us se ofi thee F theiil L'oach r earhook decision draws opposition eneoiit! n whe! ne. Sit njun it nek ■ bid ght 1 within; il lateii eral K s gave tage. ml sufficient, problems would occur in trans ferring the property, Bryant said. “Right now, we are looking toward pri vate foundations within the state,” said. Before presenting the proposal to a pri vate organization, Bryant said a current budget had to be prepared. Next, a full time director and advisory committee had to be selected and a two-year plan of oper ation prepared. Bryant said that once funds are avail able, the next problem was a building for the center. The proposed building is part of the Unitarian Church at 305 Old Col lege Road in College Station. The building needs renovation to meet state day care requirements, he said. A license to oper ate the day care center would also be needed. “I think that if we opened the center center with 30 or 50 available positions for chil dren, it would be filled within the first week,” Bryant said. Fred McClure, Texas A&M student body president, said former students may be one solution to the funding problem. The student service reserve fund could also ease the center’s financial situation, said Stan Stanfield, student government vice president of academic affairs. Stan field said the reserve fund is available year round. “Each year, five per cent of student service fees are set aside in case a worthy project needs funds,” Stanfield said. Stanfield said he believed the Student Senate could request the money from the administrator of the fund. Dr. John J. Koldus, vice president for student affairs. McClure says board violating rule By LA DONNA YOUNG A decision by the Texas A&M Univer- y on | ty Student Publications Board to sell Ag- leland yearbook space to recognized and nrecognized organizations on an equal asishas been called a violation of Univer- regulations by Student Government resident Fred McClure. Prior to last week’s decision, organiza- ons not recognized by Texas A&M’s Stu- ent Organizations Board had to buy lace at advertiser’s rates, twice the price arged to recognized organizations, ages for those groups were located in the idex section of the book. “It is in my opinion that the Student Publications Board is violating University Rules and Regulations through its recog nition’ of unrecognized organizations,” McClure wrote in a letter to Clyde Freeman, executive vice president for administration. Freeman is out of town until Friday and has not seen the letter. Publications Board Chairman Bob G. Rogers said there is a misunderstanding about the connection between the Aggie- land and the University. According to University regulations, only recognized organizations can use University facilities and services. “Even though the Aggieland does not fall under the division of student services, it is a student publication,” McClure said in an interview Tuesday. Rogers disagrees that the book is a form of University services. He said the Uni versity does not control content of the Ag gieland. Facilities and services fees are required by the University. The purchase of a yearbook is optional, Rogers said. Gary Baldasari, editor of the Aggieland, said Monday that the board’s decision dealt with how to cover a part of Univer sity life and not with recognizing organiza tions. Rumor false, engineers say Oceanography building doesn’t lean vt Appearances can be deceiving. Although the Oceanography Building appears to be leaning through the eyes of this pho tographer, building engineers insist it is perfectly straight. Battalion photo by Steve Beis By DEBBIE LIGHTFOOT The Oceanography and Meteo rology Building (O&M) does not lean toward President Williams’s office, or in any other direction, according to three men who know the building well. J. O. Adams, director of facilities planning and construction; Vance E. Moyer, professor of meteorology and O&M building chairman, and Jake Canglose, meteorological engi neer and assistant building proctor, agreed Friday there is no factual basis for the rumor that one corner of the building has sunk seven inches since it was built. “As far as I know, it is a perfectly sound structure,” Adams said. “You can rest assured it is not going to fall down.” The rumor is one of several that have spread about Texas A&M Uni versity’s tallest building since its construction began in 1970. Moyer said the first rumor, caused by a steel shortage, started even before the building was completed in 1972. Construction was interrupted after six to eight of the building’s 15 stories were completed because steel used as the skeleton of the structure was temporarily unavail able, Moyer said. The story that spread around campus, however, was that the foundation had cracked. “There was no crack in the foun- (See RUMOR, Page 8.) Baldasari said there are many students involved in unrecognized organizations and those students buy yearbooks. “Since they’re buying the book they have a right to have their pictures in it,” he said. The board’s decision was not unani mous. Jerri Ward, senior economics major and board member, voted alone against the proposal. She said she could not see the policy as strictly a fiscal one. She said in her opinion the decision was contrary to the philosophy of the recognized organiza tions . McClure said that the board’s decision is making an exception to a University regulation. In the letter he cited section 69, which sets guidelines for recognized organizations, as the violated regulation. He said he feared that this exception could set a precedent for future ones. If there are going to be regulations, he said they need to be enforced. McClure explained that his letter to Freeman expressed his own opinion and was not written in behalf of the Student Government. He said if the Student Government should decide to pass a resolution against the publications board decision, he would again write Freeman, but this time he would be speaking as the Government president. It was that kind of night Assistant coach Norman Reuther, and forward Joey Robinson, each express anguish at one of the referee’s calls. The Aggies lost to Arkansas 63-62, and finished the season tied with Texas for fourth. (See related story on page II). Battalion staff photo New staff parking spaces, bicycle lanes considered by A&M Traffic Panel By CINDY JACOBSON Parking spaces are scarce, and with con struction overtaking some parking areas and the increasing number of students, finding a place to park is becoming more difficult, Dr. Don Woods, chairman of the University Traffic Panel said. Dr. Woods said at the traffic panel meeting last week that one of the main areas of concern is Lamar and Lubbock streets. The two streets carry more than 7,000 vehicles each day in addition to pedestrian traffic. The area also is being considered to provide new parking spaces for about 100 staff members whose parking lot will be used as a work and storage area when li brary construction begins. The panel suggested reducing those — Lamar and Lubbock streets — to one lane to accommodate parallel parking. The plan has to be approved by Dr. John J. Koldus, vice president for student services, as well as an executive commit tee composed of all the University’s vice presidents. Another parking problem considered by the panel involves the corner of Throckmorton and Joe Routt. Shuttle buses need eight feet to make a turn, and with the cars parked close to that corner only a nine-foot area is available. Five spaces will have to be removed to give the buses more room to make the turn and to prevent dented fenders and irate owners. Woods said. Another parking problem is on New Main Drive. Although parking is prohib ited on that street, no signs indicate it as such. Woods said he expects a sign to be put up by next week allowing parking only after 3 p.m. The panel recommended the street be closed to maintain a clear entry to the campus and provide for a separate bicycle lane. Bikes and cars race alongside one another leaving the bicycles at a disadvan tage, Woods said. For safety and con venience, the panel suggested marking the bicycle lanes on New Main Drive, he said. Parking permits were also discussed by the panel. Because of some misuse of the carpool permits, which cost $12 for three participants, the panel suggested the price be raised to $48, the cost of a reserved staff parking space, regardless of how many people are in the carpool. The next meeting of the traffic panel will be March 2 at 3:15 p.m. in Rudder Tower. Alone in U.S ORES' By JOHN TYNES Battalion Staff George Raczowski has been fairly suc- essful in life. He immigrated from Poland ndbecame a United States citizen. He has ^good job teaching at Texas A&M Univer- iity with a fairly sound future. Raczowski has made a life for himself in merica; but without his wife and daugh- erhis success has gone unfulfilled. Raczowski’s wife and daughter live in oland. He hasn’t seen them in 11 years. Counting difficulties with the Polish gov- rnment may prevent him from ever see- ng them again. Raczowski came to the United States in uly 1966 to visit some friends. At the ime, he says, he did not plan to immi- !rate to the United States. - .— 1 was just a visitor,” Raczowski says, i A ./ There was no even thinking I would lay.” Professor’s family back in Poland However, almost immediately upon ar- ing, he asked to have his status as an ' . dien changed from visitor to immigrant. He had some difficulties convincing the U.S. Immigration Department that immi gration had not been his intent all along, mmigration officials were reluctant to let him change his status. Eventually, he was granted immigrant status and went to work at the Milwaukee School of Engineering. By the time he be came a citizen on July 17, 1973, he was teaching at Texas A&M University in the Mechanical Engineering Department. Raczowski said he left his wife and daughter in Poland because he did not plan to stay in the United States perma nently. As soon as he decided to remain, he began trying to either visit them in Po land or get them out of Poland entirely. But after 11 years, "he has apparently made little progress toward his goal of a reunited family. An international agreement signed in Helsinki, Finland in August 1975, by the United Stated, Poland, and several other European nations refers in part to cases like Raczowski’s. The agreement states that the countries that sign it will give favorable considera tion to applications for visas or passports from persons who desire to visit or be re united with members of their family. Raczowski had dual citizenship in the United States and Poland for a couple of years and during that time, he was afraid to return to Poland for any reason. He said the Polish government might have found some excuse to keep him there. The whole situation was complicated by the illness of Raczowski’s father, who has Parkinson’s Disease, a deterioration of the body’s nervous system. He is not expected to live much longer, and Raczowski wants to see him before his death. The Helsinki Agreement also includes a clause that says the participating nations will give special attention to visa requests of an urgent nature, such as requests sub mitted by persons who are ill or old. Finally, after paying $1,500 to the Polish government and waiting a year, Raczowski was allowed to renounce his Polish citizen ship. At that time, it became possible for him to go to Poland without fear of the Polish authorities, they denied his applica tions for visas. He has applied three times in all and each time he has been rejected. Raczowski said these violations of the Helsinki Agreement have been pointed out to the Polish government, but he still cannot see his family. Mrs. Raczowski has also tried to obtain visas, passports and emigration papers, but the Polish government has refused her several times. Raczowski has kept a file of all the corre spondence he has written or received con cerning the case since he came to the United States. It is all collected in a bound folder that is now several inches thick. He has written many times to various senators, congressmen, political leaders, journalists and other influential figures in an effort to find someone who can help him rejoin his family. Included on the list of people who have received letters from Raczowski are Sen. John Tower, Sen. Lloyd Bentsen, Rep. Olin Teague, former President Gerald Ford, former Secretzary of State Henry Kissinger, AFL-CIO President George Meany, the U.S. State Department, the Polish Ambassador to the United States and the United States Ambassador to Po land. Sen. Tower has been the most active political figure in Raczowski’s case. Begin ning in 1973, he has written several letters to the State Department requesting aid and advice in the matter. A spokesman for Tower’s office in Dallas said yesterday that Tower is still trying to help Raczowski, but that the Polish gov ernment is making things difficult. The spokesman said senators cannot legally approach a foreign government personally so they must work through the State Department. Tower has recently pointed out to the Polish government their violation of the Helsinki Agreement through the United States Embassy in Warsaw, Poland, the spokesman added. They are now awaiting a reply. Sen. Bentsen has also shown a desire to help Raczowski by corresponding with various governmental agencies that might be able to resolve the situation' Sally Shelton, legislative aide to Bentsen, also attributes the problem to the Polish government’s refusal to cooper ate. “I think this case is clearly covered by the Helsinki Agreement,” she said. She added, however, that there are thousands of similar cases in the United States that the State Department is also handling. Although Raczowski has written dozens of letters to many other individuals, very few replies have been received. Of the re plies that have been received, most say there is little or nothing the person can do to help. The United States Embassy in Warsaw has also written many letters to various people on the subject, but they insist they are doing everything possible to solve the problem. Raczowski said he has almost given up hope. He said his wife is discouraged also, and he his marriage may be failing because of the strain. A gleam of hope came this week in the form a letter from National Security Ad viser Zbigniew Brzezinski. The letter from President Carter’s new White House ad viser asks Raczowski to supply a brief summary of his case so that he can person ally forward it to the State Department. Raczowski said he hopes the letter sig nifies that the government is finally get ting serious about bringing his troubles to an end. Weather Partly cloudy and windy tonight and tomorrow. Fair and cooler through Thursday. Northerly winds 15 to 25 mph. High today in the low 70s, low tonight in the low 30s. Slight chance of precipitation today and tomorrow.