J
J
Page 2
The Battalion Thursday
Texas A&M University September 15, 1977
Paying the bill
This is the time of the year when parents are writing the checks to pay for
their offspring’s college education, a financial jolt to most families in the
lower and middle-income brackets.
According to a recent study, college costs have gone up 70 percent since
1970. The impact shows at the University of Pennsylvania where the total
costs average about $7,575. The director of financial aid for that university
estimated half the students from families with incomes of over $15,000 are
receiving financial assistance.
It seems to us that it is in the national interest that college educations be
affordable. College-educated men and women are most likely to become the
leaders and managers of America’s economy and government. The nation
will depend on them someday.
At a minimum, families that are financing college educations should be
allowed a federal tax break.
The Columbia S.C. State
HE KEPT
ANWWNdi
ERPM. INSULTING
ANYBOPY £DR
THE ENTIRE
MPNTH OF
AUGUST.
GREAT FOREIGN POLICY
ACHIEVEMENTS
op
PRESIDENT
CARTER
HE SENT
GEOR3E NC GOVERN
AMP FRANK CHURCH
TO CUBA
â– BUT THEY
OAMEEAOK
HE. DECLAREP THAT
- THE US. WOULP NOT
ABANPON SOUTH KOREA
FOR AT LEAST A YEAR
Cp. Sp.
HE KEPT US OUT
OF WAR...
WITH OUR ALLIES..
(wRfifcvj
President losing valuable friend
Carter must act
in Lance affair
By DAVID S. BRODER
WASHINGTON — As the Bert Lance
affair reaches its inevitable climax, the
question of importance is no longer his
personal fate but the consequence of his
departure for the Carter administration
and the country. There are some things
that can still be done, even at this late
stage, to keep a bad situation from becom
ing even worse.
Two serious losses are already inev
itable. When Lance goes, Jimmy Carter
loses one of the few men with whom he is
at case, a man of some ability and great
good will, who could help bridge the gap
between this rather aloof Chief Executive
and Congress, the press and private
groups.
More serious. Carter has been seen by
the country in this situation as a man who
was, first, over-hasty and incautious in his
judgment; then, insensitive to the moral
implications of his friend’s actions; and, fi
nally, indecisive about extricating himself
from a bad situation.
None of that is reassuring. The worm of
cynicism has begun to eat at the core of yet
another President’s small stock of public
confidence. And tjbat is costly to everyone,
forms trust erodes, so does the Lipacity to
cope with" coinmoif problems'.
The first step in limiting the damage is
for the President, his associates and his
allies to avoid the inclination to lash out in
bitterness against those in the press and
political worlds they can blame for Lance’s
downfall.
The motives of journalists and politi
cians are always open to question, and not
everyone in this affair has behaved terribly
well. But the fundamental fact is that
Lance’s difficulties arose, not from any
personal, regional or political prejudice
against him or the President, but from his
free-and-easy financial practices and his
persistent blurring of the line between his
business responsibilities and his private
advantage.
That personal flaw was compounded by
the singular failure of the President and
his aides to take even ordinary precautions
to see that his first major appointee was a
man who measured up to the standards
Carter himself had proclaimed.
That failure was further magnified by
the fiasco of the senators who confirmed
Lance without obtaining the information
they needed to judge his record and fit
ness for office.
It was only at that point, when Lance’s
personal shortcomings had been magnified
by serious institutional failures in both the
executive and legislative branches, that
the press intervened—using its only tool,
publicity. As always, the press was a blunt
instrument, sometimes off-target, but its
persistent attention to the Lance case was
not only appropriate but necessary.
The President s press secretary, Jody
Powell, was eloquent and impassioned in
his defense of Bert Lance. He now has a
heavy responsibility to combat the likely
tendency of others in the
administration—and especially the
President—to see in Lance’s downfall evi
dence of a hostile conspiracy against then-
cause. Personally, I have great confidence
in the character of Jody Powell to resist
any self-destructive impulse to construct a
new enemies’ list.
Senators like Abraham A. Ribicoff (D-
Conn.) and Charles H. Percy (D-Ill.) were
severely embarrassed by their complicity
in the charade that passed for a confirmation
hearing on Lance. One can hope that they
will emerge from the experience with a
stronger realization that it is never a favor
to a President for the Congress to do any
thing less than its full constitutional duty
in the process of granting “advice and con
sent.” Personally, I think they have
learned that lesson.
For my colleagues in the press, I would
say this is no time for us to be gloating.
The exposure of Bert Lance was a neces
sary job, but it helps not at all in the more
important mission of focusing public
understanding on the serious public policy
problems still confronting this country.
His resignation doesn t bring energy seif-
sufficiency, or peace in the Middle East,
or justice for minorities, or a nuclear-arms
treaty one step closer.
As a more-than-occasional critic of Pres
ident Carter, I also have to say that his
behavior in this matter has not made me
think worse of him. Unite the contrary.
The ruffi to.-appoint,rLance,.Respite Jus
checkered financial history; the eagerness
and overstatement of his defense of his ap
pointee; the reluctance to fire him—all are
evidence of a human vulnerability to the
special claims of friendship. To one re
porter, at least, they are far less disquiet
ing than the self-delusion of some of this
President’s past moral posturings.
Carter has lost a lot in this unhappy af
fair, but nothing more costly in personal
terms than the sustaining companionship
that one of his few close friends could offer
in the hard years ahead. On that ground at
least, he deserves sympathy and under
standing.
Tetters to the editor
Prairie View voting investigation long overdue
Editor:
Thank goodness someone at TAMU
realizes that Prairie View students have
voter registration problems. Although this
person is the managing editor of the Bat
talion, she is the highest within the TAMU
hierarchy to admit the problem.
The Tax Assessor-Collector of Waller
County requires that the students either
license their cars within the county, or
sign a statement that verifies they have a
claim to the county.
The problem has existed for a long time.
I have known about it for more than a
year. During this year I have worked with
Democratic Black Caucus to try to solve it.
Each time we felt we had reached the per
son with the most clout, we were referred
elsewhere.
Many of the Black Representatives of
the State have spoken to the governor, the
Attorney General, and the Secretary of
State concerning the tactics used to keep
the young blacks from voting. We did not
stop there, we insisted that the person we
supported for Chairman of the Democratic
Party would help us find a solution. The
problem still remains and will likely not
have been solved by the primary elections
next year.
With this type of treatment from the
elected officials in Waller County, it is not
surprising that young blacks are disil
lusioned with the political system.
I helped to register many TAMU stu
dents last year and will do so this year. I
am merely a deputy registrar. I have never
been told to ask those I am registering if
they have any claim in Brazos County. I
wonder how many Aggies would have
cjualified if such a requirement existed in
Brazos County. I suppose a questionnaire
such as the one the Prairie View students
are required to fill out would have been of
much benefit to College Station when we
voted on the ward system. Also, if we
could have been so selective. Carter
would have carried the county in the gen
eral election and we would not have been
concerned about the Campus polling pre
cinct. Why should the students 50 miles
down the road be asked such questions?
Are they to be considered more of a threat
because they are black?
Is the pendulum swinging in the oppo
site direction? Is this the first step on the
way to a return to the poll tax? If they have
to have a claim to the county besides their
residency, is the next step a literacy test?
If this is the trend, TAMU students will be
hurt more than the Prairie View students
because there are more out-of-state and
county students there.
If we permit this to happen to them to
day, what’s to keep it from happening to us
tomorrow?
—Erma Jefferson ’78
Cheers for dorm
Editor:
Texas A&M deserves three cheers and a
pat on the back for its decision to build a
women’s athletic dormitory similar to Cain
Hall. Although co-ed students are still
fairly new to this university, A&M is
among the first schools in the nation to
give proper recognition to the women’s
competitive sports program.
It’s about time that colleges and univer
sities became aware that women’s athletics
are as important as men’s. Women have
been treated as second-rate athletes for far
too long. TAMU women currently in in
tercollegiate competition are housed in
dorms that cannot compare with Cain Hall
for comfort and easy access to the gyms,
pools and other athletic equipment. This
new dormitory will be a giant step forward
for sports-minded women at this institu
tion.
Thank you, A&M, for giving the Aggie
women an even break.
—Ava King
Class of 1980
Editor’s note: The real thanks go to Mr.
Donald Morris. Morris, Class of ’51, do
nated to the University the over $400,000
in stocks which will finance all or most of
that women’s athletic dorm. Morris made
that donation with the stipulation that at
least 100 of tire dorms beds were to be
reserved for female athletes. And that’s
not Morris’s first donation to Texas A&M.
He and his wife were already donors of a
$25,000 President’s Endowed Scholarship
to the Aggie Club’s athletic scholarship
fund. Who says old Aggies don’t want girls
at A&M?
Puses still slow
Editor:
I would like to comment on the article,
“Shuttle system increases buses, blocks,
and bucks, in the Friday, Sept. 9, “Bat
talion.’’
The shuttle systein may have increased
the number of buses, the number of route
divisions and the number of dollars a rider
must pay to get a bus pass, but it has not
increased the service.
Each morning, I wait for the shuttle bus
30 minutes, from 7:20 until approximately
7:50. After I finally get on the bus, it takes
20 more minutes to arrive on campus,
causing me to be late for my 8:00 class.
According to your article, buses are
scheduled every 15 to 20 minutes, but I
usually wait one-half hour. Sometimes
when a bus finally does arrive, another bus
will be right behind it. This disorganiza
tion is very annoying.
The Scandia-Sevilla bus route aften has
three bus drivers while the Willowick-
Doux Chene route has only one. I can see
no reason for this uneven distribution of
drivers among the bus routes.
According to Col. Thomas R. Parsons,
director of security and traffic for the Texas
A&M University police department, over
$65,000 in shuttle bus passes has been
purchased this semester. This means that
over 3,000 students depend on the shuttle
bus to get them to school on time.
The shuttle system ought to improve
with the large number of bus passes and
the number of students who depend on it.
I believe it would improve if there were
competition for student transportation dol
lars. I feel that this is just another case in
which the University takes advantage of
the student whenever possible.
—Teresa Roach
Class of 1980
Drinks too high
Editor:
I was thoroughly disgusted at the over
priced drinks sold at the TAMU-KANSAS
game Saturday.
It was 90 degrees at kickoff time. The
heat brought on a thirst that forced spec
tators to pay 50 cents for a 12-ounce drink.
Checking with the distributor who holds
the contract for beverage sales at TAMU, I
learned that the distributor pays hand
somely for the sole right to sell drinks at
the games, and that the A&M Board of
Directors approve the prices.
The distributor’s representative added
that a large percentage of the profits are
returned to the University. Recently, she
said, some of the profits paid for the new
press box.
I compared prices from the game Satur
day with prices in the Memorial Student
Center cafeteria. I found that 16-ounce
drinks cost 29 cents at the “C.” The 16-
ounce drinks were priced a dollar at the
game.
I protest students being forced to absorb
prices that are unnecessarily high. It is
unnecessary for the University to make
such large profits off drinks sold at the
games. The University has many alterna
tives.
These prices affect others too. Dehydra
tion prompted reporters, photographers
and thousands of spectators to pay the high
prices. These people are not connected
with the University and will not benefit
from the drink profits.
If the University wanted to be fair, it
would allow different companies to sell
drinks at the games. Fair competition
enables consumers to CHOOSE whether
or not they want to pay for a new press
box.
—Connie Burke
Ags need to read
Editor:
This is an open letter to all those Aggies
who forget how to read sometimes. For
those of you who do not know, Lambda
Sigma, the sophomore honor society,
maintains most of the bulletin boards on
campus. Many hours have been spent
cleaning these displays and posting mate
rial each week. We would sincerely ap
preciate it if people would please read the
University Regulations concerning posting
procedures, such as materials to be used
and dating requirements. We can con
tinue to provide this service only with the
cooperation of all Aggies.
—Lambda Sigma (’80)
Top of the News
State
Hill files suit at Prairie View
Attorney General John Hill filed suit in a state district court Wed
nesday to force Waller County tax assessor-collector LeRoy Symmto
stop using questionnaires about residence as a condition for register
ing voters. Secretary of State Mark White, the state’s chief elections
officer, on Sept. 1 issued an emergency order instructing Symm to
stop using the questionnaires on grounds they discriminated against
students at predominantly black Prairie View A&M University,
White said no questionnnaire beyond the normal voter registration
application should be used to qualify voters.
No rate hike allowed due to suit
It would be improper for Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. to
increase rates because of a $3 millin libel and slander judgment
against the company, a Public Utility Commission spokesman said
Wednesday. Bell vice president John E. Hayes had said earlier the
telephone company would consider the $3 million judgment as a
regular cost of doing business. John Bell, general counsel for the
Public Utility Commission which regulates telephone rates in Texas,
said Wednesday, “I feel Southwestern Bell’s inclusion in the com
pany’s cost of service of the $3 million loss in its recent lawsuit would
be most improper. This lawsuit is a matter that should he addressed
by the company and its stockholders and should not be borne by the
rate payers. ”
Economy center given budget
The Center for Education and Research in Free Enterprise, ap
proved by Texas A&M regents last spring, received a $165,000
operating budget this week. The center will teach market economy to
high sch<x)l teachers and serve as a clearinghouse on free enterprise
information and teaching methods.
Briscoe blamed for failing to act
Attorney General John Hill criticized Gov. Dolph Briscoe Tuesday
for failing to make appointments to a statewide health coordinating
council. Hill, who is expected to announce his candidacy for governor
at a news conference Monday, said the council is urgently needed to
assess the demand for nursing home care and alternatives such as
visiting nurse c-are for the elderly.
CIA admits covert UT contacts
The Central Intelligence Agency has confirmed it was involved in a
covert contract with the University of Texas in 1961 and 1962, but
university officials say that at no time were mind-altering drugs used.
The CIA has been under fire for mind-control tests it performed on
unsuspecting students, soldiers and mental patients in the 1950s and
1960s. The CIA’s contract with UT involved a newly developed de
vice that measured cell heat, which the spy agency wanted to use “in
connection with body antennas, personnel tagging, polygraphy and
other areas. ”
Nation
Vietnam protestor out of hiding
Mark Rudd, a radical student protest leader of the militant
Weather Underground during the 1960s, emerged Wednesday from
seven years in hiding. Rudd, his haircut short, is to be arraigned later
on a variety of charges stemming from the violent campus and street
demonstrations of the Vietnam War era.
Jaworski may seek out Park
Leon Jaworski may go to Seoul to question Tongsun Park on the
House probe of Korean influence-buying in Congress, sources close
to the investigation told the House Ethics Committee Wednesday.
Jaworski’s visits hinges on South Korean assurance that Park will coop
erate fully. The South Korean foreign minister said Tuesday his gov
ernment might ask Jaworski to come to Seoul and would encourage
Park to talk to Jaworski.
World
Inquiry begun into Africans death
An inquiry into the death of Steve Biko, founder of South Africa’s
black nationalist movement, is being prepared by the African gov
ernment. Police said Biko, 30, died in detention Monday night altera
hunger strike beginning Sept 5. Police Minister Jimmy Kruger said
Biko was arrested in connection with riots in Port Elizabeth, and the
drafting and distribution of pamphlets to incite violence.
Europe hit by cholera epidemic
A cholera epidemic has spread to Europe from the Middle East,
where it already has affliced 2,300 persons and killed 69. Health
officials warned that Moslem faithfuls returning from their annual
Mecca pilgrimage could spread the disease around the globe. Offi
cials fear if the outbreak is not contained by the peak of the pilgrim
age season in two months, it could turn into a repeat of the 1891
pandemic, which spread from Europe to North America.
Weather
Partly cloudy and mild today, tonight and tomorrow. Easterly winds
8-14 mph. No rain. Both days low 90s.
The 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 Re
gents. The Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting
enterprise operated by students as a university and com
munity newspaper. Editorial policy is determined by the
editor.
LETTERS POUCY
Letters to the editor should not exceed 3(H) 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 Adver
tising Services, Inc., New York City, Chicago and Los
Angeles.
I
All
mlan :
lh.
is b
even
owi
iptai
Clil
s a|
dec
in \
â– eak
Bla
Ifn. i
xj
ll. V
el
\L1
ir-e
wit
a hi
? M
.
>ht.
A b
u m i
isioi
ich
ik o
Cap
n (
ish,
dfh
;pati
Wit:
dbo
1'!
unit
Seb,
ci
111),
Is “
illfi
s a
Mir
teh i
ne,
itac
Ami
ish
mb
htec
it
Ff
Mail sttbsc-ription.s an- $16.75 pi*r st-inestt-r
school year; $35.00 per (till year. Adw-rtiiinj!
nisherl on request. Address: The Battalion, to*
Reed McDonald Building, College Station. Te»
United Press International is entitled excluswlr
use for reproduction of all news dispatches cn-ditr:
Rights of reproduction of all other matter he
Second-Class postage paid at College Station, Di
MEMBER
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Congress
Editor JamrK
Managing Editor Mary Alkr WwJ
Editorial Director Lee Roy Lrsttr
Sports Editor Bald
News Editors Marie Homeycr, CwW
Reporters Rusty (adn
Speights, Glenna Whitley, Dam-ll lanfim! kin 1
Photographer Kin Hr’
TTie Battalion is published Monday through Friday from
September through May except during exam and holiday
periods and the summer, when it is published on
Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Student Publications Board: Boh C. flogm, CU*
Joe Arredondo; Dr. Gan/ Halter, Dr. John IV. 0
Robert Harvey; Dr. Charles McCaiidlm; Dr. 00’
Philliits; Rebel Bice. Director of Stlulent PliHn*
Donald C. Johnson. Production Coanllmlor:
Shennan