The Battalion
Texas A&M University
Viewpoint
Friday
December 9, 1977
Survey needed on lights-out policy
It’s just about over. By the end of this week
those research papers should be turned in and out
of the way, just in time for another round of all-
nighters before finals. And to help in these hours
of need, the library will be open 24 hours a day
from Sunday morning, Dec. 11, to Wednesday
midnight, Dec. 14.
However, there have been grumblings from
the authors of many end-of-the-semester research
papers that the library’s designated hours of need
have not coincided with their own. They contend
that they really could have used more hours to sift
through the library’s holdings before the lights
went out, and there have even been reports of
some persistent researchers hiding out to con
tinue their browsing after hours.
Apparently there is a need for a study to de
termine whether the current library hours should
be revised, at least during the weeks immediately
preceding the end of the semester. Let’s face it,
students are invariably procrastinators, and will
wait until the last possible minute to finish semes
ter requirements.
As with any University facility, there is a finan
cial problem with keeping the library open. Dr.
Irene Hoadley, library director, says the library is
operating to the extent of its budget, and even the
four days of continuous operation during finals
week puts “a considerable burden on that
budget.
A study has been done by the Graduate Stu
dent Council to determine if there is a demand
for later library hours during semester breaks to
allow grad students (and others remaining on
campus) to catch up on their research. The results
of the study should be released in today’s Library
Council meeting. One of the grad students work
ing on the study said that if an extension of hours
is approved, some reallocation of library funds
would be needed to cover the change. He
couldn’t say what aspect of library operation
would be cut to allow later hours.
The fact remains, however, that under
graduates’ use of the library has not recently had
the benefit of such a study as was done for the
graduate students. Dr. Hoadley estimates that
fewer than a dozen students use the library after
midnight. But it has been more than two years
since the last study of student usage, and in that
time the University has added some 5,000 stu
dents to its enrollment.
It would seem, then, that a few more research
papers are in the mill these days, pressing the
library’s documents into greater use. If this is
true, no financial deficiency should be allowed to
block needed hours revision, for it’s the state’s
responsibility to provide its students sufficient ac
cess to its facilities. Additional funding would be
necessitated.
To begin with, though, perhaps some heed
should be given to those moans as the lights
flicker at midnight during dead week. A survey of
student usage during these last crucial weeks
could be enlightening. J.A.
Paying the
price for cooking
in dorm
By GEORGE FRIEDEL
As a student at Texas A&M University,
and resident of Schuhmaeher Hall, I am
subject to a list of rules and regulations set
down by student, staff and faculty alike.
One of these rules in particular I would
like to call your attention to. All kitchen
appliances, with the exception of coffee
pots, “hot pots, popcorn poppers and
blenders, shall be prohibited in residence
halls. Cooking in residence halls is prohib
ited.
As is obvious by this rule, students can
not have certain cooking utensils in their
rooms on campus, and cooking is also for
bidden. I have just come from a second
J-Board meeting where I was retried for
“cooking in my room. Now, I realize this
is breaking University policy and therefore*
was not upset when I was informed I
would be turned in to the J-Board. This
incident occured on October 10. Within
the prescribed ten days I was informed I
was to appear before the Judical Board of
the dorm. On the assigned date I went to
the meeting and was read the charge
against me. As I knew I was guilty I made
no defense for mysejf.
Later that evening I was informed of my
punishment. I was sentenced to write a
paper, which was to be placed in various
locations in and around the dorm, about
the reasons for having cooking restrictions
in the residence halls. This paper was to
be written after interviewing Ron
Blatchley, the area coordinator, and a
knowledgeable administrator of the physi
cal plant. The interviews were to be set up
by the Head Resident, and I was to pro
ceed from there.
Header s Forum
A deadline of two weeks from October
10 was set. After a few days of stewing over
whether to write it or not, I decided to
contact the Head Resident and have him
set up the interviews. He informed me he
had no knowledge of setting up any ap
pointments, but would put someone in
touch with me.
Three weeks after the deadline had - ex
pired, I was confronted by the head of the
J-Board. He informed me 1 would have an
extension of one week and would still have
to write the paper. I told him I would not
write the paper because I ittHi 1 fiacl clone
my part of the assigned punishment as far
as I could, in contacting the Head Resi
dent. 1 was then informed I would be
turned in to the area coordinator. I went
and talked to him myself within a few
days.
He told me since it had been so long
since the original deadline that he would
not rule on an appeal. He informed me
that it would be his recommendation to
the J-Board to rehear the case. If I was not
satisfied with their decision he would then
consider an appeal. November 30, nearly
two months after the original violation, I
confronted the J-Board again.
My arguement with the J-Board was not
over my guilt or innocence in the second
trial, merely with the principle of punish
ment. I feel I am to be punished for a
second time. Certain members who were
at the trial tell me getting in touch with
the Head Resident is no punishment.
With this I disagree. I was to contact the
Head Resident and he was to set up the
appointments. That is what was explained
to me in the paper which told me of my
punishment. I know this is no punish
ment, but it is as far as I could go without
cooperation from an inefficient appoint
ment setter.
If the Original paper had been written, I
would have asked the following questions
of those interviewed:
-r If cooking is prohibited for the reason
of fire hazard, why am I permitted to
smoke in my room or burn an opened
flamed candle?
■T- If the smell of cooking food infringes
upon my roommate s or fellow dorm
members’ rights, how is it I can keep Lim-
burger cheese, with its pungent odor, in
my refrigerator?
-r If my small hotplate draws such an
enormous amount of energy from the
lines, what is it like at 7:30 AM when
everyone fires up hair dryers, curling
irons, and electric razors, etc...?
H- Finally, who is donating money when
I have missed dinner because of a 4-6 lab
and 6-7:30 p.m. intramural flag football
game. If the members of our student
body, staff and faculty who formulate these
rules will, then I will cease to cook in my
room when I am without money and have
missed dinner.
But since the original punishment paper
never came about, I am now to summarize
the rules and regulations for residence hall
members found in the Rules and Regula
tion Handbook, so no other damn fool has
to go through the same procedure.
Friedel is a sophomore chemical engi
neering major.
Letters to the editor
Parking tickets not issued on equal basis
Editor:
Once again I ve been disillusioned by
the “fairness of a Texas A&M institution.
The institution to which I’m referring is
the University police.
One day last week an orange Volkswa
gen van with a teacher’s parking sticker
was illegally parked on the sidewalk be
hind Legett Hall almost the entire day.
There were several empty parking spaces
in the parking lot adjacent to the sidewalk,
however the van was never moved.
Usually the University police patrol this
area frequently during the day. A police
officer driving by in his Cushman made a
beeline for the van, obviously planning to
ticket the vehicle. The officer began writ
ing out the ticket, and walked to the back
of the van, apparently to get the license
number. However, when he saw the park
ing sticker of a teacher, he tore up the
ticket,and immediately drove away.
This angered, as well as puzzled me, so
I called the police department; The
woman I talked to told me that teachers
are not exempt from tickets, and that they
are supposed to comply with university
parking regulations.
I know, from personal experience, that
if the van had belonged to a student, it
would have been ticketed without any res
ervations whatsoever. This exemption was
a gross injustice to students, and if regu
lations are to be made, they should apply
to EVERYONE!
—Diana McComas, ‘80
Other side of abortion
Editor:
In response to Becky Adamietz’s letter
against abortion, I feel that she’s neglect
ing to look at another side of the issue.
Perhaps if you were born into a family
unwanted and unloved, your feelings on
the subject of abortion would be different,
regardless of your religion. I’ve grown up
with friends whose parents have had six or
seven other children and who couldn’t af
ford to support half of them. Sure, birth
control should have been thought of but
isn’t it a little late now that these kids have
been brought into the world?
Becky, don’t you think the world has
enough unwanted and unloved children
already? What about medical cases where
an abortion is needed to save the life of the
mother? Shouldn’t the fathers views be
presented? There are just too many ques
tions like the preceding ones to take into
account to be totally against abortions.
Since the baby involved is unable to ex
press its views, I feel that the decision on
abortion should be left with both of its
parents.
—Dean Shattuck,‘77
Honor deteriorating
Editor:
On reading Paul Am.-U’s ar'icle
“Where are the true fans?” in Tuesday’s
Battalion, I was pleased to note a feeling
similar to mine upon leaving the game
Saturday and listening to the unkind
comments. It seems to me that our
twelfth man is not the “traditional” good
guy always behind the team, “out-
scored” or victorious.
Sadly, I see around me a deteriorating
sense of honor and wholesomeness which
has been the public image of the
academic community here at A&M for
decades. I find it increasingly hard to
stomach the atrocities committed in the
name of tradition.
The most recent example is the “tra
ditional profaning of Christmas carols
(which in my nearly six years at A&M, I
heard about for the first time this fall).
Such a practice, while most likely to be
nearly as amusing as coming up with,
“Texas, jump up and bite my ass,” I
would hardly like to think it one of our
more treasured “traditions. Then again,
while fun, it doesn’t exemplify the sterl
ing qualities of tomorrow’s officers. Also,
it sounds remarkably like a “Frat-Rat” in
itiation stunt, and we have all followed
the battles over the years about the ab
surdity and such of fraternities here on
our campus.
Both this and the more public exam
ples of our tarnished image at football
games saddens me and I am sure many
others. Perhaps if folks would take the
public relations picture of a warm, sup
portive, really together bunch of Aggies
more seriously, and act accordingly,
people on the outside would not be so
abusive when speaking of us.
—Ann Johnston,‘76
Utay has spirit
Editor:
Sure, there are a lot of bad things to say
about Utay — But also for any dorm on
campus. Seldom does anyone say anything
about the positive side of Utay. Some of us
who live in Spence would like to do so.
Many of the guys in Utay make us
laugh, compliment us or show concern for
us if we are down.
What made some people say that Utay
didn t have spirit? Only a dorm with spirit
would raise $200 to hire a plane saying
“Beat UH to fly around during the foot
ball game.
Right now the guys in Utay are fighting
to keep their dorm for next year. We want
them to know somebody is on their side.
—Kathy James, ‘81
An angry reader
Editor:
Th is letter is in regard to the Battalion
and its actions this past semester. It seems
the Batt has started to use more liberal
coverage in its articles, claiming that “they
have to tell it like it is. But, there is a
dark, distinct line between “telling it like
it is, ” and blowing an issue out of propor
tion; and it appears to me that the Batt has
used the latter, combining it with poor
taste too many times this semester. You
have filled the pages with nothing but
senseless, irrational editorials, classless
sports reporting and other worthless, un
interesting three-day-old U.P.I. news
items.
This year we have sat through marijuana
ads, unhumorous sports cartoons, irra
tional and stupid photograph captions;
(“Rice band members compete with their
football team for laughs.”) half-page ads on
women’s personals’, Paul Arnett and
Mark Patterson, and now the Walker af
fair. All of these actions just plain rank
with poor taste. Yet you people with your
home-grown sensationalism-strut around
here thinking you’re the Washington Post
when in reality you, with these antics,
don’t even compete with the Crystal City
Chronicle. For as these past antics show
your liberal sensationalism is in reality
nothing more than a hoax.
Paul “Cosell Arnett’s recent article
“Where are the True Fans” is nothing
more that the kettle calling the pot black;
or whatever. And Mr. Patterson’s misquo
tations, actions, headline and ensuing arti
cle on David Walker only further
strengthens the true fact that you people
are just looking for a “story ”.
No, Battalion, tell it like it is, but cut
the sensational headlines, captions, out of
context quotes and cheap shots. In looking
back, the only good to come out of this
paper this semester has been the lining for
my bird cage, the editional page, construc
tive criticism (this letter) and David
Walker’s monologue which had more class
and was better written than anything you
people have written all year.
In closing I would just like to say that
according to “Cosell” Arnett, Walker
might now know what it feels like when all
glory is fleeting; but fleeting glory is some
thing the Battalion or Arnett will never
have to worry about.
—Ronnie Wise, ‘80
Not the only band
Editor:
We were disturbed upon reading the
letter in Tuesday’s Battalion written by
Mr. Sam Beecroft. We agree with his sen
timents that the Aggie band is an excellent
band rating at the top of its class.
The part that incensed us was where the
author gets off condemning other bands
for being different (i.e. show bands). Many
people, believe it or not, equally enjoys
seeing show bands as much as seeing the
Aggie Band.
Mr. Beecroft’s remarks were uncalled
for from a so-called “good Ag.” All Aggies
should show some respect toward other
schools. The Aggie Band is great we agree,
but its not the only band around.
—Randy Schrecengost, ‘79
Mark Melish, ‘78
Slouch
Earle
by Jim
THIS IS TH’ TIME OF THE YEAR WHEN IT’S FUN
TO SEND OUT REPORT TO ME IMMEDIATELY’
NOTES TO GRADUATING SENIORS!’’
Top of the News
Campus
Magazine now accepting work
Moebius Literary Magazine is now accepting poetry, short
stories and artwork. Deadline is Jan. 27, 1978. Rules and format
are available in room 216 of the MSC. The magazine is aprojecto!
the MSC Arts Committee.
School kids lunch with Santa
The second annual A&M Consolidated “Luncheon With Santa
sponsored by the Bengal Belles is planned for Saturday, Dec. 1(1
from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. Youngsters can have lunch with Santa
and a photographer will be available for a picture with him. Tickets
at $1 for pre-sale are available at South Knoll, College Hills, Kin
dergarten or High School office, or from any Bengal Belle. Tickets
at the door will be $1.25.
State
Lawyer defends Nazi party
A lawyer who feels the American Civil Liberties Union should
be involved any time there is an apparent civil rights violation is
going to ask a court to let the American Nazi Party preach violence
via telephone. ACLU attorney Michael Maness has rejected the
ACLU’s refusal of the Nazi case. He said Wednesday he would go
to court for the Nazis to ask that they be permitted to re-establish
a telephone message that offers a reward for the deaths of non
whites who attack white persons.
Court ruling nullifies conviction
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has ruled a person who re
fuses to consider anything but the death penalty in a capital mur
der trial should not be allowed to hear the case as a juror. The
ruling Wednesday nullified the murder conviction of Richard D.
Smith, sentenced to death for the 1976 murder of a Comanche,
Texas pharmacist. The court said Smith should have a new trial
because juror Leo Franklin Payne told the court he could not con
sider life imprisonment in a capital murder case. He said he would
only assess the death penalty.
State fire marshal underfire
A Senate subcommittee on consumer affairs will hold hearings
Dec. 15 on allegations the state fire marshal is selling licenses to
installers and servicers of fire extinguishers. Sen. Ron Glower,
D-Garland, and his staff said they have received numerous com
plaints about state fire marshal Charles Meadows since he assumed
control of the office in October. “The state fire marshal is simply
selling licenses without adequate investigation of the applicants
background and abilities,” said Darryl W. Grubbs, the subcommit
tee’s staff research specialist.
Police nab stranger, not strangh
Detectives who arrested a bearded man, in a sedan resembling a
police car complete with radios, red lights and siren, now say the
man has nothing to do with the 10 hillside stranglings. Steven
McCoy Sawhill, 24, was arrested while driving on the Hollywood
Freeway based on the theory that the strangler may have lured his
victims into his car by posing as a policeman.
Nation
Copter crashes in Gulf kills 11
A helicopter trying to land on an offshore oil rig spun wildly out
of control and slammed into the Gulf of Mexico Thursday, killing
17 of the 19 men aboard. A spokesman for Pennzoil Oil Co., which
operates the rig 90 miles southwest of Morgan City, La., con
firmed the 17 deaths after crews unsuccessfully searched the Gulf
more than five hours for survivors. Bob Harper, Pennzoil’s director
of personnel, said 15 of the dead were Pennzoil employees, but he
had no word on the other two victims. The twin-engine, French-
built helicopter went down shortly after noon CST on a flight from
Intracoastal City, La., to an offshore oil rig operated by Pennzoil
Oil Co. The helicopter was one of 200 used daily to shuttle 7,200
workers to and from drilling platforms in the Gulf.
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Democratic chairman resigns
Kenneth Curtis said Thursday he is resigning as Democratic na
tional chairman because it’s a lousy job. Curtis denied reports he
had been forced out of office by the White House staff. But, at a
news conference, he could barely hide his dislike of Mark Siegel,
President Carter’s chief political aide. Curtis said he was in no
hurry to get out of Washington and would probably stay on in the
post through the meeting of the Democratic National Committee
next April.
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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.
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Address correspondence to Letters to the Editor, The
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MEMBER
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Editor rvr.s Jamit!
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