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The Battalion Thursday
Texas A&M University November 3, 1977
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By LYNN A. GIBSON
Now that we have been told we can’t
change traditions and our decision “Beaten
the hell out of” in public, may you as
the public, might want to know what really
happened on the MSC grass question.
No, we haven’t changed tradition and
don’t want or plan to do so. Instead, we
want to endorse the oldest tradition of
A&M. It is the first and strongest tradi
tion, “Respect and Courtesy to our fellow
man!” If you don’t believe in that tradition
then truly, Highway 6 runs both ways.
Sit back and think how many A&M stu
dents you have seen walk on the grass
around the MSC. How many times have
you heard visitors cussed at because they
violated a “tradition” they knew nothing
of? Has your Mom and Dad ever been
cussed because they “short cutted” to
meet you? All they knew was they were
supposedly at the friendliest campus in the
nation. Too bad they left with another idea
ally happened’
on grass issue
in mind!
The MSC Council (which by the way
has 18 student members, 10 with voting
privileges, 5 faculty members, 2 alumni
members and 1 staff position) has heard
stories to answer those questions and
more. Some people who have been ill-
treated were former students or visitors,
and they returned this with complaints to
Reader’s Forum
the Former Students Director, MSC Di
rector, President of the University, and
Board of Regents. They came back to
A&M expecting friendship, instead were
given rudity and vulgarity.
You might be interested to know that
the Former Student Association put to
gether a fund drive to help build the Stu
dent Center. After it was built, Student
Government asked that Muster be held on
the front lawn of the MSC. If you don’t
believe it, look at some of the old year
books, which once were named “The
Longhorn.”
Now some of you are probably asking
“Why not put signs up around the building
and let everyone know?” Well, how many
signs would really work? How many
people would read them, expecially on
football weekends when this tradition re
ceives the lowest of its respect?
We haven’t changed traditions, Ags! We
are trying to maintain one. We have al
ways been able to pride ourselves as an
extremely friendly campus. That tradition
has been around for a long, long time and
hopefully will be around even longer. We
haven’t changed the fact that traditionally
one does not walk on the grass around the
MSC. Some of us are going to politely con
tinue to ask people to not walk on the
grass. We are going to do it politely. I plan
to apologize to anyone rudely treated by a
“fellow Ag” then turn the tide and give
that “fellow Ag’ a taste of his own
medicine.
The policy adopted by the MSC Council
reads: “as the MSC grounds are a living
part of a living campus and at times are
used as a teaching aid, the use of the
Memorial Student Center grounds will not
be discouraged.” The policy does not
change tradition, it speaks of the grounds
as teaching aids as they are used for that
purpose.
Let’s return to the principles that A&M
was founded on. Let’s reaffirm the oldest
tradition of our University. Let us re
member the old tradition and start apply
ing it more!
Lynn Gibson is the president of the
MSC Council and Directorate and is a
past speaker of the Student Senate. This
commentary contains his own opinions and
not necessarily those of this newspaper.
Carter almost too tolerant of goofs
By DAVID S. BRODER
WASHINGTON — In making the
rounds at the White House in the past two
weeks, this reporter has heard one com
ment about President Carter that is totally
perplexing. The comment, expressed ip
different ways by different people, is that
Jimmy Carter is showing himself remark
ably tolerant of incompetence among his
subordinates.
“There seems to be no penalty for foul
ing up around here,’’ said one staff
member. “I always assumed before I came
to work at the White House that you
would be terrified to make a mistake or to
have your work thrown back at you for
being unsatisfactory. But when that hap
pens, there doesn t seem to be any pen
alty.”
Another said, “When I read his book.
Why Not the Best?’, I figured Carter was
the kind of submarine commander who, if
you messed up an assignment, would fire
you out the torpedo tube. But I don’t
know anyone who’s been fired around
here for a sloppy performance Or, even se
riously demoted. >s ~"
Assuming that these comments and
others like them are an accurate reflection
of the President’s managerial approach,
then it certainly does mark a major revi
sion from the expectations his campaign
created.
The two key words of that campign were
“competence” and “compassion.” And
most of those who had studied the Carter
record and attempted to puzzle out his
complex character believed the emphasis
would be at least as much as on the former
as on the latter.
A key bit of evidence in that regard was
Letters to the editor
Carter’s depiction of his relationship with
Admiral Hyman Rickover, the brilliant,
impatient martinet of the nuclear navy.
Writing of Rickover in his autobiography,
tCart^p .said: “He may not have cared or
kppwhr.it, certainly' not at that time, but
Admiral Rickover had a profound effect on
my life — perhaps more than anyone ex
cept my own parents.
“He was unbelieveably hardworking
and competent, and he demanded total
dedication from his subordinates. We
feared and respected him and strove to
please him. I did not in that period ever
remember him saying a complimentary
word to me. The absence of a comment
was his compliment; he never hesitated to
criticize severely if a job were not done as
well as he believed it coidd be done. He
lWE©m7
expected the maximum from us. but he
always contributed more.
In certain respects, Carter does appear
to be operating the White House in
somewhat the same way Rickover ran his
nuclear programs. He sets the model for
dedication, working as long hours, or
longer, than anyone else in the building.
He can be critical —eVen nit-picking —
on details. Relatively junior staff members
get memos back with their grammar cor
rected by the Pr esident of the United
States.
But what came through in the conversa
tions with the presidental aides is a sense
that he is reluctant to crack the whip when
there is a major foul-up — or allow some
one to crack it on his behalf. Those with
whom I have discussed this say they are
BULL •awi BEAR
iSw. fiii v*<*
puzzled about the unexpected “softness
in Carter s personal relations and man
agement techniques. So they fall back on
surmise.
One theory that certainly has a degree
of external plausibility is that Carter —
like many others — is haunted by the
memories of the rigid and rugged disci
pline enforced in the Nixon White House
by H.R. (Bob) Haldeman. Any suggestion
that “the Georgia mafia had been trans
formed into another “German general
staff” coidd be politically calamitous in the
post-Watergate climate.
Another reason may be that the senior
staff at the White House — the Georgians
who occupy almost all the key positions —
have such long and intimate associations
with this President that they almost consti
tute his political “family.
For him to discipline a Frank Moore, a
Jody Powell or a Hamilton Jordan for a
major mistake in judgment, or for failing to
maintain effective oversight over the oper
ations of their subordinates, would be un
thinkable, in this view, as the President’s
, cdhWJisiiXg Billy Gather for.,Jus. flamboyant
profiteering off his brother’s public posi
tion.
This theory — which is the “small-town
White House” explanation — may explain
the immunity of the senior staff, but not of
the hundreds of others whose work for
Carter has, on occasion, have been found
wanting. At a time when the operations of
the President are getting critical scrutiny,
the diversion from Rickover’s rigid disci
pline is an intriguing — and important —
puzzle.
(c) 1977, The Washington Post Com
pany
More suggestions on missing funds...
Chest Loan Fund as anyone else and we
have worked to make sense of the issue.
However, records of the Loan Fund ac
tivities have been hard to decipher and,
thus, it's been difficult to put the record
straight. Following recommendation of
the editoral you mentioned. Dr. John J.
Koldus, vice-president for student serv
ices, has requested that an independent
auditor assess the books of Campus
Chest. When that report is completed, we
should all know the answer. In addition, it
was hardly our intent to imply that Mrs.
Boone was connected with the loan issue.
You’re reaching there.
Another gay side
Editor:
I would like to thank David Kotara for
his comments. I for one see how true they
really are.
This is my first year at TAMU (after hav
ing attended two other universities). I
have noticed while being here, that the
people I have come in contact with are
quite surprised to find that I am gay. They
still believed in the stereotyped homosex
ual that their parents so instilled in them.
Well, people, I have found that not only
do you not know what we are, you are also
frightened at the thought of us even exist
ing. Yes, you can shut your eyes and think
we are not here (trying hard to stick to
your myths about us). But what I would
really like you to do is see us as we really
are. We are not out to corrupt and convert
America’s youth, but we are out to get an
understanding going between gays and
straights.
As a Jewish Rabbi once said after being
freed from a German concentration camp:
“Freedom means not having to lie about
who you are. I say to you — that I am gay
and very proud of being so. Accept me for
what I am, not for what you think I am.
Kenneth Whidden
Officials defended
Editor:
of the whole collection.
I myself have been a sports official for
five years, three at Texas A&M and two for
the American Legion, and in those five
years I don’t think I’ve seen a better pre
pared group of officials. Before the football
season started this year, the IM officials
had logged ten to twelve hours of training
classes and been required to pass a 100 to
150 question exam over the “fine-print”
rules of IM and NCAA football. I wish the
teams had taken these, then perhaps they
would know their rules better.
Evaluation and testing of all officials
continues on throughout the season. Team
captains are given a chance to rate the offi
cials at the end of each game. These
ratings are logged on each officials record.
Our job rests on the quality of work we do.
Many officials (including myself) have
worked with several teams before and
after their games to help them with the
rules (all of this was on our own time). I
realize, Mr. Atkinson, that not every one
of our officials is up to par excellence, but
you should remember-one bad apple
doesn t spoil the whole bunch.”
If I can help any of your teams, please
contact me.
A concerned veteran official
Billy Jobe ’79
Another kind of spirit
Editor:
Although it is obvious that one would
not like to give a rape attempt on the A&M
campus front page coverage, the response
of our students, who foiled the attempt
and captured the suspect would cancel any
ill effects. Thus I am surprised at the loca
tion and tone of the article on page seven
of Tuesday’s paper.
I am proud of our research accom
plishments, our merit scholars and of our
football team, but this involvement by the
students — caring about each other — that
is what makes us unique. Let us make it
page one when the Aggie Spirit becomes
so evident.
—William H. Bassichis
Associate Professor of Physics
Editor:
Upon reading the article in Tuesday’s
October 25, 1977 Battalion concerning the
“Missing Cash Mystery, I just wonder
what are the rules to this new contest?
With a $3,000 first prize, what s second
prize? Journalism lessons from L.R.L.?
I suppose that those who wish to enter
the contest are to guess the location of the
missing cash. Let’s see, could the money
be:
1. Hidden under Sully’s Statue.
2. How about hidden in a foot locker
buried beneath the MSC.
3. Perhaps it is hidden among the items
belonging to a Corps Commanding Offi
cer, and perhaps the real mystery is to fig
ure out to which one of the 37 corps outfits
it is hidden. Thus it may be returned at
the half-time activities at the A&M vs. t.u.
game.
4. Perhaps at the end of one of the foot
ball games someone spilled a coke into a
Campus Chest Barrel and the money is
stuck to the bottom.
5. Maybe it is located in the dumpster
outside of Hughes Hall.
6. Maybe it was stolen to finish the bot
tom half of the Planned for the Future
Statue.
7. The salads at Duncan and Sbisa have
been green lately. Maybe the money has
been mixed in with what they claim to be
lettuce.
Does all this sound silly? It doesn’t
sound any more rediculous than the edito
rial written by L.R.L. We have complete
faith (Yes, Ags there are a few of us who
believe in Student Government) in those
who give their time and efforts in service
to their fellow students. As for the $3,000,
we’ve been told it is out in loans. If the
$3,000 is missing it is because some of us
have been taking advantage of a good deal.
I for one, Mark Hugg, have repaid my $75
loan and hope that the rest of the Ags who
have outstanding loans to Campus Chest
will do the right thing and will pay their
loans and get the Battalion off Student
Government’s back.
Mark “Thumper” Hugg ’78
Troy “Tross” Ross ’78
...and the truth
Editor:
We always like to read a good article in
the Battalion, but sometimes vyhat seems
to cause headlines is sometimes incor
rectly reported. On October 11 and Oc
tober 25 two articles which were read by
the students and former students of Texas
A&M University stated that $3,000 was
missing from the Student Government
Campus Chest. Since the writing of these
articles, many of our friends and other
members of this University have made
jokes to us about the spending of the
$3,000. For the benefit of those who wish
to find the truth about this missing money,
we would like to clarify a few points
brought out in the editorial of October 25,
1977, written by L.R.L.
First of all, $3,000 never disappeared
from the Campus Chest Fund. This
money happens to be tied up in delin
quent loans from the past two years.
Secondly, if the reporter had taken the
time and read all the entries in the account
he could have found out where all the
money was.
Thirdly, the statement was made that
two of the past three fund directors re
ceived loans. It should be pointed out that
the past two directors of the Campus
Chest Fund were Carl Luker and Fred
Pfeiffer and not Mary Ellen Martin Davis
and Susan Price. Neither of these fund di
rectors received loans. I wish to point out
that Mrs. Davis and Miss Price were
Executive Directors of Student Govern
ment.
Fourthly, the report written by Susan
Price explained where the money was lo
cated. She put off publishing this report
because she wished to present it to Dr.
John J. Koldus, Vice President for Student
Services, personally before it was re
leased. She prepared it a week ago but was
under no obligation to release it Tuesday.
It is normal policy in professional jour
nalism to check all sources so that all
statements are true and correct. In the
editorial that was written there was no
check on the accuracy of the statement
about Susan Price and the fund directors.
In closing, I request an apology be writ
ten by D. Graham and L.R.L. to the Stu
dent Government secretary, Mrs. Robert
L. Boone, for the carttfon which was in
poor taste. Mrs. Boone had nothing to do
with the report. I also request that it be
known that Susan Price has been active in
Student Government for the past three
years, but that this year she is not in
volved.
Susan L. Price, ’77
Geri Campbell, ’78
Editor’s note: The Battalion is as eager to
clear up the question of the Campus
In response to Mr. Atkinson’s letter of
Nov. 1 on the poor quality of intramural
officials, I must call to his attention the fact
that he has committed the fallacy of
composition-what is true for some ele
ments of a collection is not necessarily true
Editor’s note: A point well taken. How
ever, on Friday, Oct. 28, we printed a let
ter from the would-be victim, as well as an
editorial comment praising the actions of
students who came to her rescue.
Top of the New:
Campus
Registration drive meeting
A meeting is scheduled for 8 p. m. today in Room 302 of the Rudder
Tower for all people or organizations interested in helping in th
voter registration drive. The External Affairs Committee of Student
Government is coordinating the drive.
Absentee balloting
Absentee balloting for the seven proposed amendments to the Texas
Constitution ends at 5 p.m. Friday at the Brazos County Courthouse
County Clerk Frank Boriskie said Wednesday that only 11 absentee
votes had been cast in Brazos County in the constitutional amend
ment election. Regular balloting will be Tuesday.
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Nation
Carter not playing favorities
On the anniversary of Jimmy Carter’s election Wednesday, a sur
vey of Southern political leaders showed the South has not reaped
many benefits from his presidency. United Press International
quizzed Southern governors, political party chairmen, legislators, and
administrators about the president’s performance. The response was
that he has been impartial, and, in some cases, favored other regions
of the country to prove he is not favoring his homeland. Perhaps the
most prominent display of Carter’s impartiality was the inclusion of
Tennessee Valley Authority projects and the Richard B. Russell Dam
between Georgia and South Carolina in the president’s “hit list” of
public works projects to be axed.
Former congressman eyed
The House Ethics Committee is investigating former Rep. Otto
Passman, D-La., because of allegations he received a large sum of
money from Tongsun Park in the Korean influence-buying scandal,
sources said Wednesday. Passman denied taking any money from
Park, but the sources said Passman is a “prime target” in the commit
tee probe and investigators are "taking a hard look at him,” especially
after the New York Times reported he may have gotten thousands of
dollars from Park.
State
Drug testimony in Davis trial
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Attorneys for T. Cullen Davis are assembling testimony that
casual, excessive drug use was common among the millionaire mur
der defendant’s estranged wife and the “entourage” frequenting her
.mansion. Testimony in Amarillo Tuesday indicated Priscilla Davis,
36, obtained hundreds of tablets of pain-killing drugs in short periods
'•*’ of tfme, ’1nclitdifig J t>ne occasioirwhert she picked up 200 tablets using
prescriptions from different doctors at different pharmacies on the
same day.
For B;
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World
U.S. diplomats recalled
The United States is recalling two diplomats from South Africa and
is already cutting off shipments of military and police equipment to
the Pretoria government. Secretary of State Cyrus Vance announced
in Washington Wednesday. "These actions reflect our concern in
respect to the recent events in South Africa ... because the regret
table steps taken recently have been a major step backwards,” he told
a news conference.
Dutch tycoon released
Dutch real estate tycoon Maurits Caransa was released in good
health by kidnappers on a downtown Amsterdam square early Wed
nesday in exchange for a $4 million ransom, police said. Some police
said privately they were “flabbergasted by his sudden reappearance,
which seemed as mysterious as the events of his brief hut bizarre
kidnapping. “The abduction had no political implication,” police
spokesman Bob Hoorstra said. But he gave few details of the ransom
payment, saying only that the 10 million Dutch guilders ($4 million!
had been paid “in new bank notes of 1,000 guilders ($400) each.”
Brezhnev offers nuclear ban
Soviet President Leonid Brezhnev, in a concession to the U.S.
position, Wednesday offered a ban on all peaceful and military nu
clear explosions and proposed an end to the production of nuclear
weapons by all nations. Brezhnev made the offer in a wide-ranging,
90-minute speech in Moscow before the top Soviet leaders and dig
nitaries at functions marking the start of celebrations of the 60tb
anniversary of the Nov. 7 Russian Revolution. The Soviet leader said
that in the interests of reaching a nuclear test ban treaty with the
United States, he was giving up Soviet demands that peaceful nuclear
explosions be exempted from the treaty.
Weather
Fair and cool today and tomorrow with northwest winds 5-8
mph. High both days mid-70s. Low tonight mid-40s. 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 right to edit such letters and does
not guarantee to publish any letter. Each letter must Ih
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.
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United Press International is entitled exdu.sivtM 1
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Janiitd
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