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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 30, 1977)
Viewpoint Top of the News The Battalion Texas A&M University Friday September 30, 1977 The Aggieland connection By LEE ROY LESCHPER Jr. Battalion Editorial Director Ask an Aggin for a list of his impossible dreams and it s a safe bet somewhere in that list he’ll put “more seats in Kyle Field.” But that dream is on the way to becom ing reality. The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents okayed basic plan work earlier this week to add 14,600 seats to Kyle Field in two third-level decks. Yet that addition involves more than just tacking on a few seats. It’s a complex project that involves as much bureaucratic engineering as construction. It’s a good example of how closely football is linked to other parts of the University. The addition plan the regents approved provides for, on the west side of the field, a 6,800-seat third deck, a new press box and women’s dressing facilities, plus rein forced concrete columns to permit adding office spacg. there later. On the east side, next to G. Rollie White Coliseum, plans call for a 7,800-seat third deck, new men’s athletics meeting and training rooms and Physical Education classroom and teaching space which will connect the east stands with G. Rollie White. New stadium lights and a taller scoreboard will also be added. The estimated price tag for the plan ap proved is about $15 million. The new decks would be ready by football season, 1979. Bill Plots, president of Lockwood, Andrews and Newman, the Houston firm which suggested the third deck and engi neered the field’s second deck in 1968, promised the regents. The regents’ planning and building committee spent over an hour arguing over at least six variations of that plan, ranging from very basic, at $9.9 million, to a “loaded” model for $18.4 million Now $15 million is a pretty good in vestment, even for Texas A&M’ especially since it can’t come from the same source as most construction money. Most buildings constructed on the Uni versity campus are funded through the $20 million Texas A&M receives annually as its share of the State Permanent University Fund. But the University has never used permanent university funds for an “auxil iary enterprise,” such as athletics. Until now, that is. Analysis Ihe seconddeck added in 1968 was fi nanced by the Aggie Club, the organiza tion which raises funds for the athletic de partment through alumni donations. To raise the funds for the second deck, the club sold ticket options, guaranteeing the buyer he would be able to buy football tickets within a good seating area of the addition for a number of years. Ticket options were sold in 1968 for $150-$250, with a 10-year guarantee. Clyde Freeman, system vice-chancellor for administration, told the regents Monday that Aggie Club members had pledged the club can raise $1.2 million in donations annually if the club gets control of 6,800 of the new seats. Aggie CLub rep resentative Harry said Tuesday the club could raise at least $600,000-$700,000 per year with that number of seats. But that still left a major chunk of fund ing unclaimed. The building committee had to resolve that problem Monday. Re solve it they did, after some of the most spirited debate seen in a regents’ commit tee meeting in some time. Committee members and the Univer sity’s administrators argued over whether to use permanent university funds for the expansion. Because the Physical Education space to be included in the expansion is technically academic space, it could be financed through the permanent funds, system chancellor Jack K. Williams said. But there was a problem, Vice- Chancellor Freeman explained. Because the University has been working on tight construction schedule for some years, the $20 million in permanent funds the Uni versity receives annually has already been allocated through August, 1979. “Can we get $10 million?” committee chariman H. C. Bell asked. Only by delaying construction on one of four buildings slated for construction by August, 1979, Freeman said. So the'com mittee decided to delay construction on the $8 million Agricultural Administration Building for one year. Not everyone agreed with that decision. University President Jarvis Miller ques tioned whether permanent funds should be used for the stadium. If such funds were used only for Physical Education facilities included in the project, then cer tainly $10 million wasn’t needed, he said. But the will of the majority won out. “Of the two needs, Ag Administration and Physical Education, I would urge Physical Education,” Williams said. “Now we don’t have Physical Education in adequate quality.” P.E. classes are not being held in every one of the department’s classrooms, every hour of every day of every week, depart ment head C.W. Landiss said. So with a few adjustments Aggies will be able to fight over another 14,600 seats in Kyle Field Why all the work to add those seats? It isn’t simply so more Aggies can watch their football team play on Kyle Field. “Big-time football is here to stay,” As sociate Athletic Director Marvin Tate told the regents Monday. And big-time football is big business, with big money. “How much do we take home?” That’s the first question most schools ask when they discuss signing a football schedule contract with the University, Tate said. Kyle Field’s 48,000-seat capacity, because it’s sim filer th an most major university stadi urns today, cuts the attendance money which the universities split. So it’s tough to get other "big-time” football powers to play Texas A&M on Kyle Field. “Big-time” football powers attract offers television coverage, which bring hand some returns for the athletic department. In that way the addition very much helps pay for itself. But there are other ways. Those 6,800 Aggie Club seats in the . west third deck will be filled with Aggie 1 fans who have already made healthy con tributions to the Aggie Club and who very often make donations to other parts of the University. For years there has been a special president’s box above the press box on Kyle Field to entertain special VIPs and potential donors. So the board of regents delays one building a year to build space for another department while adding football seats which make other schools more willing to play Texas A&M before faithful alumni with money to give to the University to help other departments whose students get a better education and better football seats. As much as ever, football is an integral part of Texas A&M. Carter courting cantankerous Congress By HELEN THOMAS UPI White House Reporter WASHINGTON — President Carter’s energy program is being ripped apart on Capitol Hill, and he isn’t doing too well on other key pieces of legislation. But so far, he has not attacked backslid ing members of Congress. The fact that both Houses have Democratic majorities undoubtedly guides his approach. No president in recent times has tried to be as accessible and amenable to Con gress. Carter came into the White House determined to shed his reputation as a very stubborn, uncompromising execu tive. Washington Window Such a label was pinned on him when he was governor of Georgia and struggling with the Georgia legislature. He has five to 10 meetings a week with members of Congress. The Democratic leadership meetings are held every week. Individual lawmakers who seek appoint ments with him generally get them. Car ter has issued a “call me anytime” invita tion to congressmen and senators. He also has invited all of the House Re publicans in separate groups and Senate Republicans to breakfast meetings to talk about their problems. Once a week, he holds private dinners at the White House for a key senator or congressman and his wife. In addition, Carter has lunch with an Letters to the editor influential legislator about once a week in the Oval Office. Still they treat him like a new boy in town. “Lve got a lot to learn,” he says of ten. And they appear to agree. All of his predecessors going back to Harry Truman, with the exception of Dwight Eisenhower, served in the Senate or House, or both, and has a feel for the “club.” Clearly, there has been a power shift in Washington after years of a strong execu tive branch, foddered by the Vietnam War which centralized decision-making in the White House. In the dying days of the war, Congress took back some of its re sponsibilities in war, peace and other mat ters. Now Carter is in office at a time when Congress is feeling its power again. The Democratic leaders are in the driver’s seat and appear to be calling the shots. In many ways they have helped Carter to remold bills to make them more acceptable to the House and Senate. Carter has had the constant counsel of Speaker Tip O’Neill and Senate majority leader Robert Byrd, along with that of Sen. Russell Long, D-La., chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. Long’s power and influence appear to be growing. It is they who decide how much action Carter will get in this session. The leaders also decided that tax reform and welfare reform could not be considered this year. Byrd has ruled out any vote on the Panama Canal treaties, and Carter cannot yet count on his help because the West * BOy',1 SUREPCKEPA ROUGH NEieHeoRHCCPTORUN 0UTOFSAS IN....X HOPEI LOCJ<EP THE GLOVE COMPARTMENT. " Virginia Democrat has announced that he has not decided whether to approve the accords. With Byrd sitting on the fence. Carter’s hopes for early ratification of the canal treaties are by the board. So despite wooing his own congressional leadership. Carter has a lot of trouble ahead and apparently little leverage. It may be that he eventually will go over their heads to the people. But that would spell more trouble for him on Capitol Hill. Furthermore, it is not likely that a pres ident would want to denounce Democrats in Congress as a “do nothing” Congress next year — an election year — especially when he has promised to be out on the road campaigning for them. So (.'arter continues to express optimism that he will prevail despite some of the ravaging setbacks in the Senate on his energy package. He also expresses his con fidence that he will still be able to build a record of accomplishments. It’s time for the ‘Tech incident’ to be forgotten Editor: I am a student presently enrolled at Texas Tech University and there are a few things I wish to say about the past weekend. Naturally, I was disappointed at the outcome of the Texas A&M-Texas Tech game. However, the Aggies obviously played better as the score suggests. The game was exciting and it suggests that we have a strong rivalry on our hands, which Slouch brings me to my next question. Has the rivalry gotten out of hand? I was disgusted at the manner in which many Aggie students were treated after the game. The two A&M students who stayed with me over the weekend were verbally abused while waiting for me to arrive from the stadium after the game. Had I not ar rived at the dorm any earlier, the abuse could have become physical. by Jim Earle em-l* “WHOA, PRINCE! HE JUST DOESN’T KNOW HOW SENSITIVE WE ARE AROUT THE GRASS!” Also, I talked with three Aggie girls (Maggies, I guess) who related instances depicting the rudeness shown to them. Another example of the post-game hos tility occured on the streets of Lubbock in the early morning hours of Sunday. An Aggie student was riding in the back of a pick-up truck. When some Tech fans asked if he was an Aggie, he replied yes and was promptly hit in the eye with a bottle. He required treatment at the hos pital for the injury. I am sure there are more related inci dents. But I believe I have made my point. After the game it crossed my Red Raider mind to fall in line and ?Saw Varsi ty’s Horns?. I think that the rivalry is great but I just hope the students don’t go to the extreme and ruin it. I would like to finish with these two statements: 1) Not all Techsans are bad; we’ve got some of the best here in Lub bock, and 2) Beat the hell out of Michigan. —A Red Raider Editor’s note: The Battalion has received numerous letters on incidents relating to the Texas Tech game last week. These let ters have fallen into two groups: those de ploring or defending Aggie conduct when Tech quarterback Rodney Allison was in jured, and those deploring what they call Tech’s “poor sportsmanship” after losing that game. Everyone seems to have their own idea of whether Aggies watching the game when Allison was sacked cheered because he was sacked or because he was hurt. We doubt one Aggie in a hundred would cheer when a human being is hurt. That viewpoint has been well expressed on this page in recent days. As the letter above points out, there were plenty of “poor losers” in Lubbock last weekend. But just as every Aggie did not cheer for Allison’s injury, every Tech student didn’t leave the game with blood in his eye seeking revenge. Deadly serious fans and undying loy alty make college football the unique phenomenon that it is. The intensity of those traits make football games like last week’s and tomorrow’s worth remember ing. But the negative side of those games, the poor sportsmanship and hard feel ings, need to be forgotten. Grass is memorial Editor: In response to John Purcell’s letter con cerning the memorial grass around the MSC, we would like to voice these com ments. We do not think it is irrational to have the area around the MSC as a memo rial. Hundreds of Aggies died in wars so that we might still be able to attend this great University. It isn’t too much of an inconvience to use the sidewalks instead of walking on the grass. As far as lounging is concerned, there are many benches out side of the MSC and a nice lounge inside. What are these places for if not to be used? Mr. Purcell, if you must eat on the grass, there are many other grassy areas around this campus that are not memorials and could be used. Sure some of us go about reminding people to stay off the grass in the wrong ways. But to us, the area around the MSC is a measure of our pride, love, and fond memories of those Ags who have died for our country and our freedom. —Ray Godsey ‘79 Kerry Roper ‘79 Campus A&M Rodeo Center to open The new A&M Rodeo Center will open this weekend with an All-Aggie Rodeo. The event will begin Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m,, and Sunday at 2 p. m., with a dance following the Saturday rodeo. For more information, contact Corkey Sandel at the International Stu dent Office, or phone 845-1824. Peace Corp to be on campus The Peace Corps will be holding interviews Monday, at the Place ment Office, which is located on the 10th floor of the Rudder Tower, They will also have a booth set up in the MSC, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. State Sketch aids in Denton manhunt Denton police are checking tips prompted by the publication of a second composite sketch of a suspect in the apparent abduction of 12-year-old Suzie Mages. Several persons reported seeing the girl talking and leaving a restaurant Sunday about 3:20 p.m. withamanin his mid-20s. But police have not been able to find witnesses who saw the pair after they left the restaurant. Though the first sketch pro duced no tips, police chief Robert Mills hopes the new sketch will lead to the girl’s return. Nation Caputo challenges Jatvorski Rep. Bruce Caputo, R-N. Y., is challenging Leon Jaworski’s leader ship in the House Ethics Committee’s probe of Korean influence buying. Caputo is complaining that Jaworski has not done enough to investigate current congressmen and has failed to speed up the in- quiry because outside commitments are taking up his time. Jaworski quickly responded that Caputo’s remarks were made through ignor ance of the facts or for self-serving publicity. “In our work,” he added, “which is proceeding objectively and is time-consuming, we will not be diverted by idle discourse with Mr. Caputo.” Evidence against Zamora listed The prosecution laid out its step-by-step presentation of evidence against Ronny Zamora, Thursday, in Miami. Zamora is the Jo-year- old youth who is pleading insanity by “television intoxication” to the charges he murdered his 82-year-old neighbor during a robbery at tempt. Miami Beach police Sgt. Ray Duncan testified his investiga tion found a 1972 Buick, a television set, a . 32-caliber Colt revolver, a sterling service and more than $400 in cash were missing from Mrs. Haggart’s home when her body was found June 8. Carter signs grain prop bill President Carter Thursday signed into law higher support prices for the* nation s grain farmers and changes in the multibillion dollar food stamp program for the poor. Other provisions call for expanded research programs in solar energy and human nutrition and the “food For peace” foreign aid program. Under the new law, the poor would receive no more focxl stamps, but by allowing (qualified indi viduals to get their food stamp allotment without a cash payment, about 3 million more persons are expected to enter the program. Siamese twins live separately Siamese twins Linda and Brenda McCall have been apart for two days after being joined since birth nearly seven months. A team of 15 surgeons at North Shore University hospital’s Payson Whitney Tower in Manhasset, New York, separated the twins in a 4-Vi-hour opera tion. Dr. Kenneth Kenigsberg, head pediatric surgeon at the hospi tal, said, the girls had been conjoined at the sternum and outer margins of the rib cage. Though the children shared no organs, the stomach and intestines in each twins body could slip from one to the other. Dr. Rita Harper of the hospital’s maternal and child health center,said Wednesday, the twins sleep close together in the hospital nursery facing each other in the position they had when joined. She added they cry and are irritable when put far apart but that stops when they are placed close together, facing each other. Though the girls won t have belly-buttons due to the operation, Kenigsberg said the girls “should have perfectly normal bodies,” and lead a “perfectly normal life.” World Terrorist free 5 of 156 Japanese terrorists freed five hostages Thursday, in Dacca, Bangledesh, but threatened to kill 151 captives remaining on board a hijacked jetliner unless their demands are met within hours. The hijackers are demanding the release of nine fellow terrorists and $6 million in ransom. The guerrillas said they would launch a terrorist campaign on a “global scale if the Tokyo government backs down on its promise to deliver. The freed hostages said the terrorists became nicer when they learned their demands would be met. Weather Partly cloudy and hot through Saturday. High both days mid- 90s. Low tonight low 70s. No rain. 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 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 tight to edit such letters and does not guarantee to publish any letter. Each letter must In signed, show the address of the writer and list a telephom number for veriftca tion. 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. nished on request. Address: The Battalion, Reed McDonald Building, College Station, Texas United Press International is entitled exclusively^ use for reproduction of all news dispatches credit Rights of reproduction of all other matter herein Second-Class postage paid at College Station, Vi MEMBER Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism C.’ongr Editor Jamie Managing Editor Mary Alice Wiw^ Editorial Direc tor Lee Hoy Lesdf Sports Editor Rnf.W News Editors Marie Homcyer. CanJ' l,v City Editor HiisM- 1 ” Campus Editor Kind"* Copy Editor Belli b Reportei . Cleniu 'Hie 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. Mail .subscriptions are $16.75 per semester; $33.25 per school year; $35.00 per full year. Advertising rates fur- \u V Photographer Krn Cartoonist Douj' ^ Student Publications Board: Boh G. Roi>m. Clm^ 1 Joe Atredondo; Dr. Gary Halter. 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