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