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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 12, 1977)
Page 2 Viewpoint The Battalion Wednesday Texas A&M University October 12, 1977 What they don’t know won’t hurt them By GEORGE JOPLIN The hour was late; the streets were dark and empty. A night watchman made his rounds from door to door of the downtown businesses. Most people had been home for hours, many of them already in bed asleep. But the lights still shone brightly in the newspaper office and the old manual typewriter clickety clacked away as the editor recorded what action had been taken at city council meeting that night. Soon, thousands of people would read that story and learn what city council had done to perhaps change their lifestyle, alter their business routine or lower their insurance rates. They would learn how each councilman voted on an issue and who they should contact if they disagreed with the position a councilman took. The people wanted this information and knew they could find it in their newspaper. That’s why the lights burned late in the newspaper office, because an editor was dedicated to giving his subscribers a de tailed accounting of just what transpired at that council meeting. The next night would be a school board meeting; the next a civic club dinner, then a meeting of the planning and zoning commission and on and on. The newspaper would be repre sented at each of these. Stories would be written and published so the people would be informed of what was going on in their community. “Congress shall make no law.. .abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press” the First Amendment to the Constitution states—the cornerstone of our democracy. Without this, all of our liberties would be insecure. Yet these freedoms are being threatened by representatives in govern ment who assume the attitude that it is better for the people to not know what is going on, what action they are considering or have already taken. “What they don’t know won’t hurt them,’ they boast. But what they really mean is that if they trans act their business under a cloak of secrecy, no one will know what they are doing and they can run the government as they darn well please. How many times in recent years has it been noted in stories that a school board, city council, fiscal court or some other governing body has gone into executive session to discuss a problem, a situation that possibly would be embarassing? All too many! If it is public business they are discussing, then rarely should it be con ducted behind closed doors. When you pick up a newspaper today you have freedom in your hands, but will you still have that freedom of information tomorrow if governmental bodies are al lowed to go unchallenged into one secret executive session after another? The threat, the challenge rests in the hands of the people and if they—you and I—don’t speak up and tell our representa tives how we feel, personally or through editorials and letters to the editor, then we may soon find ourselves without a right to know...unable to hold freedom in our hands. Then there will be no need for the lights to burn into the wee hours of the night in the newspaper office, no need for the typewriter to clickety clack. In fact, there will be no need for the night watchman to make his rounds. (Joplin is president of the National Newspaper Associa tion.) ^ Xo ° u '\ 1977 ^ National Newspaper Week Oct. 9-15 Humphrey — the phenomenal senator By ARNOLD SAWISLAK United Press International WASHINGTON—Thirty years ago a journalism instructor, attempting to give his fieshman students a taste of the real world, took his class downtown to inter view the mayor. His Honor gave the fledgling reporters an hour, holding forth at length on topics ranging from national politics to local “slum clearance” as it was called those days. Washington Window Riding the streetcar back to the univer sity, several of the students compared notes. They could reconstruct the sense of everything the mayor had said, but no one had been able to get more than a few com plete quotations on paper. The man had simply talked too fast for the students to write full sentences in their notebooks. To say the least, it was a humbling ex perience for youngsters who had been told that accurate and complete notetaking was fundamental to the reporting craft. Some of the class gave up and went into advertis ing, but those who stuck with reporting quickly lost their feelings of inadequacy when they discovered they had been ex posed to an oratorical phenomenom. Years later this member of that class heard the first apt description of Hubert Humphrey’s speaking speed: “About 250 words a minute, up to 500 in gusts. Humphrey’s machine gun delivery may have slowed down over the years, but many in Washington, accustomed to the measured drawl of southern speech pat terns, never got used to it. Some reporters who followed his 1968 presidential cam paign came back calling him “Motor Mouth.” A few years later, some of them were wishing Humphrey had been able to talk just a little bit faster in that campaign. Humphrey was an impetuous young politician. He led the civil rights charge at the 1948 Democratic national convention that drove the Dixiecrats out of the party. The conventional wisdom was that Humphrey, by driving the South out of the Democratic fold, had given the elec tion to the Republicans. Tom Dewey be- NWf* Plumbep’s Friend. lieved that right to the end. Humphrey once gave a speech in the Senate that was critical of Harry F. Byrd Sr. The Virginian responded a few days later and when Humphrey rose to reply, a dozen senators ostentatiously walked out leaving him to speak to a virtually empty chamber. The Old Bulls of the Senate Press Gal ley pronounced Humphrey stone dead on Capitol Hill and probably in national poli tics. Humphrey gave no indication that he recalled those obituaries when he became Senate Democratic whip, Vice President and his party’s candidate for president. In the early 1960s, the main reason many people in Washington were sure that significant civil rights legislation could not be passed was the known fact that the southern opposition held a monopoly on parliamentary know-how and “liberals can’t count. Humphrey managed the civil rights bill of 1954, coaxing Everett Dirksen out of his balloon, waiting until the right moment to move agiunst the usual southern filibuster and, forgetting that he was only a South Dakota druggist by trade, holding his own in debate with the Senate’s Dixie-trained constitutional “scholars. ” By 1972, it was chic to dismiss Hum phrey as a politician whose time had gone. In 1976, one of the things that scared Jimmy Carter was the possibility that Humphrey might enter the campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination. Enough said. Letters to the editor Watch out for drinking friends; they’re hard to lose Editor: A long time tradition of most Aggies is getting drunk on the weekends and, many times, during the week. One goes out to his favorite bar, gets “plastered, and then miraculously makes it home safely. The familiar saying “if you drink don’t drive” sounds like a sensible rule, but it is soon forgotten when one gets too drunk to think. But one seems to make it home any way. It’s pure luck. I never realized how easily one could develop a drinking problem at a young age. But in my four years at A&M I have seen friends of mine become so obsessed with drinking that they have dropped out of school and have stopped caring about themselves and their friends. I also have friends who just drink too much. I lost another friend this past weekend who was driving after drinking too much. It wasn t the first time he had driven home drunk, but it was his last. I feel a great loss and I can only wish that someone, realizing that he couldn’t drive in his condition, had taken him home. I would like to pass these feelings on to you who drink too much and to you who have friends that drink too much. Don’t take the risk and gamble with life. Just because you made it home last week doesn t guarantee that you will this time also. Most of all, watch out for your friends when they can t watch out for themselves. They’re awful hard to lose. —Teresa Huddleston President’s thanks Editor: The activities centered around the inau guration on October 4 were outstanding. W e received lavish praise from persons in attendance. These activities reflect great credit on everyone associated with Texas A&M University. I want to take this opportunity to express my deep personal appreciation to each per son who had a part in making this possible—particularly the students, faculty and staff. I firmly believe that no other institution in the country could have staged such an event with such style and meaning. Once again, the Texas A&M University family has demonstrated to the public its character of greatness. I count it a real honor and privilege to be associated with you in leading this institution to even greater achievements. With the kind of spirit and cooperation that typifies this great university family, our achievements will be imited only by our own shortcomings. Thank you again for the many kindnesses extended to us and for the very generous efforts which have been made to make the inauguration a truly memorable occasion for everyone. —Jarvis E. Miller President Greeks are Aggies Editor: I am writing to respond to “Greeks don’t belong” printed in the Batt on Tuesday, October 11. May I make a correction. There Are No Second Class Ags! It is dis couraging to see that there are some with closed minds, though. Can’t anyone see that Greeks are Aggies, and always will be? We participate in campus activities, display our spirit at football games and yell prac tices and most of all, we love this school as much as anyone ever could. How can an Aggie justify labeling fellow Ags as bad people? I can’t. It would be absurd for someone to say “you’re a rotten P er s on because you live in a dorm” as it is to say you re a rotten person because you are a Greek! It seems a shame to turn people away who could be great friends if given a chance just because they’re in a sorority or fraternity. There is a common bond, a spirit, that A&M is famous for, one that accepts people for what they are, not for what they are labeled to be. Where is that bond now? I don t believe calling a group of people you don t even know “low quality” is an exam ple of that spirit. It almost seems that Greeks are shown as having no feelings, but we do and it hurts to be called bad names and considered not Aggies. I ve been here three years now, I’m a member of Traditions Council and an honor society and wish to see Aggie tradi tion last forever. I am no exception to the rule; all Greeks wants this. Everyone is entitled to his or her opii ion, all I’m asking is to take a closer look : the person you’re turning away. See if whj the “label” says is true. Don’t apply that to whole group of people, but to each perso you meet. Give a person a chance to di: prove the stigma that’s been placed on hii or her. If you still don’t like Greeks, the I’m sorry. We’re not all bad, why not giv us a break? —Leslie Crai We try harder Editor: My day was made by the letter entitled “No angels here.” I was really pleased to see that someone realizes that Aggies are human. To often on campus, someone (thinking that they are the good Ags) will lambast and criticize and organization or group for something they might not have done, or did no wrong by engaging in what they were doing. Slowly but surely, every group on campus is picked at by others. Bike rid ers, the corps, kikkers, fraternities. Blacks, Iranians, and others have all been accused of not being “true Ags.” If you stop and think for a moment you will see that every group has been picked at at least once. Does that mean that there are no Aggies on the Texas A&M campus? I sincerely doubt that. It just means that people have to realize that being an Aggie isn’t being better, or perfect, or always right. Being an Aggie means you try harder to do your best for God, your fellow hu mans, and yourself. True Aggies may not be number 1, but they sure as hell try harder. —Charlie Andrews ’80 Walkers’ rights Editor: Over and over again, I have heard com plaints from students about how bad gen eral traffic is on campus. The motorist gripes about bicycle riders and pedestrians who stray in front of him at their pleasure. Then, the student who peddles a bike grumbles about his rights to the road too and about the motorist who thinks that the streets are his alone. The only student I haven’t heard from is the pedestrian. And that’s me. Everytime I set out for class, I become paranoid. Ha ven’t you noticed that behind every bush lurks a bicyclist waiting to rub me out? And behind every stop sign revs a car impatient to imprint its tread up and down my back? How many times have you been hit by a car or suddenly struck by a bicyclist on cam pus? And there’s also the dear members of the corps. Have you. ever been plowed under by some fish whipping out? It’s a new experience, a blitzkrieg—you never know when it’s going to happen! If all Aggies would place themselves in each of these roles and realize the rights the others have, the campus would be safer. And once again it could be said that true to each other are Aggies! —Beth Dzikowski ’79 Slouch by Jim Earle CAN YOU BEAT THAT? MY CHILI UNSTOPPED OUR SINK! Top of the Campus W . HW! New- D United Student government filing op<4*x Filing for election candidates lot Off Campus Student Organfajj. Ci representatives. Class of 81 officers^ and five heshmen senatort e d tho represenrauvcs, ^ — \,, Y , 7 , v aiur Ptru-d tnos tions will begin at 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Wednesday. Students wishingj| er (Jefen run for a position should go to Room^216A of the Memorial Stiiiil^erprint Center and fill out an application. The election will take placed | s o said h 27. Leaving the driving to us jired blooc at the D Charter bus rides to and from Waco for the Baylor-Texas Al football game are still available. The cost is $8.25 per person. Gat | tickets are not included. Buses will leave the Rudder Tower park lot at 12:30 p.m. Saturday. They will return immediately afterth p m game. Reservations may be made at Association of FormerSi dents’offices in the Memorial Student Center. If the bus does not it will be cancelled and those who have reservations will be noi Buses will arrive at Baylor Stadium in time for persons to wall nearby restaurants, but club officials suggest carrying a sack lui Refreshments will be available on the buses. |s. lighter shot to lartial pa Goldwater to speak on energy UniteC Lnkfu oman anc c h uniforr | airliner ■forced U. S. Rep. Barry Goldwater, Jr., R-Calif., will speak Thursday,c r e they Texas A&M University on energy at 8 p.m. in the RudderTheaieLked Wt Admission will be 50 cents per student and $1 per non-student. TlJpolitical program will feature a question-answer session. Eldest son ofSe phecouple Barry Goldwater of Arizona, the lawmaker serves on Public Wor 1 a pistol, and Transportation, and Science and Technology Committees irt-rangeY Congress. He works on subcommittees dealing with aviation atp6 persor transportation research, and energy research, development a s on a do demonstration. I made tc T’ hfurt. Tl Medical students to be honored Dr. Edmund D. Pellegrino, president of the Yale-New Have: Medical Center at Yale University, will deliver the main address Friday at a convocation recognizing Texas A&M University’s 32 member inaugural class of medical students. The program hey ha\ lum,” Fr 1:30 p.m. in Rudder Theater. A public reception honoring thesh dents and program guests will be held immediately after the convoca tion in the Memorial Student Center Ballroom. Members inauqural class will be presented by Dr. William E. Ward, associate! dean of medicine. The class has a younger average age (20) andhif average grades (3.83 on a 4.0 system) than its counterparts nr tionwide, according to statistics. iut Muellei turned ition. legal auth >y are all fmany the Ming. [he hijack [ght from State Lme First oil pumped into saltdomes Federal and state energy officials Tuesday opened the nation’s sec j ond underground saltdome oil storage site at Bryan Mound irop south edge of Freeport. Thomas E. Noel of the U.S. Departmentd Energy, Texas Railroad Commission Chairman Mack Wallace ami local officials witnessed the 2 p.m. throwing of a switch that started the first 250,000 barrels pumping into the dome. Eventually, some® million barrels of oil will be stored at Bryan Mound as part of tk nation s strategic petroleum reserve program begun at another salt dome in West Hack berry, La., July 21. or v Yarbrough’s trial delayed United jUSTIN - bn two p jendments historical o |ermit ag ■piled d ichers fo oducts. third The forgery and aggravated perjury trial of former Texas Supremfi Court Justice Donald B. Yarbrough has been delayed to give prose t 10,1 Y v cutors and defense attorneys more time to prepare their cases. Judg< r e 0 11 " — - dhetri#™ 155101 Mace B. Thurmond of 147th District Court in Austin reset men,, for Oct. 31. Thurmond had been scheduled Monday to hear pretrial motions. Assistant District Attorney Steve Brittain said a heavy®f load has prevented prosecutors from being properly prepared for the Yarbrough trial. Yarbrough, who resigned from the high court July 15 rather than face legislative removal proceedings, is accused of forgir? an automobile title and lying about the transaction to a grand jury Defense attorneys, led by former Attorney General Waggoner Can also wanted time to review original tapes of a conversation betweei Yarbrough and William Rothkopf. Rothkopf was a key grand jury witness against Yarbrough. Funds raised ‘to defeat Tower Texas Democratic chairman Calvin Guest Tuesday said party offi cials hope to raise more than $30,000 in a four-week telephone and mail campaign to aid in registering voters and persuading them to vote in 1978 elections. Our number one priority in raising moneyis to e eat John Tower and replace him with someone who will e ff “ p - tively represent the majority of the people of Texas,” Guest said- news conference in Austin. He said, however, none of the money raised during the campaign will go to the Democratic candidate who challenges Tower in the U.S. Senate campaign. “The money will not be given to the candidates, it will be put in our regular fund to the benefit of all candidates. ~ on Jut agency tine jugc s'one of nts — ai has pro\ prq ala autl wide fo !ourage al, histo: ifces.” Jnder t e could •perty tax and otht ait such c iupporte uld pern uld not ats argue mol dist Mages, d historii r erode The ag: World Helsinki accords violated? ‘endmen signed t was < the Tex; Ifth l 1 ? Umt^d States Tuesday accused the Soviet Union and Czec o lovakia of violating the Helsinki agreement by tampering with in e national mail. Northwestern University law professor, Joyce Hug ie said the interference constituted “a continuing pattern of disrespo have all made.” Hughes, vice president ot for the pledges we have au made. Hughes, vice presiaem National Urban League, is one of five “public members” on the u dT e ?o-7° n ® e ^g ra de conference reviewing implementatioii the 1975 Helsinki accords on European security and cooperate ln § or the United States, she named specific countries for hrst ume at the 35-nation meeting, singling out the Soviet Unionj Gzechoslovalaa as persistent violators of both the Helsinki pled and the Universal Postal Convention. She said both ordinary i registered mail was being “improperly handled” by some of the I smki signatory states Weather Sunny and mild today and tomorrow with westerly w 10-14 mph. High both days low 70s. Low tonight 46 precipitation. The Battalion Opinions expressed in The. Battalion are those of the editor or of the writer of the article and are not neeedani those of the University administration or the- Board ,.f H„ gents. The Battalion the Board of Re- enterprise operated by studZs'I mumty newspaper. Editorial policy is determined by the nished on request. Address: The Battalion Reed McDonald Building, College Station. ^ 1-lu-s C** LETTERS POLICY Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words and are subject o being cut to that length or less if longer The editorial staff reserves the ri K ht to edit such letters and does not guarantee to publish any letter. Each letter must U signed, show the-address of the writer and list a telephone number for verification. rupnoiu Address correspondence to U tters to the Editor The Battalion Room 216. Reed McDonald Budding College Station, Texas 77843. ' u Reprinted nationally l,y National Educational Advc-r- * ,S,ng Semt '’ s ' 1,K - N™ York City, Chicago and Los Angeles United Press International use for reproduction of all news dispatch.’ Rights of reproduction of all other matter a a _ Second-Class postage paid at College Statm"- MEMBER Texas Press Association Editor ;I a f. Managing Editor Mary Ala 1 ' Editorial Director Lee Roy p Sports Editor News Editors Marie Homevef. , City Editor ... ’ ^ Campus Editor Copy Editor ■ Reporters ^ ',*1 Liz Ncwlin, |ohn W. Ty 1 "^ ,W' e am and r ace to gh '°ugh t suspem jthoutp charge If the 'ntinissi ' to pul J u PPo Wend * cthod tion ag Wednesdays and F.„l published on Mondays, Photographe Cartoonist . , ednesdays and Fridays. Mail subscriptions a,v *16.75 per semester; *33.25 , Student Publications Board: Boh (*■ Joe Airvdondo; Dr. CUmj llaltv Krt* 1 ' Haney; Dr. Charles fhool Phillips; Rebel Rice. Direc tor of Stuih- „• Vernal,I C. Johnson. Production Cooreli"" 10 Sherman