Viewpoint
The Battalion
Texas A&M University
Wednesday
February 8 ? 1978
Yelling’s not easy
The yell leaders have been yelled at lately for their absence at a recent
women’s basketball game. It appeared that only big money-big crowd events
brought the men in white for our yelling pleasure. The contention that less
attended University-recognized athletic activities deserved the yell leaders’
presence is a valid one. But there’s another side to it. There aren’t enough yell
leaders to go around.
Presently there are about a dozen recognized sports on this campus. Al
though not all of them are in full swing simultaneously, there are enough
season coinciding to make yell leading a fulltime job.
True, not every sport would appreciate the yell leaders’ vocal support.
Imagine a golf championship hanging on a final five-foot putt. The galley grows
deathly quiet, the putter swings ahead...“GIG’EM, GOLFERS!” Get the
point?
How to divide the yell leaders’ limited resources, namely themselves,
among a myriad of sporting events is, however, a serious question; one which
the Yell Leader Committee will probably tackle this semester.
We might find the Yell Leader Committee considering dividing the yell
leaders among the various sports, or forming a backup yell-leading squad, or
even declaring some sports more important than others even though they all
merit yell leader participation.
Whatever the answer, it probably will not please everyone. But some policy
is necessary before yell leader attendance becomes the highlight of the game.
J.A.
Gramm pushes issues on a narrow road
By JIM CRAWLEY
Two years ago the Phil Gramm for Se
nate campaign office was in chaos. The
Democratic primary and his defeat to
Lloyd Bentsen were three months off. The
office in the 707 Texas complex was inun-
Politics
dated with paper. Campaign brochures,
press releases, posters, signs, fund-raising
letters, and just plain waste paper.
Last week, Phil Gramm was seated in
the well-kept study of his Bryan campaign
headquarters. The foyer of the office was
devoid of the clutter that characterized his
attempt at the LhS. Senate. The only thing
reminding a casual visitor of a campaign
headquarters was a box of campaign letters
and a “Phil Gramm for Congress' sign
leaning against the paneled walls.
This time Gramm is running for the
Democratic nomination in the Sixth Con
gressional race. And his campaign strategy
is as neat as his office.
Gramm has what appears to be a de
tailed plan for his primary campaign. Each
precinct in the district has been re
searched with each county being detailed
in loose-leaf notebooks. One county, one
looseleaf notebook.
On the wall of the 35-year-old candi
date’s office a floor-to-ceiling map of the
district is pricked by colored pins indicat
ing the battle plans within the district.
Each pin signifies either a campaign head
quarters, a campaign committee, previous
visits or the location of billboards.
"My whole plan is to just stay on the
road — stay with the issues. I’m not going
to be dragged off the issues and onto the
side of the road. If I stay on the road for
the rest of the campaign and we don’t start
slinging mud. Til win in May,” said
Gramm, gesturing as if his hand was a car
trying to negotiate a narrow road.
With the recent attacks on Gramm by
fellow candidates Chet Edwards and Don
McNiel concerning Gramm’s use of a
University-compiled mailing list, he might
find it difficult to steer clear of the obsta
cles thrown in his path.
Gramm said the list was taken from the
Directory of Former Students.
One has to marvel at the campaign
strategy outlined by Gramm. In the last 45
days before the primary, Gramm plans to
make his name known to every voter in
the district. To achieve this goal Gramm
plans to have a campaign letter sent to
every voter in the district, then a TV and
radio campaign throughout the district,
followed by a phone call to every voter. A
newspaper ad campaign is also planned.
The cost of this campaign push will be ap
proximately $175,000. Gramm’s current
treasury has over $100,000 to spend for
the primary.
The soon-to-be-sent letter is an example
of Gramm s detailed work. The letter will
be signed not by Gramm, but by promi
nent community leaders backing him. The
cost of sending letters to everv voter in the
district: $30,000.
The entire campaign push is for one rea
son. Giving Phil Gramm a platform from
which he can present the issues of the
world and the district and telling the vot
ers his view of the issues.
“People don’t just want to shake your
hand, they want to know your qualifica
tions and where you stand on the issues.
“Tin not campaigning. I’m trying to in
fluence policies.
“I think my activities are indicative of a
guy not just running for Congress, but of a
guy that understands the issues.
Gramm wants to make the “free
enterprise’ system the undisputed eco
nomic system of the United States. His
philosophy is conservative and his stands
on the issues are conservative.
He is in favor of gas deregulation,
against the increasing government bu
reaucracy and against a national health
plan.
In other developments in the Sixth
Congressional District race, the final list of
candidates has been filed at the state
Democratic Party headquarters.
The contenders: Chet Edwards, Ron
Godbey, Phil Gramm, Don McNiel, and
Will Powers.
Capital punishment euphemistic murder
By VICKI WHORTON
“By lethal injection, the newspaper
said, an 18-year-okl “man” was given the
death sentence Feb. 3 for killing a restaur
ant manager during a robbery. He is the
youngest person in Texas to receive the
death penalty since it was re-enacted in
1973. A clinical psychologist and an assis
tant principal of the man’s junior high
school testified that there was little chance
of the man begin rehabilitated. It took
jurors in the court a little over an hour to
decide to end the life of another human.
Who has the right to judge whether a
person should live or die? God is the only
one who can pass judgement, and that is
what the courts of the United States, a
country that is “one nation under God,
should reflect.
Capital punishment has been a major
issue in recent years. But there should not
be ah issue. No person on this earth ha.s
the right to judge another, especially
when life or death is involved.
words and new methods, such as "a lethal
injection, but the end result is the same.
Readers’ forum
Murder is murder, and every human, no
matter what crime he has committed, has
the right to live.
Many U. S. citizens take pride in the fact
that our country is free and democratic.
Many people feel that the United States is
“enlightened in most areas. But how can
anyone take pride in the fact that capital
punishment remains in our country during
these “enlightened times.
The days of hangings and lynchings are
over with, or so most think. But a group of
people are still able to decide, under U.S.
law, to murder someone.
Oh, it may be under the guise of fancy
The United States needs to eradicate
the death penalty. Life imprisonment
presents a much better solution to this
moral issue. The death penalty is too steep
of a punishment. Some may feel that no
thing is too steep of a punishment. Some
may feel that nothing is too harsh for
someone who has killed a person, but life
imprisonment could be, in some ways,
worse than death. The sentenced wovdd
know he would never again be allowed to
live in the real world. He might be tor
mented by guilt. Perhaps he woidd realize
his wrong. He may even be able to make
something out of his life inside the prison.
Life imprisonment would he far better
than taking a life. Some may argue that the
cost of keeping prisoners for life would be
too much, but cost should not be a factor
when dealing with a life.
Measures would have to be taken to in
sure that no one sentenced for life could
be paroled. Capital punishment is wrong,
but so is letting killers out into the world.
As human beings, we should respect
each person’s right to live. No one should
be able to judge if another person s life
should be taken.
Vicki Wharton is a freshman in general
studies. Opinions expressed in this column
are the author's only and not necessarily
those of this paper.
Letters to the editor
Harvey explains views on GPR requirements
Editor:
I have discussed with Liz Newlin and
Kim Tyson the question of whether or not
they had been made aware of the fact that
my overall was above a 2.0. I was of the
opinion that they had been but were
choosing not to cover that side of the issue.
After the discussion with them, how
ever, it seems apparent that they were not
aware of what my overall was and that had
they been, they would have included the
fact in their coverage. For these reasons,
then, I extend my apologies to Liz and
Kim for any aspersions that I may have
made concerning their fairness in covering
the matter.
As for my grades: I did not post a 2.0
GPR last semester, my overall is approxi
mately a 2.9, and I am not on scholastic or
disciplinary probation.
I express my status in this way as each
statement is pertinent to a specific clause
in the Student Body Constitution defining
qualifications for remaining in office. Arti
cle I., Section IV. states “All members of
the Student Government Executive
Committee shall have an overall Grade
Point Ratio of at least 2.500 at the time of
their election or appointment and post at
least a 2.000 GPR during their term of of
fice. Article III., Section IT, Paragraph
(b) states, “No person elected within the
provisions of this Constitution may be re
moved because of scholastic reasons unless
he is placed on scholastic probation, in
which case he shall be removed from office
immediately.
Hence, the entire issue in Student Gov
ernment at the moment centers around
whether officers must post a semester
GPR above 2.0, post an overall above 2.0,
or simply remain off of scholastic proba
tion. I believe that the latter provision
clearly prohibits the removal of any
elected official for anything less than
scholastic probation.
Slouch
As an officer of Student Government, I
do not respect the action taken by indi-
vidul senators who formed a “credentials
committee to check grades. It is the re
sponsibility of the Senate to establish such
a committee or similar mechanism to
enforce the provisions of the Constitution.
It is my responsibility to support the Se
nate in its efforts to meet the require
ments, expectations, and interests of stu
dents. For these reasons I did not release
my grades to committee not authorized to
receive them by the Senate.
However, the grades are now in, and
the time has come for the Senate to act.
The Senate has the responsibility to the
Constitution and to the student body to
establish clear guidelines for elected offi
cials to follow and to enfore these
guidelines fairly and openly. The evidence
is in, the arguments have been presented;
we await the decision.
— Robert W. Harvey
Student Body President
(Pinky) Wilson, writer of the Aggie war
hymn is the man we are speaking of. On
Feb. 12 Pinky Wilson will be 81 years old.
Right now Pinky is confined to a wheel
chair and has spent considerable amount
of time in the hospital the last few months.
How about all you good Aggies sending
Pinky a birthday card? As loyal as he is to
A&M, that would be the greatest gift he
could receive. His address is as follows:
J.V. (Pinky) Wilson
605 North Pierce
Burnet, Texas 78611
Thank You. We know he will appreciate it.
—His grandchildren, Deborah, Scott
and Dana Walterscheid
Keep canal
^ ^ ar ^ e Arnett gets 1 vote
Editor:
The Feb. 6 Batt carried an article by
Paul Arnett, about Karl Godine and Jarvis
Williams entitled “Nothing Changes but
the Changes.”
As an Aggie sports enthusiast, I have
tried to keep up with the sporting news in
The Battalion and in particular read the
letters to the editor.
During the past seven months, I have
yet to read a letter that has had anything
good to say about Mr. Arnett, or about the
articles he has written. All of the letters
have been either detrimental or bordering
on outright hostility to Arnett.
I enjoyed his article on Godine and
Williams and will look for more such arti
cles.
—Bill Miller, ‘79
Pinky’s birthday
Editor:
We are writing to direct attention to the
most loyal Texas Aggie fan we know. J.V.
Editor:
The signing of the Panama Canal Treaty
will be a slap in the face to every U.S.
citizen. The treaty will give our access and
control of the canal to the Marxist
Panamanian Government, and we will pay
them $50 million a year plus $350 million
in military aid. The canal is a vital link
enabling our one-ocean Navy to protect us
in several oceans, without the canal we
will be highly vulnerable to any world
power. We also cannot afford to lose our
14 military bases in Panama.
The majority of the traffic passing
through the canal is originated to or from
the U.S. We can be sure that Panama
won’t make it easier or cheaper for ships to
go through the canal. This can only cause
the higher prices to be passed on to the
consumer.
If Panama is really upset with our pres
ence there, why haven’t they offered to
pay us to relocate and build a new canal?
Perhaps it’s because the U.S! will have put
over $9.3 billion into the canal. A pretty
good deal, for Panama that is.
I lived in Panama for 4 years and never
once did I see the Panamanians not benefit
from our presence. The U.S. supplies
thousands of jobs to the Panamanians who
would have no other means of support.
Let’s not come out of this deal with the
short end of the stick as usual. Let s stand
up for ourselves for once and be proud to
be Americans.
—Mark Hinkle, ‘81
Top of the News R
State
Six representatives will not run
Six members of Texas’ congressional delegation, among them the
state’s most influential voices in Washington, are not seeking re-
election in 1978, creating scrambles for the offices they are vacating.
Those who did not file for re-election, all Democrats, are Rep. Bar
bara Jordan of Houston, Rep. W.R. Poage of Waco, Rep. Olin Teague
of Bryan, Rep. George Mahon of Lubbock, Rep. Omar Burleson of
San Angelo, and Rep. Bob Krueger of New Braunfels, who is surren
dering his House seat to campaign for the U.S. Senate.
Nation
Webster nominated head of FBI
‘Strangler offers to surrender
A man claiming to be the Hillside Strangler, rapist-killer of 12 girls
and women, has offered to surrender with an accomplice, to Mayor
Tom Bradley. The mayor issued a public appeal to the strangler
Monday to continue the communication, assuring him he would be
safe if he gave up “to me, here in my office.” Bradley said the man
wrote him, saying “he is the Hillside Strangler and that he wanted to
turn himself and a friend in to the mayor’s office, but that he was
concerned that it be only the mayor’s office, instead of the police
department, because of some fear for their lives and their safety.”
23 die in Eastern snowstorm
World
Family asks for political asylum
Ethiopians inflict heavy losses
Weather
The Battalion
The Senate Judiciary Committee approved the nomination of fed
eral Judge William H. Webster to head the FBI, clearing the way for
expected confirmation by the full Senate later this week. Ten com
mittee members present voted in favor of Webster with no debate.
Webster, 53, of St. Louis, has served on the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of
Appeals since 1973 and was nominated by President Carter last month
to succeed Clarence Kelley, who plans to step down as FBI director
Feb. 15. If confirmed, YVebster will earn $57,500 a year as FBI
director.
du
de
bse
imb
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A fierce snowstorm ripped through the New England area Tuesday
leaving New York City paralyzed and the entire city of Boston
blacked out. The death toll mounted sharply from the storm with at
least 23 weather-attributed deaths. New England alone counted 17,
including three persons who died of asphyxiation in stranded cars in
Rhode Island. Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Massachusetts each
counted two deaths apiece. Evacuation of coastal areas left hundreds
stranded and helpless. National guardsmen and other rescue workers
were called to assist the storm-battered states. Sixty-two armories
across the area were also opened to assist those people who needed
shelter.
An East German family aboard a hijacked Czech jetliner has asked
for political asylum in West Germany. The Czech engineer, Ladislav
Molnar, 24, seized the plane and faces air piracy charges today in a
Frankfurt court. “The East German asked West German authorities
for permission to stay in the Federal Republic of West Germany with
his child and wife,” a police spokesman said Monday night. It was a
virtual certainty their request would be granted. Bonn’s constitution
makes no distinction between West and East Germans and anyone
living under the Communist regime may settle in West Germany at
any time. The jetliner left Frankfurt Monday night — without .Molnar
and the unidentified East German family — for its original destina
tion of Prague, police said.
Cl
A government spokeman said Ethiopian troops had launched a
“concentrated action” in the six-month desert war and inflicted heavy
losses on the Somalis, driving them in panic across the border. He
described the fighting as “certainly the heaviest in weeks.” Capt.
Fikre Selassie Wogderess, secretary general of Ethiopia’s ruling
council known as the Dergue, said earlier on Radio Addis Ababa the
Somalis had been “crushed” by the Ethiopians and were fleeing
“tormented by hunger and thirst. In separate remarks to reporters,
Capt. Wogderess said the “Somali forces are being routed in all direc
tions and suffering from the full brunt of Ethiopia’s revolutionary
forces.
Cloudy and cold today and tonight. Cloudy and a little
warmer tomorrow. High today 36, low tonight 30. High to
morrow in the mid-40s. Winds from the north east at 10-18
mph.
!
I
I
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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Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words and are
subject to being cut to that length or less if longer. The
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not guarantee to publish any letter. Each letter must be
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Address correspondence to Letters to the Editor, The
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Editor Jamie Ailbl
Managing Editor Man Alice Wodliam I
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