Viewpoint
The Battalion Monday
Texas A&M University February 6, 1978
Clear the air
it was inevitable that the student government grade controversy would
stir up quite a bit of dispute. It was to be expected with the student govern
ment constitution so unclear. But there is a right and a wrong way to settle
any dispute, and the emotional pitch of this particular controversy is heading
us down the wrong track.
A mere constitutional question of grades has spawned a rash of innuendoes
questioning the veiy character of everyone involved in this issue, from the
student leaders in question to reporters covering the proceedings.
This is a legal issue and should be settle intellectually, not emotionally. It
is a difficult issue to solve and a difficult one to report. But if everyone
involved will keep the legal question in mind and personal characters out of
the picture, we can be spared the muck that is bogging down efficient
problem-solving.
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A for Carter’s counter-productivity
By MARK ELAM
One of the favorite past-times recently
in the news media has been to assess Pres
ident Carter’s performance his first year in
office. Rather than be redundant and sim
ply present a score card of Cater s per
formance, perhaps a few suggesions might
appropriately accompany any praise or
criticism that is set forth.
First, let us consider Carter’s No. 1 ob
jective this past year; the implementation
of a comprehensive energy program. Al
though Carter’s program is still being jos
tled about in Congress, it appears that this
program is following a dreadfully fateful
set of solutions which suggest anyone who
happens to oppose this solution and favor
another one (God forbid), has been
branded as a special interest.
In regard to Carter’s performance in
volving another ill which confronts our na
tion, inflation, it should be noted that Car
ter’s anti-inflation packages carry all the
punch of an aspirin and a “Please get well
soon ” card. Indeed, a series of Wednesday
evening prayer meetings for the economy
might prove more beneficial. Yet, despite
this problem, and despite the fact that the
market is several hundred points below
normal, we have to realize that things
could have been worse.
Things could have been worse, if, for
instance. Carter would have endorsed the
original version of the Humphrey-
Hawkins bill, or for instance, if Carter had
Letters to the editor
decided to cancel the cruise missle along
with the B-l bomber. Instead of appoint
ing Andrew Young as ambassador to the
U.N.. he could have appointed comedian
Dick Gregory, even though some would
claim that both men seem to be equally
humorous. We should at least feel fortu-
Readers’ forum
nate that we are no longer faced with a
deluge of Amy Carter stories on the eve
ning news.
But enough of this extreme pessimism,
let us briefly consider how things might
have been better. One of Carter’s recent
controversial blunders centered around
his claim that the U.S. government pur
chased the state of Texas from Mexico, and
thus rightfully owned it. But perhaps Car
ter was simply confused. Surely he meant
to say that the U.S. bought the Panama
Canal, which it did, rather than the state
of Texas, which it did not. Carter could
have opted to give away a U.S. possesion
that cost less than the Panama Canal, say
for instance Hawaii or the Louisiana Pur
chase.
In response to some of the solemn
promises set forth in his campaign, Carter
could have actually begun to do such
things as reduce the budget, rather than
increase it. He could have worked to re
duce governmental red tape and pa
perwork as he promised instead of increas
ing it. He could have kept his written
promise with the governors of Texas,
Lousisiana and Oklahoma by working for
rather than against deregulation of natural
gas prices.
The president could have stood for a
truly meaningful and equitable human
rights policy which did not ignore such na
tions as Cuba, Cambodia, Panama and
Vietnam.
In terms of unemployment, Carter
could have sought to prevent a large in
crease in the minimum wage, which even
he admits will increase unemployment
among the youth, especially the black and
minority youth. He coidd have told the
American people that a tax cut is really no
tax cut at all when accompanied and offset
by even higher tax rates for social security,
real estate and numerous energy related
utilities. And finally our president could
have refused to fulfill the one promise he
did keep. He could have refused to issue a
pardon for draft evaders. Equally impor
tant, he could have praised through his
words and actions, rather than ridicule,
those men who faithfully served their
country in times of war.
A CBS poll of Jan. 17 pointed out that a
majority of Americans are openly dissatis
fied with the performance of their gov
ernment, and we are now told that we
should all lower our expectations concern
ing promises which were made, because
they were too optimistic and perhaps unat
tainable. The truth is however, that Presi
dent Carter’s promises are not unattaina
ble, they are simply being approached
with incorrect emphasis.
In short, the solution to our problems
center around the ability of each indi
vidual to solve his own problems, rather
than the desire of a government to not
only solve our problems', but to determine
what our problems are, as well. Depen
dence upon old fashioned common sense
coupled with a deep abiding respect for
the ideals which brought forth our nation
would serve as a excellent place for our
government to look for examples of how to
improve its record.
But let’s not forget Carter’s grade. Care
fully considering the course of our
economy, the present state of our defense
capabilities, our prestige abroad, as well as
the state of our union in general, I believe
that it is fair to give Carter a grade of C for
his performance thus far, no, not for an
average performance, but rather for a
counter-productive one.
Mark Elam is a junior political science
major and president of Young Americans
for Freedom at Texas Ai?M University.
Opinions expressed in this column are the
author s only and not necessarily those of
this paper.
• A ^ * . . t y
Printed accounts of assaults beneficial
Editor:
This is in reference to Danna Richey’s
letter of Feb. 3, 1978 regarding the print
ing in the Batt of articles describing cam
pus rapes as unnecessary journalism.
Danna asks, “Where is our sense of ethical
discrimination? ’ As we see it Danna, the
question is “Where is your sense of re
sponsibility to help protect each other
against rape?’ Just as one would want to
be aware of a potential danger as in a
poisonous snake, we would like to be
aware of a potential danger of rape on
campus, or anywhere. Reading about rape
is ugly because rape is ugly. At least
maybe you are aware that campus rape is
more than something that could never
happen to you.
— Barbara Fuchs, ‘77
Pat Micks, ‘76
Liz Abbott
Need to know
Editor:
I am writing in response to Danna
Richey’s article, “Who Benefits?’’ that ap
peared in Friday’s Battalion. The answer
to that question is we, the students, bene
fit. Personally, I feel that Texas A&M is
one of the safest campuses of the its size in
the state. Is it possible, however, that the
students here are being misled concerning
the frequency of rapes and assaults that
take place on campus?
In my opinion the news is obligated to
the students to print the facts, regardless
of how unpleasant they may seem. It is far
more dangerous to suppress news stories
on rape and assaults at A&M than to print
them because it deceives the students
here into believing that these things don’t
happen when, in fact, they do!
As for our sense of “ethical discrimina
tion,” the news has no right to conceal the
truth from anyone, which is exactly what
that implies to do. The victims do have the
prerogative of remaining nameless in the
stories. But I, for one, want to be aware of
the happenings on this campus, good or
bad, because I feel, as a student here, I
deserve to know.
— Jo Lynn Denton, ‘80
Get together
Editor:
We, members of the class of ‘81, are
glad to know that there are such gifted up
perclassmen as Jay Gilbert, ‘80, who while
in attendance as the guilty party whose
conduct was not in the spirit of the good
Ag.
We as Aggies attend basketball games to
cheer for the team and school we all love.
If Mr. Gilbert had spent as much time and
effort cheering for the team as he has foul
ing the Aggie Spirit and penalizing the
class of 81 we fricks might have a better
upperclassman by which we can pattern
our own conduct.
So come on Ags, let s spend our time
and effort helping each other to support
our teams rather than brow-beating each
other’s classes.
— Bill Richmond, ’81
Courtney Sutde, ’81
Another side
Editor:
To the authors of a letter to the editor
Friday who contended that only one side
of the student government grades require
ment story has been told:
Having attended both the latest senate
meeting and Judicial Board proceedings
and knowing the authors of the articles
concerning scholastic requirements for
student government officials, I feel your
letter was also one-sided, and definitely
unfair. Even though the articles began ap
pearing before thp senate meeting, Robert
Harvey waited until his State of the Cam
pus speech to reveal or admit that he did
not have a 2.0 GPR. At no time did he
defend himself by stating his cumulative
ratio was above a 3.00. Nor did he explain
to my satisfaction or the J-Board’s which
article of the constitution affected him.
Not once did he attempt to claim his right
to privacy as protected by the Rules and
Regulations. His actions and those of Aus
tin Sterling, Joe Young and Vicki Young
have merely worsened the situation. Their
refusal to state their grades, their lack of
initiative in asking for an interpretation of
the constitution, and their delay of the
eventual consequences has surprised and
appalled me.
But the J-Board has further worsened
the situation by delaying its decision on
the constitution. Yes, they now know
exactly who doesn t have the grades, but
what can they do? Immediately remove
them or wait for them to be put on scholas
tic probation; which is it?
I would also question Stan Stansfield’s
delay in disqualifying himself as J-Board
what part did Carolyn Adair play in all
this? How did she know about Robert
Harvey’s grades; she must have had some
reason for encouraging Stan Stansfield to
initiate action against him.
The Battalion has been fair and accurate
in its treatment of Robert Harvey, but its
ommission of his past academic honors is
as unusual as his modesty in defending
himself. Jamie Aitken’s deletion of Austin
Sterling’s magna cum laude graduation
and his reasons for not signing the waiver,
is highly suspect and astonished the re
porter and myself.
I sympathize to a point with Robert
Harvey. As a freshman, I have heard of his
highly distinguished service to A&M. But
his delay in telling the truth has cast a
shadow on his reputation, and you cannot
fault the Battalion for his actions or inac
tion. — M.J. Triola, ‘81
Ed. note: The omission of Austin Sterl
ing’s reason for not signing the waiver
form was inadvertent. A correction to that
effect was run in Thursday, Feb. 2, Battal
ion.
Keep the ‘Student*
Editor:
This letter is in response to the allega
tions made in Thursday, Feb. 2 “Letters to
the editor ”, concerning the campus news
paper, “Today’s Student.
First of all, this individual has the right
to object and even to express the objec
tions publicly, but this campus and the
students attending A&M, have the right to
have at their disposal a paper like “Today’s
Student". It not only discusses frankly and
openly current issues, it also gives a viable
alternative to those ideas that most people
accept without serious thought.
I, for one, am excited about finally hav
ing a paper like “Today’s Student” at
A&M. If the gentleman who wrote you is
somewhat offended by what is in the pa
per, he has the right not to pick up the
paper and go his own way, but to deprive
students on this campus of a paper of this
capacity would be very wrong. The issues
communicated in the “Student” and the
things that are relevant to college students
today are explained.
— Johnny Stimson, ‘80
attending the t.u. basketball game pin
pointed the freshmen class out of the 7,000
chairman, his aid to the plaintiff s lawyer,
and Jim Conner’s curious antics. Also,
Corrections
In Friday’s Battalion, Jeanne
Lopez’s story on sororities’ housing
plans incorrectly stated that Alpha
Chi Omega has proposed a nine-
bedroom home in College Station.
The sorority’s correct name is Chi
Omega. Alpha Chi Omega does not
have a chapter in Bryan-College
Station.
Also, a story on skiing gave an in
correct title to Laurence Korwin,
director of the Sports Training Insti
tute. The article stated that Korwin
directs the sports training institute
at Texas A&M. No such institute
exists on campus. The Battalion re
grets the errors.
Top of the News
Campus
Interviewing workshop set
A workshop on interviewing techniques will be presented to the
American Humanics Association by Joe Collard, vice president for
personnel for Mitchell Energy and Development Corporation. The
seminar will be held Tuesday at 6:15 p.m. in MSC 203. For more
information, contact Suzy Murphy at 693-5269 or call the American
Humanics office at 845-3837.
State
Eagle killers to be sentenced
U.S. District Judge John Wood Jr. Monday today in San Antonio
will sentence three men convicted of conspiring to kill at least 70
federally protected golden eagles from a helicopter at Leakey, Texas.
Real County Commissioner Lanny Leinweber, suspended govern
ment hunter Andrew Allen and ranch foreman Norman M. Paper
could receive $5,000 fines and one year in jail on each count. The
Dec. 9 convictions have added to the controversy between conser
vationists and ranchers who claim the eagles are a menace to sheep
and goats. Eagle killing has become a campaign issue in the 21st
congressional district which stretches across sheep, goat and cattle
country from San Antonio to San Angelo. Leinweber was convicted of
one count of killing eagles and one count of violating the aerial hunt
ing act. Paper was convicted of conspiracy, two counts of killing the
birds and one count of aerial hunting.
‘Officer had fun harassing
A surprise rebuttal witness for the government Sunday testified in
Houston that one of the police officers accused in the drowning death
of Joe Campos Torres Jr. claimed he “had fun harassing Mexican-
Americans. The disputed testimony came in an unusual Sunday ses
sion of the federal civil rights trial moments after the defense rested
its case. Carol Stager, who worked in a bank where former officer
Joseph Janish was a part-time security guard, said the young officer
had told her Mexicans caused him a lot of trouble in his work as a
patrolman for the Houston Police Department. Janish, 24, Tern’
Denson, 27, and Stephen Orlando, 22, face possible maximum sen
tence oflife imprisonment ifconvicted on the federal charges. Torres,
23, drowned in Buffalo Bayou downtown on May 6, 1976, following
hi s arrest for drunken brawling. His body was found two days later.
Nation
Four die in plane crashes
Four Air Force officers died in a series of plane crashes in a region
dubbed the “sagebrush triangle and the search for a 21-year-old
civilian was postponed Sunday in Las Vegas, Nev. because of snow,
high winds and rain. Six men were aboard three planes that crashed
within a five-day period last week in southern Nevada. The three
crash sites were located Saturday. All crewmen aboard two military
planes were killed. An off-duty air force officer walked away from the
crash of his rented civilian plane but his son has not been found. Lt.
Col Billy Helton, 46, North Little Rock, Ark., survived the crash of a
Piper Cherokee in Wallace Canyon north of the 11,000-foot snow-
caped Charleston Peak. His son, Michael, remained unaccounted for
Sunday afternoon.
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Mardi Gras nonviolent this year
City officials in New Orleans said Sunday French Quarter revelers
participating in the pre-Lenten celebration of Mardi Gras were some
of the most nonviolent in recent memory. Police and volunteer work
ers said arrests were down sharply this year and for the second year
since the violent 1960s, officers on street duty shed their protective
helmets. “I guess the people have been pretty good and staying out of
trouble,” said Brad Smolkin, a law student volunteer for the Mardi
Gras Coalition. “Most of the arrests I saw were municipal charges for
sleeping in the bus station — there were hordes of those — and
possession of less than an ounce of marijuana. ’ The coalition staffs a
switchboard at Tulane University to offer free legal aid to arrested
revelers, provide emergency medical treatment on the street and
direct ill-prepared visitors to food and shelter.
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Increasing cloudiness today becoming cloudy with a chance
of light rain or drizzle tonight. High today in the mid-SO’s, low
tonight low-mid 40’s. High tomorrow near 50. Winds from the
East at 8-15 mph. Forty percent chance of rain tonight &
tomorrow.
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 be
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.
Represented nationally by National Educational Adver
tising Services, Inc., New York City, Chicago and Los
Angeles.
The 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 lull year. Advertising rates fur
nished on request. Address. The Battalion. Room 216.
Reed McDonald Building, College Station, Texas 77843
United Press International is entitled exclusively to the
use for*reproduction of all news dispatches credited toil
Rights of reproduction of all other matter herein resent
Second-Class postage paid at College Station, TX 77M3
MEMBER
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Congress
Editor Jamie Aitken
Managing Editor Mary Alice Woodhams
Sports Editor Paul Arnett
News Editors Marie Homeyer, Carol Meyer
Assistant Managing Editor Glenna Whitley
City Editor Karen Rogen
Campus Editor Kim Tyson
Reporters Liz Newlin, David
Boggan, Mark Patterson, Lee Roy Leschper Ji
Gary Welch, Scott Perkins, Bob Ashfield
Photographers Susan Webb, Ken Herrera
Cartoonist Doug Graham
Student Publications Board: Boh G. Rogers. Chairmn.
Joe Arredondo: Dr. Gary Halter, Dr. John \V. Hama.
Robert Harvey: Dr. Charles MeCandless: Dr. Clinton .4
Phillips: Rebel Rice. Director of Student Publications
Donald C. Johnson.
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